Chapter 1777: Eternal Slumber Gaze

“Where did that sword come from? Hadn't the second-in-command already tangled with that big-chested woman? How could anyone else attack me from that direction?”

Could it be that the second-in-command was deliberately betraying him?

It wasn't until he felt the familiar icy chill from the sword that he suddenly realized it was the woman named Chu.

He wondered how she could see.

These two women cooperated so seamlessly; no wonder they liked the same man…

In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through the scar-faced leader's mind before he plunged into endless darkness.

The headless corpse crashed to the ground. Having been permeated by icy energy, it had already frozen solid like an ice sculpture, and the fall shattered it into pieces.

The effeminate second-in-command felt a gush of warm blood splash onto him. When he could no longer sense the leader's presence behind him, he knew the leader was dead and was instantly terrified.

It was ironic that before this, he had countless times wished for the leader's death so he could take his place.

But now, that very person had become his most relied-upon support.

Seeing him dead, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. He hadn't been this upset even when his parents died years ago.

However, before he could think further, the surrounding attacks closed in again.

It turned out the two women had teamed up. But how could that woman named Chu see?

Chu Chuyan, of course, couldn't see. However, Pei Mianman's rapid descriptions were relayed directly into her ear, and she only needed to attack according to what was described.

It sounded simple, but it was incredibly difficult to execute.

After all, this required absolute trust, because if the other person intentionally misidentified a direction, following it might not lead to an attack on the second-in-command but instead expose her vital points to an enemy's strike.

Pei Mianman's expression was peculiar, noting how Chu Chuyan followed her instructions without hesitation. It seemed this naive woman wasn't afraid she might secretly harm her.

Hand in hand, the two women combined their swords, attacking the effeminate second-in-command from all directions.

Although his cultivation was higher than both of theirs, he was now blind, and the effective range of his spiritual sense was extremely small, leaving him constantly on the defensive.

Soon, more and more wounds appeared on his body, and as he lost blood, he grew increasingly weaker.

He knew that if this continued, he would surely die within the time it takes an incense stick to burn.

"Are there any survivors? Come and join me, or we'll all die!" the effeminate second-in-command roared.

Unfortunately, silence enveloped the area. No one responded, nor were there any cries of agony.

A chilling realization washed over him: the Grey Wolf Mercenary Group had been completely wiped out, and he, their sole remaining member, was about to die.

After all, he was a ruthless bandit who had rampaged for years. Though the effeminate second-in-command appeared somewhat delicate, he was braver and fiercer than anyone else at heart.

"You two wretches, you forced my hand!"

He quickly chanted an obscure incantation, then summoned, "By my flesh, blood, and soul, I summon the King of Ten Thousand Ghosts to descend and destroy these two women before me, to let them neither live nor die, but suffer eternally!"

Knowing he was doomed to die, he unleashed the ferocity in his heart, determined to drag these two despicable women down with him, even in death.

As his words faded, a thick black mist immediately enveloped him. His piercing screams echoed from within the mist, as if he were enduring some unspeakable torture.

Following this, his flesh withered at a visible rate, eventually reducing him to a skeleton.

Witnessing this bizarre scene, Pei Mianman knew something was wrong and immediately attacked, trying to interrupt the ritual.

Unfortunately, all her attacks vanished like a mud ox entering the sea. Helpless, she pulled Chu Chuyan back quickly while explaining the situation to her.

Almost simultaneously, a terrifying aura descended.

A black mist, formed by countless skulls, descended from the sky, directly engulfing the effeminate second-in-command's body.

"Who calls upon me?"

"Respected King of Ten Thousand Ghosts, it is your humble servant who calls. I hope you will make these two women unable to live or die, subjecting them to eternal torment."

"The taste of fresh flesh and blood, and this curse filled with hatred, truly they are the most delicious things in the world." The countless skulls within the black mist showed expressions of ecstasy. "Your request is granted."

"Thank you, Ghost King!" The effeminate second-in-command was now nothing but a skeleton, his empty eye sockets still burning with hatred as he stared in the direction of the two women.

"Quick, run!" Pei Mianman grabbed Chu Chuyan and fled. Having been in this world for some time, she had naturally learned through immersion that this Ghost King was a supreme being, feared by countless people. She didn't believe the Dark Domain of the Fu Hao Owl-Zun could contend with such a powerful entity.

