Chapter 317: Awakening of Innate Skill

Under the chilling shroud of gray-white fog, the area around Hua City Reservoir had transformed into a battlefield, where a multitude of hauntings and psychics clashed relentlessly.

In the distance, Bai Kai, who had been closely monitoring the battle, was nearly drained of psychic energy by the activation of Hua City’s barrier talisman. His face was pale, and his hand, clutching the talisman, trembled with spasms.

The talisman, resembling a sculpture of green jade, glowed with five intricate and mysterious incantations.

Typically, activating a city’s barrier requires psychic energy input from at least two to five main operators with a psychic energy fluctuation level of B+ or higher, depending on the city’s size.

Even though Bai Kai’s psychic energy level slightly surpassed that of ordinary main operators, the consumption was still overwhelming, nearly depleting his psychic energy and causing his Spirit Pattern to spiral out of control.

After adjusting his breath slightly, he gently touched the Death Owl Emblem at his collar to send a message to Lu Yibei. Then, he leaned against a nearby tree, shakily stood up, a fierce determination flashing in his eyes, and crushed the talisman in his hand.

“Hua City Barrier… activated!”

In an instant, the talisman shattered into dazzling lightning, transforming into countless points of light, like a corner of the galaxy unfolding around Bai Kai, swirling, dancing, and soaring upward, reaching for clarity.

That beam of light connected heaven and earth, piercing through the darkness, serene and beautiful, yet carrying a chilling power that stirred the clouds.

The deathly still clouds suddenly seemed to erupt in fury, forming a massive vortex.

“Boom-!”

Accompanied by a thunderous roar, countless arcs of energy surged beneath the clouds like dragons on the move.

A hemispherical arc of light quietly appeared high above Hua City, fleetingly, covered in dense golden incantations, some strokes were casual and expressive, others childishly playful, or robust and powerful.

“Boom-!”

Thunder echoed again, as if a divine drumbeat reverberated across the sky.

Along with it, a mass of clouds, enveloped in terrifying thunderous power, swiftly moved towards the location of Hua City Reservoir under Bai Kai’s control, soon reaching the designated spot, locking onto Lu Yibei’s presence.

Then.

Thunder roared once more, the clouds tore apart, and lightning descended from the heavens.

At the first sound of thunder echoing through the sky, within the crowd of the Calamity Witch support group, the first to realize that The Midnight Watchers Society had activated Hua City’s barrier was the systems.

However, by the time it alerted Gu Qianqian, she hadn’t had the chance to warn the little Hauntings before a shout came from behind.

“Barrier! It’s Hua City’s barrier! The Midnight Watchers Society has made a move! Everyone run, as far as possible, don’t get trapped inside!”

Turning towards the voice, a tall and slim man, wearing a support T-shirt and looking exhausted, raised his arm and led the little Hauntings away like a retreating tide.

“Strange…” Watching the psychic’s retreating figure, the systems hesitated.

“What’s wrong, systems? Is there a problem?” Gu Qianqian asked.

“Yes, that psychic just now, his strength is considerable, yet he hid among the hauntings, and I didn’t notice him. I wonder what his intentions are,” the systems said gravely.

At that moment, Gu Qianqian walked past a psychic, only to hear him mutter, “Damn, a glamorous older woman and a stoic loli fighting, it might even escalate to clothes bursting and chest swaying. Missing such an exciting scene, so frustrating!”

“Systems, systems, what does he mean by that?” Gu Qianqian asked curiously.

“…” The system hesitated for a moment, then spoke gravely, “Gu Qianqian, those things are not for children like you to understand.”

“Hmph!” Gu Qianqian snorted defiantly, “I get it, it’s just about something risqué. What’s there not to understand!”

“…” The system was about to argue with Gu Qianqian, but then a gentle and warm voice, like a spring breeze, was heard nearby.

“Huh? Is that your guardian spirit? I’ve only read about them in Grandpa’s books, I never thought they really existed. Can I take a look?”

Feeling its presence detected, the system quickly retreated back into Gu Qianqian.

Gu Qianqian turned around to see a woman as beautiful as a peony under the moon, fresh and ethereal. She paused, then explained, “No, it’s a system!”

Nanling Rao Hua smiled wryly, nodded thoughtfully and said, “A system, huh? Interesting. The outside world really does have a lot of different things!”

After speaking, she no longer pursued the topic of the “guardian spirit” with Gu Qianqian but quietly joined the retreating little Hauntings, walking towards the distance.

