Chapter 69 The Elite of the Mystic Sect ③: The Bystander God, Never Bound...
The entire banquet hall fell into a deathly silence at first, then erupted into an uncontrollable uproar and murmurs.
"They're from the New Path!"
How did they get here?
"These lunatics... Why would the Tang family invite them?"
Most people in the Xuanmen sect had heard of the New Path, an organization that had risen rapidly in recent years and acted in a strange and extreme manner, and generally held it in high regard and were wary of it. If it weren't for the fact that most of the people present today were from the younger generation, who still had some curiosity and tolerance, the older generation would probably have already lost their temper and stormed off.
Tang Xiuchen seemed to have anticipated the commotion below the stage. He slightly curled his lips and raised his voice a little.
"Gentlemen, please calm down. Our friends from the New Path have come today not to provoke us, but because of a sacred object and a worrying future."
His gaze shifted to the bound Sanan. "Many of you here must know, or at least have heard of, this Master Sanan. He is exceptionally gifted, able to glimpse the netherworld and communicate with the yin and yang realms. During a profound spiritual communion, he glimpsed the exact location of an important object—"
He paused deliberately, then clearly stated the rest:
"A sacred object, the Soul-Guiding Amulet."
This unfamiliar name caused many young people present to look puzzled, but some disciples from prestigious or well-informed sects changed their expressions instantly upon hearing it, unable to hide their astonishment.
"Brother Xu," A-Wu said, unable to hide his curiosity, "what's the origin of this Soul-Guiding Pendant?"
Zhou Xu frowned slightly. "It's said to be a necklace crafted from meteorite jade and the finger bone of a Yin spirit. It can nourish remnants of the soul and stabilize the spirit body; it's incredibly mystical. Under certain rituals, it can open the boundary between Yin and Yang, allowing the living to communicate with the dead, and even enabling spiritual cultivators to glimpse the gateway to another world..."
"That's amazing?"
"The Soul-Guiding Necklace was once a sacred artifact of the Yin-Yang School, which was stolen by a powerful family hundreds of years ago. It had always been just a legend in the books, but I never expected that it actually existed."
As Lan Shuyin listened to the whispers around her, a strange feeling swept through her heart.
The Soul-Guiding Pendant… She recalled seeing it in her past life; it was nothing more than a peculiar artifact. But Feng Zhiyuan shouldn't be lying to her. If she remembered correctly, that so-called "sacred object" should have been hidden in…
"Everyone."
Tang Xiuchen's voice rang out again, pulling everyone back to reality, "If this sacred object falls into the hands of someone with wicked intentions, it could disrupt the balance of Yin and Yang and overturn the order of the world. Therefore, after much discussion, we have decided to take this opportunity to ask Master Sanan to publicly reveal the whereabouts of the sacred object. With all the fellow practitioners of the Xuanmen present as witnesses, we can ensure that the Soul-Guiding Necklace is properly entrusted to a trustworthy force to prevent it from causing a catastrophe..."
Before he finished speaking, the two heavy, carved wooden doors of the banquet hall were pushed open again!
This intrusion was far more abrupt and forceful than when the newcomers arrived.
"Special Bureau on official business! We have received clear intelligence that this place is suspected of illegal detention and involves the illegal smuggling of highly dangerous and prohibited items. Everyone present is requested to cooperate with the investigation and is not allowed to leave without authorization!"
The woman at the head of the group spoke in a cold voice; it was Wang Kui. She flashed her identification, and behind her stood six team members in matching combat uniforms, guns drawn but pointing menacingly. The four at the back of the group wore windproof red and white striped uniforms and carried equipment.
Two of them held uniquely shaped instruments in their hands. One was entirely dark silver, with the hands inside the dial trembling wildly under the glass cover, emitting a low-frequency hum; the other was a small, portable silver container, shaped like a Dewar flask, its walls gleaming with a cold light.
The air in the banquet hall froze once again.
The gray-robed man from the new path stood coldly, the Special Bureau's atmosphere was solemn and authoritative, the others were filled with doubt and uncertainty, the bound Sa Nan was breathing heavily, and the various forces in this space formed a standoff that could break out at any moment, even the air was filled with invisible sparks.
