Chapter 439: The Underworld Challenges Battle
It wasn’t just the attack tools in the hands of those two possessed ghosts that could be used against Su Che. To capture them alive, Su Che also needed to completely destroy the defensive tools they controlled.
The problem was that he had to capture them alive and couldn’t use overly powerful methods. As a result, he didn’t even dare summon Xiao Hei, fearing that those ghosts might turn Xiao Hei into food, swallowing him whole and converting him into Chaos Energy—which would be a huge loss…
“It’s really a dilemma!”
With no way out, Su Che couldn’t help but feel headaches.
Boom… boom…
Su Che had no choice but to endure the attacks from the two possessed ghosts’ magical weapons, focusing instead on dealing with those six spirit ghosts. If he could take care of these six first, that would already be a great achievement, avoiding empty hopes.
Swish… swish… swish…
But since Su Che was “reluctant” to use destructive power against them, those six ghosts used their bizarre teleportation skills to launch fierce counterattacks. Though they couldn’t penetrate Su Che’s protective layer of destructive energy, this stalemate was equally frustrating.
“If nothing else works, should I call Fei Yun to help?”
Such a thought crossed Su Che’s mind, but he also felt that relying on Fei Yun at the slightest trouble would make him seem incompetent.
A man’s pride was also very important.
Moreover, Fei Yun’s Immortal Essence power might not work well in the Burial Ground of the Sky-Devouring Rat, and it might even put her in danger. If she were possessed by heavenly ghosts and died as a result, it would be a regretful outcome…
“Is there any other solution?”
While dealing with the ghosts, Su Che kept racking his brains for a good strategy. In the Immortal Prison, Lao Hei and the White Old Demon also couldn’t idle away, desperately thinking and using their wisdom.
Fifteen minutes passed…
Twenty minutes…
Half an hour went by, yet Su Che, Lao Hei, and the White Old Demon still hadn’t come up with any solution. Instead, they were exhausted and annoyed by those eight unrestrained and fearless ghosts.
“Heavenly ghosts don’t exist in the mortal world. Killing them is one thing, but suppressing them? I have almost no experience in that…”
Even the White Old Demon, who usually claimed to be experienced and wise, was worried and at a loss.
So, Lao Hei went to the second layer of the Immortal Prison, the Underworld Ghost Realm, and told the Underworld Ghost Emperor about the situation. After all, when it came to ghostly matters, the Underworld Ghost Emperor was the expert.
The Nether Ghost Emperor thought for a moment before looking up at the sky and sending a thought: “Master, Nether requests battle!”
“Master, Nether requests battle—please grant permission!”
“Master, Nether requests battle—please grant permission!”
After sending these requests three times in a row, Su Che, as the ruler of the Immortal Prison, could hardly fail to receive them. Yet he pondered in his heart, “The current Nether Ghost Emperor is at most at the late Golden Core stage. We’re already struggling to handle the situation—what method could he possibly have?”
Su Che replied in his mind, “Nether, I understand your desire to fight. But these heavenly ghosts are extremely fierce; even Yuan Ying cultivators seem as fragile as paper in front of them. If you can’t come up with a truly effective plan, I won’t let you take the risk.”
“Master…”
Moved by Su Che’s concern and attention, the Nether Ghost Emperor’s voice trembled as he said, “I also don’t want to seek my own death. I must have some plan before asking for battle. Besides, since it involves ghosts, as the ruler of the Ghost Realm, if I can’t share the burden with my master, what’s the point of my existence?”
With that, the Nether Ghost Emperor knelt down abruptly and declared firmly, “If I fail, I’ll die without regret. As long as the Ghost Realm remains, it will be easy for the master to create another Ghost Emperor.”
“Alright, I believe you won’t disappoint me!” Su Che replied in a deep voice.
More importantly, Su Che had confidence in the Immortal Prison. The Nether Ghost Emperor, who ruled the entire second layer of the Immortal Prison, couldn’t possibly be a useless good-for-nothing. After all, he was also a realm ruler appointed by the Heavenly Dao of the Immortal Prison.
Whoosh!
With a thought from Su Che, the extremely weak Nether Ghost Emperor appeared outside the Immortal Prison.
This time, he didn’t even borrow any soul power, relying solely on his own low-level early Golden Core strength to appear before the eight heavenly ghosts.
At the early Golden Core stage, he could only be compared to a Ghost King in the cultivation world. Facing these heavenly ghosts, which didn’t exist in the mortal world, it was possible that the Nether Ghost Emperor would be killed in an instant.
Yet when the Nether Ghost Emperor appeared suddenly, the eight heavenly ghost souls stopped all their movements at once, almost completely ignoring Su Che. All their attention was focused on the Nether Ghost Emperor.
To be precise, they were staring at his head, as it contained a Heavenly Ghost Soul Gathering Pearl. The eight heavenly ghosts seemed to be able to sense that pearl clearly.
Staring intently!
This feeling was like eight hungry wolves suddenly spotting a plump and tender lamb. For them, it was not only an uncontrollable appetite but also a huge surprise that appeared before their eyes all at once.
