Although he had heard his young disciple's assurance, given the other's intelligence, Liu Buli still looked around in a panic.
Fortunately, the scene that met his eyes was as his disciple had described: the two of them were surrounded by the fierce flames Liu Buli had just ignited. The inferno blotted out the sky and sun, obscuring everything around them, and certainly blocking the sight of any outsiders.
Moreover, Lu Wuming's movements had indeed been incredibly swift. It was a change that happened in an instant; if someone not as familiar as himself had seen it, they would have been unable to discern what Lu Wuming had used.
Reaching this conclusion, Liu Buli finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He shot Lu Wuming a glare and said, "Don't do things that easily scare people. Do you know my heart almost leaped out of my chest when I saw you like that?"
"What are you afraid of? If someone really saw, we'd just kill them," Lu Wuming whispered into Liu Buli's ear.
Liu Buli knew that Lu Wuming spoke from the heart, but this was a critical moment, and he didn't have time to lecture him. So, he could only glare at him again before returning his attention to the ghost.
Just as he had imagined, its regenerative abilities were indeed formidable.
Liu Buli's sword had severed its neck, and its head had fallen to the side, yet it was not dead.
The headless body swayed precariously on the ground. With one arm severed by Lu Wuming, its movements were bizarre and comical, but even so, it was still desperately trying to find its head.
Liu Buli felt a wave of discomfort.
It wasn't that he felt pity for the ghost; he simply found the scene utterly terrifying.
Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand, and the spiritual fire flared. The flames licked at both the ghost's body and its head. As the smell of scorched flesh filled the air, the struggling body finally ceased its movements, turning into a lump of charred carbon.
After finishing, Liu Buli let out a long sigh.
The greatest burden lifted from his mind, exhaustion instantly flooded his entire body.
His legs felt weak, and he had no intention of supporting himself. Without hesitation, he leaned back and, as expected, fell into a warm and solid embrace.
The familiar sensation made Liu Buli's lips curl into a smile. He opened his mouth, his voice hoarse, and finally spoke the words he hadn't managed to say before: "Wuming, thank you for coming. If you hadn't arrived in time, I might have been cut on the chest again."
"Not 'might have been,' Master. You were clearly intending to take his attack head-on, weren't you?" Lu Wuming's voice held a hint of displeasure. "I'm not an idiot, Master. I've experienced my fair share of battles. You're just a mortal body, so why do you always fight more recklessly than the ghosts? Do you know how worried I get when you're like this?"
Liu Buli pursed his lips, smiling without answering. Of course, he knew Lu Wuming would worry, but some things had to be dealt with. He himself thought his method was the least harmful.
However, he certainly couldn't say that aloud. If he did, Lu Wuming would surely be unhappy again.
Thinking this, Liu Buli opted for a strategic change of topic. "Oh right, Wuming, didn't I ask you to deal with those ghosts? Why did you have time to come find me? Have you already finished with the large group outside?"
"No," Lu Wuming replied, his arm tightening around Liu Buli. "I just sensed you were in danger, so I broke away from that battlefield. Those ghosts couldn't keep up with me, so by the time I rushed in, they hadn't caught up yet."
Liu Buli's mouth twitched.
That meant he had essentially left all the pressure on Master Linkong.
They were isolated by the flames, and they had no idea what the situation was like outside. If Lu Wuming hadn't dealt with the ghosts, Master Linkong would have been facing hundreds of them alone. The thought alone made Liu Buli's scalp tingle. He made a swift decision and raised his hand, retracting the barrier of fierce flames.
He expected that when the barrier disappeared, he might see Master Linkong's corpse.
But the reality was far better than he had anticipated.
Just as he had suspected, after the leader of the ghosts was slain, the rest of them scattered like startled birds. They retreated into the darkness with all haste. Those who couldn't escape in time were killed or captured. However, most of the cultivators were at their limit, so they didn't have the energy to pursue the fleeing ghosts, and could only watch as the monsters retreated back into the darkness.
Master Linkong stood alone on the dueling stage, his blood-soaked robes staining his clothes. He propped his long sword on the ground, using it like a crutch to prevent his body from collapsing.
Glancing back in Liu Buli's direction, Master Linkong raised a hand and wiped the blood that was still dripping from his face.
He opened his mouth, his voice hoarse and unpleasant, and said, "Liu Buli, you saved us all, didn't you?"
"It's not really saving people; I was just saving myself," Liu Buli smiled, somewhat admitting Master Linkong's statement. He pointed to the ghost that had been reduced to charcoal and said, "This must have been their leader. I killed him, and the surrounding minions would have mostly fled."
"Yes," Master Linkong sighed, finally unable to stand steady. His legs gave out, and he slumped to the ground.
In the following time, everyone was either healing or meditating to recover. Liu Buli was led back to their courtyard by Lu Wuming. Once the courtyard gate was closed, Lu Wuming immediately began to strip Liu Buli's clothes.
His fair skin was covered in wounds, which made Lu Wuming grit his teeth. The glow in his eyes turned fiery red once more. "Master, you promised me you wouldn't get hurt."
"Yes, I promised," Liu Buli said calmly. "And now I haven't kept my word. According to our rules, Wuming, you can punish me now."