Cold sweat broke out on Gong Xuance’s forehead.
He could only hope that Little Ling’er wasn’t so weak that she couldn’t even handle a few low-level pests.
In truth, he had indeed underestimated Lin Ling.
For a Cultivator who could at least draw second-rank talismans, these low-level wandering spirits were not particularly formidable.
At that moment, Lin Ling was strolling around, casually investigating her surroundings.
She struck a wandering spirit that approached her with a single palm, killing it instantly.
She did this to prevent these lowest-level Xiemo from interfering with her study of the array.
After wandering for an unknown amount of time, Lin Ling sighed softly.
She struck another wandering spirit dead, a strange expression appearing on her face.
‘What exactly is the situation with this place? Did I enter a dungeon?’
Just as Lin Ling was looking here and there, a light cough came from behind her.
Lin Ling was a bit puzzled.
‘Have the Xiemo already evolved to the point where they can speak?’
The Little Fox turned around and immediately prepared a Wind-Fire Talisman, intending to kill the Xiemo directly.
But in the next moment, her Wind-Fire Talisman met another Wind-Fire Talisman.
The two identical talismans underwent a strange collision in midair. Instead of exploding, the identical True Essence was guided by some force to slowly cancel each other out.
The remaining blank talisman papers fell from the air together, having no effect.
Lin Ling frowned and looked up, only to be stunned.
Before her stood another version of herself.
However, this young Lin Ling looked more cheerful and confident than she did, and her smile seemed even brighter.
Lin Ling blinked and muttered to herself.
‘It couldn’t be you, could it?’
***
In the real world, on the clearing where Lin Ling had originally been standing, an old man lay on the ground gasping for air.
He frowned slightly, then checked his condition, grumbling, “What kind of fellow did I run into this time? That was a formidable sword.”
He then pulled a purple medicinal pill from his storage bag and swallowed it.
A purple aura surged, making the old man’s face turn a strange, toxic shade.
The old man immediately formed hand seals.
One by one, halos of light emerged from behind him, and a youth was thrown out from one of the halos, crashing onto the ground.
The youth looked around in confusion, still unsure of what was happening.
The old man licked his lips and thrust a hand into the center of the youth’s back.
His hand gradually took on a suction-cup-like shape, pulling the youth’s heart out from his back with extreme speed.
The youth died completely before he could even let out a wail.
The old man held the heart high.
Soon, streaks of purple energy consumed the heart in his hand.
In a short while, the old man’s body began to slowly change.
He became younger and more energetic, and his pale, withered hair became jet-black and shiny.
With a sound like popping beans, the old man had transformed into the youth from before.
The youth’s corpse still lay on the ground, making the entire scene appear incredibly eerie.
The “youth” sneered, then gestured in the air, sending out several more halos of light.
He scanned the area, looking inside the rings.
When his gaze landed on the young man who had previously slashed his Jade Void Grotto-Heaven with a sword, his heart filled with shock.
In the image, Xiu Jiming held his sword in one hand, standing like a silver spear amidst a sea of blood and corpses made of Xiemo.
His clothes were completely unstained, and not a single drop of blood remained on his blade.
Then, as if sensing the youth’s gaze, Xiu Jiming looked up toward him.
Startled, the youth hurriedly waved his hand again, stacking more layers of the Jade Void Grotto-Heaven to press down on Xiu Jiming.
In the image, more Xiemo appeared before Xiu Jiming.
Even the ones previously killed were resurrected, snarling at him.
Seeing Xiu Jiming surrounded once more, the youth felt slightly more at ease.
He then shifted his gaze to the Jade Void Grotto-Heaven containing Gong Xuance.
At this moment, Gong Xuance was dozing off nonchalantly.
He had somehow constructed a rain shelter amidst the raging storm.
The youth revealed a grotesque smile.
Inside the Jade Void Grotto-Heaven where Gong Xuance was, the youth walked slowly up to him and said, “Friend Gong, we haven’t seen each other in a long time.”
Hearing this, Gong Xuance looked up.
Upon seeing the youth, he frowned and said, “I don’t recognize you. You must have joined Yinzong after me?”
The youth smiled and nodded.
“Friend Gong is correct. This physical body of mine indeed joined Yinzong after you.”
Gong Xuance narrowed his eyes and sneered.
“Physical body. Are you a Xiemo?”
The youth shook his head.
“No, no, no. What are Xiemo? Just a bunch of low-level life forms that only know how to possess and parasitize. I am different. I practice Birth-Borrowing.”
Gong Xuance crossed his legs and looked at him with a tilted head.
“Is there a difference?”
The youth laughed.
“This is a method taught to me by an old senior within the Grotto-Heaven when I obtained the Jade Void Grotto-Heaven. It cultivates the divine soul and spirit. Xiemo only know how to plunder and devour. How can you compare me to those beasts?”
“I don’t see any difference between you and a Xiemo,” Gong Xuance retorted sarcastically.
The youth ignored the sarcasm and said with a chuckle, “Friend Gong, I once thought of ‘borrowing’ my birth from you so that we could become one. Unfortunately, back then, you were so conceited about your peerless thievery that you dared to break into the Imperial Palace at night.”
He added with regret, “At that time, I had just learned the Birth-Borrowing method from that senior. But in nearly twenty years, I haven’t seen you again. It’s truly a pity.”
Gong Xuance frowned slightly, still unable to remember who this person was.
The youth smiled.
“We are both members of Yinzong, so why work for the Imperial Court? Why not submit to me? When I lead everyone from Yinzong to overthrow the Shi family, we can sit upon the Ninth-Five throne ourselves. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
He moved closer to Gong Xuance, his voice full of temptation.
“Think about it. As long as you sit in that position, there will be endless human Dragon Qi to nourish you. At that time, our path of Immortal Cultivation will be smooth sailing.”
Gong Xuance let out a yawn and looked at him.
“Are you finished?”
The youth was taken set back, and in that moment, he triggered a Jinzhi that Gong Xuance had set up.
He was instantly blasted away by a bolt of lightning.
“My word, it’s so pure! You have a top-grade lightning Spirit Root? What a pity I couldn’t borrow your life!”
The youth’s phantom was torn apart by the lightning.
Gong Xuance waved his hand dismissively.
“Enough, enough. You should worry about yourself. If you annoy my Junior Brother, I’m afraid you won’t live to see tomorrow.”
***
In the Jade Void Grotto-Heaven trapping Lin Ling, she was sitting cross-legged on the ground, watching the other version of herself draw circles on the floor.
Lin Ling rested her chin on her hand and watched her, speaking slowly, her voice somewhat halting.
“What… are… you… doing?”
“Creating a shielding field,” the young Lin Ling replied with a smile.
She continued her work, and within moments, she had used True Essence to draw a Bagua array on the ground.
Lin Ling sat in the Yang-fish position, while the young Lin Ling sat in the Yin-fish position.
Facing each other, Lin Ling was the first to speak.
“I’m… dying of curiosity. Quickly. Tell. Me. Everything. You. Know!”