Chapter 131: The Body-Freezing Curse Shows Its Power

"So, there’s indeed a conspiracy."

Lu Zheng paused, then turned to look at Ye Lan King, "The key point is, he doesn’t seem all that powerful?"

The mist on Ye Lan King’s face quivered, wisps drifting away, while new mist was generated out of thin air.

"Is that so?"

"Buzz!"

Lu Zheng suddenly felt a blur before his eyes, and immediately illusions blossomed.

The sky was dark like dusk, mountains towered high, with jagged rocks resembling blades and prisons.

In the forest between the mountains, evil ghosts rampaged, some with red eyes and eagle beaks, others with emaciated bodies and sharp claws.

"Illusion Technique!"

Lu Zheng swiftly reacted, swinging the peach wood sword in his hand as the Exorcism Curse gathered once more, the blue light shooting out.

Meanwhile, he circulated True Qi to his eyes, using the Illusion Technique he learned as a reference, "Break!"

"Buzz!"

With a flicker in his gaze, Lu Zheng found himself back in Taohua Village again.

Two feet ahead, peach blossoms fluttered, Shen Ying was blocking Ye Lan King with Peach Blossom Evil.

A veil of pink peach blossom illusion, and a strand of pitch-black Nether smoke.

Lu Zheng scoffed coldly, brandishing his sword forward, the peach wood sword moving swiftly, shoot out streaks of White Cloud Sword Qi, piercing towards Ye Lan King.

"Hmm?"

The speed at which Lu Zheng escaped from the Illusion Technique was clearly beyond Ye Lan King’s expectations, and Shen Ying’s injuries were obviously lighter than anticipated.

So...

Peach shadows flew, sword qi intertwined, for a moment, Ye Lan King couldn’t gain the upper hand.

Shen Ying’s eyes flickered, even though Ye Lan King’s strength was formidable, he didn’t seem to reach the level of overpowering herself and Lu Zheng?

That’s not right, a year ago when Ye Lan King entered the mortal world, she saw him battle Xin Zhanting, much stronger than now.

Unless...

Just as Lu Zheng speculated, to avoid Xin Zhanting’s detection, he had to pay some price?

Ye Lan King’s figure was like mist, floating unpredictably, while Lu Zheng moved continuously around the courtyard, his figure never still.

He fought while calculating the power comparison between Ye Lan King and himself.

Back when teaming up with Duan Changzai from the Anomaly Suppression Bureau against the Scorpion Demon, he had about thirty years of Dao practice.

Later, continuously cultivating, gaining two hundred points of Light of Fortune and Incense from Shen Ying, his cultivation skyrocketed in the peaceful months, able to overcome one-on-one when facing those three ghost subordinates of Ye Lan King.

Of course, mainly relying on ambush, Daoist techniques, and weapons, but purely discussing cultivation, the gap was no longer significant, probably eighty to ninety years of Dao practice.

Now, after a month, using up dozens of points of Light of Fortune, based on previous consumption comparison, he surely had no problem reaching a hundred years of Dao practice.

Goodness, without calculating it I wouldn’t know, once calculated it’s shocking, he could be considered a master with a hundred years of Dao practice, the Jade Seal was indeed powerful!

Shen Ying was naturally even more formidable, about as strong as Duan Changzai back then, later elevating rapidly with assistance from the Taohua Temple, able to stand against three hundred-year-old ghosts, improving her cultivation by at least fifty percent.

Calculating it like this, Ye Lan King managing a back-and-forth battle with them while barely taking the upper hand suggested only a bit over two hundred years of Dao practice strength.

For a Ghost King of such standing, is this his strength?

Give himself another year, he might be able to obliterate him in seconds!

Never mind himself, Shen Ying’s growth speed alone, if Ye Lan King returns next year, he might not even leave Taohua Village.

Just as he thought of this, Lu Zheng lifted his gaze, meeting Ye Lan King’s stare.

Through the misty fog, Lu Zheng seemed to see a pair of eyes black as abyss.