Buzz…
The Nether Ghost Emperor’s method was even more straightforward and bold—he actually made his body translucent, making the Heavenly Ghost Soul Gathering Pearl even clearer.
“Aw…”
“Ugh…”
“Wow…”
The eight Nether Ghosts let out distinct roars and immediately fell into a state of madness. Even the two Ghosts that had taken possession of bodies abandoned those bodies without hesitation, swiftly breaking free from their shells and, in their purest soul forms, rushed at the Ghost Emperor along with the other six Ghosts.
“Heavenly Ghosts, gather souls!”
The Nether Ghost Emperor showed no intention of resisting or dodging, as if ready to embrace their attack.
“Nether…”
Su Che’s heart tightened, and he became extremely anxious. Although his feelings for the Nether were nowhere near even one ten-thousandth of those he had for Lao Hei, he was still a loyal subordinate to him. To watch him perish like this was simply…
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh…
The eight dark red Heavenly Ghost Souls rushed at the Nether Ghost Emperor at the same time and then plunged into his ghostly body.
Su Che was stunned. He had thought the eight Heavenly Ghosts would frantically tear apart the Ghost Emperor’s body or forcibly pull out the Heavenly Ghost Soul Gathering Pearl from his head. He never expected that the eight Heavenly Ghosts would instantly merge with the Ghost Emperor, as if the shadows of nine people overlapped.
“It seems like the eight Heavenly Ghosts are fighting for control of the Ghost Emperor’s body. They’re not just coveting that Heavenly Ghost Soul Gathering Pearl…”
Su Che was confused, half understanding: “Could this be the true meaning of a gathering of Heavenly Ghosts?”
As soon as this thought arose, he saw the Nether Ghost Emperor suddenly roar skyward, emitting a roar like that of a primordial beast capable of tearing apart space. Yet his expression showed extreme pain and misery.
Then, the Ghost Emperor’s body began to change violently—sometimes swelling into a huge sphere, as if about to burst; sometimes shrinking sharply, becoming as shriveled as a human skin. At other times, his limbs twisted out of shape, and his body swelled with countless bulges…
It seemed as if countless ghosts were screaming and struggling inside the Nether Ghost Emperor’s body, trying to tear through his skin and escape.
Su Che was deeply worried but could only stand by, as he had no idea how to help him.
“Master, in this situation, he can only rely on himself,” Old Black said in a low voice to comfort him. “As the spirit of the Immortal Prison and your servant, this is what he must do. Whether successful or not, whether alive or dead, he must carry it out. You Ming is right—since he rules the ghost realm, he must step forward to share your burden. Otherwise, his existence would be meaningless.”
“Though we are master and servant, our relationship doesn’t need to be so cruel,” Su Che thought. “I just have confidence in him. I believe he will never disappoint me.”
“Ah…”
The shrill roar lasted for a full fifteen minutes. Suddenly, the Ghost Emperor of You Ming stared at Su Che with blood-red eyes, turning his head abruptly toward him…
His gaze was extremely fierce and vicious, making Su Che’s heart skip a beat. “Could it be… he really failed?”
“Master…”
The Ghost Emperor of You Ming spoke with great difficulty, “Quick! Take me back in!”
Swish!
Without hesitation, Su Che thought of it and sent him back into the Immortal Prison, directly to the second floor—the Ghost Realm of You Ming.
No explanation was needed. Su Che could guess that You Ming must have used the magical power of the Heavenly Ghost Soul Gathering Pearl to temporarily suppress the eight Heavenly Ghost Souls, giving him a fleeting and rare chance to resist. As long as he was sent back to the Ghost Realm of You Ming, that would be his domain, his kingdom.
“Hahaha…”
Back in the Ghost Realm of You Ming, the Ghost Emperor burst into wild laughter, seemingly insane, completely devoid of his usual composure and depth.
“Hahaha…”
His laughter filled the vast ghost realm, scaring thousands of ghosts into trembling, shrinking into clusters of translucent gas.
“Heavenly Ghost Soul Gathering!”
“Heavenly Ghost Soul Gathering!”
Amidst his laughter, the Ghost Emperor continued to shriek madly, “I finally understand the true meaning of Heavenly Ghost Soul Gathering!”
“From today onward, I am truly the Ghost Emperor of You Ming. I deserve this title. I am qualified to rule this boundless Ghost Realm of You Ming…”
“Hahaha…”
Su Che and Old Black watched silently, unsure yet whether You Ming’s condition was normal.
Perhaps his current behavior is merely an outlet after enduring life-and-death trials and immense suffering; maybe his mind is still fighting desperately against those eight celestial ghostly spirits, and his madness is just an inevitable result. In any case, Su Che and Old Hei aren’t too worried, because no matter who he is, once he enters the Immortal Prison, he will eventually have to obediently and respectfully call Old Hei “Lord Hei Mo” and kneel down to address Su Che as “Master.” After all, once inside the Immortal Prison, he must unconditionally obey the laws of this world!