I saved the entire sect by playing idly by letting things fall apart.

She opened her palm slightly, letting herself fall in. All things unfolded, and a pale green light once again protected and tightly enveloped her.

It landed steadily.

The ghostly hand that grabbed her was clearly unprepared for the pale green light emanating from her. The Ghost King was visibly stunned for a moment, then his killing intent surged as he prepared to strike. Ye Qiao dodged twice, and the defensive talisman shattered.

She turned over and stood up, calling out "Bujianjun".

"You can kill him however you want this time. You can even chop him up and feed him to Xiaoqi, no problem." Ye Qiao patted the cat's head, signaling him to hurry up and do it.

Without seeing you open your beautiful eyes wide, you replied, "Okay."

Xiaoxi's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and an overwhelming aura enveloped the surroundings.

With the two powerful weapons working together, the Xiaoxi Domain, which can control the speed of time, has this amplification. Even the Ghost King would have to think twice before trying to defeat them within this domain.

Moreover, after half a month of eating at the buffet, even if Xiaoqi's strength is not as good as that of the Ghost King who has survived for so long, it is not necessarily that he cannot restrain him.

Without seeing Jun open his palm, the silent black threads tightly bound the Ghost King, pulling him apart. Xiao Qi did not hesitate to devour the Ghost King's body.

Realizing that he might be devoured again, the Ghost King no longer hesitated, let out a strange low groan, and began to summon his subordinates.

"Is it the Ghost King calling for help?"

The ghost general hesitated for a few seconds: "Is this a drill?"

"No, that can't be, right?"

Does any of the Ghost Kings practice their skills from time to time to hone their reaction abilities?

As the Ghost King began to gather his underlings, Ye Qiao quickly surveyed the situation before her.

The mutilated limbs were shrouded in the stench of blood, and it seemed as if she could hear someone wailing. She steadied herself and recognized a familiar aura.

She walked to that inconspicuous spot, where the scene before her seemed ordinary and unremarkable, with nothing there.

As soon as Ye Qiao stepped inside, the scene before her eyes changed.

Inside the hidden formation, a group of cultivators huddled together, looking trembling as if they might scream at any moment.

The formation was filled with talisman cultivators, alchemists, and weapon cultivators. Only the talisman cultivators had any offensive power. So, sensing the intrusion of a stranger, Song Hansheng nearly blasted her away with a talisman. Ye Qiao quickly used a defensive talisman to block it, but was still blasted back two steps. "No. It's me."

The familiar voice made Song Hansheng pause slightly.

Ye Qiao tentatively went in again, and it was indeed a concealed array. Seeing so many alchemists, talisman makers, artifact makers, and cultivators trembling in fear, she tapped the ground and uttered two meaningless sighs, "Those are all treasures."

Talisman cultivators, alchemists, and artifact cultivators are all incredibly rare treasures in the cultivation world, yet here with the Ghost King, they've become the lowest rung of the food chain. The elders would cry if they knew.

……

After Ye Qiao left, the Ghost King also left, so there was no need to worry about safety. Zhu You lowered her head and calculated the time, her anxious appearance making Qi Yu and the others somewhat puzzled.

"What's wrong with you?"

Mu Chongxi explained the reason in general terms, and Qi Yu suddenly understood. She looked at Zhu You and stated, "But the Ghost King Tower does not allow turning back, and do you know how to pull your senior brother out of the Phantom Ghost's grasp?"

Zhu You nodded, not ignoring the somewhat sharp question in her words, "I hope the Ghost King has a way..." Now she could only hope that Xiao Qi could devour the Ghost King and then rescue her senior brother.

"The Ghost King can't do anything to the Illusionary Ghost." Qi Lu narrowed his eyes, knowing that the opportunity to connect with the Sword Inquiry Sect had arrived. He said softly, "If you trust us, we can go."

"You guys?" Zhu You was slightly taken aback.

Knowing what her brother was thinking, Qi Yu nodded in agreement: "We haven't been to the other floors yet, we started on the eighteenth floor, so if we turn back, there shouldn't be any problem."

The Ghost King Tower does not allow turning back, but they did not turn back. They never went to the sixteenth floor from beginning to end, so they were not within the scope of the word "turn back".

In theory, they can freely enter and exit the first eighteen floors.

