NOVPUBThe void froze, trapping Xiao Hen in place as well.
Xu Zimei extended his hand and, under Xiao Hen's horrified gaze, lightly pinched the broad blade in his hand.
With just a gentle pinch, two deep fingerprints appeared on the blade's edge.
Xiao Hen's body began to tremble uncontrollably.
"Why would you throw your life away like this?" Xu Zimei murmured.
Xiao Hen wanted to speak, but no sound came out when he opened his mouth.
Xu Zimei reached out and grabbed Xiao Hen's neck tightly, pulling him out of the frozen void.
It was like a fish being dragged out of a drying riverbed, gasping desperately for air.
Xiao Hen started to shout frantically.
"You can't kill me, you can't kill me!"
"Why not?" Xu Zimei asked mockingly.
"My brother is Xiao Tian, one of the Nine Ghosts," Xiao Hen quickly responded.
"Do you know what the Nine Ghosts signify? The future successors of the Ghost God lineage."
"I neither know nor care," Xu Zimei replied with a faint smile.
"I only know that you're going to die now."
His right hand tightened slightly, and Xiao Hen's neck collapsed instantly.
Xiao Hen gasped for air with great difficulty, his eyes rolled back, and he was on the verge of a convulsive death.
"Why must you be so ruthless, eager to take someone's life?" At that moment, a voice rang out from above.
The void around Xu Zimei shattered, and an enormous ghostly head emerged from within.
It surged toward Xu Zimei.
Xu Zimei waved his hand, placing Xiao Hen in front of him.
The ghostly head was tenacious, splitting into two, which then moved to flank Xu Zimei from both sides.
Xu Zimei waved his hand again, releasing a powerful force from his palm, directly annihilating the two ghost heads.
He frowned slightly and lowered his head to look at his palm, noticing strands of Ghost Qi entangling it.
He raised his head once more and saw a figure standing atop a gray cloud, staring down at him from the void.
The figure bore a strong resemblance to Xiao Hen.
His pitch-black eyes, prominently high nose bridge, and the gray robe he wore were adorned with an image of a Mountain Ghost.
The Mountain Ghost resembled a Bull Demon, with two thick, twisted horns.
Its entire body was protected by armor, its claws spanning dozens of meters were incredibly sharp. 𝑛𝘰𝘷𝑝𝘶𝑏.𝑐𝘰𝘮
The gray hair behind the Mountain Ghost stretched back for tens of meters.
This Mountain Ghost was none other than Wang Hai, one of the Nine Ghosts.
Perhaps many are unfamiliar with Wang Hai, but Wang Ziye is a name known far and wide.
He was the one who ended the Ghost God War.
Wang Hai, on the other hand, was his descendant.
Back then, when Wang Hai was killed, his limbs, hips, chest, head, and teeth were all severed and scattered; it was even more brutal than being torn apart by five horses.
Because of the sheer brutality of his death, along with the heavy resentment and years of cultivation, he eventually degenerated into a Mountain Ghost.
Step by step, he grew to become one of the Nine Ghosts.
"Who are you?" Xu Zimei frowned and asked.
A dense imperial aura emanated from the newcomer, leaving no doubt he was a Great Emperor.
The entire void was suppressed.
Though he was merely in the Yin-Yang Realm, it was already remarkable.
"Xiao Tian," the man softly answered.
"If my younger brother has offended you in any way, I apologize on his behalf and ask for his life to be spared."
With a wave of his hand, several students approached carrying a large chest.
When the chest was opened, a dazzling light burst forth, its colorful glow illuminating the surroundings.
"This includes Mana Thistle, Nightmare Vine, Purple Charm Dragon Emperor Ginseng…," Xiao Tian introduced them one by one.
He glanced at Xu Zimei and smiled, saying, "A modest gesture, unworthy as it is, I hope you'll accept it and spare him."
"Brother, why are you bowing to him?" Xiao Hen couldn't hold back and shouted.
"Impudent!" Xiao Tian's gaze turned sharp, and he roared, "Since when did you have the right to speak out during our conversation? Punish yourself!"
Frightened by Xiao Tian's words, Xiao Hen hesitated briefly.
But eventually, he raised his right palm and began slapping his own face repeatedly.
The sound of "Smack! Smack! Smack!" filled the air.
His face was soon a mangled, bloody mess with crimson streaming down.
Xu Zimei shook his head with a laugh and walked up to the chest, stepping onto it with a single foot.
He chuckled faintly and said, "Your gifts don't interest me, but your attitude has saved his life.
Among all the Nine Ghost Academy, you're one of the few worthy of note."
After finishing, he leaped into the air.
Everyone watched as Xu Zimei's figure departed from the Arena Stage.
"Just this once. Next time, your status will count for nothing."
As Xu Zimei left, Xiao Hen called out with a hint of grievance, "Brother."
"Better a torn mouth than a severed head," Xiao Tian replied with indifference.
Fetching a vial of healing medicine from his Storage Ring, he tossed it to him.
"Stay out of trouble in the future. Stop making me clean up after you."
"I wanted to bring honor to the academy," Xiao Hen said, sulking.
"Nine Ghost Academy boasts a total of thirty-eight thousand seven hundred students, and while you claim to be invincible below the Nine Ghosts,
there are plenty of hidden talents here," Xiao Tian sneered.
"Some of them merely spare you out of respect for me.
Do you know how many eyes are watching my position as one of the Nine Ghosts?"
Xiao Hen fell silent, but eventually said, "But you shouldn't fear an outsider!"
"You truly are ignorant and fearless," Xiao Tian shook his head.
He added, "You'll understand someday.
He's not as simple as you think. However, he killed Xuan Min—given the temperament of those Four Symbols Vein people, there'll surely be a confrontation.
We'll sit back and watch the tiger fight the wolf."
......…
Leaving the Arena Stage, Xu Zimei happened upon Jiang Mozi.
His despondent demeanor made him appear almost dazed as he walked.
"Headmaster, what's the matter?" Xie Changliu stepped up to ask.
"Don't call me headmaster anymore; Heavenly Saint Academy is gone," Jiang Mozi waved dismissively.
"What's the academy's stance?" Xie Changliu asked.
"Exiled," Jiang Mozi said painfully, enunciating just the four words.
"That's so cold-blooded! You've managed Heavenly Saint for years—you've contributed so much," Xie Changliu said indignantly.
"The academy never cares about the process; they only demand the result," Jiang Mozi replied with a bitter smile.
"I'll head back to pack up and prepare to take my students and leave here.
What about you two?"
"We'll leave with you, of course," Xu Zimei shrugged and said.
"Let's depart tomorrow. I still have a few tasks to handle today."
Jiang Mozi nodded, leaning toward traveling alongside Xu Zimei and the other two.
After all, they were nothing but lambs awaiting slaughter.
In the Ghost God Realm, mere survival was arduous.
The trio returned to the courtyard of their venerable mother, where Lai Canyin was already deep in sleep.
Xu Zimei extended his hand, activating the Dream Realm Principle.
He could see the dreams Lai Canyin was having, and then retracted the Dream Realm Principle entirely.
Lai Canyin slowly opened her eyes.
At that moment, a sense of deep age seemed to emanate from her gaze.
"It's time to wake up," Xu Zimei said.
