Chapter 28: Crisis - Young Noble Be Monster Slaying

Chapter 28: Crisis After returning to the Li Residence, and realizing that Lin Bei had not yet returned, Chu Liang sat cross-legged in meditation, ready to reward himself during this free time. Inside the white tower, a faint golden ghostly figure was shackled in a cell. Chu Liang had initially entertained the notion that this white tower might be an evil artifact used to extract souls in exchange for treasures. However, he soon discovered that this was not the case. The white tower did not interfere with the natural dissipation and reincarnation of souls; instead, it extracted these golden phantoms, which appeared more like imprints, as proof that he had indeed vanquished a malevolent spirit. The most straightforward evidence was the Painted-skin Ghost before him, and the feline spirit from earlier. Both were ghostly entities, inherently ethereal beings. If the white tower were extracting and refining their souls, their forms inside the tower would mirror their external appearance. Yet it wasn't so; inside the tower stood only a mindless golden avatar. Thus, it seemed that the white tower merely served as a monument of positive reinforcement for slaying demons and evil spirits. With this in mind, he casually pressed the "Refine" button. Boom— After a burst of brilliance, he caught the treasure falling into his hand, revealing a crystal-clear white jade talisman. [Transmigration Spell]: This spell allows the temporary exchange of souls between you and another body for the span of three breaths. It is recommended to use on the same species, as entering different species will not be a pleasant experience. Although short, three breaths can sometimes be enough. Chu Liang curled his lips in slight disappointment at this reward. Strictly speaking, this kind of jade talisman isn't a talisman; it's merely a stored spell. Cultivators could preserve a certain magical ability by storing it in these special jade talismans through intricate methods. The higher the grade of the talisman, the better it retained power. This white jade talisman, for instance, could preserve at least eighty percent of the spell's effectiveness. Occasionally, such talismans had unique uses. For instance, complex spells could be cast instantly, or they could be used to store protective spells for juniors. However, these methods came with many limitations and were costly, making them not particularly common. As for this jade talisman stored with the Transmigration Spell... Chu Liang failed to see its significant utility, preferring an empty white jade talisman, a rare material that could fetch a good price at the Sword Transmission Hall. But a jade talisman storing a worthless spell was far less valuable. Just as the reward concluded, Lin Bei returned from outside. "How did it go?" Lin Bei inquired. "Very smoothly, the Painted-skin Ghost has been eliminated," Chu Liang replied. "That's good to hear. Things went well on my end too. Yan Xiaohu has sworn brotherhood with me and vowed to reform himself," Lin Bei said with a smile. Chu Liang nodded and proceeded to elaborate on the specifics of his encounter. "There's something strange though..." Lin Bei remarked, puzzled after understanding the whole scenario from Chu Liang's account. "Despite being one of those who bullied her, why doesn’t Situ Yan hold any resentment towards Yan Xiaohu? He was terrified for quite a while, only to find out that he wasn't on her revenge list at all." "Perhaps... Situ Yan doesn't resent him because he didn't discriminate against her based on her appearance," Chu Liang contemplated. "Although he extorted money from her, he did the same to others too, and just as much. In that regard, he treated everyone equally. The harm done to Situ Yan was from those who singled her out." "That makes sense, sigh..." Lin Bei nodded, then let out a soft sigh. ... As night fell, peace was supposed to ensue. Back at Nan Mountain Academy, Song Qingyi practiced her exercises before lying down to rest. Cultivators at the human pass level still required sleep to maintain their spirits. Only upon reaching the peak of the Divine Will stage—when one’s essence, spirit, and energy were complete—could cultivation entirely replace sleep. However, even then, the experience was not as restful as a good night's sleep. Not long after, near dawn, a wailing cry disrupted her slumber. "Hmm?" Song Qingyi sat up, realizing the faint sounds of crying were drifting in from outside the window. Getting dressed, she gracefully leaped outside to investigate. Her residence, specially