"In the sky, white bones are frosted by the cold, and the whistling of ghosts is heard in the underworld…" Ling Xiaotian raised his head and sighed. His sigh was filled with loneliness.
Lord Shen Ying's pupils shrank slightly, and he lifted his eyebrows. "Within the Eight Great Ancient Clans, the slang of the Gui clan describes how evil they are. Even though you are about to die, why are you reciting it?"
The Gui clan? Su Yu had heard of it before.
Among the Eight Great Ancient Clans, the Gui clan was the most mysterious and frightening. It was rumored that they were the descendants of ghosts. From birth, they possessed the Bloodline of the Evil Ghost. Hence, they were able to swallow the essence of the flesh of human beings to develop themselves. It was an extremely terrifying notion.
Within the Eight Great Ancient Clans, the remaining seven clans were extremely fearful of the Gui clan. However, the population of the Gui clan was small, and there were fewer than ten members in every generation. If not, with the way they could absorb another person's flesh and cultivation base, they would have dominated the continent long ago.
Su Yu recited the slang repeatedly in his mind.
In the sky, white bones are frosted by the cold, and the whistling of ghosts is heard in the underworld…
In the sky, whistling sounds of ghosts can be heard.
In the sky, whistling sounds of ghosts can be heard.
In the sky, whistling sounds can be heard.
Ling Xiaotian! A ghost! The Gui clan!
Ling Xiaotian—a member of the Gui clan!
Su Yu's heart started to beat wildly.
"King of Darkness, I am indebted to you for saving me that year," said Ling Xiaotian. "I, Gui Xiaotian, will always remember it with deep emotion. However, at the moment, I am unable to abide by the promise I made back then. I am about to break it!" Ling Xiaotian knelt down and paid deep courtesy toward that lofty divine peak.
Lord Shen Ying's gaze became narrower. "Gui…? Gui Xiaotian?" Astonishment glowed deep in his eyes. "Decades ago, the King of Darkness, who had never taken a step outside the middle continent, brought back a dying young man who was deserted by his friends from the boundary between the middle and south continent. He then named him Ling Xiaotian… But your surname is Gui…?"
"In the sky, white bones are frosted by the cold, and the whistling of ghosts is heard in the underworld… In the sky, whistling sounds can be heard… Ghost!" As Lord Shen Ying recited the Gui clan's slang, his expression became serious. Finally, his eyes were filled with shock. "Ghost! Ling Xiaotian! You… You are the Gui clan's clansman!" Lord Shen Ying was nearly speechless. "Impossible! Throughout the ages, the Eight Great Ancient Clans have always been the Empire's archenemies. Why would the King of Darkness bring you back to the Empire and designate you as a Palace Master? It's impossible!"
Ling Xiaotian's real identity as a member of the Gui clan was horrifying, but Ling Xiaotian laughed hysterically and looked at Su Yu. His face then became filled with sorrow.
"I promised the King of Darkness to never show this to the world," said Ling Xiaotian. "However, I am about to break the promise! Over the past month, I have inserted the Bloodline of the Evil Ghost into your body. It was the only aid I could give you—the only future that I can give you!" Ling Xiaotian's fingertips gathered a small bit of weak, blood-red air current and inserted it into Su Yu's body. "This… is the last bit."
It was true that over the past month, Su Yu had not died; instead, his flesh had developed slowly. Was it all due to Ling Xiaotian passing on his own Bloodline of the Evil Ghost to Su Yu?
Shock, hatred, and reproach mingled within Su Yu's mind, threatening to overwhelm his emotions. "Palace Master," he said, "you and I are neither relatives nor friends. I cannot afford to inherit your bloodline! Please stop!"
Su Yu's eyes were filled with anxiety. Although he wanted to resist, his body was completely disabled. The last bit of blood-red air current entered Su Yu's body.
Ling Xiaotian's exhausted and languished face wore a slightly gratified expression. "Originally," he said, "I wanted to use another half a day to completely transform your body—to become that of a real Gui clansman. However, it is a pity that time waits for no man. Hence, I can only offer you my blood as a sacrifice to trigger the Bloodline of the Evil Ghost."
According to Ling Xiaotian's plan, as Su Yu's body had been transformed gradually. After another half a day, he would have been able to trigger the bloodline by himself and obtain the innate talents of the Gui clan. At the moment, Ling Xiaotian could only offer his blood as a sacrifice to complete the process ahead of schedule. Moreover, the only person who could offer his blood as a sacrifice was Ling Xiaotian himself.