Soon, the third thunderclap resounded across the sky.

After the second thunderclap had sounded.

Feeling the terrifying aura brewing above, the Dusk Maiden realized that The Midnight Watchers Society had activated the Hua City barrier, stirring turmoil in her heart.

Was this The Midnight Watchers Society’s reinforcements arriving, preparing to start slaughtering the gathering hauntings? Dusk Maiden wondered.

“Taihe Gentleman Sword: Autumn Night Rainstorm Shift!”

Startled, the Dusk Maiden attempted to retreat but was blocked by Lu Yibei’s dense, rain-like sword light.

“Are you mad?” the Dusk Maiden, having stabilized her form, glared at Lu Yibei and exclaimed, “Being trapped by a city’s barrier means being at the mercy of others, rather than…”

“How do you know this isn’t something I’ve been planning all along?” Lu Yibei said expressionlessly.

As her words fell, the third thunderclap illuminated her face, casting it in the eyes of the Dusk Maiden like a ghastly demon, fierce and terrifying.

Her complexion turned ashen as she suddenly understood; Lu Yibei had been stalling for time, waiting for something.

She was waiting for the Hua City barrier to be ready!

At that moment, the clouds above were torn apart.

The next instant, numerous dazzling beams of light burst forth from the profound night sky.

Thousands of arm-sized light columns, composed of pure psychic energy and carved with incantations, fell like a meteor shower from the sky, encircling an area with a diameter of two kilometers.

“Thud, thud, thud-!”

As the light pillars sank into the ground with a soft sound from all directions, the earth began to churn as if boiling. Amidst the thunderous clash of soil and stone, a chant erupted, echoing as if from a distant place, whispering in an ancient, mysterious language that was difficult to comprehend.

Within the chanting, lightning burst forth from beneath the ground, spreading countless branches filled with surging psychic energy, growing upwards like the branches of a tree reaching for the sky.

These lightning branches, inscribed with countless golden incantations, quickly wove into an arched canopy of light above the Dusk Maiden and Lu Yibei.

Then.

As the lightning gradually faded, the scenery outside the barrier seemed to vanish. Beyond this enclosed world, everything fell into darkness.

At the same time.

The Dusk Maiden could clearly feel the connection between herself and the scattered Plague Taisui across the city being severed. Even the sensing of the Ley Line Energy, nearly completed through the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts, was forcibly cut off by a terrifying power.

It was a barrier constructed by five catastrophe-class psychics, a force accumulated over many years.

In this world, there were almost no hauntings capable of forcibly breaking through such a barrier.

This is bad, the Dusk Maiden thought blankly. Even if she could defeat the Calamity Witch, being trapped within the barrier meant that the reinforcements from The Midnight Watchers Society could deliver a fatal blow.

“Smash-smash-!”

Amidst her shock, the sound of two glass containers shattering reached her ears.

Looking towards the sound, she saw Lu Yibei wiping her mouth, saying coldly, “Damn it, to make sure I kill you, I risked my life by drinking two doses of the potion at once!”

The Dusk Maiden was speechless.

If it weren’t for the dire situation, she might have been compelled to mock Lu Yibei on the spot.

In all her decades as a haunting, she had never seen a haunting explode while trying to complete its core entity.

As she stood there speechless, Lu Yibei’s suddenly surging psychic energy fluctuation hit her.

Looking forward, the Dusk Maiden’s eyes gleamed with a fierce light.

Even though the Hua City barrier had cut off her psychic energy supply, and even though Lu Yibei had taken the Completion Potion, temporarily elevating her psychic energy fluctuation to a terrifying level.

However.

All this merely gave her a fair chance to fight.

In a situation where their strengths were equal, the Dusk Maiden was confident that with her battle-hardened experience, honed through countless brushes with life and death, she could win this duel.

After that.

Even if she were killed by the reinforcements from The Midnight Watchers Society, she could still be reborn in a short time using the Plague Taisui flesh scattered throughout the city!

“Take this!”

As the Dusk Maiden pondered, Lu Yibei’s roar interrupted her thoughts. Looking towards the sound, she saw the petite figure, sword in both hands, leaping forward to strike.

In the blink of an eye, the long blade rose to meet the Broken Sword, and a thunderous clash erupted.

Under the fierce blow, the Dusk Maiden’s form sank, the hard pavement beneath her feet cracked open, and in an instant, it was ground to dust by the terrifying psychic energy fluctuation.

