Chapter 1796: Come at the Wrong Time

Zhao Hao was on guard against the Ghost King's soul-sucking demonic melody and eternal slumber gaze. As long as he didn't let his essence soul leave his body or look directly at the Ghost King, avoiding these attacks was not difficult. With his current cultivation, he could perceive the entire tomb chamber clearly, even without using his eyes.

He occasionally checked on Zu An. Seeing that Zu An had not fallen into slumber, he thought the young man certainly possessed some skill. But this was not enough. If Zu An could only manage this much, there was no point for Zhao Hao to remain here and risk a mutual defeat with the Ghost King for nothing.

Meanwhile, the battle on the other side shifted. Qiu Honglei was fighting six opponents of comparable strength. It was fortunate that her combat experience was exceptionally rich; otherwise, she likely would have been defeated and killed in a very short time. However, outnumbered, no matter how clever her tactics, she was ultimately outmatched. In a different location, she might have been able to use the terrain and various tactics to lure her opponents into specific areas and then defeat them one by one. But now she had to protect Zu An and couldn't stray too far. The ghost generals wouldn't follow her away from their objective, so the battle became a direct confrontation.

Eventually, she was forced into a small mistake, and her shoulder was struck by a funeral staff. If not for the light-element magic protecting her, her soul would likely have been shattered on the spot. Even a minor error immediately plunged the entire situation into peril.

At one point, Qiu Honglei found herself unable to evade, as a ghost general lunged for her vital spot. Suddenly, a loud voice echoed through the chamber:

"What are you looking at?"

"What if I am?"

The ghost general paused, bewildered. Why had he just answered that? Qiu Honglei seized this brief moment to swiftly dodge sideways, successfully evading certain death. The exchange of "What are you looking at?" and "What if I am?" continued to ring out intermittently, allowing Qiu Honglei to escape death several times and barely maintain her position in the battle.

Jing Teng watched the beautiful figure on the field, admiring how she consistently resolved crises with quick, adaptive moves. She thought that if she were in Miss Qiu's shoes, she would have likely died long ago.

From a distance, Zhao Hao's eyes narrowed. This appeared to be the power of a "Spirit Word," containing some supreme law that completely disregarded the difference in strength between combatants. He wondered where this young man had acquired such an ability. He temporarily abandoned the idea of leaving, curious to see what other trump cards Zu An possessed.

The Ghost King also noticed the situation. That man's cultivation was clearly as insignificant as an ant's, yet why did he possess so many astonishing abilities? Whether it was his earlier purification technique or the current "Spirit Word," even the Ghost King found it difficult to fathom their mysteries. He hastily roared a reminder: "You imbeciles, block your ears!"

The ghost generals, as if awakening from a trance, quickly changed their forms. Some drooped their ears to cover their ear canals, others manipulated muscle growth to tightly seal their ear holes, and still others extended extra limbs to plug their ears. In this way, Zu An's "What are you looking at?" could no longer affect them.

Qiu Honglei's pressure immediately became unprecedentedly immense. Seeing Qiu Honglei's precarious situation, Zu An's expression grew grim. He reached for the hilt of the Tai'a Sword. He knew it wasn't the ideal moment to act, but he couldn't just stand by and watch Qiu Honglei come to harm.

Noticing Zu An's subtle movement, Zhao Hao's eyes narrowed. What hidden power did this young man possess? Could he truly act while simultaneously resisting the Ghost King's eternal slumber gaze? He had just witnessed that ashen gaze and knew it contained countless laws of destruction and deceit. Even he lacked the confidence to fully withstand it; he wondered how Zu An could possibly manage.

Just then, a thought struck him, and he glanced to the side. The Ghost King also hastily warned: "Be careful!" Unfortunately, the six ghost generals had just blocked their ears and couldn't hear him.

Suddenly, two figures, one clad in blue and one in red, burst forth. The area immediately erupted into a swirling blizzard. By the time the ghost generals reacted, a layer of frost had already coated their bodies. At that very moment, black flames erupted and engulfed every single ghost general. Under this dual assault of ice and fire, the ghost generals could not bear the pain and let out horrifying screams.

Zhao Hao's eyes narrowed. They could even melt the ghosts?

The Ghost King was furious and anxious. He knew his six leading ghost generals wouldn't have been so ineffective normally, but to guard against Zu An's elusive "What are you looking at?", he had ordered them to block their hearing. As a result, they were fully focused on Qiu Honglei and failed to notice the approach of the other two in time. The attackers also executed a brilliant combination of ice and fire, instantly doubling the impact of their assault and inflicting heavy damage on the ghost generals. The black flames, in particular, seemed unusual, capable of directly burning souls.

