Xuan Gu Ling Yin Boat

Pei Ling forced himself to calm down. These two female ghosts wanted to watch a spectacle; perhaps once the spectacle was over, they would stop paying attention to him.

With that thought, he immediately decided to make a token attempt and then admit defeat.

No matter how good the Aversion to Life Saber was, it was not more important than his own life. Besides, Pei Hong Nian had been at Qi Refining Layer 4 for quite some time. Just now, even after exhausting every trick up his sleeve, he had failed to budge the Aversion to Life Saber in the slightest. Clearly, even two-tenths of a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Cultivator's strength was as far beyond their current cultivation as heaven from earth.

He had only just entered Qi Refining Layer 4. Why waste his strength for nothing?

Thus, Pei Ling stretched out his left hand, gripped the Aversion to Life Saber's hilt, and assumed a stance as though exerting force.

At the sight, Zheng Jingshan immediately frowned. Though he had used the Aversion to Life Saber as the wager only to test Pei Ling's strength, not because he truly intended to reward it to him, Pei Ling had only just entered Qi Refining Layer 4. Under normal circumstances, even giving it his all, he should have been unable to pull the Aversion to Life Saber from Zheng Jingshan's fingers—much less with one hand.

And an injured left hand at that!

Yet before the thought had finished, an unexpectedly immense force suddenly came from the hilt. The Aversion to Life Saber's blade shifted slightly toward Pei Ling, nearly getting pulled out outright.

Zheng Jingshan was instantly startled, and the way he looked at Pei Ling changed somewhat. One hand—and an injured hand at that—yet his strength vastly exceeded that of Pei Hong Nian, who was likewise at Qi Refining Layer 4 and had been there for a long time?!

No, an ordinary Qi Refining Layer 4 Cultivator could not possibly possess such strength!

So that was it. No wonder This Kid had earned Senior Sister's favor!

His heart churned with doubt and alarm, but he did not hesitate to increase his strength and clamp the Aversion to Life Saber down again. It was not that Zheng Jingshan could not afford to lose, nor that he feared turning a bluff into reality and actually giving away the saber. Rather, Pei Ling was trying to draw it with only one injured left hand. If he succeeded, where would the dignity of a Chongming Sect inner sect Pulse Master go?

Pei Ling had no idea what was going on. Without changing expression, he glanced at his left sleeve. The freshly healed wound had split open, soaking the sleeve in blood and making for a horrifying sight. Yet the Aversion to Life Saber had only moved by a hair's breadth before becoming as immovable as a boulder... That was token effort enough.

Thinking this, he ignored the pain and hurriedly panted several times to show he was exhausted. Then he staggered back two steps and bowed to the ground. "Immortal Master Zheng's cultivation is unfathomable. My brother and I cannot hope to catch up even through clouds of dust! This Aversion to Life Saber is not something we brothers are worthy to wield. Please, Immortal Master Zheng, take it back."

Hearing this, Zheng Jingshan's expression eased slightly. Just as he was about to speak, Jiao Ni, who had previously claimed she was merely watching the fun, suddenly sighed and said, "There can only be one piece of trash aboard the Xuan Gu Ling Yin Boat. Pei Hong Nian has already taken that place. What are you going to do, young master?"

Pei Ling's heart sank. Sure enough, the female ghost continued, "How about I carefully peel off every inch of your skin and replace the old lampshade in Master's room with a new one? That would count as making use of old things after repairing them, wouldn't it?"

Fuck!

Was she aware of how vicious she was?!

Even her master had not laid a hand on him!

Pei Ling drew a deep breath and clenched the Nourishing Origin Pill in his hand. Feeling Jiao Ni's undisguised malice, every hair on his body stood on end.

He had only just entered Qi Refining Layer 4. In terms of strength, he felt he was even slightly inferior to Pei Hong Nian. Pei Hong Nian had just exhausted every trick up his sleeve and still failed to draw the Aversion to Life Saber. Even if Pei Ling gave it his all, how could he possibly change the result?!

This female ghost was plainly determined to kill him!

Pei Ling was terrified beyond measure. Then he hardened his heart, circulated his qi and blood, and prepared to fight to the death.

Miss Wu Liu suddenly spoke in a soft, sweet voice. "Sister, don't be like this. Young Master Pei Ling has been in Luquan City all this time. How could a remote, barren place like that compare with the Sacred Sect's disciples in terms of knowledge and strength? Zheng Jingshan is also at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. Even if he uses only two fingers and only two-tenths of his strength, he is making things too difficult for Young Master Pei Ling! In my opinion, why not have Zheng Jingshan restrain himself further and test him with only one-and-a-half tenths of his cultivation?"

Jiao Ni glanced at her. Seeing Wu Liu smile sweetly at her, her thoughts shifted, and she said, "As you wish."

Upon hearing that, Pei Ling could not help looking gratefully at Wu Liu. "Thank you, Miss Wu Liu."

Though he worried that even if Zheng Jingshan used only one-and-a-half tenths of his cultivation, he might still be unable to pull it out, at least half a tenth less strength gave him a few more chances of surviving! For a moment, even Wu Liu's deathly pale face seemed somewhat amiable to him.

"No need to thank me." Wu Liu tilted her head slightly and smiled at him in a friendly manner. "Do your best, Young Master Pei Ling. Otherwise, you can only become Sister Jiao Ni's lampshade."

"Yes." Pei Ling secretly glanced at Jiao Ni. Seeing the female ghost sizing him up and down with icy eyes, as though considering where would be best to start skinning him, his scalp went numb. He hastily steadied himself and rapidly considered what to do with the Nourishing Origin Pill.

Wu Liu aside, Jiao Ni was clearly already harboring ill intentions toward him. If she discovered her master's Nourishing Origin Pill as well... the consequences needed no asking.

