Chapter 430

Across the vast southern three provinces, war raged like wildfire, the roar of sacred artifacts echoing through the cosmos, shaking heaven and earth.

The most intense battleground lay in the southern reaches of the Central Theater, in Lingzhou.

Beneath that distant, profound night sky, the myriad laws of heaven and earth churned chaotically, violent energies tearing recklessly at the heavens and earth.

Among them, torrents of immortal light coalesced into boundless sword qi, flaring outward, while floating celestial texts relentlessly pounded the thick darkness.

This earth-shattering battle had drawn ever closer to Lingjian Mountain’s base through evasion and pursuit; the fierce clash made the entire night sky tremble violently, flickering between light and dark, as shattering roars echoed continuously.

Amid this reckless thunder, Ji You flew past this place, soaring through the air.

He could clearly see the fierce battle, but he also knew that without reclaiming his physical body, his enlightened spirit journey held no meaning even if he went there.

Huh—

Amid the wild currents, Ji You raced forward without looking back, surging past dust and earth waves toward Lingjian Mountain behind the battlefield.

After the thousand-year clans colluded in mischief, Tianjian Peak had been erased by Yan Shuyi wielding the Lingjian; now, only Xuanjian Peak and Wenjian Peak stood alone, towering and majestic up close.

Before the entire mountain range, the protective mountain array glowed brilliantly, its killing intent fully revealed.

At this moment, within the array, Lingjian Mountain disciples stationed on the mountain were anxiously watching the distant battlefield when suddenly they sensed an approaching aura and immediately looked up.

“Someone’s coming?”

“Yes, a strange but immensely powerful aura…”

As they gazed upward, the mountain guards instantly gripped the swords at their waists.

With the protective array in place, they believed no one could enter without invitation; even if this stranger came with hostile intent, he would surely land before the mountain gate, so they weren’t overly alarmed.

What they cared about now was only whether this sudden arrival was friend or foe.

If he were a friend, it would be fine—no great disaster looming—but the problem was that the three provinces were now engulfed in fierce war; for a being of such immense power to suddenly leave the battlefield and head here, the chance he was a friend was slim.

So as the aura accelerated toward them, every disciple silently drew their sword.

As the aura drew nearer, they activated their spiritual sense and easily caught sight of the figure high above.

But the next instant, something unexpected happened to the Lingjian Mountain disciples.

Approaching the array, the figure did not halt or land before the mountain gate as they expected; instead, he charged straight through the array without pause.

“He’s charging right into it?!”

“Dare he crash into the protective array? Is he trying to die?!”

Amid the howling night wind, the mountain guards cried out in shock.

They knew this array was built upon the foundation of a sacred artifact’s power—it could block even a Linxian—and its killing intent was unstoppable; to act this way was pure suicide.

So as the figure struck the array, nearly everyone envisioned the same scene: the man shattering against the array, then crushed to ash by the heavens’ lethal force.

But reality diverged sharply from their expectations.

Puh—

A soft sound echoed from high above; the figure encountered no resistance whatsoever and instantly slipped into Lingjian Mountain, plummeting straight toward its depths.

The mountain’s protective array offered no resistance, not even emitting the usual killing intent triggered by an alien aura.

Seeing this, the Lingjian Mountain disciples stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief.

“He got in?!”

“How is this possible? How could an outsider pass through the protective array?”

“Could it be… could the array be malfunctioning?”

After a stunned silence, all the mountain guards turned pale and immediately chased after the direction the figure had vanished.

Meanwhile, Ji You, having crossed the protective array, floated gently to the ground atop Xuanjian Peak’s cliff, the wind around him scattering fallen leaves across the ground.

Indeed, Lingjian Mountain’s protective array would not stop him.

This was no surprise—he was the husband of the moody ghost; he wasn’t an outsider. Lingjian Mountain couldn’t stop him—it should have welcomed him.

But in truth, his confidence in charging the array stemmed from the Lingjian itself.

The protective arrays of all immortal sects were built upon the power of sacred artifacts, and he was the one who could wield the Lingjian.

At this moment, Ji You slowly raised his head and saw the Cloud Top Palace directly ahead, like a colossal beast crouching in the deep night.

