Strongest War Emperor

”Y-you... don’t be ridiculous. That’s just a legend. No one’s ever seen one,” Nalan Ziyun said, though her voice held no conviction.

”Alright, we can talk about the Ghost King later... but seriously, how can a few little ghosts scare you this badly? Even if your injuries haven’t fully healed, wandering ghosts of this level couldn’t possibly harm you. Besides, you’re protected by a Spirit Level Talisman, so these little ghosts can’t touch you anyway.”

”What do you know? For a woman, being afraid of something doesn’t mean it’s stronger than her. Take cockroaches or caterpillars... Ugh, so disgusting! It’s scary just thinking about them...” Nalan Ziyun stomped her foot again and again.

Shaking his head, Shen Lang looked up ahead. The endless ghost mist seemed drawn to them, slowly converging on their position.

The mist around them grew thicker and thicker, becoming almost tangible.

Shen Lang said thoughtfully, ”Legend says this Dark Forest was an ancient burial ground where many who died in great wars were laid to rest. Many of the fallen Martial Artists were filled with such immense resentment that they became malevolent ghosts after death. They despise any Martial Artists who pass through here, and if they find any, they will swarm them. Many Mercenary Corps entered this place with ample preparation, only to vanish without a trace.”

”You think I don’t know that? Ugh, if you knew this place was so cursed, why did you insist on coming?” Nalan Ziyun said, her expression grim.

”I guess we’re just not on the same wavelength... Can’t you read between the lines? What I’m saying is, these Ghosts are supposed to be ferocious, but it’s been over an hour since we got here. Have you seen a single Ghost attack us? They’re just gathering and following us, but they never make a move. Don’t you find that strange?” Shen Lang said, rolling his eyes.

Nalan Ziyun paused. ”Now that you mention it, that is strange. The scariest thing about the Dark Forest is supposed to be its countless Ghosts. Why have we only been attacked by poisonous insects and the occasional lone Demon Beast?”

”If I’m not mistaken, we’re being targeted by someone... or rather, some ghost.” A silver thread lit up in Shen Lang’s eyes as he slowly scanned their surroundings.

Through his Silver Eyes of Truth, he saw that they were completely surrounded by Ghosts!

Among them were plenty of High Tier Ghosts, equivalent to the Spirit Martial Realm!

Hearing Shen Lang’s words, Nalan Ziyun shivered and instinctively grabbed his left arm. ”D-don’t say things like that! We don’t have any treasures on us. Why would the Ghosts of the Dark Forest organize themselves just to deal with us? Besides, there’s no way all these Ghosts would have some kind of silent agreement to just follow us instead of attacking, right?”

”They might not have an agreement. But if a single power was controlling them from behind... like a Ghost King, for instance... then everything would make sense.” Shen Lang slowly turned, surveying their surroundings again.

At Shen Lang’s words, Nalan Ziyun’s face grew even paler.

”Are you saying the Ghosts are just gathering and not attacking because a Ghost King is pulling the strings? Then what are we waiting for? Let’s turn back and fight our way out! Once all the Ghosts in this forest are gathered, we’ll never get out, even if you had three heads and six arms! The Ghost King wouldn’t even need to lift a finger; the sheer number of lesser ghosts would be enough to drown us!”

”I’m afraid it’s too late,” Shen Lang said, the corners of his lips quirking up as he stared at the air in front of them.

Before them, the endless gray-white mist began to roil as if it were alive, and terrifying shrieks echoed from within.

As soon as the mist ahead began to stir, the gray-white vapor from all directions immediately started pressing in on Shen Lang and Nalan Ziyun.

Nalan Ziyun’s face went ashen. She knew, of course, that the gray-white mist was made of Ghosts.

’With so many Ghosts closing in, there’s no chance of escape without a Flying Spiritual Artifact...’

The Ghosts of the Dark Forest were far stronger than those in the outside world, brimming with malevolent energy. Many of the higher-level ones even possessed great Spiritual Wisdom, making them extremely difficult to handle.

If an ordinary Martial Artist were to be swarmed by these Ghosts, their Essence Blood would be drained until they became a dried-up corpse unless they could drive them off quickly.

Their souls, in turn, would become wandering spirits, joining the ghostly mist of the Dark Forest.

Trapped in the Ghost Dao forever, never to escape.

”HEH HEH HEH!”

An eerie cackle echoed from the sky, its source shifting and impossible to pinpoint.

Immediately after, the Ghosts on all sides began to shriek and wail, the sounds rising in waves, each louder than the last.

The once-calm, gray-white mist around them immediately began to surge like a violent tide.

Nalan Ziyun gripped Shen Lang’s arm even tighter, panting as she spoke. ”If that Ghost King is at the Spirit Martial Realm, you should be able to handle it with your Cultivation, right? After all, those experts who ambushed you before were at the Sixth and Seventh Heavens of the Spirit Martial Realm.”

”So, you’re saying you want me to take on the Ghost King while you handle this overwhelming tide of Ghosts?” Shen Lang asked, puzzled.

”Bullshit!”

”Then you want to fight the Ghost King yourself while I handle these lesser ghosts?”

Nalan Ziyun rolled her eyes and snapped, ”If there were just a handful of them, I could take care of it. But with this many...”

”And?”

”They’re all yours! You go get ’em. It was your idea not to turn back, anyway. The most I can do is be your cheerleader from the back. Don’t even think about asking me to lead the charge. Absolutely not.”

