Chapter 315

Chapter 315: Death Continues

“Dark vortex!”

“It’s said that only by offering blood sacrifices can its power be suppressed, allowing the Ghost Ship of the Buried Immortals to pass.”

Moon-Returning Dragon’s expression changed as memories of this place surged forth.

He quickly summoned his Moon Blade, which circled protectively around Liu Yuewu and Zhan Feiyu.

Even Jin Zhihong unleashed terrifying Holy Might, fully activating his Holy Body to shield Nie Bahuang and Qing Xie.

The remaining fifteen Butian Guards, however, had no such protection. They were instantly flung into the dark vortex, vanishing amidst their horrified screams.

Zhang Yang and Yaoruoxian released their Holy Might as well, reinforcing themselves and remaining unharmed.

As those fifteen Butian Guards were consumed by the vortex, the terrifying rotational force gradually weakened—as if the blood and lives offered had pacified it.

Then, the Ghost Ship broke free from the vortex’s grasp and continued its journey.

Everyone finally exhaled.

“Where are the others?”

“Ziteng?”

“What about Brother Yuan?”

They quickly looked around, only to discover a chilling truth: those who had fallen into deep slumber due to their past and present life visions had all vanished.

Du Ziteng, Yuan Chimuyu, and all eighty-five Butian Guards were gone without a trace.

“What’s going on? I clearly saw only fifteen Butian Guards fall into the vortex,” Moon-Returning Dragon said, his face pale. “There couldn’t have been a sixteenth.”

Jin Zhihong’s expression darkened. He muttered, “The ship swallowed them.”

A chill ran through everyone’s hearts.

Zhang Yang and Yaoruoxian felt shivers down their spines. They immediately began to search.

But they found nothing.

“Yuan Chimuyu’s blood is gone too!” someone suddenly cried out.

Earlier, Jin Zhihong had gouged out Yuan Chimuyu’s eyes, and blood had poured out, yet now, the deck was mysteriously clean.

The River of Death hadn’t swept across the ship. There was no reason for the blood to disappear.

A cold sweat broke out on everyone’s backs.

They all realized one horrifying truth:

There was something truly terrifying aboard the Ghost Ship of the Buried Immortals.

Earlier, the Great Terror in the cabin had vanished, perhaps due to the influence of the Supreme Emperor. In any case, it had not reappeared.

Now, what could be the reason?

“Past and present lives… trapped in a deep sleep, calls are in vain, their bodies heavy as mountains, yet they’ve vanished into thin air,” Zhang Yang murmured. “If the light of past and present lives has no connection to the Ghost Ship of the Buried Immortals, that would be truly strange.”

Everyone swallowed hard.

Zhang Yang continued in a soft voice, “The Ghost Ship of the Buried Immortals… life and death in endless cycle. Each voyage may be a form of reincarnation, representing death itself. Could it be using human blood to honor the Abyss of the Buried Immortals? Or perhaps… to honor the ship itself?”

“It seems the danger is far from over.”

Yaoruoxian, Moon-Returning Dragon, and Jin Zhihong all wore grave expressions, they understood this ordeal was only the beginning. Escaping Ghost Island had merely marked the start of something deeper.

“Past and present lives… the dark vortex… what comes next must be…” Moon-Returning Dragon muttered, “the Soul Binding Flower.”

Everyone quickly turned their gaze forward.

In the distance, amidst the crashing waves of the vast river, a pink flower rose from the water, standing eerily still and unaffected by the current.

At the sight of it, everyone felt a ripple of fear, as if the flower were calling directly to their souls.

“Don’t look at it!” Moon-Returning Dragon shouted. “The Soul Binding Flower targets the soul itself. Before Eternal Night, it devours enough souls to take on human form and begin cultivating the immortal path.”

Everyone immediately turned away, not daring to be careless.

Yet deep within their hearts, a voice seemed to whisper, tempting them to look again.

“Control yourselves! This is the terror of the Soul Binding Flower, it reaches into your soul. If your will is weak, the danger is unimaginable,” Moon-Returning Dragon warned.

