The Black Ghost Old Demon thrust its tentacles fiercely towards Langling’s head, ready to burrow inside and devour his brain.
Brains were the most delicious thing. Over countless years, the Black Ghost Old Demon had consumed innumerable brains, yet it never grew tired of them. To it, they were the greatest delicacy.
Not only that, but whatever it ate, it gained the benefits of.
At that moment, Langling suddenly let out an incredibly strange sound.
It was deep and majestic, yet unbearably cold.
“Octopus, what are you doing?”
It was the Ghost King’s voice, the supreme ruler who had once dominated one third of the Southern Wilderness.
He was also the absolute master of the Black Ghost Old Demon.
Originally, the Black Ghost Old Demon had merely been an ordinary Demon Blood Octopus in the sea. It was the Ghost King who had granted it power and intelligence.
The Black Ghost Old Demon feared this master above all else.
The moment it heard that voice, it shuddered violently. All of its tentacles instinctively recoiled.
This was a conditioned reflex formed over countless years.
Whenever the Ghost King appeared, all of its tentacles would curl together into a ball as it assumed the humblest posture imaginable.
Instantly, both Langling and Khan Xieli broke free.
The enormous Centaur Khan was furious. He had barely entered the Demon Cave before the Black Ghost Old Demon had captured him.
The illusion he saw had been even simpler. His son, Xieli II, was lying dead on the ground. Naturally, he had rushed over without hesitation, reaching out to check his son’s breathing and heartbeat. The moment he did, the Black Ghost Old Demon’s tentacles wrapped around him, completely restraining his body so that he could not move.
“You actually ambushed me. I’ll tear you into pieces.”
Khan Xieli roared as he charged forward with his great sword.
The Black Ghost Old Demon’s enormous head was covered with dozens of eyes. One pair locked onto Khan Xieli.
Immediately, the powerful Centaur Khan fell into an illusion once again.
He frantically swung his great sword, battling nothing but thin air.
The Black Ghost Old Demon’s spiritual attacks were simply terrifying beyond belief.
“Who exactly are you? How can you imitate His Majesty the Ghost King’s voice?” the Black Ghost Old Demon demanded.
Langling raised his right hand.
A cluster of green flames instantly burst into life.
It was the Ghost King’s flame.
The Black Ghost Old Demon caught a scent that felt extremely familiar, the aura of the Ghost King’s power.
Although it was far weaker than the Ghost King’s had once been, it was undoubtedly the Ghost King’s energy.
The Ghost King’s power was unique because it came from hell itself.
Langling had absorbed the power contained within the Ghost King’s Eye, so he could naturally release the pure Ghost King’s Flame.
“Who do you think I am?” Langling asked coldly. “You’ve enjoyed your freedom for several thousand years. It’s time for you to return to my command.”
The Black Ghost Old Demon stared at him in disbelief.
“Y… You’re the reincarnation of His Majesty the Ghost King? But… didn’t you already die?”
Then it shrieked, “No, I don’t believe it. His Majesty was an undead spirit. He couldn’t possibly be reincarnated. You’re definitely a fake.”
Langling simply stared at it coldly.
Then his eyes began to change.
His ordinary eyes transformed into two blazing green flames.
The Black Ghost Old Demon knew those eyes far too well.
Every time the Ghost King’s Eyes looked at it, terror would seize its entire body.
These were the Ghost King’s Eyes.
No one could imitate them.
No one could fake them.
The Black Ghost Old Demon could clearly sense every unique attribute of the energy contained within those eyes.
Its voice trembled.
“If you claim to be His Majesty’s reincarnation, then answer this. How did His Majesty die? Only the two of us know the truth. If you can tell me how he died, I’ll believe you.”
Those words delighted Langling.
Because they revealed an enormous secret.
The Ghost King’s death was an absolute secret in this world.
Only two beings knew the truth, the Ghost King himself and the Black Ghost Old Demon.
It was not because the Black Ghost Old Demon was the most trustworthy, but because it possessed the most developed brain, the strongest memory, and the greatest spiritual power.
After seeing something on the moon, the Ghost King had immediately been locked onto by an unimaginably powerful force.
He knew death was inevitable.
So he transferred many of his memories into the Black Ghost Old Demon, ensuring that something would remain after his death.
The reason the Black Ghost Old Demon, despite its mediocre martial strength, had managed to escape was because of this.
The crafty Langling immediately extracted a wealth of information from that single sentence.
