Chapter 1042: Objectives

As the trackers revealed themselves, Ouyang Jian, who had been prepared for this, displayed no surprise. He immediately attacked, enveloping them all within his range of attack.

Ghost Deity Duan Ci's cultivation base was similar to Zhang Xingda's, both equivalent to a mid-stage Primordial Spirit cultivator in the human realm.

The scout dispatched by Ba Wudi, on the other hand, only possessed the strength of an early-stage Primordial Spirit cultivator. He was skilled in infiltration and reconnaissance but lacked combat capabilities.

As for Zhang Xingda, he could barely put up any fight. His divine body was on the brink of collapse, and he was almost devoid of the power to stabilize it.

The fierce sword qi filled the sky, encompassing all three opponents, leaving no room for vulnerabilities. The relentless sword qi moved freely, almost omnipresent and penetrating. Despite the trio's efforts to defend themselves, they were still struggling and finding it difficult to withstand.

Ouyang Jian faced the three opponents single-handedly, appearing relaxed, cheerful, and effortlessly capable.

While Mo Qing True Monarch was overseeing the ritual and casting spells to deal with the slumbering naturally born Ghost Deity, he occasionally diverted some of his energy to secretly assist Ouyang Jian in the fight.

Within his repertoire of dark magic were several spells designed to sow confusion and undermine resolve. Mo Qing True Monarch subtly unleashed these spells.

Already challenged by Ouyang Jian alone, dealing with the attacks of the dark magic spells surpassed their capabilities.

Within moments of the battle's commencement, the Primordial Spirit-level scout who had been accompanying Ghost Deity Duan Ci was decapitated by Ouyang Jian's summoned flying sword.

Though his disembodied Primordial Spirit intended to flee, Mo Qing True Monarch made a swift gesture from a distance, causing the Primordial Spirit to shatter.

Ouyang Jian didn't immediately target Zhang Xingda. This wasn't due to any sentimentality towards his old friend, but rather a strategic choice based on their relative strengths.

Injured or not, a Ghost Deity remained a Ghost Deity. In the Netherworld, such entities were not so easily killed.

On the other hand, the Primordial Spirit-level cultivator from the mortal realm lacked experience in Netherworld combat and was easily dispatched by Ouyang Jian.

Currently, only Duan Ci and Zhang Xingda, the two Ghost Deities, remained to barely fend off Ouyang Jian's attacks, at risk of being struck down at any moment.

Meanwhile, most of Mo Qing True Monarch's focus remained on the ongoing ritual. Their objective, he and Ouyang Jian's, was to utterly destroy the slumbering naturally born Ghost Deity's Soul while avoiding causing substantial harm to its divine body.

The dark magic spells cast by Mo Qing True Monarch delved directly into the depths of the slumbering Ghost Deity's Soul.

Ouyang Jian's disciple, Ouyang Huajin, who now existed solely as a Primordial Spirit, had entered the Ghost Deity's body and was aiding in the destruction of its Soul.

Ouyang Huajin had been within the Ghost Deity's body for some time.

Brandishing a sword formed from dark magic, Ouyang Huajin displayed formidable swordsmanship, striving to slay the enemy's Soul.

The naturally born Ghost Deity had fallen into slumber over a thousand years ago after suffering a grievous injury. He had been attempting to recover within this state of dormancy.

After so many years, the injuries on his divine body had mostly healed, but the injuries to his Soul remained severe. Thus, he had refrained from waking up.

In the vulnerable state of slumber, he had little defense against the assault of dark magic spells. Instinctively, his Soul resisted.

Since the battle occurred within his body, his formidable divine body was rendered useless. In a face-to-face confrontation, even if he were still recovering from injuries, his naturally born Ghost Deity body would make him formidable against Ouyang Jian and the others.

However, facing the enemy's Primordial Spirit while he himself was a Soul, coupled with the threat of the dark magic spells, the naturally born Ghost Deity sensed a tremendous danger. His Soul, still not fully awakened, fought back with all its might.

Shou Zheng, the wisp of soul, remained at the rear and had yet to reveal itself.

He was waiting, biding his time for a favorable opportunity to strike.

Through his psychic imprints, he urged Meng Zhang and the others to hasten their progress.Meng Zhang, who was rushing forward, watched Shou Zheng leading the way ahead and felt a sense of admiration. While Shou Zheng, the wisp of soul, was tracking Ouyang Jian and his group, he simultaneously relayed real-time information to Meng Zhang, keeping him informed about various developments along the journey. However, due to his insufficient cultivation base, Meng Zhang couldn't effectively utilize this information on his own, and his progress remained slow when he traveled alone. Now, with the formidable Ghost Deity Shou Zheng leading the way, their speed increased significantly. It seemed that they might reach their destination within two or three days.

In the mountain valley, Ouyang Jian showcased the might of a Sword Cultivator, employing seasoned combat experience that left no opportunity for his opponents to turn the tide.

Even with the Yin Capital's Ghost Deities fighting on their home turf in Netherworld, they were still no match for Ouyang Jian. First, Zhang Xingda, already heavily injured, was slain. Before his demise, he stared at Ouyang Jian with resentment and hatred in his eyes. Astonishingly, these negative emotions transformed into tangible substance, causing wisps of smoke and clouds to rise in the valley. Unfortunately, these mere manifestations of resentment were practically negligible to Ouyang Jian.

Duan Ci, upon clashing with Ouyang Jian, quickly realized he was outmatched and sought a chance to escape. However, Ouyang Jian tightly kept him in check, and with Mo Qing True Monarch eagerly watching, Duan Ci had no opportunity to flee. Eventually, unwilling to die at Ouyang Jian's hands, Duan Ci seized a chance to self-destruct his own Ghost Deity body.

Caught off guard, Ouyang Jian, who had insufficient knowledge about Ghost Deity bodies, sustained a slight injury from the explosion. When Shou Zheng, the wisp of soul, saw Ouyang Jian injured, he initially prepared to intervene. However, after communicating with his main consciousness, he suppressed the impulse to act and chose to continue waiting.

Being a senior figure of the Taiyi Sect and possessing extensive experience and insights, Ghost Deity Shou Zheng's perspective and understanding far exceeded those of Ouyang Jian and Mo Qing True Monarch.

When Meng Zhang had summoned Shou Zheng, he had shared information about the items Ouyang Jian and his group had acquired through the Shang Family of the Great Trade Union.

After a brief contemplation, Shou Zheng deduced the purpose of these items. They could be used to cast dark magic spells that inflicted significant damage on Ghost Deity Souls, particularly the naturally born Ghost Deities, who had a particularly weak resistance against such spells.

In fact, when these items were developed, their primary purpose was to target the Souls of naturally born Ghost Deities.

Having spent so many years in the Netherworld, Shou Zheng had also witnessed instances of Demonic Cultivators using these items to cast dark magic spells, directly attacking the Souls of naturally born Ghost Deities.

There were varying levels of strength among naturally born Ghost Deities. Those who weren't extraordinarily powerful couldn't withstand such spells.

Once the Soul of a naturally born Ghost Deity was destroyed by such dark magic spells, its divine body would remain mostly intact.

Upon hearing Meng Zhang's account of Ouyang Jian's actions, Shou Zheng had already surmised that Ouyang Jian and his group were likely aiming to destroy the Soul of a certain naturally born Ghost Deity.

The divine body left behind by a naturally born Ghost Deity held an irresistibly strong attraction for Shou Zheng as well.

Having spent many years in the Netherworld, Shou Zheng's cultivation base was almost at the limit of a postnatal Ghost Deity. Further progress was extremely challenging for him.

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