In contrast to the tension gripping the others, Zhang Yang felt strangely calm. For him, that so-called inner voice simply did not exist, not even the faintest trace.

At most, when he had first glanced at the Soul Binding Flower, he had felt a brief, odd sensation. The dim light of death beneath the Shattered Heavenly Realm had flickered slightly but after that, nothing.

Curious, he couldn’t help stealing another glance, and he vaguely saw countless anguished souls writhing within the flower, desperately trying to escape.

“Brother Zhang, don’t!” Moon-Returning Dragon cried out.

Zhang Yang responded with a soft hum and quickly looked away. He felt a flicker of gratitude toward Moon-Returning Dragon for the timely warning in a moment of danger.

But just as he turned his gaze, he heard a splash, someone had collapsed.

Qing Xie!

Qing Xie had fallen to the deck. His face was pale, jaws clenched tightly, his expression filled with pain. In that instant, a streak of green light shot from his body, resembling a ferocious scorpion. It struggled fiercely but was uncontrollably pulled toward the Soul Binding Flower.

“Beast soul,” Moon-Returning Dragon said coldly. “A trait of those from the Creation Pavilion of the Taixu Dynasty—they fuse beast souls with human souls. Some manifest in physical form; others remain hidden, appearing like ordinary people. I… Lord of Fish and Dragons!”

Before he could finish, his expression changed drastically. Zhan Fei Yu, standing beside him, suddenly collapsed as well.

What was truly shocking was that this martial arts lord of the Cold Moon Dynasty displayed the same symptoms as Qing Xie. A beam of white light emerged from his body, revealing a giant fish with a hint of dragon blood.

“Beast soul!” Moon-Returning Dragon and Liu Yuewu cried out in unison.

The giant fish was also pulled into the Soul Binding Flower and vanished.

The Lord of Fish and Dragons, Zhan Fei Yu, had died just like that.

“Zhan Fei Yu was a spy planted by the Taixu Dynasty!” Moon-Returning Dragon shouted, voice heavy with anger.

Jin Zhihong, still overwhelmed by the recent losses, stood stunned by Zhan Fei Yu’s death. He cursed aloud, “Useless! Everyone from the Creation Pavilion is useless. You send me two geniuses, and one’s been hiding in the shadows this whole time. What a joke! Zhan Fei Yu was completely worthless, just died like that!”

He was clearly frustrated.

Now, only Nie Bahuang remained of his elite group. The rest had perished, including the hidden insider.

Moon-Returning Dragon, too, was infuriated. The presence of so many spies around him only heightened the pressure, how deeply had the Cold Moon Dynasty been infiltrated?

The atmosphere on the ship turned suffocating.

Everyone remained on edge furious, anxious, and terrified. Though the Ghost Ship of the Buried Immortals had passed the Soul Binding Flower, a lingering sense of dread hung in the air.

To Zhang Yang’s surprise, Yaoruoxian was still staring at the Soul Binding Flower, her eyes calm and focused, utterly unaffected by its pull. In her gemstone-like irises, a flicker of holy light danced.

Through his sensitivity to Soul Binding Power, Zhang Yang realized it wasn’t fear she felt. It was enlightenment.

Yaoruoxian was actually using the Soul Binding Flower to comprehend the Dao.

That was the difference between them.

While everyone else trembled in fear, she stood there seeking insight.

Her composure jolted Zhang Yang back to awareness.

"Yes… I can do this too."

“Soul Binding Flower—soul…”

“My Soul Binding Power!”

Zhang Yang suppressed all distractions, clearing his mind like still water. He focused fully on the Soul Binding Flower.

This move left Moon-Returning Dragon, Liu Yuewu, Jin Zhihong, and Nie Bahuang completely dumbfounded. When they glanced again at Yaoruoxian, also using the terrifying Soul Binding Flower as a source of insight. They were left speechless.

Was the gap between them really so vast?

The Ghost Ship of the Buried Immortals drifted forward slowly.

Zhang Yang’s gaze remained steady. His eyes sparkled with light as a strange feeling surged within him. He delved into the dim light of his bloodline, and a strong wave of comprehension rose from the depths of his soul.

His Soul Binding Power was evolving.