Chapter 643: Ghost Town
Soon, however, all four of them noticed something strange. While walking, Danny suddenly stopped.
"We have been walking in circles."
The others looked around.
They had long since noticed a very specific diamond-shaped pattern carved into the black marble.
At first, they had assumed that similar patterns were simply scattered throughout the Ghost Domain.
However, they had now crossed the exact same pattern at least five times.
At first, they had thought it was merely a strange repetition. Now they realised the truth.
They had been walking along the same path over and over again.
Lana and Sophia exchanged a glance. Lana immediately took out a talisman.
When Calix saw it, his eyes flickered with surprise, but he did not say anything.
The next second, Lana flicked the talisman into the air.
A brilliant white light suddenly spread outward, enveloping the surrounding area.
The darkness seemed to tremble beneath the light, and faint lines began appearing across the ground.
Lana followed the direction indicated by the talisman. "That way."
The others immediately followed. Soon, all of them arrived in the eastern region.
The landscape there was completely different.
The ground had once again turned pitch-black, but this time, a thick layer of black gas covered the surface.
The gas bubbled and churned like boiling tar, occasionally producing strange popping sounds that echoed through the silent surroundings.
The moment Lana, Sophia, Calix, and Danny saw it, they immediately understood.
’This must be the seven-thousand-year-old Ghost King.’
This was the hidden quest they had been searching for. Lana’s eyes narrowed. She motioned toward Sophia.
"Attack."
Sophia nodded.
The next second, she channeled her mystical energy toward the enormous black mass.
Lana followed immediately.
Because of the contract, Calix and Danny were forced to channel their energy as well, although their objective was not to attack the Ghost King directly. They had to protect Lana and Sophia.
However, the moment the Ghost King was attacked, its unstable spiritual energy erupted.
A terrifying backlash swept through the area.
Calix and Danny were repeatedly struck by the violent waves of energy. Both of them staggered backward and began coughing violently.
"Damn it!"
They struggled to remain standing as the pressure continued to bear down on them.
Just as Lana and Sophia were concentrating on channelling their mystical energy, a loud, guttural growl suddenly echoed through the Ghost Domain.
"Who are you? How dare you enter my lair?"
The voice was deep and ancient, carrying a terrifying pressure that made the surrounding air tremble.
Lana and Sophia immediately looked toward the source.
Sure enough, the enormous lumpy mass of black gas began moving.
It churned violently, producing continuous rumbling sounds as though a gigantic creature were awakening from beneath the ground.
Both women became alert. Lana quickly looked toward Mr. Crow.
Mr. Crow nodded and immediately attempted to use his psychic energy.
However, after a moment, his expression changed. He could not use it.
Lana frowned.
Just as she was considering communicating with Mr. Crow and asking him to reveal his hidden ability, his voice suddenly reached her mind.
"Do not reveal another one of your trump cards. Keep my abilities hidden."
Lana sighed inwardly. ’He is right. I cannot expose everything at once.’
"All right, I understand."
Meanwhile, Sophia frowned as she stared at the enormous black mass.
"I feel like this is going to be very difficult to handle."
Lana chuckled. "It is all right. We have already come this far."
With that, she rushed toward the black, lumpy mountain of gas.
Calix and Danny nearly cursed under their breath when they saw her charge forward. They had no choice.
If Lana died while they were supposed to protect her, the contract would kill them as well.
Both of them immediately rushed after her.
They successfully blocked several attacks from the seven-thousand-year-old Ghost King, which manifested as enormous shadowy balls that tore through the air toward Lana.
However, the impact sent both men flying backward. They were injured in the process.
Their injuries were not quite fatal, but their pale faces and bloodied clothes made them look as though they were only one attack away from collapsing completely.
Lana frowned when she saw them. ’This thing is far too powerful.’
Even she would struggle to deal with it.
At most, Lana estimated that she could fight a five-thousand-year-old ghost with the combined assistance of Mr. Crow, her spirit, Sophia, Calix, and Danny.
A seven-thousand-year-old Ghost King was on an entirely different level. ’We need to attack together.’
Lana quickly gathered mystical energy in her palm.
A dense mystical sphere gradually formed, crackling with powerful energy.
Sophia immediately followed her lead.
Calix and Danny also gritted their teeth and began gathering their own mystical energy.
One after another, they formed mystical spheres.
"Attack together!"
All four of them threw their attacks toward the enormous black mass.
At the same time, Lana pulled out hundreds of exorcism talismans and sent them flying toward the Ghost King.
The talismans covered the black mass like a swarm of glowing insects.
To the seven-thousand-year-old Ghost King, their power was barely more than an ant biting its skin.
Yet it was still enough to make the creature shriek.
A horrifying scream erupted from the black mountain, shaking the surrounding area.
The next second, instead of continuing the battle, the enormous mass suddenly retreated.
It moved rapidly through the darkness. Lana’s eyes narrowed. "Follow it!"
All four of them immediately chased after the fleeing Ghost King.
However, no matter how quickly they ran, they could not catch up.
The black mass disappeared farther and farther into the darkness until it was completely out of sight.
Finally, the four of them slowed down and began breathing heavily.
Only then did they realize that they had entered a completely different region.
Lana looked ahead. Several houses stood before them.
They were broken and dilapidated, their wooden walls covered in cracks and dark stains.
Yet despite their ruined appearance, faint sounds of chatter could be heard from within the settlement.
It sounded almost as though people were living there.