Chapter 1767: Wanted Notice

Phoenix Hatchling returned cheerfully, having successfully lured Jing Teng and the others to the location. The two ghosts had set up various formations and traps there, and everything had gone as smoothly as anticipated.

Jing Teng, who was across from them, couldn't move, but the other woman was truly beautiful. Beauty transcends race; she was so stunning that even the ghosts were captivated.

Just as he was feeling pleased with himself, he returned to see this scene and was utterly stunned.

Wasn't Sleeping Dragon supposed to be torturing that pretty boy, making him weep and beg? How had the tables turned?

His daze lasted only a second. Immediately, he shrieked, four bony, sharp claws emerging from his body, and lunged directly at his opponent.

Wails and howls immediately erupted around him. As one of the Eight Ghost Generals, his power was naturally not to be underestimated.

At that moment, a faint phantom image of a phoenix appeared in the void. However, this phoenix was entirely skeletal, devoid of flesh, and permeated with an aura of pure evil.

Was this creature's true form actually a phoenix?

And was Sleeping Dragon's true form also a dragon?

Why would legendary beasts like phoenixes and dragons transform into vengeful spirits after death?

Having cultivated the "Phoenix Nirvana Scripture," Zu An quickly noticed the difference: the opponent did not possess pure phoenix bloodline, but was likely some distant relative of a phoenix.

Just then, Jing Teng, Qiu Honglei, and Wei Suo also arrived. Seeing the scene, they were all astonished. Initially, they had found the whole situation unbelievable.

After all, given Zu An's high cultivation level, why would he be captured?

They had only intended to observe the situation, but the moment Phoenix Hatchling made his move, the overwhelming ghost power was suffocating. Under such a sneak attack, Zu An might indeed be in danger.

They instinctively moved to rescue him, but immediately fell into the formations set by Sleeping Dragon and Phoenix Hatchling. Although their cultivation allowed them to protect themselves, they clearly couldn't escape quickly.

Phoenix Hatchling let out a sinister laugh. Those people were caught in the traps and couldn't come to help. He would finish off this pretty boy in the shortest time possible, then deal with the others.

What was wrong with that blockhead Sleeping Dragon? Was there some unknown entity hiding in the shadows? Or had he been tricked into a trap by a cunning human because he wasn't bright enough?

He couldn't sense any power fluctuations from Zu An, so his mind was full of questions. He planned to deal with everyone first, then slowly question his teammate.

Just then, a dazzling sword light flashed before his eyes. Although it wasn't dark, he felt as if he was witnessing a brilliant galaxy.

He finally understood why Sleeping Dragon was in such a state. This seemingly helpless pretty boy was actually a terrifying master.

But why was there no elemental energy fluctuation from him? This was completely against the spirit of martial arts!

Moreover, the aura from that sword light was lethal to ghosts!

Regret filled his heart, but it was too late. After one sword strike, everything had turned to nothingness.

When Zu An drew his sword, his control over Sleeping Dragon relaxed slightly. Sleeping Dragon, who had been simmering with rage, seized the chance, let out a sudden dragon's roar, and fully reverted to his skeletal dragon form, lunging to bite Zu An.

"Be careful!" Qiu Honglei and the others in the distance watched their pupils contract sharply. The power of this skeletal dragon and skeletal phoenix was extraordinary, and launching an attack at such close range would be difficult to counter, even for a Grandmaster.

At this moment, however, the skeletal dragon saw the dazzling sword light. He was completely stunned. Previously, he had been quite indignant, believing his opponent had ambushed him and that he'd been caught off guard.

Now he understood: this pretty boy was playing innocent to catch a tiger!

He instinctively abandoned his attack and tried to escape sideways. Unfortunately, the dazzling starlight, like a gazelle's horn hanging, bypassed all the defensive formations he had set up and directly pierced his body.

He felt himself dissolving completely, his last thought an endless regret.

Why had he been so deluded as to take on this task? He and Phoenix Hatchling, owing to their unique true forms, were powerful even among the Eight Ghost Generals and possessed a more enduring life. They could have lived very comfortably...

Zu An retrieved his Tai'a Sword, feeling a twinge of regret. He really should have left them alive to interrogate them for information about the Ghost King.

Unfortunately, everything had happened too suddenly. Phoenix Hatchling was powerful, and Sleeping Dragon attacked almost simultaneously, leaving him no choice but to instinctively retaliate.

Sleeping Dragon possessed various talents for formations, and Phoenix Hatchling undoubtedly had some special abilities as well. If they had truly been allowed to unleash their full power, the people here would likely have been in danger.

The only consolation was that the Kunpeng Power and the Taotie Devouring Heaven Art had taken effect. He could feel the bodies of the two Ghost Generals transforming into a pure energy that entered his own.

