The ghosts let out unrestrained laughter.
They were incredibly arrogant, their contemptuous voices quickly reaching them.
"A bunch of fools, truly thinking that by defeating the water ghosts above, they can do anything to us."
"Hahahaha."
The sharp voices of these beings continued to ring out, making one feel particularly uneasy.
Meanwhile, Gu Qianying and the others fell into boundless darkness.
This darkness seemed to exist as a natural barrier.
As soon as they fell into it, they were instantly consumed by the power within.
The few individuals immediately panicked, each forming a barrier with their qi.
They managed to maintain their forms with great effort.
The objects kept darting about, leaving only afterimages, no bodies.
Gu Qianying had intended to make a move.
However, as soon as her palm touched, she was unable to find their traces and nearly sustained an injury.
It was not for Nan Gongmo's timely reaction.
Gu Qianying would have already become a meal.
Just as they were all at a loss, it seemed their predicament was discovered from outside, and their actions became even more audacious.
Relying on Gu Qianying's inability to track them.
They began to fiercely attack the barrier where the five of them were located.
This place was originally the ninth level of hell, with evil energy constantly flowing. Their barrier was already affected by this, and now it was under attack.
It was almost shattered.
The group, rarely showing any sign of distress, now appeared disheveled.
Gu Qianying, in a fit of rage, unleashed her power, surging forward. The entities, upon being attacked, also began to retreat.
Yet, even so, they did not change their disgusting behavior.
Either they mocked from the sidelines or attempted to plunder the energy around them.
Soon, no matter how the five protected their barrier.
The barrier was ultimately shattered, its power scattering into everything, creating specks of light.
Those entities swallowed the energy within.
"Good stuff!"
"But even better is the good stuff before us."
Gu Qianying vigilantly scanned her surroundings, gritting her teeth. "What exactly is on the third level?"
The water ghosts had mentioned it when sending them down.
"These are all headless ghosts. Their heads were severed, so their surrounding energy could not condense, causing their forms to dissipate, unable to coalesce into bodies in reality."
"But precisely because of this, their power is exceptionally formidable, as they can attach to anything in this world and directly devour it."
Gu Qianying's gaze grew increasingly dark. If this were the case, these things would be very difficult to deal with.
"The most important thing now is that these ghostly things don't appear before us. No matter what we do, we have no way to attack them."
The third level of hell was a realm of nothingness.
Everything they saw was immense; they seemed unable to reach the boundaries of this place, yet also unable to move forward, confined to this spot.
As time wore on, everyone's emotions grew more agitated, their faces showing signs of anxiety.
Nan Gongmo finally stepped forward, his eyes filled with icy coldness. He finally proposed a plan. "My blood is a great tonic for them. Perhaps I can lure them out. Once they reveal themselves, it will be easier for us to fight."
Du Chun was startled.
"Don't be rash. Just now, when I did that, your wife scolded me to no end. If you sacrifice your life today, do you want to be a hero like me?"
Although his words were harsh, he was genuinely concerned for Nan Gongmo.
Nan Gongmo's blood, infused with spiritual energy, was the most nourishing.
Let alone the ghosts in this hell, even people in reality coveted his blood, wishing only to possess it.
"And!"
Du Chun clicked his tongue, his expression one of great regret. "Your blood is so nourishing; it's too good for those things to eat."
Gu Qianying followed suit, extremely worried. "It's one thing for Du Chun to have a problem with his brain, but why are you going crazy too?"
"In any case, I will not allow you to do this."
Du Chun rolled his eyes back. "Don't forget, it was because of me that we repelled all those water ghosts."
Gu Qianying ignored him, continuing to look at Nan Gongmo with concern.
Nan Gongmo sighed, lowering his gaze. "It's fine. This is the fastest method now. I don't want to delay everyone. Please grant me this."
His eyes held a resolute gaze as he looked forward.
Unable to face him, they could only turn their gazes to Gu Qianying.
A cold glint appeared in Gu Qianying's eyes, and she gritted her teeth, falling into deep thought.
A shadow settled in Nan Gongmo's eyes. "Don't worry about me."
Gu Qianying finally relented, letting out a long sigh. "No matter what, your life comes first."
Nan Gongmo nodded quickly, then moved his body, swiftly ascending into the air.
The afterimages sensed this person and followed suit.
Countless evil energies swirled around Nan Gongmo, each one restless.
Nan Gongmo's eyes flashed with coldness. He drew a short blade from his waist and swiftly cut his finger.
With a swish, the blade gleamed with cold light.
Blood then floated in the air.
The spiritual energy in this blood boiled, its aroma exceptionally delicious, naturally attracting the beings below.
They began to stir wildly, their forms that were previously floating in the darkness revealing themselves.
As the water ghosts had said, they were all headless.
Only a skeletal frame remained, still floating in the air. Their internal organs also protruded from their necks, grotesquely entwined around them.
Nan Gongmo's blood possessed immense power.
Soon, all the headless ghosts here began to riot. They surged forth, their bodies covered in blood.
Because Ouyang Qinglin and Du Chun were injured.
Gu Qianying and Meng Qinghua set up a barrier again.
After they had finished, they immediately drew their weapons and moved forward at speed.
Seeing Nan Gongmo growing weaker, the two dared not delay for a moment.
Their blades rose and fell continuously, white blades entering and red blades exiting, carving a bloody path.
The headless ghosts possessed extremely potent inner strength, and they were further nourished by Nan Gongmo's blood.
They finally began to counterattack.
But Gu Qianying's eyes were bloodshot, and she possessed an unprecedented resilience, relentlessly attacking.
Her blade slashed directly at them.
As one, two, three headless ghosts fell, their previously vast afterimages quickly receded, consolidating into a small space.
Gu Qianying was covered in blood, her eyes icy cold.
Beneath her feet, countless headless ghosts lay fallen. They had no mouths or noses, only the wriggling of their bodies to indicate their pain.
Gu Qianying's eyes saw nothing.
These headless ghosts that harmed Nan Gongmo were to be killed without fail.
She then unleashed a fire, burning the shattered remains clean.
In the spiritual fire, the headless ghosts were reduced to bones, finally turning into dust, leaving behind wails that dissipated into resentment and drifted into the River of Forgetfulness.
Nan Gongmo's blood was completely depleted, and his body grew increasingly weak.
Seeing the spiritual fire ignite, he could no longer hold on and collapsed weakly to the ground.