Chapter 238: Sisters United, Souls Burning with Light

The peaceful atmosphere in the forest had been completely shattered. Powerful spiritual energy, unique skills, and devastating forces were at play here. Who was stronger and who would win might be decided in an instant, but there was only one goal: either you die or I perish. The sky was gloomy, devoid of any brilliance, leaving only endless slaughter…

The three of them—July—stood back to back. The advantage of the ghost race lay in their lack of a physical body, as magical as Ye Luobaihua’s “Furuo” sword. Yet even that divine weapon could not harm the Death Kings and Guardians. Now, the figures of the Death Kings and Guardians were hovering around them.

The three knew clearly that their only option was to defend their immediate space and not give the two Ghost Kings any chance. With their speed and strength, it would be dangerous if they attacked one of them together. So, they couldn’t take the initiative to attack the Ghost Kings, as that would scatter their strength. More importantly, they understood that ordinary sword techniques couldn’t kill the ghosts.

This concern was finally voiced by Yu Chenxing: “What should we do? Continuing like this won’t work. Even if we’re not directly attacked, being trapped like this will eventually kill us. But… fighting won’t kill them either. How should we fight?” The three had already understood what Yu Chenxing meant; he was just reminding them to think of a solution.

Ye Luobaihua shook her head and said, “I don’t know either. I’ve never had contact with the ghost race, so I don’t know how to kill them.” She watched the Ghost Kings circling around while responding to Yu Chenxing.

July listened, observing as she spoke, “In the human world, the immortal race’s magic can counter the Ghost Kings. But the immortals were already wiped out by Lan Ying.”

Yu Chenxing frowned and snapped, “Doesn’t that mean you’re saying nothing? Not only do the immortals no longer exist, but even if they did, would you go back to the human world now to find someone who knows magic?”

Ye Luobaihua thought for a moment before continuing, “The magic in the underworld is completely different from that in the human world. Here, magic mostly relies on external forces for defense. So, does that mean these ghosts can’t be killed? If they appeared in the human world, wouldn’t there be no way to kill them?” She made this assumption while keeping an eye on the two Ghost Kings.

July replied, “Not necessarily. In the human world, I’ve seen scholars kill ghosts with their swords. But those were probably minor ghosts, and the sword techniques used were different from today’s. One thing is certain: no matter what form these ghosts take, if the sword moves fast enough, it might be possible to cut through their bodies.”

Yu Chenxing watched the two circling Ghost Kings and said, “Sister July, what you’re saying is still nonsense. Scholars can barely protect themselves now. Besides, those were old sword techniques. And these ghosts don’t seem like minor ones. Not to mention our swords aren’t fast enough. Even if we called that fool over now, I doubt he could kill these two ghosts.”

Just as Yu Chenxing finished saying “ha,” the guardian circling in the air flipped his right hand, raising the crescent-shaped curved blade to slash straight at Yu Chenxing’s throat. Although Yu Chenxing was speaking at that moment, his attention had been on those two hovering ghosts the whole time. Seeing the guardian strike, he didn’t dare neglect it. With a flick of his right hand, a black curved short sword instantly appeared from his arm. With a swift swing, it emitted a blade glow. With a “clang,” the two beams of light collided, producing the sound of metal meeting.

Yet the guardian didn’t stop moving just because he had drawn his sword. His pale, ethereal body continued to circle in the air with Death, searching for another chance to attack. Seeing this, Yu Chenxing snapped, “Damn it! This isn’t working. If they don’t get dizzy, I’ll be dizzy from them. Don’t they fear anything? If they’re fearless, then they’re even more powerful than gods.” Though he was speaking, his focus remained on the two rotating ghost kings.

Upon hearing this, Qi Yue seemed to think of something and quickly said, “Yes. Ghosts don’t appear during the day. Even the Nine Nether Demonic Gods only dare to show themselves during the day after gaining a physical body.”