Then, a sharp scream burst from her mouth, pushing Lu Yibei back while unleashing a spray of silver light.

In less than a second, the long blade and the Broken Sword clashed dozens of times mid-air, the sound of metal against metal merging into a single, explosive cacophony, transforming into a piercing hum.

After a brief exchange, Lu Yibei used the momentum to retreat. As soon as she landed, she began chanting an incantation.

“Golden Pavilion and Jade Chamber, iron cast wall…”

“Not a chance!”

The Dusk Maiden roared, sweeping her long blade horizontally.

Lu Yibei had already anticipated that this strike was merely a feint, the real threat being the dark green flesh about to burst from the ground. Her eyes narrowed, and she immediately halted her spell formation, retreating swiftly while flipping her wrist to throw two Alchemical Bombs to her side.

“Boom-!”

The sound of earth and stone shattering and the explosion of the Alchemical Bombs erupted almost simultaneously.

A chaotic gust spread in all directions.

Amidst the thick smoke, a shrill wind suddenly arose. The thick limb formed by the dark green flesh tore through the air like a giant’s fist, crashing down with a thunderous impact.

Though she had foreseen such an attack, the sheer area covered by this strike left Lu Yibei with no room to evade. She could only raise her sword with both hands to withstand the blow.

“Bang-!”

The brief collision made Lu Yibei acutely aware of the terrifying power within the dark green flesh, her hands tingling from the impact.

Under the immense pressure, sweat trickled down her temples, only to be evaporated into wisps of pale mist by her intense body heat.

Perhaps due to the modifications by the Plague Taisui’s organization, the Dusk Maiden was even stronger than she had imagined, exerting pressure comparable to her early days of sword practice with Qing Ji.

But…

While Lu Yibei felt overwhelmed by the power contained in the Plague Taisui flesh attached to the Dusk Maiden, the Dusk Maiden herself was secretly alarmed by Lu Yibei’s extensive combat experience.

The countless times she had “died” under Qing Ji’s sword had honed Lu Yibei’s skills, making her more adept despite her slight lack of raw power. Coupled with her uncanny foresight, she maneuvered with ease in the heat of battle.

Thus, as the influence of technique and strength approached equilibrium, the fight reached a stalemate.

Lu Yibei lost track of how many times she swung her sword or cast spell formations. Her already dwindling supply of Alchemical Bombs and assorted talismans had long been exhausted, yet she still couldn’t inflict a fatal wound on the Dusk Maiden.

The Dusk Maiden, enraged, launched her attacks like a heavyweight boxer, but her opponent seemed like an intangible ghost, her powerful strikes hitting nothing but air.

Gradually, Lu Yibei felt the psychic energy, stirred by the Completion Potion she had consumed, begin to calm. An ominous feeling crept into her heart, and her attacks grew noticeably more frantic.

Just as the effects of any stimulant wear off, leaving fatigue in their wake, she feared that once the Completion Potion’s effects faded, the scales of victory would tip towards the Dusk Maiden.

Then.

As the Completion Potion finally fully integrated and was digested within her body, her psychic energy circulation seemed to short-circuit, stalling for a moment.

Following closely, the transformation of the haunting’s core entity brought immense pain, making her suddenly realize that she had gone too far.

In an instant, her organs emitted sorrowful cries, and the scorching sensation she felt when she swallowed The Witch’s Egg, which once caused her unbearable pain, surged again.

Inside her body, it felt as though a volcano was erupting. Lava rushed through her veins, as if intent on forging every inch of her flesh and bones, wantonly dispersing scorching energy.

Her tender skin cracked and fissured as if scorched, with glimpses of firelight through the cracks. When she opened her mouth, chunks of solidified disaster water remnants spewed out.

The uncontrollable power rampaged within her, seeming ready to explode at any moment.

Soon, Lu Yibei could no longer bear the pain. Her body convulsed and she fell to the ground, losing consciousness.

The Dusk Maiden saw Lu Yibei suddenly convulse and fall during the fierce battle, exposing many vulnerabilities. She intended to seize the opportunity for a fatal strike.

However, she then saw Lu Yibei’s skin exuding large amounts of highly concentrated disaster water, which instantly evaporated into a toxic mist due to the high temperature.

Kilograms of disaster water emerged, something the Dusk Maiden had never seen before, startling her and making her retreat continuously, increasing the distance from Lu Yibei.

