I alone have my own laws; I start by fabricating myths and legends of mountains and seas.

Chapter 143 Battle Against the Ghost General

A few days later, at dusk, in a remote Gobi desert in northwestern China.

The setting sun, like blood, dyed the vast wilderness and distant undulating mountains a dark gold and ochre red. A fierce wind whipped up sand and gravel, making a howling sound.

Xia Jie stood with his hands behind his back on a weathered boulder, his black royal robes fluttering in the fierce wind, his figure seemingly blending into this desolate and ancient world.

"These past few days, I have witnessed the magnificent landscape and the bustling cities," Xia Jie's voice remained clear amidst the wind, devoid of emotion. "The world has changed; our homeland has been transformed!"

He slowly turned around, his dark red eyes looking at Chen Yang: "Your role as guide is quite satisfactory. At least, you're more lively than the blockhead I expected."

Chen Yang twitched the corner of his mouth but didn't reply. The past few days had been nothing short of bizarre. Accompanying an ancient tyrant on a tour of modern tourist attractions, listening to his occasional cold and unfathomable comments, had put him under even more mental pressure than continuously navigating the trials of the Mountain and Sea Realm.

"I am going back. I am going back to Xia!" Xia Jie said calmly.

Chen Yang's spirits lifted slightly, and he breathed a sigh of relief. This guy should leave quickly! Although things have calmed down these days, who knows what might happen if he goes crazy? He'd better go back quickly; even if he causes trouble, he shouldn't cause trouble for China. On the surface, he remained calm: "As long as Your Majesty is happy."

"I've seen enough," Xia Jie said, changing the subject. "However, before I leave, I suddenly want to see if you've made any progress in the random things you've heard by my side these past few days."

Chen Yang felt a chill run down his spine, a sense of foreboding rising within him: "Does His Majesty the King of Xia mean—"

Xia Jie did not answer, but simply raised his hand and waved it lightly towards the empty Gobi Desert in front of him.

In an instant, the gale seemed to stop for a moment, and a thick, dark, malevolent aura suddenly surged from the sand ahead!

The ghostly energy condensed into a form; it had no face, and beneath its helmet were only two flickering, eerie green flames!

Ghost General! Chen Yang has gained a basic understanding of the Ghost Path in recent days. A ninth-level martial arts master is equivalent to a powerful Yin soldier. He probably has little chance of winning against a Ghost General.

"This is merely an ordinary ghost general under my command." Xia Jie's voice was as cold as ice. "Go and fight it. Let me test you and see if you have improved."

Chen Yang's pupils constricted sharply, and his muscles tensed instantly! A ghost general?! Are you kidding me? "Your Majesty, King Xia!" Chen Yang gritted his teeth, "This is far too—"

"What do you mean, 'too much'?" Xia Jie interrupted him, his tone indifferent. "Do you think that the time I've taken you for a stroll these past few days was just for fun? That I've explained the basics of martial arts and the way of the demons to you was a discussion of the Dao with you?"

He looked down at Chen Yang, his dark red eyes devoid of any emotion: "I'm just seeing how fragile this seed of yours, which might sprout something different, truly is. If you can't even withstand one of my ordinary ghost generals—"

He paused, his voice suddenly turning icy: "Then it proves that your potential is nothing but a mirage, utterly worthless. If you die, so be it; you've only wasted a few days of my time."

"Remember, I will not interfere. If you lose, you will die. If you win, I will remember your name for a little longer."

As soon as he finished speaking, the ghostly green flames in the demon general's eye sockets suddenly blazed fiercely, and he slowly raised his massive, rusted battle axe, locking onto Chen Yang. A violent killing intent, a mixture of death, resentment, and bloodlust, surged towards Chen Yang like a tangible wave!

Chen Yang felt his breath catch in his throat, fear coiling around him like a cold, venomous snake. But what he saw most in his eyes was the fury and defiance that erupted after being driven to the brink of despair!

