Gu Qingzhou's attention was entirely consumed by the Blood Spirit Grass, and he failed to notice Su Xi's actions behind him. However, even if he had, he would have only praised Su Xi for her discretion.
He strode to Zhang Liao's side and peered into the stone coffin, eager to discover the treasures within.
Before he could get a clear look at its contents, a flicker in his peripheral vision caught his eye – Zhang Liao was smiling, his gaze fixed intently on him.
Zhang Liao's smile was eerie, seductive, and brimming with malice.
Gu Qingzhou instantly sensed danger.
But before he could take flight, Zhang Liao, like a phantom, appeared before him, seizing his arm in an iron grip.
With eyes burning red and Gu Qingzhou held mere inches away, Zhang Liao licked his dry lips and lunged for his neck.
Under the immense pressure of Zhang Liao's grasp, Gu Qingzhou's spiritual energy was suppressed, rendering him immobile. He could only watch as Zhang Liao's mouth drew closer.
Just as Zhang Liao's lips brushed Gu Qingzhou's neck, a burst of white light erupted from him.
The light, imbued with a formidable aura, sent Zhang Liao flying. One of his arms was shattered in mid-air, and his body was instantly drenched in blood, transforming him into a bloody specter.
Feeling the oppressive force vanish, Gu Qingzhou seized the opportunity to rocket backward.
After a momentary daze, Zhang Liao recovered, his eyes still red. He chased after Gu Qingzhou with a ferocity that suggested he intended to tear him limb from limb.
Seeing the enraged Zhang Liao, Su Xi tossed a Talisman of Evil Suppression.
As it left her hand, the talisman morphed into a giant net in the air, ensnaring Zhang Liao. The net's opening tightened, trapping him securely.
"Roar~" Zhang Liao roared like a beast, struggling fiercely against the net's confines.
However, with each struggle, golden light emanated from the net, repelling him. Each impact was met with a pained cry.
Under the Talisman of Evil Suppression's pressure, Zhang Liao was unable to break free, his roars of frustration echoing.
Gu Qingzhou did not miss his chance. He immediately hurled the small iron sword in his hand.
For his safety, he hadn't put the sword away. Now, wielding it again required no extra time.
"No!" Su Xi tried to stop Gu Qingzhou, but before her words could fully form, the small iron sword pierced Zhang Liao's heart.
Gu Qingzhou turned to Su Xi, his voice tinged with dissatisfaction, "You wanted to save him?"
He could never allow someone who tried to kill him to live.
Knowing Gu Qingzhou had misunderstood, Su Xi responded with fury, "This person was possessed. If you kill him, the host in his body will have to find another target. Do you want to be possessed, or do you want me to be?"
Gu Qingzhou's expression froze as he understood Su Xi's words. Such wandering souls were masters of possession. Zhang Liao, with his Foundation Establishment cultivation, had fallen victim with just a glance. This meant they too were in danger.
Realizing further argument was futile, Su Xi produced two talismans and handed one to Gu Qingzhou. "Wear this. It might offer some protection."
On this outing, she had found several Level Three talismans in Lin Qing's room. Although she lacked the skill to fully activate them, Level Three talismans possessed a trace of sentience and could ward off malevolent spirits.
Gu Qingzhou quickly affixed the talisman to himself, his gaze warily scanning their surroundings, fearing a sudden ambush.
Just as they fortified themselves, Zhang Liao's corpse rapidly shriveled, as if deflating. Then, a fluffy white object emerged from his body, attempting to escape.
The talisman that had been wrapped around Zhang Liao's body swiftly contracted, re-enveloping the white orb and thwarting its escape.
The white orb, displeased by the Talisman of Evil Suppression's restraint, emitted an unsettling shriek. It then turned entirely red and began to smolder with flames.
"What is this?" Gu Qingzhou was unsure how to deal with the bizarre white orb.
Despite his higher cultivation, he primarily focused on alchemy and knew little of other matters. Su Xi, as a disciple of Penglai Mountain, would undoubtedly be more knowledgeable about such things.
Su Xi watched the agitated orb, and the contents of a book Lin Qing had given her flashed through her mind.
The orb was called a "Mei," a spirit born from the residual consciousness of the deceased in environments rich with Yin energy. A Mei formed from a mortal was weak and would soon dissipate. However, a Mei formed from a deceased cultivator would persist. The color of a Mei, depending on its rank, could be green, white, red, or purple. A red Mei was equivalent to a human cultivator at the Golden Core stage, and such entities were notoriously difficult to eliminate.
Seeing the Mei before them had reached the red stage, Su Xi's heart tightened.
Her Talisman of Evil Suppression was only Level Two; it was insufficient to contain such a formidable entity. If the Mei broke free, what would they do?
*Clink!*
The net formed by the Talisman of Evil Suppression was quickly melted. The red Mei shot towards Su Xi and Gu Qingzhou.
Initially, it had another day to fully evolve into its red form. Being disrupted prematurely, it could only consume these audacious individuals to forcefully complete the final stage.
The Mei moved with astonishing speed. Before Su Xi could react, it was upon them.
Just as the Mei was about to possess Su Xi, a green light emanated from her, repelling it.
Disbelieving, it charged at Su Xi several more times, but each attempt was thwarted. The repeated impacts left its "head" swimming.
At this point, Su Xi regained her senses.
She pulled out several Level One talismans and flung them at the Mei. Simultaneously, she urged Gu Qingzhou, "What are you waiting for? The talismans on us won't be able to stop it from possessing us more than a few times."
However, the Mei's speed was too great; Su Xi's talismans missed their mark.
Gu Qingzhou, displeased by Su Xi's commanding tone, still produced his Kylin Fan, intending to control the red Mei.
The Kylin Fan, imbued with the essence of pure Yang energy – Kylin blood – immediately began to restrict the Mei's movements, slowing it down. Su Xi seized the opportunity and hurled talismans at the Mei.
In this critical situation, Su Xi couldn't discern which talisman she was throwing and activated them all at once.
Activating a single talisman consumed a considerable amount of spiritual energy, and with her Qi Refining stage cultivation, she could only do so a few times. Her only recourse was to utilize the cascading effect of activating multiple talismans simultaneously.
This approach not only amplified their power but also conserved her spiritual energy.
The red Mei, battered by the various talismans, let out shrieks of agony.
It still couldn't comprehend why Su Xi possessed so many talismans, each with power no less than the others.
What bewildered it even further was Su Xi's use of a Pregnancy-Aiding Talisman against it.
"Wooo~"
With a final, unwilling roar, the red Mei's form became blurry and translucent, seemingly on the verge of dissipation.
Gu Qingzhou's face lit up, believing the monster had been vanquished.
However, at that precise moment, the stone coffin began to shake violently. The chains around it clattered incessantly, followed by an earth-shattering wail.
The sound enveloped Su Xi and Gu Qingzhou, causing them to feel dizzy. They quickly covered their ears, finding some relief.
The Mei, on the verge of fading, instantly regained some vigor upon hearing the cry and flew towards the stone coffin.
Upon entering the stone coffin, the Mei unleashed a blinding red light. A long groan reverberated through the tomb, followed by a strange suction force.
Caught in this powerful pull, Su Xi and Gu Qingzhou could not maintain their footing. They were instantly lifted into the air, inexorably drawn towards the stone coffin.