Being of witch type, she naturally produced small amounts of disaster water herself and was not unfamiliar with it.

Disaster water has always been the “deadly poison” that triggers the fall and corruption of witch types.

“… What exactly is happening? How could there be so much disaster water inside her?”

Is this a suicidal attempt, planning to perish together with me?

But…

The scene before her exceeded the Dusk Maiden’s understanding. She hesitated to approach, yet seeing Lu Yibei fall into unconsciousness and completely lose her fighting ability, she did not want to miss the opportunity.

After hesitating for a moment, her gaze sharpened, her red lips slightly parted, and she softly chanted the description of Plague Taisui.

“Plague Taisui, the celestial ruler of epidemics, must not be offended, for to do so is ominous… Epidemics are neither cold, nor wind, nor heat; they are the unusual energies of heaven and earth… Plague Taisui is the celestial ruler among them.”

As she finished chanting, the flesh dress wrapping around her body seemed to boil, writhing continuously, bearing the power of corruption that devoured everything, spreading in all directions.

In an instant, like rapidly breeding bacteria, it infiltrated everywhere, unstoppable, and covered the entire barrier space, engulfing Lu Yibei’s body.

On the rooftop of the Financial Center in Hua City.

A blonde woman watched the sickly and unsightly dark green flesh continuously expand and proliferate, covering the entire scene, and eventually even the screen of water collapsed with a splash, prompting her to sigh deeply.

“Ah-!”

“It’s a pity. There was a moment when I couldn’t help but want to cheer for this little Haunting, looking forward to her victory!”

“Calamity, ward off disasters, huh?” The woman smiled playfully, “How interesting.”

As she spoke, she stood up, straightened her clothes, and looked towards the direction of the Hua City Reservoir, pursing her lips, “It’s about time to clean up the mess for my foolish ex-ex-ex-boyfriend.”

“Using the city’s barrier without authorization is a major crime, after all!”

Half a minute ago.

As the Dusk Maiden finished her incantation, the area within the barrier filled with the flesh of the Plague Taisui, which carried a strong corrosive quality, as if it intended to devour everything.

The moment Lu Yibei was completely engulfed by the flesh of the Plague Taisui, her jacket suddenly writhed violently and burst open with a loud “pop,” enveloping her like an air-filled balloon, protecting her within.

In her drowsy state, Lu Yibei faintly heard whispers in her mind, sounding ancient yet indistinct, and gradually her consciousness cleared.

However, when she managed to pry her eyes open just a sliver, she saw an endless, rushing river stretching beyond sight.

On the desolate riverbank, a lone woman stood with a flickering fire, her green-clothed figure billowing.

Who is she?

Lu Yibei wondered, full of confusion. The woman was clearly not far in front of her, yet seemed impossibly distant, her outline blurred and dreamlike.

Soon, the whispers by her ear seemed to respond to her confusion, growing stronger and clearer.

“There are mountains of Kunlun, the platform of Gonggong, where the archers dare not face north. A woman in green clothes, she is a heavenly spirit, called Ba.”

When she fully comprehended this familiar yet unfamiliar description, the vast river, the flickering flames, the woman in green…

All the scenery seemed to dissipate like mist blown away by the wind, fading into shadows and then darkness engulfed her vision.

After a long while, Lu Yibei opened her eyes again, her pupils seemed to ignite, flickering with light.

Before she could fully adjust to the changes brought by the first complete restoration of her body, she saw her jacket, riddled with holes from the corrosive flesh of the Plague Taisui.

Through the corroded gaps, foul-smelling flesh surged from all directions, spewing toxic smoke.

The moment she inhaled the smoke, Lu Yibei felt a vast and evil life force, like a tidal wave, pouring into her body.

Immediately, her body began to numb rapidly, starting from her limbs, then her torso, and finally, her psychic energy flow felt as if it was dragged into the mud, becoming obstructed.

From those patches of dark green flesh, numerous twisted mouths proliferated, wailing in her ears like those on the brink of death, mixed with soul-depressing whispers.

An endless influx of fierce toxins and despair surged into Lu Yibei’s body, and soon, her vision blurred.

Just then.

“Zi-!”

A soft crackling sound echoed in the darkness, as if a branding iron was searing fresh flesh.

Lu Yibei looked towards the sound and saw the Pure Lotus Sword, which she had been tightly clutching, now appeared as if it had been reforged, glowing red-hot. On its fractured surface, bright red flames pulsated, as if reconstructing the missing part of the blade with fire.

