Punishment for thousands of years
Bai Xiao's features remained the same, but all the laxity and cynicism had faded away, replaced by a cold, sharp and elegant aura.
He lowered his eyes, looked at the pool of blood on the ground, and frowned slightly.
The next moment, he slowly spoke, his tone extremely light, yet as cold as a knife: "...Whose appearance is this?"
The air seemed to be stagnant and the battlefield fell into dead silence.
However, Fang Luoling was not frightened by this cold and oppressive feeling at all. She even blinked, and said charmingly and gracefully, as if she had become a different person: "Don't be angry, don't be angry. I've seen it all. The rest is even more unbearable."
Ren Xuan: “?!”
No, which one is boring?! Explain clearly!
Yue Anshan: “?!!”
What's so handsome about a pretty boy?! I don't agree! I don't accept!
Bai Xiao frowned slightly and glanced at Xie Lingyan, his eyes showing undisguised scrutiny and questioning.
Fang Luoling quickly laughed dryly and tried to smooth things over: "Hey, show some respect to my successor! This kid has the Silver Pivot Token on him, how can you steal his shell!"
Fang Luoling turned to look at Xie Lingyan, his tone slightly softer: "Are you the current Lord of Yinshu City?"
Xie Lingyan clasped his fists in greeting and spoke cautiously, "Junior Xie Lingyan, greetings to Elder City Lord Fang."
Then, his eyes darkened and he swept his gaze towards Bai Xiao, his eyes showing no sign of concealing his fear.
Bai Xiao lazily glanced at the surrounding barrier, the corners of his lips curled up slightly: "Maintaining such a large barrier, and still planning to deal with me? Your successor, are you crazy?"
Fang Luoling waved his hands anxiously: "Xiao Xie, calm down! Only my senior brother can close the Ghost Gate. What are you doing? Put away the formation first!"
Xie Lingyan remained motionless. "Old City Lord Fang, do you think this kind of person would help Yinshu City?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Xiao's smile deepened, his tone filled with sarcasm: "That kind of person? Little brother, why don't you tell me in detail?"
Xie Lingyan's brows were solemn, and her words were as sharp as a blade: "You sealed the Blood River, broke through the Ghost Prison, and thirty thousand people died because of you. Don't you remember?"
Bai Xiao raised his eyebrows slightly, his disdain growing even stronger. "Thirty thousand people? I've taken too many lives. Which thirty thousand are you talking about?"
Xie Lingyan's brows reflected a murderous aura, and her voice was as cold as frost: "Every family in Yinshu City is in mourning, and every household is filled with grief. It will only last a hundred years."
Bai Xiao repeated in a low voice, his expression relaxed: "Oh, this is 30,000."
Fang Luoling wiped his face helplessly, and pulled his sleeve to pull the person back.
Bai Xiao shook off Fang Luoling's hand and sneered disdainfully, "When 30,000 people died for you, you considered it a necessary sacrifice. But when you became one of those 30,000 people, it was an unjust act. The people you speak of are nothing more than that. What's changed is not me, but the human heart."
Fang Luoling's rage instantly flared up upon hearing this. Without a word, he grabbed Bai Xiao by the back of his collar with one hand and unceremoniously dragged him backwards, his tone filled with uncontrollable anger: "Xiao Zizhang! Will you die if you don't talk tough?! Will you suffocate to death if you keep your mouth shut for two seconds?!"
While dragging him along, he turned around and smiled apologetically at his younger generation, "Xiao Xie, don't bother with him. He just went astray later. You must never practice this crappy Xiao family's Reincarnation Technique!"
Then, turning around, his attitude towards Bai Xiao immediately changed like a book: "Xiao Zizhang, I'm giving you face, right? Hurry and close the Ghost Gate of the Inner City! If it weren't for this broken Reincarnation Technique, you and I should have gone down to drink Meng Po soup long ago. Why are you still here talking about life insights with my young man?!"
The speed at which the mess was cleaned up showed that the person was experienced and practice makes perfect, which was awe-inspiring.
Facing Fang Luoling's furious pressure, Bai Xiao snorted disapprovingly, turned his head lazily, and didn't bother to pay attention.
Fang Luoling looked at the terrifying and huge Ghost Gate in the inner city and said with resentment, "Brother, it's been hundreds of years, and my fellow disciples have reincarnated several times, but I'm still cleaning up your mess. If you had reincarnated earlier, the younger generation would be able to help out by now."
Bai Xiao said coldly, "The Reincarnation Technique is not about retracing one's life. It seals the soul and prevents it from entering the cycle of reincarnation. I told you not to use the last move carelessly."
Fang Luoling couldn't help but roll her eyes: "I don't need it. If I leave you alone in this world, will you be summoned out by someone with ulterior motives one day and become lawless like you are now?!"
Bai Xiao turned his head and changed the subject, his tone indifferent: "This body is not strong enough for cultivation."
As he spoke, he raised his hand, his eyes as sharp as a knife, pointing directly at Xie Lingyan: "If you want to close this ghost door, give your body to me, do you dare?"
Before he finished speaking, a figure flashed like the wind, so fast that no one could see clearly. Lu Xiyun had already blocked in front of Xie Lingyan, the tip of his sword pointed directly at Bai Xiao: "What do you want to do, bastard!"
Bai Xiao didn't bother to pay attention to Lu Xiyun. He just looked at Xie Lingyan and said coldly, "With your level of cultivation, this barrier can only last for two quarters of an hour at most. By then, if the zombie horde breaks through the inner city, more than 30,000 people will die. Think carefully."
