Ye Ling stepped closer to Qiu Baiyi, his aura rapidly escalating and pressing down on Qiu Baiyi. Feeling the immense pressure, Qiu Baiyi's face turned ashen; he had even forgotten how to circulate the cultivation technique within his body.
As Ye Ling approached, Qiu Baiyi was forced into a corner with nowhere to retreat. He could only ask Ye Ling, "We have no enmity, why are you attacking me?"
Qiu Baiyi knew most of the cultivators above the sixth rank in Hua Country. A young and powerful cultivator like Ye Ling could not be unknown in Hua Country!
Qiu Baiyi racked his memory, confirming he had no recollection of Ye Ling whatsoever!
Where did this monster come from?
In recent years, due to the pursuit of major powers, Qiu Baiyi's Ghost Gate had gradually become low-key. Ghost Gate members typically targeted ordinary people on the fringes of society, rarely drawing attention.
When Ghost Gate disciples encountered cultivators, they would retreat if possible, avoiding conflict to prevent exposing the Ghost Gate's whereabouts.
Qiu Baiyi had strictly forbidden his disciples from provoking major sects that had sixth-rank cultivators guarding them.
The Ghost Gate had long implemented a strategy of seclusion, only preying on ordinary people at the margins of society. Now, there was virtually no news of the Ghost Gate in the martial world.
Furthermore, Qiu Baiyi had meticulously chosen the location for the Ghost Gate's headquarters. Coupled with their nocturnal activities, only core disciples and branch leaders knew the headquarters' location.
Logically, no one should have been able to find them!
Under such strict management, the Ghost Gate was almost fading from the sight of cultivators, and Qiu Baiyi's goal was nearing completion.
The Ghost Gate he had founded was on the verge of fulfilling its historical mission!
But… just as the Pure Yin Yuan Corpse was about to be revived, an impossibly powerful individual suddenly broke into their headquarters, which had been hidden for nearly a decade, forcibly interrupted the sacrifice, and slaughtered all the Ghost Gate disciples without a word!
Qiu Baiyi didn't know how unlucky he had to be to provoke such a malevolent star!
"No enmity is not for you to decide," Ye Ling walked up, grabbed Qiu Baiyi by the collar, and pulled him up. Just as he was about to search his soul, a whistling sound echoed from the distance!
Ye Ling looked in the direction of the sound and saw a flying sword descending from the sky, shooting towards him rapidly.
"Reinforcements arrived so quickly?"
Seeing the flying sword approaching, Ye Ling was somewhat surprised, but he still let go of Qiu Baiyi and retreated.
*Swish!*
The flying sword plunged directly into the spot where Ye Ling had been standing, its blade glinting coldly under the moonlight.
Qiu Baiyi stared at the long sword embedded before him, his initial shock giving way to ecstatic joy!
"Uncle-Master!"
This white jade flying sword was his Uncle-Master's personal sword!
Qiu Baiyi looked up at the sky and saw a man in white clothes and white hair slowly descending from the air. He stood on the hilt of the flying sword with a serene expression.
A gentle breeze blew, his white robes fluttering.
Although this man had white hair, he possessed handsome features and smooth skin, showing no signs of decay.
It was hard for ordinary people to believe that in this era, there were still immortals with such an ethereal demeanor.
Ye Ling observed the white-haired man with interest. Although the man looked no different from a young man in his early twenties, his bone age indicated he was over a hundred years old.
Having not aged after a century, this white-haired man had already transcended the mortal body and stepped into the realm of cultivation.
Judging by Earth's power rankings, this white-haired man possessed a cultivation of the seventh rank!
'According to Zhang Daoyuan, a seventh-rank cultivator is already an unparalleled grandmaster, not someone who would move around Hua Country casually.'
'If Qiu Baiyi's Uncle-Master has seventh-rank cultivation, then what kind of power lies behind him?'
Ye Ling hadn't expected that by merely investigating the Jiang family, he would uncover such a chain of forces!
He suddenly understood why Qiu Baiyi's Ghost Gate had been able to hide in Jiang City for so many years…
If he hadn't intervened and Zhang Daoyuan had continued the investigation alone, encountering this white-haired man would have undoubtedly led to Zhang Daoyuan's death!
The white-haired man glanced indifferently at Qiu Baiyi, leaped off the sword hilt, and the flying sword automatically returned to his hand.
The white-haired man said calmly, "I was passing through Jiang City, intending to check on the progress of the Pure Yin Yuan Corpse's refinement. I didn't expect the Ghost Gate to be destroyed, so I followed your aura here."
"As someone from my Tian Yin Pavilion, to be hunted so miserably, have you fed all the skills your senior brother taught you to the dogs?"
Hearing the white-haired man's words, Qiu Baiyi trembled and quickly knelt down to reply, "Reporting to Uncle-Master, tonight was supposed to be the time for my nephew to offer his essence to the Pure Yin Yuan Corpse. This person suddenly broke into our Ghost Gate headquarters, slaughtered everyone in the Ghost Gate, and even stole the Pure Yin Yuan Corpse!"
"My ritual was interrupted, my internal spiritual energy became chaotic, and I couldn't summon the evil spirits for assistance, which is how he took advantage of the situation!"
"If I were at my peak, I would certainly not let him be so arrogant!"
Qiu Baiyi declared loudly. Although he had almost been killed by Ye Ling, he never believed Ye Ling was significantly stronger than him.
Given time to recover, Qiu Baiyi was confident he could defeat Ye Ling.
"Hmph!"
The white-haired man snorted coldly, then looked at Ye Ling and asked indifferently, "Who are you? Within Yan Hua, I have never heard of someone like you."
Ye Ling chuckled, "Before asking someone's name, don't you introduce yourself first?"
Qiu Baiyi said sternly, "Arrogant fellow! How dare you inquire about Uncle-Master's name? Hand over the Pure Yin Yuan Corpse immediately, and we might spare your life!"
The white-haired man did not interrupt Qiu Baiyi, clearly sharing the same sentiment.
He could sense that Ye Ling's aura was around the sixth rank.
The fact that he could destroy the Ghost Gate and hunt Qiu Baiyi was likely due to Qiu Baiyi having expended a significant amount of energy.
A mere sixth-rank cultivator might hold some status within Hua Country's cultivator circles, but he was not someone to be trifled with.
"If you refuse to say, so be it."
Ye Ling smiled and shook his head, unfazed by Qiu Baiyi's reprimand. He mocked, "However, you dog, who was so pathetic earlier, has become arrogant again now that you have backing. Your spine is utterly soft."
"Not just anyone can comment on people from my Tian Yin Pavilion."
Hearing Ye Ling's words, the white-haired man's expression turned cold. The long sword in his hand split into several, shooting towards Ye Ling.
They were as fast as lightning!
Ye Ling chuckled, his movement like a phantom as he easily weaved through the flying swords. He then caught the last flying sword with his hand, crushing it, and said with a smile:
"Tian Yin Pavilion? Never heard of it… But a sect that harbors degenerate paths like the Ghost Gate is clearly a trash sect."
Seeing Ye Ling evade his attack, the white-haired man was not surprised and said coldly, "Your movement technique shows some skill, but your mouth is too foul. You won't live long."
The white-haired man performed a sword flourish, and hundreds of flying swords materialized behind him.
Under the moonlight, cold light flashed!
"Myriad Sword Art: Return to Origin."