Chapter 155: Fusing Ghosts (7)

Xiao Anguo was completely out of options. Under the crushing weight of absolute power, all he could do was pull his wife, Ji Yiyi, behind him. As the rules shifted once more, the spirit investigators, who had previously retained a sliver of counter-offensive capability, completely lost their sensory connection to magnetic energy.

Suppressed by the newly altered rules, magnetic energy could no longer be released.

A group of Awakened ones were being slaughtered like cattle by the ghost slaves. The isolation chambers within the base became rivers of blood, and those chambers made of solid gold truly transformed into luxurious tombs.

Clang—

Boom—

The relentless sounding of bells and beating of drums echoed continuously, as if something enveloping the base was being cracked open by the synchronized strikes of bell and drum. Seizing this opportunity, Wu Zui opened a spatial singularity and stepped directly into the interior of the base.

Thick stains of blood covered every corner of the facility.

Controlling the Inquiry Chain, Wu Zui swiftly pierced through several ghost slaves that were lurking right in front of him. Then he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Department Head, where are you?"

Xiao Ke'ai was even more direct. She leaped straight off Wu Zui's shoulder, transforming into a streak of blue lightning as she darted back and forth through the various rooms.

In no time at all, that entire floor had been thoroughly searched by Wu Zui and Xiao Ke'ai, but neither Xiao Anguo nor Ji Yiyi was to be found.

"Meow!"

Xiao Ke'ai let out an anxious cry, then plunged straight through the floorboards to head down to the lower level of the base.

Sighing helplessly, Wu Zui planted a long red sword straight into the ground. As the crimson blade spun, the hardened flooring was neatly sliced away like a block of tofu, allowing Wu Zui to drop directly down to the level below.

Guided by the swift joint search of man and cat, Xiao Ke'ai quickly located Xiao Anguo and Ji Yiyi, both of whom were still alive.

"Meow!"

Hearing Xiao Ke'ai's cry for help, Wu Zui rushed immediately to her position.

By the time Wu Zui arrived at her side, Xiao Ke'ai was furiously brandishing her claws in a fierce battle against the surrounding ghost slaves.

However, due to the nullification of magnetic energy and Commander Cat's ability to shift between corporeal and incorporeal states, neither side could inflict damage upon the other. Xiao Ke'ai could only trade blows with them endlessly to keep the ghost slaves from approaching her parents, resulting in a tense stalemate.

Wu Zui produced the golden bell and large drum, striking them in unison! A miniature golden domain instantly enveloped the isolation chamber, and the ghost slaves that had been fighting Xiao Ke'ai within the domain rapidly dissolved into black smoke and vanished.

"Department Head, Madame, and everyone else, let's get out of here first!" Wu Zui said, looking at the dozen or so survivors.

The group nodded eagerly. Surviving this far was already a miracle, so naturally, everyone wanted to flee immediately.

Wu Zui opened a spatial singularity and began transferring the remaining people, but the sheer number of individuals made it extremely difficult. Furthermore, opening a spatial singularity within the domain of a seven-star ghost consumed a vast amount of energy; after just two teleports, a significant portion of Wu Zui's magnetic energy had already been drained.

At this rate, Wu Zui estimated he would collapse from exhaustion before he could even rescue the survivors. Just then, the two ghosts that had cleared out the rest of the base finally caught up! Under the control of their domain, the upper layers of the base above Wu Zui's head were violently ripped away.

At that moment, a golden barrier materialized around them, shielding the group.

The two ghosts paid little attention to the remaining stragglers. Their target was Wu Zui! Aside from the bell and drum capable of expanding a domain, there was also a faint aura of danger emanating from Wu Zui himself.

It was the oppressive pressure exerted upon them by the Karma Fire Physique. Rules-infused entities of this caliber were considered supreme delicacies for ghosts above the seven-star level. Yet, possessing a domain that allowed them to alter the rules within a certain range, they did not fear the Karma Fire Physique so long as they remained cautious.

The Red Eyes made the first move!

Gazing intently at Wu Zui, it unleashed a torrent of thumb-sized red-eyed ghost slaves from its pupils, charging straight toward him.

The Inquiry Chain wriggled and formed a barrier, effortlessly blocking the torrent. The moment the flood of creatures touched the karma fire, they began to writhe violently. As red flames flared across the torrent, it dissolved into black smoke and vanished entirely.

At that moment, Wu Zui felt an itch on his arm. Looking down, he saw a red eyeball staring back at him directly from his skin. The Karma Fire Physique, which would normally have counterattacked automatically, was being actively suppressed by the ghost domain.

One end of the Inquiry Chain coiled tightly around Wu Zui's arm. The red eyeball let out a shrill shriek, and as the Inquiry Chain released his arm, nothing was left behind except a deep, bloody hole.

Knowing full well that this place was unsafe, Wu Zui needed to find a way to lure these two ghosts away. Otherwise, the bruised and battered remnants of the base stood no chance against them. Recalling a certain anomalous entity residing in the hotel, Wu Zui quickly formulated a plan.

He lowered his head and whispered to Xiao Ke'ai, who was crouched on his shoulder, "Ai'ai, I'll leave the golden bell and drum with you. They will keep the golden barrier active. I'm going to draw these two monsters over to Lai's place. Take the Department Head and the others to White Dragon Temple, and we'll rendezvous there."

As he spoke, Wu Zui quietly tucked the golden bell and drum deep into Xiao Ke'ai's fur. Xiao Ke'ai naturally understood that Wu Zui intended to exploit Lai's unique abilities.