At once, he decided to take an even greater risk with his original plan.
“Well?” the Black Ghost Old Demon urged. “How did His Majesty die? If you know, I’ll believe you’re truly his reincarnation.”
Langling answered, “The thing on the moon killed me.”
The Black Ghost Old Demon’s dozens of eyes flew wide open.
Correct.
That was the answer.
Only it and the Ghost King knew the truth.
Yet this Near Human had answered correctly.
Could he really be the Ghost King’s reincarnation?
Its dozens of eyes stared at Langling with indescribable emotions.
After a long silence, all of its tentacles bent down.
Its voice shook.
“Your servant, Black Ghost, pays respects to Your Majesty.”
Langling said coldly, “Where are the things I entrusted to you? Return them to me.”
Those words were an enormous gamble.
Perhaps the Ghost King had never entrusted anything to the Black Ghost Old Demon.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The Black Ghost Old Demon slowly sank beneath the deep water, disappearing completely.
Langling was overjoyed.
The Ghost King really had left something in its care.
But what treasure could it be?
The Ghost King’s Sword?
Probably not.
After the Black Ghost Old Demon left, Khan Xieli regained his senses.
While trapped in the illusion, he had been wildly swinging his sword, creating deafening explosions that had destroyed nearly half of the enormous cavern.
When he came to, confusion filled his eyes.
Then he asked, “Insignificant Near Human, where’s that octopus?”
Langling ignored him.
A short while later, the Black Ghost Old Demon surfaced again.
One of its eyes immediately fixed itself on Khan Xieli.
Its overwhelming spiritual power dragged the Centaur Khan back into another illusion.
Once again, he began fighting empty air.
One of the Black Ghost Old Demon’s tentacles carried a dark blue box.
This had to be what the Ghost King had entrusted to it.
Who knew what treasure it contained?
“Your Majesty, this is the item you entrusted me to guard. Please take it back.”
Using two tentacles, the Black Ghost Old Demon respectfully presented the dark blue box.
Langling narrowed his eyes and casually reached out to accept it.
However…
At that instant, the Black Ghost Old Demon exploded with killing intent.
One tentacle instantly wrapped around Langling’s neck.
Another violently pierced straight into his heart.
“So what if you’re His Majesty the Ghost King?” it sneered coldly. “I’ve been your slave for hundreds of years. I’ve only just regained my freedom. I rule this territory as I please. Why should I become your servant again?”
The Black Ghost Old Demon lifted Langling before its gigantic, hideous head.
Its head, dozens of metres across, was horrifying beyond words.
Dozens of eyes were scattered across it without any pattern.
Every single eye stared at Langling, radiating sinister, icy light.
“That’s right. You gave me intelligence. You gave me power. You gave me immense strength,” the Black Ghost Old Demon hissed. “But I obeyed you because you were overwhelmingly powerful, because I couldn’t resist you. Now you’re so weak that I can tear you apart with ease. Why should I obey you? Why should I remain loyal? If I kill you, continue ruling as king, and take all your treasures for myself, wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
“My Majesty, you’re far too naive. Now you can die.”
Its tentacle drove deeper into Langling’s heart and began frantically sucking his blood.
It intended to drain him into a mummy first, then tear him apart, before devouring every scrap of flesh and bone.
“Hahaha…”
The Black Ghost Old Demon greedily drank Langling’s blood.
Then…
Its body suddenly began to swell.
Its skin turned bright red.
“Ah… Ah… Ah…”
It let out a blood curdling scream and instantly pulled its tentacle out of Langling’s chest.
Langling’s heart healed completely in an instant.
Langling’s blood was not something that could be consumed so easily.
After entering the Black Ghost Old Demon’s body, his Golden Bloodline not only failed to nourish it, but instead turned against its host and launched a frenzied assault.
Langling’s demonic blood behaved like living energy.
Inside the giant octopus, it attacked every part of the Black Ghost Old Demon’s body.
Not only that, but the blood desperately forced its way towards the creature’s brain.
“Ah… Ah…”
The Black Ghost Old Demon writhed wildly in the water.
Its thousands of metres long tentacles easily smashed ten thousand jin boulders into pieces and lashed deep cracks into the ground.
At that moment, Khan Xieli regained consciousness once more.
Then…
He immediately charged at the Black Ghost Old Demon again with his great sword.
The mighty Centaur Khan fought the monster in a savage battle.
Langling also drew his great sword and rushed forward.