"And we have the Mind-Clearing Bell." Qi Lu tapped it, producing a crisp, ringing sound. The sound instantly swept away fatigue and suppressed the previous agitation. Qi Lu smiled and said, "How about it? Don't you feel much clearer-headed in an instant?"

They dared to say this because they had corresponding magical artifacts to back it up. The Qi family's Heart-Cleansing Bell could pull out lost souls and save lives in illusions or other situations. They just hoped that Chu Xingzhi would show some spirit.

Zhu You was surprised that they had gone straight to the eighteenth floor. In an instant, she saw hope, and her calm eyes gradually filled with excited joy. "Then please, if you can bring Second Senior Brother back, I will do anything you ask."

Qi Yu shook her head. She couldn't guarantee she could bring the person out safely, but—

"We will try our best, and if we succeed, we want to ask the Sword Sect for a promise," Qi Lu said.

Ye Qinghan's steady voice sounded from behind: "No problem."

With the promise of the chief disciple, Qi Yu and her brother exchanged a glance and immediately prepared to go to the sixteenth floor to see if they could save the person.

……

Hidden within the concealed formation was a group of people, tens of thousands of cultivators who had been innocently dragged underground. What followed was a massacre, with countless cultivators and ghost cultivators falling before their eyes.

The remaining cultivators were only able to catch their breath thanks to the concealment formation of the Moon Purity Sect.

At first, Song Hansheng only took the treasures from the Biyue Sect and Yueqing Sect and put them into the formation. However, when other cultivators broke in, they discovered that the formation could hide their auras, so they all rushed in.

Song Hansheng had no intention of kicking all these troublemakers out of the formation.

Concealment formations are not foolproof; the more people there are, the easier it is to be exposed.

He had no intention of saving this group of rogue cultivators.

Finally, Si Miaoyan and the others stopped him and advised him that his cold-bloodedness would bring retribution, which caused Song Hansheng to glare at them several times.

"You were arrested too?" Si Miaoyan looked at Ye Qiao. "Aren't you a sword cultivator?"

Logically speaking, the Ghost King should really like someone with strong combat skills like her, right?

Ye Qiao: "Hurry, hurry! This underground place should be the Ghost King's lair, right?"

"He was just angered by Xiaoqi and Bujianjun, he's quick to call for reinforcements." She grabbed Si Miaoyan and the others and was about to run away when Si Miaoyan hurriedly shouted, "Wait, Ye Qiao! There's no way out here."

They've searched, but there's no way out of this Ghost King Tower.

"Have you found a way out?" Song Hansheng thought she had found the exit when he saw her grabbing someone and running away.

Ye Qiao quickly replied, "No."

"Let's go to the 18th floor and meet them."

There's no way out of this Ghost King Tower; there's no way out at all.

However, Ye Qiao did have other things to do, so there was no need to tell this group of people. He would first send them to the 18th floor to regroup. The Ghost King was enraged, and someone had to share the firepower.

Ye Qiao didn't want to follow in the footsteps of the Demon Lord and Evil God and be hunted down by the Ghost King.

"They're all on the eighteenth floor?" Si Miaoyan hesitated for a few seconds. "Then did my junior sister come along too...?"

"Miaomiao is here too." Ye Qiao led them uphill. Perhaps the Ghost King didn't expect that they would dare to break in even though there was no gate to hell. He immediately laughed and opened the first eighteen floors of the Ghost King Tower for them, letting them walk into the trap.

There were so many treasures on the first ten floors that Ye Qiao didn't stand on ceremony and stuffed them all into her storage bag. If she couldn't fit them all, she used her domain to store them. After the group finished their whirlwind sweep, they continued upwards.

The killing intent began to emerge on the eleventh floor, because in addition to the talisman cultivators, there were also alchemists from the Azure Water Sect. As the main combatant, Song Hansheng inevitably had to spare some attention to take care of them.

Before the defensive talisman could even be handed out, he saw the Biyue Sect members, who had consciously found places to hide inside the alchemy furnace.

Song Hansheng was deep in thought.

Has the Biyue Sect been completely taken over by the idiots of the Changming Sect?

*

Upon arriving at the sixteenth floor to rescue the person, Qi Lu and Qi Yu grasped the Heart-Clearing Bell. If they failed, the Sword Inquiry Sect, with its high level of danger, would definitely owe them a favor. If they succeeded, the Sword Inquiry Sect would owe them an indebted debt. It seemed like a win-win situation.

