Chapter 1766: Joy Turns to Sorrow

"Show care and concern, is that it?"

Zu An was a little confused. Why couldn't he feel it? Were the ghosts' standards for judgment different from those of humans?

"Since you know how powerful Jing Teng is, the traps you designed must be exceptionally strong, right?" Zu An asked.

"Of course," Wolong puffed out his chest. "Many of them were designed by me. For instance, the 'Hundred Ghosts Devouring Spirit Array' can prevent her from using spiritual energy."

"The 'Freezing Slowness Array' can reduce her speed by thirty percent."

"The 'White Bone Yin Howl Array' can injure her soul and reduce her defenses by at least twenty percent."

"And..."

He listed a series of powerful arrays, his tone brimming with pride, as most of them were his own creations.

Zu An was secretly alarmed. If Jing Teng were to come unaware, she would likely fall into a trap instantly, and then, attacked by two ghost generals, she would have no chance of survival.

"Am I not formidable?" Wolong looked at Zu An, an expression on his face that clearly begged for praise.

"You are indeed formidable. Since you're so powerful, why don't you challenge the Ghost King and become the new one?" Zu An asked, curious. He recalled Jing Teng mentioning that ghosts adhere to the law of the jungle, and the current Ghost King had ascended by defeating his predecessor.

"How could I possibly be the Ghost King's opponent!" A flicker of terror crossed Wolong's face. "The Ghost King possesses a scepter that can determine the life and death of all soul entities. We stand no chance whatsoever."

Zu An's heart stirred. No wonder all the ghosts in this realm were under his control.

At this moment, Wolong slowly regained his composure. "Hey, kid, how did this turn into *you* asking *me* questions again? Quickly tell me all the abilities of your group. I want to see how those ghost brethren were defeated."

"If you dare refuse, I'll carve the flesh from your body, piece by piece, and devour it right before your eyes. Believe me, I've dealt with humans who were considered tough before. But after I consumed just a few pieces of their flesh, every single one of them broke. You, a mere pretty boy, will fare even worse."

Sensing the chilling intent in his tone, Zu An sighed inwardly. Even a devil who appeared guileless was still a devil at heart. To become a ghost general, he must have shed countless lives.

"My apologies, but it's my turn to ask questions now." Zu An stood up. Since Fengchu had just run off, he was concerned for Jing Teng and Qiu Honglei's safety and had no time to waste on Wolong.

Wolong flew into a furious rage. "What are you?!"

[Anger value from Wolong +444 +444 +444...]

With that, he lunged at Zu An with a punch, a cloud of black mist emanating from his fist, filled with corrosive power.

Though not particularly bright, he had risen to the rank of ghost general, second only to the Ghost King himself, due to his innate talent in array formations and his formidable personal strength.

Many ghosts had previously underestimated him, believing his dull mind made him an easy target, and thus, challenges to his position were frequent.

However, those ghosts met gruesome ends, all becoming nourishment within his belly.

The frustrating part was fighting him; he always had an array of strange innate formations that could drastically weaken an opponent's abilities, ensuring they could only unleash half their power, leaving them resentful even in death.

Furthermore, the black mist accompanying his punch was notorious in the Yin-Yang realm. Capable of corroding anything, it could completely dissolve a body upon contact, inflicting a torment from which there was no escape, neither in life nor death.

Feeling utterly deceived by Zu An, he lashed out with hatred, intending to make the pretty boy suffer, planning to first corrode one of his hands.

Just then, Zu An also raised his fist and unleashed a punch.

"Huh, this pretty boy actually dares to fight me?" Wolong was somewhat bewildered. There was even a faint white glow on the opponent's fist.

However, he paid it no mind; he simply couldn't lose.

When the two fists met, a shrill scream echoed.

But the scream wasn't from the pretty boy; it was from Wolong himself!

Wolong stared at his shattered arm, completely dumbfounded. His black mist was renowned for its corrosive properties, so why was *he* the one being corroded?

Yet, having fought in the Ghost Realm for so many years, his combat instincts remained sharp.

With no time to ponder the cause of this outcome, he immediately retreated, simultaneously activating his innate ability and triggering various array formations.

The "Hundred Ghosts Devouring Spirit Array" was meant to prevent the opponent from using spiritual or vital energy.

The "Freezing Slowness Array" was to slow down his pursuit.

The "White Bone Yin Howl Array" was to intimidate his soul.

