Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 519 - Ghost Technique

The ancient star struck the Sky Yin Ancestor's head like a hammer, making him feel dizzy. He lost control and was thrown into the valley.

The Sky Yin Ancestor coughed up blood that dyed his clothes red. Even so, the attack didn't kill him and only injured him severely.

"The Astral River Realm is so strong?" Liu Wuxie was shocked. He was confident of killing a group of cultivators in the Heavenly Phase Realm with that punch. But against someone in the Astral River Realm, he only managed to inflict severe injuries on him.

The Sky Yin Ancestor swallowed a pill, and his face contorted as black veins crept across his skin. His expression twisted into something sinister, and his once-youthful skin shriveled, transforming him into an old man.

Liu Wuxie immediately became more alert—this transformation was unmistakably the result of practicing some form of demonic art. The Sky Yin Ancestor now resembled a demon, more than a human, as he hissed, "Brat, I will see you dead!"

Watching from the sidelines, Jian Xing'er and Chen Ruoyan grew anxious. Despite Liu Wuxie's array of powerful techniques, he had only managed to severely injure the ancestor.

Liu Wuxie’s frown deepened as he sensed an ominous and chaotic energy rising from the Sky Yin Ancestor. "You’ve been practicing ghost techniques!" he stated grimly.

There were whispers of souls that, after death, avoided the underworld and instead wandered the mortal realm. These restless spirits absorbed yin energy from the heavens and earth, growing in power over time. After centuries or even millennia of cultivation, they could form a physical body, becoming what was known as the Ghost Clan. Though they resembled humans, the Ghost Clan was cursed by sunlight, which was their greatest weakness.

Over the years, the Ghost Clan developed the ability to reproduce and form their own society, distinct from humans. Their ghost techniques were unlike anything seen in the human dao, and because of their nature, they remained isolated from human civilization, living apart for generations.

This was why Liu Wuxie was stunned to witness the Sky Yin Ancestor wielding ghost techniques. It was not only rare for a human to gain access to such forbidden knowledge but even more astounding that he had successfully mastered them.

"Y-You recognize the ghost techniques?!" The Sky Yin Ancestor was shocked. The ghost techniques were mysterious and nearly impossible for most people to detect. The most significant disadvantage in cultivating ghost techniques was the need to consume infants and absorb yin energy from women.

After all, the Sky Yin Ancestor didn't possess the Ghost Clan's body, which meant he couldn't absorb yin energy from heaven and earth. The only method for him to absorb yin energy was to extract it from others, and this was utterly evil.

"What petty tricks!" Liu Wuxie scoffed, brushing aside the ghost techniques with disdain. While the Ghost Clan's methods might have seemed mysterious to the ordinary cultivator, to him, they were nothing extraordinary.

Hearing this, the Sky Yin Ancestor’s eyes darkened with fury. The techniques he took pride in were being dismissed as mere child's play. His fingers began to stretch and twist, nails growing into razor-sharp claws as long as daggers.

The Ghost Clan's strength lay in their ability to absorb yin energy, transforming it into power because they lacked a physical body. Even the bodies they formed weren’t composed of flesh and blood but of condensed yin energy. Their claws were notorious for tearing through anything, leaving nothing intact in their path.

The Sky Yin Ancestor vanished and crawled on the ground like a reptile. His speed even surpassed humans, which was why attacks from the Ghost Clan were tough to defend against.

"Sister Jian, why did the Sky Yin Ancestor become a monster?" Chen Ruoyan was new to the cultivation world and still lacked knowledge compared to Jian Xing'er.

"I'm not sure. This is the first time I've seen something like this," Jian Xing'er admitted, her face tense with concern. Both women grew increasingly anxious as they watched the battle unfold. Against an ordinary human opponent, they wouldn't worry as much, but fighting someone using such heterodox techniques was far more dangerous.

Liu Wuxie moved effortlessly, dodging the Sky Yin Ancestor’s fierce attack using the Seven Dipper Steps. The impact of the missed strike cracked the ground beneath them, releasing an ominous wave of ghostly energy that surged in Liu Wuxie's direction.

Liu Wuxie remained cautious against the ghostly energy because he wasn't sure if the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron could withstand it. It would be very troublesome for him if the cauldron couldn't withstand it.

The Sky Yin Ancestor's attacks had no patterns, which made it impossible to predict. He alternated between crawling on the ground and leaping into the air like a monkey.

Liu Wuxie had no choice but to dodge, and he couldn't track the Sky Yin Ancestor's movements even if he used the Fatality Blade Art several times. This naturally placed him at a disadvantage.

The Ghost Clan's combat style was different from that of humans, rendering Liu Wuxie's martial techniques ineffective. Moreover, the Sky Yin Ancestor's speed increased with each strike.

Combined with the Astral River Realm, the ghost technique was akin to adding a pair of wings to a tiger, significantly boosting his combat power.

Liu Wuxie had no path of retreat because the Primordial Astral Fist had a broad attack range, and it would only be effective if combined with Soul Spear. If he used it alone, the Sky Yin Ancestor could easily dodge it.

The Sky Yin Ancestor relentlessly exploited Liu Wuxie’s vulnerabilities, forcing him into a defensive stance. As the battle raged on, Liu Wuxie resorted to his Frost Finger technique, sending a barrage of ice arrows to halt the Sky Yin Ancestor’s advance. Yet, the sharp claws of the Sky Yin Ancestor effortlessly shattered the icy projectiles, barely slowing his assault.

Within minutes, Liu Wuxie was forced deeper into the valley, and the entire sky was enveloped in a ghostly energy. The ghostly energy wasn't black or blue but an eerie-looking pale-cyan color.

