Repressing the Wraith

The cold stone jar, covered in intricate and profound carvings, now bore a new imprint—a portrait of peerless elegance etched into its surface.

Above it floated a peculiar structure, neither palace nor temple: the first level of the Five Emperor Pagoda, ancient and majestic.

Xiao Chen's heart was a mix of joy and worry. He had finally escaped the world within the stone jar, but he now found himself in an awkward predicament. Leaving aside the matter of possessing the female corpse's body, his current inability to move at all filled him with unease.

If the shadowy entity discovered him, the consequences would be hard to predict.

Clearly, luck was not on his side. The shadowy figure had not noticed anything at first, but as it continued to refine the stone jar, it keenly detected the anomaly.

A demonic finger struck the jar's body heavily, jolting Xiao Chen as if struck by lightning. However, fortunately, his origin was not harmed. The shadow discovered the newly appeared carving and let out a low roar.

It evidently sensed what had happened and was extremely displeased. It fiercely drove black divine flames to scorch the carving.

Xiao Chen could not move at all and could only endure this passively. He had transformed into an imprint and had no idea how to break through the wall.

"Clang..."

The sounds were unceasing. Xiao Chen did not know how many heavy blows he had endured, but fortunately the stone jar was indestructible and protected the imprint upon it.

After an unknown period of time, the shadowy figure ceased its movements and sat cross-legged in utter stillness, as if in meditation.

It was at this moment that the tiny point of light quietly communicated with Xiao Chen, transmitting a message into his mind sea, instructing him on how to use the female corpse's body to break through the wall.

Xiao Chen silently circulated his profound method, secretly controlling the female corpse's body. One of its arms extended across the jar's surface like a drifting cloud, slowly reaching the Five Emperor Pagoda.

Then he remained motionless, secretly establishing a connection with the pagoda. This would be the most powerful weapon he might need when escaping.

To severely wound the shadowy figure, ordinary weapons and divine principles were useless. Only the Three Sovereign Mirror, the Five Emperor Pagoda, or the combined strength of the kings could suppress it.

In the darkness, clouds surged and rolled. The shadowy figure's body gradually faded and eventually disappeared.

This was the strange phenomenon Xiao Chen observed. Seeing this, he restrained his impulse and decided to continue observing. This terrifying demonic being was very mysterious.

In the end, he discovered that the shadowy figure seemed unable to maintain its solid form for long. At regular intervals, it would automatically dissolve into ethereal black mist. But at the slightest disturbance from the outside world, it would manifest again in an instant.

After learning enough from the faint light point and ensuring no mistakes, Xiao Chen controlled the female corpse to suddenly manifest.

At that moment, the shadowy figure was also manifesting, re-condensing its illusory body.

At this time, Xiao Chen was the female corpse, and the female corpse was Xiao Chen. Even though he found this situation extremely uncomfortable and even got goosebumps, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and maintain the status quo.

He had already died several times in this life—what more could he fear? A brief body swap was nothing. Being able to control this powerful physical shell was his only capital for survival.

"Whoosh!"

Wind surged as five jade-white fingers shimmered with crystalline radiance, gripping the Five Emperor Pagoda and swinging it down. The figure's posture was graceful yet filled with unimaginable power.

"Boom!"

The Five Emperor Pagoda struck the shadowy figure's body heavily. Attacking it while it was still forming, before it had fully taken shape, was the most effective tactic.

Especially since this female corpse's body contained vast, unfathomable power. Wielding the ancient sacred artifact, the Five Emperor Pagoda, gave it a fierce, unmatched killing momentum.

Simple and direct—the shadow was immediately dispersed. Xiao Chen did not linger. He grabbed the stone jar, turned, and fled at full speed.

He would not be arrogant enough to think he could kill the shadowy figure in one blow. Even controlling this powerful female corpse, it was not enough. After all, this was only pure power. Without the female corpse's own exquisite techniques and methods, or communication with the Dao imprints, it was difficult to match the shadowy figure.

He fled swiftly, charging toward the deepest part of the world behind the stone gate. He dared not stop, fearing he would be pulled back to the starting point by some strange force.

"Rip!"

Just then, a patch of demonic clouds surged in, cutting off his path and severing a strand of the female corpse's hair.

Even though the shadowy figure had been dispersed, its instinctive power was still terrifyingly strong. In an instant, it began to condense into form again.

For now, Xiao Chen could only advance, not retreat. His left hand formed the Five Emperor Seal, while his right hand swung the Five Emperor Pagoda, charging forward and unleashing a devastating assault.

These were the two ultimate powers he could currently wield!

"Boom!"

The Five Emperor Seal was unimaginably powerful. When the divine seal formed by his left hand came crashing down, the shadowy figure's body immediately cracked.

This exceeded Xiao Chen's expectations and filled him with deep shock. No one understood better than him just how powerful and terrifying the shadowy figure was—even the combined forces of the kings had not been able to kill it.

But he quickly understood the mystery. The Five Emperor Seal was naturally profound and mysterious, and perhaps only this female corpse's body could unleash its power to the extreme. Now, it was not his true body using the seal, but the female corpse performing it. Such an effect was naturally not surprising.

The shadowy figure shook violently but quickly repaired its body and counterattacked. At that moment, the Five Emperor Pagoda had already pressed down from above. The result was inevitable: it shattered the shadow again.

Xiao Chen still dared not stay. He did not continue his killing strikes, knowing these methods could not truly destroy the opponent, only temporarily halt its advance.

