Chapter 1791: Demonic Sound Soul Absorption

The Ghost King's colossal ghost face, originally formed from black mist and skulls, continuously swirled and swayed like burning flames.

Upon hearing his words, the entire ghost face visibly stilled for a moment before it eerily responded, "You seem like a carefree brat on the surface, but I never expected you to be as cunning as a ghost."

On the other side, Zhao Hao nodded in deep agreement. Originally, he viewed someone like Zu An as little more than an ant, but this fellow had pulled too many unexpected tricks, making him feel a sense of caution.

Zu An continued, "And the situation when we encountered Zhao Hao – both Jing Teng and Hong Lei were incredibly nervous. By rights, with Wei Suo's personality, he should have been trembling, but you weren't. I could sense the calmness deep in your eyes."

At this, those around him began to admire him. To think that in such a perilous, life-or-death situation, he still had the composure to observe an inconspicuous person in the corner.

Zu An looked at Wei Suo, who lay on the ground beneath the enormous ghost face, his fate unknown. He also wondered when the Ghost King had possessed him.

He hesitated but chose not to ask the Ghost King about Wei Suo's condition. Letting the Ghost King know of his concern might put Wei Suo in danger.

"Indeed, you are remarkably perceptive. No wonder Wolong and Fenchu fell into your hands," the Ghost King nodded appreciatively. Then, its massive face turned towards Zhao Hao. "Who exactly are you? Why have I never heard of your origins?"

Someone this powerful couldn't possibly be unknown throughout the world.

Zhao Hao snorted, "I am merely passing by, with no intention of making an enemy of you."

From their brief exchange just now, he had developed some apprehension about the other's strength. It was best to avoid conflict if possible.

The Ghost King also hesitated; it was clear that Zhao Hao was unexpectedly powerful, and dealing with him would not be easy.

Just then, Zu An's voice rang out, "The Emperor's Five Decays are approaching, and he is determined to obtain the immortal destiny this time. The Ghost King, if I'm not mistaken, is also interested in the immortal destiny. Miss Jing, you are very familiar with this ancient tomb. Are there two portions of immortal destiny here?"

Jing Teng, being clever, deliberately answered loudly, "Of course there's only one. Since it's called 'immortal destiny,' it's meant for the fated one. How could there be several portions for everyone to be happy?"

As soon as she spoke, the Ghost King and Zhao Hao's expressions instantly changed. They knew he was trying to sow discord, but this was an overt scheme. Unless one of them gave up, a fierce struggle was inevitable.

Crucially, Zu An was also quite cunning; he deliberately stated that Zhao Hao was on the verge of death and relying on this immortal destiny to save his life. Thus, the Ghost King understood the other party's unyielding determination to obtain the destiny, making retreat impossible.

Given this, it would be better to take advantage of the opportunity when he had just been injured by the sneak attack and completely eliminate this competitor.

With a decision made, the Ghost King's enormous face directly swept across the sky and lunged towards Zhao Hao.

Zhao Hao's eyes also flashed with ruthlessness, and bathed in golden light, he met the attack.

He wanted to see just how formidable the most terrifying Ghost King in this world truly was.

In the eyes of both parties, their greatest competitor for the immortal destiny within the tomb was each other. As for Zu An and the others, even with their minor cleverness, they were ultimately nothing more than ants. They could be dealt with later; eliminating the main competitor was the priority.

Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing hastily ran to the side. In a battle of this magnitude, even being caught in the aftermath could cause their demise.

Zhao Hao swiftly charged into the heart of the black mist. Countless skulls surged towards him, but he, radiating golden light, wielded his fists with his left hand and finger techniques with his right. Attacking from both sides, he shattered large swaths of skulls with each blow.

Zu An and the others watched in admiration. Zhao Hao's fist and finger techniques appeared simple and direct, yet they had clearly reached a state of natural perfection, requiring no elaborate flashy moves. Each strike carried the majesty of a sovereign, making him seem more righteous compared to the Ghost King's sinister aura.

As the two sides fought, he decided not to flee. He stayed to see if there was an opportunity to be the 'fisherman' who reaps benefits from the struggle. Although the Ghost King and the Emperor believed they had overestimated him, they had actually underestimated him. He possessed the power to influence the outcome of the battle.

At this moment, Zhao Hao, still in the air, slightly frowned. He realized that no matter how many of the Ghost King's skulls he shattered, the opponent's aura remained utterly unaffected. Conversely, the sinister aura emanating from those skulls had a subtle, yet discernible, effect on him. Although the impact wasn't significant, with his strength being depleted while the opponent remained unaffected, he would gradually fall into a disadvantage over time.

Zu An secretly nodded. It seemed Wolong's earlier assessment was correct: the Ghost King appeared to be immune to physical attacks.