[Master, be careful along the way!]

The small white board was hoisted up.

Wu Zui stroked the top of Xiao Ke'ai's head and said, "Don't worry. Go on over to the Department Head's side first."

"Meow."

Nodding, Xiao Ke'ai leaped onto Xiao Anguo's shoulder.

Grasping the Inquiry Chain, Wu Zui opened a spatial singularity and vanished from the spot, reappearing directly above the Red Eyes ghost. The elongated Inquiry Chain wrapped around it instantly, and as flames flared, it left a deep, searing burn on the creature's body.

"Yowl—"

A piercing shriek rang out, and Wu Zui, along with the Inquiry Chain, was blasted backward by the shockwave.

"You two monsters! Come and get me if you can!"

Shouting as he was thrown back, Wu Zui opened another spatial singularity and fled into the distance.

True to Wu Zui's expectations, the two seven-star ghosts faded in form and gave chase.

"Dad, Mom, we're going to White Dragon Temple. Once Master shakes off those two ghosts, he'll come and meet up with us," Xiao Ke'ai timely raised the small white board, placing it right in front of Xiao Anguo and Ji Yiyi.

Xiao Anguo stopped Ji Yiyi before she could ask any questions, then flipped the white board down. Without further ado, he rallied the survivors and headed toward White Dragon Temple. As for the city of Yanjing? Since the underground base where Xiao Anguo had been stationed was reduced to such a state, the condition of the rest of the city could easily be imagined.

Meanwhile, Wu Zui's journey back to the hotel was not as smooth as he had originally anticipated.

Red eyes continually surfaced across his skin, leaving bloody cavities behind as they were incinerated by the Inquiry Chain. Though many of its ghost slaves were destroyed, the Red Eyes ghost did not seem angered; rather, it appeared to be reaping considerable benefits.

Furthermore, sheets of blood-red paper tore through Wu Zui's flesh, surging out of his body alongside blood and magnetic energy toward the Black Book ghost. Transforming into massive red pages, they caused the black-bound book to thicken visibly by the moment.

The two ghosts seemed in no rush to finish Wu Zui off; instead, they continually siphoned his bodily fluids through their respective parasitic methods. It seemed they harbored the idea of keeping him captive as a long-term supply source for blood.

Fleeing all the way back to the hotel, Wu Zui quickly spotted Lai, who was sleeping soundly on top of Ming Rourou. The Inquiry Chain lashed out, striking the domain released by Lai, and in an instant, the domain expanded to envelop Wu Zui as well.

Upon arriving at the scene, both the Black Book and the Red Eyes sensed the fleeting aura radiating from Lai. Although it was a seven-star aura far surpassing their own, it still failed to curb the two ghosts' greed for Wu Zui's blood.

A tremor rippled through the air, accompanied by a low hum.

The two ghosts were communicating with one another.

They quickly reached a consensus; sharing the same realm, they did not believe they would lose a two-on-one fight. Two massive phantom images pressed down upon the hotel, accompanied by the newly formed domains of the two entities.

The two domains that had previously covered the entirety of Yanjing City rapidly contracted, completely enveloping the hotel building. Countless ghost slaves materialized out of thin air inside the hotel, launching the first wave of attack. They swiftly occupied every room on each floor, searching for Wu Zui, who was hiding within the grey domain.

At that moment, Wu Zui was crouching near the edge of Lai's domain, curiously poking and prodding the surroundings. He had never before witnessed a domain contract to the size of a single room, condensing almost into a tangible, solid entity.

His actions were interpreted as sheer provocation by the two seven-star ghosts! Anyone hunting down a target would surely be infuriated to find their prey showing no urgency to flee, instead lingering in place to curiously examine the scenery.

Red and black energies of resentment were gathered by the Red Eyes and the Black Book from the domain shrouding the hotel.

With a crushing momentum, those two streams of energy slammed down rapidly toward the grey domain. This was the power of the rules they had newly condensed upon breaking through to the seven-star realm, serving as the cornerstone of their ascension.

Under the pressure of the dual rules, the grey hue instantly swept across the entire hotel. Vaguely, Wu Zui seemed to hear two sounds resembling popping bubbles.

Meanwhile, Lai was rubbing its sleep-heavy eyes. With half-drooping lids, it looked toward the two seven-star ghosts, whose bodies were now embedded deep in the hotel walls and whose rule-based powers had been forcefully shattered.

The two ghosts had now revealed their true forms: a red eyeball the size of a human head and a black-bound book the size of an ordinary notebook. Lai glanced at the red eyeball, and its small mouth slowly opened.

It had never tasted a seven-star ghost before!

An illusory shadow gradually extended from Lai's mouth, which had shrunk to the size of a fingertip. Though the phantom did not fully manifest, a massive maw filled with triangular teeth could be seen lunging forward and taking a bite straight out of the red eyeball.

"Aham—mua—mua—"

The Red Eyes, a formidable seven-star entity, instantly exploded. Its body dissolved into a massive surge of resentful energy and a trace of rule power, which Lai swallowed in a single gulp. Having advanced all the way through the Underworld simply by sleeping, Lai practically despised fighting.

Moreover, as one of the Seven Monarchs, few foolish ghosts dared to make a ruckus near its territory. Any who dared were fellow Monarchs of the Underworld, leaving Lai with virtually no opportunity to savor the flavor of a seven-star ghost.