# Chapter 833: The Unfathomable Old Monk
Shenchu Ghost King also sensed the immense crisis, his massive body trembling slightly.
Just this slight movement caused the entire volcano to shake, with flames bursting from the summit and golden magma gushing forth, flowing fiercely down from above.
At the same time, Shenchu Ghost King opened his mouth and spat out a mass of ghostly qi.
"An ant dares to attack me? Die!"
That mass of ghostly qi flew through the air, condensed into human form, and transformed into a giant ghost general clad in black armor, his body four meters tall. He gripped a black spear in his hand, let out a low roar, and thrust it toward Zhang Ruochen.
Even though Shenchu Ghost King was currently extremely weak, the mouthful of ghostly qi he spat out was still formidable, containing earth-shattering power.
As the spear thrust forward, sand and stones flew across the volcano's surface, and ghostly qi surged wildly.
In the magma ocean, huge waves rose up. In the blink of an eye, the sharp spear tip had already reached Zhang Ruochen.
"If you want to kill him, you'll have to step over my corpse first."
Mu Lingxi channeled her sacred qi, her slender body completely covered in white snake scales.
A pair of enormous phoenix wings spread from her back. She pushed both palms forward, sending the Hundred Beasts True Cauldron flying out.
The Hundred Beasts True Cauldron spun rapidly, growing larger and larger until it reached three zhang in height, transforming into a massive black cauldron that collided with the spear thrust by the ghost general.
"Boom."
The ghost general used overwhelming force to send the Hundred Beasts True Cauldron flying backward, slamming into Mu Lingxi's chest.
Blood sprayed from Mu Lingxi's mouth. She took one last look at Zhang Ruochen, a faint smile appearing in her eyes, before she fell with a splash into the magma ocean.
Seeing this, Zhang Ruochen's heart trembled. Bloodshot veins bulged in his eyes as he roared, "Die!"
Dozens of spatial fissures simultaneously flew toward Shenchu Ghost King. The entire space shattered completely, instantly tearing apart the spear-wielding ghost general.
The shattered space did not slow down but continued flying toward the mountainside.
Shenchu Ghost King knew he had reached a life-or-death moment. He let out a loud roar, shaking his ghostly body into pieces, transforming into a mass of ghostly qi that broke free from the thirty-six Buddhist text chains.
This was a method that damaged his own cultivation. Although it would severely injure his vitality, it was the only way to preserve his life.
"Whoosh—"
That mass of ghostly qi rushed out from between the dozens of spatial fissures and disappeared into the sky above the volcano.
"I will not let... you... you wait and see..."
Shenchu Ghost King's voice grew fainter and fainter until it completely vanished.
Just as Shenchu Ghost King let out that roar, Zhang Ruochen's vision went black. He collapsed to the ground, blood flowing from his seven orifices, and fell unconscious.
When he woke up again, he was still lying at the foot of the volcano. A monk in simple Buddhist robes stood not far away, staring at him with deep eyes.
The old monk was withered and thin, like a layer of brown old skin stretched over bones.
Yet this very person gave Zhang Ruochen a feeling of looking up at a towering mountain. It was as if even a single strand of his hair falling to the ground could make the earth tremble; a single exhaled breath could change the color of heaven and earth.
Even if the Buddha Emperor were alive, he would probably be no more than this.
The old monk revealed a kind smile, bowed to Zhang Ruochen, and said, "Benefactor, you have finally awakened."
Zhang Ruochen's gaze fixed on the surging magma ocean. He looked somewhat lost and dazed, his eyes filled with confusion.
His heart was heavy with pain as he climbed to his feet and whispered, "Lingxi."
The old monk smiled slightly and said, "Benefactor need not worry. That female benefactor has already been rescued by this humble monk. The female benefactor has the bloodline of the Ice Phoenix within her, and her life force is quite strong. There is no major problem."
Zhang Ruochen's eyes widened, and an expression of immense joy appeared on his face.
Only then did he notice Mu Lingxi lying on the ground. He immediately rushed over, helped her up, and examined her injuries.
Just as the old monk had said, although Mu Lingxi had not awakened, her breathing was steady and her life force was quite vigorous.
Zhang Ruochen finally breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at the old monk, quickly stood up, and bowed deeply to him. "Thank you, senior, for saving us. This junior will never forget this kindness."
The old monk stood like a withered pine tree, his entire body exuding an ancient and weathered aura, like a sage who had stepped out from the pages of history.
His aged eyes examined Zhang Ruochen, and he sighed. "It is all this humble monk's fault for misjudging Shenchu Ghost King's strength. I should not have let you two young ones take such a risk."
Seeing how weak the old monk appeared, Zhang Ruochen took out two sacred stones and handed them to him.
The old monk did not refuse. He bowed to Zhang Ruochen again, then grasped the two sacred stones in his hands and began absorbing the sacred qi within them to restore his cultivation.
It must be said that the old monk's cultivation was indeed terrifying.
The sacred qi contained in a sacred stone was astonishing. With Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation, even if he spent three years, he might not be able to fully absorb the sacred qi from a single sacred stone.
