Bai Yuxiao possessed a capricious temperament, acting entirely on impulse. He was a prodigy in cultivation, his spiritual power surpassing even his elder brother Bai Zhuixu.

He deliberately chose Qingwu City, where yin energy was most concentrated, and set up a Grave of Ten Thousand Souls outside the city, attracting most of the vengeful spirits and fierce ghosts to make them attack living beings within the formation.

The cycle of life and death in the Eighth Wilderness follows its path. After death, people fall into reincarnation. Those few who linger due to resentment transform into fierce ghosts, bringing harm to the mortal realm.

But if a cultivator forcibly extracts a living soul and uses it to enter the Way, this becomes ghost cultivation.

Ghost cultivators advance at an astonishing pace, but harm both others and themselves, often categorized as heretical practitioners.

Yan Chaosheng, achieving ghost cultivation with a demon body, was the first in the Eight Wilderness to do so.

Learning of Bai Yuxiao’s misdeeds, Liu Shuang was choked with anger. How dare Bai Yuxiao look down on her when he was setting Kung Sang on a path of no return!

Their conversation startled Bai Zhuixu elsewhere. Liu Shuang quickly said, “Bai Yuxiao, keep the First Young Master occupied. Don’t let him know we’re doing something bad. I’ll be back soon.”

Before Bai Yuxiao could stop Liu Shuang, her silhouette vanished among the trees in a few swift movements.

When Liu Shuang rushed over and saw the Grave of Ten Thousand Souls, her blood ran cold.

The entire bamboo grove was pitch black, ghosts blocking the moonlight, the dense yin energy making the surrounding temperature very low.

Amidst the grim darkness, Yan Chaosheng was covered with countless fierce ghosts attempting to tear at his soul. He sat cross-legged with closed eyes, his lips turning black.

The yin energy had already entered his body.

If Liu Shuang hadn’t known about his background, she would have thought, like Bai Yuxiao, that he was certainly doomed.

On the surface, it appeared the fierce ghosts were devouring Yan Chaosheng, but looking carefully, the ghostly spirits near him were growing increasingly weaker in their yin energy.

Yan Chaosheng was subconsciously absorbing their ghost energy.

If this continued, not only would he survive, but he would directly enter the ghost path!

Liu Shuang inwardly cursed Bai Yuxiao as a pig teammate. The urgent matter now was to prevent Yan Chaosheng from entering the ghost path. If he grew stronger, Kung Sang would be in danger.

With a twist of her wrist, the Crimson Pearl Umbrella appeared in her hand. Relying on her immortal body’s yang nature, she feared nothing, using the umbrella as a shield as she walked toward Yan Chaosheng.

She swatted away small ghosts along the way, disregarding everything else. Gritting her teeth, she entered the Grave of Ten Thousand Souls and finally reached his side.

The youth sat cross-legged with closed eyes, his skin ice-cold. Liu Shuang’s fingertips glowed with white light as she eliminated the evil ghosts clinging to his body one by one.

Shoo, shoo, shoo! Don’t strengthen him!

Amidst unceasing screams, the ghosts persisted in their onslaught, so numerous that Liu Shuang couldn’t eliminate them all. Fearing Yan Chaosheng would become a ghost cultivator if he absorbed more, she made a bold decision, using the Crimson Pearl Umbrella to create a barrier, trapping herself and Yan Chaosheng inside.

Indeed, ordinary ghost spirits couldn’t break through the Crimson Pearl Umbrella. When daylight came, the formation of the Grave of Ten Thousand Souls would naturally dissipate.

Liu Shuang crouched down to examine Yan Chaosheng. Fortunately, she had arrived in time; he hadn’t been completely enlightened to the ghost path yet.

The youth’s lips were black, his skin beginning to turn a rigid, grayish-white.

At this moment, what if she stabbed him?

Liu Shuang secretly looked around. Good, Bai Zhuixu wasn’t present; she could stab Yan Chaosheng without breaking character. Her fingers transformed into sharp blades, stabbing toward his chest.

When her fingers touched the youth’s chest, it was like striking hard stone. Liu Shuang’s fingertips ached.

The youth’s skin seemed petrified, as rigid and cold as the body of a thousand-year-old corpse.

What about other places? Could she kill him elsewhere? Liu Shuang tried his head, abdomen, and back, discovering that Yan Chaosheng’s rigid, cold body truly couldn’t be damaged. In other words, she couldn’t use immortal techniques to form blades to kill him.

Liu Shuang refused to accept this. What about burning him? Surely he could be burned to death?

She snapped her fingers, and bright blue flames erupted around them. The fire licked Yan Chaosheng’s body, but he remained still with closed eyes, his expression calm and undisturbed.

Liu Shuang increased her immortal power, making the flames burn more fiercely. The youth’s black hair against the blue flames created an indescribable, bewitching sight.

Burn harder, Liu Shuang thought angrily. She refused to believe she couldn’t burn him to death!

