The Demon Lord of All Forms

"A single Yin Spirit Fruit can be sold for at least four spirit stones. Once this Yin Tree matures, it can produce at least thirty Yin Spirit Fruits every year, which is equivalent to an income of one hundred and twenty spirit stones annually! If we save up for a few years, we might even be able to exchange them for a method to forge a Dao Embryo!"

Rubbing his hands together, Yang Zhen looked at Yun Weiyang and said readily, "It's just right for the four of us; each of us can get thirty spirit stones every year."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuanying's expression changed slightly, and she glanced at Yang Zhen; Li Qinghe also glanced at Yun Weiyang, but remained silent.

Yun Weiyang stood up. These skeletons had been dead for a long time, and only wisps of their souls remained. He had not obtained any useful information.

Brushing the dust off her hands, Yun Weiyang looked at Yang Zhen, who was still laughing, and the two silent people beside her, and smiled.

"I don't have time to stay here. You three can divide this piece of ebony among yourselves."

Yang Zhen was taken aback, and Zhang Yuanying and Li Qinghe also looked surprised. However, it was better that Yun Weiyang didn't leave, so neither of them tried to stop her.

"Fellow Daoist Yun..." Yang Zhen wanted to say something.

Yun Weiyang waved her hand and turned to wander around the stone chamber. The stone chamber was not large. She walked into a small room next to it, which was empty except for a stone bench. Yun Weiyang sat down and listened to the three people outside discussing how to deal with the ebony wood through the wall.

Leaving the ebony wood here is obviously impossible, as it might be dug up someday. But if they were to dig it up now, Yang Zhen and the others wouldn't have the right tools. If they damaged the roots and caused harm to the ebony wood, it would be a loss.

The three argued for a long time but couldn't come up with a perfect solution.

Just then, a series of mournful sobs came from outside the cave.

The three men's expressions changed drastically, but before they could react, a ghostly figure wearing a black robe, with a livid face and a body as thin as a bamboo pole floated in.

The ghost's eyes were two eerie green flames, flickering in the darkness. It stared at the dark wood between the three and let out a chilling roar.

Almost instantly, the ghost transformed into a blurry black shadow and attacked the three of them.

Li Qinghe reacted the fastest. A mysterious light rose from the compass in his hand, and the dark light transformed into a light screen, which repelled the black-clad ghost that was attacking with a clang.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Yang Zhen shouted and flames burst forth from his hand. A fiery snake roared and flew out, crashing into the sinister claw that the black-clad ghost was slapping down.

A burst of fire erupted as the ghostly claw shattered the fire snake and continued its attack on Yang Zhen.

Zhang Yuanying drew his long sword from its sheath, a flash of cold light, and the vengeful ghost let out a mournful howl. A wound was cut into the ghost's hand, from which wisps of ghostly energy overflowed.

Yang Zhen and Zhang Yuanying led the attack, while Li Qinghe defended. The three worked together seamlessly and managed to hold their own against the black-clad ghost for a time.

Yun Weiyang sat on the stone bench, watching the three men roaring angrily through the wall, showing no intention of making a move.

"Fellow Daoist Yun! Quickly lend a hand!" Zhang Yuanying roared.

Yang Zhen also came to his senses and anxiously called out in Yun Weiyang's direction, "Fellow Daoist Yun! Don't you have a magic weapon? Quickly help us!"

Yun Weiyang looked at Zhang Yuanying and Yang Zhen, smiled, and remained motionless.

"Why?" Yun Weiyang asked calmly, "Why should I help you?"

Zhang Yuanying's expression instantly darkened, and Yang Zhen's face also turned pale. Only Li Qinghe was still controlling the compass, which transformed into a light screen to block the black-clad ghost's repeated attacks.

Zhang Yuanying's expression was cold. He slashed out with his long sword, forcing the black-clad ghost to retreat. Then, he kicked out with a sudden kick, sending the dark wood stuck in the ground flying and crashing straight towards Yun Weiyang.

"You want to stay out of this?" Zhang Yuanying sneered. "Then I'll let you go first..."

puff!

Before Zhang Yuanying could finish speaking, the dark ghost claw tore through the dim light curtain and pierced his heart from behind.

Zhang Yuanying looked down at the hideous ghostly hand clutching her heart in front of her chest, her face filled with disbelief.

"How is this possible..." Zhang Yuanying's voice was hoarse: "A ghost... how could it... ignore the attraction of the ebony wood..."

He had barely finished speaking when his breath came out.

The black-clad ghost pulled its claws out of Zhang Yuanying's chest cavity, threw the still-beating heart under its feet, crushed it, and looked at the pale-faced Yang Zhen in front of it, letting out a chilling roar.

Yang Zhen gritted his teeth and clapped his hands repeatedly. Three fire snakes flew out from his palms and roared as they pounced on the black-clad ghost. But with a swipe of the ghost's claw, the three fire snakes were torn to shreds.

The ghost's right hand gripped Yang Zhen's neck, while its left hand pierced through his abdomen, lifting Yang Zhen high into the air.

Yang Zhen's consciousness began to fade, and the face of an old woman flashed before his eyes. It was his mother, who was still waiting for him to come and take her to enjoy her life at the Yang family home.

A bitter smile appeared on Yang Zhen's lips as he laboriously turned his eyes to look at Li Qinghe, who was holding a compass.

"Run...faster..."

As soon as he finished speaking, flames erupted from Yang Zhen's seven orifices, turning into layers of fire that ignited the black-clad ghost.

This time, the power of the flames far exceeded that of the previous ones. The black-clad ghost roared incessantly as it was burned, its body darting left and right in the stone chamber, its death aura colliding with the flames, crackling and popping.

After a long while, the flames were finally extinguished by the deathly aura. The black-clad ghost's figure withered and became almost transparent, curled up in the darkness, unable to move.

At this moment, Li Qinghe put away the compass, walked into the darkness, made a hand seal with her left hand, and the black-clad ghost's form collapsed, turning into a black bead, which she held in her palm.

Turning around, Li Qinghe looked at Yun Weiyang, who was sitting on a stone bench behind her, clapping and smiling.

"Boy," Li Qinghe spoke, his voice mature yet tinged with coldness, "when did you find out?"

Yun Weiyang looked at Li Qinghe in front of her and smiled.

"It's very simple."

Yun Weiyang raised the Soul-Startling Bell in her hand, looked at Li Qinghe who looked bewildered, and said, "This is a magic weapon. When the bell rang, Yang Zhen and Zhang Yuanying were both affected and their souls were disturbed, but you were completely unharmed. This is not normal."

"A meticulous young man."

Li Qinghe looked at Yun Weiyang, smiled, and walked to the stone bench with an air of maturity, sitting down and calmly looking at Yun Weiyang.

"Young man, let me introduce myself again." Li Qinghe said calmly, "My name is indeed Li Qinghe, but I am not some rogue cultivator. I am the Sword Elder, one of the five elders of the Nine Nether Sect: Sword, Demon, Beast, Ghost, and Refiner."

Upon hearing this, Yun Weiyang's expression changed slightly.

Looking at the petite and delicate woman before her, Yun Weiyang felt a ripple in her heart: Zhang Guangze was also a disciple of the Nine Nether Sect. In his memory, the Nine Nether Sect had four elders: Demon, Beast, Ghost, and Refiner. He had never heard of any Sword Elder; and each of the four elders of the Nine Nether Sect was a great master who had survived the Nine Heavenly Tribulations.