The Qi family are all skilled craftsmen and the most qualified merchants among the eight great families, never engaging in unprofitable business.

"Did you find it?"

Qi Yu and Qi Lu looked around, opened a thin veil, and gently repelled the approaching phantom ghost. "Hurry up. This magic artifact is disposable and only lasts for a very short time."

If used properly, this kind of shield can save lives. They are willing to take the risk just to do the Sword Sect a favor.

"Not found."

Qi Lu shone the light on his face with the luminous pearl, and his complexion turned slightly pale.

So many phantom ghosts.

A dense, dark mass.

"There he is, brother!" Qi Yu pointed to a boy who was almost completely covered up. "Is that him?"

"Quickly!" Qi Lu immediately said without hesitation, "Find a way to capture him and take him to the eighteenth floor."

First, capture the person, and then figure out how to get rid of the phantom ghost. As long as they are not completely assimilated, there is still hope. Qi Lu, after all, has the cultivation of the late Golden Core stage. He reached out and hooked Chu Xingzhi, but was dodged.

What followed was the opponent's irrational sword light.

Qi Lu's magical artifacts shattered instantly, and it seemed his opponent was about to strike a second time with his sword.

Qi Yu called out, "Chu Xingzhi!"

The boy paused slightly, then reacted. Qi Yu took a deep breath and rang the Mind-Clearing Bell. This time, it wasn't about a so-called deal; they genuinely wanted to save him.

The Qingxin Bell intimidated all the phantom ghosts that tried to approach. Qi Lu used chains to entangle Chu Xingzhi and drag him away, while Qi Yu shook the Qingxin Bell. With their cooperation, they actually managed to drag him over.

Just when success seemed imminent, Chu Xingzhi suddenly made a move, his longsword striking Qi Lü's shoulder with overwhelming force, leaving a deep wound that exposed bone.

The two of them were no match for Chu Xingzhi.

"elder brother!"

"Let's go." Caught off guard by the sneak attack, Qi Lu gritted his teeth and was about to leave with his sister when he heard a commotion not far away.

……

The three clan members, relying on their limited cooperation in the secret realm, finally managed to reach the fifteenth floor after much hard work.

After reaching the sixteenth floor, Ye Qiao finally saw the so-called phantom ghost.

Qi Lu and Qi Yu were also on the sixteenth floor. When they saw them return, they waved excitedly, "Ye Qiao! Let's go quickly!"

"He's beyond saving."

It's no wonder they're so cold-blooded; they've tried everything, but the other party is completely unresponsive, seemingly immune to the calming bell. There's really no point in wasting any more time.

Ye Qiao was immediately entangled by the phantom ghosts upon entering the sixteenth floor. She noticed that they had strange appearances and were constantly whispering something in her ear. However, compared to the illusions in the Ghost Realm, Ye Qiao felt that it was really child's play.

She ignored their voices, which could be described as spiritual pollution, and tried to find traces of Chu Xingzhi.

The girl was completely engulfed by the horde of phantoms. She tried her best to scan around with her divine sense and noticed a glimpse of white clothing. Ye Qiao clicked her tongue twice, "If you were dressed in all black, I really wouldn't be able to find you."

Ye Qiao charged recklessly, knocking away several phantom ghosts in one go. She reached out to grab him, but failed.

The boy exuded a ghostly aura and attacked her without hesitation.

Ye Qiao dodged his sword with a somersault, but Jun Jian transformed it into a longsword and slashed fiercely to the side. Cun Xue almost slipped from Chu Xingzhi's grasp, and Chu Xingzhi's gaze toward her darkened further.

"Holy crap, holy crap!" Ye Qiao exclaimed, "You two weapon cultivators were also beaten like this by him?"

Qi Lu nodded. "I was careless."

Ye Qiao clicked her tongue twice. She wanted to bring Chu Xingzhi back. Who wouldn't want a favor from the Sword Inquiry Sect? If she could save him, she could just rip off the Sword Inquiry Sect and they would have no choice but to agree.

Seeing that his attack had failed, Chu Xingzhi retreated expressionlessly, intending to hide again.

Ye Qiao didn't want to go through the crowd to find him anymore, so she quickly called out, "Ye Qinghan!"

Qi Yu had been shaking the Tranquil Bell in his hand, but it had no effect. However, Ye Qiao's casual remark stopped him in his tracks.

