The Hehuan Sect cultivates alchemy; my senior sister helps me refine alchemy throughout the world.

When Mo Ran heard the soldier say, "Aren't you already dead?", he paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Who said I'm dead? I'm alive and well."

Shen Yifei listened with some...

Something was wrong. Mo Ran was following her, and her brother Mo Yu knew this and had agreed to his sister's wishes.

He stepped forward and asked, "Is your young master, Mo Yu, currently in Beiming City?"

The guard replied, "Yes, young master has been staying in Beiming City since returning from the East Sea!"

Shen Yifei frowned slightly upon hearing the guard's words.

"You're saying Mo Yu has been in Beiming City the whole time? He hasn't left since he returned from the East Sea?"

"He hasn't left." The guard nodded firmly. "After the young master returned, he stayed in the Northern Underworld Palace and hasn't even left the gate. But... but..."

The guard hesitated, his expression somewhat strange.

"But what?" Mo Ran asked impatiently. "Just tell me already!"

"But since the young master returned, his temperament has changed drastically." The guard lowered his voice. "Although the young master didn't talk much before, he was very kind to us soldiers. But since he came back this time, he's like a completely different person. He gets angry at the drop of a hat and even killed several maids who served him. They all say... that the young master is possessed by some unclean thing."

Mo Ran looked at Shen Yifei with a tense expression. Mo Yu was perfectly fine after their last parting, so why has her personality changed so drastically since she returned?

Shen Yifei gently squeezed her hand, signaling her not to get agitated.

"Take me to see Mo Yu. Maybe I can figure out what's wrong." Shen Yifei put away the Beiming Token.

The guards dared not be negligent; seeing the Beiming token was as if they were seeing their young master in person.

Two guards led the way, guiding Shen Yifei and Mo Ran toward Mo Yu's residence.

Although Beiming City is located in a cold region, everywhere you look is either ice or snow, and there is not a single green plant.

However, along the streets and in the larger open spaces, there are ice sculptures of trees, flowers, and animals everywhere, carved so lifelike that they have a unique charm.

The people from Beiming who came and went were all dressed warmly, with smiles on their faces, and they all looked very kind.

Many people looked on incredulously when they saw someone approach Mo Ran, but no one went up to greet him.

Mo Ran held Shen Yifei's hand tightly the whole way, and Shen Yifei could feel her worry and nervousness.

"Don't worry, I'm here for you," she whispered comfortingly.

Mo Ran had an inexplicable trust in Shen Yifei. He had gone through a lot with Shen Yifei, and no matter what danger they encountered, he could easily resolve it.

Mo Ran believed that Shen Yifei would definitely have a solution, and her anxiety eased somewhat.

Soon, the group arrived at an inconspicuous courtyard.

Looking at this ordinary-looking residence, Shen Yifei never imagined that this was where the young master of Beiming lived.

Mo Ran explained, "My father has always believed in sharing joys with the people. The royal family eats and lives no differently than ordinary people. Even the Beiming Imperial Palace is very ordinary, not as grand as the main hall of our Tianyan Sect."

Looking at the simple courtyard, Shen Yifei's impression of the Lord of Beiming improved considerably. His willingness to act this way at least showed he wasn't the type to indulge in extravagance.

Although Mo Ran said her father liked drinking and hunting, well, what man doesn't have some hobbies?

As Shen Yifei was thinking, Mo Ran had already pushed open the courtyard gate.

The courtyard was quiet, without a single servant or even a sweeper. A thick layer of snow covered the bluestone slabs, indicating that it hadn't been cleaned in a long time.

After the two guards delivered the package, they left in a hurry without even saying goodbye.

"Brother! Brother!" Mo Ran called out twice, but no one answered.

Shen Yifei followed her across the courtyard and into the main house.

The room was dimly lit, and the windows were completely covered by heavy animal skin curtains, giving off a chilly atmosphere.

In the center of the room was a table with an oil lamp on it. The lamplight was dim and barely illuminated a corner of the room.

Behind the table sat a man.

It was Mo Yu.

But his current appearance startled Shen Yifei.

In just a few months, Mo Yu had lost a lot of weight, her eyes were sunken, her face was as pale as paper, her lips were purple, and there was a dark patch under her eyes.

He was wearing a long black robe and huddled in a chair. He was no longer the handsome young man Shen Yifei had seen before. He looked as if all his energy had been drained away.

His eyes, which were originally clear deep blue, were now covered with a thin layer of gray mist, making them look lifeless.

"Brother!" When Mo Ran saw Mo Yu's appearance, tears immediately streamed down her face. She rushed over and tried to take Mo Yu's hand.

"Don't touch me!" Mo Yu suddenly waved her hand, and a cold gust of wind pushed Mo Ran away. She staggered back a few steps and bumped into Shen Yifei.

"Mo Ran, don't go near him." Shen Yifei supported Mo Ran, staring into Mo Yu's eyes, and the more he looked, the more he felt something was wrong.

"Young master, my brother..." Mo Ran's voice trembled.

Shen Yifei didn't speak. He walked up to Mo Yu, squatted down, and looked directly into Mo Yu's eyes, which were filled with a gray mist.

"Mo Yu, do you still recognize me?"

Mo Yu stared at him for a long time, the gray mist in his eyes churning a few times before revealing a sliver of clarity.

"Shen... Sect Master Shen? You... why are you here?" The voice was old and hoarse, not Mo Yu's voice at all.

"I came to Beiming on some business, and I thought I'd drop by to see you. Who got you into this state?"

Mo Yu's lips twitched twice, as if he wanted to say something, but before he could speak, the gray mist in his eyes suddenly surged violently, and he trembled violently, gripping the edge of the table tightly with both hands, as if he was trying to fight against something.

"Go...go quickly..." Mo Yu gritted her teeth, "It...it's controlling me...go quickly...I can't control myself anymore..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mo Yu's eyes were instantly swallowed up by the gray mist.

He suddenly stood up, and a cold, evil aura burst forth from his body, blowing out the oil lamp on the table and plunging the entire room into darkness.

Immediately afterwards, a piercing shriek came from the darkness.

Shen Yifei pulled Mo Ran behind him, and the Changtian Sword was instantly drawn. The blue light on the sword allowed him to see the scene inside the room clearly.

Mo Yu was no longer in the chair.

He was suspended in mid-air, his head hanging low, his long hair covering his face.

Gray mist continuously poured out of his body, condensing into a blurry phantom behind him.

The phantom was neither human nor beast, and it was impossible to tell what it was.

"Hehehe..." The illusory figure let out a low laugh. "This is not bad, and it smells nice too..."

Shen Yifei gripped the Long Sky Sword tightly. "Who are you? Why are you possessing Mo Yu?"

"Who am I?" the voice chuckled coldly. "You are not worthy to know my name. All you need to know is that I am very satisfied with this body of yours. It's far better than this piece of trash."

After he finished speaking, the gray mist suddenly surged, turning into countless thin lines that shot towards Shen Yifei.

Shen Yifei swung his sword to parry, the blade striking the thin gray lines with a crisp "clanging" sound, like striking an iron chain, sparks flying everywhere.

After those thin gray lines were severed, they turned into gray mist upon landing, then reformed and began to entangle Shen Yifei once more.