He had only visited Lingjian Mountain once—over six years ago, when he came with disciples of the Heavenly Book Academy to seek answers.

But because he often came to the peak of Xuanjian Peak, he felt no unfamiliarity toward the moody ghost’s palace.

Bam—

At this moment, Ji You’s spiritual soul suddenly began to tremble.

As if suddenly yanked, his eyes unconsciously glowed gold, and his spiritual form shuddered uncontrollably.

He knew: this was his physical body responding to his soul.

Instinctively, judging the source of the sensation, Ji You turned his head toward the northern side of the Lingzhu Palace and walked toward it.

“Stop…”

“You… who are you?!”

Suddenly, two figures appeared on the steps of the Cloud Top Palace beneath the dark sky.

They were two women, dressed in identical long gowns, leaning on the railing, watching him with wary, fearful eyes.

Ji You recognized them at once: the moody ghost’s maids, Cui’er and Xing’er. He spoke softly: “Don’t be tense. I mean no harm—I’ve come only to retrieve something.”

“Lies! This is my mistress’s bedroom! No outsider dares enter, not even Lingjian Mountain disciples! How could you have anything here?!”

Cui’er’s voice was stern, but her tone clearly trembled.

Yet her rebuke received no reply; when she looked again, Ji You had vanished from his spot, hurtling toward the northern hall.

He knew his current form bore no resemblance to his former beauty; Cui’er and Xing’er could not recognize him. His brief reply had merely been to ease their tension.

But time was urgent—he had no time to explain further to them.

“Hey, you—”

Cui’er, seeing him vanish into the distance, instinctively shouted out, trying to stop him.

But the pressure he radiated made her shudder; she dared not chase after him.

At that moment, Xing’er, standing behind her, clenched her fists: “He went to the back mountain! Quick, Cui’er—we must notify the senior disciples stationed here!”

Cui’er snapped back to herself, and together they grabbed their skirts and hurried frantically down Xuanjian Peak.

Huh—

Amid a wind that howled like a warning, Ji You arrived at the northern spot where his soul had been drawn.

It was a small, square courtyard, with neat walls facing him and a solid black wooden door—no tomb, but like an ordinary home, giving Ji You an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

The wooden door was unlocked, so Ji You easily pushed it open and stepped inside.

As he crossed the threshold and saw the tea table, stone stools, low trees, and even the balcony with its bamboo basket, he gradually understood the source of that familiarity.

For this courtyard was an exact replica of the one he had lived in at the Heavenly Book Academy—identical in size and furnishings…

Seeing this, Ji You’s heart clenched, his gaze softening.

The moody ghost had once said she never wanted to be the Lingjian’s master; when the Lingjian chose her, she had been furious and, when alone, sunk it into the Xuan Sea.

Yet she took up the burden because she had witnessed Lingjian Mountain disciples being bullied on the mountain.

But she had never said what kind of life she truly wished for as the Lingjian’s master.

Only now, seeing this scene, did he realize: this girl simply wanted a small courtyard with him.

Ji You took a deep breath and stepped forward, crossing the modest courtyard.

At the courtyard’s end was not a living quarters, but a square stone chamber, no more than a few zhang wide, its walls stark and bathed in a lonely gray-white hue—as if all color and vitality had been devoured by the stone.

He raised his hand and pushed open the heavy stone door; the moment it opened, the sensation pulling his soul became unbearably clear.

As if an invisible rope had tied his soul, pulling him with irresistible force toward the darkness within.

Ji You did not resist the pull. He stepped into the darkness, walked through a long, silent stone corridor, and at last saw a simple stone altar standing still.

Upon that altar lay his long-lost physical body.

Deprived of his soul, his body was entirely gray-white, yet clean and pristine, unchanged from before—likely because his physical strength had already reached its peak.

Of course, this was also because he had a moody ghost who, despite her sharp tongue, was hopelessly sentimental—she hadn’t buried his body, or else he’d have had to dig him out of a grave.

Ji You stood motionless before the altar for several breaths, not approaching immediately.

For gazing at his own body lying across from him gave him a strange sensation—as if truly observing himself from an objective standpoint.