Hearing this, Yu Chenxing exclaimed anxiously, “Qi Yue, are you dizzy? If ghosts don’t appear during the day, then what’s hovering around us now? Are we seeing ghosts in broad daylight? Oh… right, we are indeed seeing ghosts now? What on earth are you talking about? The truth is right in front of us—aren’t ghosts appearing during the day?” Yu Chenxing seemed somewhat impatient, but his gaze remained fixed on the ghosts before him.

Qi Yue continued, “What I mean is, ghosts don’t appear during the day because they don’t have a solid physical body. Under sunlight, they would quickly disintegrate, just like morning mist under the sun. But it’s different now. Although it’s still daytime, there’s no sunlight around us. Our heads are covered by those white clouds, which is why they can act so recklessly.”

Hearing this, Yu Chenxing said, “So you’re saying… ghosts fear sunlight?” After saying that, he instinctively looked up. Sure enough, just as Qi Yue had said, it was indeed daytime, but the layer of white mist above them was extremely strange—floating there without dissipating. The sunlight was completely blocked by that mist, as if it couldn’t penetrate at all.

At the moment Yu Chenxing was distracted looking up, the two ghost kings circling around seemed to see their chance. At the same time, they stopped circling. As Qi Yue turned his head, he saw Yu Chenxing looking up and also noticed the two ghost kings had stopped. Qi Yue quickly shouted, “Be careful!”

Upon hearing this, Ye Luo Baihua also turned his head quickly. As Qi Yue shouted, the two of them didn’t have time to think further. They drew their weapons and blocked the attacks of the two ghost kings at the fastest speed possible. With several crisp sounds of weapons colliding, Qi Yue and Ye Luo Baihua each blocked one of the ghost kings’ attacks for Yu Chenxing. Seeing this, Yu Chenxing quickly regained his composure and said, “Thank you.”

He didn’t stop moving just because he spoke. The moment the two ghost kings’ attacks were blocked, Yu Chenxing used the special skill of the “Four-Winged Dragon Beast” to concentrate two fist-sized fireballs and fired them at the two ghost kings respectively.

Although this fire was a special skill of the ‘Quadriflying Dragon Beast,’ Yu Chenxing’s cultivation level wasn’t very high. The strength of his vital energy not only determined the power of the attacks but also their speed. Though the fireballs seemed formidable, they weren’t fast enough. By the time they reached the two Ghost Kings, they were already deflected by their weapons and sent in another direction. With two loud “bangs,” the two fireballs were blocked and sent elsewhere—one hit the surrounding trees, turning dozens of them into ashes in an instant, while the other was deflected into the sky. With a whoosh, it rushed into the white clouds, causing them to spread out as if making way for it. A beam of sunlight then shone through, and the clouds quickly reformed. At that moment, July and Ye Luobaihua were already fighting against the Death Gods and Guardians. Four figures moved swiftly through the forest, stirring up dust and noise, with the sound of weapons clashing constantly reaching Yu Chenxing’s ears. Although July and Ye Luobaihua knew that continuing this way would slow them down due to the depletion of their vital energy, eventually leading to their death at the hands of the two Ghost Kings, they had no other choice. If they didn’t resist, they would die at the hands of the Ghost Kings. Watching the battle, Yu Chenxing thought to himself, “What should I do? What on earth can I do? This isn’t fair at all. The two Ghost Kings can’t die no matter how many blows they take, while July and the others will only get more and more exhausted. Even if they’re not killed by the Ghost Kings, they’ll die from exhaustion. I must find a way! Come on, Little Sister Xing, where’s your intelligence?” Knowing that charging in now would be useless, Yu Chenxing decided to use the time while July and Ye Luobaihua could still hold on to think more carefully from outside the battle zone. But his usual cleverness seemed to have vanished suddenly. The self-proclaimed smart person now felt completely blank, and Yu Chenxing stamped his feet in frustration. Finally, he calmed down and said to himself, “Little Sister Xing, don’t panic. Never panic. Once you panic, all ideas disappear. Think slowly. Ghosts don’t come out during the day because they fear sunlight. It’s daytime now—why can they come out? Is it because there’s no sunlight? But why is there no sunlight? Because the sky is covered by strange clouds…” Suddenly, a flash of light appeared in Yu Chenxing’s mind. Looking up at the sky, he remembered the fireballs breaking through the clouds earlier and exclaimed happily, “I’ve got it! They fear sunlight. If I can bring out the sunlight, they’re doomed.” As he thought this, he slowly stepped back. Before he could do anything, he had to ask July and Ye Luobaihua to hold on a little longer. If he disturbed the two Ghost Kings, he might be knocked down even before he could focus the flames.

