Villain Master, my disciples all want to backstab me

Even if he really handed himself over as the "Blood Kite" said, the outcome would be unknown.

Because the things happening in Cangwu County cannot be guessed by common sense.

If the true form of the "Blood Kite" is a sneaky ghost lurking here, then what she says is nothing more than ghost talk and cannot be trusted;

And if this "Blood Kite" is the residual soul or a clone of the predecessor left behind when he came here, then what she said would be even less credible, and it would be impossible to expect her to keep her promise.

Bai Yuan knew herself well. Whether it was her current self or her former self, she was someone who took lying as a daily routine. She was prone to lying and going back on her word. Putting her hopes on her keeping her promise was like trying to get something from a tiger.

"Hey……"

Blood Kite sighed, "It seems you are unwilling to make an exchange. In that case..."

"Then let me see how long you can hold on!"

The words have not yet fallen.

A strong sense of crisis suddenly exploded in Bai Yuan and Bai Hu's hearts!

The man and the tiger jumped to the side without thinking.

Almost at the same time they made this move, they saw the hundreds of meters long bluestone road under their feet suddenly twisted and curled up, as if a person had rolled up his tongue.

The surrounding houses turned into fangs, with beams and pillars either flying or sticking out, blocking Bai Yuan and Bai Hu.

In addition, a large amount of blood plasma burst out from the cracks in the bricks, turning into scarlet tentacles and grabbing them!

Bai Yuan's cultivation was still at the Nascent Soul stage at this moment, and he reacted quickly. He brandished the Chixiao Sword and wielded the "Karma Fire Burning Sky Sword" to chop the objects in front of him into pieces, then took off into the air.

But Baihu wasn't so lucky. After all, he was already injured, his cultivation at a low point. He suppressed the pain and leaped up, barely breaking three or four beams before stumbling to the side. Broken tiles rained down in all directions.

Since the Blood Kite has taken action, it will naturally not end so easily—

next moment.

There was no new movement from the woman in red.

From the wedding procession and funeral procession, masked figures in paper form suddenly leaped up. Their limbs, formed from the black mist, suddenly stretched out, transforming into blades that slashed towards Bai Yuan and Bai Hu. Flesh tentacles in the surrounding streets suddenly rose up like snakes, lashing out at Bai Yuan through the air.

Clang——!

The clear sound of sword rang out.

Bai Yuan held the Scarlet Sky Sword in her left hand, and with her right hand, she drew the [Clear Wind to Dispel Evil] from her waist. With a flick of her hands, a blazing blue flame spread from the Scarlet Sky to the [Clear Wind to Dispel Evil], like two long torches held in Bai Yuan's hands. Then, she hurled them into the air, shooting towards the "Blood Kite" on the sedan chair!

The latter did not dodge or evade, but just pulled Ye Shuang'er a little forward, just blocking the path of the sword.

"grass……"

"mean!"

Bai Yuan cursed inwardly, then pointed his sword and summoned the Qinghong twin swords back. Together with the other swords beside him, they formed a circle of sword formation around him.

In this critical situation, Bai Yuan pushed her spiritual power to its limit. All humanoids that came within ten meters of her were reduced to ash by the "blue flame" on her sword, even targeting the White Tiger. Several scattered flames exploded in mid-air, igniting half the street.

Although the "Sword Cultivation Technique" could no longer be used for a short period of time, the sword force unleashed by Bai Yuan, who was now activating his Nascent Soul cultivation, was quite astonishing. It was enough to make the "Blood Kite" on the sedan chair raise an eyebrow slightly, revealing a look of surprise.

more importantly……

Until this moment, Bai Yuan still did not use the [Linglong Dice].

After all, this thing was her most crucial trump card. Once used, the battle would be sealed. Furthermore, her goal wasn't just to save Ye Shuang'er; she also had to consider how to escape. Therefore, she had to proceed with extreme caution and choose the most opportune moment to strike.

The only thing to be thankful for is that Bai Yuan has not used the [Linglong Dice] since entering [Cangwu County], so theoretically, "Blood Kite" has no information about this magic weapon, and there is a possibility of negligence.

Of course, if this guy possessed the ability to explore other people's memories, then theoretically he could obtain the secrets of the [Exquisite Dice] directly from Ye Shuang'er. If this possibility were established, it would mean that all of Bai Yuan's methods would be transparent to her. All Bai Yuan could do was resign herself to her fate.

"Hmph, a trapped beast's fight!"

"Blood Kite" sat upright on the sedan chair, a flash of surprise on his face, and then a sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.

She just raised her hand slightly, palm facing outward, and made a forceful "grabbing" motion.

With this action.

The remaining paper figures suddenly exploded one after another, transforming into a cloud of paper money. Each piece of paper money burned with a ghostly green will-o'-the-wisp fire, attacking Bai Yuan and Bai Hu.

Bai Yuan maneuvered her flying sword to block the attack, but the paper money was too much. Soon, she felt her arm go numb, and a burning piece of paper money was stuck to the back of her hand. A sharp pain shot through her, and the flesh on the back of her hand instantly charred.

