Chapter 1782: Eternal Gaze

Where did that sword come from? Hadn't the second-in-command already entangled that buxom woman? How could anyone else on their side have the time to attack me?

Could it be that the second-in-command deliberately set me up?

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

He had no idea how she could see.

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

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

The entire headless corpse crashed down. Having been permeated by the icy frost, it had already frozen into a block of ice, shattering into pieces upon impact.

The effeminate second-in-command felt a spray of hot blood on himself. When he could no longer sense the presence of the leader behind him, he knew instantly that the leader was dead, and he was terrified.

It was ironic; countless times before, he had wished the leader dead so he could take his place.

But now, the very person he had wished dead had become his most crucial support.

Seeing him die, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar; he hadn't felt this devastated even when his own parents died years ago.

However, before he could think further, the surrounding attacks resumed.

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

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

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

After all, this required absolute trust. If the other person intentionally gave a wrong direction, acting on it might not attack the second-in-command but instead expose her vital points to an enemy attack.

Feeling Chu Chuyan follow her instructions without hesitation, Pei Mianman's expression was also very odd. This 'foolish woman' truly wasn't afraid of her secretly harming her.

The two women held hands, their combined swords attacking the effeminate second-in-command from all directions.

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

Soon, more and more wounds appeared on his body, and as blood flowed, he grew progressively weaker.

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

“Are there any survivors? Come join me, or we'll all die!” the effeminate second-in-command shouted.

However, only silence answered him. There was no one, no response, no screams.

His heart turned cold; he knew the Gray Wolf mercenary group had been wiped out, and he, their last 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 feminine, he was more courageous and fierce than anyone deep down.

“You two sluts, you forced my hand!”

He quickly chanted an obscure incantation, then summoned, “By my flesh and soul, I summon the King of Ten Thousand Ghosts to descend, to slay these two women before me, and to ensure they can neither live nor die, suffering eternal torment!”

Knowing he was doomed, he unleashed his inner savagery, determined to drag these two 'sluts' down with him, even in death.

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

Immediately afterward, his flesh withered at a visible rate, ultimately reducing him to a skeleton.

Seeing this eerie sight, Pei Mianman knew something was wrong. She quickly attacked, attempting to interrupt the ritual.

Unfortunately, all her attacks vanished like a mud ox entering the sea. Helpless, she pulled Chu Chuyan back quickly, simultaneously 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 dares to summon me?”

“Revered King of Ten Thousand Ghosts, it is your humble servant who calls upon you. I beg you to make these two women unable to live or die, subjecting them to eternal torment.”

“The scent of fresh flesh, and this curse brimming with hatred, truly they are the most delicious things in this world,” the countless skulls on the black mist said, showing expressions of ecstasy. “Your request is granted.”

“Thank you, Ghost King!” The effeminate second-in-command, now only a skeleton, gazed with empty eye sockets in the direction of the two women, still filled with hatred.

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

Sure enough, the skulls on the black mist chuckled sinisterly, “Trying to escape? It's not that easy.”

Countless skulls, carrying the black mist, dispersed, instantly filling every corner of the dark domain.

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

After recalling the Fu Hao Owl-Vessel, they each activated their sect's life-saving movement techniques. One transformed into a roaring mass of black flames, the other into a hazy ice mist, their speed exponentially faster than usual.

“Before me, all is futile,” the skulls within the black mist cackled, their shrill laughter like a surging torrent pursuing the two women. Wherever it passed, trees, flowers, birds, beasts, and all living things withered and decayed, turning into bone.

In the blink of an eye, the black mist had closed to within ten zhang behind the two women.

Seeing no escape, Chu Chuyan gritted her teeth, “Manman, you go! I'll hold it off!”

“Don't be foolish, how could I leave you alone?” Pei Mianman knew she had a self-sacrificing technique and naturally refused to leave.

“If we don't go now, we'll both die!” Chu Chuyan urged. If not for Manman's timely arrival, she would have died moments ago. Repaying a life for a life seemed fair to her.

Pei Mianman sighed, “Do you think I could live with myself if I ran away in this situation? How would Ah Zu look at me?”

“Since we're good sisters, we live together, and we die together!”

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

At this moment, the black mist had reached within a meter behind the two women. “What deep sisterly affection. You don't need to argue; neither of you will escape anyway.”

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

Just then, the ground began to shake, and a vast, ancient aura spread out. The world was instantly filled with a refreshing spiritual energy, many times denser than usual.

Faint cheers could be heard from afar. To carry such a distance, they clearly weren't from just one or two people, but tens of thousands at least.

The black mist paused, and its size visibly shrank. Clearly, the sudden influx of spiritual energy in the world had some effect on it.

“The Great Tomb has opened!” All the skulls in the black mist turned towards the direction of the Great Tomb, their empty sockets glowing with excitement.

At this moment, Chu Chuyan and Pei Mianman didn't hesitate. Seizing the opportunity of the opponent's distraction, they quickly darted hundreds of zhang away.

A skull within the black mist snorted, then turned towards the direction the two women fled. Its empty eye sockets suddenly glowed, and two grayish-white rays shot out.

No matter how fast humans were, they couldn't compare to light. Almost instantly, both women were struck.

There seemed to be a slope just ahead, and the two women stumbled, rolling down it.

The black mist then ceased its pursuit and turned towards the entrance of the Great Tomb.

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

“Let go?” The other skulls gaped. “They've been hit by my Eternal Slumber Gaze. They will soon fall into a deep sleep, remaining so until they are eternally dormant. With their cultivation, they cannot maintain their physical integrity without energy intake. Before long, they will become increasingly emaciated, eventually turning into withered bones.”

“This isn't what we agreed upon! I wanted them to suffer endless torment, to be unable to live or die! To simply sleep until death is far too merciful for them!” The second-in-command screamed. Today, his entire mercenary group had been annihilated, decades of effort wasted. He had even sacrificed himself to summon the Ghost King; how could he accept merely letting the two women fall asleep?

“Now that the Great Tomb is open, I have more important matters to attend to. Where would I find time to deal with your trivialities?” As the black mist spoke, it swiftly drifted towards the main entrance of the Great Tomb.

“No, this isn't our agreement! You've violated the ancient principles of summoning!” the second-in-command roared. Having sacrificed everything, he had nothing left to fear losing.

“Summon? What right does an ant like you have to summon me?” A ghostly claw suddenly extended from the black mist, twisting off the second-in-command's skull. “It was merely my boredom that led me to send a wisp of my aura to amuse myself. Otherwise, do you truly think that meager amount of flesh and blood could summon me?”

The second-in-command's skull immediately twisted in extreme agony, but soon a wisp of 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 black mist.