"Laughing?"
"Young friend Chu Feng, I'm afraid you misheard. Those were clearly wails and screams of agony," an elder of the Tantai Clan remarked.
Boom—
But the moment his words fell, the earth shook violently, and an ear-splitting scream rang out, even louder than before.
In the next instant, countless screams and wails erupted across the entire Tantai Clan.
Though they had been prepared, the roar unleashed by the Black-Haired Ghost still swept through the whole of the Tantai Clan. Those who had failed to make it into the protective formations in time suffered grievously — those with weaker cultivation bled from every orifice, some were knocked unconscious, and the worst-hit were killed outright, their bodies exploding on the spot.
"This thing is fighting back."
At that moment, the elders of the Tantai Clan realized they had underestimated the power of the Black-Haired Ghost.
Hum—
But just then, the runes upon the Demon Subduing Grand Formation surged like an army of thousands into the pillar of light that lanced straight downward.
Under this onslaught, the Black-Haired Ghost's shrieks grew fainter and fainter, until they vanished entirely.
"We've got it. Young friend Chu Feng, it seems you really did mishear." The Tantai Clan elder cast a look at Chu Feng thick with mockery.
But Chu Feng had not misheard. To him, that sound truly resembled laughter more than anything.
Still, the Demon Subduing Grand Formation had indeed succeeded in capturing the Black-Haired Ghost.
For once the entity was suppressed, the formation that had sealed off the entire Tantai Clan began to recede. Yet the formation had not stopped operating — instead, it transported the Black-Haired Ghost directly in front of Chu Feng and the others.
When the Black-Haired Ghost arrived at this spot, the massive token hovering above the formation's core transformed into a barrier rope, binding the creature tight.
And Chu Feng and the others were finally able to lay eyes upon the true face of this entity from ten thousand years past.
Its form was vaguely humanoid, but it was towering — over fifty meters tall.
However, every inch of its body was covered in black hair, identical to the strands Chu Feng and the others had discovered earlier.
So, strictly speaking, it was not a giant. It was a colossal monster.
Though the Black-Haired Ghost had been restrained, its killing intent surged like a tide and its demeanor was ruthlessly sinister, as though it were an evil amalgamation brimming with nothing but resentment.
Because of this, even the Tantai Clan elders instinctively recoiled at the sight of it, retreating to the gates of the chamber housing the formation's core, practically trying to squeeze through the doors themselves.
Wuming Xingyun, on the other hand, studied the Black-Haired Ghost with a serious, appraising gaze.
Chu Feng was bolder still. He stepped forward a few paces and released his barrier power, forming a projection of Bai Liluo's appearance.
"Have you encountered this girl?" Chu Feng asked, pointing at the image of Bai Liluo.
But the Black-Haired Ghost did not speak. It merely emitted that deep, guttural sound.
Chu Feng's brow furrowed slightly. He did not know how to proceed.
He could sense that this creature's power was extraordinary — far beyond anything he could handle.
Force would be absolutely useless. If not through force, then what?
Could he harness the power of the formation?
Rumble—
A heavy, resonant sound echoed as the great doors of the formation's core chamber swung open behind them. The Tantai Clan Chief and the Supreme Elder of the Tantai Clan emerged.
"Clan Chief, please kill this demon at once! Avenge our ancestors!"
Upon seeing the Tantai Clan Chief, the elders began clamoring.
They were desperate to be rid of the Black-Haired Ghost, but rather than a desire to avenge their fallen kin, it was fear that truly drove them — fear of the Black-Haired Ghost itself, and a desperate wish to eliminate the threat immediately.
"The whereabouts of that girl Bai Liluo remain unknown. Until this matter has been fully investigated, we cannot kill it," the Tantai Clan Chief said.