First Steps into the Spirit Void 21. Encounter with the Proud Warrior

All around was bleak and eerie, the air damp and cold, and every so often a dark shadow drifted past him, stirring up chilling gusts. “What kind of place is this, anyway? How can there be things like ghosts?” Mo Dao asked, his voice trembling.

Bai Jie shook her head. “I don’t know either. This place was only recently discovered by Jade Void Palace. They say there’s a spiritual beast inside, so they’ve made all this fuss and called us here.”

Mo Dao followed behind Bai Jie, falling silent. Skulls appeared occasionally in the gloom, some surrounded by piles of bones. He suspected those drifting shadows were the spirits of the dead, lingering here after their demise.

Mo Dao’s heart was gripped by fear. That so many had perished here meant something extraordinary must lurk within—otherwise, why would so many die? Perhaps it was the doing of the spiritual beast.

The thought made Mo Dao’s skin crawl. Ghosts had always been his master’s favorite tool for frightening him. Now, all he could do was cling tightly to Bai Jie for a sense of safety.

But watching Bai Jie in her white robe, Mo Dao recalled the terrifying tales his master told of the vengeful ghost in white, said to haunt desolate mountains and forests thick with shadow. If one met the ghost, it would pounce, tear out a person’s heart, and devour it. The agony of such a death was painted vividly in his master’s stories, and even now the memory sent a shiver through Mo Dao.

So Mo Dao followed Bai Jie quietly as they pressed onward, uncertain when they might encounter the monster. Suddenly, a streak of white light shot toward them, tinged with sinister energy.

Bai Jie raised her right hand and swept the light aside in a gesture swift as a rainbow, repelling it. At that moment, a furry creature crashed heavily against a tree.

Mo Dao looked at it—a blue face, red nose, monkey-like features, a tuft of white hair on its forehead, sharp claws, and an aura of darkness that made him uneasy.

“This is a Ghost Xi,” Bai Jie explained calmly, though Mo Dao felt his hair stand on end. “It feeds on the brains of the living, shuns the dead, and is notoriously cruel. They even slaughter their own kind.”

A vivid image of a Ghost Xi devouring a human brain flashed through Mo Dao’s mind, and the fear was overwhelming. Still, he consoled himself that compared to the fate of Senior Brother Nangong, this was nothing.

The Ghost Xi wasn’t dead. Its eyes burned crimson, sharp teeth bared, emitting strange hissing cries, hind claws scraping at the ground.

Bai Jie exclaimed that this was bad, darting toward the creature like an arrow and seizing its throat. A surge of blazing energy burst from her hand, instantly engulfing the Ghost Xi.

“We need to leave, quickly—or else—” she began, but before she could finish, countless Ghost Xi just like the one before surrounded them, baring their teeth and glaring.

“Senior Sister, what do we do now? Are we going to end up as dinner?” Mo Dao cried out. “I’ve never faced so many Ghost Xi, but I think I can escape with my skills.”

Just then, the Ghost Xi parted, opening a path, as if something was coming. They lined up in formation, and a flicker of terror appeared on their ugly faces.

These Ghost Xi seemed to have encountered something truly dreadful, like a swimmer faced with a snake. Mo Dao felt a pressure beyond description, and quickly hid behind Bai Jie.

“Judging by the scene, the Queen Xi must be coming. Even if I could defeat her, these Ghost Xi would tear me apart, so we must run!” Bai Jie whispered urgently, grabbing Mo Dao and fleeing.

Mo Dao hadn’t expected Bai Jie to choose flight, and was momentarily disoriented. Bai Jie moved quickly, dragging Mo Dao far from the horde in an instant, but the Ghost Xi pursued relentlessly.

Without looking back, Bai Jie raced ahead, while Mo Dao, exhausted, stumbled behind, nearly collapsing, his shoes worn thin and toes almost poking through.

As they fled, a wall of flesh suddenly blocked their path. Bai Jie looked up and was startled, cursing her luck inwardly.

“This is hardly an ordinary Queen Xi,” Bai Jie sighed to herself. “I’ve never seen one this massive.” The creature stood five fathoms tall, covered in coarse fur.

Its face resembled a Ghost Xi—blue skin, red nose, white fur, two huge tusks dripping with saliva, and, unlike common Ghost Xi, a blood-red eye in the center of its forehead.

