Chapter 1230: Victory Is Decided

What a tremendous waste, for such a treasure to fall into the hands of a mere mortal!

The young man opposite him merely chuckled, "Luosheng Armor itself was defeated by me. You, its vanquished foe, defeated twice at that, have absolutely no self-awareness?"

"Defeated?" Ghost King Xuanlu's immediate reaction was disbelief.

Few knew that there were two ways to inherit Luosheng Armor: one was to defeat its original owner and claim it, and the other was for the armor to choose a new master on its own.

Ghost King Xuanlu had attempted both methods, but Luosheng Armor did not favor it, still preferring its original master.

It had always believed the young man before him was simply a lucky individual chosen by the armor.

But now the other party claimed he had defeated Luosheng Armor fair and square to obtain it?

If this were true...

A chill ran down the Ghost King's spine.

As they spoke, the two exchanged several more spear thrusts. Whether due to a burgeoning apprehension or not, Ghost King Xuanlu felt his opponent's power becoming increasingly solid. Though his web of hand wasn't numb from the impact, it became increasingly difficult to parry He Lingchuan's attacks. The force transmitted from his opponent's spear was like ocean waves, each stronger than the last, eventually becoming immense and surging, making it exceedingly difficult to block.

Frustration surged within Ghost King Xuanlu.

Although Qi Tianbo was a great general, his strength and physique were indeed inferior to his opponent's. The Ghost King could unleash the host body's potential, but it was inevitably limited by the body's inherent capacity.

The opponent was indeed powerful; even if he had cultivated since birth, he shouldn't possess such mastery. Yet, Qi Tianbo's body also limited the Ghost King's performance.

After another swing, He Lingchuan seized the moment Ghost King Xuanlu's chest was wide open and lunged straight forward.

Ghost King Xuanlu couldn't retrieve his spear in time and swiftly drew his knife with a backhand to block.

With a clang, sparks flew.

Only then did the battle truly turn into close-quarters combat.

He Lingchuan gave it no further time to react. With a press of his left wrist, the Folding-Hook Blade sprung out, aiming directly for his opponent's neck.

The right blade of the Folding-Hook Blade had been personally broken by him at Keling and hadn't been reattached yet; He Lingchuan had been carrying only the left blade throughout his journey. Before finding a new master for it, he himself had been practicing with it for fun.

When first using such an unusual weapon, one could easily injure oneself. But once mastered, it was truly exhilarating and fascinating.

Even the serrations on the Folding-Hook Blade could extend and retract according to the wielder's will.

Ghost King Xuanlu had no choice but to abandon his spear and raise his hands. Only then did He Lingchuan notice he wore a pair of black armguards. The subtle patterns on them were inconspicuous light gold, only glowing faintly when blocking the Folding-Hook Blade.

He Lingchuan had personally experienced the sharpness of the Folding-Hook Blade; it was comparable to the Lifedream Blade. For the armguards to block it indicated they were extraordinary items themselves.

Four or five assassins rushed up from the side to gang up on He Lingchuan, aiming to alleviate the pressure on Ghost King Xuanlu.

In He Lingchuan's view, each of them was connected by a faint, almost invisible, thin black thread, the other end, of course, held by Xuanlu. But he feigned ignorance.

He was familiar with the assassins' attack methods, having encountered them during his battle with Nangong Yan. He knew these individuals prioritized coordinated attacks, but their individual performances weren't particularly remarkable, which showed the limitations of Ghost King Xuanlu's control.

Fu Liushan's voice came from not far away: "Watch your back!"

The ground trembled as the six-tusked behemoth elephant also rushed towards them.

The pressure He Lingchuan exerted on the Ghost King was too immense, so the lesser demons, driving the giant elephant, rushed to rescue their master.

It was also Ghost King Xuanlu's first time encountering a weapon like the Folding-Hook Blade, and he thought it was merely special for the serrations on its blade. Ghost King Xuanlu blocked it twice in succession, his shoulder being serrated both times. When Fu Liushan refined the "Ghost Toxin Paste," He Lingchuan had unceremoniously taken it for use and applied no small amount to the Folding-Hook Blade. The poison transferred to Qi Tianbo's body, and although the Ghost King wasn't forced out like other lesser demons, he winced repeatedly in pain.