“My heavens, this…” Lu Yibei murmured, and as the words left her lips, she felt something surge into her mind.

Just as described in the knowledge of the Great Serpent God, whenever the core flaw of a haunting is mended, if an innate skill awakens, the haunting itself will soon become aware of it.

Lu Yibei carefully recalled the information that had inexplicably appeared in her mind. She slowly extended her hand, tentatively touching the exposed flesh of the Plague Taisui through the gaps in her jacket, leaving a shallow, small handprint.

With a mere thought, the patch of flesh she touched suddenly burst into intense flames. As the flames grew stronger, the psychic energy within the flesh began to burn as well.

Then.

With a loud “boom!”, an explosion occurred.

“Cough, cough, cough-!”

After a fit of violent coughing amidst the thick smoke, Lu Yibei exclaimed indignantly, “I always thought it was unfair that other hauntings had innate skills and I didn’t! This is more like it!”

Leaving a mark on objects she touched, she could ignite them or temporarily enhance them with flames based on her will from the psychic energy level.

This was the innate skill she awakened after mending her flaw.

Previously, the Pure Lotus Sword had been enhanced unconsciously by her, but now…

Lu Yibei looked at her hands and then at the constantly writhing dark green flesh around her, her eyes gradually becoming fervent.

“Come on, don’t be afraid, let me give you a buff!”

Muttering to herself, she reached out her “sinful” little hands towards the surrounding flesh.

At the foot of the mountain in front of Hua City’s reservoir.

It seemed as if some terrifying presence was constantly colliding with the barrier, causing it to rumble with thunderous sounds, lightning flashing across its surface.

No one knew what was happening inside the barrier.

Countless hauntings gazed silently at the barrier covering the land, holding their breath in anticipation of the outcome.

…

In the Calamity Witch support group that had retreated several kilometers away.

Every five seconds, the hairball would ask Meng, “How is it? How’s it going?”

Meng would simply reply, “The master’s presence hasn’t disappeared.”

Yet the outcome remained uncertain.

…

In this extremely tense atmosphere, Gu Qianqian couldn’t help but ask the system in her mind, “System, will Lu Yibei die?”

“……”

The system remained silent for a long time before finally responding with a sigh, “It would be better if he did!”

Nearby, Nanling Rao Hua seemed to sense something, glancing in Gu Qianqian’s direction with a slight frown.

…

In the distance.

Bai Kai, nearly drained of psychic energy, lay collapsed on the ground, clutching the Death Owl Emblem tightly, waiting for Lu Yibei’s voice to reach his ears.

Time seemed to slow down, each passing second an agony for him.

Then, the Death Owl Emblem suddenly vibrated gently, and Lu Yibei’s voice came through.

“Shui-Ge, it’s almost done. What’s next? When can I get out?”

Bai Kai’s eyes lit up, as if he had been revived with full health and energy. He sprang to his feet with a kip-up, holding the Death Owl Emblem in both hands, saying, “Yibei, hang in there a bit longer, there’s one last thing to do!”

As he spoke, he focused his will on the Hua City barrier, proceeding with the plan as originally intended.

Within the barrier.

The ground was covered in dark green flesh, writhing in agony as two different psychic energy fluctuations collided and then exploded, sending shockwaves and aftershocks through the air.

Everywhere the eye could see, everything was ignited with a fiery red glow.

The Dusk Maiden lay on the ground, her body covered in tiny palm prints glowing like molten lava.

“Do you really think you can kill me like this? Ridiculous!” she said, her voice fierce yet fearful, as she attempted one last struggle.

Seeing through the Dusk Maiden’s tough exterior, Lu Yibei, shouldering the Broken Sword that spat out flames, said emotionlessly, “Should I take that as a sort of plea for mercy?”

Silence fell long and heavy around the Dusk Maiden, and then, as if deflating, her demeanor sagged, and through gritted teeth, she said, “I can be one of your familiars.”

“Sorry…” Lu Yibei shook her head, “I can’t take a familiar like you! So…”

As she spoke, with a mere thought, the palm prints on the Dusk Maiden’s body burst into intense flames, the ignited psychic energy exploding outward from within, blasting off her arms.

“This is for almost killing the jacket,” said Lu Yibei.

“Boom!” Another explosion rocked the area, nearly blasting the Dusk Maiden’s lower half to smithereens, her lower body completely disappearing from view.