Thrown into the Grave of Ten Thousand Souls by Bai Yuxiao, ghosts tore at his body. Yan Chaosheng’s gaze was ice-cold.

Ghost energy entered his body, yet no wounds were visible.

He knew well that without his cultivation power, he couldn’t escape the Grave of Ten Thousand Souls. The formation trapped him like a maze.

Without an immortal body, the few techniques he’d learned could barely handle fierce ghosts.

At this dead end, he grew desperate. Instead of dodging, he sat cross-legged on the spot. If they wanted to devour him, he would turn the tables and devour these ghost spirits instead.

If he could return alive, he would never let Bai Yuxiao go!

As he entered meditation, Yan Chaosheng couldn’t help but find it ironic. They said immortal realm inhabitants cherished their disciples. Yet when he initially joined Kung Sang with sincere devotion, what he received was the immortal clan’s descendants treating his life as worthless.

Immortals, demons—what difference was there in their ugly hearts?

Yan Chaosheng never expected anyone to save him. Every time he faced death, he survived through his endurance. This time, they’d better not expect him to return!

Ghost energy was bitterly cold. Ordinary mortals exposed to even a little would lose ten years of life.

For those with demon bloodlines, ghost energy was like deadly poison. Yan Chaosheng felt as if his body had been thrown into a hundred-zhang deep ice, cold to the marrow, almost freezing every inch of skin and bone. Even his blood ceased to flow.

All sensation reduced to endless, boundless pain.

He couldn’t distinguish whether the ghosts tearing at his soul hurt more, or his desperate absorption of ghost energy hurt more.

Under such torment, Yan Chaosheng no longer knew if he was alive or dead.

Surrounded by wails and ghostly cries, he didn’t know when it would finally end.

Suddenly, footsteps approached.

Despite being immersed in extreme cold ghost energy, Yan Chaosheng’s senses remained. With closed eyes, he heard light footsteps as someone dispersed the ghosts tearing at him.

He caught a faint fragrance, like begonia blossoms after rain.

The fragrance drew near as someone crouched beside him. Then came a brief silence as all the ghosts disappeared.

Yan Chaosheng immediately recognized who it was. In Taichuan City, when they were alone together, he had smelled the same fragrance from her.

It was Chi Shui Liu Shuang.

Yan Chaosheng couldn’t discern his own emotions. Just moments before, he had been thinking that if he survived, neither Bai Yuxiao, Bai Zhuixu, nor Chi Shui Liu Shuang would be spared.

Yet in his most painful moment, Chi Shui Liu Shuang had come.

Then, a small hand touched his chest.

Yan Chaosheng was stunned, momentarily forgetting even the pain from the ghost energy, replaced by embarrassment and irritation. He could feel that hand moving across his chest, sliding over his face, his abdomen, and then touching his lower back.

Yan Chaosheng was grateful his body had already stiffened; otherwise, he might have strangled her on the spot.

What was Chi Shui Liu Shuang doing?

He could feel but couldn’t see. Fortunately, after a few touches, she stopped. The young woman snapped her fingers, and soft blue flames suddenly ignited around them.

Yan Chaosheng’s body, previously like ice, had been experiencing numbing pain with every breath due to the ghost energy. When the warm flames brushed his body, the unbearable pain gradually subsided.

Yan Chaosheng recalled first seeing her at the Lotus Platform, her blue flames reflected in the Nine Thoughts Pond, resembling peacock feathers.

Once these flames stopped, he would surely fall back into the cold energy, but after a long time, so long that the sun had risen, she continued diligently warming him.

When the first ray of sunlight fell upon them, the youth’s eyelashes trembled, and he opened his eyes.

Many years later, Yan Chaosheng still couldn’t forget this scene: beneath the Crimson Pearl Umbrella, the first golden rays illuminated their surroundings, the myriad ghosts dissipated, and sunlight filtered through the forest.

As the morning sun rose in the mortal realm, the veiled young woman, sweat beading on her forehead, still firmly maintained the Crimson Pearl Umbrella.

Sunlight brushed her hair tips as her immortal power was exhausted. She collapsed straight into his arms.

Yan Chaosheng had thought his first instinct would be to push her away, but his hands seemed to disobey his mind, catching her instead.

The Crimson Pearl Umbrella fell, and before it could strike her cheek, Yan Chaosheng reached out to grasp it.

He looked down at the young woman in his arms. She was unconscious, appearing utterly exhausted.

Last night’s resentment toward the Kung Sang crowd became irritating in the morning light. Perhaps… Bai Yuxiao’s actions truly had nothing to do with her.

Otherwise, why would she guard him through the night in a place like the Grave of Ten Thousand Souls, even keeping him warm?

Perhaps, as she had said at the Lotus Platform, she truly regretted wrongly accusing him initially, sincerely repented, and wanted to be good to him.

Yan Chaosheng maintained his cold expression, countless thoughts flooding his mind, finally settling on her slender hands.

This Young Lord of Kung Sang had an extraordinarily ugly face, yet possessed fair, delicate hands with a touch of cherry pink at the fingertips—exquisitely beautiful.

