"So what?" Song Yan spoke with her usual calm face.
"It's a win-win deal. You've been lurking here, so you should know about this thing. We will protect you from wandering souls and ghosts, and you subdue that thing. After that, we can both share it. How is it?" The woman gave a harmless smile toward Song Yan.
Ye Kaishan sneered. How could he not know this "win-win" meant both their dead bodies?
"Okay, it's a deal," Song Yan replied.
Ye Kaishan gave an unbelievable look. Had she really believed her? But he didn't indulge in it. If the time came, he would use space manipulation to teleport them both away.
And the same idea was in Song Yan's mind. How could she not know about this façade? Win-win, you ghost old coot, she cursed inwardly. If she hadn't agreed, it would have been more difficult to get the yin drop. She also needed someone to watch over the wandering souls and ghosts who could get in the way. So in name, she agreed to the deal.
The woman still gave a very pleasant smile. "Okay, the ghosts are coming. We'll deal with them. You subdue that drop." Saying this, she looked at the man on the towering mountain. He immediately received her message: After subduing, kill them.
They both will become my ghost servants, she thought to herself with an evil smile.
Song Yan came near the drop. Ye Kaishan was observing the movement around her through space exploration.
The yin energy became turbulent after it came into contact with Song Yan, then rapidly started to envelop her—but she didn't back down and launched the Soul Heavenly Treasure.
Meanwhile, the wandering ghosts were crazily marching toward the dead river. The three ghost cultivators used soul arresting techniques to trap them and counter their attacks with Dao weapons.
Song Yan used Soul Heavenly Treasure. The yin drop is extremely yin. To subdue it, you not only need an above-saint-level treasure but also one with extremely yang properties.
Previously, when Song Yan's Dao companion hadn't awakened, she used this treasure as a yang substitute. It is an extremely yang treasure, but not aggressive—so it is easy for Song Yan to use.
Soul Heavenly Treasure immediately flew toward the drop. The drop initially struggled, but in front of the Soul Heavenly Treasure, it gave in. The yin drop was successfully collected inside the treasure, which then flew back to Song Yan.
She didn't take it seriously from the start. Seeing the treasure collect it successfully, she simply nodded with a slight smile.
At that moment, a ghostly arrow was shot from the mountain. Song Yan sensed it instantly. She ran her soul power inside her and controlled Soul Heavenly Treasure to form a barrier around her and Ye Kaishan.
Ye Kaishan also used space manipulation and disappeared with Song Yan and the treasure.
Bang! A loud noise echoed. The woman raised her lips with a big smile and looked toward the direction of the drop—but there was only slight smoke. Nothing else.
The smile dropped instantly. Her eyes turned red with anger. "Lee Mo, where is she?!"
The man with the bow came over with a confused expression. "I shot toward her, but some kind of barrier appeared. After colliding with it, in the midst of smoke, they both disappeared."
Her anger peaked—the treasure had been stolen right under her nose. But she calmed herself. They must be using some kind of teleportation treasure. We have to find them. They can't go outside the ghost territory.
"You both go northeast. We'll search west."
"Okay, Elder Lee Xiao." Both the young man and Bu Ling cupped their fists and flew northeast.
"Let's go. We have to find them. They shouldn't be far. We must retrieve the yin drop." Lee Mo nodded, and they both flew west.
Elsewhere…
In the south of the ghost territory, space distorted. Ye Kaishan and Song Yan walked out of the void. Ye Kaishan was holding Song Yan in his arms.
"Put me down!" Song Yan glared at him. Her face was red—blushing and angry.
Ye Kaishan glanced at her. She was holding the Soul Heavenly Treasure.
"I helped you escape," Ye Kaishan said with a playful smile.
"So what?! As my Dao companion, this is what you should do."
"Oh? No reward for me?" Ye Kaishan asked.
"What do you want?" Song Yan asked, her face slightly red.
"You should know what I want," Ye Kaishan replied with an evil grin.
"Umm! I don't know what you're talking about." Song Yan's face turned crimson.
"Is there a problem giving me a weapon? Even a sword would be fine. You know I have nothing to defend myself with. I just wanted a sword—what were you thinking?"
Ye Kaishan gave her a confused look.
"You…" Song Yan gritted her teeth. Her face flushed red with embarrassment and anger.
"Okay, take this." She gave him a sword.
Ye Kaishan gladly accepted it after teasing her.
"Let's go," Song Yan said, calming herself.
Ye Kaishan strapped the sword to his back and followed her.
On the path, they encountered many ghosts, wandering souls, and beasts, but they were easily dealt with.
As they headed deeper into the southern direction, each step brought fewer enemies. The white mist gradually thickened.
"In this area, space exploration doesn't work. It's like a maze," Ye Kaishan said, frowning. "Where are we heading?"
"I need one last thing for forging a strong and perfect soul. That thing is here, in the southernmost direction," Song Yan said seriously.
"Ghost Emperor Orb!"
They continued walking.
Meanwhile, other cultivators of the three clans were battling spirits and ghosts. Many outsiders from the east and north had also arrived but seemed like ordinary disciples.
Everyone fought over the spirits' inner elixirs.
Ye Kaishan and Song Yan were moving toward the source of yin energy. The path was dark. They couldn't see, but Song Yan led with confidence—it was like her backyard.
Ye Kaishan held her hand as they walked through the misty, dark path.
Suddenly, blue flames appeared—first one, then two… then twelve.
The flames were set along a wall, and a door stood between them.
"We've arrived."
"Is this where the Emperor Orb is placed?"
"Yes," Song Yan replied.
She picked up a flame and opened the door. A creaking sound echoed.
"Let's first see what's inside."
Ye Kaishan tried to use space exploration, but the place restricted it. He couldn't sense anything.
"Don't let go of my hand," Song Yan said.
Ye Kaishan was surprised—this was the first time a girl had said that to him. But he didn't hesitate. He held her hand tightly with a small smile. Song Yan didn't react and stepped inside.
As the door opened, all the darkness and mist outside was sucked in.
This alerted many cultivators nearby. They turned toward the south, greed in their eyes—but didn't move. Ghost cultivators had already gathered in the sky.
The eight cultivators who first entered the ghost territory were heading south. They didn't care about ghost cultivators.
"You all stand guard. We'll check the situation," one of them said and disappeared.
Ghost cultivators were growing restless.
"Bu Ling, did you find them?" asked Lee Xiao.
With a gloomy face, Bu Ling replied, "No, Elder. We searched, but couldn't find them. We captured some female cultivators, but got no info."
Lee Xiao frowned in annoyance. "You two keep searching. I'll head south."
She cupped her fists and flew toward the southernmost part of ghost territory. After some time, she reached a certain location—where six female and two male cultivators were already present.
She hid behind the bushes to observe the situation.