"Hurry and heal, or none of us will get out," Chu Lingwei interrupted Xia Shixun, who recognized her.
Xia Shixun was somewhat agitated. He hadn't expected to see Chu Wei here. Thinking of their current predicament, he quickly closed his eyes and began to circulate his energy to heal.
Chu Lingwei glanced at the human cultivators being corrupted by demonic energy. There were no more than a dozen of them, all in the Spirit Wheel Realm and Spirit Movement Realm.
"Maomao, you stay here and protect them."
Chu Lingwei looked outside. Senior Brother Leng Xingzhi was already fighting the Ghost King Zhu Li. To her surprise, Senior Brother Leng was using ghost energy against him.
At the same time, ghost cultivators were continuously pouring into their location.
Chu Lingwei stepped out of the barrier and quickly chanted an incantation. The high-level barrier contained spatial energy, encircling their area and preventing ghost cultivators from outside from breaking in.
"They're actually human cultivators?" Ghost cultivator Wang Ze, seeing the spiritual energy fluctuations within, stared in shock at the barrier, unable to see inside. His heart was already churning.
Simultaneously, a surge of ecstasy flooded his mind. If they were human cultivators, it meant those trapped inside could be saved.
"Who are you?" The Ghost King Zhu Li's body was shrouded in ghost energy, making his appearance indistinguishable.
"The one who will kill you," Leng Xingzhi snorted. His black robes fell away, revealing his face. "Leng Xingzhi of Xiuling Academy."
"Xiuling Academy?" Ghost King Zhu Li's body trembled as if his surrounding black aura had been shaken by the name. "I cultivate the ghost path and have nothing to do with your Xiuling Academy."
Leng Xingzhi let out a soft laugh. A sword as red as blood appeared in his hand. It emanated no spiritual energy, yet the ghost energy surrounding Leng Xingzhi retreated as if seeing a ghost.
"Having consumed so many human cultivators, how can you say you have nothing to do with us?"
Leng Xingzhi had come today to seek justice for the fallen human cultivators.
"Die," Leng Xingzhi shot towards Ghost King Zhu Li like a falling leaf, or a bolt of lightning, engaging him in battle.
The collision of spiritual energy and ghost energy caused the surroundings to shake violently.
Chu Lingwei knew they were at the base of the mountain. Their spiritual energy and ghost energy could bury the entire area at any moment.
"Maomao, take them out," Chu Lingwei transmitted her thoughts to the phantom cat. The longer they stayed, the greater the danger.
"Understood."
Leng Xingzhi seemed to know what they were planning. He had already cleared a path out. The phantom cat easily led the others away.
"Fengming, if they dare to charge, incinerate them directly."
Chu Lingwei remained within the barrier, slaying the ghost cultivators who rushed towards her one by one.
"Alright."
Fengming soared into the air, its body growing larger. It unleashed its Netherfire upon any ghost cultivators showing signs of aggression.
Wang Ze couldn't see what was happening inside the barrier, but he could feel the ground beginning to tremble. Gritting his teeth, he quickly headed towards where Wen Ruo was imprisoned, hoping she might have a sliver of hope for escape.
"Leng Xingzhi, you are merely in the Sky Transformation Realm, how can you..." Ghost King Zhu Li stared in disbelief at the sword embedded in his chest. How could this sword wound his formless body?
His body, nourished by the spiritual energy of so many human cultivators, should have been immune to spiritual energy attacks. Why then...
"By devouring the souls of those human cultivators, formless becomes tangible," Leng Xingzhi said as he withdrew his sword. Ghost King Zhu Li's hollow eyes widened. Before he could comprehend, his body dissolved into ghost energy and dissipated.
"The Ghost Market is no more," Lin He murmured, looking at the shattered barrier. A man in white emerged, only to find his body immobile.
"Senior Brother, how could this be?"
Chu Lingwei felt the surrounding ghost energy weakening and quickly approached. The barrier had dispersed, revealing thousands of ghost cultivators surrounding them.
"Your cultivation defies the Heavenly Dao," Leng Xingzhi said, looking at the ghost cultivators. With the Ghost King Zhu Li dead, their cultivation had significantly diminished, indicating that their power was on par with his.
Leng Xingzhi closed his eyes and chanted an incantation. The ghost cultivators before them soon ignited in flames.
"Weiwei, this is karma fire," Fengming's eyes greedily observed the flames on the ghost cultivators. This fire could only be seen on those with deep sins.
"This is karma fire?"
Karma fire burns away sin.
However, when sin is extinguished, the person perishes with it.
Listening to the agonizing screams of the ghost cultivators, Chu Lingwei couldn't help but shiver.
Imagine the sight of thousands of ghost cultivators, engulfed in blazing red karma fire, unable to move, their bodies consumed by the pain.
In less than fifteen minutes, the karma fire on the ghost cultivators' bodies slowly vanished, and with it, the ghost cultivators themselves.
"Weiwei, Weiwei."
Chu Lingwei looked at the scene where there had been thousands of ghost cultivators moments ago, and now only a dozen or so remained. She felt a profound sense of emotion.
The Ghost King Zhu Li had not forced them to absorb human cultivators' spiritual energy; they had done so willingly. All of this was their own sin, and they would have to bear the consequences.
This was the so-called karma.
"Weiwei, Weiwei."
Fengming leaped into Chu Lingwei's arms. It had tried to communicate with her earlier without a response, so it nudged her body with its head.
"Fengming, what is it?" Chu Lingwei felt Fengming's actions and looked down to ask.
With only a dozen ghost cultivators remaining, they posed no threat. Senior Brother's incantation was not yet complete, and she needed to protect him here.
"Weiwei, quickly look at Senior Brother's waist," Fengming carefully turned its head. Seeing Leng Xingzhi with his eyes closed, it quickly transmitted its thoughts.
Chu Lingwei looked towards her Senior Brother's waist in surprise. When she saw a very small sword at his waist, she was stunned.
Was this Senior Brother's artifact?
Why did this sword look so much like her own Ice Jade Frost Sword?
Chu Lingwei picked up her sword and then looked at the small sword at Senior Brother's waist. She was certain that the small sword at Senior Brother's waist, in its original form, should resemble her own sword greatly.
These two swords looked like a pair.
A pair.
Chu Lingwei's heart skipped a beat.
A pair of swords?
This made her mind race.
Leng Xingzhi slowly opened his eyes and looked at the few ghost cultivators before him, directly erasing their memories.
"Weiwei, let's go."
"Alright." Chu Lingwei cast a complicated glance at the sword at her Senior Brother's waist and followed him out of the mountain base.
"Fellow Daoist Chu, it really is you."
At this moment, Xia Shixun and his companions had recovered some spiritual energy and were sitting at the foot of the mountain. Seeing Chu Lingwei emerge with Leng Xingzhi, he quickly stood up.
"Fellow Daoist Xia, I'm glad you're all safe." Chu Lingwei touched her face. Her current appearance was her original one. How had he recognized her?