I’m so happy!

I’m so joyful!

Why is this world so beautiful!

Eh, what the heck?

Lu Zheng instinctively shuddered, his whole body’s True Qi turning, his hand performed a spell, instantly snapping him back to clarity.

This time, Ye Lan King saw clearly, frowning and asking, "Where did White Cloud Temple get the Illusion Technique inheritance?"

Drat, the difference in Dao practice is a hundred years, truly overwhelming, if not for his Illusion Technique inheritance being much more advanced than Ye Lan King’s, he wouldn’t have been able to wake from his Illusion Technique.

Lu Zheng dared not look directly at Ye Lan King’s face anymore, merely circulating True Qi, flying around Ye Lan King stabbing attacks, while the Exorcism Curse in his hand never ceased, fitting them in between Peach Blossom Evil’s gaps one by one.

...

After another moment of fighting, besides black smoke and Illusion Technique, Ye Lan King had no other means, actually unable to handle the two of them.

But, is it really like this?

Ye Lan King suddenly snorted coldly, his figure abruptly turned, then blurred, instantly passing through a veil of Peach Blossom Evil, appearing before Lu Zheng.

Black mist condensing into a sword, flickering with eerie black light, stabbing straight towards Lu Zheng’s chest.

"Lu Lang!" Shen Ying exclaimed in surprise, the Peach Blossom Evil hovering around Lu Zheng immediately converged in front of him.

Lu Zheng’s gaze tightened, one hand striking out the Exorcism Curse, the other following up with the peach wood sword.

And then, the scene seemed to slow down into slow motion.

Ye Lan King’s strike was clearly premeditated, long prepared, that black sword shattered countless Peach Blossom Evil, flicked away the Exorcism Curse, evaded the peach wood sword, and pierced the Golden Light Curse.

In a blink, the sword tip was an inch from Lu Zheng’s chest.

Lu Zheng could even see the wicked smile appearing on Ye Lan King’s ghostly face hidden in the mist.

"Die!"

"Lu Lang!" Shen Ying’s flowery face turned pale, and she rushed forward.

At this moment, an ordinary person would definitely be doomed.

Of course, Lu Zheng wouldn’t be. With just a thought, he could return to the modern world, making Ye Lan King stab into empty air. He had already thought of a name for this spell: the Great Void Flash Technique, or the Supreme Profound Infinite Void Escape Technique.

Of course, this was his secret life-saving technique, and it was better not to use it if possible.

So...

Lu Zheng had another spell, which he had practiced for several months and finally reached a stage where the Light of Fortune could enhance it. He had consumed fifty strands in one breath a few days ago, finally mastering it.

"Supreme Infinite, Sanqing Decree, Freeze!"

"Ga?"

Ye Lan King’s figure suddenly froze in mid-air.

"Body-Freezing Curse!" Ye Lan King was both astonished and furious, the mist in front of him trembled violently.

Lu Zheng’s cultivation was limited, and the range of the Body-Freezing Curse wasn’t far. If Ye Lan King had kept his distance, it wouldn’t have mattered, but since he approached so closely and didn’t defend himself, Lu Zheng couldn’t help being unkind.

The next moment, the Peach Blossom Evil that surged from all directions engulfed Ye Lan King.

"Ah!"

Ye Lan King let out a harsh cry, bursting out from the endless ocean of peach blossoms, though the black mist around him had noticeably dimmed.

"Body-Freezing Curse!" Ye Lan King’s voice lost its clarity, turning somewhat gritted.

"I just learned it not long ago; you’re my first guest. If there’s any inadequacy in my hospitality, I beg your pardon," Lu Zheng said with a smile.

Shen Ying burst into laughter, her form floating as she joined Lu Zheng.

"Lu Lang~"

She had been terrified before, and now she only wanted to stand with Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng reached out and held Shen Ying’s hand, and the two of them approached together. Shen Ying waved her sleeve, sending out countless peach blossom illusions, while Lu Zheng twirled out seven sword flowers, with streams of White Cloud Sword Qi thrusting out.