"Chu Xingzhi—" Ye Qiao immediately knew how to keep Chu Xingzhi here. She smiled and said, "With this little strength, you'll only be looked down upon by your senior brother."

He learned these hurtful words from Xie Chuxue. For some reason, his junior uncle always found fault with Mingxuan during training, and would occasionally mock him, which infuriated Mingxuan.

Surprisingly, it was quite enjoyable.

Si Miaoyan, struck by a sudden inspiration, immediately called out, "Think of your senior brother! Ye Qinghan is watching you."

Sure enough, Chu Xingzhi, who had been silent until now, reacted.

Taking advantage of his pause, Ye Qiao took out her sword and began to ambush him. Whether she had gained experience from the ambush or not, Chu Xingzhi dodged the attack precisely.

"Gou Sheng, you've really risen to prominence so quickly, you're not the same anymore, you even dared to hit your father." Ye Qiao said slyly, and facing Chu Xingzhi who was enraged again, she stabbed him with her Flying Immortal Sword. This time she showed no mercy. The boy's dodging ability was excellent. The sword technique was glowing red, and it slashed down hard, making the sixteen floors tremble.

Ye Qiao frowned.

This reaction doesn't look good.

If he truly becomes assimilated, she won't be able to take him with her.

No one else could help much, and Qi Lu had tried, but all his attempts ended in failure.

"You guys go first." Ye Qiao grinned. "I'll try to beat Gou Sheng into submission."

The sixteenth floor is equivalent to the constant danger of being entangled by phantom ghosts, while the eighteenth floor is obviously much safer. Ye Qiao's fingertips no longer saw the "Immortal King" in her hand, and she was preparing to fight to the death with this floor.

No one moved. Song Hansheng asked her, "If I stay this time, will you sincerely thank me?"

"Of course it is—" Ye Qiao paused, then smiled smugly at him:

No, it won't happen.

With the help of Yue Qingzong, Ye Qiao was largely spared from being injured. She called on Bujian Jun to help restrain Chu Xingzhi.

During her ongoing battles with Chu Xingzhi, Ye Qiao realized that this man was indeed quite formidable. If Chu Xingzhi hadn't surrendered so quickly, it wouldn't have been so easy for her to win.

The phantom ghosts especially favored her, and a group of phantom ghosts ran into her brain, causing mental pollution. She also had to avoid Chu Xingzhi's attacks when he went berserk. Ye Qiao's brain was racing to figure out how to catch the erratic Chu Xingzhi.

They had already wasted a lot of time; if they didn't leave soon, they would be entangled by the phantom ghost and none of them would be able to leave.

and so--

"Aren't you leaving yet?" Someone asked her this question.

It was a gentle, soft female voice. Ye Qiao thought it was the group of phantom ghosts babbling on and on again.

"I'm not leaving." Ye Qiao shook her hand, clutching her neck which had almost been severed, and said, word by word, "I will fight him to the death today."

She changed her mind.

After she pulls Chu Xingzhi back from this godforsaken place, she not only wants to ask for his favor, but also wants him to call her "Dad."

but--

A female voice?

She frowned and looked at the sword hanging at her waist. Jun Fei was nowhere to be seen; he had gone out to bind Chu Xingzhi. The only thing hanging at her waist was the Flying Immortal Sword.

The moment Ye Qiao turned around, the spirit sword lit up with points of light, transforming into a gentle white shadow.

The Flying Immortal Sword reached out its hand to her, its voice like a gentle whisper, and it spoke with a tender smile: "Qiaoqiao. Come here."

Gleaming with shimmering light, the Flying Immortal Sword appeared before her eyes. Ye Qiao grasped the sword, and under the soft light, it shone like her bright eyes.

The Flying Immortal Sword grows stronger when faced with a stronger opponent. Ye Qiao coldly curled the corners of her lips at Chu Xingzhi. The reason she had been unable to get close was because of these phantom ghosts. The Flying Immortal Sword was their nemesis. After briefly transforming into human form, the bright light instantly stunned all the phantom ghosts around her.

Without those illusory ghosts that would occasionally haunt and pollute one's mind, the kidnapping went very smoothly.

At this moment, Ye Qiao finally vented her pent-up anger. She slashed down with her sword and kicked Chu Xingzhi without hesitation, making him kneel on the ground.

……

The two chapters together total 8,400 words. Yesterday's chapter has been added.