Chapter 25: Reunion with the Evil Entity
Xiao Nanfeng raised his head, noticing the dimness in the hall, where a strange gray mist obscured the view deep within. "Master? Disciple Nanfeng humbly requests an audience!" He bowed respectfully, but no response came from the mist. As he stepped forward, his expression changed; the heavy package he had carried was gone. He glanced around and saw two figures—Tang Xiaoyi and Chen Hai—who seemed just awakened, yet Chen Hai, previously injured, looked completely fine.
"Illusion?!" realization struck Xiao Nanfeng. The two finally noticed him, with Tang Xiaoyi's expression shifting to shock, while Chen Hai growled, "You little brat, I'll kill you!" Xiao Nanfeng smirked; they were still oblivious to their situation. Suddenly, a shadow loomed behind them, revealing a pale skeleton cloaked in black mist.
"Why is this creature here again?" Xiao Nanfeng's face turned pale; this was the evil entity he had defeated during his initiation. It had resurrected. "Master, where are you? Help!" Ignoring his former companions, he fled deeper into the mist.
"Finally scared?" Chen Hai laughed, urging Tang Xiaoyi to follow. But doubt crept in as they realized Chen Hai's previous injuries had mysteriously vanished.
"Why do I feel cold at the back of my head?" Tang Xiaoyi stiffened. "You fools, run!" Xiao Nanfeng yelled, realizing he needed allies to escape the illusion.
As they turned, a giant skull loomed before them, causing them to scream in terror. Chen Hai was struck, blood oozing as the skeletal claws pierced his arm. As panic ensued, Xiao Nanfeng urged them to understand the situation—the skeleton was a remnant of their past confrontation, and this illusion restored their injuries.
"It moved!" Chen Hai yelled, witnessing the skull vanish and reappear behind Xiao Nanfeng. "Teleportation?" Tang Xiaoyi's face went white.
With instinct kicking in, Xiao Nanfeng gathered his spirit energy just as the skeletal claws lunged at him. "Boom!" He was flung aside but remained unharmed due to his protective energy. However, he couldn't outrun the skeleton.
"Let's work together!" he shouted, but Tang Xiaoyi resisted. In that moment, the skeleton struck again, fatally wounding Chen Hai. "No! Chen Hai!" Tang Xiaoyi cried, as the skeleton consumed him in a cloud of smoke.
Xiao Nanfeng's heart sank; he knew the reality behind the illusion—death meant true death. "I was wrong; please help!" Tang Xiaoyi begged.
But Xiao Nanfeng had to think of himself; he needed to escape and contact his master. "You're on your own now."
As he fled, Tang Xiaoyi pursued him. "Wait, I need your help! I have information about the Taiqing Immortal Sect!" Just then, an ominous shadow lunged from the mist toward the skeleton.
A cacophony of ghostly wails erupted as numerous ghouls emerged, surrounding the skeleton. Xiao Nanfeng's eyes lit up; his master, Elder Ku, was nearby, playing the zither. The haunting music summoned even more spirits to restrain the skeleton, immobilizing it completely.
"Thank you for saving us!" Xiao Nanfeng bowed deeply, but Tang Xiaoyi felt dread instead of relief. If captured by Elder Ku, he feared worse than death.
"Nanfeng, you arrived just in time," Elder Ku beamed. "I almost missed this opportunity. It's been decades since I last had the chance to capture this evil!"
Xiao Nanfeng pondered—his master had been in seclusion all this time to confront this evil entity?