64 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

Chapter 64 He trudged away, hunched over in timidity, while the smell of blood outside had dissipated considerably by now. As a ghost cultivator, it both intrigued and intimidated him. The allure came from nature, but the terror was from witnessing the horrifying scene earlier today. As Bai Fan was still eating, her keen senses detected something around her, bringing with it a chilling sensation. The last time Bai Fan felt this way was five years ago on her way to Immortal City. Back then, she had stopped at an inn where a little ghost had followed her closely for quite some time. Feeling the eerie presence around her now, Bai Fan immediately felt on edge and turned her gaze towards Gui Deng's direction. "What's going on?" He Yi Man asked, noticing Bai Fan looking away. As a mortal, she often couldn't detect certain things. Relying solely on her eyes and ears left too many blind spots, which was why she didn't refuse Bai Fan's initial proposal to travel together. In the cultivation world, she needed a pair of ears and eyes. "I sense something unclean over there." "Something unclean?" "Yes, I'll go take a look first." With that, Bai Fan stood up and charged over. Inadvertently, she found her skills improved greatly. Upon arrival, she saw a faint white figure. Bai Fan frowned, realizing it was indeed one of those things. Seeing the ghost's skulking posture only increased her disgust. She lunged forward and struck with a lightning bolt. Previously, she needed the friction of thunderclouds to summon lightning, but after consuming a thunder orb, using electricity became much easier. She no longer required thunderclouds for small lightning strikes. As Gui Deng walked, a bolt of lightning suddenly struck in front of it, scaring it half to death. Turning its head frantically, it saw Bai Fan in her white robes and nearly fainted. "Stop!" Bai Fan shouted, flying in front of it and observing closely. Seeing its translucent form and lifeless aura, she confirmed it was a ghost. "This Daoist, I was just passing by," Gui Deng stammered, its eyes darting nervously. It couldn't fathom that the Daoist in front of it was the same one who had previously shaved off its lantern corners. Seeing the familiar lantern at its waist, Bai Fan's heart skipped. This lantern looked all too familiar. "Where did you get this lantern?" "Huh?" "Huh? Spill it." Gui Deng gave Bai Fan a once-over, wondering why she was asking about its main body. Perhaps they had met before, but it had no memory of her face. Its failure to recognize her was also due to Bai Fan's substantial changes over the years. Prolonged chanting of the Clarity Spell had significantly altered her aura. Coupled with her change in attire and facial appearance, only those very close to her would recognize her. "I picked it up." "Hand it over." Gui Deng hesitated, clutching its core body. This lantern was its essence; what would it do if it handed it over? Seeing its reluctance, Bai Fan impatiently snatched the lantern and examined it. Spotting the chipped corner, she finally pieced it together. Wasn't this the very Gui Deng that had escaped from her years ago? How had it fallen into the hands of a wandering soul now, and why did it look increasingly wretched, with its light completely extinguished? "Daoist, this lantern is very important to me." "Hmm." Bai Fan shook the lantern, infusing some spiritual energy into it, hoping Gui Deng would react. When there was no response, she became puzzled. "Why no reaction? What's going on?" Gui Deng, in front of Bai Fan, was nearly scared out of its wits. The spiritual energy nearly lit it up entirely. Luckily, it quickly reverted, avoiding exposure. "Daoist." "I'm taking this lantern. Don't feel shortchanged; I'll give you another magical item as compensation." Bai Fan rummaged through her belongings and finally pulled out a black stone. She had no idea what it was; during her time at Qingxu Sect, she had taken everything she could, and most of the items in her storage bag were unknown to her. "Here, take this." "A stone?" Bai Fan heard and frowned, holding the lantern with annoyance. "Consider yourself lucky to receive something at all. This stone is a treasure, and you think it's beneath you." Unbeknownst to even herself, she assumed that anything from the secret library of the Qingxu Sect was valuable. She tied Gui Deng’s core to her waist and, just as Gui Deng thought she was about to leave, Bai Fan scanned the surroundings and asked, "Where in Northern Continent are we? And are there any major cities nearby?" Gui Deng, frustrated, grudgingly accepted the stone, contemplating how to recover its core. It answered casually, "There's no major city in the Northern Continent. There are barely any human towns around here, let alone cultivators. You wouldn't find anyone alive for miles." "And where are you headed?" Gui Deng tensed up, its voice