Even more troublesome is...

A considerable amount of silver threads were hidden among these paper money - these silver threads were exactly the same as those used by "Blood Kite" to control Ye Shuang'er. They clearly formed a net that covered Bai Yuan and Bai Hu!

At this critical moment, the white tiger roared mightily. Its remaining Gengjin evil spirit condensed into sharp claws, tearing apart some of the silver threads. But more silver threads emerged from the bones beneath the ground, piercing its limbs, shoulders, and back, pinning it to the spot. The beast roared in agony, blood flowing along the silver threads, creating a strange spell on the ground.

A cold glint flashed in Bai Yuan's eyes, and she wielded her blue and red swords, sweeping across, severing over ten silver threads. Then she bit her tongue, spraying her blood onto the swords, sending a cyan flame soaring three feet. Silver threads snapped wherever the swords passed, but new ones quickly replaced them.

"it's useless."

"Blood Kite" chuckled and said, "In this Cangwu County, the power I can mobilize is unlimited. You can't escape."

Bai Yuan didn't answer, instead thrusting the Chixiao Sword into the ground. The sword trembled, and a green flame spread along the ground, incinerating all the silver threads within a ten-foot radius. She seized the opportunity to leap to the white tiger's side and slap it on the forehead. "Go!"

"Roar!!"

The white tiger swung its head, throwing the white kite onto its back, then spread half of its bony wings, intending to soar into the sky with the white kite. However, the moment it soared into the sky, it suddenly changed direction and rushed towards the "blood kite" at an even faster speed than before!

While still in mid-air, Bai Yuan threw the dice in his hand, and the six pale golden dice began to spin rapidly at an extremely fast speed.

…………

Inside the bell tower of Cangwu County.

A slender figure silently stepped over the last few steps and appeared on the top floor of the building with an indifferent expression.

This figure was none other than Ji Lingyun.

Compared to Bai Yuan, Bai Hu, and Ye Shuang'er, the Ji family's Saintess appeared quite relaxed and carefree. She looked clean and tidy, showing no signs of having battled any other evil spirits. As she ascended the stairs, she looked more like a leisurely stroll, as if on a spring outing.

At this moment.

Ji Lingyun looked up and glanced around, finally her eyes fell on the bronze bell.

This bell was the most striking object in the bell tower. Nearly five meters tall, it was covered in dense, tiny runes. A dim golden light flickered between the runes, and an inexplicable pressure emanated from the bell, making people instinctively lower their heads, afraid to peek.

of course.

This pressure had no practical effect on a powerful being like Ji Lingyun.

The reason why she ignored the disturbances in the outside world and rushed to this place at this time was just to see an old friend.

Or, to see the "old things"——

"Sure enough, you're still here."

Ji Lingyun walked up to the bronze bell and stopped. First, with a slightly nostalgic look, she carefully examined the inscriptions around the bell. Then, she raised her palm and gently stroked the patterns on the bell with her fingertips, and let out a soft breath.

"haven't seen you for a long time."

"The last time I saw you was probably over a thousand years ago... Thousands of years have passed, and the buildings are deserted. Only the scenery of this underworld remains the same. This is probably what those mortal poets mean when they say, 'Things have changed, people have changed, and everything has ceased.'"

Ji Lingyun shook her head slightly, as if talking to herself, or as if talking to someone, and sighed a few words.

then.

She withdrew her gaze from the huge bronze bell, walked to the edge of the bell tower's terrace, and looked far away in a certain direction below.

Although they were several kilometers apart and covered by a thick red mist, all of this seemed transparent to Ji Lingyun. She could even clearly see the slightest expression on Bai Yuan, "Blood Yuan," and Bai Hu's faces.

"...Has the war already started?"

Ji Lingyun showed an expression of no surprise:

"That's right. After all, these guys have been suppressed here for many years, and they've accumulated a lot of resentment. Naturally, we have to take advantage of the fact that there are living people from the outside world coming in and warmly entertain them..."

Chapter 143 Entering the Coffin

Compared with Bai Yuan and Ye Shuang'er.

Ji Lingyun's understanding of Cangwu County and "Huangquan" is actually much deeper.

So she knew very well what the nature of this dead city was.

In the classics of the cultivation world, Cangwu County is generally regarded as the "City of Unjust Death" in strange stories and legends. This statement has some truth to it, but it is not accurate.

It is actually a membrane——

If "Huangquan" is regarded as a real river, then [Cangwu County] is the "river surface" of this river, which looks like a membrane separating the upper and lower sides.

Above the "river" is the world of the living, with countless creatures traveling back and forth on the shore and in the sky, a constant stream of life, a scene of prosperity;

Beneath the river surface is the resting place of the dead. The souls of the dead sleep here forever. At the bottom of the river are deposited a large number of strange creatures and piles of bones. After being baptized by the long years, they have merged into various strange and terrifying creatures.

