The wilderness beneath the night sky flashed past, growing farther and farther away.
The Phase Realm ahead rushed toward him, seemingly just a hair's breadth away from pulling Gu Qingshan inside.
Yet everything stopped in that instant.
—Between the two worlds, everything came to a halt.
A wrinkled old man appeared opposite Gu Qingshan.
He sized Gu Qingshan up, then suddenly said, "I know. You killed that old man from Gray Old City."
"I did. And you are...?" Gu Qingshan admitted.
The old man continued as if talking to himself. "Back then, I escaped to Dust-Sealed World at the same time as him. He was too weak, but I was different."
The old man grew more and more excited as he spoke. "I know you understand sacrificial dance. I hadn't planned to deal with you—I was going to let you pass. But unfortunately, you made a mistake you shouldn't have."
Gu Qingshan looked at him and asked with a smile, "What mistake?"
"You shouldn't have transformed yourself into a spirit in my World System," the old man said.
"Oh? And what does that mean?" Gu Qingshan asked.
"The iron law of Dust-Sealed World: no one may interfere in another person's world, especially in a war between spirits within the same World System.
"I've already issued the Spirit Realm War announcement!"
The old man's bleary eyes were full of greed.
"From this moment on, even if I kill you, I'll be acting entirely within the iron law of Dust-Sealed World. Not even the Heavenly King could do a thing to me!"
Gu Qingshan shrugged. "I only wanted to experience the power of a spirit. I have no wish to get into a conflict with you. Why don't we just make peace?"
"What a naïve fool!"
The old man roared with laughter.