Yan Chaosheng withdrew his gaze as if scalded, inevitably recalling with bitterness how she had touched him all over the previous night.

A thought gradually surfaced.

Chi Shui Liu Shuang had treated his wounds at the Lotus Platform, had stood before him unafraid even of snake demons in Taichuan City, had removed her immortal robe for him, and had held an umbrella for him.

Now, she had taken advantage of his meditation after absorbing ghost energy to touch him all over, and had kept him warm through the night in the Grave of Ten Thousand Souls.

Simply… shameless! He had heard that some immortal clan descendants were dissolute. Could she possibly… like…

Perhaps from the beginning at Kung Sang’s entrance, she had deliberately tried to attract his attention, but her plan backfired.

Thinking of this, Yan Chaosheng let out a cold laugh. He would never be with this ugly creature. Her intentions were all in vain.

The Crimson Pearl Umbrella had nearly grown warm in his grip. Yan Chaosheng noticed again the bracelet on his wrist, identical to the one on the young woman’s fair wrist.

He pressed his lips together, his expression cold, and lifted her in one motion.

Since she had designs on him, rejecting her outright offered no advantage. Better to use this foolish Young Lord to obtain what he wanted.

If Kung Sang Immortal Realm was like this, other immortal realms in the Eight Wilderness couldn’t be much better. He must recover his cultivation, find a master, and walk the immortal path.

The soft young woman in his arms might be a good stepping stone. As long as he didn’t develop feelings, when she eventually learned the truth, she would be heartbroken—the perfect revenge.

With this justification, Yan Chaosheng carried Liu Shuang back without guilt.

The ghost energy entering his body had, by coincidence, changed his demon bloodline. His physical form was no longer as fragile as before—a good thing.

He couldn’t defeat Bai Yuxiao yet, but that was fine. He would plan carefully; there was plenty of time. He would slay Bai Yuxiao with his hand.

Yan Chaosheng thought expressionlessly that, as for Chi Shui Liu Shuang, after she was heartbroken, if he was in a good mood, he might mercifully spare her life.

Liu Shuang had diligently burned Yan Chaosheng all night. Even a mountain of stone would have been reduced to ash, yet Yan Chaosheng remained unharmed.

In the latter half of the night, unwilling to waste this rare opportunity, she intensified the flames.

Maintaining the Crimson Pearl Umbrella’s barrier already required immortal power. Liu Shuang hadn’t cultivated for long, and by dawn, her inner immortal power was depleted. She fainted.

When she awoke, she was already on Bai Zhuixu’s immortal sword.

Liu Shuang sat up with a start, looking for Yan Chaosheng. How was he? Had he been burned to death?

The youth in blue garments, sensing her scrutiny, turned around. Their eyes met, and she clearly saw a flash of understanding in his eyes before he coldly glanced at her, seemingly disdainfully turning away.

Liu Shuang’s shoulders drooped in disappointment. If even this couldn’t kill him, what could she do now?

Bai Yuxiao was also puzzled, approaching to whisper to her: “What exactly is that boy’s background? This is the first time I’ve heard of someone emerging from the Grave of Ten Thousand Souls. When he carried you back two days ago, not only was he unharmed, he pretended nothing had happened and didn’t even complain to my brother.”

“What did you say? He carried me back?”

“Yes, what were you doing last night?”

At the thought of Yan Chaosheng carrying her, Liu Shuang felt entirely uncomfortable. She immediately performed several cleansing techniques before feeling somewhat better.

If Yan Chaosheng pretended nothing had happened, it was often because, in his eyes, that person was already as good as dead.

Liu Shuang looked sympathetically at Bai Yuxiao: “You should cultivate well, ensuring you have enough power to protect yourself.”

Bai Yuxiao said, “You don’t need to tell me that. Since when do you lecture me? You can barely protect yourself; worry about yourself first.”

He switched to a gloating tone: “Look where we are now!”

Liu Shuang looked and saw that during her fainting spell from depleted immortal power, the reliable Bai Zhuixu had already brought them to the Kun Lun Immortal Realm.

Bai Zhuixu guided them in, stopping at the Kun Lun Immortal Realm’s main gate.

They were greeted by a vibrant peach forest. In the mortal realm at this season, peach blossoms would have long withered, yet Kun Lun remained full of vigorous life.

Bai Zhuixu gazed at the beautiful scenery and smiled: “Since ancient times, Kun Lun has practiced divination with peachwood. Only Kun Lun could nurture such a magnificent peach forest. The gentle nature of these plants reflects the temperament of the Ji Mo clan in Kun Lun. Young Lord, don’t worry, Kun Lun’s Young Lord won’t make things difficult for you.”

Liu Shuang had rarely considered this matter, but Bai Zhuixu’s words stirred anxiousness within her.

“She” had previously sought out the other party to humiliatingly break off their engagement. Would Kun Lun’s Young Lord truly forgive her?