”...You’re certainly direct,” Shen Lang said, a bit speechless. ”You’re oversimplifying things. That Ghost King comes and goes without a trace, flying through the air and burrowing underground. He’s much trickier to deal with than the Netherworld Wolf King. Even if the Ghost King’s Cultivation truly is at the Peak of the Spirit Martial Realm, I doubt I could do anything to him. He could just wear us down to death. And besides...”

”What? Can’t you just say it all at once? You’re so annoying!” Nalan Ziyun, tired of being kept in suspense, stomped her foot in frustration. Her full breasts bounced with the movement, and Shen Lang found himself staring.

”Ahem!” Shen Lang coughed dryly. ”Besides, the legend about the Ghost King’s Cultivation being at the Peak of the Spirit Martial Realm is from more than twenty years ago. I have a feeling that even if that bastard is completely incompetent, by just devouring lesser ghosts here every day for two decades, he’s probably managed to stumble his way into the Xuanwu Realm... Urk!”

Looking down, Shen Lang was stunned to see that Nalan Ziyun’s fingernails had dug deep into the flesh of his arm.

”You bastard, you’re just saying that to scare me, aren’t you? Don’t just say things like that! You’re such a jinx! We’re screwed if you’re right,” Nalan Ziyun said, glancing around nervously.

”Good thing I’m tough, or you might’ve just pinched me to death...” Shen Lang muttered.

”Hah...” Nalan Ziyun’s grip suddenly loosened. Then she laughed and said, ”I’m overthinking this. It’s just death, after all. Whether that old ghost is at the Xuanwu Realm or the King Martial Realm, what difference does it make?”

As she spoke, she gently rested her head on Shen Lang’s arm, her whole body relaxing completely.

”Holy shit, you’d make a great actress. Your mood changes so fast!” Shen Lang said, momentarily stunned.

”Back then... when I was hunting you down... did you ever hate me?” Nalan Ziyun asked quietly.

”I did,” Shen Lang replied without hesitation.

Nalan Ziyun’s expression fell, but then she heard Shen Lang add, ”But only for the first few years. I gradually got used to it. After you left for Jialan Academy, no one was chasing me anymore. I got incredibly bored and spent most of my time sleeping.”

Nalan Ziyun snapped her head up and stared blankly at Shen Lang. After a long moment, she let go of his arm. With a RATTLE, she took out a thick, silver chain.

The chain released a silvery light, spiraling around to protect her at its center.

It was her Spiritual Artifact, the ”Silver Flood Dragon Chain.”

”It’s death either way, so let’s fight! Some bullshit Ghost King? I’m not afraid of that bastard!” Nalan Ziyun had finally returned to her usual feisty, valiant self.

Shen Lang pursed his lips. ”Mind your language. There are a lot of people... I mean, a lot of Ghosts watching.”

”Then how should I put it?” Nalan Ziyun asked, her eyes twinkling as she held back a laugh.

”You should say... To hell with his balls!” Shen Lang roared.

”...” Nalan Ziyun just rolled her eyes at him.

At this point, the Ghosts in the air saw the two of them chatting away as if no one else was there, one shouting about ”bastards” and the other about ”balls.” They grew furious and began to roar incessantly.

Amidst the chaotic din of ghostly wails, a few particularly shrill, low sounds could be heard, like a woman sobbing. The sound was intermittent, grating on the nerves and filling the listener with unease.

Nalan Ziyun had only heard a few notes of it when her mind began to reel, and her head grew heavy and drowsy.

”It’s the Soul-Hooking Ghost Sound! There are Ghosts among them with Cultivation at or above the Spirit Martial Realm!” Nalan Ziyun’s expression changed dramatically.

The Soul-Hooking Ghost Sound was nothing like the wails of ordinary Ghosts. At most, those could only frighten people; they had little effect on Martial Artists with powerful Divine Thought.

But the Soul-Hooking Ghost Sound was a Talent Magic used by High Tier Ghosts; only a Ghost at the Spirit Martial Realm or higher could cast it.

Once cast, it could make an opponent with a lower Cultivation level than the caster’s suffer from reversing blood flow, mental confusion, and ultimately, fall into an Illusion Realm.

Once trapped in the Illusion Realm, a victim was like a fish on the chopping block, completely at the caster’s mercy.

It was a truly sinister Dao Skill!

In a moment of carelessness, Nalan Ziyun had mistaken the sound for an ordinary Ghost’s howl and fallen into the trap. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she felt herself about to drift off to sleep.

The frightening part was that while her mind was aware of everything, she could feel the blood reversing in her veins, making it impossible to move.

’Shen Lang... Shen Lang!’ Nalan Ziyun repeated his name over and over in her mind.

Just then, a Ghost seemed to seize the opportunity. A shadow flashed through the air, shooting straight for Nalan Ziyun’s face!

”Hmph!”

Nalan Ziyun heard Shen Lang’s cold snort, and then she saw a fierce flash of a blade slice through the air.

The Ghost rushing at her was instantly sliced in two and dissipated into the air before it could even let out a cry.

Then, an arm reached over and gently touched the back of her neck. A cooling sensation instantly spread through her body, clearing her head and allowing her to regain control.

Feeling the warmth of his hand, a strange sensation bloomed in Nalan Ziyun’s heart. She lowered her head, letting her hair hide her face. ”That Soul-Hooking Ghost Sound is so insidious. I only heard a little and was caught... Thank you...”

”Don’t thank me just yet. That ’balls’ guy... er, the old ghost, is here.” Shen Lang hoisted the Celestial Water Blade onto his shoulder, his gaze locked on a giant tree to their left.