—A big show will be staged this weekend.
Suddenly recalling Jiang Wuyuan's words, Lan Shuyin thoughtfully scanned the entire room.
She hadn't expected Sa Nan to appear in this way, nor had she expected the focus to be on the Soul-Guiding Necklace, a sacred object long lost by the Feng Zhi family. But to be honest, even if that thing hadn't disappeared with Ah Xue's departure, she had never cared about it.
As she pondered this, she discovered even more unusual things.
Behind the Roman column on the west side stood a woman quietly. She wore a long, moon-white dress with a gradient effect, and her appearance was exquisitely beautiful, almost otherworldly. Even more strangely, in Lan Shuyin's vision, several ethereal figures vaguely appeared beside the woman, neither fish nor light, swimming leisurely.
Not far from her, a boy wearing an ordinary hoodie, seemingly playing on his phone, had a faint golden aura floating above his head. The aura sometimes condensed into a lotus bud, and sometimes scattered into starlight, which was quite strange.
Zhou Xu, who had just spoken with her, was rhythmically tapping the outside of his thigh with his fingers hanging at his side, as if he were rapidly deducing some kind of divination.
Tang Xiuchen looked at Wang Kui with displeasure. "Captain Wang, what do you mean by this? This is an internal gathering of the Xuanmen."
Wang Kui maintained her icy expression. "Mr. Tang, you've caused such a commotion, kidnapping a spirit medium and openly pursuing such a forbidden item as the Soul-Indexing Necklace. Do you really think the Special Bureau is deaf and blind?"
She slightly raised her hand, stopping Tang Xiuchen from retorting, "However, we are not here today just to interrogate you. We are willing to offer... a possible deal."
As she spoke, the Special Bureau member carrying the silver container stepped forward steadily. He quickly manipulated the side of the container, and the covering metal shell quietly slid open, revealing a dark crystal panel embedded in the surface of the Dewar bottle. A dense cloud of black energy was surging wildly within, vaguely outlining the silhouette of a face screaming in agony, a sight that sent chills down one's spine.
"This is the Spirit Imprisoning Device. Inside is the most ferocious and dangerous ghost on record in the last hundred years, which was captured by the Special Bureau at great cost, sacrificing three senior agents."
Wang Kui's gaze swept across the shocked faces of the audience as if it were tangible, finally settling on Tang Xiuchen's face. She said, word by word, "According to the intelligence we have, this vengeful ghost is not only connected to the Soul-Guiding Ring, but her obsession is also closely related to Master Sanan. Only she can find out the whereabouts of the sacred object."
These words caused an uproar in the room!
"Using a vengeful ghost to extract a confession?! What kind of method is that?!"
"The words of ghosts are so false and hard to discern that they cannot be taken seriously."
"A vengeful ghost is malevolent; if it gets out of control and turns on its master, who can bear the responsibility?!"
Facing the rising and falling questions from the audience, Wang Kui remained unmoved. "Everyone here knows how tight-lipped Master Sanan is. Conventional methods are unlikely to work. If any of you here, or any of our colleagues at Xindao, have a gentler way to get him to talk, our Special Bureau is happy to share the information. But if not..."
She paused deliberately, her gaze returning to Tang Xiuchen, her tone now carrying a hint of pressure, "The Special Bureau doesn't mind using our methods to obtain necessary intelligence. After all, ensuring the Soul-Guiding Necklace doesn't fall into danger and preventing a greater disaster is also our duty."
Tang Xiuchen's eyes flickered, as if he was quickly weighing his options.
"Okay," he finally agreed in a deep voice.
"No! We can't let it out!" The bound Sanan struggled violently, letting out muffled roars. A member of the new sect immediately stepped forward and ripped the tape off his mouth.
The moment the tape was removed, Sa Nan, ignoring the pain, shouted hoarsely, "You have no idea what that is! It's not an ordinary vengeful ghost, it's a Yin spirit created by the Feng Zhi family using forbidden techniques! It's a monster that lingers in the gap between Yin and Yang! Once released, all of you will suffer! She will be driven completely insane by the life force of so many living people! At that time, forget about questioning her, the whole place will become a blood-sucking hell! You are all courting death!"
