Chapter 137: The Wolf-Lion Beast Ghost King Cannot Be Killed (Please Support with Monthly and Recommendation Votes)

After shaking off all the ghost soldiers clinging to its back, the Wolf-Lion Beast Ghost King felt there were still others it hadn't dislodged, but it ignored them and continued to charge desperately toward Wei Xiaoping and the two Underworld Hounds. It pushed itself even harder, thinking anxiously, "If I don't increase my speed, Wei Xiaoping and the others will reach the shore and escape!"

Ghost King Gaoyang, clinging to the beast's back, saw the Wolf-Lion Beast Ghost King shake its entire body to throw off the surrounding ghosts like water droplets. Now, seeing it redouble its efforts to pursue Wei Xiaoping, Gaoyang became extremely agitated. He shouted to the ghost soldiers below to come together, block the beast, and use all their strength to entangle it and delay it as long as possible. Hearing the order, the ghosts who had just been thrown off stood up and lunged at the Wolf-Lion Beast Ghost King once more.

The vanguard ghost soldiers, seeing that their massive numbers had failed to stop this ferocious beast, were joined by dozens more who rushed forward to intercept it. Meanwhile, Wang Jiming, having learned the method to kill the Wolf-Lion Beast Ghosts from Gaoyang, instructed his soldiers accordingly. Several ghosts worked together to knock one of the beasts down, immediately decapitated it, and kicked the head far away from the body. The headless beast lay in the Black Water River, its limbs twitching for a moment before coming to a complete stop, drifting lifelessly down the dark river.

The other Wolf-Lion Beast Ghosts, seeing their companions' heads severed and discarded, realized their weakness had been exposed. Enraged, dozens of them roared simultaneously, mouths agape, charging frantically at the ghost soldiers. Because these beasts were massive and had sustained themselves by consuming various hell-ghosts—absorbing their essence to bolster their own power—their strength and magic varied, but all were formidable. When they rammed into the ghost soldiers, they sent them flying dozens of meters away; others were caught in the beasts' jaws and devoured.

The five hundred ghost soldiers brought by Wang Jiming were elite forces meticulously trained by Gaoyang and tempered by many battles. However, the Wolf-Lion Beast Ghosts were natural predators whose bodies were hardened by constant combat and the consumption of spiritual essence. Thus, the battle between the hundred or so elite ghosts and the fifty or sixty beasts was a stalemate. The beasts fought with a suicidal ferocity, disregarding their own lives, which left some of the ghost soldiers trembling. Seeing this, Wang Jiming realized that even with a numerical advantage, victory was not guaranteed.

As Wei Xiaoping and the hounds neared the bank, Wang Jiming ordered another hundred soldiers to reinforce his position. The boost in strength allowed them to kill a dozen beasts, though they lost a dozen soldiers in return. Just as Wei Xiaoping reached the bank, he looked back to bid Gaoyang farewell, only to see the Wolf-Lion Beast Ghost King—a small, mountain-like mass of beast and nearly a hundred clinging ghosts—charging toward him. He could not spot Gaoyang.

This beast was an ancient entity, imprisoned by the King of Hell for thousands of years. Its body had become as hard as armor through the accumulation of energy from eating hell-ghosts, making it immune to ordinary weapons. Gaoyang and his soldiers had climbed onto the beast, grabbing its fur and limbs to weigh it down and hinder its movement, buying time for Wei Xiaoping to escape.

Suddenly, Gaoyang stood up. Seeing Wei Xiaoping looking at him, he shouted, "Brother Xiaoping, hurry to the shore! Once you cross, the ghosts of the Black Water Prison cannot follow, for the King of Hell has placed a sealing curse along all the banks. Go, and do not look back! I cannot follow, but once you reach the mortal realm, send me a dream to tell me of your fate; do not let me worry!"

Wei Xiaoping finally spotted Gaoyang. He realized the beast’s hide was too thick for ordinary blades, which was why Gaoyang had failed to kill it earlier. "Brother Gaoyang!" Wei Xiaoping called out, "Order your soldiers to jump onto its head! Pull its fur, cover its eyes, and pin its ears so it cannot see or move its head! Have the others pull its limbs in four directions to force it to the ground, then decapitate it and ensure the head is kept away from the neck so it cannot regenerate!"

"Understood, brother!" Gaoyang replied. "Go now, and leave us be!" He then ordered the soldiers near Wei Xiaoping to push him toward the safety of the shore.