Chapter 2592: Xuan Yin Flower, Refining the Ghostly Entity

A continuous expanse of black bamboo forest was punctuated by occasional loud explosions.

Deep within the bamboo forest, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan stood in a clearing, surrounded by hundreds of skeleton soldiers. Each soldier held a bone sword or a bone spear, and a wisp of ghostly fire burned in their hollow eye sockets. Most of them were at the Core Formation stage.

Leading them was a black giant ape, over a hundred zhang tall, emitting an extremely foul, putrid stench.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan released their Soul-Devouring Golden Cicadas. Both cicadas were low-grade sixth-tier creatures. Their bodies glowed brightly with golden light, and each sprayed a stream of golden mist, striking the skeleton soldiers. The soldiers let out miserable wails, and their spirits flew out of their bodies, only to be swept into the cicadas' mouths by the golden mist and vanish.

These spectral creatures were no match for the two Soul-Devouring Golden Cicadas. The black giant ape sensed danger, transformed into a black whirlwind, and fled through the air. However, before it could fly far, a stream of golden flames descended from the sky and engulfed it.

The black giant ape let out a horrifying shriek, and a grotesque specter flew out of its body. Before it could escape far, a barrage of golden light shot forth, piercing through the specter and pulling it back towards the Soul-Devouring Golden Cicadas.

The two Soul-Devouring Golden Cicadas swarmed it, devouring it completely.

They let out joyous chirps and transformed into two streaks of golden light, flying into the distance.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan quickly followed. According to Li Qinghuan, mutated spectral creatures existed in the Heavenly Demon Cavern.

Ordinary spectral creatures were naturally no match for them, but mutated ones were a different story.

Like demonic beasts, spectral creatures had a certain chance of mutating. The forms of mutation varied greatly; some mutated spectral creatures possessed ordinary abilities, while others had vast divine powers.

Not long after, the two Soul-Devouring Golden Cicadas stopped outside a massive valley. They chirped excitedly, as if they had discovered something good.

The Ghost-Fixing Compass in Wang Changsheng's hand emitted a piercing squeal, its pointer spinning rapidly before settling on the valley entrance.

Wang Ruyan extended her divine sense but detected no ghostly aura, and Wang Changsheng found the same. It seemed this spectral creature was of a high rank and skilled in concealment.

To be cautious, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan retrieved their two Soul-Devouring Golden Cicadas, as they might not be a match for a mutated spectral creature. The two then proceeded into the valley.

The valley floor was barren, devoid of vegetation, and chilling winds swept through it.

Even through their protective spiritual light, they could feel an unnerving, bone-chilling cold.

At the end of the valley was a cave several zhang wide, its interior too dark to discern.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan strode in, their faces filled with vigilance.

The cave wound its way underground, its uneven floor scattered with animal bones.

After a while, they reached a cavern about an *mu* in size. In its lower-left corner, they saw a dozen pale black flowers with round petals, each having seven petals.

"Profound Yin Flowers!"

Wang Changsheng exclaimed in surprise. Profound Yin Flowers grew in areas with dense yin energy and were the primary ingredient for refining Profound Yin Pills. For ghost cultivators, Profound Yin Pills could enhance their magical power, making them suitable for ghost cultivators in the late Void Refinement stage.

These dozen Profound Yin Flowers before them varied in age; the youngest were at least five thousand years old, while the oldest were over ten thousand years old. There were a total of fifteen Profound Yin Flowers, with three being ten-thousand-year-old specimens.

Wang Ruyan feigned delight and quickly walked towards the Profound Yin Flowers.

Just then, two specters emerged from the stone wall, pouncing separately at Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan.

Wang Changsheng flicked his sleeve, summoning a gleaming golden jade ruler. A lifelike miniature Buddha statue was carved on its front.

It was the Jade Buddha Ruler, a mid-grade Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasure.

With a gentle flick, countless golden lights swept out, striking the specter and eliciting a horrifying wail. A blue light illuminated his glabella, and a blue eye orb appeared, which was his Lapis Lazuli True Eye.

The Lapis Lazuli True Eye emitted a divine lapis lazuli light that enveloped the specter. The specter shrieked repeatedly, emitting wisps of green smoke as its aura weakened.

This was a mid-Void Refinement stage spectral creature, not weak in power.

Wang Changsheng released a Soul-Devouring Golden Cicada. The spectral creature, already heavily damaged by Wang Changsheng, was then pierced by a dense golden light emanating from the cicada, which easily devoured it.

