Chapter 1033: Chapter 1032: Family Visit or Treasure Hunt
"Scholar! You mustn’t push people too far!" The Evil Ghost shouted fiercely.
"I’m pushing people too far?" Lu Zheng was momentarily speechless.
"I’m ready to leave, what more do you want?" Seeing Lu Zheng blocking the way, the Evil Ghost changed direction, darting out once again, evading Lu Zheng’s spell-casting grip.
"Quite agile?"
Lu Zheng leaped, once more pursuing the Evil Ghost, blocking the path while casting spells.
However, being underground, except for a few techniques from the "Taiyue Divine Mountain Painting," Lu Zheng couldn’t employ any other cultivation techniques. In addition, the ghost knew the Earth Travel Technique and slipped through the soil like a fish, making it exceedingly difficult for Lu Zheng to catch him.
As the two engaged in their chase and escape, they strayed far off, seemingly leaving the region above Jingshan Collection.
The Evil Ghost found an opportune gap, executed a feint, and escaped Lu Zheng’s encirclement, almost finding freedom.
"Oh?"
Lu Zheng was stunned. This ghost, with merely a few hundred years of Dao practice, managed to tangle with him using Earth Travel Technique for so long, and might even escape!
This was uncannily similar to his own past exploits with Earth Travel Technique, but now, the roles had reversed.
So, what means did he have to halt him?
Lu Zheng rapidly searched his mind, pondering how to counter Earth Travel... Eh?
"Seeing this ghost, I know so much, yet I momentarily forgot this technique!" Lu Zheng couldn’t help but smack his forehead before pinching a Seal Technique with his fingers and pointing forward.
"Earth-to-Steel!"
In the next moment, the spot Lu Zheng pointed at transformed the rocks and earth into solid steel!
"What!"
The Evil Ghost was startled, his Earth Travel Technique rendered useless, his body was forced upwards, and within merely a breath’s time, he surged out from underground.
Lu Zheng followed, flying out, as he watched the ghost leap over a hundred yards, choosing a seemingly soft muddy terrain and attempted to dive underground.
"Thud!"
A dull sound echoed as the ghost rebounded, flipped over, and collapsed, dazed and seated on the ground. After straining his legs twice, he couldn’t get up, then looked up to see an enormous White Cloud Great Hand Seal descending directly toward him.
The Evil Ghost’s pupils contracted, he opened his mouth and spewed out a dark green bead, which transformed into a beam of light, shooting straight at the Great Hand Seal.
"Puff!"
A soft sound, the White Cloud Great Hand Seal was pierced, ghost qi invaded, and within a breath, the white cloud was burnt away.
"Hmm?"
Lu Zheng’s eyes flashed. This bizarre scene made him hesitant to directly intercept the bead. He retreated, reached out to take the White Cloud Banner, unfurled it, enveloping the surrounding area within hundreds of yards in drifting white clouds.
White clouds drifted, overturning heaven and earth, although not reaching Dongyangzi’s level, it did bewilder directions, keeping one from exiting the hundred-yard radius, comparable to a top-tier Illusionary Array.
Seeing Lu Zheng retreat slightly, the Evil Ghost swiftly retrieved the bead and backed away, hoping to find a chance to escape. He charged into the drifting clouds, his expression changed dramatically as he attempted to burrow underground again, but it was futile.
"Earth-to-Steel!?"
The Evil Ghost evidently recognized the name of this divine technique, his eyes filled with astonishment and fear, as he picked a direction and flew at high speed. Each time he attempted the Earth Travel Technique after covering a distance, but it failed repeatedly. Despite running seemingly miles, undergoing dozens of earth burials, he still found himself surrounded by endless white clouds, sight obscured.
The Evil Ghost couldn’t help but halt, looking around with a fierce expression.
In the next moment, endless cloud qi came from above, below, all directions, carrying the power to trap and lock divine souls, encircling and penetrating him. This force covered the sky, like mountains, like a flood, unstoppable.
"Break!"
The Evil Ghost opened his mouth, spewing out the dark green bead, which flashed suddenly, penetrating the white clouds, shuttling back and forth, tearing apart strands of innate cloud qi, then shielded the Evil Ghost, releasing layers of ghost qi to protect him.
"Good magical treasure, this treasure isn’t yours, right?"
Lu Zheng clicked his tongue. Even with the innate cloud qi unfolded by the White Cloud Banner, facing opponents more formidable than himself, it wouldn’t break so easily, yet against this bead, it felt as fragile as paper.
"So what? This bead is a Heaven and Earth Treasure, boundless in power, you can’t do anything to me, let’s see how long your array and spells last!" the Evil Ghost said viciously.
Lu Zheng nodded, "If I indeed only had this skill, I really couldn’t do anything to you."
As the words fell, a golden, luminous Treasure Sword formed within Lu Zheng’s Sea of Consciousness.
Earlier underground, the divine soul was hard to lock, blocked by the earth, everywhere filled with the power of the earth veins, even Divine Soul Attacks were challenging to execute. Now, with the battlefield under Lu Zheng’s control, impossible to breach with innate cloud qi, feeling apprehensive towards that bead, naturally, it was time for the Divine Soul Secret Technique.
"Golden Palace Heart Sword, slay!"
"Crack!"
A soft sound, the Golden Palace Heart Sword pierced the bead’s defense, shooting straight into the Evil Ghost’s divine soul.
"Huh!"
Only hearing the Evil Ghost’s miserable scream, he flipped and fell.
"Golden Palace, suppress!"
A golden shining palace appeared within the depths of the ghost’s Sea of Consciousness, emitting radiant light, and with the force of shattering everything, descended from the heavens.
"Wait, hold on, I have something to say, I am Xuan..."
"Boom!"
A resounding boom, the Golden Palace shattered the Evil Ghost’s divine soul.
What a pity, that bead was formidable, yet offered no defense against divine souls.
"Buzz!"
"The Mind Jade Seal trembled, over a thousand strands of Light of Fortune surged forth.
"What’s going on?"
Lu Zheng was astounded. For this ghost, having merely five to six hundred years of Dao practice, based on his previous experience, someone without other opportunities would gain only two to three hundred strands of Light of Fortune. Yet now, he received over thirteen hundred strands, suggesting this ghost held boundless potential?
If so...
Lu Zheng beckoned, pulling the bead suspended in mid-air closer, probing it with his divine soul.
"Boom!"
Endless Yin Qi gathered and surged, seemingly forming a Netherworld on its own.
"What kind of treasure is this?" Lu Zheng’s eyes narrowed, never before seeing a treasure so energetically abundant; the last of this caliber should be Divine Monarch Xuan Ruo’s Primordial Spirit Poison Pearl.
However, that Primordial Spirit Poison Pearl had already been drained of its toxicity, quietly residing in his gourd.
"It appears this ghost’s peculiar fortune was due to this bead. The source of the ghost qi was indiscernible, likely a result of the bead’s effects. Coupled with the ghost’s Earth Travel Technique, most couldn’t capture him, given more time, he might truly become a great master."
Lu Zheng rubbed his chin, "The bead doesn’t seem to be an ordinary treasure, unexpectedly benefiting me in the end."
"This trip for family visits has truly paid off, transformed into a treasure hunt journey!"
