Song Yan and Ye Kaishan instantly turned toward the sudden voice. Lee Xiao stood right behind them.
Reacting on instinct, Song Yan summoned her sword—but it was too late. A wave of soul force slammed into her and threw her back. Lee Xiao grabbed Ye Kaishan by the neck.
Song Tu and the others immediately noticed her presence.
"Is she the Ghost Elder they warned us about?" Song Tu wondered.
"She actually came…" Li Xu murmured to Wang Li.
"Now that she's here, there's no avoiding it," Wang Li said calmly. "We'll have to fight her."
"Let me go, you old coot!" Ye Kaishan shouted, struggling in her grip.
Lee Xiao formed a spherical cage of soul energy and locked him inside.
Song Yan staggered to her feet. The blow hadn't been lethal. Glaring coldly at Lee Xiao, she clenched her fist.
"Let him go," she demanded, her killing intent surging.
Lee Xiao glanced from Ye Kaishan to Song Yan, eyes frosty. "Hmph. Why should I? You've caused me more than enough trouble. I intended to kill you both... but your soul—it's perfect. Irresistibly tempting."
She licked her lips.
"I'll extract both your souls," she said with a sinister smile. "If you think you can stop me, then try."
I already scanned the area. There's no other Creation Realm expert here—except that maid, and she's injured, Lee Xiao thought.
Song Yan looked at Ye Kaishan trapped inside the soul cage. Her rage continued to rise.
Suddenly, Song Tu appeared behind her and held her back.
"Elder Song Tu! What are you doing? Let me go!"
"You don't have to fight. You're not her match. I'll get him out," he said calmly.
Inside the cage, Ye Kaishan clenched his fists. Is it still not recharged? The space-time skill tree must be exhausted after all the teleporting. Damn… I have one last chance today, but it depends on whether the skill tree can generate enough power.
Lee Xiao watched the two whispering. Why are they stalling? Lee Mo's voice rang out from her soul-subspace.
"You should extract his soul now! Don't give them time to act."
Lee Xiao snorted. There's nothing to fear. They're not strong enough to stop me.
"Yes, but it's not impossible," Lee Mo warned.
Lee Xiao reconsidered. They don't have another Creation Realm cultivator, but... those Soul Star Realm fighters—if Li Xu joins them, and they coordinate, it might work.
She glanced down at Ye Kaishan, eyes like a predator eyeing its prey. He felt a chill.
Why is she looking at me like that? Why do I feel so uneasy?
Suddenly, Lee Xiao released the cage.
What is she doing? Ye Kaishan wondered.
She immediately grabbed his neck with one hand, her other palm glowing with black soul energy.
She's trying to extract my soul!
Ye Kaishan desperately activated his spatial laws—but the skill tree was still exhausted. Nothing happened.
Shit!
Song Yan noticed Lee Xiao's move. "No!" she cried. She unsheathed her sword and dashed forward. Song Tu noticed too.
With a burst of thunderous speed, Song Tu appeared before Lee Xiao and slashed. She blocked him with a ghost slash and trapped Ye Kaishan in the cage again.
Then she turned her fury toward Song Tu.
Li Xu rushed in to support him, her yin arts glowing. She attacked Lee Xiao with full force.
Meanwhile, Song Yan reached the cage.
"Wait! I'll get you out!" she said to Ye Kaishan.
But suddenly—a flash! An arrow was flying straight toward her.
Ye Kaishan saw it.
No! She hasn't noticed the arrow! If it hits her…
Damn it! I can't communicate with her—soul link is blocked, and I can't speak from inside!
Please, recharge!
He checked the space-time skill tree again—and to his shock, it was fully charged.
Just a second ago it was in cooldown—how is it ready?
He didn't have time to ponder. With a burst of spatial energy, he teleported beside Song Yan, grabbed her by the waist, and before the arrow could hit, teleported again—to Wang Li's side.
"You two alright?" Wang Li asked.
"We're fine," Ye Kaishan said, exhaling.
Song Yan blinked in surprise at Ye Kaishan's sudden appearance. Then her eyes shifted to Lee Mo.
Was I careless? If not for him… that arrow might have taken me out.
"How were you able to teleport?" she asked. "Didn't you say you couldn't use that ability again for a while?"
"I… I don't know. When you came close to the cage, something changed. I just… managed it," Ye Kaishan replied vaguely. He didn't mention the space-time skill tree. That was his greatest secret—and his path to power.
"Well, you're safe now. That's what matters," Song Yan said.
Lee Mo scowled at Ye Kaishan. I forgot he could teleport.
He loosed several arrows at Song Yan and Ye Kaishan, but Elder Yang and Elder Luo blocked them.
"If you want to reach them, you'll have to go through us," Elder Yang declared.
"Sister Yang! Brother Ye! Are you okay?" Yang Bing and Yang Mon rushed over.
"We're fine," Song Yan assured them.
Overhead, Lee Mo continued firing arrows, exchanging attacks with the two elders. Only streaks of green, blue, and white light lit the sky above.
Meanwhile, on Song Tu's side…
"Hahaha! Good! This is good!" Song Tu roared with laughter. "After so long, it's thrilling to fight a Creation Realm ghost!"
Lee Xiao launched her "Thousand Ghosts" technique—but Song Tu and Li Xu destroyed it together.
Lee Xiao was stunned. How!? A man should be weaker than a woman at the same realm. But this guy—his combat power is insane. And his thunder laws! They're not strong enough to threaten me, but they're too accurate… they land every time. It's irritating!
"Yin Control!" Li Xu shouted, encasing Lee Xiao in a shell of ice.
Lee Xiao shattered it with ghost energy. "Enough! First I'll eliminate this pest!"
She struck Li Xu hard, reopening her old wounds and sending her flying. Blood sprayed from her mouth.
Then she lunged for Song Tu, grabbing his neck.
"You want to fight, old man? Then fight—or die!"
"Let me go, you damned ghost!" Song Tu struggled, but it was pointless in her grasp.
Elder Yang and Elder Luo looked on, pausing their fight with Lee Mo.
"That arrogant bastard…" Elder Yang muttered. "I always thought he'd die like this."
"We should help him," Elder Luo said.
"But if we move, Lee Mo will strike. We can't afford to turn our backs," Elder Yang replied.
Lee Xiao's soul energy began to surge. "If you don't break free, I'll reduce you to a blood puddle," she hissed.
"Shouldn't we save him?" Ye Kaishan asked nervously.
Song Yan smiled faintly. "It should be fine."
Ye Kaishan was confused. Does he have some hidden card?
Li Xu, badly wounded, clenched her fists in frustration, unable to rejoin the fight.
Song Tu tried channeling his lightning laws again, but they had no effect on Lee Xiao.
"This is boring," Lee Xiao sneered. Her soul energy flared.
Suddenly, the skies darkened. Ominous black clouds rolled in.
Lee Xiao frowned. "What's this…?"
A booming voice rang out.
"Sky Thunder—Fifth Form: Grace of Heaven!"
A bolt of violent violet thunder streaked from the heavens, striking Lee Xiao's arm—and instantly burning it to ashes.
"Aaaagh!! My hand!! Who—who is that!?"
In the clouds, a figure emerged—a woman in her early thirties, wearing a flowing violet dress.
Elder Yang's eyes widened.
"…Song Mian!?"