...

"Hmph!"

Ye Lan King snorted coldly, not wishing to tangle with them, so he lifted his right hand, causing the land in the front yard of Taohua Village to surge and tremble, as if something was about to break through the soil.

Shen Ying exclaimed, "Nether Heart!"

Ye Lan King looked coldly at Shen Ying and Lu Zheng, "Consider yourself lucky this time. I spare your lives, but if you dare challenge the might of Yelan Mountain God again, I will bring my true form here to obliterate you."

The next moment, a seemingly illusory heart broke through the soil, though wrapped with various thick and thin peach tree roots.

The roots were lodged in the heart, vying for control of the Nether Heart with Ye Lan King.

Ye Lan King made a summoning gesture, yet didn’t immediately take it away.

"Hmm?"

Shen Ying spoke coldly, "So it’s the Split Soul Incarnation technique, with only half the strength. No wonder.

If you had come in your true form, perhaps I wouldn’t have been able to handle you, but you came with just a split soul incarnation, and it’s too careless of you.

Leaving as you wish, scheming against this palace, you won’t find it that easy, especially since you want to take the Nether Heart?"

"Peach Blossom Array! Activate!"

In an instant, countless roots burst out from the soil, quickly growing into peach trees.

In almost a breath, the peach trees formed, the peach blossoms bloomed, the Peach Blossom Miasma surrounded the village, and the Peach Blossom Evil’s pink shadows flew around.

Shen Ying stored all the Incense and Candle Qi she couldn’t absorb in the old peach tree, which now unleashed its power, terrifyingly so.

The black mist in front of Ye Lan King trembled, and with a flicker, he rushed towards the Nether Heart.

Shen Ying waved her sleeve, and nearly a hundred peach trees in the village started swaying, countless Peach Blossom Miasma and Peach Blossom Evil soared, filling the void.

Lu Zheng’s steps followed the pattern of Stepping on Gang and Dou, the Peach Wood Sword was as steady as the Stabilizing Sea God Needle, each strike precise, the white cloud qi as a sword, with higher attack power than Peach Blossom Evil, guarding the side of the Nether Heart, preventing Ye Lan King from approaching.

Having been hit by a Body-Freezing Curse once, Ye Lan King was a bit wary of Lu Zheng, not daring to get too close, casting spells to contest for the Nether Heart with Shen Ying while engaging both in magical combat.

Seeing that he couldn’t scheme against Shen Ying, nor kill Lu Zheng, and unable to achieve his initial goal, Ye Lan King finally grew angry.

The black mist around him thickened, his aura began to surge.

"What’s happening?"

"Communicating with his Divine Soul to the Netherworld; he’s summoning the other half of his power from his true form."

Shen Ying frowned, "Even if his true form was here, he couldn’t defeat us, but it seems we won’t be able to keep the Nether Heart."

"Hmm?" Shen Ying suddenly froze, her expression changed, eyes filled with hesitation.

"What happened?"

Lu Zheng had just asked this question when he saw Ye Lan King’s figure, which was in the process of ascending in aura, suddenly pause, then without stopping, was about to fly away.

"What happened?"

The next moment, Shen Ying’s expression lifted. The peach trees shook, and countless Peach Blossom Evil gathered, blocking Ye Lan King’s escape route.

Meanwhile, a dazzling blade light shone from outside the village, transforming into a gray-white tiger illusion, chasing after Ye Lan King.

Ye Lan King’s figure turned into mist, extinguishing the tiger blade light, but his body paused, again surrounded by Peach Blossom Evil.

"Ye Lan old ghost, since you came to the mortal world, don’t rush to leave. We haven’t seen each other in ages, let’s get a bit closer!"

"Brother Xin!"

"Hehe, unfortunately, it was too rough, and he detected it." With a sigh, Xin Zhanting’s figure appeared on the northern wall.