Master of Strange Dao

When she took that step and transformed into a starving ghost, she understood many things.

The small piece of beef jerky, why it could be given to her in the Despair Abyss, and why it could remain there.

Because at that moment, Yu Ziqing was already very certain that the piece of beef jerky in his hand must be able to break through the rules of the Despair Abyss and be given to her.

At that time, Yu Ziqing knew that this item, on a day in the future, would definitely be able to pull her out of the Despair Abyss. What he gave her then was a hope in reserve, although under normal circumstances, that day might never come.

This was something personally bestowed by the King of Ghouls, known as the proof of transformation. As long as she was willing, no one could stop her from completing her transformation, but she was not willing to use it right away.

Because this item was the Dao Mark that the King of Ghouls, without consciousness and self, returned with from the Void.

Similarly, it was also the Dao Mark for Yu Ziqing's return before the King of Ghouls, in his continuous ascent, completely advanced to the strongest and everything ended.

She had watched Jinlan Mine fall into the Void. At that time, she thought Yu Ziqing would die sooner or later. She had once lived in the village and knew clearly that an isolated island of a mine couldn't possibly have the resources to last long.

Now she fully understood everything and knew what she should do.

Because only she, before transforming into a starving ghost, had always had self-awareness, her own mind, and her own emotions.

It was precisely because she had everything, and was clear enough, that she could reach the most painful state in the Despair Abyss, being eternally tormented.

And the other starving ghosts had all transformed from hungry ghosts. They had already been driven mad by eternal hunger before transforming into starving ghosts, losing themselves.

Those starving ghosts, even with the Dao Mark, would not understand what they should do.

Cece knew very well that Yu Ziqing, in a desperate gamble, overturned the table to survive, and returned as the King of Ghouls without completely losing his mind.

He did not intend for the King of Ghouls to completely lose control or truly wanted the King of Ghouls to grow madly enough to destroy the world.

She had seen Yu Ziqing with the villagers refining their bodies in the Despair Abyss, and heard their laughter and anger. She believed that Yu Ziqing surely knew that once the King of Ghouls reached the limit, the village would be destroyed by the mindless King of Ghouls.

Because she was here, the Dao Mark had long been delivered into her hands.

Yu Ziqing also believed that at the moment she stepped out of the Despair Abyss, she would certainly take this step.

When she took this step, she would naturally understand everything.

She did not betray Yu Ziqing's trust; now, she was going to welcome her true king's return.

By calculating the time and seeing before she came in, Cece wasn't in a hurry. From the time Yu Ziqing started starving, transforming into the King of Ghouls, only a little over ten days had passed, not even eleven days.

Yu Ziqing entrusted her to handle it, giving her complete trust. So she had to think more, think about how to solve things perfectly in the aftermath.

She sensed that Dazhen, Dali, and Daqian all had true experts rushing over.

If Yu Ziqing returned now, letting the King of Ghouls dissipate, it was feared that these real experts would flatten this place and destroy everything directly upon arrival. Even if not destroyed, this place would become a land of strife, never at peace.

They would likely do whatever they could to occupy this place, ensuring nothing escaped their control.

Now there was only one way, letting the King of Ghouls continue to grow, to beat down all the experts rushing over right now, and then let the King of Ghouls dissipate after they've been hurt.

Without getting beaten, they wouldn't know what pain is.

As for whether the King of Ghouls could thrash the incoming experts, Cece never worried because it was already almost the eleventh day. If impossible, they could wait one more day, anyway, with the current state of the King of Ghouls, no one could kill him in such a short time.

Moreover, perhaps no one knew how to kill him.

Stepping back millions of steps, they would just continue to wait until the twelfth day arrived. Then, no matter who came, they would be relentlessly suppressed.

Only by making them believe that the King of Ghouls merely fell into slumber here, would they stop pressing further and stirring up trouble, knowing that the King of Ghouls would inevitably awaken again.

Only then could this place return to peace.

Because they were not like Yu Ziqing, forced into a dire situation with no retreat, nor had they the kind of desperate courage to gamble everything like Yu Ziqing. They wouldn't take risks, and they dared not take risks.

Moreover, if anyone wanted to take risks, they were likely to kill them off first, to avoid involving themselves.

What they did, after all, was purely for profit, to pursue immortality, none of them were willing to overturn the dinner table and let everyone starve.

Cece held the Dao Mark in her hands, quietly waiting, waiting for those people to come.

To take a beating.

Thinking about it just made her want to laugh. It was a pity she wouldn't witness those high and mighty people getting thrashed.

Thinking this, Cece sighed.

What a pity.

...

The aura of the King of Ghouls continued to intensify. Ever since entering the Wilderness, the speed of its aura growth was several times faster than before in the Void.

Northern, Eastern, and Southeastern directions all had streaks of tunneling light rushing over.

In the northern sky, leaden clouds gathered as a bolt of lightning traversed the black clouds, rapidly approaching the wilderness from the distant horizon.

When the Thunder Light reached the Wilderness, it transformed into a robust man with a white robe. He reached out, and a bolt of Thunder Light surged down like a river from the clouds; one end he seized in his hand, while the other end remained in the black clouds.

