Night.

At the entrance of Feiyun Villa.

Liu Dexuan got out of his car, and his gut clenched with irritation the moment he spotted Elder Ye waiting there. He couldn't stop himself from cursing under his breath.

He walked up to Elder Ye, glanced to the side, and offered his reluctant thanks, "Ye Gou, for this matter… I thank you."

Elder Ye smiled indifferently. "There's no need to thank me. I merely created an opportunity for you; in the end, it was still up to you to seize it."

The two old men were, of course, talking about Luo Xiu.

Earlier that day at Liu Dexuan's vacation villa, Liu Dexuan had given Luo Xiu a Storage Magical Treasure and shamelessly invited him to become an Honorary Elder of the Wind Blade Sect.

This was because the Wind Blade Sect was in decline, withering by the day, and was in dire need of powerful allies. Otherwise, in the coming decades, the sect would surely be devoured by other forces until it ceased to exist.

And Luo Xiu, as a Descendant of Ghost Valley, was undoubtedly the powerful patron the Wind Blade Sect most needed to secure. Fortunately, Luo Xiu had agreed to become an Honorary Elder.

In truth, Luo Xiu's reasoning was quite simple. Although the Wind Blade Sect was in decline, it was still an ancient martial arts faction with hundreds of years of history, so it had its uses.

Liu Dexuan looked around and suddenly asked, "Why isn't Rongrong here?"

At the question, Elder Ye's expression darkened. "You want to see my wife? Not a chance!"

"..."

The two old fellows bickered and grumbled, dredging up old grievances as they walked into the villa together.

Not long after, they found Luo Xiu.

He had just finished dinner and was in the kitchen washing dishes, an apron tied around his waist. Lin Xiyue and Ye Ningxue were in the living room, chattering away like a pair of noisy sparrows. Lin Xiyue's belly was now showing a slight bulge, so Luo Xiu treated her exceptionally well; aside from fishing, he would indulge almost any whim she had.

"Miss Lin, I've long admired you. I've seen your competitions before, and today I finally have the honor of meeting you in person," Liu Dexuan greeted Lin Xiyue politely as he entered the living room. However, when faced with Lin Xiyue, the Lady of Ghost Valley, he seemed somewhat stiff.

Lin Xiyue looked at Liu Dexuan and noticed he was holding a box of mooncakes, which piqued her curiosity. It's not even Mid-Autumn Festival yet, so why would anyone be giving mooncakes?

Just then, Luo Xiu came out of the kitchen, still wearing his apron. "Did you bring the item?"

Liu Dexuan hurried over and handed the mooncake box to Luo Xiu. In reality, it was just a mooncake box. Inside, instead of mooncakes, was the Point Blade Array.

And this so-called Point Blade Array wasn't actually a formation.

Upon opening the box, Luo Xiu discovered an object akin to a compass. It was a bronze disc engraved with mysterious runes. In the center lay a strangely shaped small knife, which likely served a similar purpose to the spoon in a traditional 'Sinan' compass.

Suddenly, Liu Dexuan took out an old, worn booklet and handed it to Luo Xiu.

"What is this?"

"Mister Luo," Liu Dexuan said, "you can think of it as the instruction manual for the Point Blade Array."

Luo Xiu took it. "Alright then, I'll take a look."

He then carried the Point Blade Array over to a sofa and sat down. He opened the first page and saw two lines of imposing text:

"A single blade's edge to slay demons; one object in hand to decide the fate of the universe."

Turning to the second page, he found the basic instructions for use, along with a list of precautions. The Point Blade Array consisted of two parts: the bronze disc was called the "Thousand Mechanism Disc," and the small knife on top was named the "Soul-searching Blade."

Liu Dexuan stood to the side, looking anxious. "Mister Luo, I honestly hope you won't have to activate the Point Blade Array," he said. "Such an extremely sinister object, if not controlled properly, might summon some unclean things. But the real fear is that it could drain a person's lifespan!

