Chapter 881: Ghost Creature

A dull clang of metal echoed, and a few faint, almost invisible knife marks appeared within the pit.

Upon seeing this, Wang Mingren and the others simultaneously showed surprise. Could it be a third-tier ore vein? If so, that would change everything. Even a small third-tier ore vein would be worth at least a million spirit stones.

The young woman in the green skirt also summoned two green flying swords and struck them into the pit. A dull clang of metal echoed once again.

"Third-tier ore vein? Let the Armored Dragon Beast try it!"

The yellow-robed man patted his spirit beast pouch, and a yellow light flew out, transforming into a yellow pangolin with a single horn on its head. Its entire body was covered in yellow scales, and its eyes were tiny.

The Armored Dragon Beast, a spirit beast ranked 105th on the Heaven and Earth Exotic Beasts List, was adept at earth evasion techniques and skilled in mining.

The Armored Dragon Beast curled its body into a ball, becoming a yellow sphere, and rolled into the pit. A bright yellow light emanated from its body as it burrowed beneath the pit.

"No, something's wrong with the pit."

The yellow-robed man's expression changed, and he exclaimed.

Wang Mingren's gaze became uncertain, filled with surprise and suspicion. A whooshing sound pierced the air as countless thin red threads shot out from beneath the pit, heading straight for the five of them.

Zhao Wuji summoned a crimson orb, which spun around him, forming a light red barrier. At the same time, he conjured a red long blade and slashed it forward, sending a large swathe of crimson blade energy towards the incoming red threads.

The yellow-robed man conjured a small yellow umbrella. It flew above his head, spun rapidly, and emitted a large expanse of yellow radiant light that enveloped his entire body.

Wang Mingren conjured a red shield, which expanded to block in front of him. Simultaneously, a layer of crimson-gold light barrier appeared on his body.

Ximen Feng conjured a red jade ruler, which emitted a large expanse of crimson flames to protect herself. At the same time, a crimson fire wall appeared in front of her.

The young woman in the green skirt quickly performed a hand seal, and her two green flying swords glowed brightly. They emitted a large expanse of green sword light, striking towards the red threads. She also conjured a green shield, which expanded to block in front of her.

The red blade energy and green sword light struck the red threads, creating a dull clang of metal.

A few dull thuds were followed by two men's screams. The dense red threads pierced through the defenses of the yellow-robed man and Zhao Wuji, impaling their bodies. Their bodies visibly withered into mummies.

Their faces were filled with horror. Their defenses were not weak; even a ninth-level Core Formation cultivator couldn't easily break them. Could the opponent be a Nascent Soul cultivator?

The dense red threads struck the red and green shields, leaving their surfaces pockmarked. The red threads also pierced through the fire wall, emitting wisps of green smoke. Ximen Feng's red jade ruler gently swayed, releasing a large expanse of red ruler shadows that blocked the red threads.

"No, there's an evil creature! Retreat quickly!"

The young woman in the green skirt's beautiful face twisted in alarm. She transformed into a streak of green light and rushed back the way they came.

Zhao Wuji was stronger than her, yet he was killed in an instant. She dared not stay any longer and could only return to her sect to report to the elders.

Just as she approached the exit, two gleaming golden skeletal hands suddenly emerged from the stone wall. The surface of the skeletal hands was enveloped in a layer of crimson flames.

The young woman in the green skirt urged her two green flying swords to strike the golden skeletal hands. A dull clang of metal echoed, but only shallow marks were left. The two golden skeletal hands then gripped the green flying swords. A large expanse of crimson flames erupted from the skeletal hands, enveloping the green flying swords, and their glow quickly dimmed.

A whooshing sound pierced the air as dense red threads shot out from the surrounding stone walls, piercing through the young woman in the green skirt's body. Her body visibly withered into a mummy.

The dense red threads intertwined, forming a large red net that sealed off the exit.

Wang Mingren and Ximen Feng had also intended to escape, but the young woman in the green skirt died too quickly. Before they could flee, the entrance was blocked.

It was unclear what the red threads were made of, as even magical treasures struggled to harm them.

A rumbling sound!

The pit shook violently, and a colossal skeletal corpse crawled out from within.

The skeletal corpse's body was gleaming gold, with two clusters of golden flames burning in its empty eye sockets. Its skull was crimson-gold, and every bone was enveloped in red threads that resembled blood vessels.

A golden light illuminated the nearby stone wall, and two humanoid skeletal corpses emerged from it. Their bodies were gleaming gold, their heads were silver, and every bone was entwined with red threads.

Judging by their aura, they were unmistakably ghost creatures at the Core Formation stage. The largest skeletal corpse had reached the ninth level of Core Formation.

"These are Malevolent Corpses!" Ximen Feng exclaimed, her face turning pale. "Some unorthodox cultivators enjoy cultivating corpses using Malevolent Earth Qi. What we've discovered isn't an ancient cultivator's cave at all, but rather a secret training ground for these unorthodox cultivators!"

"Malevolent Corpses? That's what you call them. I've been imprisoned for thousands of years, and I can finally leave this cursed place! You are disciples of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, aren't you? Good. If it weren't for the Four Seasons Sword Venerable, I wouldn't have been trapped in this wretched place for thousands of years. I'll drain your vital essence first, then go settle accounts with the Taiyi Immortal Sect."

The colossal skeletal corpse spoke in human tongue, and the two clusters of crimson-gold flames in its eye sockets flickered continuously.

From its words, it seemed to bear a grudge against the Four Seasons Sword Venerable.

Wang Mingren was slightly stunned. He had naturally heard of the Four Seasons Sword Venerable, an ancestor of the Taiyi Immortal Sect. It was precisely because of this person that the Taiyi Immortal Sect managed to establish a firm foothold in the Eastern Barrens. However, the Four Seasons Sword Venerable lived over three thousand years ago, and even a Soul Transformation cultivator's lifespan wouldn't exceed two thousand years. Could ghost cultivators have longer lifespans? That shouldn't be the case! The ghost creature before them was only at the Core Formation stage.

He had no time to think further. Two humanoid skeletal corpses lunged forward, and two dull thuds came from the ground as several earthy-yellow large hands emerged from underground, grabbing at Wang Mingren and Ximen Feng's feet.

Wang Mingren frowned, and a crimson-gold spiritual light lit up on his right hand. He clapped his hand towards the colossal skeletal corpse charging at them, and a golden fire palm several zhang large flew out. It struck one of the humanoid skeletal corpses, turning into a vast expanse of crimson-gold flames that quickly spread.

Ximen Feng raised her delicate hand, transforming it into a five-zhang-wide red net that enveloped the two humanoid skeletal corpses. The red net quickly shrank, binding the two skeletal corpses within it. Simultaneously, a large expanse of crimson flames erupted from the net's surface, engulfing the bodies of the two skeletal corpses.

"Quickly, let's go!"

Wang Mingren pulled Ximen Feng and rushed towards the exit.

The exit was already blocked by dense red threads, which were difficult for magical treasures to damage.

He opened his mouth and spat out a large expanse of golden flames, striking the red threads. At the same time, he summoned two crimson-gold circular wheels and slashed them at the red threads.

The Golden Flame True Fire, cultivated by Wang Mingren for many years, now possessed power far beyond its past capabilities.

With a dull thud, all the red threads snapped.

Wang Mingren wrapped his arm around Ximen Feng's slender waist and flew outwards, a red shield spinning around them for protection.