He stood in mid-air, as if he gripped the thousand-mile-long thunderbolt with one hand.

In the eastern sky, it looked like the clouds were aflame, a blaze like the rising sun sweeping over from the east.

The firelight amassed in mid-air, morphing into a woman dressed in a Phoenix Robe, adorned with ornate accessories. She floated in the air, with the firelight behind her transforming into a giant Vermilion Bird spreading its wings, protecting the palace-dressed woman tightly.

In the southeast direction, colorful auspicious clouds left a long trail on the horizon, and a golden bridge extended across the sky from the southeast.

Upon the golden bridge stood an old man with white hair and beard, dressed as an ordinary scholar, with his hands behind his back.

The three gazed from afar at the towering King of Ghouls in the distance, whose aura continued to climb, each with a grave expression.

The moment they saw the King of Ghouls, the words "hungry ghost" surfaced in their minds.

Born into the world, it inscribed its race name upon heaven and earth so that anyone who saw it would know this was no ordinary Alien Species.

Moreover, its aura was stronger than theirs, and ridiculously, it continued to grow stronger.

With just a glance, the old man on the golden bridge said,

"Tell those behind us not to come to their deaths."

The old man waved his hand, and a streak of light flew back along the golden bridge, halting the others from Daqian from entering the borders of the Wilderness.

The other two, merely having seen the King of Ghouls, silently did the same.

The King of Ghouls emerged, the National Guardian Artifacts trembled, warning them that something sufficiently threatening had appeared. After detecting this great change in the Wilderness, they came at the first moment, bearing the National Guardian Artifacts.

Now, they saw even the National Guardian Artifacts were faintly suppressed by the opponent's pressure.

"We can't wait any longer. If we continue waiting, who knows how strong this King of Ghouls will become." The robust man from the north, holding the thunderbolt, could no longer bear it.

He gripped the thunderbolt, let out a shout. From the leaden clouds behind him, Thunder Light flared. All the thunderbolts within the extended black clouds gathered into his hand. The flashing thunderbolt's light became increasingly piercing, and the sound of thunder turned into a long-lasting shriek.

With Dazhen making a move, the woman from Dali and the old man from Daqian also silently joined in.

The Vermilion Bird rushed skyward, its wings spreading before drawing all the cloud light to its wings. The celestial flames looked like wings spreading over ten thousand feet, distorting the sky and altering its hue.

The old man from Daqian made a virtual grab with his hand, and the golden bridge below turned into a ruler thrown out as he shouted,

"Punishment!"

The ruler descended from above, turning into a golden bridge piercing the heavens and directly aiming at the head of the King of Ghouls.

Around the King of Ghouls, surging waves of black sludge rose to the sky, transforming into a giant claw reaching for that glaring thunderbolt.

However, the thunderbolt, though only a hundred meters long, directly pierced through the giant claw, going straight for the King of Ghouls' head.

The King of Ghouls neither dodged nor evaded, slowly opened his mouth, and abruptly closed it, biting down on the flickering thunderbolt with countless sharp, intersecting teeth.

With a crack, the thunderbolt was bitten in half, shattering into a river of Thunder Light.

The Thunder River washed over the black sludge constructing the King of Ghouls' body, stirring it into a constant churn. However, soon, the Thunder Light was forcibly broken and ground into nothingness by that terrifying, twisted force.

Only two strands of Thunder Light flew back into the robust man's hands.

The robust man looked ashen, his spirit waning, holding a purple Magical Treasure shaped like lightning, now unfortunately broken into two.

And the Vermilion Bird flying from the east, seemingly all-encompassing, was caught by two giant claws on its wings, like a chick.

The Vermilion Bird screeched in anger, open-mouthed spewing golden flames, but the King of Ghouls merely widened his eyes, spewing blood-colored flames like waterfalls that instantly extinguished the golden sparks.

The blood-colored flames ignited the Vermilion Bird, causing it to shriek miserably.

The woman in the Phoenix Robe groaned, forming a Seal with her hands, a rune appearing on her brow, and the Vermilion Bird disintegrated to ashes, dispersing from the King of Ghouls' grasp.

Countless ashes gathered before the woman, coalescing into flames, forming a Vermilion Bird the size of a hen, listless in the flames, mostly featherless, resembling a chicken plucked halfway.

And when the old man's thrown golden bridge descended, countless chanting voices transformed into a vast will shaking the heavens. Before the force arrived, this will had arrived first.

The King of Ghouls paused, looked up, and in the blood-colored flames of his eyes, endless pain and despair met their gaze.

Just one glance, that unwavering belief, and countless chanting voices abruptly ceased, and the golden bridge shattered.

The old man made a virtual grab, holding a broken ruler, face full of pain, his Primordial Spirit seemingly burning, Heart Demon growing, Dao Heart wavering. Just one more look, and his consciousness might be completely submerged.

From the depths underground.

Cece held the Dao Mark, closed her eyes, sensing quietly. After a long time, she leaned forward, gently placing the Dao Mark into Yu Ziqing's hand.

She did not betray Yu Ziqing's expectations, even exceeded them greatly. Now, she awaited her true king's return.