All cultivators, if familiar enough, can speak to one another through their minds without moving their lips, a technique called the spiritual communication channel. The trick is that they tend to build a mental wall with spiritual energy to keep strangers or those whom they do not give permission to from entering.

K..Kong… Her heart began to beat vigorously. The child felt her hands tremble.

The disciple did not want her friend to face a cultivator—especially someone like Kong, who is one of the meanest cultivators alive. Once was all it took for her to know what a sadistic person he was. It was by her seeing the frightening shadow on the shifu’s face when he was about to go hunting for ghosts and demons, with his disciples. The thrill he expressed through his chilling smile was too much…

Yue Liang stood quietly in front of the pale child.

It was time.

Then, with a flick of his hand—the boy opened a large dark rift before them. One-Step Migration!

Mei Ying was not sure what to do. Her friend did not seem a bit afraid of the horrendous fate that he might be facing!

Shifu always preached that cultivators should never get attached to ghosts and demons or the dead in general. It was especially true if they walk the Heaven Realm’s Immortality path as righteous ones. Instead, they should seek to hunt, exorcise, or send such beings away to the Netherworld. But…

“If you…keep the bracelet close, then, when we meet again, I will know that it’s you.” Blinking did not help. This showed when wet spots were made on the little disciple’s dusty blue robes by her hot tears. “Ying Ying won’t forget Yue Liang...”

I won’t hurt you. The girl thought to herself, trying to memorize her friend’s appearance. She was not sure when they would ever see each other again. I won’t.

It is said that ghosts, demons, and walking corpses violate the boundaries of the Three Realms. Since such entities refuse to enter the Netherworld—it is the duty of a righteous cultivator to send them off or be forced to scatter their soul, particularly demons. The deceased do not belong in the Mortal realm.

However, if the dead wander throughout the domain—it is also out of Heaven’s hands to do anything about it. As a result, mortals gradually trained in magic, exorcism, and martial arts to resolve the problems.

“I won’t forget you, also.” Yue Liang turned around and flashed the little disciple a small, wistful smile. “Child of Red Omen.”

Cold wind began whipping around their robes, blowing their long hair against their cheeks and into the air quite wildly. Thunder rumbled across the Heaven. Dark clusters of clouds quickly gathered around the area.

Yue Liang knew!

The child stared, wide-eyed at the bright fire burning in the boy’s soft eyes. Gently, the spirit offered Mei Ying his hand. She took it, allowing Yue Liang to slowly lift her off the floating sword that shined more brilliantly than before.

Bit by bit, the spirit led the little girl to the tall, whirling portal.

“Listen to me.” Placing both hands on her shoulders, Yue Liang creased his brows together. He was not smiling anymore. “When you walk into this One-Step Migration rift, you will be taken back into Cheng Xiu Village. Do not look back until you get there, alright? I'll distract the Song cultivators."

“What…” Mei Ying felt herself tremble. An excruciating pain cracked through her chest. It was quite indescribable, unlike anything that she has felt before. “Wh-What will happen to you, then?”

Never mind that! There were so many questions swarming inside the child’s mind! Did she give away the name of her village? Did she mention her clan’s name? How…

Up until now, the disciple did not know if the ancestor’s prophecy had traveled down to the Netherworld. It was foolish for her to presume that it may have not—since her invincible shifu, a Heaven Immortal, was informed as well.

Eventually, the spirit let go of the girl’s shoulders and faced the direction of what Mei Ying deemed to be rather overbearing. His back turned to her. His long ponytail, with the shimmering golden hair pin, billowed back like streams of fire. In an instant, hot, scarlet flames engulfed the spirit’s body.

“Never mind me!” Yue Liang was determined to fight the Song cultivators alone. “Just go!”

The sudden, hard edge of her friend’s voice nearly caused the little disciple to flinch. She swallowed. But her feet could not move.

Averting his attention, the boy called out, “Ying—”

In a moment’s notice, a sky of innumerous bright, blue arrows whizzed toward the spirit!

Mei Ying’s eyes widened. Her heart braced itself tightly. She sucked in a cold breath of air.

“Magical Formation One!” an icy command cried out. "Lan Tiankong!"

Straight off—the considerable protective red boundary around the two children flashed.

In a blink of an eye, the thousands of glowing shafts reflected off the barrier. Thousands of arrows bounced back so hard, some had snapped into pieces. Ruby maple leaves brushed against the impassable shield.

Mei Ying turned to her friend. She had forgotten about the protective spell that Yue Liang had casted over them earlier!

Meanwhile, the boy cursed under his breath. Behind him, the dark swirling portal slammed shut and vanished into thin air.

Swiftly, a sea of blue-robed young men leapt forth from the shrouds of gnarly trees and macabre of foliage and darkness. Some of them were splattered with red and black blood. A few reeked of rotting stench or some sort of poison. The two children were surrounded by the cultivators.

