In the far distance, about thirty sect disciples, some wearing gold, black, blue, and other colors, had flown on their swords toward the area. Trickling like rivulets of water, all the tournament contestants zipped over the treetops, flowers, and whirling dust. They had long vehemently chased after the floating orbs of blue light, the souls of their martial siblings and friends. Some carried gourds to keep the souls safe while others’ lips chanted spells to pull the orbs closer.

But the disciples’ efforts were futile since the veiled person in all-white manifested a wall of black feathers to keep them at bay. The blue lights surrounded the mysterious Immortal, who laughed and laughed above their heads. Every cultivator soon wielded their shining scrolls and devices against the evil figure; however, once the yin energy burned their throats and skin, many drew farther back, inch by inch, on the flying swords.

One cultivator though was wildly stubborn. He did not sweat or show a flicker of fear toward the evil source.

“Give back the souls of my disciples!” hissed Kong, dipping his arrows into a small flask. Crystalline water dripped out. “You f*cking demon!”

From the outlying vicinity, Mei Ying could only recognize the person from his sharp, snapping actions as the cold-hearted shifu shot a magical storm of arrows at the wall of feathers.

Surprisingly, the barricade of demonic miasma melted over time. While the arrows were only dipped in water, the magical properties eroded the feathers of yin, giving off the smell of burning acid.

Not wanting to be outshined, several gold-robed Jin Sword sect disciples built a fence of glowing scrolls with red magical scripts. They soon sent the long line of talismans toward the veiled stranger’s defense. However, this only obstructed Kong’s sight as he pulled back the string of his silver bow.

“F*cking flashy Jin Sword sect! F*ck your ancestors!” cursed the old man. The wind blew back the long blue ribbon wrapped around his forehead. “Do you think this is time to show off your worthless feathers?!”

“You think your arrows of spirit water can do better, old man?!” snapped a young disciple. “What a primitive tactic!”

As soon as the other said that, their shining banner of yellow talismans quickly ashen from the slight touch of yin energy.

Kong sneered. “Didn’t your sect leader and shifus already know no shame when they took the Song clan’s green mountains and rivers to f*ck on as reparations of the Ghost War? Now, their disciples are here to out-shame the former generation?!” He then roared, “It’s only been a hundred years, but now, the flashy sect has forgotten how to deal with demons!”

One of the Jin Sword sect cultivators’ face reddened. Though he did not look much at first glance, this young-looking man was, in fact, about Kong’s age. He lowered his head and quickly moved out of Song cultivator’s sight, along with the other younger disciples.

“Pathetic!” spat the Song shifu.

Unfazed by the foul language, Mei Ying watched the shifu shoot his raining arrows again from the glamorous sapphire-studded bow of silver. Swiftly, some cultivators put away their scrolls. Now knowing that the Song clan’s legendary spirit water was as potent as ever, they needed to mix whatever that was remaining with grounded cinnabar pigment.

“Ah, they’re a bit slow, are they?” Jian Yu murmured, removing his hand from Mei Ying's back. The healing ceased. “As compared to their predecessors in the Ghost War…”

“Jian Jian…” Mei Ying stayed sitting. She had taken off the whip-belt and slid her finger over the cool metal chains. A gourd of water was by her side. “…why would a Heaven Immortal resort to cultivating yin energy?”

“Sometimes, bad eggs are just born into it.” Her friend stood by and observed the smoke around them whipped about, flowing up toward the maniacal person. “After all, only a fraction of the Heaven realm is comprised of ascended humans.”

After coiling the whip around her waist like a belt, Mei Ying rose to her feet and plugged the gourd of water close once more. The small bells of the scourge jingled gently. “Did you see his face when you grabbed the person during our first encounter with him?”

Hearing this, the young man averted to the huntress. The air currents blew his long side bangs and locks back and forth like silk. A thin line slipped into his red lips.

“You saw his face…” Before Jian Yu could pull away, Mei Ying grabbed his wrist. The cool silver surface of her bracelet collided against his marble-white skin. Jian Yu’s eyes grew large as he stared at the jewelry. “…didn’t you?”

Her friend became still.

“Jian Jian…I don’t care what you are.” The huntress was solemn. “But you didn’t tell Bing Wen or me about that stranger’s face. If you know who it is, then, I can help—"

“You should really leave this matter to us.”

The response was abrupt and devoid of warmth. Mei Ying froze, staring at the red-robed person as Bing Wen’s words echoed back: ‘I’m only going to say this once: Do not trust Jian Yu.’ A hint of bright scarlet roamed over the handsome cultivator’s dark eyes like embers of a rather perilous fire, waiting to fulminate if Mei Ying got too close.

“Jian Jian…” Gold aura radiated from the huntress. Her blood was burning.

“We found Wei Sheng’s missing friend, didn’t we? You were even a witness of me having no foul play in all this. Your job as a huntress, as a righteous cultivator is done.”

It was enigmatic. While the ordinary person would rage and lose heart or perhaps think that they made a horrible mistake, Mei Ying did not have any regrets.

The young woman’s eyes grew hot.