Wang Kui remained unmoved, stepped forward, and said in a voice as cold as ice, "I'll only ask one last time: where is the Soul-Guiding Necklace? Will you tell me or not?"
Sanan gave a bitter laugh, stubbornly raising his head. "I don't know! Even if I did know, I would take it to my grave!"
"Then take it to your grave." Wang Kui stopped talking and gestured to the team member holding the Spirit Binding Device.
Lan Shuyin frowned as she watched all this. The Soul-Guiding Pendant… its functions did indeed sound miraculous, capable of communicating between Yin and Yang, even touching the barriers between worlds. But ultimately, it was just an object. Why would these people be so reckless? Was there some hidden secret behind this?
While she was pondering, the special bureau member had already quickly entered a series of commands into the side of the spirit confinement device.
A soft "beep" sounded.
The black energy within the crystal panel suddenly stopped surging, as if a pause button had been pressed. Then, the panel rapidly became transparent and thin, eventually disappearing completely.
There was no earth-shattering noise, nor did black smoke billow out.
A slender figure silently drifted to the ground from the dissolving confinement.
It was in the form of a woman, wearing an elegant yet tattered silver-white dress, the hem stained with large patches of dried blood, the edges bearing scorch marks from burning. Her long hair cascaded down to her waist, but the ends were an eerie grayish-white, as if the life force had been severed.
But what's most chilling is her face.
Where there should have been a face, there were no features, no contours, only a flat, bloody mess. Dark purple veins bulged and twisted like a spider web beneath the pale, almost transparent skin, pulsating slightly.
She was barefoot, hovering half an inch above the ground.
With her arrival, an invisible pressure enveloped everyone, and the temperature in the entire banquet hall suddenly dropped to freezing point. Every breath exhaled turned into white mist, as if even the air itself was about to freeze.
Lan Shuyin stared blankly at the floating figure.
Despite her lack of a face and her terrifying appearance, the moment she saw her, a deep-seated familiarity struck her. That figure, that presence—even as a vengeful ghost, she could clearly discern its aura—
It's Ah Xue.
Feng Zhi was exonerated.
As if stimulated by the intense life force and fear of the living people around it, the faceless vengeful ghost suddenly raised its head and let out a silent but piercing scream that went straight to the depths of the soul! Its withered, gray hair danced wildly without wind, and it looked as if it was about to pounce on the nearest crowd and start a bloody slaughter!
"Number 1!" Wang Kui shouted sharply, "Look carefully! That's Sanan! The medium who caused you to end up like this!"
Upon hearing the name "Sanan," the faceless demon's frenzied movements abruptly halted. Its mangled, bloodied face slowly turned towards Sanan; though it had no eyes, everyone could feel a chilling sensation, as if being watched by a venomous snake.
The next moment, she disappeared.
Then he appeared before Sanan like a ghost!
Before Sanan could even scream, a deathly pale hand with sharp, knife-like fingers silently pierced his chest and crushed his heart. The movement was so fast that it left only a blur.
Immediately afterward, amidst the splattered blood, the hand swiftly withdrew, its fingertips revealing two trembling, bloodshot, cloudy eyeballs!
"Now!" Wang Kui shouted to the special bureau member beside him who had been on high alert.
The team member reacted incredibly quickly, raising both hands in a swift motion.
He wore a pair of oddly shaped metal bracers on his wrists, their surfaces engraved with intricate runes that now emitted a faint blue glow. He made a grasping motion with both hands, reaching out to grab the two gouged-out eyeballs—
Buzz!
A white halo composed of countless intricate runes instantly activated from the wristband, enveloping the two eyeballs. The eyeballs trembled violently within the halo, and the blood and tissue fluid on their surface were instantly washed away and evaporated.
Immediately afterwards, the team member pushed forward with both hands!
The suspended eyeballs suddenly projected two intertwined beams of light, forming a holographic image in mid-air of the banquet hall—
The bright sunshine made it seem like a tranquil valley.
