"They're all dead, all dead!"

Zhang Taian's voice was heavy.

All his soldiers were dead. Either they had transformed into ghosts in unbearable agony or been torn apart and devoured by other ghosts.

He was now a general without an army.

When he was dragged back by the Ghost Bride, he saw from afar that the palace was already filled with all sorts of ghosts.

Occasionally, the spirit light of Formations and talismans would flicker.

But amidst the thousands of ghosts, they were like the faint glow of fireflies on a pitch-black night where one couldn't see their own outstretched hand.

Perhaps in two hours, or the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, the palace would be completely overrun.

Apart from the outsider, Master Shen, perhaps he, Zhang Taian, was the last living person in Tianshun Country!

He had clearly prepared himself mentally, but when this day finally arrived, he still found it impossible to accept.

"Master Shen, my country... is it just gone like this?"

"The people I protected, the lives I guarded…"

"My soldiers, the farmers who scraped a living from the soil, the merchants busy with their livelihoods, even the courtesans in the brothels…"

"They're all dead. Those who didn't die became ghosts."

"Master Shen, tell me, what purpose is there for me to remain alive?"

Two trails of crimson, bloody tears streamed down Zhang Taian's face.

Shen Mo remained silent, his heart heavy. He had never experienced the pain of an annihilated country or a ruined family, so he couldn't offer any words of comfort. Nor could he bear to tell Zhang Taian that in future generations, Tianshun Country would become the Ghost Nation Ruins, with not a single survivor.

After a long hesitation, Shen Mo took out Healing Pills and treated Zhang Taian's injuries.

Then, he retrieved a large quantity of food, dried meat, and other supplies, along with a batch of cultivation resources, packing them into a low-grade Universe Bag he had seized.

He also helped Zhang Taian refine the Universe Bag.

"I will be leaving here soon; I cannot stay much longer."

"In a moment, I will arrange for Soul Generals to escort you out of the Capital!"

"Perhaps…"

"There are still many living people outside the city, struggling desperately."

"You can help them find a way to survive the Ghost Tide."

Hearing this, Zhang Taian's gaze hardened once more. He donned his faceplate and nodded firmly at Shen Mo.

Immediately, Shen Mo activated the Soul Refining Flag.

He re-summoned the Green-skinned Ghost Tieshan, the Ghost Bride, and even Master Hong Jue—three powerful Soul Generals.

Soul General Tieshan had been killed earlier by a Class II peak ghost, the Gold Piercing Ghost.

It was transformed from a certain high-ranking official in the Capital. It wore all the gold and silver it had accumulated in life, which served no real purpose other than decoration and identification.

However, such ghosts retained the oppressive authority they held over others in life, enabling them to command other ghosts.

They were relatively more troublesome to deal with than individual ghosts.

With the protection of the three formidable Soul Generals, Shen Mo estimated that even if the Gold Piercing Ghost summoned its ghostly allies to pursue Zhang Taian, the three Soul Generals could still escort him safely out of the city.

"Master Shen, you… take care!"

After his final farewell, the Ghost Bride picked up Zhang Taian. Escorted by Tieshan and Master Hong Jue, they drifted out of the Treasure Hall.

The Class II peak Gold Piercing Ghost did not pursue them to the entrance of the Treasure Hall; otherwise, Shen Mo wouldn't have minded using the Formation's Prohibitions to bully the ghost.

The ones that died outside the Treasure Hall were all insignificant minor ghosts.

Besides the dissipated ghost qi, the ground was littered with tattered remnants.

Once he sensed that the three great Soul Generals had escorted Zhang Taian out of the city, Shen Mo refocused his attention, continuing the refinement of the Nine-Extreme Crystal Sand.

DRIP.

Crimson blood landed on the clustered Crystal Sand Energy.

As Shen Mo engraved it with his sense and infused his mana, the crimson color circulated like a living fish over the cluster of golden iron sand.

Simultaneously, Shen Mo felt his connection with this high-grade magic artifact growing progressively stronger.