The other specter could not break through Wang Ruyan's defenses. Seeing its companion killed, it did not hesitate, transforming into a black shadow and darting towards the stone wall.

Just then, a resounding Buddhist chant echoed, as if multiple true Buddhas were reciting scriptures.

Above Wang Ruyan's head floated a gleaming golden giant bell. Multiple Buddha statues were carved on its surface, seemingly coming alive and reciting Buddhist scriptures.

It was the Heavenly Buddha Bell, a mid-grade Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasure.

Both the Jade Buddha Ruler and the Heavenly Buddha Bell had been acquired from the meditating cave of a Fusion-stage sound cultivator, and they proved to be quite useful.

The Buddhist chant had no effect on them, but the specter let out a painful wail, feeling dizzy and in extreme agony.

A dense golden light shot forth, striking the specter, and its aura weakened.

Wang Changsheng released his divine lapis lazuli light. After letting out a scream, the specter's body became semi-transparent.

The two Soul-Devouring Golden Cicadas swarmed forward, devouring the creature.

Two mid-Void Refinement stage spectral creatures were thus annihilated by them. With mid-grade Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasures, especially Buddhist artifacts, and six-tier Soul-Devouring Golden Cicadas, the two spectral creatures were simply no match.

Wang Changsheng felt a slight increase in his divine sense, though "slight" was relative to its already vast extent. For the Soul-Devouring Golden Cicadas, six-tier spectral creatures were immensely nourishing, greatly beneficial for their advancement.

Without the Ghost-Fixing Compass and the Soul-Devouring Golden Cicadas, Wang Changsheng would not have been able to detect these two spectral creatures.

They excavated the Profound Yin Flowers and then exited.

The two Soul-Devouring Golden Cicadas chirped excitedly once more, flying towards the sky. Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan quickly followed.

On a steep black peak, Venerable Hundred Insects and Madam Thunder Falcon were attacking a colossal skeleton, hundreds of zhang tall. It had an ape's head, a human body, a snake's tail, and bird wings, holding a white bone spear in its hand.

This was a late Void Refinement stage spectral creature with considerable divine abilities.

Thousands of Diamond Worms lay scattered on the ground, unmoving and without visible wounds on their bodies.

This spectral creature was capable of directly seizing the souls of the Diamond Worms. The soul is the foundation of all living beings; once the soul is destroyed, the creature perishes.

The Golden Thunder Falcon flapped its wings continuously, unleashing thick golden lightning bolts that struck the spectral creature. Simultaneously, a gigantic phantom of a thunder falcon appeared high in the sky.

A massive golden thundercloud formed high above, with lightning flashing and thunder rumbling. Golden lightning orbs rained down, causing the spectral creature to shriek continuously.

A hideous specter flew out from the colossal skeleton, moving at an incredibly fast speed.

As the Golden Thunder Falcon was about to give chase, an utterly mournful wail echoed, causing it to feel dizzy.

By this time, the specter was already a hundred li away.

A black light flashed, and an entirely black ghostly raven appeared above the specter. It spread its wings, radiating countless black lights that enveloped the specter.

The specter struggled fiercely but was immobilized as if its body were restrained.

A thick golden lightning spear shot forth, while simultaneously, thousands of golden lightning orbs poured down, submerging the specter.

After a moment, the lightning dissipated, and the specter vanished. A massive crater, emitting black smoke, appeared on the ground, with a black spherical bead lying at its center.

Venerable Hundred Insects conjured a hand seal, and the ghostly raven swooped down from high above, seized the black spherical bead, and flew back to his side.

It released its talons, and the black spherical bead dropped into Venerable Hundred Insects' hand.

With a flash of black light, the ghostly raven transformed into a gleaming black short blade, emitting astonishing spiritual energy.

"Fortunately, we have this Black Raven Blade. It can transform and attack, otherwise, that spectral creature truly would have escaped. Spectral creatures are indeed troublesome."

Venerable Hundred Insects said with a smile.

"The Black Raven Blade is the Yang family's treasured artifact. We only obtained it after eradicating the Yang family. However, if we can acquire the inner core of a Blood Lizard Beast, our physical bodies will become even stronger, making it easier to break through to the Fusion stage."

Madam Thunder Falcon said excitedly.

Only with a strong physical body can one accommodate a more powerful soul. Body cultivators find it easier to reach the Fusion stage, while ordinary cultivators must rely on external aids to strengthen their bodies.

They put away their spirit insects and spirit birds, then left the area, disappearing into the black mountain range.