Forty-Five Thousand-Year-Old Fiend

Qiu Shuguang picked up his whisk, waved it a few times, and channeled his spiritual power. The whisk transformed into a sword. Yet before Qiu Shuguang could make a show of his skill, a rune appeared in the center of the thousand-year demon’s forehead—another ghost gate.

The demon unleashed a jet of ghostly fire from her own ghost gate, igniting Qiu Shuguang’s whisk in an instant.

“Ow, hot!” Qiu Shuguang cried, flinging the burning object away. He hurried to stand beside Lord Bai Ling. “You’d better handle this yourselves,” he said.

Lord Bai Ling shot Qiu Shuguang a look of exasperation, then signaled to Hu Xiaoqiu to attack together.

Each wielded a flying sword, infused with their spiritual energy, and sent the blades hurtling at the thousand-year demon. The demon did not bother to dodge; instead, she caught both swords in her palms, channeled her demonic power, and, with a twist, reduced them to nothing but twisted iron scraps, letting them clatter to the ground. She watched the remaining seven people and the fox spirit with a wicked grin.

“Have any other tricks?” The demon laughed uproariously.

“We need to retreat to the ancient tomb—quickly!” Lord Bai Ling urged.

“You go on ahead. I’ll deal with her,” Li Xintian said, drawing out his Righteousness Brush.

“You think you can handle a thousand-year demon with just a calligraphy brush? Are you joking?” Qiu Shuguang laughed incredulously.

“Exactly!” Yu Yuanhai chimed in from the side.

“I’ve killed more bookish types like you than I can count!” the thousand-year demon sneered, turning her attention to Li Xintian.

Let that demon try to draw in his righteous energy, the Red-clad Ghost Queen thought to herself, eyes on the demon. Then I’ll seize her cultivation.

“Come at me, then,” Li Xintian replied, neither releasing his righteous energy nor rising to the taunts, aware that the Ghost Queen had not told the demon the truth.

The thousand-year demon’s temper snapped. She soared toward Li Xintian, claws extended, each nail a full centimeter long, intent on ending him.

“Perfect!” Li Xintian dared not take her lightly. As she closed in, he brandished the Righteousness Brush, releasing all the righteous energy within him. A pale blue light shot skyward.

Swiftly, Li Xintian wrote the character for “righteousness,” then, brandishing the brush, pressed the character onto the demon’s forehead.

Instantly, the thousand-year demon felt the overwhelming force of his righteous energy. She tried to halt her advance, but her momentum was too great.

“Aaah!” she screamed, her body frozen as the righteous energy surged from Li Xintian’s brush into her forehead and flooded her being.

Purple-red smoke billowed from the demon and spiraled skyward.

“Curse you, Ghost Queen! You dare play me for a fool? I’ll make you pay!” the demon howled, grabbing the Red-clad Ghost Queen, who had been watching from the sidelines.

The Ghost Queen shrieked in pain.

“Righteous energy!” All eyes widened in shock, except for Hu Qiuyan, who remained calm.

“So it’s true, what Young Master Li said earlier, that he was tracking a ghost queen,” Lord Bai Ling finally understood, recalling Li Xintian’s first question to her. “His righteous energy must be the reason our spells failed.”

“Wow, Senior Sister, does this mean I don’t have to get married after all?” Hu Xiaoqiu said as she saw Li Xintian subdue the demon.

“Ghost Queen, you wanted the demon and me to wear each other out, so you could absorb her and then me? You underestimated me,” Li Xintian declared. With his left hand, he gathered righteous energy, forming it into a sphere, and pressed it against the Ghost Queen’s face.

“Ah! Please, spare me! I truly wish to turn over a new leaf!” The Ghost Queen’s face contorted from the pain.

“Even if this wretched scholar lets you live, you’ll die by my hand!” the demon snarled, gripping the Ghost Queen in her fist.

Suddenly, Li Xintian was kicked in the left side, sending him sprawling and gouging a trench in the earth. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

He saw that Hu Xiaoqiu had attacked him.

Everyone stood in stunned silence. Hu Qiuyan hurried to Li Xintian’s side to support him.

“Xintian, are you hurt?” Hu Qiuyan asked with concern.

“I’ll be fine,” Li Xintian replied, though he spat blood and his face grew pale. If not for his martial training, that kick would have knocked him out.

Hu Qiuyan used her fox magic to tend his wounds, her heart pounding.

The thousand-year demon, no longer suppressed by righteous energy and aided by Hu Xiaoqiu, laughed coldly.

“Ghost Queen, die!” the demon declared, turning to the Red-clad Ghost Queen.

“No!” the Ghost Queen shrieked in terror.

The demon devoured her in one gulp and immediately felt her cultivation deepen.

“This is bad—Xiaoqiu is possessed!” Lord Bai Ling exclaimed, seeing the rune and long nails on Hu Xiaoqiu’s forehead, identical to the demon’s.