The six ghost generals struggled to escape, but Qiu Honglei wasn't about to let such an opportunity slip. Her body glowed brightly as she unleashed light-element purification power. While not as miraculously effective as Zu An's Primordial Qi, it still had a considerable restraining effect on spectral beings. Moving with lightning speed, she swiftly harvested the lives of the six weakened ghost generals.

"No!" The Ghost King roared in rage, and a torrent of black mist and skulls surged towards that direction. However, Zhao Hao blocked his path, smiling as he said, "Ghost King, your opponent is me."

It wasn't that he hadn't considered letting the Ghost King unleash havoc there, but those women, though outstanding among the younger generation, were far too weak against the Ghost King. They wouldn't serve as effective test subjects and might instead cause Zu An and Jing Teng to resent him. Should they decide to throw caution to the wind and unite with the Ghost King against him, it would be a problem.

"You will all die, all die!" the Ghost King roared repeatedly. This golden-glowing man was truly too formidable. Although the Ghost King held a slight advantage in strength, Zhao Hao possessed an overwhelming number of magical artifacts and wondrous techniques, making him difficult to subdue quickly. He wondered where Zhao Hao acquired so many treasures! Little did he know, Zhao Hao was an emperor from another world, whose national treasury contained countless treasures from across the land. Now, facing a powerful adversary, he did not hesitate to deploy them, resulting in an evenly matched fight for the time being.

Meanwhile, the other side finally gained a moment's respite. Zu An looked at the two familiar figures, surprised and delighted. "Chuyan, Manman!" he exclaimed.

Jing Teng looked over in surprise, seeing two stunningly beautiful women standing nearby. One wore an ice-blue gown, pure as a snow lotus on an iceberg, while the other, in a red top and black skirt, possessed alluring peach-blossom eyes that seemed to constantly convey deep affection, radiant like a rose. Were these the women Zu An had been searching for? Why were the women around him always so outrageously beautiful?

Rage points from Jing Teng +66+66+66...

As she observed them, they were likewise observing her. Qiu Honglei was one thing; they had met before. But who was this woman standing so close to Zu An? Chu Chuyan sized her up, a hint of admiration flashing in her eyes. This woman had picturesque features and an innate air of elegance and wealth, like a blooming peony. They had only been separated for a few days, and yet this fellow, Ah Zu, already had another stunning beauty by his side? Was he a walking aphrodisiac? Constantly attracting women!

Rage points from Chu Chuyan +99+99+99...

Pei Mianman pursed her lips. This man had acquired another woman by his side after just a few days apart. If they hadn't seen each other for years, he would probably have an entire legion of women. Also, why "Chuyan, Manman," and not "Manman, Chuyan"?

Rage points from Pei Mianman +100+100+100...

Qiu Honglei approached, smiling, and gracefully linked arms with both women. "Oh, it's Sister Chu and Sister Pei! It's a good thing you came to my rescue just now, or I might have already perished." The moment she saw the two women, Qiu Honglei immediately went on high alert. One was Ah Zu's former wife (though they were divorced), and the other seemed exceptionally close to him. They were undoubtedly her biggest rivals. However, they had just saved her life. If she showed even a hint of antagonism, wouldn't Ah Zu perceive her as ungrateful? She noticed both women's tense expressions, realizing they were likely sulking. Since that was the case, she decided to do the opposite: the more like jealous women they behaved, the more understanding and amiable she would appear, to see which approach Ah Zu preferred. Hmph, they don't call her a demonic sect seductress for nothing. When it comes to being cunning and manipulative, they were all novices.

As she affectionately linked arms with them and sweetly called them "sister," Chu Chuyan and Pei Mianman both got goosebumps. Perhaps men would fall for her act, but as women, they saw right through her. And her incessant referring to herself in the third person was truly sickening.

An eerie silence immediately descended upon the scene. Only Zu An seemed utterly oblivious, filled with a mix of surprise and joy. "How did you end up here?" he asked.

Chu Chuyan said with a half-smile, "What, are we here at the wrong time?" She suddenly felt a pang of annoyance. Her master had kept her in secluded cultivation for the past two years. While her cultivation had indeed steadily increased, she had spent so little time with him that he had accumulated more and more women by his side. It was hard to say whether this was a gain or a loss.