As the four figures flashed rapidly, Yu Chenxing slowly retreated, thinking that the distance was far enough to avoid attracting the attention of the two Ghost Kings for now. Finally, Yu Chenxing took action—she slowly raised her arms upward, and her two pairs of black wings gradually unfolded. As the wings flapped, her body slowly rose into the air.

Eventually, Yu Chenxing stopped beneath the clouds. It wasn’t that she wanted to stop; rather, the clouds seemed like a tangible barrier that prevented her from ascending even a little. The others had already found those clouds strange at first, but Yu Chenxing didn’t have time to worry about it. If these were ordinary clouds, they would have been pierced by sunlight long ago. It seemed she could use this place to gather a massive fireball.

Yu Chenxing clasped her hands together, raised them above her head, and slowly transformed her vital energy into the flames of a dragon beast, gathering them within her palms. As the flames in her palms grew larger, she slowly separated her hands. The fireball evolved from the size of a fist to half the size of Yu Chenxing’s body. As her vital energy continued to condense, the fireball grew even larger. Yu Chenxing’s body slowly bent backward to give more space for the fireball to form. By now, her body was bent backward, with her arms stretched out to the sides. In the center, a huge fireball had already surpassed the size of her body.

As the fireball grew larger, the surrounding clouds gradually dispersed, as if afraid of it, always keeping a distance. However, things weren’t as simple as Yu Chenxing had imagined. The clouds higher up didn’t disperse at all. Watching the battle below, Yu Chenxing saw that July and Ye Luobaihua had slowed down. Although the strength of vital energy was crucial, their physical conditions also limited their endurance.

Yu Chenxing exclaimed anxiously, “What should I do? Even if the fireball is big, I can’t disperse the clouds above. If only I could shoot this fireball into the clouds…” Suddenly, she had a bold idea. If, at the moment the fireball was launched into the sky, sunlight could be directed down upon it, and if the two Ghost Kings happened to be in that sunlight at the same time, wouldn’t that be the perfect chance to kill them? With the plan decided, it was all down to luck.

Yu Chenxing’s vital energy seemed to have reached its limit. The fireball had already dispersed the surrounding clouds. She now focused on the situation below, waiting for the two Ghost Kings to get close before firing the fireball. But soon, a problem arose—she realized her vital energy wasn’t strong enough to launch the fireball. Moreover, even if she could, she didn’t know what time it was or from which direction the sunlight would come. If she failed this time, she wouldn’t have another chance to gather the flames.

After thinking for a long time, Yu Chenxing had only one last option—hoping to deceive the two Ghost Kings. Finally, she shouted down at them, “Sister July, Sister Baihua, lend me some strength! I can’t launch this fireball. I’m going to crush these two old deserts!” After saying that, she winked at them, as if implying something else.