Sure enough, the skulls on the black mist cackled sinisterly, "Trying to run? It's not that easy."

Countless skulls, accompanied by black mist, spread out, instantly filling every corner of the dark domain.

Faced with such a full-screen AoE attack, Pei Mianman knew that maintaining the Fu Hao Owl-Zun's domain was useless and would only hinder Chu Chuyan's visual judgment.

After retracting the Fu Hao Owl-Zun, they each employed their respective sect's life-saving movement techniques. One transformed into a blazing ball of black flame, the other into a misty cloud of ice, moving many times faster than usual.

"Before me, all efforts are futile." The skulls within the black mist let out shrill, piercing laughter as they surged like a rolling flood in pursuit of the two women. Wherever they passed, trees, flowers, birds, beasts—all living things withered and decayed, turning into bone.

In almost the blink of an eye, the black mist had closed to less than ten *zhang* behind the two women.

Seeing no escape, Chu Chuyan gritted her teeth. "Manman, you go! I'll hold it back!"

"Don't be foolish. How could I leave you behind?" Pei Mianman knew Chu Chuyan possessed a self-destructive technique and naturally refused to abandon her.

"If we don't go now, we'll both die!" Chu Chuyan urged, becoming anxious. She knew she would have died earlier if Manman hadn't arrived. Repaying a life for a life seemed fair to her.

Pei Mianman sighed. "Do you think I could ever live in peace if I ran away in this situation? How would Ah Zu look at me?"

"If we are true sisters, we live together, and we die together!"

Chu Chuyan stared at her blankly, unsure how to respond for a moment.

At that moment, the black mist had closed to within a meter behind the two women. "Such deep sisterly affection. There's no need to argue; neither of you will escape anyway."

The black mist surged, threatening to engulf both women the very next second.

Just then, a tremor shook the ground, and an ancient, profound aura spread outwards. The air was instantly filled with a refreshing spiritual energy, many times denser than usual.

Faint cheers echoed from a distance. For them to carry so far, it was clearly not just one or two people, but tens of thousands at least.

The black mist paused, its mass slightly contracting. Clearly, the sudden influx of spiritual energy in the world had some effect on it.

"The grand tomb has opened!" All the skulls within the black mist turned towards the tomb's direction, their empty eye sockets glowing with excitement.

At this moment, Chu Chuyan and Pei Mianman wasted no time. Seizing the opportunity of the entity's distraction, they swiftly darted hundreds of meters away.

A snort emanated from the black mist, and one skull turned towards the two women's escape path. Its hollow eye sockets suddenly lit up, and two greyish-white rays shot out.

No human speed could compare to light; almost instantly, the two women were struck.

Ahead, there seemed to be a slope, and the two women stumbled, rolling straight down.

The black mist ceased its pursuit and instead turned towards the entrance of the grand tomb.

Within the black mist, the second-in-command's skull shrieked, "Ghost King, why did you let them go?"

"Let them go?" The other skulls all opened their mouths. "They've been hit by my Eternal Slumber Gaze. They'll soon fall into a deep, unending sleep. With their cultivation levels, they cannot sustain themselves without energy intake. Before long, they will grow thinner and thinner, eventually turning into withered bones."

"This isn't our agreement! I wanted them to suffer endless torture, unable to live or die. Letting them simply sleep to their death is too easy for them!" The second-in-command cried out. His entire mercenary group had been annihilated today, decades of effort wasted, and he had even sacrificed himself to summon the Ghost King. If it merely resulted in the two women falling asleep, how could he accept it?

"The grand tomb is now open, and I have more important matters to attend to. I have no time for your petty affairs." As the black mist spoke, it swiftly drifted towards the main entrance of the grand tomb.

"No! This is not our deal! You have violated the ancient principles of summoning!" the second-in-command roared, having already offered everything and fearing no further loss.

"Summoning? What right does an ant like you have to summon me?" A spectral claw suddenly extended from the black mist and twisted off the second-in-command's skull. "I merely sent a wisp of my aura out of boredom to amuse myself. Otherwise, do you truly believe that meager flesh and blood could summon me?"

The second-in-command's skull instantly contorted in extreme agony, but soon, a wisp of his soul flew from its eye socket and was absorbed by the black mist. The skull itself then became one of the countless ordinary skulls within the mist.