Chapter 53: Are You Blind?

Xing Miao had already taken out the star chart. "Give me An'an's birth time."

The star chart calculation required a person's birth details, and since pure yin bodies had multiple types, she prepared to deduce An'an's details from the Gregorian calendar, as most people no longer remembered their lunar birth dates.

Ying Ning quickly provided a string of numbers.

Xing Miao converted them to the lunar calendar and began her calculations.

Focusing intensely, she formed various hand seals, her fingers a blur to the naked eye. The star chart, the same hue as the night sky, floated into the air, stars lighting up one by one, connecting with lines of light, forming constellation patterns that shifted and transformed, mesmerizing anyone who looked.

Ying Ning and Yu Zhiyan closed their eyes after the third constellation, feeling a severe headache. Hu Li managed to endure until the eighth constellation before she, too, had to look away.

"Ugh." Moments later, a pained groan drew their attention. Xing Miao's face was pale, her body swaying as if injured.

"Are you alright?" Hu Li instantly appeared by her side, supporting her. Xing Miao shook her head, swallowing the metallic taste in her throat, and caught the falling star chart.

"I encountered strong resistance. The opposing force is much greater than mine," Xing Miao explained, revealing her internal injuries.

"But it wasn't fruitless," she added, pointing northwest. "The resistance came from that direction. We should check it out."

"Are you sure you can continue? We can rest first," Hu Li suggested, noticing Xing Miao's pallor. It wasn't hard to guess she had suffered a backlash.

"Fine, I'll take some medicine to stabilize my energy," Xing Miao agreed, not being one to hide her pain. She believed in showing weakness to gain help.

Seeing Xing Miao taking medicine, Ying Ning and Yu Zhiyan grew more worried, especially Ying Ning, whose eyes now held guilt.

After a quarter-hour, Xing Miao had absorbed the medicinal effects and nodded to the group. "Let's go. Lady Ling Ji should be there by now."

Though Ling Ji couldn't perform such divinations, Xing Miao trusted her abilities to detect anomalies in that area.

In fact, Ling Ji had noticed the place.

But not in the way Xing Miao expected.

"What are you doing here, sneaking around?" Ling Ji asked as she descended a northwestern peak, spotting a bald man in gaudy clothes moving stealthily.

Suspiciously, she landed near him.

Elder Kongjing, holding his demon-suppressing staff, paused and squinted at the girl. "Who are you?"

"I asked you first," Ling Ji replied, her gaze sharpening.

"I'm Elder Kongjing of the Special Management Bureau," he quickly introduced himself, seeing her hostility, and held his staff defensively.

Ling Ji relaxed slightly upon hearing his name. "I'm Ling Ji," she offered in return.

"Ah, it's an honor, Lady Ling Ji," Kongjing said, recognizing the name vaguely.

"What are you doing here?" Ling Ji asked, walking past him to the edge of the seal. She tapped the air lightly, producing a soft "pop." "There's a seal hidden here?"

Kongjing was taken aback. "A seal? Not a formation?"

Ling Ji gave him a disdainful look. "What kind of eyesight do you have? This is clearly a seal!"

Her excitement grew, and a hint of schadenfreude sparkled in her eyes.

Kongjing rubbed his eyes, suspecting he saw wrong.

"Hey, baldy, step back," Ling Ji said, finding him in her way, and waved him off.

Kongjing reluctantly moved back, then awkwardly clarified, "My title is Elder Kongjing, not 'baldy.'"

"Sure, baldy," Ling Ji nodded dismissively. "Now, move further back." She pointed to a tree a dozen meters away. "Go stand behind that tree."

Silently complying, Kongjing moved to the tree, watching curiously. "What is she up to?"

Ling Ji, seeing him out of the way, also stepped back and then punched the air.

A sharp sound of breaking filled the air as her small, delicate fist collided with the invisible barrier, sending shockwaves that made leaves fall around them.

"Quite sturdy," Ling Ji muttered, then continued hammering her fists at the seal.

A faint cracking sound emerged, overshadowed by her relentless blows.

"Break for me!" Ling Ji shouted, her feet stomping the ground as she leaped, her hands coming together to send a powerful force crashing into the seal.

The seal shattered audibly, and a dark shadow burst out, accompanied by thick, tangible malevolent energy.

"Dare to challenge me, beast!" An icy voice echoed as a sinister wind and black mist enveloped Ling Ji. A black-robed figure, only their eyes visible, emerged.

"Not good," Kongjing muttered, leaping towards the figure and hurling his demon-suppressing staff.

Seeing the staff's golden glow approaching, the black-robed figure initially dismissed it until sensing its powerful Buddhist energy. "Damn."

Forced to retreat, the figure pulled a blood-red flag from a pouch to block the attack.

"Kao Buhann, it's you!" Recognizing the flag, Kongjing's calm demeanor turned fierce, his usual gentleness replaced by a murderous aura. He recalled his staff and swung it at the four summoned ghost heads. "Using living souls to make ghosts? You'll face retribution!"

"Retribution?" Kao Buhann scoffed, waving his flag to summon more evil spirits. "I've been doing this for years without any divine punishment. Heaven must be blind."

"Really?" A clear female voice cut through, bringing a calm before the storm. "I think it's you who's blind."

Kao Buhann and Kongjing turned to the voice. Ling Ji floated, black flames in her eyes, and Kongjing smacked his forehead, remembering she was trapped in the mist.

About to help, the mist suddenly exploded, green flames consuming it. In a blink, the mist was gone.

The girl, now in black robes with flowing patterns, floated mid-air, her youthful face cold and indifferent, looking down at them.

"Trash," she spat, her gaze on Kao Buhann as if he were a doomed ant.

Fear surged in Kao Buhann. "Who are you?"

Ling Ji smirked, "You're not worthy of knowing my name."

She lunged, fist aimed at him.

Kao Buhann, prepared, used his soul-refining flag, but underestimated her strength. The flag cracked, protecting him from a fatal blow, but he was thrown back several meters.

Ignoring the flag's damage, Kao Buhann focused on the girl. His earlier distraction from Kongjing had been a mistake.

"What did you call me?" Ling Ji sneered, flexing her wrist. "A beast?"

"Ha, even the Heavenly Emperor wouldn't dare insult me. And you, a stinking rat too cowardly to show your face, dare challenge me?"

The sky darkened as Ling Ji's black pupils expanded, consuming her entire eyes.

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