Zu An looked down and saw that frost instantly appeared on his feet and the ground, freezing his feet in place and preventing any movement.

With a thought, phoenix flames surged from him, instantly melting the surrounding ice.

Simultaneously, chilling winds swirled around him, and countless spectral white skulls flew about, emitting shrill, piercing howls that aimed directly at one's soul.

A clear bird's cry rang out as "Hundred Melodies" automatically retaliated.

A peculiar, large bird-like phantom rose from Zu An, swiftly devouring all the spectral white skulls in a single gulp.

As for the Hundred Ghosts Devouring Spirit Array, it had no effect on him whatsoever. Ever since his *Phoenix Nirvana Sutra* awakened the mythical Kunpeng and merged with the *Gourmand Devouring Heaven Art*, his cultivation could no longer be measured by ordinary standards of spiritual or vital energy.

As the white skulls were devoured, Wolong screamed, clutching his head and howling in agony.

In that brief moment of distraction, his opponent's hand had already seized his shoulder.

Wolong sneered grimly. This person dared to touch the body of a ghost general; he wouldn't even know what killed him.

He was about to unleash his black mist to engulf and consume the other man, but in the next second, his expression changed drastically. He felt the opponent's hand, like a blazing sun, instantly pierce through his protective black mist and directly seize his true form.

What followed was a terrifying suction. He felt as if a black hole had opened in the opponent's palm, and the very essence of his being was rapidly draining away into it.

"Great hero, spare my life!" Wolong quickly begged for mercy. Dying in battle wasn't so terrifying, but the sensation of having his cultivation utterly drained by the opponent was unbearable.

In the Ghost Realm, it was common for superiors to drain the soul power of their inferiors, and such an act carried an inherent sense of overwhelming power.

"So, are you willing to answer my questions now?" Zu An smiled. His Primordial Chaos Qi indeed held a powerful suppressive effect over malevolent entities; otherwise, dealing with the ghost general's black mist would have been rather troublesome.

Moreover, the devouring power resulting from the merged Kunpeng and *Gourmand Devouring Heaven Art* could instill a sense of desperate submission in his opponent.

"Yes, yes!" Wolong nodded frantically.

"The reason you're so afraid of the Ghost King, is it because his Ghost King Scepter can control your very lives?" Zu An asked. He mused that in some ways, his own Primordial Chaos Qi could achieve a similar effect. Could he, too, become a Ghost King?

"That's only one reason," Wolong explained. "If that were all, then only we ghosts would fear him; human cultivators wouldn't. But in truth, even human cultivators blanch at the mention of his name."

"The primary reason for this widespread fear is another ability: 'Ghost King's Demonic Sound.' It can strip away the souls of living beings, and once they become soul entities, they fall completely under his control."

Zu An's heart sank. This ability was indeed very problematic. He wondered, however, if the Yin and Yang spirits of Grandmasters and Earth Immortals were also subject to its power.

"Aside from that, what other abilities does he possess?" Zu An asked.

Wolong thought, *Isn't that enough? Does he really intend to fight the Ghost King?*

Nevertheless, he replied, "As far as I know, he is also immune to all elemental and physical damage."

"How is that possible?" Zu An was stunned. All things under heaven had their limits, and natural weaknesses. But if this Ghost King was immune to all physical and elemental damage, wouldn't he be invincible?

"It's true, I'm not lying," Wolong said, somewhat flustered. "If you don't believe me, look at the candle over there."

He never imagined that the very candle they had intended to use for interrogation would ultimately be turned upon him.

"How do you know all this in such detail?" Zu An eyed him suspiciously.

"Because the Yin-Yang realm adheres strictly to the law of the jungle. In the past, many powerful great ghosts attempted to challenge him, but every single one suffered a devastating defeat. All those with power in the Yin-Yang realm secretly observe and gather intelligence. Everything I've told you is the summation of countless bloody lessons."

Zu An remained silent. If this were truly the case, the Ghost King would be incredibly difficult to deal with, and he had no idea where to even begin.

"Does he have any other abilities?" Zu An pressed.

Wolong shook his head. "I don't know about any others, but even if he does, they couldn't possibly compare to these. They wouldn't be a problem for you."

"Those people really fell for it, they're frantically rushing this way now," just then, a thin, small figure joyfully ran back. "That Jing Teng is the one the Ghost King wants, so she can't be touched. But the other woman will be ours to enjoy! She's so delicate and lovely; we'll have her first, then eat her... Huh, what are you two doing?"