All at once, a cosmic, bright circle of light emerged from the ring of cultivators, which then fenced in the colossal red dome.

The shield could no longer revert to its invisible state.

All the men had formed a seal formation with their hands, their eyes glowing bright mists of amber. Every one of them were perfectly balanced on their flying swords, with dozens and dozens of tassels. Their hoops of white-silver glimmered around their necks under the dazzling moonlight and bone-white stars.

“Shifu, watch out!” one of the cultivators cried out.

Suspended high above the rest, Kong stood on the shining sword, holding onto the garnishing sapphire-studded bow. Thousands of blue arrows flew back toward his way, but the handsome man’s stone-like demeanor did not falter. With a flip of his free hand, the flow of darts easily diverted their direction.

Like a river, the radiating arrows swarmed over the leader’s head. With elegance, the darts all shot down far behind the man, creating hair-raising screams and howls of pain from within the trees below.

A dark smile curled up into Kong’s red lips. The wind blew against his long, black hair and the blue ribbon wrapped around his head. His silver eyes blazed fervently. They locked with Yue Liang’s stern gaze.

With a quick whistle from the boy, his shining sword raced over by his side. It was eager to please the master.

“Ying Ying!” Yue Liang did not wait for the child’s reply before swooping her up into his arms. “Geez, this guy’s pretty bothersome.” With that being said, the spirit hopped onto the flying sword’s flat edge. “We need to go!”

“Go where?” asked the stupid disciple.

“Mei Ying, stop!” Kong called out. Seeing that he was ignored, he clenched down his jaw. “Magical Formation Seven! Chuizi!"

All at once, every Song cultivator switched hand formation in what appeared to be a seamless changing of the seal. They were in perfect sync with one another. It was nothing less from what the girl had expected.

Suddenly, the large red dome above the children cracked. The earth began to shake.

“Yue Liang, they’re trying to break the shield to get to you!” The little disciple cried out. Her little heart was trembling. “Th-This spell is going to shatter the barrier, and then, they’re all going to imprison you in a giant spirit gourd!”

Hearing this, the boy smirked. “They won’t be able to touch me.” But afterward, he murmured, “…Are they trying to kill us both though? You’re here too.”

It was odd. Are the relatives not concerned about hurting the small child?

“Again!” Kong commanded, pulling a few illuminous blue shafts back against the bow string. When he lets go, the three projectiles will duplicate up to a thousand.

The man was almost ready to shoot another mass of arrows as the red shield kept cracking under the immense gravitational pressure. He raised an eyebrow. That ghost…

Yue Liang’s deep crimson eyes gleamed. The boy inhaled some air.

Once more, the force slammed down against the magical barricade.

But the instant it splintered the red dome—a warm blast of wind and golden fire exploded from within! The combination of elements with overwhelming impact blew away all of those who were no match for the wicked trick!

Hence, all one hundred cultivators flew back, including Kong with his immaculate bow and arrows! Many of the men screamed in terror! Sleeves were alighted into blazes, the tails of robes singed, and skins were cooked!

Trees, grass, and flowers everywhere caught on fire. The entire field became still, blackened by the walls of red and gold flames. Smoke filled the air.

Deep within the center of spiraling flames and whipping wind—Yue Liang sat down on the flying sword, with the trembling child in his arms. Around the girl was a red veil of soundproof and protective aura casted by him. As the boy continued to breath fire, his eyes glowed bright red.

In a blink, those who had fallen close by, including Kong, watched the spirit with hesitance.

Yue Liang’s fire-breathing ceased. He quietly glanced down to make sure that the girl was unharmed. There was not a hair touched by those assholes. Mei Ying's eyes were closed shut. She was very much afraid by the chaos.

Still, it was too short of a moment for celebration.

Out of nowhere—a storm of gold, shining talismans fell upon the boy. They whirled around him, backed with a strong, clean wind current. Without any effort, all three thousand of them lit up into brilliant, hot flames as well. Soon, they rained down to the earth as ashes.

The spirit smiled. It was sweet but cold at the same time. “En Lai.”

Manifesting from the massive clouds of smoke was an ancient woman, who seemed youthful with white-jade, clear skin and bright gold eyes. En Lai’s long, sheeny copper hair brushed back in beautiful waves. The white-robed Heaven Immortal was covered from head to toe in a prismatic aura that was nearly blinding to the mortal eye; thus, many of the cultivators turned away or peeked past their fingers.

By the woman’s side was an enormous white tiger, floating on all four, with ice-blue eyes.

In a flash, the two hovered short of the grinning boy and the little disciple in his protective embrace.

“After nearly eight hundred years…” Yue Liang’s bitter smile widened. “…have we become sworn enemies?”