Chapter 1252: Eradicate Evil Completely

Ghost King Xuanlu thought he had led them into a death trap, and he wasn't entirely wrong. However, the death trap was actually laid specifically for him.

As a result, no matter how many deadly mechanisms, imps, or zombie puppets were arranged in the true Busha Huating, they couldn't affect He Lingchuan and his two companions. This was because they had only entered a space within the mirror.

At this moment, the mirror also cried out, "Cracked! I've cracked again!"

He Lingchuan picked it up and examined it carefully. Sure enough, he saw a crack appear on the mirror's surface.

The Ghost King's self-detonation within its own space was quite powerful, and the Soul-Devouring Mirror naturally suffered some shock. It didn't crack directly as it had before because its cultivation had improved, and its body had become sturdier.

Fortunately, it had self-healing abilities and would recover after a period of rest. He Lingchuan took out a Hundred Virtues Pill, crushed it into powder, and applied it to the mirror.

The powder disappeared instantly.

Fu Liushan marveled from the side, "A magical artifact that consumes spirit pills? This is truly a treasure."

"Hey, is that ghostly thing really gone now?" Dong Rui scratched his head. The Ghost King had already feigned death twice in front of them! "Could it be that we've killed another clone, and the true Ghost King is still hiding somewhere?"

"I've never seen a cloning ability like Ghost King Xuanlu's before," Fu Liushan admitted. "For ordinary ghosts, splitting into two or three clones is already remarkable. Ghost King Xuanlu's ability surpasses my understanding. Your theory cannot be ruled out."

The ghost-exorcism insights left by the Fu family ancestors didn't mention how to deal with this situation. "However," Fu Liushan continued, "the emergence of such a special ability is either related to what it encountered before its death, or to some magical artifact or spiritual item it encountered after its death. Therefore—"

He Lingchuan suddenly pointed towards Busha Huating, "Why don't we ask its confidants?"

Ghosts were emerging in twos and threes from this passage.

They were no longer ferocious and didn't advance to attack. Two of them even bowed to He Lingchuan and the others, speaking in human tongues:

"Thank you, great mighty ones, for eliminating the Ghost King and saving us from this bitter sea of suffering!"

Upon asking, Fu Liushan learned that their taken souls had returned, and the spirits in the underground palace were no longer controlled by the soul lamps.

But considering Ghost King Xuanlu's deceptive performance in Miancun, this alone was not enough to prove that it had been utterly destroyed.

He Lingchuan immediately said, "Xuanlu is skilled at cloning. How can we confirm it has been eliminated? Otherwise, once we leave, you will still not be free!"

Several spirits were about to float out of the cave, but hearing this, they could only float back.

Fu Liushan asked them, "We need you to lead the way. Where does Ghost King Xuanlu usually rest?"

One of the elder ghosts floated over, saying, "Please follow me."

It led the group down the stairs, back to the underground palace. Then, turning left and right and taking who knows how many winding paths, it finally stopped in front of a stone chamber:

"This is Ghost King Xuanlu's residence."

The three of them walked in and saw that the stone chamber was not large but clean, furnished with a bed, table, and chairs. It looked no different from an ordinary person's dwelling. However, the seating and bedding were made of rosewood, indicating that Ghost King Xuanlu's taste was quite discerning.

On an altar table, also made of rosewood, stood a suit of armor.

The armor was scarred, but each plate was polished to a bright sheen, and there were also several carefully mended spots.

"From its style, it looks quite old."

Fu Liushan pondered, "This is probably the armor it wore in life?"

"Most likely," He Lingchuan said. He drew Fusheng and used the blade to lift a plate on the chest. "Look, there's a black stain. This is congealed blood, and it won't come off unless all the plates are removed."

The bloodstain flowed down from above, indicating that the armor's owner had once been severely wounded and bled profusely.

A woodcut print also hung on the wall.

The print depicted a general leading an army to battle, with a bustling, magnificent city in the background.

Upon closer inspection, the general's face bore some resemblance to Ghost King Xuanlu.

Dong Rui muttered, "This Ghost King is so conceited! Not only did he commission a portrait of himself, he even made offerings to it!"

The group circled the room, examining it carefully. They found no secret doors or hidden passages, nor any traces of magic or residual ghosts.

Fu Liushan suggested, "To be safe, let's burn everything in the room."

Of course, the others didn't object. So, all the items in the room, from the bed and chairs to the armor and portrait, were gathered and set ablaze.

Spirits are naturally afraid of fire, yet when Fu Liushan burned the Ghost King's residence, over a dozen spirits still rushed to watch.

"Burn it well, burn it well!" They huddled in a corner, their eyes gleaming with delight.

Some spirits even gnashed their teeth.

He Lingchuan and the others stood guard at the entrance to prevent any incidents. But even as the fire subsided, there was nothing unusual inside.

No ghostly figures rushed out, and no mechanisms or formations were triggered.

Everything belonging to the Ghost King's residence was silently burned to ashes.

"Is that it?" The three exchanged glances. "Is it all over?"

Had the Ghost King been eliminated or not? At least, they hadn't found the special magical artifact Fu Liushan had hypothesized.

Fu Liushan stared at the flames, pondering for a long time. Then he asked the surrounding spirits:

"Is there a secret chamber in the underground palace that the Ghost King frequently visited?"

The ghosts looked at each other, all with blank expressions.

"We don't know," said the elder ghost who had led them earlier. "If it was a secret chamber, the Ghost King wouldn't have let us know."

The other spirits nodded in agreement, "Exactly, he never trusted us!"

Most of the spirits here had been transformed after being killed by Xuanlu, and they naturally harbored resentment towards him. How could Xuanlu possibly trust them with his secrets?

"Then, was there any place he frequently went to alone, forbidding any other spirits from following?"

The spirits gathered to discuss. Finally, they pushed forward a young spirit with the appearance of a thirteen or fourteen-year-old. "It served Xuanlu the longest, ask it!"

The young spirit timidly said, "Yes, there is, but it's not a secret chamber. Ghost King Xuanlu occasionally went to a mossy area by the water to meditate. At those times, he would drive away all other spirits and forbid us from approaching."

The three exchanged glances. "How long did it usually last?"

"It varied. Sometimes two or three hours, sometimes only a quarter of an hour or so," the young spirit added. "Three years ago, a poor soul accidentally disobeyed and walked too close. The Ghost King grabbed him and devoured him whole!"

That sounded promising. "Lead the way."

The path wasn't long. The young spirit led the three of them for about a quarter of an hour, navigating ups and downs, and soon they heard the gurgling sound of water.

This was the same underground river they had encountered before, but further downstream.

By the river, there was an open area, roughly thirty square meters, strangely covered in glowing moss.

The light was a clear, luminous blue, outlining the shape of the solid rock along the bank.

Fu Liushan and Dong Rui walked back and forth across this open area but found no traces of supernatural power.

Not even the Soul-Devouring Mirror detected anything unusual.

"What's so special about this place that the Ghost King would come here?" Dong Rui plucked a small piece of glowing moss. This stuff grew simply by water and was quite pretty. "Did he really need to meditate here?"

"Just an excuse," He Lingchuan said. He was also walking back and forth, but his expression was far more confident than theirs, because—

The divine bone necklace finally grew warm.

There must be something good nearby.