Just then, Zhao Hao snorted coldly and suddenly descended to the ground. A golden phantom rose from the top of his head, transforming into a golden-armored war god. This was Zhao Hao's primordial spirit. Clearly, he had realized that physical attacks alone were insufficient against the Ghost King.

The moment his primordial spirit appeared, the black mist was immediately forced to retreat significantly, and many skulls even began to melt. The golden giant dispersed the black mist with a single punch, sending countless skulls screaming and scattering.

However, the golden giant sneered. With another large hand, it grabbed, and the surrounding space seemed to be confined. Many skulls that were about to escape were all caught in its grasp. The large hand clenched tightly, and the skulls shrieked miserably before turning into dust.

Li Changsheng watched, mesmerized. Was this the combat of Earth Immortals? When could he possibly reach such a level?

Xuan Bajing, however, quickly flattered, "The Emperor is indeed invincible under heaven! Long live the Emperor, live long!"

Jing Teng couldn't help but glance at Zu An. This 'Emperor' was incredibly powerful, but more importantly, had Zu An actually provoked such a formidable enemy?

Qiu Honglei also looked troubled. The stronger Zhao Hao became, the greater her pressure. Whether because of her identity as a demonic cult member or her relationship with A'Zu, the opponent was an absolute enemy.

Zu An, however, fixed his gaze on the battlefield, believing that the Ghost King would never be defeated so easily.

As expected, there was no hint of joy on Zhao Hao's face. Instead, he looked towards a certain direction in the distance. Soon, a black shadow re-coalesced there, and countless skulls once again formed a massive ghost face. It spoke in a muffled, rumbling voice, "Interesting."

Zhao Hao frowned. How could this entity remain unaffected by any attack? This was impossible; how could such an unresolvable existence exist between heaven and earth? There must be a way, he just hadn't found it yet.

At this moment, the massive ghost face looked at the golden giant and laughed, "Souls… they are my favorite things."

No sooner had he spoken than he suddenly opened his wide mouth and let out a series of utterly horrifying shrieks. A terrifying sonic wave spread outwards, affecting a group of people who had sensed the intense battle aura and wanted to investigate. As soon as they approached, they heard the horrific shriek, and then a struggling phantom was directly extracted from the head of every single person.

Those who had intended to observe the situation were clearly powerful individuals of their time, but tragically, they couldn't withstand even a single instant. Their souls were directly ripped from their bodies and flew away. Although those phantom souls desperately struggled, attempting to cling to their bodies, it was all in vain as the shrieks continued to barrage them. Countless struggling, contorted phantom souls fell completely into the huge ghost face's mouth. The ghost face wore an expression of enjoyment and even made chewing motions.

"Ghost King's Demonic Sound!" Zu An exclaimed in horror. This was the Ghost King's ultimate technique, as described by Wolong. Fortunately, he had prior information, so he had deliberately led everyone far away. Yet, even from that distance, he felt his mind waver, and the two women beside him fared even worse, their expressions turning somewhat bewildered.

Zu An immediately summoned Baiming and unleashed his Lion's Roar Skill, countering the sonic waves with his own. Only then did he manage to somewhat awaken everyone's senses.

"Go!" He no longer dared to stay and watch the spectacle, for he noticed that Zhao Hao's primordial spirit phantom was also greatly affected, clearly falling into a significant disadvantage. Staying any longer now wouldn't be about reaping benefits; they would simply be swept up in the attack.

Jing Teng regained her clarity, knowing the situation was critical. She quickly led everyone to a wall. How she managed it was a mystery, but the wall suddenly opened, and the group slipped inside. Only then did they feel the terrifying pressure dissipate.

Meanwhile, Zhao Hao had seen their movements, but he was utterly powerless to stop them. On the contrary, he was struggling to protect himself. He felt a horrifying force severing the connection between his primordial spirit and his physical body. He knew clearly that while the primordial spirit was powerful, the world was like a sea of suffering, and the physical body was the vessel that protected the primordial spirit. Once one fell from the vessel into the sea, they would become like a rootless duckweed or a baseless tree, eventually collapsing and dissipating entirely. At that point, he would no longer be able to resist the Ghost King's absorption and might even become its direct nourishment.

While he struggled to resist, Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing on the other side were also struggling to hold on. They were renowned Grandmasters throughout the land, and simultaneously leaders of their respective sects. The secret techniques they commanded far surpassed those of ordinary Grandmasters. Each of them employed their unique skills to protect the stability of their souls. Unlike the surrounding individuals, they weren't instantly drained of their spirits upon contact.

However, as time passed, they were horrified to find themselves on the verge of collapsing. The phantom images of their souls were gradually emerging from the tops of their heads. They desperately clung to their bodies while simultaneously crying out to Zhao Hao for help: "Your Majesty, save us!"