wavering. "I am going to find a new dwelling." "You can find dwellings here?" Bai Fan looked around; apart from sand and stones, there was nothing. Where could a dwelling be built? "Of course, Northern Continent cultivators have their own ways of cultivation," Gui Deng proudly boasted, forgetting that it had only been here for a few years and was unfamiliar with most places. As Gui Deng led the way reluctantly, He Yi Man, waiting some distance away, finally approached. Seeing Bai Fan speaking to a hazy white figure, she asked, "Who are you speaking to?" "I’m interrogating this little ghost about the Northern Continent." Seeing He Yi Man approach, Gui Deng’s legs began to tremble. It had seen He Yi Man earlier, playing the flute, and was terrified of her. "S-she… she…" "What's wrong with her?" Bai Fan asked, puzzled by its stuttering. "She was the one playing the flute earlier." Bai Fan arched an eyebrow, realizing that besides her and other cultivators, she hadn't thought anyone else would hear the tune. This little ghost not only heard it but seemed unaffected. He Yi Man, uninterested in the ghost, was merely surprised at its fear of her. "How did you know she was playing the flute?" "I was hiding underground and saw it." Gui Deng, clutching the black stone, looked utterly hopeless. With the flute-playing woman here, it figured escape was impossible. "Seems you have some skills. Lead us to your dwelling today." "What, to my dwelling?" "You just said you were looking for a new dwelling. Let us see it too." Curious about the dwelling, Bai Fan insisted on seeing it, much to Gui Deng's displeasure. "I'm afraid it's not suitable. My place isn't like the Daoist's celestial mansions but dark and desolate corners. It's not worth the Daoist's time." Seeing Gui Deng's shifting eyes, Bai Fan became more suspicious. The ghost's reluctance only heightened her curiosity—she wanted to see it even more now. "No problem, I'm very interested. Lead the way." He Yi Man looked confusedly at Bai Fan, who quickly tugged her sleeve, "Let's just check it out. We're heading to Manghuang, and this might be fruitful." "Let’s hope so." Unable to dissuade them, Gui Deng led the way. Without its core, it struggled to find a suitable tomb, exhausting itself along the way. The desert landscape turned red, with scattered boulders replacing the sandy ground as they walked. Occasionally, large birds flew overhead. Bai Fan noted their direction, marking it in her mind. **Chapter 64 (Continued)** Those large birds weren't just any birds but a species of monster called the Bald Vulture Beast. Gigantic in size, they feasted primarily on carrion. Wherever they appeared, corpses were sure to be found. The direction these bald vultures flew towards was precisely southeast. Watching Gui Deng struggle ahead, Bai Fan asked, "Have you found it yet? Dawn is breaking soon. The blazing sun will surely be unbearable for you." Gui Deng was inwardly infuriated—if not for Bai Fan confiscating its core, it wouldn't be in such a bind. Its face flashed with resentment, but a glance from He Yi Man quickly made it avert its eyes and continue searching for the tomb. Long, long ago in the Northern Continent, it didn’t always look this desolate. A celestial fire had once reduced this place to ashes, leaving it barren as it is now. When the area was rich in spiritual energy, many large tombs were constructed underground, some resembling subterranean palaces. Deceased cultivators buried vast collections of rare treasures and wealth with them. However, due to the complex and perilous mechanisms of these palaces, very few cultivators managed to penetrate them, often dying along the way. Gui Deng, however, wasn't interested in the treasures or collections but in the overmillennia-old Yin energy within these palaces. Suddenly, dozens of tiny green lights on Gui Deng's fingers darted in a specific direction, prompting an exuberant cry. "Found it! It's a great spot." Without a second thought for Bai Fan and He Yi Man trailing behind, Gui Deng swiftly chased after the green lights. Bai Fan and He Yi Man exchanged glances. "Let's go, follow him," Bai Fan urged. Both figures, one in white and the other in green, took flight, streaking across the sky like beams of light. As the green lights trembled more violently, Gui Deng's excitement reached its peak, even bringing a semblance of a blush to its usually pale face, its eyes shining brightly. "This must be a grand subterranean palace, absolutely. If I find it, I could probably stay here for centuries." With that, it dashed forward excitedly. The region was desolate, devoid of even rocks, with balding lantern grass strewn about by the wind. Gui Deng's eyes glowed with anticipation. *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *Updating serialized point connection, unable to upload for a long time, says the network is bad (*￣▽￣)?* **Previous Chapter | Contents | Next Chapter**