Bai Jie had never encountered such a Queen Xi before. She speculated that this was the King Xi, the monarch who appeared once in a millennium among the Xi. Ghost Xi were known for their speed, but legends said the King Xi could match the speed of cultivators in the Golden Core stage, and possessed boundless strength.

There was a tale of the King Xi moving mountains—a Xi named Bi Gan, nearly a hundred fathoms tall and the greatest warrior of the Xi. In ancient times, Bi Gan single-handedly lifted a mountain and crushed the armies of the demon clan, preserving the honor of the Xi. Yet, as with all legends, its truth was uncertain.

Though the King Xi before them was only five fathoms tall, Bai Jie knew it was beyond her ability. The Ghost Xi revered their female leaders, their society matriarchal, and the strongest among them were called Queen Xi.

Queen Xi possessed intelligence and could speak. No longer relying solely on brute force, the King Xi’s third eye was said to be the result of opening its blood gate, the energy surging through its body and leaving a blood-red mark on its forehead.

That blood eye wasn’t a true eye, but a crimson hole resembling one. “From what I know, this is no ordinary Queen Xi. That blood-red eye marks it as the King Xi among the Queens.”

Bai Jie quickly explained to Mo Dao. The King Xi suddenly opened its mouth. “Who are you, daring to trespass in my domain?” Its voice was deep and thunderous, echoing like a drum.

Mo Dao was astonished. “Senior Sister, it can speak?”

Bai Jie had no time to answer, and replied to the King Xi, “We came seeking a spiritual beast. It has nothing to do with you.”

“Nothing to do with me? As long as you are in my territory, I am king!” the King Xi roared.

At that moment, the other Ghost Xi caught up, surging forward. Bai Jie hurriedly drew her weapon—a staff-like spiritual tool, the Chaotic Twin Moon Flash.

With a sweep, Bai Jie sent two arcs of moonlight slashing through the horde, scattering many Ghost Xi. Their screams filled the air. Mo Dao crossed his hands and unleashed a stream of energy, which struck a Ghost Xi.

But his attack vanished like a puff of air, harmless and ineffective, leaving him embarrassed. He quickly followed with a slash of energy, striking a Ghost Xi and shattering it.

Seeing Bai Jie topple so many Ghost Xi in a single blow, the King Xi was enraged, grinding its teeth. It stepped back, then launched itself forward with such speed that Bai Jie barely reacted.

Bai Jie was tackled to the ground. The King Xi hammered her chest with a fist—she felt a clang, then a crack as several bones broke.

Yet Bai Jie was no ordinary opponent. Before the next blow could land, she used her vital energy to heal and rolled to the side.

The King Xi didn’t expect Bai Jie to escape, and its fist smashed into the earth with a tremendous crash, leaving a pit nearly two fathoms wide.

Meanwhile, Mo Dao was pinned by several Ghost Xi, scratching at him, pain wracking his body as he was nearly torn to pieces. Suddenly, the Ghost Xi scattered.

Mo Dao was silently relieved, thinking he had survived, but at that moment the ground trembled and he fell along with rubble.

Darkness swallowed Mo Dao, and he fainted. Bai Jie rushed over, scooped him up, and tried to flee.

But the King Xi gave them no chance. It appeared above Bai Jie, hands clasped together, and slammed down. Bai Jie cursed inwardly, her face ashen.

She had tasted the King Xi’s strength before—if that blow landed, her bones would shatter completely. With one hand gripping Mo Dao, she raised the Twin Moon Flash to block.

Fortunately, the Twin Moon Flash was no ordinary weapon, and did not break, though Bai Jie’s right arm was nearly destroyed. The two plummeted like shooting stars, Mo Dao jolted awake by the force, only to be thrown to the ground again.

Bai Jie’s white robe was stained with blood, her lips flecked with crimson. She sighed, resigning herself to death. Had she known she would encounter the King Xi here, she would never have come.

But as Bai Jie waited, the fatal blow never came. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself alone—no horde of Ghost Xi, no King Xi, not even Mo Dao.

“What’s going on?” Bai Jie was dazed. Could she already be dead? But the pain in her body told her otherwise. What puzzled her most was why, so suddenly, she was the only one left.