Fang Luoling held his forehead and sighed, his tone extremely helpless: "It's been hundreds of years, Senior Brother, why are you still talking like a villain?!"
She turned to Xie Lingyan, trying to act as an interpreter: "My senior brother means that time is pressing and there is no room for delay. Little brother, don't worry, my senior brother has no interest in taking over other people's bodies."
Lu Xiyun obviously didn't believe it and sneered, "People from the Yinshu Xiao family have no interest in taking over other people's bodies? Do you think I'm a three-year-old child?"
Fang Luoling sighed quietly, her tone revealing sincerity: "Really, he dislikes people's ugliness and disdains to practice that kind of magic."
Lu Xiyun: "..."
What a sinner he is, he is so picky.
Xie Lingyan watched this scene and raised his hand to stop Lu Xiyun, his voice still steady: "It doesn't matter if you've practiced before. Although I'm not very talented, I do know a thing or two about the art of formations and vehicles. If you're really interested, you can give it a try."
Lu Xiyun was anxious, his sword still sharp: "Thank you, brother! This is too dangerous!"
Xie Lingyan simply smiled calmly and patted his shoulder: "So-called seniors are just those who died hundreds of years earlier than me."
His gaze fell back on Bai Xiao: "Xiyun, do you think that Xiao Zizhang's lonely soul is necessarily stronger than me?"
Bai Xiao was slightly startled, then burst into laughter: "You're not bad, I'm beginning to admire you."
Xiao Zizhang raised his hand, and a ray of golden light condensed from his fingertips, as if some kind of brand had been ignited.
A golden light spread across Xie Lingyan's body like flowing water, seeping into his very flesh inch by inch, with an irresistible grip. His consciousness remained clear, but his body's movements were gradually being pulled by external forces.
It is not a possession of body, but more like an unquestionable guidance.
Xie Lingyan did not resist, allowing the force to guide the flow of Qi in his body. Densely packed hand seals quickly formed under his feet, so complicated that it made people dizzy.
The huge ghost gate in the city trembled violently and the runes broke into pieces.
However, at this moment, the zombies in the entire city seemed to have heard some kind of order and became restless.
The Yin energy rolled like a tide, so thick that it seemed like ink was about to drip, and it actually spread out a huge black net on the battlefield.
If you look down from a high altitude, you can see the surging Yin energy and the intertwining lines, eventually forming a large-scale formation that dominates the entire battlefield.
The scene was so oppressive that it made one's breath take a while.
Ren Xuan's eyes were shocked, and his voice was a little difficult: "...Battle map?!"
Yue Anshan stared at the scene, his mouth twitching as he cursed: "Damn it, even dead people can draw battle maps?! What a joke!"
Inanimate objects have no consciousness, no coordination, and no method of forming an array.
However, at this moment, as the yin energy flowed, the group of corpses actually developed a murderous aura of golden swords and iron horses.
It's abnormal, very abnormal.
Ren Xuan's breathing became heavy - the flow of Qi was dragged down by an invisible force, like a tightly entangled iron chain, making it difficult to move.
"Thank you, City Lord! Don't force yourself to form the seal!" Ren Xuan warned urgently, "This is a battle map. Battle maps have the effect of suppressing Qi."
Bai Xiao interrupted coldly, "We can't stop. This formation has no end and will backfire on him."
Ren Xuan gritted his teeth and frowned.
Battle maps are not uncommon, but battle formations originate from the army and are completed by soldiers. A real army is needed to cooperate with the operation of the battle formation.
But now——
The dead formed a battle picture, their breath was continuous, the killing momentum remained undiminished, and they were no less than the living.
Yue Anshan's scalp tingled, and he could hardly believe his eyes: "Damn... starting a battle without any soldiers... I've never heard of anything like this."
Bai Xiao noticed the unstable Qi fluctuations within Xie Lingyan's body. His eyes glared, and he immediately intensified his golden light to suppress her. "Boy, don't mess around. I've already told you, if you force your way through this formation, you'll be attacked."
Xie Lingyan, however, had already seen through the operation of this battle map and said decisively, "Senior, there is no need to say more. I can break this formation."
Ren Xuan narrowed his eyes and keenly noticed the changes in Xie Lingyan - her speech speed became faster, her breathing became slightly disordered, and she was obviously not as calm and composed as before.
On the side, Lu Xiyun slowly spoke: "The Book of Economics, the Book of Military Affairs, the Book of Changes in Power."
He paused, as if weighing something. After a moment, he finally asked, "Brother Xie, of the ten volumes of the Western Mansion's Confucian classics, only my second brother has practiced the military volume. Besides you, how many others has he taught it to?"
Xie Lingyan's expression froze slightly, and there was a rare moment of hesitation.
Xie Lingyan quickly regained consciousness, her tone unconsciously becoming more anxious: "Xiyun! Don't let your imagination run wild!"
Lu Xiyun just sighed softly, his eyes so calm that it made people's heart palpitate: "But don't you think so too?"
Lu Xiyun looked at Xie Lingyan, his eyes devoid of anger or questioning, only a deep understanding. His voice was steady, yet resolute, "I'm not a child anymore. I can tell people apart. But right now, you're the only one maintaining the barrier. If anything happens to you, the consequences will be disastrous. Humans and ghosts may be different, but when it comes to settling accounts, it doesn't matter who's involved. Today, I'll settle this account."
Xie Lingyan looked at Lu Xiyun deeply, a complex emotion in his eyes. Finally, he sighed slowly: "The core of this formation is 300 meters to the northeast, where the Xiao residence is. You must be careful."
Lu Xiyun nodded, her clothes fluttering, and she headed straight for the Xiao residence.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