"And using it also requires a significant amount of Spiritual Power."

Luo Xiu nodded slightly and put down the booklet. The contents didn't differ much from what he'd read in ancient texts. He then placed the Point Blade Array on the table and quietly infused a thread of green Spiritual Power into it.

This seemingly weak thread of Spiritual Power contained an immense amount of energy.

The Point Blade Array suddenly erupted in a brilliant light, illuminating the entire living room. The runes engraved on its surface seemed to come alive, beginning to rotate and pulse in a rhythmic pattern.

At the same time, a hoarse, ancient voice, filled with supreme authority, resounded in Luo Xiu's mind:

"To peer into the secrets of heaven, an equivalent exchange is required. This is irreversible!"

Luo Xiu's mind reeled for a moment. The next instant, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar world. All around him, above and below, was an endless expanse of red mist.

Wails and laughter echoed faintly from within the mist. The sounds were a noisy, piercing, and eerily mysterious cacophony. Every so often, he could even catch a glimpse of fleeting human figures.

Luo Xiu slowly looked around, as calm as ever. He knew this was just an illusory space on a mental plane, not the real world.

"What do I need to offer as an equivalent exchange?"

"Your lifespan, or your Spiritual Power. You could also capture some Wandering Spirits and sacrifice them to me."

Luo Xiu smiled faintly. "So it seems this so-called Magical Treasure is just a vessel, and you are a soul hidden within it."

"I am the King of the Spirit Realm... Eh? Strange, why is your Spiritual Power green? Could you be a gr—"

Suddenly, a flash of light and shadow appeared before Luo Xiu. A humanoid black shadow materialized and dropped to its knees before him.

"My apologies! I was blind to your greatness and offended you, my lord!"

Luo Xiu was completely dumbfounded.

What the hell is this situation? he thought. Why did this mysterious and majestic "King of the Spirit Realm" suddenly change his tune? Is there something special about my green Spiritual Power?

"Well... my lord, if there is anything you need, you have but to command me."

Luo Xiu was speechless for a moment before asking, "Isn't there something I need to exchange?"

"Heh heh... you must be joking, my lord. In truth, I was just tricking those foolish humans into serving me. But in your presence, my lord, I wouldn't dare play such games."

Luo Xiu asked, "Can you help me find Chi Sha's soul?"

"Rest assured, my lord. As long as the deceased was sufficiently powerful in life, I can find their soul after death!"

"..."

「A moment later.」

Luo Xiu opened his eyes.

"Luo Xiu, are you alright?" Lin Xiyue asked worriedly, clutching his arm.

Just after Luo Xiu had activated the Point Blade Array, he had fallen into a deep slumber from which no one could rouse him. Liu Dexuan had been hopping around anxiously, terrified that something had happened to him. After all, if something had happened to Luo Xiu, he would be in serious trouble.

Luo Xiu smiled. "I'm fine. It's all taken care of."

With that, he stood up and picked up the Thousand Mechanism Disc from the table. The Soul-searching Blade within it suddenly began to spin, emitting a crisp DING! DING! DING!

Seeing this, Liu Dexuan's face lit up with joy. "It worked! It worked! Once the Soul-searching Blade responds, it automatically seeks out ghosts! Mister Luo is truly remarkable to have actually activated the Point Blade Array!"

He had barely finished speaking when the Soul-searching Blade shot out with a swish. It swirled around the room a few times before suddenly flying toward the second floor of the villa.

Holding the Thousand Mechanism Disc, Luo Xiu quickly followed. Lin Xiyue and the others hurried along behind him.

Upstairs, they found the Soul-searching Blade hovering in front of the door to Lin Xiyue's room. Luo Xiu strode forward and opened the door. The Soul-searching Blade flew straight into the room and began to search everywhere.

At the doorway, Lin Xiyue's face was a little pale. She grabbed Luo Xiu's arm, her voice trembling. "That... that unclean thing... is it in my room?"

"..."

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