Refining a profound-level high-grade magic artifact is truly no easy task, Shen Mo muttered, then swallowed another Qi Coalescing Pill and continued the refinement.

「Two days later.」

The Capital of Tianshun Country had completely turned into a ghost city.

The Ghost Bride, Master Hong Jue, and Tieshan, the Green-skinned Ghost, who had escorted Zhang Taian away, had all returned to the Soul Refining Flag by self-destructing their Soul Bodies.

Within the Defense Division, not a single living person remained.

Whether they were eunuch cultivators, unorthodox martial artists, or court-appointed officials, they had either become vicious ghosts or delicacies for them.

The only exception was the heavily fortified Treasure Hall!

The spirit light of the Prohibitions was still flickering, having slain many ghosts that had attempted to force their way in.

However, the more ghosts the Formation killed, the more powerful vicious ghosts were drawn to this location, including that Gold Piercing Ghost.

Even in death, it retained its imperious demeanor. At its command, hordes of ghosts relentlessly assaulted the Formation, only to be reduced to wisps of ghost qi and tattered remnants.

How much longer could this Formation withstand the relentless, tide-like onslaught of ghosts?

Inside the Treasure Hall, Shen Mo formed a hand seal and pointed into the void.

Instantly, a faint white light flew out from his sleeve.

After carefully manipulating the Formation for a moment, the white light shot skyward, vanishing into the dark, oppressive clouds in the blink of an eye.

"Hundred Miles Dharma Eye, open!"

Subsequently, a white radiance flashed within Shen Mo's eyes.

Through the feedback from the Flawless Dharma Eye, Shen Mo felt as if he were adrift amongst the clouds, the entirety of Tianshun Country's Capital and its surrounding countryside laid bare to his gaze.

During this period, he had not only refined the "Nine-Extreme Crystal Sand" and the "Flawless Dharma Eye" but had also managed to hastily refine a batch of Soul Returning Pills and talismans.

Within the Flawless Dharma Eye's field of vision, Shen Mo saw it.

The Capital of Tianshun Country and its surrounding suburbs had thoroughly degenerated into an earthly Ghost Country!

Hungry Ghosts, Hanged Ghosts, Drowned Ghosts, Feces-eating Ghosts... Red Fiends, Green-skinned Ghosts, Gold Piercing Ghosts...

Every type of ghost Shen Mo had ever encountered or known could be found within the city, along with many bizarrely formed Soul Ghosts he had never witnessed before.

For a moment, it gave Shen Mo the illusion that he had left Death Jaw and returned to the Ghost Nation Ruins.

CRACK!

CRACK! CRACK!

CREAK!

A series of strange noises echoed.

The Formations inside and outside the Treasure Hall finally succumbed to the ceaseless attrition from the massive hordes of vicious ghosts.

The spirit light, after a final, brilliant flare reminiscent of a dying ember's last glow, was utterly extinguished.

The horde of ghosts, no longer obstructed and led by the Gold Piercing Ghost, swarmed into the Treasure Hall, surrounding Shen Mo.

"Excellent timing! A perfect opportunity to test the might of my newly acquired treasure!"

A booming laugh erupted from the throng of ghosts. Then, as if an invisible bladder had suddenly been inflated, the ghost horde was violently thrust outwards.

HUM!

A protective ward, shimmering between the tangible and intangible, erupted outwards with Shen Mo at its center.

All encroaching ghosts, regardless of their strength, were violently flung outwards.

Immediately, the blood-red screen of the Soul Refining Flag vibrated, and roaring phantoms struggled to break free from it.

Led by Master Hong Jue and the Ghost Bride, two hundred Soul Generals counter-attacked, encircling the Gold Piercing Ghost and its subordinate ghosts.

Shen Mo disdained ordinary Soul Ghosts.

In an instant, they were shredded into wisps of ghost qi and tattered remnants by his higher-class Soul Generals.

As for the ghosts of relatively better quality, after a thorough beating from the Soul Generals, they were instantly enveloped by a blood-red light, refined, and drawn into the Soul Refining Flag.

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