In the critical moment, Pei Ling's wits sparked. He suddenly tore open his collar, swiftly stripped off his outer robe, wrapped the Nourishing Origin Pill in it, and tossed it onto the deck some distance away.

After doing this, he endured his racing heartbeat and surveyed his surroundings from the corner of his eye. Seeing no one pay attention to the outer robe he had thrown onto the deck, he finally secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Naturally, he went on to move his qi and blood a little, then stepped forward despite the blood still flowing from his left arm, grasped the hilt with both hands, and held his breath in concentration.

Zheng Jingshan's gaze flickered. Naturally, he could not truly heed Wu Liu's words and use only one-and-a-half tenths of his strength. In fact, by his estimation, even with the three-tenths of strength he was currently using, whether he could keep hold of the Aversion to Life Saber if Pei Ling spared no effort was still a question.

He was considering whether Jiao Ni and Wu Liu's words had been the two Ghost Maids acting on their own initiative, or whether they reflected Senior Sister's intentions.

If they were Senior Sister's intentions...

Should he secretly increase the difficulty next, or let Pei Ling pass?

Just as he considered raising his cultivation to four-tenths to probe This Kid's limits, he unexpectedly caught sight of Jiao Ni and Wu Liu. The corners of both their mouths were slightly raised, their dark eyes staring straight at him.

His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately abandoned the notion of continuing to meddle.

At that moment, Pei Ling channeled his strength through his spine, drove his qi and blood at full speed, and yanked backward fiercely.

The Aversion to Life Saber hesitated only slightly before being pulled from Zheng Jingshan's fingers—Pei Ling stumbled back two steps before regaining his footing, his expression blank with surprise.

That easily?

For a moment, he could not quite react. Pei Hong Nian had just expended the strength of nine oxen and two tigers, yet it had been like an ant trying to shake a tree.

Even after Wu Liu had smoothed things over and Zheng Jingshan had lowered the difficulty somewhat, Pei Ling had been mentally prepared to make repeated attempts and pull the Aversion to Life Saber out bit by bit.

He had actually succeeded in one go?

Holding the saber in his hand, Pei Ling stood dazed for a moment before looking toward Zheng Jingshan.

Zheng Jingshan's expression was complicated. His gaze at the Aversion to Life Saber in Pei Ling's hand contained a trace of reluctance. Yet upon noticing Pei Ling's eyes, he immediately composed himself and said flatly, "This Aversion to Life Saber was the weapon I used in the outer sect. Now that it has fallen into your hands, I hope you will advance bravely and diligently. Do not disgrace the name it once bore."

"Yes!" Pei Ling hurriedly saluted. "Thank you for your reward, Immortal Master. I will certainly not disappoint your expectations!"

Zheng Jingshan's acknowledgment did not completely reassure him. Pei Ling then turned toward the two Ghost Maids, Jiao Ni and Wu Liu, only to see Jiao Ni smile at him and cover her mouth as she said, "All right, go inside and rest. Once you are settled, we still have to attend to Master!"

It seemed he had passed this trial.

Pei Ling secretly wiped away a cold sweat. Watching Jiao Ni lead Zheng Jingshan and Pei Hong Nian into the cabin first, he hurried over to retrieve his outer robe. He secretly squeezed it, confirmed that the Nourishing Origin Pill was still inside, and only then relaxed a little before honestly following them.

The moment he stepped into the cabin, his entire body felt a chill.

Fortunately, though this coldness resembled the chill that had accompanied the two Ghost Maids' appearance, it remained within the limits of what he could endure.

Before him lay a dim corridor, its end swallowed in darkness. Nothing could be seen there. Every few steps along the cabin walls on either side burned a ghostly blue light. Rather than dispelling the discomfort of the darkness, they only added to the eerie atmosphere.

After walking inward for several zhang, doors began to appear on both sides.

Those doors were all a dark red, like congealed bloodstains, and covered in countless talismans, as though they sealed something away. From behind several doors, perhaps having heard the Footsteps outside, came dull thump thump sounds, powerful enough that they seemed liable to burst through the doors at any moment.

There were also several doors that remained utterly ordinary when Zheng Jingshan and Pei Hong Nian passed them. Yet when Pei Ling came near, a pair of blood-red eyes suddenly opened upon them and stared at him maliciously. Worse still, like the Bewitching Bone Rakshasa Painting, some extended several blood-red vines in an attempt to ensnare Pei Ling and drag him behind the doors.

"Back off!" At the critical moment, Wu Liu gave a light rebuke. Only then did those vines wave unwillingly a few times before silently retracting.

After a while, when Wu Liu pushed open a cabin door for Pei Ling and revealed a spacious chamber with simple furnishings, Pei Ling felt that his clothes were soaked through on the back.

He walked inside, turned around, and sincerely thanked her. "Thank you, Miss Wu Liu."

"It's nothing." Wu Liu's pitch-black eyes stared straight at him, but she showed no intention of turning around and leaving. Instead, she softly asked, "Young Master Pei Ling, may I ask you a question?"

Pei Ling did not understand what she meant, so he cautiously said, "Please speak, Miss. I will tell you everything I know, without holding anything back."

Wu Liu smiled and nodded. Then she abruptly moved in front of him, so close that she was nearly pressed against the tip of his nose!

Her pitch-black eyes stared directly into Pei Ling's. Icy fingertips gently stroked his neck as her breath emerged like frost. "Young Master Pei Ling, why do you carry Master's scent?"

Pei Ling's pupils suddenly contracted, and every hair on his body stood on end. At the same time, a layer of Black Mist abruptly rose within the cabin, surrounding him like water and clouds as bone-chilling cold rushed straight at him!