"You old bastard, you tricked me!" Chen Yang squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth, his internal energy surging wildly at an unprecedented speed, his fighting spirit soaring to the sky, forcefully resisting the terrifying pressure of the ghost general!

He knew Xia Jie was serious. Defeat meant death! There was no other way!

"Hoichi!"

The ghost general let out a non-human roar, and its huge and heavy body displayed an astonishing speed that did not match its size. In addition to containing terrifying power that could shatter mountains and split rocks, a chilling aura that could corrode the soul also spread out!

There's no way to avoid it!

A burst of crimson-gold light flashed in Chen Yang's eyes. He knew that taking the attack head-on would likely result in his body being invaded by the baleful aura! But Xia Jie's words and the ghost general's killing intent completely ignited the pride in his bones!

So what if it's war? Who's afraid of who? It's one thing to be unable to defeat Xia Jie, but are you saying you can't even beat one of Xia Jie's underlings, Kara?

?

"Come on!!"

He roared, without using any fancy moves, concentrating all his inner energy into his right fist! The air itself distorted wherever his fist struck!

Instead of retreating, they advanced, attacking to counter attack!

"boom!!!"

The fist and axe clashed, unleashing a deafening roar like muffled thunder! A violent shockwave exploded outwards, sending sand and gravel flying within a radius of tens of meters!

Chen Yang was struck as if by a heavy hammer, his entire body flying backward. His right fist was torn open, blood gushing out, and his arm bone made a teeth-grinding cracking sound, almost breaking! Furthermore, a chilling, bone-piercing, and resentful aura frantically invaded his arm's meridians, making half of his body numb!

"Cough cough—" Chen Yang knelt on one knee, his right arm trembling uncontrollably, the excruciating pain making his vision blur. His internal energy couldn't stop the invasion of the chilling, malevolent energy! The difference was too great! Was this the strength of a Ghost General? They were on completely different levels!

The ghost general seemed to be enraged, and once again took heavy steps, raising his battle axe high, ready to deliver a fatal blow.

Am I going to die? No!

"Catching water from a puddle—the physical body has its limits, but the will is limitless; the spirit and energy unite—"

"My path is not the path of demons! Nor is it the path of guarding puddles!"

Just as the Ghost General's giant axe was about to fall again, and the shadow of death loomed over him, the crimson-gold light in Chen Yang's bloodshot eyes suddenly underwent a strange change!

With a desperate, reckless understanding, he no longer tried to expel the chilling evil energy that had invaded his body. Instead, he used his remaining willpower to forcefully integrate it into his internal energy, actively trying to attack, envelop, and refine that wisp of invading ghost general's evil energy!

At the same time, he no longer limited himself to extracting internal energy from his own dantian, but frantically tried to sense the surrounding world!

The process was so brutal that it shook his very soul almost instantly! But he didn't care!

"Give it to me!!"

Chen Yang let out a beast-like roar and slammed his left fist into the ground!

"Boom!"

A faint yet real force, carrying the desolate and scorching aura of the Gobi Desert, was stirred up by him, mingling with the mixed and violent energy from his fist, and surged upwards!

The demon general's battle axe was already upon them.

With his eyes, a mixture of crimson gold and blood, open, Chen Yang unleashed a punch—a strange and unorthodox move born of desperation, yet one that he poured all his energy into!

The fist and the axe blade collided once again.

This time, there was no earth-shattering explosion.

There was only a dull, strange sound, as if something was being forcibly twisted and torn apart.

The ghost general's massive body trembled violently, and the eerie green ghost flames flickered wildly. A tiny crack was actually torn open on its body, which was formed from Yin energy, by the rough and mixed power from Chen Yang's fist! Although it was instantly submerged and repaired by the denser Yin energy, the mark was indeed left behind!

Chen Yang, on the other hand, was thrown back more than ten meters by the recoil and crashed heavily onto the sand. His breath instantly became extremely weak, and his consciousness began to blur.