"Whose child is this young valley master, if not Xue Yi's?"
After pondering, Jing Yuanming felt utterly dreadful.
"Little one, what's your name? What stage alchemist are you?"
Whether Xuan Hongsheng's goodwill was genuine or not, Bai Ran's smile was undoubtedly fake.
"Your disciple's name is Bai Ran, a fourth-stage alchemist."
Xuan Qinghong guiltily averted his gaze. He had a naturally righteous appearance.
Resembling his disposition, lying was what he was worst at.
"Fourth stage, not bad," Xuan Hongsheng nodded with satisfaction. "As expected of Qinghong's discernment."
"Speaking of which, what do you need the Three-Pattern Clear Spirit Pill recipe for?"
Xuan Hongsheng's smile was quite sinister, tinged with the scheming of an old fox.
"Disciple heard from Master that Grandma is ill, so Disciple wishes to save Grandma!"
Bai Ran smiled brilliantly, projecting the image of a naive young girl with little worldly experience.
It was a joke; in terms of acting, she had never bowed to anyone.
Xuan Hongsheng stared intently at Bai Ran, unable to detect any unnaturalness.
He stroked his beard and looked at Xuan Qinghong not far away, "Qinghong, how can such a momentous task as refining the Three-Pattern Clear Spirit Pill be entrusted to a mere child?"
Bai Ran's eyes narrowed. Knowing she might be lying, he was now targeting his master, right?
What a cunning old fox…
"So you've toiled for a century, yet you haven't refined the Three-Pattern Clear Spirit Pill?"
Xuan Qinghong met his gaze unflinchingly, a hint of impending rage hidden within.
"Your foul deeds, don't think others are unaware!"
Why was the Gate of the Ghost Realm appearing in this mountain? It was because many people had died on this mountain.
And why did so many people die? The deduced answer was chilling.
Naturally, they were killed by the Valley Master.
The Three-Pattern Clear Spirit Pill required the blood of gods and demons, but Xuan Hongsheng lacked it.
Therefore, he sought out disciples with various constitutions, hoping to find substitutes for their blood.
The Yin-cold body, the Profound Spirit body, the Chaos body, the Sheng Yang body – each of them was an unparalleled genius in the outside world.
Yet, they were deceived by the Medicine Valley into having their blood drawn, dying in this mountain without anyone knowing. How could they not transform into vengeful spirits and harbor resentment?
"Talented disciples recruited from the outside world were merely vessels for your blood collection! You are truly wicked!"
The veins on Xuan Qinghong's neck bulged as he roared.
Under the guise of recruitment, they lured disciples with different constitutions to be blood vessels; this was the true purpose of the Medicine Valley's search for people.
Jing Yuanming's face turned ashen, "How could this be! Impossible..."
How could Master… commit such heinous acts…
But upon reflection, some disciples in the valley had indeed gone missing inexplicably, and it wasn't just one or two…
It was as if his entire world had collapsed. The faith Jing Yuanming admired, the beliefs he upheld, all became drenched in blood at this moment.
Xuan Hongsheng's expression turned extremely grim, but suddenly, he let out a sinister smile.
"You are my biological child, how can you slander me like this?"
Since this veil had been torn apart, these matters could only be resolved in the open.
Instantly, several Gates of the Ghost Realm appeared around them, their dark vortices seeming on the verge of extending skeletal hands.
"You! You intend to silence witnesses!" Xuan Qinghong's shoulders trembled with rage.
Bai Ran, however, furrowed her brows slightly. This old man could control the Gates of the Ghost Realm?
Xuan Hongsheng laughed maniacally. With a grand sweep of his hand, a colossal cage was slammed to the ground.
Confined within was the ghost of a Medicine Valley master.
"With this ghost in my hand, I can control the Gates of the Ghost Realm at will!"
"None of you will escape today!"
Bai Ran gazed at the golden iron cage, recognizing it as some sort of divine artifact with restrictive seals, specifically designed to imprison souls.
The ghost met Bai Ran's gaze, its hollow eyes filled with a hint of pleading.
'Are you… the Ghost King…'
A telepathic message echoed in her mind. Bai Ran replied telepathically, "Make it brief."
'My name is Wei Li. In life, I was a close friend to those who were wronged.'
'If they disobey, this cage will descend divine punishment and annihilate me.'
So, those vengeful spirits were protecting Wei Li, which was why they were forced to obey Xuan Hongsheng's orders…
No wonder he could control the Gates of the Ghost Realm…
"Kill them!"
At Xuan Hongsheng's command, Jing Yuanming and Xuan Qinghong tensed, constantly wary of the surrounding Gates of the Ghost Realm.
But after waiting for a long time, not a single vengeful spirit appeared.
"Grandmaster? Are you just scaring us?"
Bai Ran's voice sounded innocent and naive, yet it infuriated Xuan Hongsheng.
"I told you to kill them! If you don't appear now, I'll let this ghost be annihilated!"
As soon as he spoke, the Gates of the Ghost Realm began to tremble incessantly.
Then, countless skeletal figures emerged, their dense, empty skeletons making one's scalp tingle.
Jing Yuanming shielded Xuan Qinghong, "Young Valley Master! You must leave quickly!"
Xuan Hongsheng nodded with satisfaction, but after a prolonged period, the skeletal figures looked at each other.
Not a single one launched an attack.
"You! You're trying to kill me!" Xuan Hongsheng's eyes were bloodshot with anger.
It wasn't that the skeletal figures weren't obeying him, but…
With the Ghost King present, who would dare to attack? Who would dare to ascend?
The ascension of the new Ghost King had spread like wildfire among the ghosts. Now that they saw the true form, wasn't this suicide?
Bai Ran raised an eyebrow. The ghosts looked as if they had seen a ghost themselves and scrambled back into the Gates of the Ghost Realm, fearing the Ghost King's wrath.
…
The scene became incredibly awkward. Xuan Qinghong and Jing Yuanming stood stunned, unsure of what was happening…
"You! You all! Excellent! You are all truly magnificent!"
Xuan Hongsheng raised his hand, and golden light flashed within the cage, preparing to unleash divine punishment.
Bai Ran's delicate hand moved slightly. The moment the golden light descended, the ghost within the cage was transferred into her space.
This cage merely possessed a portion of the Ghost King's ability to imprison souls.
Now that the true Ghost King was here, the meager traces of Ghost King's power on this cage were incomparable.
Perhaps the scene before them had stimulated those vengeful spirits. The Gates of the Ghost Realm shook, and mournful howls erupted.
Sharp and piercing, they carried immense resentment.
Xuan Qinghong covered his ears, his face contorted in pain, feeling as though his eardrums were bleeding under the pressure of the sound.
Jing Yuanming, with his weaker cultivation, collapsed instantly and fainted on the ground.
Xuan Hongsheng also clutched his ears, enduring unbearable pain. He looked up and met Bai Ran's calm gaze.
"You!" His eyes widened instantly. She was unaffected!
"Who exactly are you!"
However, amidst the howls of the vengeful spirits, his voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum, effectively masked.
"Me?" Bai Ran curved her lips into a smile, her pupils turning a vibrant blood-red. "Guess?"