But at this moment, July and Ye Luobaihua were in battle, making it difficult to see clearly. July asked Ye Luobaihua while fighting, “Is she too smart? She knows clearly that ghosts can’t be killed. She used a fireball just now—could a bigger fireball really burn a ghost to death?”
While parrying attacks, Ye Luobaihua found time to look up at Yu Chenxing floating in the sky. Under the huge fireball, Yu Chenxing’s small face was illuminated red by the heat. The depletion of her vital energy caused sweat to stream down her face, and a few strands of her hair had already turned wet, yet her eyes showed determination.
Continuing to defend herself, Ye Luobaihua said to July, “She’s not stupid. She must have her own reasons for doing what she does. If we keep going like this, death is the only outcome. Why not go help her and see if that fireball really works?”
July and Death God got closer and closer to Ye Luobaihua as they fought. Hearing her words, July replied, “But fire is useless against them. If we give her our vital energy, we’ll just die at the hands of those two old ghosts sooner.”
While fighting, Ye Luobaihua said, “We can’t worry about that now. The outcome is the same anyway. Why not trust her once? What we can think of, she can surely think of too. Besides… what’s meant to happen will happen. If our fate is to die here, we can’t escape it. But having met July, Baihua has no regrets. Having a true friend in this life is enough.” Although they hadn’t spent much time together, the sense of shared fate made Ye Luobaihua feel as if she had met a true friend.
July suddenly smiled and said, “Maybe you’re right. After all, Sister Xing probably doesn’t hate us that much as to push us to our deaths. It’s enough to have met Sister Baihua. If our fates are meant to end here, we can’t force it.” With that, July made a gesture and said, “Let’s go.”
Hearing July’s words, Ye Luobaihua nodded gently. The two of them quickly retreated, leaving the battlefield in just one round and arriving below Yu Chenxing. July nodded at Ye Luobaihua, signaling that she would follow Yu Chenxing’s advice. The two dashed forward toward Yu Chenxing, quickly gathering vital energy in their right hands as they flew.
But Death God and the Guardian weren’t willing to let them go. Hidden under their tightly wrapped cloaks, the two ghosts nodded at each other, moved swiftly, and soared after July and Ye Luobaihua in the air. By then, July and Ye Luobaihua had concentrated all their vital energy in their right hands, still in mid-air, with the two ghost kings closely following. Seeing this, July said, “It seems that if Sister Xing’s fireball doesn’t work on those two old ghosts, we’ll die at their hands.”
Ye Luobaihua didn’t speak. She just watched as the distance between them shrank rapidly. At that moment, Yu Chenxing’s voice came from above, saying, “You two talkative women! I heard everything you said down there. Let me see how I deal with you after finishing off these two old ghosts. You don’t trust me at all, not treating me as a sister. You two talk so casually, it’s nonsense.”

With two loud bangs, July and Ye Luobaihua didn’t wait for Yu Chenxing to respond. They sent the condensed true energy from their hands beneath Yu Chenxing’s feet. The moment it made contact, the weapons of the two Ghost Kings were already just ten feet away from them. July and Ye Luobaihua both knew that even if Yu Chenxing fired a fireball now, they would still die—because the distance was too short. To hit the two Ghost Kings, the fireball would have to pass through their bodies.

Yet it seemed Yu Chenxing had guessed their thoughts. The moment the fireball was shot into the clouds, she quickly twisted in midair. The two who had been holding her feet were instead pulled into her arms as she turned. One pair of wings continued to flutter, while the other wrapped the three of them tightly. At the instant when Death and the Guardian were just three feet apart, the sky split open, and white light shone down…

Yu Chenxing looked at July and Ye Luobaihua on either side and snapped, “I treated you as sisters, but you didn’t trust me. Am I so stupid as to use a fireball to kill them? I used the fireball to clear the clouds so sunlight could shine down. And look—had I not prepared to die with all three of us? If I can’t even save you two, my future husband will be furious. Better to die with you than let him get angry.” With that, she looked down.

Though Yu Chenxing spoke in a chaotic manner, it made July and Ye Luobaihua see this girl from the Lan family in a new light. Though she appeared cold and cruel, she had truly done her best to help them. She was similar to the people of the Lan family, yet fundamentally different. But… why?

Just as the two had this thought, the two Ghost Kings suddenly stopped ascending. They had been three feet away enough to slay the three women, but those three feet became their end—a boundary they could never cross. The white sunlight pierced through their ethereal bodies like a sharp divine sword, and like flames, it burned and evaporated their souls. In that light, they screamed in agony as their bodies shattered into pieces before disappearing into the air…