Chapter 745 - 730: One of the 10 Great Celestial Artifacts, the Heaven-Slaying Trident

The Star Moon Bodhi Prayer Beads were powerful, but Shen Lang had never trained in any Buddhist Sect Cultivation Method.

At his current level of cultivation, even if he used them to smash a King Martial Realm Ninth Heaven expert, he couldn’t be certain of dealing a fatal blow.

But against this Ghost, it was a completely different story.

A Supreme Buddhist Treasure held absolute power over creatures like these Ghosts.

What’s more, not even Shen Lang knew that the Star Moon Bodhi Prayer Beads in his hand were the most powerful of their kind... a Boneless Relic!

Faced with the Boneless Relic, even a Ghost as powerful and bizarre as this one was beaten so badly after just a few hits that it lost all ability to resist!

When had the Ghost ever encountered something so strange and terrifying?

It was defeated before it could even begin to use its abilities!

The Star Moon Bodhi Prayer Beads were one thing. Though powerful, they weren’t enough to render it completely helpless.

But the powerful suction of the black hole and the destructive aura emanating from within terrified it to its very soul!

At this critical moment, the creature finally began to beg for mercy, claiming it was from the Li Hen Sect!

"Li Hen Sect?"

Shen Lang’s eyes narrowed. The power of the Tai Chi Diagram, far from weakening, intensified, instantly yanking the powerful Ghost right before him!

Then, a flicker of lightning danced across Shen Lang’s right hand. He reached out and seized the semi-corporeal Ghost, holding it tight!

"Spare me! Please, spare my life! I’m really from the Li Hen Sect! I’m Sikong Yanbin, Shark’s Kiss’s senior brother! I died here ten years ago when I first entered this place, and I’ve been trapped ever since... Young man, you’re carrying Shark’s Kiss’s Immortal Celestial Saber. You must be one of us, from the Li Hen Sect, right?"

"Even if you aren’t from the Li Hen Sect, you must be a great benefactor, right? Otherwise, Shark’s Kiss would never have given you the Immortal Celestial Saber..."

A flicker of movement in Shen Lang’s eyes. "Shark’s Kiss’s senior brother, Sikong Yanbin?"

Noticing the change in Shen Lang’s tone, Sikong Yanbin finally let out a huge sigh of relief. "Yes, that’s right! I am Sikong Yanbin, Shark’s Kiss’s senior brother. To think I’d live to see the day the Immortal Celestial Saber has a new master... I’m overwhelmed with emotion..."

Before he could finish, a thought from Shen Lang sent the Star Moon Bodhi Prayer Beads flying back, smashing down hard on "Sikong Yanbin’s" head.

"AH!"

Sikong Yanbin never imagined Shen Lang would still strike so ruthlessly. He was hit so hard that smoke rose from his head, and his aura weakened even further!

"You... How can you be so unreasonable?" the Ghost cried. "Even if you won’t do it for my sake, do it for Shark’s Kiss! I’m his senior brother! How could you treat me this way..."

Only then did Shen Lang speak, his voice unhurried. "Old man, do you really take me for an idiot?"

"What do you mean? I... I don’t understand. Please, stop using that thing on me. My power is draining away... If this keeps up, I won’t have the strength to tell you anything about the Hungry Ghost Dao. You have to understand, the Hungry Ghost Dao isn’t that simple. You’ll never get out without me to guide you."

Sikong Yanbin spoke, his aura weak and his voice faint, but his words carried a subtle threat.

Shen Lang snorted. "If you recognized the Immortal Celestial Saber from the very beginning, why did you command those Ghosts to try and kill me? And another thing—have you already forgotten what you said just a moment ago?"

Sikong Yanbin froze. "I... I didn’t say anything! I just said I wanted to devour your soul... I was just trying to scare you, to test your abilities... Isn’t that how an elder tests a junior?"

Shen Lang grinned. "If I recall correctly, what you actually said was, ’The heavens have been good to me. After waiting for ten thousand years, I can finally leave this godforsaken place.’ That doesn’t quite line up with your story about Sikong Yanbin dying here ten years ago, now does it?"

"Sikong Yanbin was an Emperor Martial Realm Second Heaven expert. If he really died in this Hungry Ghost Dao, he couldn’t possibly be as weak as you are now. At the very least, the soul aura of an Emperor Martial Realm expert wouldn’t change that much!"

"The truth is, you and Sikong Yanbin fought until you were both grievously wounded. You only managed to kill him in the end, and then you devoured his soul... But in these ten years, you haven’t fully digested it. His soul still hasn’t completely fused with yours!"

"Or maybe... a powerful Ghost and Sikong Yanbin fought until they were both wounded, and you just seized the opportunity to devour them both? It’s useless to play these games with me. Killing you would be as easy as flipping my hand!"

Shen Lang spoke eloquently, his tone calm, yet he unerringly pointed to the heart of the matter.

The Ghost was completely stunned.

The Ghost-faced Person before it had such a young voice; he clearly couldn’t be very old.

’How could he have figured out the whole story, more or less, without doing anything?’

’He could even tell that I haven’t completely devoured Sikong Yanbin’s soul?’

’What the fuck kind of monster is he?!’

Before it could react, the power of the black hole in Shen Lang’s hand intensified, scaring the Ghost into begging for its life once more.

Only then did Shen Lang speak, his voice cold. "You seem to have some use. I’ll give you a chance to live. Offer me your Soul Blood."

