Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 678 - 341 Bonfire

This time, his attack seemed to penetrate the black mist and strike the ghostly entity's true form, causing it to emit a ghastly, piercing scream that instantly reverberated through the mountains, causing countless creatures to shudder.

The ghostly entity had not felt such pain in a very long time, which made it even more enraged, and with that came an even stronger power.

Its body swelled rapidly like a balloon, and a terrifying aura permeated the surroundings. Cui Heming, being a particularly timid person, could not withstand such ominous power and immediately wet himself.

Chenxiang also began to tremble involuntarily, but he quickly adapted to the power, having once witnessed the majesty of True Monarch Qingyuan Miaodao.

His fists, like shooting stars, continuously pummeled the ghostly entity. The sizzling sound echoed throughout the heavens and earth. The ghostly entity was actually suppressed by Chenxiang alone, unable to move and only able to howl continuously.

The more Chenxiang fought, the more excited he became. As the nameless technique rapidly circulated, it seemed as though an endless supply of power surged within his body, desperately needing to be released.

On the contrary, the ghostly entity looked rather pitiful under this onslaught. Its originally fierce body became weak, and even the red light in its eyes dimmed significantly.

The Taoist looked on in disbelief at the scene unfolding before him, murmuring involuntarily, "What kind of monster is this? It's simply not human."

He had roamed the rivers and lakes for decades and had stumbled upon a rare book by chance. Since then, he had sequestered himself in the mountains, using evil techniques to prolong his life, now nearly 180 years old, yet he had never seen anyone like Chenxiang who could subdue a ghostly entity with just his fists.

This performance reminded him of the legend, "Enter the Dao with Martial Arts." However, he quickly dismissed this thought, as Chenxiang clearly lacked a foundation in martial arts, relying only on that terrifying power and robust vital energy.

While the Taoist was lost in thought, the ghostly entity could no longer hold on and began a suicidal attack. Its power became extremely unstable throughout its body, like a ticking bomb, filled with instability.

Chenxiang, with his acute senses, noticed the changes in the ghostly entity. He dared not be the slightest bit careless and gave his all, yet unexpectedly, the ghostly entity emitted a sharp sound and, disregarding its body being scalded by vital energy, desperately burrowed into Chenxiang's body, seeking to occupy this body filled with terrifying life force and return to the human world.

Chenxiang roared loudly, mobilizing the energy and blood throughout his body, and the nameless technique also circulated rapidly. Yet, this could not stop the invasion of the ghostly entity. Although he was extremely weak at this moment, it still managed to breach Chenxiang's defenses and entered his body, where it now held the advantage.

Watching the ghostly entity disappear into his body, Chenxiang was shocked. He knew not what the outcome would be for he lacked divine sense, could not introspect, and was unable to locate the now internal ghostly entity, only able to quietly await the unfolding events.

Equally holding their breath were the Taoist and Cui Heming, though their expressions differed vastly. The Taoist wore a smile, while Cui Heming bore a look of deep worry, as if mourning a great loss.

The ghostly entity, now excitedly navigating Chenxiang's body, quickly glimpsed a bright light — that was Chenxiang's Heart Sea. The ghostly entity's will settled there, aiming to take possession of the Heart Sea, a unique talent of its kind.

Over Chenxiang's Heart Sea hovered endless brightness; a benevolent-faced child played over the sea. That was Chenxiang's subconscious, the true self of a person. Many are led astray by desires and controlled by bodily instincts, thus losing their true hearts and unable to see their true selves or attain enlightenment, which is why cultivators choose to live in seclusion, away from worldly distractions.

Only by stripping away the external influences could one detach from the six desires, see oneself clearly, and behold the Tathagata.

However, since Cui Heming had not truly embarked on his cultivation journey, he was unable to see his true self, let alone influence it. But his true self also possessed its own instincts and consciousness; it was merely obscured by the six desires and could not merge internally and externally.

Therefore, the moment the ghostly entity invaded his Heart Sea, his true self became alert and looked warily at this uninvited guest.

The ghostly entity, however, emitted a triumphant laugh. Such a weak true self posed no threat to him, even though he was incredibly weak at the moment.

With a sinister smile, it extended its ghastly claws towards Cui Heming's tender true self, seemingly anticipating its own success.

Just then, the previously calm Heart Sea suddenly surged tumultuously, and the whole world seemed to tremble violently. The illusory sky appeared to be torn apart by some terrifying presence.

Thus, the ghostly entity witnessed the most terrifying sight of its life. Two figures suddenly appeared in the originally illusory sky, one clad in a green robe, standing in the void with an indistinguishable face, seemingly enveloped by endless waves. The other figure was even more ethereal, with only its three eyes coldly staring at him.

A wave of terror instantly engulfed its entire body. At this moment, the ghostly entity felt fear. It was a soul's instinctual warning. The appearance of even one such figure was enough to make it unable to resist, let alone two.

It looked at Cui Heming's true self in astonishment, guessing the identity of the boy, but it was too late for any regrets now.

The two figures appeared above the tumultuous Heart Sea, where suddenly a Treasure Lamp in the shape of a lotus flower, seemingly made of jade and enveloped in a unique aura, rose.

With the lamp's appearance above the Heart Sea, the previously raging waves calmed down at once, leaving only the Treasure resting quietly above.

A greedy look flashed in the ghostly entity's eyes. It couldn't help but stretch out its hands to embrace the Precious Lotus Lantern, yet just at that moment, the previously tranquil Precious Lotus Lantern suddenly stirred.

A faint flame ignited within the lamp. The tiny spark looked extremely feeble as if a slight breeze could extinguish it, yet this small flame made the ghostly entity feel a danger it had never felt before. Following its instincts, the ghostly entity turned and fled.

The tiny spark suddenly brightened. As the ghostly entity fled, flames instantly ignited on its body. These were special flames that could burn directly through a soul.

The ghostly entity screamed in pain, trying various means to extinguish the flames but to no avail. As the flames grew larger, its consciousness gradually blurred, full of immense regret. It should have become a great Ghost King, ruling over countless ghosts in the Underworld. Why did it have to die so inexplicably in this place?

If it could turn back time, the ghostly entity would certainly have fled at the first sight of Cui Heming. Unfortunately, the world offers no remedy for regret. It could only fade away gradually with unresolved queries and reluctance, its soul scattering into oblivion.