Cultivating immortality relies on spatial abilities; defying fate to become the protagonist.

Chapter 168 Bai Li
Xingbai composed himself and continued, "Relying on wild guesses is probably useless. Let's go and find out for ourselves!"

Before he finished speaking, he ran ahead of everyone else towards the direction from which the flute music was coming.

Seeing this, Gu Shihan tried to speak up to stop them, but it was too late.

The melodious yet somewhat eerie flute music grew clearer, accompanied by a chill that seeped straight into one's bones.

Before long, the two people and the fox finally arrived at the source of the flute music.

Not far ahead stood a man dressed in white. He was tall and straight like a pine tree, and his face was extremely handsome, like an immortal descending to earth.

Unfortunately, those long, narrow eyes were as cold and aloof as snow, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

The man looked expressionlessly at the three people who had suddenly appeared in front of him and said calmly, "How dare you trespass into my territory? Do you know that this is a serious crime?"

Although its sound was not loud, it was like the dripping of a cold spring, crisp and icy.

Upon hearing this, Gu Shihan quickly stepped forward, respectfully clasped his hands in a salute, and explained in a rapid-fire voice, "Senior, please calm down. We were chased here by a group of demonic beasts and accidentally trespassed into your territory. We hope that you will be lenient and let us leave."

Faced with Gu Shihan's earnest request, the man remained unmoved, simply shaking his head and saying slowly, "Now that you're here, I don't need to know the reason. Now that you've set foot on this land, don't even think about leaving easily."

After speaking, he slightly moved his slender fingers, and instantly a beam of light flashed, followed by a transparent barrier that firmly sealed the entire cave entrance.

Gu Shihan and Yu Tong looked at each other, unsure of what to do, realizing that a new crisis was about to unfold.

She inwardly groaned, but remained calm on the surface. She stepped forward and said, "Senior, there's no benefit to you trapping us like this. If that demonic beast comes after us, it will surely break through this barrier, and a battle will be inevitable. Wouldn't that disturb your peace?"

The man in white raised an eyebrow slightly and said disdainfully, "They can't get in!"

Yu Tong, who had been silent until now, coughed lightly and said, "Senior, you have an extraordinary temperament and your strength far surpasses ours. It would be a piece of cake for you to keep us here. A big shot like you would definitely not bother to make things difficult for us."

"Little Fire Phoenix, I didn't expect you to be so eloquent. Have you forgotten your identity after being human for so long? In that case, as long as you break your contract with that human, I won't make things difficult for you."

The white-robed man's words startled both Gu Shihan and Yu Tong. Could he see through all constitutions?
Gu Shihan took a deep breath and said, "Senior, Yu Tong and I have a life-bound contract. She is my family and my partner!"

The man in white sneered, "Family? Partners? Don't pretend. Do you think I don't know the hypocritical nature of you humans? I've been here for so many years, and not a single human cultivator I've met has been good. Tell me, how do you want to die?"

Gu Shihan clenched her fists, her eyes fixed firmly on the man in white: "Senior, you cannot generalize. Although I am a human cultivator, the feelings between Yu Tong and me are absolutely genuine. If you don't believe me, you can test us."

The man in white sneered, "A test? Fine, then you'll have to endure three of my moves. If you survive, I'll let you go." Gu Shihan nodded in agreement without hesitation.

When the first attack came, powerful spiritual energy surged towards the two of them like a raging wave. Gu Shihan and Yu Tong relied on each other and worked together to resist it.

Yu Tong transformed into her original form, spreading her wings to protect Gu Shihan, while Gu Shihan cast a defensive spell to reinforce her defenses. After barely managing to block the first attack, both of them were already panting heavily.

The second attack followed immediately, this time even more ferocious, directly impacting their souls.

Just as she was about to give up, Gu Shihan felt a surge of power from the depths of her heart; it turned out that the power of her and Yu Tong's natal contract had strengthened. When the third attack arrived, the surrounding space seemed about to collapse. At the critical moment, a strange light emanated from Gu Shihan's body, a light that resonated with the white-robed man's spiritual power.

The man in white was terrified: "You little girl... Fine, fine, I won't kill you today. However, if you can do one thing for me, I might consider letting you go."

The three exchanged glances, and Gu Shih-han asked, "What is it?"

The man in white looked towards the end of the cave and slowly said, "There is an evil creature in this cave that emits black energy every full moon night, disturbing my peace. If you can get rid of it, I will open the barrier myself."

Gu Shihan hesitated. She discussed it with Yu Tong, and Xing Bai sidled up to her, saying, "Hanhan, I'm sorry! I was careless. What he said is very dangerous. Do we really want to take it on?"

Gu Shihan gently stroked Xingbai's fluffy head and comforted her, "It's not your fault! Perhaps we couldn't have avoided this calamity whether we came or not! Senior, we promise you!"

The man in white smiled faintly, watching them quietly.

Gu Shihan and Yu Tong cautiously walked into the darkness of the cave.

Xingbai sat on Gu Shihan's shoulder. The further they went, the more the black aura became tangible, making it hard to breathe.

Suddenly, a huge black shadow appeared, baring its fangs and claws as it charged toward the two of them.

Gu Shihan quickly formed hand seals, and beams of spiritual light shot towards the demonic shadow, but they were like mud oxen entering the sea.

Yu Tong flapped her wings and flew high, pecking at the demonic shadow with her sharp beak, but only managed to make the demonic shadow sway.

Xingbai was not idle either, using her binding power to protect Gu Shihan from being corrupted by the black energy.

The back-and-forth battle began, and Gu Shihan and Yu Tong became increasingly alarmed, eventually finding themselves only able to defend themselves.

Gu Shihan and the others felt unprecedented pressure and unease. Xingbai spoke up at the right moment to remind them: "Hanhan, sense it carefully. The demonic shadow always avoids a corner on the right when it attacks. There might be something it fears there."

Gu Shihan's heart skipped a beat. When the dark shadow attacked again, she grabbed Yu Tong and rushed towards that corner.

Upon seeing this, the shadowy figure frantically tried to stop them, daring not to approach the area.

Having finally gotten close to the corner, Gu Shihan was certain that the shadowy figure was wary. She scanned it with her divine sense, reached out, and pulled out a bead that emitted a faint glow. It turned out that this was the shadowy figure's symbiotic entity. The shadowy figure could only exist because of the symbiotic entity, and it could only rely on the symbiotic entity to absorb nutrients and grow.

Gu Shihan grasped the bead, her eyes devoid of any emotion. The Red Lotus Karmic Fire enveloped the bead, and in less than ten breaths, it turned to ashes. The demonic shadow let out a mournful howl, and as the bead vanished, the shadow also disappeared.

At this moment, the man in white appeared behind him and clapped: "That's right. This bead was transformed from a demon ten thousand years ago. Only those with a clear mind can find its weakness. Only the Chaos Yang Fire, the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, and the Golden Lotus Sacred Fire can destroy it."

"Thank you, my young friends. My white fox clan will remember this favor. Please accept these three fox furs. I, Bai Li, can do three things for you, one thing at a time!"

(End of this chapter)