But in just a short moment, the sacred qi in the two sacred stones in the old monk's hands was completely absorbed. They turned into sand grains that slipped through his fingers and scattered on the ground.
The old monk's body finally recovered somewhat, and a bit more color returned to his aged face.
"In the underworld, the sacred qi in one's body only continuously drains away and cannot be absorbed back. This humble monk and Shenchu Ghost King have been locked in combat in this Ghost Spirit Valley for over a year. The sacred stones on my person were long ago exhausted. If not for the young benefactor helping this old monk drive back Shenchu Ghost King, I would probably have died from exhaustion in a few more days," the old monk said.
Zhang Ruochen took out two more sacred stones and handed them to the old monk.
But the old monk gently waved his hand and smiled. "This humble monk has already recovered quite a bit. Even if I absorb more sacred qi, it won't have much effect. Today, I thank the young benefactor for the two sacred stones. When I return to the Kunlun Realm, I will surely repay them a hundredfold."
Seeing the old monk say this, Zhang Ruochen put the two sacred stones away and asked, "Did Shenchu Ghost King escape?"
The old monk nodded and sighed. "Earlier, he voluntarily shattered his ghostly body to escape. At that time, this humble monk's condition was truly too weak, and I was in a hurry to save you, so I could not keep him here. However, he has also suffered severe damage to his vitality. It will probably be some time before he can attempt his seventh ghost tribulation."
Zhang Ruochen's expression turned serious. "Shenchu Ghost King is about to undergo his seventh ghost tribulation?"
Once he passed the seventh ghost tribulation, Shenchu Ghost King would rename himself Shenchu Ghost Emperor, becoming an existence comparable to a Great Saint.
A Great Saint was one with the most supreme wisdom, who understood all the principles of the myriad things, and had cultivated the sacred path to its pinnacle.
The old monk nodded. "About a year ago, this humble monk came to the underworld to travel and happened to encounter Shenchu Ghost King attempting his seventh ghost tribulation here. That is why I stepped in to stop him."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Why did Shenchu Ghost King choose to undergo his ghost tribulation here? The space here is very fragile. How can it withstand the power of the ghost tribulation?"
"Benefactor is quite perceptive."
The old monk praised him. "This point has also puzzled me greatly. It was only after several months of continuous combat with Shenchu Ghost King that I gradually figured it out."
"Since benefactor was able to come here, you must have heard the legendary story of Qiangu Nüdi slaying a god. It is said that the divine corpse fell into this Ghost Spirit Valley."
"What does Shenchu Ghost King have to do with this story? Could it be..." A startling thought emerged in Zhang Ruochen's mind.
The old monk saw through Zhang Ruochen's thoughts and said, "That is correct. Shenchu Ghost King is very likely the ghost soul of that fallen god. That is why he came here to undergo his seventh ghost tribulation. By borrowing the divine power from his former life, his chances of successfully crossing the tribulation would be greater."
Zhang Ruochen's face grew solemn. "If he really is the ghost soul of a god, letting him escape this time will surely bring endless trouble in the future."
The old monk remained quite calm. "One could only say that his fate has not yet run its course, and he is not destined to die. Ghost Spirit Valley has always been his territory. He had every advantage of time, place, and circumstance. Even if a human Great Saint had come, they might not have been able to destroy him."
"Being too attached to regret and resentment will only hinder one's cultivation and serve no purpose. It is better to look forward. Are there not more opportunities in the future?"
Since Shenchu Ghost King had already escaped, no matter how unwilling he felt, it was meaningless.
From this, one could also see that the old monk's state of mind was indeed far superior to Zhang Ruochen's, a young man.
The old monk continued, "This humble monk has never liked being indebted to others, but today I owe the benefactor a great favor. How about this: I promise to do two things for you to repay this kindness."
Zhang Ruochen stared at the old monk, seeing his very solemn expression, which did not seem like a joke.
The old monk's cultivation could suppress Shenchu Ghost King. This showed that even if he was not a Great Saint, he was probably very close to that realm.
For such a formidable figure to promise to do two things for him—what did that mean?
It meant that from now on, very few people in the entire Kunlun Realm would dare to offend Zhang Ruochen. Even if his former enemies saw him, they would have to take a detour.
Zhang Ruochen did not appear overly excited. He remained quite composed and asked, "I have heard that Buddhism has a legend of reincarnation. This junior would like to know, with senior's cultivation, could you help someone whose soul has been scattered to pieces to reassemble their soul? Even if you cannot bring them back to life, even just allowing them to reincarnate and cultivate would be enough."
The old monk's cultivation was truly unfathomable, which was why Zhang Ruochen had a faint glimmer of hope.
The old monk was silent for a moment, then said, "Is the benefactor asking this humble monk to help you save someone?"
"Yes," Zhang Ruochen said.
The old monk sighed. "Only a Spiritual Power Great Saint can summon back the soul of someone whose soul has been scattered to pieces. This humble monk's spiritual power is still a bit short of that step. I am truly powerless to help."