However…
Bang.
One of the Black Ghost Old Demon’s tentacles struck him head on, sending him flying hundreds of metres before he slammed into the cavern wall and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Every one of Langling’s ribs shattered.
He almost lost consciousness from the impact.
The Black Ghost Old Demon’s greatest strength was its spiritual power.
Because Langling’s demonic blood had invaded its body, it could no longer use that power effectively.
But Langling had never expected its physical strength to be so overwhelming.
With a single strike, it sent the five star Great Demon Warrior flying.
Even more astonishing was Khan Xieli.
One tentacle had instantly defeated Langling.
Yet the Centaur Khan was actually fighting the Black Ghost Old Demon head on through sheer martial strength.
The Black Ghost Old Demon possessed eight tentacles.
One had absorbed Langling’s heart blood and had become useless after being infected by the demonic blood.
Another had swatted Langling away.
That left six.
As Langling’s blood splashed onto the attacking tentacle, something strange happened again.
His blood acted like living energy.
It instantly burrowed into the tentacle and rushed towards the creature’s brain.
“Ah… Ah…”
The Black Ghost Old Demon screamed again.
Another tentacle had been rendered useless.
The powerful Khan Xieli fought all six remaining tentacles by himself.
To everyone’s surprise, he was not at a disadvantage in the slightest.
Just how powerful was he?
One tentacle had effortlessly crushed Langling.
Yet Khan Xieli fought six of them alone.
“Ha.”
With a thunderous roar, Khan Xieli swung his three metre long great sword.
One enormous tentacle was severed instantly.
The Black Ghost Old Demon let out another earth shaking scream.
Then…
It appeared to send out some sort of signal.
Shadows poured out from every direction within the cave, charging straight at Khan Xieli.
These were the slaves the Black Ghost Old Demon had imprisoned for years.
They were barbarians with great martial strength but weak spiritual power.
Among them was another centaur.
Slightly smaller than Khan Xieli, but still over four metres tall and seven metres long.
This had to be Xieli II.
However, his mind had long been under the Black Ghost Old Demon’s control.
The moment he received the command, he charged madly at his own father.
In an instant, dozens of powerful warriors, together with the Black Ghost Old Demon, surrounded Khan Xieli.
“Whirlwind Demon Slash.”
Khan Xieli let out a furious roar.
His entire body spun violently.
The great sword in his hand became a terrifying meat grinder.
Every slave who rushed into it was instantly shredded into minced flesh.
None could come within five metres of him.
Langling was truly amazed.
Once free from spiritual control, Khan Xieli’s combat strength was simply unbelievable.
He was unbelievably powerful.
On the battlefield, he was an unstoppable killing machine.
Soon enough, however, Khan Xieli ran into trouble.
His own son was attacking him relentlessly.
He could not bring himself to harm his son, so he quickly fell into a disadvantage.
“Insignificant Near Human, what are you waiting for? Come and help.”
Khan Xieli roared.
By now, Langling had fully recovered.
He gripped his great sword and charged once more at the Black Ghost Old Demon.
A tentacle lashed towards him.
Again, Langling was sent flying, blood spraying from his mouth.
Once more, the demonic blood burrowed into the tentacle and raced towards the creature’s brain.
Another tentacle was crippled.
Langling rushed along the tentacle towards its brain.
The Black Ghost Old Demon was filled with grief and fury.
Why was this happening?
Why was Langling’s blood so terrifying?
Just touching it rendered an entire tentacle useless.
Meanwhile, Khan Xieli displayed overwhelming might.
One hand used a short sword to block his son’s attacks.
The other swung his great sword at the Black Ghost Old Demon.
A miserable scream rang out.
Another tentacle was cut off.
From that point onwards, it became the Centaur Khan’s personal performance.
By himself, he slaughtered every one of the Black Ghost Old Demon’s slaves.
Then he chopped away every last tentacle until only the monster’s enormous bald head remained.
All the while, he still had to fend off his own son.
His fighting power was utterly astonishing.
Having lost all its tentacles, the Black Ghost Old Demon screamed endlessly.
Langling’s demonic blood had finally reached its brain.
Khan Xieli leapt onto the creature’s head.
He aimed his great sword at the top of its skull and drove it down with all his might.
“Wait.”
Langling shouted, because he had discovered that his demonic blood was now frantically devouring the Black Ghost Old Demon’s energy.
Without question, this would greatly increase his cultivation.