Whoosh—
Ling Xiaotian tore open his arm and his blood poured out onto Su Yu's body. A layer of blood-red divine light circled Su Yu's body like a second skin. It changed the blood into a lump of essence which then entered Su Yu's body.
Within Su Yu's body, as the essence moistened, his broken bones quickly merged! In the blink of an eye, all the cracks in the bones were gone. The effects were comparable to that of a Flesh Regeneration Elixir! No—the effects were even greater, fiercer, and faster than that of an elixir!
Whoosh, whoosh—
The sound of flowing liquid could be heard within Su Yu's body. It was like something was taking advantage of the opportunity to awaken at that very moment.
Rays of divine, crimson light seeped through Su Yu's body pores, changed into the head of a ferocious ghost and traced back along the blood pouring from Ling Xiaotian's bleeding arm. The ferocious ghost swallowed a great amount of blood and flesh, which transformed into a spiritual essence that was sent back to Su Yu's body. This allowed Su Yu's body to recover at a shocking speed.
As for the arm of Ling Xiaotian, it withered quickly. His arm's fine hair decomposed, the skin darkened, and the flesh withered. In the blink of an eye, his arm became like the dry twig of a withered, fallen leaf.
His flesh had been swallowed and consumed—along with his cultivation base. His cultivation base of Heaven Master fell precipitously. Simultaneously, Su Yu's cultivation base quickly climbed from Immortal Level Three Upper Tier to Immortal Level Three Peak!
Having finally understood Ling Xiaotian's intentions, Su Yu's eyes became moist. His throat was hoarse, and he desperately shouted, "Stop!"
Ling Xiaotian was using his own flesh and cultivation base to trigger the Evil Ghost Energy and refill Su Yu's body with life! Ling Xiaotian would die. All for Su Yu, a person he had known for less than half a year, a person he was not related. For this junior who was about to die, he used his own life to prolong Su Yu's life!
Su Yu was shocked from the bottom of his soul, watching as Ling Xiaotian allowed the ferocious ghost to swallow him peacefully. His face hastily became wizened, as if he had aged 20 years in an instant and getting older by the second. His wrinkled face wore an expression implying that he had been freed.
"The Bloodline of the Evil Ghost is an innate talent as well as a curse," he wheezed. "The King of Darkness nurtured me in hopes that it could be used in dire situations. This burden and mission shall be passed on to you…"
The bloodline was triggered, and the speed of swallowing became faster and faster. Tears streamed down Su Yu's cheeks, and he was filled with endless grief. Why was Ling Xiaotian so thoughtless that he would sacrifice himself for Su Yu?
"No need to feel sad," said Ling Xiaotian. "The King of Darkness has said before that the moment when my mission was fulfilled was the time I would die. This year is my final year, and I am about to die. I have merely passed on my Evil Ghost Energy to you a few months in advance. I'm sorry I was unable to save you. I can only force this heavy burden and this suicide mission upon you."
Ling Xiaotian's voice gradually became weaker. All the flesh in his body had been transferred and there was nothing left. His hair turned white and slowly floated away. He was an old man inching getting closer to death! Yet he stared at Su Yu with pitiful and apologetic eyes. His face wore a gratified expression even though he knew that he was about to depart from Su Yu.
His life was close to its limit. He was about to die!
As for Su Yu, his broken bones, severed arteries, and damaged internal organs had recovered to their original state. His cultivation base had made a breakthrough from Immortal Level Three Upper Tier to Immortal Level Four Peak!
The cultivation base Ling Xiaotian had worked his whole life to achieve had been completely passed on to Su Yu!
The entire process took only a short moment, though it felt like an eternity. By the time Lord Shen Ying managed to react, everything was complete.
"None of you can be left alive!" he growled. It was hard to tell whether Lord Shen Ying's expression was gloomy or clear. He shouted in a stern voice and thrust his palm toward Ling Xiaotian's head.
The King of Darkness had taken in Ling Xiaotian to serve a great purpose. If the King of Darkness were not dead, and if he found out Lord Shen Ying had caused his death… Ling Xiaotian and his people had to die, even if it meant Lord Shen Ying killing them by his own hand!
The wind generated by the palm shot forth. Ling Xiaotian still wore a relieved smile, even though he was about to die. He faced the incoming death calmly.
"No! Palace Master!" Su Yu roared furiously as his tears streamed down.
Adhering to his strong willpower, his body—which had not recovered completely yet—was forcefully controlled.
