An Old Acquaintance

"Brother, that mountain range ahead has such a strong Yin Qi. Could there be a Spirit Severing Realm ghost king here?" Bai Yu smiled charmingly as she gazed at the eerie mountain range ahead, a hint of allure and playfulness flashing in her bright eyes.

Dressed entirely in black, exuding an aura of both refined elegance and sinister coldness, Xie Fan curled his lips into a slight smile and said softly, "Let's go, let's find out what's going on."

"OK."

After saying this, the two figures twisted slightly, and the next moment, two figures separated from them and headed into the mist, while they themselves disappeared into the air.

In a small cave at the very center of the mountain range, whether it was Shen Ge's clone or his true self, he slowly opened his eyes, his dark eyes seeming as chaotic as ever.

He was alone in the cave; Bai Lili was nowhere to be seen.

"Still two old acquaintances." Shen Ge chuckled, then his figure dissipated into a cloud of Yin Qi.

In the mountains, Bai Yu waved his hand to collect the wandering spirits and said expressionlessly, "Something's not right. From the moment we entered this mountain range, I've felt a faint sense of danger. We've probably been targeted by the creatures inside."

As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Yu's expression darkened slightly, and he transmitted his voice to Xie Fan, saying, "The sense of crisis has suddenly disappeared!"

Xie Fan remained calm. He nodded slightly to indicate that he understood, then paused and bowed, saying, "Fellow Daoist, we mean no harm. Please do not attack."

"We've only come in to collect some spirit items. If you mind, we can return them to you."

Suddenly, less than a hundred meters in front of them, a cloud of ghostly energy condensed and took shape. Shen Ge smiled at the two people before him and said, "Fellow Daoists, how have you been?"

"Fellow Daoist, who are you...?" Xie Fan looked puzzled, seemingly not recognizing him.

Bai Yu, standing to the side, seemed slightly surprised and asked, "Shen Yu?"

Bai Yu's voice reminded Xie Fan of someone he had seen over a thousand years ago in the land where demons were sealed.

Xie Fan exclaimed with delight, "So it's Fellow Daoist Shen Yu in person! Look at my memory, it's only been over a thousand years since we last met and I hadn't even remembered you!"

"It's alright, it's alright," Shen Ge said with a light laugh. "Fellow Daoists, why don't you come and sit in my cave abode?"

"That's excellent."

Before long, the three appeared in a cave abode deep in the mountains.

Although Bai Yu and Xie Fan remained expressionless throughout the journey, they took in everything they saw. The vengeful spirits that roamed the area were mostly newly formed, resembling a ghostly realm.

This shows that this guy is no good either; in fact, his methods are far more vicious than theirs, and he's not someone to be trifled with.

Inside the cave abode, Shen Ge waved his hand and took out a teapot, lit a fire in the air, and beckoned for water to brew tea.

A moment later, three cups of tea were placed in front of the three people.

"Fellow Daoists, if I may be so bold, I find your auras increasingly strange. Perhaps you've strayed onto some evil path?" Shen Ge said calmly, raising his cup.

"Fellow Daoist has sharp eyes." Xie Fan chuckled, took a sip of tea, and continued, "However, our little sparring is nothing compared to yours, Fellow Daoist, who has turned this entire mountain range into a ghost town. Aren't you afraid of incurring the wrath of those with a sense of justice by acting so blatantly?"

Shen Ge simply smiled and didn't say anything more about the topic. Instead, he flicked his fingers and extracted a wisp of black energy from Xie Fan and Fan.

This wisp of black energy wasn't pure black; it contained many things, including Yin Qi, demonic energy, and resentful energy—truly evil to the extreme.

Shen Ge's actions caused Xie Fan and Bai Yu's expressions to darken. Xie Fan said with a cold look, "Fellow Daoist, what do you mean by this!"

A strong sense of malice emanated from Bai Yu, as if he were about to unleash a thunderous attack at any moment.

But Shen Ge seemed oblivious, continuing to play with the wisp of black energy in his hand.

"Fellow Daoists, we are truly destined to meet."

As Shen Ge finished speaking, Xie Fan and Bai Yu made their move simultaneously. Their two cold and eerie auras instantly reached their zenith, and the surrounding stone walls melted away in the blink of an eye, leaving a hole several miles wide.

"It's a bit of a pity that they're just two clones." Shen Ge shook his head, his body instantly shattered by the two's attacks.

The whole process went very smoothly, without any resistance, which caused Xie Fan's expression to change slightly.

However, neither of them spoke, and they both transformed into streaks of black light and rushed outwards.

Clearly, none of them believed that they could kill Shen Ge so easily; there must be an even greater crisis behind it!

At this moment, a mighty voice resounded throughout the entire mountain range. "Fellow Daoists, now that you're here, why the rush to leave?"

As they spoke, the entire mountain range seemed to come alive. The Yin Qi that permeated the mountain range surged and rushed like a long river, and an extremely terrifying ghost energy rose from some places in the mountain range where the Yin Qi was extremely heavy.

"Oh no, there are other ghost cultivators!"

After dodging an attack, the two were already surrounded. Three ghostly figures stood around them, the weakest of whom was at the Spirit Severing Middle Stage.

"Fellow Daoist, your actions are truly ruthless." Xie Fan sneered, "My sister and I have never had any grudge against you, but today we've witnessed your cruelty."

A charming and radiant smile curved Bai Yu's lips as she gazed at Shen Ge atop the distant mountain. Her pale lips parted slightly as she said, "Fellow Daoist, farewell another day."

Before the three ghostly figures could even finish speaking, their bodies exploded. Although it wasn't as powerful as a true Spirit Severing Realm expert's self-destruction, the terrifying force nearly destroyed half of the mountain range!

"That's quite bold." Shen Ge raised his hand and waved it, calming the turbulent currents that were still raging around him, and the endless Yin Qi returned.

Amidst the mist, Shen Ge, perched atop the mountain, sighed softly, "I had originally planned to follow their divided souls to find their original bodies."

Extremely far from this mountain range, the two figures standing on the mountaintop gazing in this direction both coughed up blood, and their imposing auras diminished considerably.

About ten breaths later, Bai Yu was the first to adjust her state. Then, she looked up at the mountain range and murmured in a clear and ethereal voice, "It really wasn't worth it."

At this moment, Xie Fan, his face also darkening, looked up at the mountain range. "Remember the grudge from the clone; it won't be over so easily!"

"Little sister, let's go."

Two figures vanished, leaving only a faint voice in the air. "If I remember correctly, the nearest city is White Dragon City. I wonder if those guys from the Dao Repository Academy are interested in this ghost..."

Xie Fan wasn't one to suffer a loss easily. Although he couldn't get back the lost clone, he was determined to make that guy suffer!