“Jian Jian!” Mei Ying saw that her friend refused to meet her gaze. “You…”

The huntress would have never imagined Jian Yu to treat her so coldly. Though their time together has been brief, did everything that they went through together…have so little meaning?

Memories of the past few days flashed through Mei Ying’s mind from Jian Yu sitting across from her through floating crimson curtains to Mei Ying gifting him the floral sachet of red chrysanthemum tea. He also led her through the night under red maple leaves, taking her hand into his. The cultivator and Xiao Li even saved her from Bing Wen’s lightning bolt, carrying Mei Ying in his arms, and darted over to her side when Bing Wen was being hostile toward her.

Ah, and did they not enjoy peeling bamboo shoots and having fish soup with the others? What about Jian Yu helping her rescue the shitty clan members from the enormous tree demons? Moreover, he even carried Mei Ying after the large cousin knocked her out, healed her wounds, she risked her head in using floral vines to restrain the contemptuous Xi Feng, they fought Xia Qi and Li Qin, and then…

She felt discomfort almost as though a sharp blade has pierced her chest.

How strange… Mei Ying was mildly worried when her shifu and the tiger vanished, but En Lai was highly skilled Heaven Immortal. She was crushed when Shaman Hua was murdered. The elderly was like her grandmother, after all. When Mei Ying had to part ways with the senior hunters, she was a bit reluctant and sad.

However, Jian Yu somehow became a gentle beacon of light in the dark. The huntress too felt that it would be severely difficult to meet him again. Since her friend is far more mysterious and powerful than her and wanders as he likes, she did not have the heart to tell Jian Yu to stay. Though the two are at opposite ends, it felt like Jian Yu understood the young woman well, with his intuition coinciding with hers like the back half of a coin.

Before Mei Ying knew it, she did not want their time to end.

Like rainwater, Mei Ying’s unease was not from distrust. No, it was from the fear of separation…like how she had felt with Yue Liang, whose face she could no longer remember but the pain still lingering after all these hazy years.

Why did Jian Yu's demeanor change so quickly?

“You…what?” Jian Yu’s words were curt. “You may leave now.”

“How am I supposed to leave? The tournament rules dictate that until there are four remaining contestants, we cannot return to the normal world, ah.”

“Get out of my sight then. Get away from me.”

“Your…” Mei Ying wanted to punch the person. She inhaled some air before bursting out, “Your words are so mean!”

Xiao Li, still holding onto Li Qin’s soul, rushed over to check on the quarreling cultivators. Having heard her shout, the servant blinked. “Young Miss, did…he make you mad?” The juvenile paused, sensing that he misread the mood. “Oh, Young Master made you cry too!”

“I’m not crying!”

“You’re pouting though...”

“If Jian Jian wants this one to leave, then, I will!”

Shouting soon reached Mei Ying’s warm ears.

Turning away, the young woman let go of Jian Yu’s wrist. She stormed closer to the commotion. As her pale-green outer robe billowed back, Mei Ying cursed her luck as the wind began to pick up speed. In one sweep, the huntress impatiently drew out the glimmering sword of pure light with her free hand.

“W-Wait, Young Miss!” Xiao Li shouted from far behind. “Shouldn’t you be walking away from danger, not go to it?!”

Stupid Jian Jian. Mei Ying felt wronged, frowning upon this thought. If I was a nuisance, why show up everywhere? Why… Her fingers curled up against the white grip of Fa Guang. Why follow me?

Regardless, the maiden kept ambling on with her weapon, ready to strike if necessary. As she neared the cultivators forming a wide-ranging circle, Mei Ying could hear a disciple yell out, “Release the souls of our martial siblings!”

Turning a deaf ear to the commotion that gathered, the veiled stranger only cackled from high above in the dark skies. Without blinking, he flicked his white sleeve against those who dared to fly on their swords toward him. In one simple sweep, it was strong enough to knock them back to the ground.

“HAHA! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!" His voice was so overbearing and loud, anyone from anywhere in the secret realm would be able to hear it. It was as though the person wanted to be found and listened to. “YOU'RE HERE, AREN'T YOU?!"

Raising her gaze, Mei Ying watched the white curtain flip over the person’s moon-jade face and his chilling smile as he continued to beckon the hovering blue, glowing souls toward himself. The villain manifested a large pot for his river of lights, capturing them instantly. In ecstasy, he closed the container with a lid before it vanished from sight.

The veiled stranger went on, "ALL OF MY WISHES WERE POSSIBLE, AFTER ALL! FINALLY, AFTER NEARLY EIGHT HUNDRED YEARS, THEY'RE COMING TRUE!"

Hearing this, the huntress froze. Her forehead pounded with affliction, causing her to massage it. The ground seemed to spin beneath her feet. Wait… This person…

In fact, the first time when Mei Ying suffered from such mental torment was from her first meeting with En Lai, her Shifu. Though her parents had asked for a cure, claiming that their daughter screamed from nightmares of wearing a crimson robe and being thrown off clouds—En Lai’s only remedy was to press his index finger against the child’s forehead…and suppressing the ‘dreams’, the memories of having dreamt the nightmares in the initial place. When asked, the woman and Shaman Hua agreed that in due time, Mei Ying will remember and understand what these dreams meant…

“Mei Ying...” Slowly, the malicious person’s eyes locked with the young woman’s. The white veil continuously flapped against his face. “You’re Mei Ying, right?”

