And on the outer fringes, standing amid the densely packed Phantom Ant Gu, were the silhouettes of countless Ghost Beasts — truly an army on the scale of hundreds of thousands. What was even more terrifying was that their auras fused together into a single overwhelming presence, like a range of majestic mountains. They might as well have been immovable; once they stirred, the impact would shatter stone and startle the heavens, like a tsunami crashing over the land, bringing mountains down and tearing the earth apart.
Not only was the sheer number of Ghost Beasts shocking, but among them lurked ancient-era and primordial-era specimens. The Gu Immortals also detected the auras of many wild Immortal Gu mixed in.
"There are at least five primordial-era Ghost Beasts!"
"Just escaped the Black Lantern, and now we've got an army of Ghost Beasts on top of it?"
The three Eighth Transformation Gu Immortals communicated in secret.
The way things were developing made all three of them deeply uneasy. This kind of luck was far too terrible — it reeked of something sinister and unnatural.
Ling Weiyang spoke in a low voice: "It seems that from here on, we'll have to plan for the worst-case scenario."
"Despicable!" Bi Chentian clenched both fists. "Ever since Fate Gu was destroyed by Demon Venerable Red Lotus, the Gate of Life and Death's ability to absorb souls has dropped countless times over. Many powerful souls were left behind in the world. After Demon Venerable Spectral Soul achieved his Dao, the great era brought about a transformation of heaven and earth, giving rise to the Ghost Beast species. Many souls even transformed directly into Ghost Beasts. Now, in the Primordial Black Heaven, Ghost Beasts are the most numerous — throwing the cosmic order into chaos. When will we set things right and restore clarity to heaven and earth?"
"Soon!" said Wan Hailiuliu. "After the great battle at Yitian Mountain, nearly all the immortal zombies in heaven and earth perished. They were all damned beings who had escaped Fate, and now they're dead. This has reduced the resistance to refining Fate Gu countless times over. With Granny Sha overseeing the process, even without the successful Dao marks from the Undefeated Blessed Land, great progress can still be made."
Ling Weiyang shook his head: "Careful — the Ghost Beast army is closing in. The most pressing matter is how to shake them off!"
Wan Hailiuliu let out a sigh: "The best method would still be Demon Venerable Thieving Heaven's defensive killer move — the one on par with Heaven Unknowing — called Ghost Unaware. It's said that any Gu Immortal who possesses this Immortal Killer Move becomes completely undetectable to Ghost Beasts. But for now, I'll have to use my Dragon Stream Escape."
"The problem is, this time I not only have to carry myself, but also three Immortal Gu Houses and numerous Gu Immortals. After executing this move, I won't be able to act again for the next three days."
The three immortals discussed the matter and ultimately agreed to Wan Hailiuliu's proposal.
A dragon's roar rang out!
Countless pale phantom images of flying dragons materialized out of thin air, enveloping the three Immortal Gu Houses.
The pale dragon shadows converged into a long river. Innumerable dragons of light surged forward in a vast torrent, carrying the three Immortal Gu Houses with an unstoppable momentum.
The Ghost Beast army roared, forming layer upon layer of obstruction.
But the Dragon Stream Escape was magnificent in its bearing, surging and turbulent. The Ghost Beast army was forcibly blasted apart, carving out a breach that allowed the three Immortal Gu Houses to successfully withdraw from danger.
The Ghost Beasts moved with remarkable speed. The army did not give up but gave chase from behind.
Wan Hailiuliu didn't dare dismiss his Immortal Killer Move, "Dragon Stream Escape," too soon. He could only grit his teeth and force himself to hold on.
The two sides chased each other for over three hours before the Ghost Beast army finally gave up, their attention drawn away by a flock of Black Venomous Snakes.
"I can't go on! This time, I'll need at least seven days of rest before I can act again. From here on, it's up to you two." Wan Hailiuliu's face was ashen, completely drained of blood. His once-bright eyes were now filled with bloodshot veins, giving him a withered, exhausted appearance.
After dismissing the Dragon Stream Escape killer move, Wan Hailiuliu nearly collapsed backward and sank into a deep sleep.
His eyes were closed tight, and he began to snore.
His snoring was peculiar — if you listened closely, it sounded like the roar of a dragon.
As he slept deeply, a thick fog formed around his body.
Within the fog, cocoons began to form. After an hour, the cocoon grew thicker and thicker, gradually transforming into a pale white dragon egg.
"We've shaken off those Ghost Beasts."
"That was truly a close call!"
"That killer move just now — it must have been the work of the great Eighth Transformation power Wan Hailiuliu. The sheer grandeur of it was simply breathtaking."
Cheers and exclamations of admiration echoed from within the three Immortal Gu Houses.
But Bi Chentian and Ling Weiyang wore grave expressions.
Wan Hailiuliu had already fallen into deep slumber. Of their three Eighth Transformation combatants, one was now lost, and they still had nearly half their journey remaining.