Chapter 129: Leaving

“Still not working?” After burning through two summoning talismans, Captain Jiao looked utterly deflated. Summoning deities from the Upper Realm was way too difficult. His heart sank—maybe this was the day he died after all.

The Ghost King outside lunged toward him, and he froze, nowhere to dodge.

But Yun Jiao, who had just finished inserting her last needle, reacted instantly—she grabbed him by the collar and yanked him backward. “Get in the array!”

A loud boom! The Ghost King’s dark tendrils slammed into the defensive barrier just as they dove inside.

Captain Jiao’s eyes widened in relief. “Thank you, Daoist Yun…” If she hadn’t pulled him, he’d have been shredded. The gratitude faded quickly into guilt as he looked down at the spent talismans. Summoning talismans were different from ordinary charms—only those drawn by one’s own hand, backed by absolute sincerity, could reach the deities above. “My cultivation is too shallow,” he said bitterly. “I just wanted to summon any of the Three Heavenly Patriarchs of the Xuan Sect—but even after using two talismans, not a single one answered.”

Patriarch Wen Qing: “……”

Patriarch Yuan Jiang: “……”

Why… did that somehow feel like an insult?

“Enough, stop stabbing yourself,” Yun Jiao muttered darkly. “In a way, you already did succeed. Come on—help me set up a Seven-Kill Formation!”

Captain Jiao blinked, then his face lit up. “Right! We can still use that!” Shoving aside his gloom, he pulled out formation flags and started working with her.

The Seven-Kill Formation was a powerful offensive array that combined seven elemental attacks—metal, wood, water, fire, wind, ice, and thunder. Ever-shifting, its destructive force was immense. Since Xi Teng’s fire attacks hadn’t worked on the Ghost King, surely one of the other elements would.

They split to opposite sides, moving swiftly to arrange the formation. Outside, the Ghost King’s assault intensified. The protective barrier trembled violently—boom, boom, boom!—cracks spider-webbed across it like an egg about to burst. Black mist engulfed them completely, and with a resounding crack, the barrier shattered.

“No time!” Yuan Jiang’s expression hardened. He suddenly stepped forward, igniting the last of his celestial energy. His entire body began to glow with white light.

“Second Senior Brother! You’re not—” Wen Qing’s face changed drastically. Was he about to self-detonate his primordial spirit? “No! Stop!” That would destroy him completely.

He reached out to stop him, but Yuan Jiang dodged, casting a quick glance back. “Protect them,” he said quietly.

The next instant, the defensive array exploded apart. Black energy surged in. Yuan Jiang’s aura flared—white light blazing brighter and brighter as he prepared to self-destruct.

But before he could, an even stronger golden radiance burst forth, sweeping outward like a tidal wave. The brilliance instantly smothered Yuan Jiang’s white glow and blasted back the Ghost King’s darkness. The whole cavern filled with pure golden light.

Yuan Jiang froze, stunned, instinctively halting his technique.

“Daoist Yun…?” Captain Jiao gaped. Everyone turned toward her—and saw that the golden light was pouring from Yun Jiao herself.

Even Wen Qing and Yuan Jiang, seasoned immortals, felt a crushing pressure rolling off her—stronger than their own.

Yun Jiao blinked in confusion. “What the heck…?”

(⊙_⊙)

She glanced down and saw glowing symbols slowly emerging on her chest—lines of light forming a sigil. It looked suspiciously like… a transportation spell.

Lightning-quick realization struck her. “Grab me!” she shouted, seizing Captain Jiao’s arm.

The others were momentarily stunned—but instinct made them all reach for her.

In the next heartbeat, the space around them twisted violently, as if reality itself were tearing open. Gold light flashed—and all five vanished from the Underworld.

When Yun Jiao’s vision cleared, the darkness was gone. In its place—

—was the icy, familiar face of her grand-master, Ye Yuan.

His cool, measured voice filled the air.

“It’s already night. Why are you only returning now?”

Ye Yuan’s expression darkened further as his gaze swept over her—then to the four men standing behind her. His eyes narrowed. The heat of pure, righteous fury flared in his chest.

His little disciple disappeared for half a day… and came back with four strange men.

His aura exploded. The air itself seemed to buckle.

The newly returned group barely had time to blink before the crushing pressure hit—whump!—like a mountain falling from the sky. Every one of them, except Yun Jiao, was flattened to the ground like pancakes.

The little disciple disappears after dark—and returns with four wild men!

(╰_╯)#

Yun Jiao blinked, still half in shock from nearly being murdered by the Ghost King. “…We’re back?”

Before she could process it, a thunderous roar came from behind. A vast wave of black mist surged through the still-open portal, coalescing into a massive, fanged ghost head.

Her stomach dropped. Crap—the Ghost King got dragged through too!

“Master—!” she called out instinctively.

SMACK!

Before she could finish, Ye Yuan’s spiritual pressure lashed outward—harder, broader, colder. It struck the Ghost King head-on. The creature didn’t even have time to scream before its form crumpled into nothingness. The black mist was snuffed out like candles in a hurricane—gone, erased as if it had never existed.

Yun Jiao: “……”

Captain Jiao: “……”

Xi Teng: “……”

Wen Qing & Yuan Jiang: “……”

Ye Yuan frowned. “What was that?” He hadn’t even seen it clearly—something had resisted him, so he’d simply increased the pressure until it vanished.

“Uh… nothing,” Yun Jiao said weakly after a pause. She suddenly felt bad for the poor Ghost King; calling that thing an enemy now felt… disrespectful.

Ye Yuan didn’t question it further. His sharp gaze swept back to his disciple, his irritation rekindling. Perhaps he’d been too lenient with her lately—too indulgent. Now she was skipping evening lessons, staying out late, and apparently bringing home random men.

His expression cooled to arctic frost. He stepped forward, voice low and firm. “Do you know what time it is?”

“Mm…” Yun Jiao murmured, not noticing the chill in his tone. Only now did her exhausted nerves finally release. The tension of the entire ordeal dissolved, leaving her weak and lightheaded. The world wavered before her eyes, and she swayed—then instinctively leaned forward. Her head landed softly against his chest.

“…Master…” she mumbled drowsily.

Ye Yuan froze. The reprimand that had been on his lips vanished.

For the first time, his little disciple’s voice sounded soft—almost sweet. It hit somewhere beneath his ribs, melting the anger in his chest into something strangely tender.

Then she went limp.

Ye Yuan caught her reflexively, realizing she had fallen fast asleep. Her light breaths brushed against his neck—ticklish, warm, leaving heat spreading up his collar and across his face.

…Fine. Seeing that she looked properly remorseful, he decided—just this once—not to punish her.

(End of Chapter)