Chapter 1289: Clever Battle with the Ghost King

"A Nascent Soul stage Ghost King!" Ye Haitang's beautiful face changed dramatically as she exclaimed, a cold sweat breaking out. Her luck was truly terrible; she had barely entered this place and already encountered a Nascent Soul stage Ghost King?

"A Buddhist spiritual treasure! No wonder you, a ghost cultivator, could get in. Anyone else would have died under the restrictions. Little one, be sensible. Let me plant a restriction on you and take me out of here." The young woman in the green dress radiated intense malevolence, her eyes glinting with cold light.

"Take you out of here? Can't you leave yourself?" Ye Haitang's expression was somewhat peculiar as she stared at the black square token. The other party had emerged from a magical artifact; could it be an artifact spirit?

"Nonsense! If I could leave, why would I need your help? If you don't want to die, cooperate with me. Otherwise, I don't mind making you suffer." Zhao Meier sneered, her face filled with killing intent.

Ye Haitang's expression flickered between light and shadow. She shifted her beautiful eyes and said with a half-smile, "You're just an artifact spirit, and you think you can do this? If I'm not mistaken, you shouldn't be able to leave your artifact for long. If you could really kill me, you would have just acted directly, instead of asking for my cooperation." She was caught between a rock and a hard place. If she left now, Zheng Guqi would surely kill her. If she stayed, a Nascent Soul ghost would plant a restriction on her. She was truly in a dilemma.

"You're asking for death! Do you really think I can't do anything to you just because you have a Buddhist spiritual treasure?" The young woman in the green dress's face turned cold. She flicked her sleeve, and a sudden strong wind erupted, sweeping countless wisps of yin energy towards Ye Haitang. They converged into a colossal black wind python, lunging straight at her.

Ye Haitang flicked her wrist, and a long bone whip shot out, accurately striking the black wind python. Boom! After a loud bang, the black wind python exploded into countless gray wind blades. Ghostly wails echoed, rising and falling. Ye Haitang felt dizzy, and her vision blurred slightly. A dark light burst from her body, and an astonishing wave of yin energy surged upwards. With a sweep of her hands through the air, specks of dark light appeared, quickly forming a black rainbow bridge that protected her. This was the "Yellow Springs Divine Light," specifically designed to counter illusions.

"Yellow Springs Divine Light! You cultivate the 'Yellow Springs Scripture'! Are you a descendant of our Myriad Ghosts Sect?" the young woman in the green dress exclaimed, her face showing disbelief. With the Buddhist spiritual treasure in Ye Haitang's hand, Zhao Meier couldn't get close. Ghost cultivation spells were useless against Ye Haitang, and illusions had little effect. "Very well, I am Zhao Meier, the forty-fifth Sect Master of the Myriad Ghosts Sect. Little one, you can't outlast me. Your spiritual power will eventually run out. Be sensible and take me out of here. I can give you some benefits, like spirit treasures for forming a Nascent Soul, how does that sound?" The young woman's tone was full of temptation.

Ye Haitang's beautiful eyes shifted, and she quietly took out a palm-sized golden bell—it was the Golden Buddha Bell. A wave of Buddhist chanting began, and the three Buddha statues seemed to come alive, reciting Buddhist scriptures. The chanting resonated throughout the sky, and Buddhist runes flew out, heading towards Zhao Meier. Hearing the chanting, Zhao Meier's body felt weak. She had never imagined that a ghost cultivator would possess two Buddhist artifacts. In the past, she wouldn't have been afraid, but to leave this place, she had refined herself into one of the Myriad Ghosts Sect's foundational artifacts, the Myriad Ghosts Token, acting as its artifact spirit, hoping to escape this way. She had recently tried to break through the restrictions, but even as an artifact spirit, she couldn't leave.

With a flash of golden light, the Golden Buddha Bell in Ye Haitang's hand vanished. The next moment, ripples appeared above Zhao Meier's head, and the Golden Buddha Bell materialized there. The Golden Buddha Bell's light intensified, its size rapidly expanding. The three Buddha statues each spewed out a stream of golden flame, striking Zhao Meier. With a shriek, Zhao Meier was engulfed by the blazing inferno. The Golden Buddha Bell seized the opportunity, falling to cover and trap Zhao Meier. Buddhist chanting echoed loudly, piercing the sky. Ye Haitang transformed into a wisp of clear wind, instantly appearing before the Myriad Ghosts Token. As the opponent was an artifact spirit, obtaining the Myriad Ghosts Token would allow her to control them. The moment she grasped the Myriad Ghosts Token, the Golden Buddha Bell's spiritual light surged, and cracks appeared on its surface. Boom! With a loud bang, the Golden Buddha Bell shattered into pieces, unleashing a powerful shockwave. Ye Haitang was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto an earthen slope.