At the next blink, the man, dressed in all-white, was already a mere inch away from Mei Ying’s face. All the surrounding cultivators, including Kong, paled and stiffen like wooden dolls.

The stranger’s wild eyes were ravenous and delirious. Though having already descended this quickly, the curtains surrounding the wide-brimmed bamboo hat hardly shifted. The entire bottom half of the man’s face was wrapped in a thick bundle of white shawl.

“The light of your reincarnated soul called out to me…” The man murmured. For some unknown reasons, his voice lowered into half-whispers like a mad person’s rambling. “For nearly eight hundred years, I have searched for you, Mei Ying…or should I say, Child of Red Omen—Former Number Nine of the Heavenly Court?”

Number Nine… Mei Ying stared, unblinking. …of the Heavenly Court? As in…the mythical Heavenly Court of the Heaven realm?

More questions swarmed in the young woman’s mind. Well, ‘nine’ did not have any meaning if she did not know what officer position or domain was being referred to.

Many cultivators—Jin Sword sect, Feng Bao sect, the Song clan, and all the other remaining ones—readied their weapons. Mei Ying was rooted to where she stood. An icy thread slithered over her body. Her heart pounded and pounded. She did not dare look away from the villain.

“I came to break the curse that They placed on you…” rambled the person, his cold smile widening. “But what’s interesting is that Wei Sheng got to you first and cast this cute transformation spell on you…” He slowly cocked his head. “He would not do this without thinking through all the possibilities, without risking the red string of—"

Instantly, a blood-hued shadow blitzed through the field, and with a mad rush of wind, crashed into the white-robed man. At the next second, the villain flew back far, only to be cushioned by his floating black feathers! His eyes were wide, filled with utter shock.

Blood streamed from the person's lips. He smiled, rubbing one side of his ribcage. "Nice to see you again...Jian Yu." The loud snaps of bones were clearly audible.

Crimson silk rippled in the wind before Mei Ying. Didn’t I tell you to leave?! In the spiritual communication channel, Jian Yu added, There’s no other way than to incapacitate or ditch the others until there are only four of us left! He did not turn around.

So, that must be why the young man was abruptly cold to Mei Ying earlier. The change of his attitude was a way to discourage any further prying from the mortal herself. Jian Yu was trying to protect her.

Though a bit surprised, Mei Ying asked, Wouldn’t their souls get captured too?

Why do you worry about others before yourself? There was a sigh. If the sounder had set the magical formation and made no changes since, we don’t have much of a choice other than to hope that we can retrieve the souls after we return to the Mortal realm.

“Based on his human-like appearance..." Rushing toward the veiled stranger’s back, a smirking Jin Sword sect quickly brought up a circle of gleaming swords over the other’s head. “...maybe this villain is a high-ranking demon or the demon king himself! Hurry! Those of us—"

In a single breath, a ribbon of rainbow lights flowed up to the skies, with the blue beaming orb in the man’s grip. The entity had refused to give the mortal a glance. All his attention was still on the two cultivators before him. Without thinking, the person crushed his new food and began devouring the soul like a tasty dessert.

What happened was almost unbelievable.

Demon king? Mei Ying turned to the silent Jian Yu and back to the white-robed person. That can’t be… How can this person be the one whom Wei Sheng want to bring back to the Heaven realm? He’s so…

“SHIDIIII!” A Jin Sword sect disciple screamed out. Agony rang from his fury. “YOU MONSTER!”

"AHHHH!" Another joined his Shixiong, running toward the entity.

“Imbecile.” murmured the villain. A flicker of metal hurled toward his cheek, but with a wave of the man’s hand, the gold-robed cultivators were sent flying back. Bones cracked. The man then slurped up the last bit of the light. “Hmm…”

Evil. A single red flower petal fell out of the man’s broad sleeve. It smelled like rotten flesh.

Watching the petal fall, Mei Ying’s hold against the grip of her gleaming sword became firm once more. Wei Sheng... Her heart nearly stopped. Bing Wen...

The young woman felt the very core of her being...shake. I was tricked from the very start by Wei Sheng. I bought into his lies because I wanted to help. But both Bing Wen and him were hoping to cover for their 'friend' despite knowing full well that 'their friend' killed...Shaman Hua and stole swarms of souls—

Gritting her teeth, Mei Ying was about to lift the blade from her scabbard—when in that moment, a crimson streak clutched the huntress away and vanished!

All at once, countless people jetted toward the wounded man, hungry for vengeance. There was a whirl of flowing black robes as many circled around the villain. Black smoke flooded the ground once again. Other cultivators opened their magical gourds, ready for the chance of an ultimate capture.

Each black-cladded person slapped down a flaring talisman with cinnabar magical scripts before preparing the hand formations. "ZUIGAO MO XIANJING!"

“Let’s do this!” The leading Feng Bao sect disciple yelled out, holding onto a glowing scroll. Under his gray-steel eye mask, a grin curved into his lips. "We'll kill this demon and get everyone's souls back!"