In the gaping hole in her abdomen, no organs could be seen, just pieces of dark green flesh writhing in the firelight.

“This is for killing many people and hauntings.”

“Boom!”

Another explosion erupted, and the Dusk Maiden’s body completely evaporated in the flames, leaving only a piece of charred remains.

Yet, she still retained a shred of consciousness.

The flesh of the Plague Taisui had given the Dusk Maiden immense vitality, which now seemed like a curse, causing her intense pain while preventing her from dying, forcing her to endure endless torment.

“This is because you messed up my exam review!”

“Damn it, I might not get the scholarship this year!” The more Lu Yibei thought about it, the angrier she got. She rushed forward again, leaving several more palm prints on the nearly charred body of the Dusk Maiden.

Then, she ignited the psychic energy, causing another explosion.

The Dusk Maiden, “???”

While Lu Yibei kept “punishing” the Dusk Maiden, as if she wouldn’t stop until she turned her into dust.

The Death Owl Emblem on her chest vibrated slightly, and Bai Kai’s voice came through.

“Yibei, I’m coming in, are you ready?”

Lu Yibei, “???”

The next moment, a gap suddenly opened in the barrier overhead, and a powerful, surging breath, like a beast smelling blood, rushed toward the Dusk Maiden.

That was the Ley Line Energy controlled by the Dusk Maiden through the nearly completed Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts.

Why did the barrier suddenly open? What an opportunity, this might be my chance to escape!

Seeing this, the Dusk Maiden’s spirits lifted, but the next moment, reality delivered another heavy blow.

As the Ley Line Energy pierced through the barrier, a dense swarm of golden incantations surged from within, wrapping the overwhelming and invisible energy tightly. Then, with a forceful twist, it redirected the energy’s path towards Lu Yibei’s body.

Utilizing the power of Hua City’s barrier to sever the connection between the Dusk Maiden and the Ley Line Energy, and then, at the moment of re-establishing the link, performing a ritual with the barrier’s power to alter its trajectory and complete the theft-this was the last task Bai Kai had mentioned.

As the golden torrent descended from the sky and merged into Lu Yibei’s body, she furrowed her brow slightly. The anticipated surge of psychic energy fluctuation and the rampant psychic energy within her, akin to consuming a Completion Potion, did not occur.

Instead, she felt a pleasant sensation, like a summer breeze or winter sunshine, so comfortable it made her drowsy.

But… what use is this?

Lu Yibei mused to herself, about to search through the Great Serpent God’s knowledge for relevant information, when she heard the Dusk Maiden, who had been playing dead for a long time, suddenly let out a desperate wail.

“Why… why would The Midnight Watchers Society use the power of Hua City’s barrier for someone like you?”

Lu Yibei was taken aback. “What the heck? You’re still not dead?! Come on, let’s continue!”

With that, she rushed forward and quickly added several buffs to the Dusk Maiden.

Feeling the reckless little hands, the Dusk Maiden thought, “…”

In the distance, in a secluded and uninhabited valley.

Bai Kai, whose psychic energy had long been exhausted, was relying on sheer willpower to manipulate Hua City’s barrier, guiding the Ley Line Energy towards Lu Yibei.

Just as the process was halfway through, footsteps echoed from the dense forest behind him. Someone approached, wrapping their arms around him and pressing against his back.

An unforgettable softness enveloped Bai Kai from behind, followed by a slick and nimble tongue gently licking his earlobe.

“Enough, my dear. Do you really intend to hand over Hua City’s night to a haunting?”

“Doing such a thing, aren’t you afraid I’ll arrest you?”

That voice, that elasticity, that voice! It’s her! It couldn’t be anyone else! Bai Kai’s heart trembled, his pupils contracting sharply.

In his moment of distraction, his already fragile body could no longer hold on. His vision went dark, and he collapsed into the arms of the woman who haunted his dreams, whom he both loved and hated.

Simultaneously, Hua City’s barrier lost control, sealing shut once more, and the ritual to transfer the Ley Line Energy came to an abrupt halt.

The woman looked down at the unconscious Bai Kai, gently ruffling his hair, her fingertips brushing across his cheek as she murmured, “You’ve lost weight.”

“Speaking of which, what’s your relationship with that haunting? You were willing to risk your life for her? If I hadn’t stopped you in time…”

“Ha, could she be your lover?”

The woman shifted her tone to a teasing one, though her single eye gleamed with a chilling cold light.