Normally, these two worlds run parallel to each other without interfering with each other. Only when life faces death or rebirth does the two briefly intersect.

But occasionally, some living people would walk to the surface of the river and look down to see what was happening under the water.

Hmm... I'm talking about the Blood Kite. And those who came to Cangwu County back then, hoping to gain enlightenment, seeking a breakthrough in their cultivation, willingly waiting to die... or for some other purpose.

Although they don't come here very often, considering that Cangwu County has been formed for thousands of years, even if only one person enters here every ten years on average, the overall proportion is not low.

Whenever this time.

The person's reflection will be left on the water surface.

This reflection will become a kind of existence between the living and the dead, like a fish, tossing and turning on the river surface. Most of the time, it stays in the water, stirring the surrounding water, and occasionally floats up to breathe the outside air.

Of course……

This ability was no secret to the souls underwater. In fact, it could easily attract their attention.

After death, when a person enters the underworld, their soul loses some of its memories and consciousness, but still retains the instinct to seek benefits and avoid harm. Some souls even retain a lingering attachment to the world of the living, constantly yearning to escape it and return to the human world.

However, the water surface of "Cangwu County" separates the two worlds of life and death, and "suppresses" these dead souls under the underworld.

Normally, if they want to complete the transition from death to life, the only way is through the formal path of "reincarnation".

However, after that, the newly born soul is often cleansed by the "Forgetful River" and then undergoes "system initialization." Even if the appearance remains unchanged, the loss of memory and consciousness means that it is theoretically a different person. At most, some memories of the previous life remain deep in the soul, but this is not a big deal.

This is not the "resurrection" that the dead souls want.

By the way, magical weapons like the Yellow Springs Token, created by ghost cultivators, can actually release some of the dead's souls back into the world. Bai Yuan had done this before. However, that wasn't the same as "rebirth." At best, it could only create some "ghost possession"-like stunts.

Furthermore, the ability of the [Yellow Springs Order] was merely to create a small opening in the "water's surface," releasing a few small fish and shrimp. Even if Heaven didn't annihilate them, they would be slaughtered by the cultivators of the Yang World. Truly massive creatures, however, simply couldn't escape the Yellow Springs in this manner.

Therefore, some people have tried to find another way to achieve true resurrection after death.

What Ji Lingyun did at the time was actually also a "unique way", but she took advantage of the loophole when she was still alive.

And one of the "paths" that these dead souls in the underworld have found is to fall on these "reflections".

As mentioned earlier, "reflections" are a kind of existence between the living and the dead, so they have some characteristics that ordinary dead souls do not have. They can float to the "surface of the water" and come into contact with the world of the living; and those who can get close to the "surface of the water" and leave these "reflections" are often geniuses of various periods, so their "reflections" are also of good quality.

Many "natives" in the underworld regard them as prey, and through hunting and preying, they try to obtain the attribute of connecting yin and yang, thereby achieving contact with the world of the living.

And vice versa.

Since most "reflections" are spun off from geniuses, their talents and personalities are often top-notch. Therefore, it's entirely possible to reverse this, hunting down those "natives" and other "reflections," thereby continuously strengthening oneself and gaining a firm foothold in this underworld where the strong prey on the weak. Becoming a being even more powerful than those monstrous beings.

There aren't many "reflections" that can do this.

Because this requires not only qualifications, character, and perseverance, but also good enough luck.

In recent decades, only one "reflection" has achieved this -

That’s right, I’m talking about the “Blood Kite”.

Blood Kite's aptitude wasn't top-tier. Even among NPCs, not to mention those destined protagonists, she was only above average, far behind Ling Xiuya or Ji Taimei. However, her determination and perseverance were top-tier in the cultivation world, and few could match her.

and……

Twenty years ago, "Blood Kite" was chased into this bell tower by the Shentu family because she rescued Jiang Rao. Although she finally escaped successfully, she left behind some things - a part of her soul and the memories belonging to "Blood Kite".

And all these things were eventually obtained by its "reflection", thus creating a second "Blood Kite" that almost perfectly inherited everything from the original, from appearance, body shape, abilities, to memory.

Theoretically, if she could see the original one again, and obtain the remaining spirit and memories of the original after leaving [Cangwu County], then this "reflection" might be able to perfectly replace the original and become the new "Blood Kite Demon Lord." She could even borrow the original's body, completing the transition from death to life, and thus leave the underworld and return to the world of the living.

——This is the final way to play that "path".

However, it is not easy to actually put it into operation.

After all, this practice essentially seeks to circumvent the fundamental law of reincarnation, disrupting the harmony between the Yin and Yang worlds. Even if one manages to evade the Yellow Springs' detention, they will likely be discovered by the Heavenly Dao after returning to the living world, and then be struck by a thunderbolt, instantly killing them.

——Just like the "soul splitting technique" used by Ji Lingyun thousands of years ago, it is essentially an illegal operation. As the reincarnation of a tea demon and a saint, the fact that "Ji Tingxue" can appear in the world is itself a low-probability event.

and……