“Righteous!” Li Xintian wrote the character with righteous energy and pressed it into Hu Xiaoqiu, suppressing the demonic influence and rendering her unconscious. Lord Bai Ling seized the chance, drew the rope from her waist, channeled her power, and bound Hu Xiaoqiu, pulling her to her side.

Li Xintian then used his righteous energy to bind the demon.

“Run!” Li Xintian shouted, seeing that Hu Xiaoqiu was safe.

“What about you?” Lord Bai Ling hesitated.

“Go! She can’t hurt me,” Li Xintian said through gritted teeth, every movement causing pain—he feared his organs had been injured.

“Hurry, Head Bai!” Qiu Shuguang urged as well.

“Take care, all of you,” Lord Bai Ling replied, slinging Hu Xiaoqiu over her shoulder and leading the others away.

“You think you can bind me so easily?” the demon scoffed. Spinning once, she unleashed her power, shattered the righteous barrier, and tore after them.

“Qiuyan, heal me quickly—Bai and the others won’t last much longer,” Li Xintian pleaded, sitting on the ground in pain.

“Alright,” Hu Qiuyan nodded.

“Hurry, open the door!” Yu Yuanhai urged Yan Wenyan.

“The demon’s right behind us!” Yu Yuanhai shouted, glancing back to see her flying through the sky.

“I know, I’m opening it!” Yan Wenyan replied, forming a lotus mudra.

The tomb’s door inched upward, painfully slow.

“There’s no time—she’s almost on us!” Qiu Shuguang cried.

“I’ll hold her off,” Lord Bai Ling said, flying up to meet the demon. Power met power as spiritual force clashed with demonic energy.

Both combatants were hurled backward.

Lord Bai Ling spat blood, while the demon seemed unfazed, merely thrown back.

“Head Bai!” Qiu Shuguang caught her, his face pale.

“Into the tomb, quickly,” Lord Bai Ling urged.

“Hurry!” Yu Yuanhai shouted, seeing the door open.

“Not so fast!” The demon blasted Qiu Shuguang’s back with hellfire from the rune on her forehead.

Qiu Shuguang coughed blood. Yu Yuanhai rushed forward, dragged both Qiu Shuguang and Lord Bai Ling into the tomb.

As the demon began to pursue them, she suddenly shrieked, purple smoke billowing from her and righteous energy leaking from her body.

Yu Yuanhai did not look back as he pulled Qiu Shuguang and Lord Bai Ling into the ancient tomb.

The demon forced the righteous energy from her body with her own magic and charged at the tomb.

But before she could reach the entrance, the door slammed shut. A blue light flared from the lotus emblem on the door, forcing the demon back.

“The tomb’s protective shield!” the demon shouted in rage. If not for the lingering righteous energy, she would have broken through already.

A blue light enveloped the tomb from outside.

The demon howled to the heavens. Demonic power surged, the demon star above glowing red. A red beam fell upon the shield, turning its blue glow to crimson.

“Let’s see you stop me now!” The demon summoned her power, shattered the tomb’s outer gate.

“This is bad—the demon has broken through the first gate!” Lord Bai Ling called out, having recovered somewhat inside the tomb.

“Don’t be afraid—we can still hide!” Qiu Shuguang, ignoring his wounds, wrapped his arms around Lord Bai Ling with a grin.

She scowled, flinging his hands off.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself,” Qiu Shuguang said sheepishly.

Yu Yuanhai and Ye Jiaheng snickered at the scene.

“What are you laughing at?” Qiu Shuguang gave each a sharp flick to the forehead.

Both men rubbed their heads, grimacing in pain, which made Yan Wenyan laugh aloud.

“You have time to joke around?” Lord Bai Ling scolded. Li Xintian was wounded outside, and they seemed oblivious to the danger.

No sooner had she spoken than the inner door of the tomb was blasted open, sending rubble flying at them. They all channeled their power to shield themselves.

A fierce wind howled, whipping their robes.

A brilliant sphere of black light radiated in the tomb, tendrils of darkness spreading. Amid the shadows, a pale figure emanated black light, its presence expanding outward.

All eyes widened in terror.

The pale apparition materialized as the thousand-year demon, startling them all.

“Hand over the demoness of the ghost gate!” the demon shouted, glaring at Hu Xiaoqiu, who lay in Yan Wenyan’s arms.

“You’ll never have her!” Lord Bai Ling declared.

The demon took flight, streaking toward Hu Xiaoqiu.

“Stop her!” Lord Bai Ling cried as she and Qiu Shuguang leapt to intercept.

Lord Bai Ling struck the demon’s right hand with her palm.

Qiu Shuguang grabbed for the demon’s chest and gave it a squeeze.

The demon screamed, stunned by the attack before she could muster her magic, tumbled back to the inner gate, and clutched her left breast, her face contorted with rage.

“Bad habits die hard!” Qiu Shuguang quipped, hand still frozen in the grabbing gesture, grinning at Lord Bai Ling.

Her face darkened; she slapped him hard, sending him spinning in place, and didn’t spare him a glance.