On the bluestone, a string of objects rests quietly. It appears to be composed of seven dark jade stones of varying sizes strung together. The jade's surface is not smooth, possessing a naturally rough texture, yet its interior seems to contain flowing stardust, refracting a strange and restrained ethereal blue halo under the sunlight. The jade stones are connected by a pale, warm, bone-like interlocking ring, the whole piece exuding an ancient and tranquil aura.
The scene changes.
Two figures, their forms somewhat blurry, were speaking in broken sentences, their voices scattered by the wind:
"We've checked, the thing isn't inside Xue's body, it's probably on her sister." It was a woman's voice.
"You mean Feng Zhizhaoyin? She can't be touched. She's under the gaze of truth..." It was a man's voice.
"If you don't obtain the Soul-Guiding Ring, you will forever remain in this inhuman, ghost-like state! Your three souls will be separated, becoming three separate beings, your foundation will be flawed, and you will never be able to reunite. How can you then talk about achieving enlightenment? Once that thing leaves your body, it must be nourished by the internal organs of an extremely yin woman, otherwise it will lose all its spirituality and become no different from an ordinary object. We must obtain Feng Zhi Zhaoyin, and we must also make her... willingly become a vessel."
"Finally, a clue! No wonder we couldn't find her all these years; it turns out the sixth son of the Hu family placed a curse on her..."
“That meddlesome old woman…she’s a nuisance if we keep her around, get rid of her.”
The image suddenly shook violently.
Under the dim light of an oil lamp, the old woman's gray hair was disheveled, and blood stained the corner of her mouth. She was being pressed firmly against the old terrazzo floor by an invisible force. However, there was no fear on her wrinkled face, and her cloudy eyes were fixed on the person outside the frame.
"Pah!" She spat out a mouthful of blood, her voice hoarse but unusually firm, "This old woman has lived long enough! You heartless bastards... Don't even think about it! Even if you kill me, even if you crush my soul into ashes, you won't get the girl's whereabouts from me! You'll never find her!"
“Stubborn to the end.” A cold, mocking female voice rang out.
Just as the sound faded, something seemed to flash by incredibly fast!
The next moment, a tiny wound appeared on the side of the old woman's neck. The wound had clean edges and an ominous bluish-black hue. Upon closer inspection, it was two tiny holes, like the fang marks of a venomous snake.
Then, that face turned around.
It was a man's face.
But when he spoke, his voice was cold and icy, completely different from his expression: "There are too many obstacles around her. We need to find a way to get close to her."
The video abruptly ended there. The two eyes that held the last memories turned into a small clump of ashes and vanished without a trace.
The entire room fell silent.
Sanan, whose eyes had been gouged out and who lay on the ground, was already lifeless, leaving only a pool of dark red blood that was gradually expanding, and his empty eye sockets.
Only Lan Shuyin was completely stunned.
She seemed to know both of those people.
She recognized that young, handsome face all too well—it was clearly Guan Han, the "little brother" Xuan Bingbing had secretly loved for a long time and often mentioned.
And that male voice… she wouldn't mistake it. It was Jiang Wuyang. Or perhaps Sheng Sheng.
Pipe culvert... Jiang Wuyang...
The way these two people behaved when they met clashed violently in her mind, tangling into an unsolvable knot.
There's another connection between them?
But another piece of information revealed in the video sent chills down her spine—the Soul-Guiding Ring was inside her body.
Lan Shuyin subconsciously raised her hand, wanting to touch her lower abdomen, but stopped herself halfway.
Because she sensed Li Kailin's subtle gaze from the side.
How is that possible?
She had never sensed anything unusual in her body. How could that legendary sacred object, the lost treasure of the Feng Zhi family, be hidden silently inside her body? In what form did it exist? Was it as tangible as the heart shrouded in black energy in Fu Qing's chest, or some other more hidden and imperceptible form?
The old woman's unexpected death was actually to protect her...
Lan Shuyin's mind was in turmoil, a jumble of clues swirling within her, almost overwhelming her reason.
She always thought she was just passively drawn into trouble related to her past, like a helpless bystander.
But she never imagined that the center of that vortex, the focus of everyone's struggle—the Soul-Guiding Ring—might have been dormant deep within her body, named "Lan Shuyin," from the very beginning.
A chill ran down her spine, making her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
She was not a bystander.