"Ah! I will kill you!"
Bristling with anger, Su Yu suddenly extended his palm. The Evil Ghost Energy which enshrouded Ling Xiaotian gave a shriek and threw itself onto Lord Shen Ying. Unable to defend himself, his right arm was enshrouded.
Ah—
Lord Shen Ying let out a fierce and horrible shriek as his arm was transformed into black ashes on the spot! In an instant, the essence of his arm's flesh was swallowed entirely!
But the Evil Ghost Energy did not stop there. It moved along his arm and extended itself, seeking to swallow his whole body! Even while in pain, Lord Shen Ying was determined to take action. He hastily cut his arm off to isolate the Evil Ghost Energy.
Blood splashed everywhere, and the pain was so extreme that it reached his very soul. His panic-stricken face became as hideous as an evil spirit.
"My—my arm!" he cried. "My arm!" His fearful face was filled with extreme hatred. "I want all of you to suffer a fate worse than death!"
The temperament of a Human King was vast and mighty. His blood energy surged at once. As Su Yu was an Immortal Level Four Peak, he was sent flying.
Rustle—
Su Yu waved his big sleeves to create a fierce wind to bring the dying Ling Xiaotian away with him as he was sent flying; he had used the blast-back as an opportunity to get away!
"Hold it right there!" Lord Shen Ying gave a strict roar. His eyes were filled with hatred. He looked like a devil in the deepest part of hell.
Roar—
However, the face of a ferocious ghost suddenly threw itself at him again. Lord Shen Ying turned grim-faced. He had no choice but to retreat.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Su Yu placed Ling Xiaotian in the Eternal Mask and continued to leave with the momentum that had sent him flying.
As he flew, his tear-filled eyes were bloodshot, filled with boundless hatred.
"All of you who have been stained by his blood must die!" said Su Yu. "I, Yin Yu, will use my soul, my life and everything I have to make an oath. If I do not kill all of you, I will sink to the underworld for eternity!"
Sink to the underworld for eternity! His heartrending hatred reverberated across the 10,000-mile-wide Empire of Darkness. Countless people were shocked. When they raised their heads to take a look, their eyelids twitched.
How strong that murderous intent was! Such deep hatred! It was similar to the Heavenly Wrath, and it resounded across 10,000 miles! In no time, the Empire of Darkness shook.
Lord Shen Ying, who was filled with hatred, was the first to be affected. His soul shook, and his agitated heart became indescribably oppressed! The hatred in his eyes was reduced, and a bit of remorse lingered around his heart.
After some time, he calmed down and shook off the Evil Ghost Energy. Su Yu was nowhere to be found, but the activity in the area had attracted attention from all directions. The Five Lords were the first to arrive. After hearing the oath which resounded in the sky, they were shocked.
"What happened—?" Lord Qing Zhu started to ask. Then he froze and stared. "Shen Ying, your hand…" When he discovered Shen Ying's severed, withered arm, drenched with blood, he was filled with fear.
The other Lords were all extremely terrified as well.
Lord Shen Ying was guilty and could only clench his teeth as he said, "It was Yin Yu. He has taken Ling Xiaotian away!"
Everyone's eyes narrowed. How strong was Yin Yu? How could he rescue someone in Lord Shen Ying's hands? Moreover, Ling Xiaotian should have been in the prison. How could he have appeared at their current location to then be taken away?
Yi Yu's face, which was shrouded by thick water vapor, turned slightly cold. "You… attempted to execute him in advance? To assassinate a prisoner? How dare you!"
She was furious and surprised. For half a month, she had been thinking of ways to rescue Ling Xiaotian. She had never expected this.
Lord Shen Ying pretended to be calm. "I only brought him out for questioning. It's Yin Yu. He… He is a leftover evil of the Gui clan!"
Everyone's pupils shrank. The Gui clan? That most frightening and mysterious of the Eight Great Ancient Clans?
After lowering their heads and looking at Lord Shen Ying's palm, everyone's expression turned unpleasant. The Eight Great Ancient Clans were the Empire's archenemies. As he had no permission to enter the Empire's headquarters, he had concealed himself in the Empire's Sub Palace. Hence, he must have had some motives.
Whoosh—
A light shadow appeared. It was Lord Bai Luo's Thousand Miles Shadow Projection.
"Orders to the Lords," Lord Bai Luo announced. "A leftover evil cannot be tolerated! Pursue Yin Yu, and no mistakes are allowed!"