As they entered the chamber, Ling Xiao began to prepare the portal. He drew intricate symbols on the floor, his fingers moving with precision and speed. The air was thick with the scent of incense and something else, something metallic.
Lian watched, fascinated, as Ling Xiao pricked his finger and allowed a drop of blood to fall onto the symbols. The blood seemed to sizzle and steam, and suddenly, the air around them began to shimmer and distort.
A vortex of swirling colors erupted from the symbols, like smoke coalescing into a tangible form. The colors deepened and darkened, taking on a life of their own.
Ling Xiao stepped back, his eyes gleaming with a fierce intensity. "This portal will take you back to Bai Ye," he said, his voice low and urgent. "But be warned, Lian, the journey will be treacherous. You must be prepared to face whatever dangers lie ahead."
Lian nodded, his heart pounding with anticipation. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come.
With a final glance at Ling Xiao, Lian stepped forward, into the swirling vortex. The colors enveloped him, and he felt himself being pulled apart and put back together again.
As the vortex dissipated, Lian found himself back in the deserted courtyard where he had left Bai Ye. But something was different. The air was thick with an eerie, unnatural silence.
And Bai Ye was nowhere to be seen.
Panic set in as Lian frantically scanned the deserted courtyard, his eyes scouring every corner for any sign of Bai Ye. "Bai Ye! Old monster! Where are you?" he shouted, his voice echoing off the walls.
But there was no response. The silence was oppressive, weighing heavily on Lian's shoulders. He called out again and again, his voice growing hoarse from shouting.
As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the courtyard, Lian's hopes began to dwindle. He had been searching for over half an hour, but there was no sign of Bai Ye.
Exhaustion and despair finally caught up with Lian, and he slumped to the ground, his back against the cold stone wall. He wrapped his arms around his knees, his eyes welling up with tears.
"Bai Ye..." he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. "Where did you go?"
As the darkness deepened, Lian's sobs grew louder, echoing through the empty courtyard. He cried until his body shook with exhaustion, and finally, he fell into a fitful sleep, his dreams haunted by visions of Bai Ye's pale face and blood-stained lips.
The stars twinkled above, casting a cold, unforgiving light over the deserted courtyard, where Lian lay alone and vulnerable, his heart heavy with grief and worry.
---
As Lian slumbered, unaware of the dangers lurking around him, the air grew thick with an eerie, unnatural presence. The Deadly Ghosts, vengeful spirits of soldiers who had met unjust deaths on the battlefield, began to stir.
Legend had it that these restless spirits, driven by a burning desire for revenge, would roam the earth, seeking justice for their own untimely demise. Their faces, forever twisted in a grimace of rage and pain, were said to be smeared with the blood of their victims.
The Deadly Ghosts were not mere specters, but beings of dark energy that could take on human form, their bodies forged from the shadows themselves. They were the instruments of the underworld, tasked with meting out punishment to those who had escaped justice in life.
The Song of the Undead, a haunting melody said to have been composed by the Ghost Chief, a powerful demon from the underworld, was the catalyst for the Deadly Ghosts' awakening despite sounding like ecstasy for humans.
The song, a mournful dirge that seemed to capture the very essence of sorrow and loss, held the power to stir the restless spirits, calling them forth from the depths of the underworld.
As the last notes of the song still lingered in the air, the Deadly Ghosts began to take form, their shadowy bodies coalescing into human-like figures. Their eyes, glowing with an otherworldly energy, scanned the surroundings, searching for victims to claim.
Lian, oblivious to the danger that surrounded him, slept on, his heart heavy with worry and emotion for Bai Ye. The Deadly Ghosts, drawn by the young man's innocence and vulnerability, began to close in, their presence casting a dark, foreboding shadow over the deserted courtyard.
The wind picked up, carrying the whispers of the restless spirits, their voices a chilling reminder of the horrors that lurked beyond the veil of the living. Lian, lost in his slumber, remained unaware of the terrible fate that was slowly closing in around him.
As the Deadly Ghosts closed in on Lian's sleeping form, their twisted faces seemed to leer with an otherworldly hunger. But just as they were about to claim him, Lian's eyes snapped open, and he sat up with a start.
He saw the Deadly Ghosts looming over him, their eyes glowing with an eerie light. Panic set in, and Lian scrambled to his feet, grasping for the sword that lay beside him.
With a cry of fear, Lian swung the sword wildly, trying to keep the Deadly Ghosts at bay. But there were too many of them, and they seemed to keep coming, their numbers endless.
As Lian stumbled backward, his panic reached a fever pitch. He forgot all about his martial arts training, forgot that he was a cultivator. All he could think about was escaping, fleeing from the horror that surrounded him.
But his back hit the wall, and he could retreat no further. The Deadly Ghosts closed in, their grasping hands mere inches from his face.
Lian's eyes went wide with terror as he realized he was trapped. He slid down the wall, his knees drawn up to his chest, and his eyes fixed on the Deadly Ghosts as they loomed over him.
In his mind, a dramatic scenario played out, a vision of his own death at the hands of these monstrous creatures. He closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable.
But it didn't come. Instead, an oppressive silence fell over the courtyard, and Lian's eyes snapped open to find that the Deadly Ghosts had vanished.
He looked up, wondering if he had somehow imagined the whole thing. But what he saw made his heart skip a beat.
Bai Ye stood before him, his white hair flowing like a river of moonlight. His eyes gleamed with a fierce intensity, and his abs rippled beneath his loose-fitting garment.
Lian's eyes widened in shock as he took in the sight of Bai Ye, standing tall and proud, his very presence seeming to command the shadows to retreat.
For a moment, Lian forgot to breathe. He forgot everything except the fact that Bai Ye was standing before him, alive and unharmed.
And then, like a dam breaking, Lian's emotions surged forth, and he felt himself trembling with relief and gratitude.
As Lian gazed up at Bai Ye, his emotions swirled in turmoil. But despite his turbulent feelings, he couldn't help but be distracted by the sight of Bai Ye's chiseled abs.
Bai Ye's eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled, and he reached out to pull Lian to his feet. Lian's legs wobbled beneath him, and Bai Ye's hands closed around his waist, supporting him.
Lian flinched at the sudden touch, but as he looked up into Bai Ye's eyes, he felt his tension melt away. He relaxed into the warmth of Bai Ye's hands, his heart racing with a newfound awareness.
Bai Ye's gaze held Lian's, his eyes glinting with amusement. "You shouldn't be so captivated by something that's already yours," he said, his voice low and husky.
Lian's eyes widened, unsure how to respond to the subtle flirtation. He swallowed hard, his throat dry, and looked away, trying to process the unexpected comment.