Ling Tian Sword God

Chapter 657: Chapter 655 Shade Ghost_1

Ling Chen possessed the Invincible Sword Intent, rendering him impervious to all evils. Although these skeletons were ominous, their strength was not exceptionally high; they were merely at the level of top-tier Grand Masters and posed no threat to the current Ling Chen.

No wonder it’s said that those below the Sky Apex Realm will undoubtedly die if they enter, Ling Chen thought, his expression turning grave. If one’s power doesn’t reach the Sky Apex Realm, they can’t even pass this initial trial.

If I didn’t have the Invincible Sword Intent, those skeletons would have torn me to pieces.

Glancing at the shattered bones on the ground, Ling Chen did not linger. Instead, he suddenly accelerated, storming deeper into the Demon-Burying Cave.

At that moment, in the very spot where Ling Chen had just stood, the shattered bones began to reassemble at a visible rate. In the blink of an eye, they fully reformed into complete skeletons.

This eerie scene was identical to when Ling Chen had first arrived.

However, Ling Chen was no longer there to witness it. He had already delved thousands of meters deeper, arriving in a particularly spacious subterranean chamber.

In the center of this chamber gaped an incredibly large crevice, from which black mist billowed, thick and heavy, accompanied by the roar of an icy wind.

When he extended his Mental Power, it was largely devoured by an invisible force, as if numerous terrifying monsters within the black mist consumed everything completely.

Ling Chen raised his right hand, unleashing his Invincible Sword Intent. It traced a perfect arc through the air before plunging into the crevice.

CRACKLE!

Countless electrical sparks erupted, their dazzling light lingering for a long moment.

WHOOSH!

Seeing no immediate danger, Ling Chen’s figure flashed and shot into the crevice. Instantly, the rolling black mist once again concealed the entrance.

Standing on the uneven, hard rock, Ling Chen could feel a chilling current infiltrating his body through the soles of his feet. In this chilling aura, ordinary martial artists would easily fall ill and experience hallucinations. Even robust warriors, full of vitality and courage, would gradually succumb to fear.

Possessing the Invincible Sword Intent, Ling Chen was impervious to all evils. As soon as this chilling aura invaded his body, it was utterly shattered and annihilated.

The subterranean crevice sloped downwards. Ling Chen followed its angle, sliding down while occasionally swatting his hand to break off sharp rocks protruding from above.

”Demon-Slaying Crystal!”

His eyes caught a silver-black crystalline ore on a rock wall. It was the legendary treasure of the Demon Way, an Energy Crystal Stone that could only form in places of extreme Yin and evil.

This Demon-Slaying Crystal was highly effective for enhancing willpower and refining Sword Intent.

With a beckoning gesture, the Demon-Slaying Crystal detached from the rock wall and landed in Ling Chen’s hand.

A wave of cold, eerie energy immediately pulsed from his palm, causing his True Qi to become chaotic, threatening to drive him into a frenzied state.

Such potent demonic power, Ling Chen thought, taken aback. The energy within this Demon-Slaying Crystal was extremely dense. If a Demon Martial Artist were to absorb its rich demonic energy, their understanding of the Demon Way would undoubtedly deepen, greatly benefiting their Cultivation.

The Demon-Slaying Crystal immediately brought Xia Yunxin to Ling Chen’s mind. This item will definitely be able to help her, he thought.

Continuing his descent, Ling Chen collected over a dozen more Demon-Slaying Crystals. To his surprise, these crystals, exceedingly rare in the outside world, seemed relatively common here.

After an hour of such intermittent progress, Ling Chen finally reached the bottom of the crevice. He halted before a river of unknown depth. The river water also emanated a strange aura. Even when he extended his Mental Power into it, the water absorbed it. The deeper his Mental Power probed, the more was absorbed; beyond ten meters, he could sense nothing.

It was unclear where this subterranean river led. It flowed on and on into the distance, seemingly connected to Hell itself, creating a profoundly oppressive atmosphere.

”AHH!”

Suddenly, an utterly terrified scream echoed from afar, like a Fierce Ghost howling or a Specter causing mischief. In this sinister environment, it was enough to frighten any ordinary person witless, or even to death.

Ling Chen frowned. After a moment’s thought, he decided to investigate.

Just then, a strange snake with a protuberance on its head sprang from the water. It opened its mouth, and foul, poisonous gas shot out like an arrow, aiming directly at Ling Chen’s face.

Without even looking, Ling Chen flicked out a finger, striking at the strange snake’s vital spot.

SQUELCH!

His finger pierced straight into the snake’s flesh, impaling its body and sending it tumbling into the river, its fate unknown.

WHOOSH... WHOOSH... WHOOSH...

At that moment, a chilling gale suddenly blasted towards him. The icy wind was so strong Ling Chen could barely keep his eyes open. Squinting, he glimpsed a blurry black silhouette in the distance. The figure’s face was indistinct and sinister; a mere glance at it made his scalp tingle.

The black silhouette made no sound as it moved. The moment Ling Chen glimpsed it, it was already gliding towards him with unnatural speed, pouncing directly at him.

”Watch out! That’s a Shade Ghost! It’s an Evil Spirit capable of controlling minds and stealing souls!”

As the black figure charged, the Human Emperor’s voice suddenly resonated in Ling Chen’s mind.

Hearing this, Ling Chen’s expression changed drastically. In that instant, with no time to draw his sword, two beams of sword qi-like light suddenly shot from Ling Chen’s eyes. A terrifyingly powerful Sword Intent erupted from him, containing boundless Slaughter and Destruction aura. Assailed by this force, the blurry black figure abruptly halted before Ling Chen, held back by the Sword Intent, unable to approach him by even half a step.

With a CLANK, the Thunder Shadow Sword was unsheathed in a flash, tearing through the Void and striking the Shade Ghost.

CRACK! With a single slash, Ling Chen’s sword bisected the Shade Ghost. Its divided body immediately collapsed and, with a terrifyingly shrill shriek, dissolved into a cloud of black mist.

So, specters truly exist in this world?

Having dispatched the ambushing Shade Ghost, the serious expression on Ling Chen’s face did not lessen. The encounter with the Shade Ghost had shaken him considerably. He had never believed in supernatural occurrences, thinking that life was simply a cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, after which one returned to dust and dispersed into the world. Matters of ghosts and spirits, he had always considered pure fabrications.

However, what he had just witnessed forced him to believe.

”Young man, there’s no need to be so shocked,” the Human Emperor’s voice came again. ”This Shade Ghost is merely an evil entity nurtured in such places of extreme Yin and malevolence. The Demon-Burying Cave’s unique and potent sinister Qi absorbed the lingering resentment of those who perished within it, thereby giving rise to these Shade Ghosts.”

The dangers here are endless and difficult to guard against, Ling Chen thought. I must find the Longevity Fruit as quickly as possible.

He had encountered too many strange things along this path. Even he, in these circumstances, dared not linger any longer. He had to obtain the Longevity Fruit, complete his objective, and then immediately leave this accursed place.

With this resolve, Ling Chen suddenly increased his speed, surging towards the deepest part of the Demon-Burying Cave.