"Soul Blood..." The Ghost desperately resisted the tearing force of the black-hole-like vortex in Shen Lang’s hand, the Ghost Fire in its eyes flickering wildly.

This Ghost had survived here for over ten thousand years, clawing its way up from among countless other Ghosts. It had experienced unimaginable horror and torment to get to where it was today.

Its savagery and violence far surpassed that of countless Fierce Beasts.

It wasn’t the type to submit so easily just because it had been captured.

For a vicious creature like this, it would often rather choose to have its soul scatter than be subjugated.

As expected!

In just that brief moment, a violent aura erupted from the Ghost!

The Ghost’s previously listless aura suddenly more than doubled in intensity, and with a sudden burst of strength, it forced open Shen Lang’s hand!

"Detestable human, you think..."

BANG!

Before the Ghost could finish speaking, the Star Moon Bodhi Prayer Beads struck again, slamming it right back.

Simultaneously, the power of the black hole in Shen Lang’s palm surged, and with a great WHOOSH, it swallowed half of the massive Ghost!

"You reckless fool, do you really think I want a useless subordinate like you?" Shen Lang snapped. "I could just devour you, absorb and refine your power. Wouldn’t that be a hundred times better than taking your Soul Blood?"

"Spare me! Please! I’ll never dare again! I surrender, I surrender!" The Ghost’s attitude changed in a flash. Seeing that escape was impossible, it finally gave up struggling and resumed begging for its life.

But even so, it still had no intention of immediately handing over its Soul Blood.

Meanwhile, the black hole in Shen Lang’s left hand continued to absorb the vast expanse of grayish-white mist.

The grayish-white mist in the sky nearby grew thinner and thinner...

"Duanmu Xie, go pull out that Trident. It’s called the Heaven-Slaying Trident, and it couldn’t be more perfect for you." Shen Lang released Duanmu Xie.

The moment Duanmu Xie appeared, he froze. "The Heaven-Slaying Trident? That name sounds powerful... Huh? Why does that name sound so familiar? I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere..."

Shen Lang rolled his eyes. "You blockhead, is your head just there to make you look taller? The Heaven-Slaying Trident is one of the Ten Great Celestial Artifacts. You’re a lucky bastard!"

"Oh, right, one of the Ten Great... wait, WHAT?! One of the Ten Great Celestial Artifacts!" Duanmu Xie nodded, then nearly jumped out of his skin before he could even finish his sentence.

He turned to look at Shen Lang, then back at the Heaven-Slaying Trident in the distance. A GULPING sound came from his throat, as if he were swallowing hard.

"Tsk. What are you staring at? You think I’m joking? Get a move on!" Shen Lang urged, annoyed.

A look of pure ecstasy spread across Duanmu Xie’s face. He just stared at the Heaven-Slaying Trident, completely stunned, forgetting Shen Lang’s order to go take care of business!

And while Duanmu Xie stood there stunned...

The powerful Ghost caught by Shen Lang was also stunned.

The creature had been debating whether to make a desperate sacrifice—severing the half of its body being pulled into the black hole and trying to escape.

But the moment it saw Duanmu Xie—a Zombie with a surging aura and a presence as heavy as a mountain—it froze, its mouth agape.

From the Ghost’s experience, even though it couldn’t discern Duanmu Xie’s exact cultivation, it could easily guess he was at the Middle to Late Stage of the Emperor Martial Realm!

Moreover, a creature like a Zombie exists outside the Six Paths of Reincarnation, making it the natural enemy of all Ghosts!

This was an existence it couldn’t have fought even at its peak!

’Such a powerful Zombie is just his follower?’

’So when that kid said he didn’t want a useless subordinate like me... he was telling the truth?’

At that moment, this powerful Ghost, which had been a force to be reckoned with in the Hungry Ghost Dao, felt its pride utterly crushed, yet there was absolutely nothing it could do about it.

Meanwhile, Duanmu Xie was already walking toward the Heaven-Slaying Trident with a goofy grin on his face.

Seeing Duanmu Xie’s movements, the Ghost suddenly snapped out of it and screamed, "No! Don’t pull out the Trident! If you pull it out, we’ll all die! Everyone will die!"

Duanmu Xie, who had been about to act, froze. He opened his mouth to reveal two fangs and shot the Ghost a glare, frightening it so much that it shrank back and began to tremble uncontrollably.

Then, Duanmu Xie turned to Shen Lang and said respectfully, "My lord... the pressure coming off this Heaven-Slaying Trident makes even my heart pound. If it really is one of the Ten Great Celestial Artifacts, I... *ahem*, I might not be able to control it. And what this little ghost is saying doesn’t sound like a lie. Should I pull it out or not?"

Shen Lang was already using his Silver Eyes of Truth to inspect and analyze the Heaven-Slaying Trident.

Under the Silver Eyes of Truth, the tip of the Trident was releasing three incomparably powerful streams of energy. They connected with several similar forces emanating from the east, west, and north, vaguely forming a massive Sealing Array, as if it were sealing something away.

’To split one of the Ten Great Celestial Artifacts, the Heaven-Slaying Trident, into four pieces and place them here to suppress some entity... the Yumu Cave Blessed Land has some serious nerve!’

After seeing the complex and profound Sealing Array clearly and confirming that the Trident was indeed the "Heaven-Slaying Trident," one of the Ten Great Celestial Artifacts, Shen Lang couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.