After a few more exchanges, the Ghost King gradually became familiar with the Folding-Hook Blade's attack patterns. When He Lingchuan next aimed a strike at its head, it could block it with a swing of its knife. However, this time, the hook blade finally sprung out silently, like a venomous snake revealing its fangs, bending at an unexpected angle and drawing a perfect arc behind its head.

He Lingchuan retracted his left arm, the serrations drawing back—

A flash of blood appeared, and the head was instantly sawn off!

The surrounding Situ soldiers and officers, witnessing this scene, couldn't help but cheer loudly: "The enemy commander is down! The enemy commander is down!"

Situ Yu, not far away, heard the shouts and turned his head, closing his eyes for a moment.

A close friend and classmate of many years, alas.

But he was perfectly clear in his mind that Qi Tianbo's soul had long since dissipated; He Lingchuan had merely destroyed Ghost King Xuanlu's host body!

Amidst loud laughter, He Lingchuan casually threw his Lifedream Blade, instantly severing the general's standard.

The outcome was decided!

"Xuanlu has been slain!" Situ Yu, reverting to his calm commander persona, bellowed as he opened his eyes, "Ghost King Xuanlu is dead! All generals, heed my command: advance at full speed!"

His personal guards understood and also shouted with all their might: "Ghost King Xuanlu is dead!"

Hundreds of people cheered, their voices echoing through the valley in waves.

Qi Tianbo's beheading was visible to the nearby Vixia soldiers. Ordinary soldiers didn't know this was merely the Ghost King's host body. Upon seeing their leader's head fall and the general's standard behind him topple, they all cried out, "It's over!"

Ghost King Xuanlu had already ordered a retreat, and now that their commander was killed, what was the point of continuing the fight?

Nearly a thousand people scattered in a rush, abandoning their enemies and fleeing.

There was no order to their retreat; those who lagged behind often had to take the fall for others.

Two Vixia deputy generals urgently ordered an interception, even beheading several individuals, but still found it difficult to reverse the tide.

No matter how chaotic the battlefield became, He Lingchuan's attention remained firmly on his opponent. Qi Tianbo had been beheaded, and his host body had lost all vitality. Ghost King Xuanlu certainly couldn't remain there any longer—

The Folding-Hook Blade was not the Lifedream Blade; although it was coated with Ghost Toxin Paste, it ultimately lacked the power to sever souls.

He Lingchuan also knew it wasn't dead, because over a dozen robust corpse puppets were still fighting. After Qi Tianbo's head fell, the movements of the hundred-plus assassins only paused slightly before they continued killing.

Sure enough, as soon as Qi Tianbo's body hit the ground, a wisp of black smoke shot out from it, drifting towards the rear under the cover of night and the chaotic crowd. No matter how capable the Ghost King was, it still needed a suitable vessel to fully exert its power.

This was the opportunity He Lingchuan had been waiting for.

The Lifedream Blade shot out, swift as lightning.

Soldiers from both sides nearby heard a piercing shriek that shook their very souls.

The blade's energy, like a rainbow, shredded the wisp of black smoke to smithereens.

The Ghost King was slain? Just like that?

This time, upon encountering Ghost King Xuanlu again, the Divine Bone Necklace remained silent, neither glowing nor heating up. It seemed that devouring the avatar on Nangong Yan last time was sufficient, and this time, it found the taste unappealing.

Otherwise, if it were to make the judgment, He Lingchuan would know whether the Ghost King was still present or not.

As for now, he could only resort to other methods. He Lingchuan glanced at Qi Tianbo's headless corpse once more, intending to store it in his storage ring.

Hmm, it didn't work, as expected.

As everyone knew, ghosts and souls could not be stored in ordinary storage spaces, unless it was Seabed Wood or Juluo Wood.

This meant the wisp of black smoke that escaped just now was merely an avatar or a deceptive illusion. Ghost King Xuanlu's true body was still barely hidden within Qi Tianbo's host body.

He Lingchuan raised his Lifedream Blade and suddenly sliced the head on the ground in two.