She was simply kept in the dark, silently protected by those around her through sacrifice... a self-perceived bystander. She herself might just be a "container" that many people desire.
Lan Shuyin closed her eyes tightly, and when she opened them again, her eyes had gradually regained their clarity.
Just then, she saw Wang Kui make a hand gesture to the members of the Special Bureau.
"Mission accomplished, data collected. Withdraw."
As soon as she finished speaking, the faceless vengeful ghost, now freed from its restraints, erupted with resentment! She let out a silent yet soul-rending shriek, her long, gray hair dancing like a venomous snake as she lunged at the nearest member of the New Path!
The gray-robed man only had time to utter a short cry of surprise before a pale hand gripped his throat. Terrifying yin energy instantly invaded him, causing his body to convulse violently. His skin turned bluish-black and withered at a visible speed, and his life force was instantly drained.
"Stop her!" Tang Xiuchen's face turned deathly pale, his previous composure completely gone. He retreated hastily, shouting hoarsely, "Form the formation! Form the formation now!"
Lan Shuyin concealed herself even more deeply in the shadow of the pillar, only to turn around and find that Zhou Xu, Li Kailin, and other clever people had also found places to hide.
Looking at the main battlefield, those young people from the Xuanmen sect actually had some real skills.
Several women dressed in ceremonial gowns with star patterns quickly approached, their astrolabes lighting up simultaneously. Starlight rose from the discs, weaving into a thin, silvery curtain of light, attempting to slow the ghost's advance. On the other side, several young men in modified Taoist robes moved their hands in hand seals, chanting incantations. Several talismans of different colors shot out, transforming into flames, lightning, or resilient vines, coiling towards the elusive white figure. Several others followed a series of magical steps, their auras linked, attempting to construct a simple protective barrier with their own spiritual power. Pale golden energy field light flickered stubbornly amidst the chaos.
However, the ferocity of the vengeful spirit far exceeded their expectations. They were simply no match for it.
Limbs and blood splattered everywhere, and agonizing screams filled the air. The once luxurious and magnificent banquet hall had been transformed into a bloody and cruel killing hell in the blink of an eye.
Tang Xiuchen was struck on the shoulder by a gust of cold wind, staggering and crashing into a Roman column behind him. The sharp pain instantly caused cold sweat to bead on his forehead. He roared at Wang Kui, who was leading the retreat, "Captain Wang! You released this vengeful ghost! You just want to walk away like this?!"
Wang Kui didn't even pause in her steps. She merely turned her head, her gaze sweeping over his disheveled appearance, and casually tossed out a sentence, "Cooperation is limited to obtaining intelligence. Once the intelligence is in hand, the cooperation ends."
"As for the follow-up issues caused by your unauthorized detention and attempt to force us to reveal the whereabouts of the sacred artifact... that is an internal matter of your Xuanmen sect. The Special Bureau has no right to interfere, nor does it intend to."
"May you all...seek your own good fortune."
"Is this how your government behaves?!" Tang Xiuchen was so angry that he almost ground his teeth to powder, but he could only watch helplessly as Wang Kui, under the close protection of a group of special bureau members, quickly disappeared into the exit without looking back.
"Brother Tang! What do we do now?!" a young man who was close to him asked in a flustered manner.
Tang Xiuchen looked at the figure in the arena that was like a white nightmare, constantly reaping lives, and then glanced in the direction the Special Bureau had left. A ruthless and resolute look flashed in his eyes.
He gritted his teeth, as if making a firm decision, "I have no choice but to take this gamble!"
He ripped off the expensive Persian carpet from the floor.
The carpet was roughly ripped off, revealing a gleaming marble floor beneath. And on that floor, a massive and intricate dark red magic circle was clearly engraved! The patterns were deep and eerie, likely drawn using blood mixed with some special material.
Fight to the death!
Tang Xiuchen was clearly prepared; this was the crucial step he had mentioned at the beginning.
"You wretched creature! If we can't deal with you, someone else will!"
Tang Xiuchen took out an ancient scroll that had been placed on the platform and began to recite the obscure incantation.
From the moment he uttered the first syllable, the entire museum began to tremble violently! Paintings on the walls fell, crystal chandeliers swayed wildly, emitting ear-piercing crashing sounds. Faint, rumbling noises seemed to come from all directions.
