Chapter Sixty-Nine: Entering the Demonic Sect and Encountering the Ghost Infant (Part Two)

"What are you talking about?" Gu Ruohan looked at him with utter disdain, belched, and yanked him down from his shoulder. "What exactly is the matter?"

The Ghost Infant was anxiously darting about, its eyes rolling wildly in their sockets as if searching for something. Truly resentful Ghost Infants are rare in the world, but once one emerges, its power can rival that of a cultivator at the half-step Void phase. The Ghost Infant on Gu Ruohan's shoulder not only brimmed with overwhelming resentment but was also a ghost cultivator, its cultivation equal to Bai Shengyun’s.

Bai Shengyun quickly noticed this, and seeing the Ghost Infant’s abnormal reaction—especially after learning that specters possess astonishing spiritual perception—he decisively prepared to leave. Yet, just as he took a step, the Ghost Infant suddenly threw its head back and let out a piercing scream, shrill and filled with battle intent, then lunged straight at him.

By now, Gu Ruohan had also realized something was amiss. He extended his spiritual senses, but saw nothing. Still, the Ghost Infant’s intense reaction left no room for doubt. In a moment, he deduced a possibility—someone had used a Concealment Talisman.

His expression changed, and he quickly followed suit.

Bai Shengyun hadn’t expected the Ghost Infant to detect him so swiftly. He dodged in haste, but the Ghost Infant could instantly sense his shifting position, adjusting its attack direction just as quickly.

"Tsk..." Bai Shengyun frowned. "What a nuisance."

The Ghost Infant began to cry out again, pointing directly at Bai Shengyun’s current location. Gu Ruohan, now aware, surged forward, wielding immense spiritual power.

Bai Shengyun, unwilling to stir up further trouble, tried to evade, but before the Ghost Infant he was utterly exposed. As soon as he moved an inch, the Ghost Infant blocked his retreat.

At that moment, Gu Ruohan launched another assault, leaving Bai Shengyun nowhere to dodge. Bai Shengyun simply raised a hand, infusing it with overwhelming demon power to meet the attack head-on.

Their cultivation was evenly matched. The collision of their enormous spiritual energies kicked up clouds of dust, scattering the silk trees lining the path into fragments. Bai Shengyun’s Concealment Talisman was torn to shreds, falling as useless scraps.

His figure gradually came into view, eyes unwavering and cold as ice, expressionless, staring at Gu Ruohan.

Gu Ruohan was surprised to see Bai Shengyun. Remembering the letter of divorce and Yingying Xie’s resolute attitude, hatred surged in his eyes. He gritted his teeth and spat out each word: "It’s you... You truly have no fear of death. I knew you were coming, but I never imagined you’d dare to barge into the Demonic Sect!"

The Ghost Infant’s reaction was quite different from Gu Ruohan’s upon seeing Bai Shengyun. It cackled, baring its razor-sharp fangs, then looked at Gu Ruohan with mocking derision.

Seeing the Ghost Infant’s attitude toward him, Gu Ruohan’s resentment blazed like fire doused in oil, burning fiercer with every breath. Anger overwhelmed his reason, and he raised his hand for another attack.

Bai Shengyun could have handled Gu Ruohan’s strikes with ease, but the formidable Ghost Infant by his side made things difficult. The two, man and ghost, worked seamlessly together, forcing Bai Shengyun into barely holding his ground against their combined assault.

As the fight dragged on, he gradually fell behind, his body accumulating wounds.

He spat a mouthful of blood, yet his heart soared—he hadn’t felt such exhilaration in battle for ages!

Gu Ruohan and the Ghost Infant converged again, attacking with chilling spiritual power. Bai Shengyun remained unflustered, his fighting spirit surging. With a leap, he dodged, then swiftly formed a complex spiritual seal with his fingers.

In an instant, the wind howled and clouds roiled. His golden eyes darkened to an abyssal black, icy and merciless, yet equally mesmerizing. Behind him, nine white fox tails slowly unfurled, swaying gently in the gale. His spiritual power and aura surged, pushing his strength directly into the late Void phase!

His domain enveloped the area, unsettling the Ghost Infant, who hopped about anxiously. Gu Ruohan felt his chest constrict, his breath labored.

With a flick of Bai Shengyun’s fox tails, snowflakes danced through the air. Frost blossomed upon the redwood hall, and the wind’s bitter chill made all shiver and their teeth chatter.

He found time to split off a wisp of his soul, using its power to directly suppress the Ghost Infant.

The Ghost Infant’s movements slowed to a crawl, like a snail, collapsing on the ground like a giant blood maggot.

Seizing the moment before the Ghost Infant could recover, Bai Shengyun formed an invisible grip, and a blue-edged long sword appeared in his palm. He stepped forward, his figure vanishing, reappearing in the blink of an eye right before Gu Ruohan.

Hampered by the cold, Gu Ruohan’s movements slowed, while Bai Shengyun’s speed increased. Unable to dodge, Gu Ruohan watched helplessly as the sword pierced through his chest.

A wet splatter—the sword’s powerful spiritual energy shattered his breastbone, causing him to cough up hot blood.

The blood splashed onto the snow-white ground, quickly freezing into crimson frost blossoms.

Gu Ruohan frowned, wiping blood from his lips. "Is this your true strength?"

Bai Shengyun gave no answer, only struck him with a knife-hand, knocking him unconscious.

He then approached the Ghost Infant, which shrank back, wailing in terror.

Yet he had no intention of killing the Ghost Infant. It would waste time, and the intense resentment might destabilize his soul.

He raised his hand, setting up a formation and sealing it with a restriction, locking the Ghost Infant inside.

Having finished, he turned away, stepping over the frozen blood. His fox tails vanished, his eyes returning to their golden hue.

Within his sleeve, a magical artifact gradually faded, its pale blue glow dissipating. Anyone who saw it would instantly name it—the Heavenlock.

He reapplied a Concealment Talisman.

The other members of the Demonic Sect were still searching, oblivious to the events here. Not even the commotion drew their attention, including the powerful tribulation stage cultivators.

Bai Shengyun clasped his hands behind his back. His wounds faded as he walked, leaving only tattered clothes and bloodstains.

He moved forward, sensing the exact location of the Purple-Gold Bell, instructing the artifact spirit to transmit the scenes near Yingying Xie’s whereabouts directly into his mind.

Before long, following the bell’s guidance, he arrived at the entrance to Yingying Xie’s bedchamber.

Her palace was much like the others—richly adorned, luxurious to excess. Entering, he found a wild sea of silk flowers, interspersed with azaleas and mandrakes, swaying seductively in the breeze and exuding a faint, enchanting fragrance. Beside the floral sea grew strange vines, dark red, the likes of which he had never seen.

Moving further in, he discovered a small mountain behind the palace, real and seemingly forcibly relocated, yet retaining its verdant freshness. Several caves dotted its slopes.

He sensed Yingying Xie was within one of these caves.

However, these caves were protected by formations similar to those outside the Demonic Sect, causing the Purple-Gold Bell’s signals to grow erratic.

With no better option, Bai Shengyun simply picked a cave at random and entered.