His experience bar, which hadn't moved in a long time, had actually broken through, reaching level 71 and even going a bit beyond.

Feeling the increased power, Zu An's expression was strange. These two Ghost Generals were indeed very strong; if his cultivation method hadn't perfectly countered them, defeating them would not have been easy.

"A'Zu, are you alright?" With Sleeping Dragon's death, his formations dissipated, allowing Qiu Honglei and the others to escape. They quickly rushed over.

"I'm fine," Zu An said, patting her hand.

"You killed two Ghost Generals, Sleeping Dragon and Phoenix Hatchling, with a single sword stroke?" Jing Teng's expression was incredibly complex and amazed. She had seen him fight before, but he had clearly held back.

She had long heard the names of the Eight Ghost Generals of the Yin-Yang Realm, and Sleeping Dragon and Phoenix Hatchling were considered among the best. Yet, these two powerful beings couldn't withstand even a single sword strike from him?

Thinking of that brilliant sword strike, her heart pounded slightly. He was indeed quite handsome.

"It's mainly because they were quite formidable, so I had to deliver a killing blow," Zu An said with an embarrassed smile.

***

In the Yin-Yang Realm, the other Ghost Generals, who had been enjoying themselves in their respective territories, suddenly shuddered. As fellow Ghost Generals, they shared a special connection.

They had just felt the demise of their comrades.

"Who could have killed Sleeping Dragon and Phoenix Hatchling?!"

The Eight Ghost Generals were not particularly harmonious, with many even holding grudges against each other. However, with their comrades killed by outsiders, the remaining ones were both shocked and terrified, knowing that whoever could kill Sleeping Dragon and Phoenix Hatchling could also harm them.

Roars of fury echoed throughout the Yin-Yang Realm. Ordinary spirits trembled, not daring to breathe loudly for fear of accidentally angering the powerful figures above them.

Just then, a cloud of black mist appeared in the air above the Ghost Generals. They all bowed respectfully, "Greetings, Ghost King!"

"I already know about Sleeping Dragon and Phoenix Hatchling. A human killed them," the Ghost King's voice resounded from within the black mist, his true form remaining unseen.

"What kind of human could kill them both? Has the leader of the Divine Firmament Sect revived, or has the Guild Master of the Adventurers' Guild personally made a move?" roared a blue-faced, fanged Ghost General.

"This is the one who killed them." The black mist shifted, and soon a phantom image appeared in its center, distinctly showing Zu An's likeness.

As Ghost Generals, they each had a special restriction within their bodies that would transmit their final moments back to the bone tablets stored in the Ghost King's Palace, thus revealing who had killed them.

This function had rarely been used throughout history. After all, Ghost Generals were powerful beings, and most demises were due to internal conflicts among spirits. Their deaths at the hands of a human this time was truly astonishing.

"Who is this person? He doesn't seem to be among the renowned masters in the human world."

"Indeed, he looks quite ordinary."

"So young, and he looks like a complete weakling!"

***

Several oddly shaped Ghost Generals began to discuss.

"This person was one of our previous targets. He is with Jing Teng," the Ghost King's voice rang out again.

The other Ghost Generals erupted in an uproar, all eagerly volunteering to bring Zu An's head to the Ghost King and avenge Sleeping Dragon and Phoenix Hatchling.

At this point, the Ghost King's voice spoke again: "That person's cultivation technique seems specifically designed to counter ghosts."

Upon hearing this, the previously enthusiastic Ghost Generals immediately deflated. They had initially thought that Sleeping Dragon and Phoenix Hatchling had been ambushed by a despicable human while their minds were unclear, but it turned out the human's cultivation technique was special.

Since the opponent could kill Sleeping Dragon and Phoenix Hatchling, he could naturally kill them too. Who would willingly go to their deaths?

"Why don't you personally intervene, Ghost King? No matter how strong that human is, he's no match for you," a Ghost General suggested.

The other Ghost Generals had various thoughts. What if the Ghost King was also countered by that young man and unexpectedly met his demise? Could they then compete for the new Ghost King position?

However, they also knew that such a probability was extremely low.

The Ghost King's voice came: "I have more important matters that prevent me from leaving. You all will come to my side next; I urgently need assistance here."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Ghost Generals instinctively sensed a direction in their minds—the Ghost King was summoning them.

The Ghost Generals were startled. They had never expected the mighty Ghost King to need assistance. They wondered what kind of difficult situation he was facing.

"So, this human killed Sleeping Dragon and Phoenix Hatchling, and we're just going to let it go?" a Ghost General asked, somewhat displeased. He had always been close to the two, and their sudden deaths left him quite resentful.

"Don't worry," the Ghost King scoffed, "I've already issued a bounty order to the human world. As the saying goes, 'a great reward brings forth brave men.' Ordinary ghosts fear his special cultivation technique, but humans do not!"