Heaven and earth were enraged, and blood began to seep from Tang Xiuchen's seven orifices, but he held on desperately and managed to finish roaring out that ancient, incestuous incantation.
When the last eerie syllable escaped from his bloodied lips—
A tall, slender figure in black, accompanied by a chilling stillness, appeared out of thin air within the formation.
He wore a black cloak, the large hood covering most of his face, revealing only his sharply defined jawline and beautiful thin lips.
The vengeful ghost seemed to sense something, stopped its killing spree, and slowly looked at him.
The figure had clearly seen her too, and commented casually, "Interesting." Then it turned its head, its gaze seemingly piercing through layers of shadows, and landed on the Roman column where Lan Shuyin was hiding.
Tang Xiuchen felt a chill run down his spine as the gaze swept over him, but seeing the Death-Slaying Array still operating beneath his feet, he immediately hissed and commanded:
"Take care of her! Quickly! Get rid of this vengeful ghost!"
The figure in black seemed to only then notice, turning its gaze towards Tang Xiuchen.
The gaze beneath the hood was calm and unwavering, yet it sent a chill down Tang Xiuchen's spine, making his blood almost freeze.
Just as Tang Xiuchen was on the verge of collapse, the figure raised his hand, seemingly admiring the chains on his wrist.
Seeing the dark, phantom-like chains, Tang Xiuchen grasped at a straw and roared with courage, "Look carefully! You are now under my command! I know who you are—the 'god' who controls death! But at this moment, in this battle formation of death, you can only obey me! I command you, immediately... to obliterate her!"
This arrogant command failed to cause the slightest ripple in the black-clad figure, but it seemed to enrage the other side.
The stagnant resentment of the vengeful ghost erupted once more, its long gray hair standing on end. All the hatred and killing intent instantly shifted from the black figure, locking onto Tang Xiuchen, who had uttered such arrogant words!
She transformed into a pale, afterimage-like figure, carrying a chilling aura and an aura of annihilation, and rushed straight at Tang Xiuchen!
The black figure stood still, his face beneath the hood unreadable, as if he were merely observing a farce that had nothing to do with him.
The shadow of death loomed over him, and the color drained from Tang Xiuchen's face instantly. The extreme fear left his mind blank, but the instinct for survival spurred a frantic thought—he suddenly remembered that seemingly casual glance from the "Grim Reaper" when it had just appeared.
In a flash, he burst forth with astonishing speed, staggering as he rushed toward the Roman column. Then, he grabbed Lan Shuyin, who was hiding behind him, and with all his might, shoved her toward the direction from which the vengeful ghost was attacking!
Lan Shuyin was completely unprepared for this turn of events. Her body staggered forward uncontrollably, and she was about to collide head-on with the white figure carrying overwhelming resentment—
At the critical moment!
The still black figure moved.
It was as if he had teleported, or as if space itself had folded in an instant. The next moment, he had silently appeared in front of Lan Shuyin.
"Bang!"
A dull, unusual sound.
The vengeful ghost's strike, powerful enough to tear apart metal and stone and freeze souls, landed on the wide sleeves of the black figure's raised robe.
The attack, powerful enough to annihilate any living thing, fell upon him like a drop of water merging into a deep pool, creating only a barely perceptible ripple before vanishing without a trace.
He deflected the vengeful ghost, lowered his hood slightly, and looked down at Lan Shuyin, scanning her from head to toe to make sure she was unharmed.
"You..." Tang Xiuchen stared in horror at the intact magic array on the ground, his voice distorted with fear, "The array wasn't broken, how did you get out?"
"You made a mistake." The black figure said calmly, raising his hands, the dark shackles on his wrists, formed by the Death Array, shimmering with an eerie light.
However, he simply and casually pulled it outwards lightly—
"Smack."
With a clear, crisp sound, the sturdy dark chain on his wrist shattered! It turned into countless tiny specks of light, disappearing into the air without leaving a trace.
Only then did those seemingly belated, indifferent words finally fall completely:
"As a god, he cannot be trapped by anything."
God is never bound.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