"In this present age, it has no equal enemy. Let me release it to use up the last of its lingering radiance," the faint point of light on the stone jar said.

"What are you going to do?"

"I am finished; my spiritual awareness is about to scatter. Let me provide you with the Dao imprint, communicate with the female corpse's divine power, and unleash the Five Emperor Pagoda to severely wound this fiend."

Xiao Chen was silent in his heart. He could be cold-blooded toward his enemies, but toward those close to him, he was often too emotional. It was difficult for him to accept the news that the Stone Man King puppet was about to be completely extinguished.

But he was powerless to change reality. Xiao Chen offered up the Stone Man King puppet, and the tiny point of light immediately submerged into it.

"To think that after endless ages, I could still return to my original body. But alas, the Dao resonance has begun to collapse, the origin has dried up, and there is no turning back."

The Stone Man King puppet seemed very desolate. Without any delay, its entire corpse transformed into a blazing, intense light, merging with the Five Emperor Pagoda in the female corpse's hand.

At the same time, Xiao Chen incarnated the female corpse, and the limitless potential hidden within its flesh burst forth completely. This was a sacred, transcendent power that surpassed even a Stone Man King!

The world behind the stone gate ruptured, as if nothing existed anymore. Light became the only thing.

The Five Emperor Pagoda in the female corpse's hand blazed like a Dharma wheel, like a sun, with five figures emerging from within.

And the female corpse itself became immensely powerful. Its hair flew wildly, its eyes shot cold lightning, and its bearing was heroic and spirited. Its five jade fingers established a very subtle connection with the Five Emperor Pagoda.

At this moment, although it briefly halted, it was not pulled back to the starting point by the strange power, because absolute strength could break any confinement!

The shadowy figure spread its ten fingers wide, and black threads wove into a dense, enormous net, covering the female corpse beneath it. It naturally sensed the threat but had to fight desperately.

"Boom!"

Blazing divine flames surged and burned. The female corpse swung the Five Emperor Pagoda. The five figures above moved in sync with it. Boundless light destroyed the black threads one by one, shattering the shadowy figure on the spot.

This time, even though the shadow was well-prepared, it still suffered a great loss!

Xiao Chen's body merged with the female corpse. Although extremely awkward, he had to marvel at the power of this body. The transcendent power that surpassed a Stone Man King, commanding the legendary sacred stone weapon, unleashed combat strength that was incalculable.

"Boom!"

The Five Emperor Pagoda transformed into a giant city, pressing down with crushing force. The five figures stood atop it, firmly restraining the shadowy figure and pressing it into the pagoda.

At this moment, Xiao Chen felt invincible. By borrowing the burning Dao imprints of the Stone Man King puppet, he had awakened the female corpse's ultimate potential and controlled the Five Emperor Pagoda to dominate the heavens.

"Shatter!"

The shadowy figure shook violently, trying to overturn the Five Emperor Pagoda and escape. But Xiao Chen would not let go of this rare opportunity. The Five Emperor Seal pressed down, coordinating with the descending pagoda.

"Roar!"

At this moment, the shadowy figure let out a howl. Black mist surged and demonic flames raged as it fiercely resisted.

But Xiao Chen's momentum was at its peak. The limitless potential within the female corpse's flesh burst forth. Although the Five Emperor Pagoda was only one level, the power it unleashed was still unimaginable.

"Boom!" The Five Emperor Seal struck heavily. The shadowy figure staggered and fell into the Five Emperor Pagoda.

"Refine it!"

This was a golden opportunity that came once in a thousand years. Xiao Chen would not let it pass. Using the supreme physical shell, he drove the Five Emperor Pagoda to seal and suppress, hoping to permanently eliminate the shadowy figure.

The five figures above the pagoda simultaneously returned to the tower, suppressing the fiend together.

Blazing divine flames burned fiercely. The Five Emperor Pagoda was like the only divine fire in the darkness, exceptionally brilliant and dazzling.

But Xiao Chen frowned. The shadowy figure was too powerful. Before he reached the Little Stone Emperor's realm, it seemed very difficult to destroy it by his own hand. Having powerful strength alone was not enough; without knowing the methods to refine and suppress it with Dao imprints, the Five Emperor Pagoda could only temporarily hold the shadow at bay.

"Boom!"

At this moment, the Stone Man King puppet's form and spirit burned out completely. After the final sublimation, the Five Emperor Pagoda dimmed somewhat.

Xiao Chen felt that the power flowing from the female corpse's body was not as smooth as before. He could not fully communicate with it or unleash it completely.

"Roar!" The shadowy entity immediately sensed this and repeatedly charged within the pagoda, on the verge of breaking out.

"Boom!"

An unexpected development occurred. Xiao Chen discovered that when he formed the Five Emperor Seal, the five carvings inside the pagoda—the seal-forming diagrams—released a surge of immense divine power. The Five Emperor Pagoda blazed with light, and the shadowy being suffered heavy damage.

"Refine it? Could the carvings inside the Five Emperor Pagoda be the key?"

Xiao Chen fled as he drove the female corpse's boundless divine power into the pagoda. At this moment, nothing was more important than destroying the shadowy entity.

The powerful female corpse seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of divine power, bringing the five imprints within the pagoda to life. They continuously drew upon the ocean-like energy of this physical shell.

The female corpse could not truly communicate with the origin Dao, but the Five Emperor Pagoda could. With a steady stream of divine power, the shadowy entity was in terrible straits, suffering horribly.

At this moment, Xiao Chen had already arrived at a cliff. Without any hesitation, he leaped down, plunging directly into the pitch-black abyss.