A piercing ghostly wail resounded. Ye Haitang felt dizzy, her body weak and limp, unable to exert any strength. A bone whip shot out, coiling around the Golden Amber Jade Buddha Pendant. With a forceful tug, the pendant flew off, landing on the ground nearby. Zhao Meier's face was pale, and her aura was somewhat weak. If a Nascent Soul cultivator had wielded the Buddhist artifact, she would certainly have been severely injured. However, a Core Formation stage Ye Haitang simply couldn't unleash the full power of the treasure. Moreover, Zhao Meier had cultivated here for several millennia, making her far stronger than an ordinary Nascent Soul stage Ghost King. Her figure flickered, and she suddenly appeared before Ye Haitang. Zhao Meier's fingers became long and slender, reaching for the top of Ye Haitang's head. If Ye Haitang's cultivation hadn't been so low, she might have been controlled by her. Ye Haitang's mind was sharp and not easily manipulated. If worst came to worst, Zhao Meier could just find another cultivator to take her out of here, especially now that she had obtained the Buddhist spiritual treasure she valued most.

Just at this critical moment, a blue light glowed from Ye Haitang's chest, and the illusory figure of a tall young man in blue robes appeared, a body-protecting spiritual talisman. Wang Changsheng's face turned cold. He slammed his right palm towards Zhao Meier in the air, distorting the space. A blue giant palm several zhang wide materialized out of nowhere, filled with numerous blue electrical arcs. With a shriek, Zhao Meier was instantly sent flying backward, her body engulfed by a surge of blue lightning. Ye Haitang's figure flickered, transforming into a gust of yin wind, and she abruptly appeared near the Golden Amber Jade Buddha Pendant, snatching it up. She shook her sleeve, and hundreds of shimmering silver formation flags shot out in all directions, disappearing into the ground. With a flash of silver light, a silver barrier materialized, enveloping Ye Haitang. A tremendous roar came from high above, and an enormous thundercloud appeared in the sky. Boom! Amidst a colossal peal of thunder, a large swath of silver lightning shot out, striking towards the blue lightning. For a moment, continuous rumbling sounds filled the air, and the silver lightning intensified. Ye Haitang unleashed two black flying knives, striking the Myriad Ghosts Token, which produced dull clanging sounds.

"Don't waste your efforts. The Myriad Ghosts Token is one of our Myriad Ghosts Sect's three foundational treasures. Even the Four Seasons Sword Venerable couldn't destroy it back then. How about this? Let's cooperate. You take me out of here, and I'll give you some treasures. Even if you have a formation, your spiritual power will eventually run out. When that happens, you won't have a choice." Zhao Meier's voice came from the sky, and a green light appeared in the void hundreds of miles away, revealing Zhao Meier's figure. Zhao Meier's aura was weak, and her eyes were filled with apprehension. Ye Haitang possessed a Buddhist spiritual treasure, a body-protecting spiritual talisman, and was even a formation master. Zhao Meier couldn't do anything to her in the short term. She was now an artifact spirit; if Ye Haitang destroyed the Myriad Ghosts Token, she would truly vanish forever.

Ye Haitang's brows furrowed deeply. Her spiritual power would indeed run out, and if she couldn't destroy the Myriad Ghosts Token, she would surely die. She tossed the Myriad Ghosts Token into the air in front of her, casting a spell. She then opened her mouth and spat out a stream of black core-fire, which enveloped the Myriad Ghosts Token. She intended to refine the Myriad Ghosts Token and thereby control Zhao Meier. A piercing ghostly wail resounded. Hearing it, Ye Haitang felt dizzy, her body limp and weak, and she was interrupted. "Don't waste your efforts. How about this? We cast a shared life and death curse on each other. If I'm well, you're well. Otherwise, we'll fight to the death."