Three days later, Hua Wan spotted Rong Le sneaking back into the ruined Qianbao Pavilion.
At first she thought she was seeing things. Then she watched a little longer and saw another unfamiliar ghost cultivator slip in through the pavilion's back door. Clearly the two had arranged a meeting here to hide in plain sight.
Hua Wan's eyes lit up. She immediately contacted the ghost officer she knew from before.
That officer was ambitious. He rallied his colleagues at once and ringed Qianbao Pavilion with the fastest response they could muster. Black and White Impermanence arrived soon after. Realizing something was wrong, Rong Le and the other ghost cultivator released a dozen malicious spirits as cannon fodder, then split up and fled.
Ox-Head Horse-Face arrived hot on their heels, cursed, and split up to chase the two. Those two were almost certainly colluding with evil cultivators, so they could not be allowed to slip away. The remaining malicious spirits were left to Black and White Impermanence and the other ghost officers.
Black and White Impermanence wore expressions dark enough to drip water. They had been worked half to death these days, all thanks to scum like this. Even their direct superior had been reprimanded, so their own days had been miserable.
From the incident until now had been over half a month. They wished they could split themselves into eight. Now that they had targets to vent on, their soul-binding chains shot out in an instant and wrapped around the howling spirits. A black gale raged up and down the whole street, and wails spread far into the distance.
For the bounty in soul stones, Hua Wan gave it her all. She helped the familiar ghost officer subdue two malicious spirits and received her reward as hoped, finally gathering the one hundred thousand top-grade soul stones Xun Kun had named.
Only then did her heart truly settle. All that remained was to wait for the four to reappear. She had to deliver the merit before her daughter reincarnated.
While Hua Wan anxiously awaited the appearance of Ran Xi and the other three, those four were still soaking in the Soul Pool, locked in combat with the Soul Thunder.
Yunxi was in agony. To distract herself, she sank her awareness into her space, logged into the chat group, and reached out to "Ox-Head Horse-Face" for advice.
[Fleeting Cloud]: Senior, thank you for the timely warning. I managed to save my companion, but I was struck by Soul Thunder. My soul almost scattered.
[Ox-Head Horse-Face]: Hah. You are lucky you withstood the Ghost Realm's soul punishment thunder. I bet most of the merit you had saved up is nearly spent, right?
Yunxi did not want to answer. That was rubbing salt into the wound.
[Ox-Head Horse-Face]: Little Cloud, what kind of formation did you draw to summon Soul Thunder?
Feeling a bit guilty, Yunxi still replied: "Senior, this junior does not know the kind of opposing formations you are thinking of. I used an inscription handed down by the Wu clan called 'Defying Heaven' to reverse my companion's loss of soul power."
Ox-Head Horse-Face saw the reply, sent a wide-eyed emoji, then typed: "Little Cloud, you have guts. You do know how the Wu clan was wiped out, do you not?"
"I know."
"Tsk, tsk. Then you cannot say you did not deserve that strike. The Wu clan possessed power that defied heaven itself, a threat to the existence of the Heavenly Dao's laws, which is why they vanished in the long river of time. Remember this."
"This junior understands. At the time there was no room to think. Besides, I have not cultivated orthodox Wu power. I figured it would not be detected, so I gambled."
"Good thing you did not cultivate the orthodox art. You only stirred your bloodline and natal soul power. Otherwise you would be ready to have your soul blasted to ashes."
Yunxi was grateful she had not cultivated the Wu clan's arts. Otherwise the current outcome would be hard to imagine.
"All right, focus on healing. The First Hall Yama found you a good place. Do not waste it. If you cannot refine that Soul Thunder before you leave the Ghost Realm, you will suffer for it later."
"Yes. Thank you for the guidance, Senior."
Yunxi could only log off the chat group with a sigh. She had hoped for comfort to ease the Soul Thunder's assault on her soul, but ended up being lectured. She could only circulate the Soul Refining Art while wrestling with that hair-thin thread of Soul Thunder within her. The bitterness was hers alone to taste.
Han Lian, Yun Chen Fózǐ, and Xun Kun were in about the same state. Since they were collateral rather than the thunder's primary target, the destructive power remained within what they could endure.
Weiyu Realm, Haoran Sect Hive
Yu Ling had been uneasy the past two days. When he followed his routine and took out his disciple's soul lamp to check it, he discovered Yunxi's soul flame had changed. Compared to before, it had shrunk by another ring. His expression shifted, and he vanished from the Hive in an instant.
Ancestor Hao Yi was reading a personal report sent by Hao Qing and Hao Hui when she sensed Yu Ling arrive outside her cave. She flicked a sleeve, opened the barrier, and let Yu Ling in.
After a respectful bow, Yu Ling produced Yunxi's soul lamp. "Ancestor, I fear something has happened to Ran Xi's side."
Ancestor Hao Yi took the lamp, examined it, and frowned slightly. "Yu Ling, do not panic. The soul flame is smaller, but it has not gone out. It is still stable. Perhaps she entered another space, which altered the link with the lamp."
Yu Ling shook his head. "Ancestor, something feels wrong. I did not have this feeling when Ran Xi's soul flame shrank before. Now the feeling is very bad."
"I understand your concern. You are her teacher. Precisely because of that, you must steady yourself. Only then can you act calmly when Ran Xi truly needs help.
Right now we must stabilize matters in the Weiyu Realm. Look at the reports they sent. There has been a discovery in the Qinghua Mountain Range."
Ancestor Hao Yi handed Yu Ling the jade slips from Hao Hui and Hao Qing.
Yu Ling glanced once more at the soul flame, then put away Ran Xi's soul lamp. After composing himself, he sent his divine sense into the jade slips to read. He lifted his head a moment later."Ancestor, Kunmo Sect moved ahead of us. They seem to have found something."
"Yes. Hao Qing and Hao Hui are currently traveling with Lin Lang Zūnzhě of Kunmo Sect, searching the Qinghua Mountain Range for traces of the Shanhe Scroll."
"Have the cultivators of Huaxian Gate received the news?"
"Their people have also arrived in the Qinghua Mountain Range. But the cultivators of Huaxian Gate have not teamed up with anyone. They are searching for the Shanhe Scroll on their own."
Yu Ling lowered his eyes and thought for a moment. "Ancestor, it would be best to have Senior Brother Hao Qing and Senior Brother Hao Hui travel with the cultivators of Huaxian Gate. They surely carry something that can track the Shanhe Scroll. The chances of finding it will be greater."
"Good. Send the message to the two of them."
Ancestor Hao Yi decided at once.
After returning to the Hive, Yu Ling sent the message. He also tucked in a private request: ask Lin Lang Zūnzhě, their current companion, whether her disciple Xun Kun's soul lamp had changed.
When Hao Qing and Hao Hui received the message, they exchanged a look, and Hao Qing went to speak with Lin Lang.
The moment Lin Lang heard him out, her expression shifted. She raised an isolation barrier, took out Xun Kun's soul lamp, and found that her disciple's soul flame had also grown smaller. Her gaze deepened. "Did Ran Xi's soul lamp run into trouble as well?"