arranged by Nan Mountain Academy and somewhat isolated from other instructors, should have been devoid of people nearby. Who could be crying? Following the sound, she soon saw a small figure curled up in a corner, hair styled in twin buns, sobbing with its back to her. "Little one?" Song Qingyi approached, concerned. "What's wrong?" With the Painted-skin Ghost business concluded, her guard was down. But just as the child turned, a surge of dense yin energy nearly overwhelmed her, sending a shiver down her spine as she swiftly retreated! But it was already too late. She caught a glimpse of the child's face—pitch-black, terrifying, with blood vessels bulging grotesquely and shattered like a broken watermelon. It was as if a bell sounded in her mind, a heavy hammer striking the depths of her soul. Despite her quick reaction, she hadn't anticipated this assault and froze in place momentarily. In that instant, several gnarled ghostly hands with long black nails erupted from the ground, firmly grasping her ankles! Song Qingyi, biting her tongue to regain clarity, attempted to brandish her measure ruler to sever the ghostly grips. Yet a chilling sensation swept over her back! She only felt an overpowering coldness, her body rigid and immobile. From an outside perspective, a white-clothed ghost with long hair concealing its face had silently affixed itself to her back, its arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders. "Who is this?" Despite being detained, Song Qingyi remained composed, her voice steady. Given the simultaneous emergence of so many ghosts, this couldn't be mere coincidence. Someone must be orchestrating these events. "Hehe, so it’s a little girl from the Gentlemen Hall..." A rough, unpleasant voice echoed from the side. A tall figure emerged, draped in a black robe with a hood covering their head. Despite the old and raspy voice, their stature suggested someone younger, adding an eerie element to the air. "You never should have, never could have, meddled with the Painted-skin Ghost I painstakingly concocted," the figure grumbled with lingering resentment in his tone. "I had promised her the slaying of three enemies, provided she diligently harvested souls for me. Who could have foreseen...even as she'd prepared to leave with me...you'd kill her at just this moment..." "I'm quite upset..." "And there must be a price paid for this..." The chilling cadence of the black-robed figure induced a freezing dread amidst the pre-dawn darkness. Song Qingyi refrained from further speech. Instead, she deftly formed a hand seal, releasing a golden radiance that appeared in the sky—half a page of the golden book. The golden book ascended into the air, casting a purifying brilliance that enveloped the ghostly hands binding Song Qingyi, causing them to emit black smoke! The sizzle of burning echoed as screams of agony erupted. "Ah——" Retreating, the ghostly hands and the white-clothed ghost withdrew, and Song Qingyi quickly regained her freedom. She did not attempt to confront the black-robed figure, as the earlier struggle already indicated that this opponent's cultivation surpassed hers—likely a formidable practitioner at the Golden Core stage with devious skills. Escaping was now paramount. As she spun and darted backward, the black-robed man did not give chase, instead smirking bizarrely as he produced an enormous black iron slingshot. His right hand made an invisible grip on the slingshot, drawing it taut as he uttered a soft command, "Go!" Zing— A spark of electricity pierced the night. Thud. In midair, Song Qingyi felt a sharp sensation as if pierced by an invisible weapon. Yet, no wound appeared; she merely froze and then plummeted heavily to the ground. Bang! Upon impact, her entire body felt icy cold, rigid beyond measure, rendering even the slight motion of a finger an arduous task, a name suddenly flashing through her mind. Soul Crushing Nail. An artifact from the Netherworld Sect's demonic arsenal, formless and invisible, directly targeting the human soul. With one strike, the soul becomes paralyzed, rendering the body immobile. The footsteps behind her grew closer, as the black-robed man approached slowly. His fingers pulled as if manipulating unseen strings, raising Song Qingyi's body into an upright position against her will. “Come with me,” the black-robed man chuckled eerily, striding forward. Song Qingyi, moving with unnatural stiffness, followed involuntarily, seemingly inescapable. However. Unnoticed in any corner, the half-page of the golden book that had protected Song Qingyi quietly vanished…