"Damn it! Do I have to resort to the Earth Binding Chains?" Liu Wuxie was confident in facing an ordinary opponent in the first-level Astral River Realm without needing the Earth Binding Chains. But the Sky Yin Ancestor's combat power could no longer be measured by human standards in his current state.

The Earth Binding Chains were a treasure of the Spirit Clan, which Liu Wuxie knew he had to return eventually. This was why he didn't want to become too reliant on it. If he became reliant on it, it would hinder his growth in the future once he handed them over.

He believed that true strength came from within, and Liu Wuxie's consciousness entered the interspatial ring to control the Heavenly Dragon Seal secretly.

He had been nurturing the Heavenly Dragon Seal daily in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion. He hadn't dared to refine it entirely when on the Dugu Clan's warship, as he feared detection from the Dugu Clan.

However, his abode in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion was different. In the past fifteen days, he had injected tens of thousands of spiritual runes into it, strengthening his connection with the Heavenly Dragon Seal.

That was especially the case after Liu Wuxie had refined the dragon bones. Now that he had the True Dragon Physique, the Heavenly Dragon Seal could submit and recognize him as its master.

Under the control of his divine sense, the Heavenly Dragon Seal started becoming restless and wanted to fly out from his interspatial ring. This naturally surprised Liu Wuxie, and he muttered, "The Heavenly Dragon Seal wants to fight?"

The Heavenly Dragon Seal had once resisted his attempts to control it. However, over the last fifteen days, it had hovered above the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron, absorbing the essence of the spiritual liquid to restore its damaged dragon runes.

However, Liu Wuxie needed to find a Dragon Clan's treasure to repair the broken piece of the Heavenly Dragon Seal. The situation was becoming increasingly dire, and the overwhelming ghostly aura obstructed his vision, severely disrupting his attacking rhythm.

Jian Xing'er and Chen Ruoyan looked worried and wished they could help. However, they knew they would only become a hindrance if they tried to help.

"Brat, you have strong vitality within your body, which is perfect for me to absorb and refine. In addition to the yin energy of those two women, my ghost technique will reach perfection!" The Sky Yin Ancestor sneered, his claws lunging for Liu Wuxie's chest.

This gave Liu Wuxie almost no time to react. He barely managed to tilt to the side to avoid a fatal strike, but he felt a burning pain coming from his chest. It felt as though his flesh had been scorched by fire, leaving him in extreme discomfort.

"Damn it!" Liu Wuxie cursed because ghostly energy had invaded his body through his meridians.

The ghostly energy corroded his meridians in the blink of an eye, severely affecting the flow of his true essence. This was the power of ghostly energy, which was hard for humans to eradicate.

However, the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron soon devoured the ghostly energy. It was converted into a pale cyan liquid flowing above the cauldron, and this discovery filled Liu Wuxie with ecstasy.

"Since that's the case, I won't have to fear the corrosion from ghostly energy. It's time for you to feel the full force of my wrath!" Liu Wuxie roared and charged at the Sky Yin Ancestor, allowing the ghostly energy to enter his body.

"What's going on? You can resolve my ghostly energy?!" the Sky Yin Ancestor exclaimed in disbelief. He was shocked to discover that the ghostly energy that had entered Liu Wuxie's body had vanished without a trace.

"I already said it's nothing more than petty tricks!" Liu Wuxie pressed on and swung the Heretic Blade down. The Sky Yin Ancestor couldn't dodge in time and suffered a long gash on his right arm.

As the Sky Yin Ancestor's primordial spirit was damaged, his reflexes had slowed down significantly. This gave Liu Wuxie the opportunity he needed, and he followed up with more attacks to force the Sky Yin Ancestor to retreat.

Now, the tide had turned, and it was Liu Wuxie’s turn to press the attack. The two were locked in a fierce confrontation, but despite his relentless strikes, Liu Wuxie only managed to repel the Sky Yin Ancestor. Delivering a fatal blow was proving to be difficult.

Then again, Liu Wuxie had no intention of killing the Sky Yin Ancestor so easily. He wanted to use the pressure from the Sky Yin Ancestor to help him make a breakthrough. After all, the greater the pressure, the greater the chance of his breakthrough.

The Sky Yin Ancestor was already forced outside the valley, screaming in frustration.

"Brat, you're courting death!" The Sky Yin Ancestor's body began to change. His robes billowed, and his nails extended. Even his eyes started to sink in, making him look more like a malicious ghost. He brandished his claws and pounced at Liu Wuxie without regard for his life.

Liu Wuxie had no intentions of perishing with the Sky Yin Ancestor. He swiftly stepped back and dodged the latter's attack.

The Sky Yin Ancestor's limbs continued to transform. His arms grew longer, and his legs grew larger. When he stomped his enormous webbed feet on the ground, he drew a curved trajectory in the air as he charged at Liu Wuxie.

That wasn't all. The Sky Yin Ancestor's body began to swell like a giant balloon filled with ghostly energy.

This made Liu Wuxie wear a solemn expression because this was the Ghost Clan's suicidal method to perish with their enemy through self-destruction.

If the Sky Yin Ancestor detonated, Liu Wuxie would be heavily injured even if he could survive the aftermath. There was no time to wait; this might be his downfall if he continued the fight.

"Heavenly Dragon Seal, it's up to you now!" The Heavenly Dragon Seal flew out from his interspatial ring and hovered in the air, accompanied by a mighty roar.

Accompanied by the lingering dragon's roar was an overwhelming dragon aura that enveloped the entire mountain range, causing countless profound beasts to tremble in fear.