"Humph! So what if they've found us? With the two of us working together, at worst we just go back into the Ghost Fog. In a head-on fight, we're no match for Nascent Soul cultivators. But when it comes to escaping, who can rival the wonders of our Ghost Dao techniques?" The deep male voice spoke defiantly.
"What do you know? At least three or four of the Nascent Soul cultivators here possess treasures and special abilities that can suppress our Ghost Dao techniques. If you want to die, don't drag me down with you. Otherwise, don't blame me for breaking our agreement — I'll destroy you right now." The young cultivator — none other than Xuan Gu Shangren — spoke with an icy edge to his reprimand.
"Brother Xuan Gu, why get so worked up? I'll keep my mouth shut from now on. But you promised to find me a suitable body — you can't go back on that word! Otherwise, why would I have handed over a wisp of my soul essence to you, and willingly followed you out of the Ghost Fog?" This person seemed somewhat wary of Xuan Gu's anger, but still couldn't help pressing on the matter closest to his heart.
"Rest assured! Since I need your help dealing with that rebellious disciple Ji Yin, it'll naturally be more convenient to act once you have a body. Besides, you and I are in the same boat — both of us switched to the Ghost Dao midway. I'll certainly keep my word." Xuan Gu Shangren replied coldly.
"Heh heh! With those words from fellow Daoist, I'm at ease." Once he finished speaking, the deep voice vanished from Xuan Gu Shangren's mind.
This allowed Xuan Gu to breathe a slight sigh of relief. He leaned back against a small tree and settled into a light doze.
Time ticked by, and more and more cultivators emerged from the Ghost Fog, each looking increasingly wretched.
Several of them were clearly in a state of severe vital essence depletion. It would likely take years of secluded cultivation before they could recover to their former level.
But even so, irrepressible joy shone on their faces.
After all, having passed the Ghost Fog trial meant they could at least obtain some rare spiritual herbs that were nearly impossible to find in the outside world.
When the emerging cultivators brought the total count here to sixty or seventy, the stream of new arrivals suddenly dwindled.
After more than half a day had passed, only a handful trickled out at irregular intervals.
Among them was the young cultivator who had initially accompanied the Fairy Zi Ling.
But his clothes were in disarray, his complexion ashen and gray — he looked as though he had suffered a terrible loss.
The moment this young male cultivator entered the area, he hurriedly scanned the surroundings. Not seeing any trace of the Fairy Zi Ling, anxiety crept across his face, and he grew visibly unsettled.
At the same time, both Grand Elder Ji Yin and Xuan Gu Shangren were growing uneasy as well, having failed to spot any sign of Han Li.
Xuan Gu Shangren managed to keep his composure, maintaining a calm exterior despite the growing impatience inside.
Grand Elder Ji Yin, however, could barely contain himself. He repeatedly cracked open his eyes, casting sinister glances into the surrounding Ghost Fog before reluctantly closing them again.
In truth, with such a secretive and calculating temperament, he would never normally display such agitation. But that thing on Han Li's person was the absolute key to obtaining the treasure on this trip, and it had thrown him off balance enough to act against his nature.
Most people failed to notice his behavior, but the Confucian-robed elder sitting nearby caught every detail. He gave a light cough and asked in a measured tone:
"Fellow Daoist Wu, you seem rather unsettled. Could it that there is someone among the unaccounted-for that weighs on your mind?"
The elder fixed Grand Elder Ji Yin with a sharp, suspicious gaze.
"Not really someone weighing on my mind — just a little fellow I once crossed paths with. Quite an interesting junior, that one." Grand Elder Ji Yin immediately composed himself and replied in a flat tone.
"An interesting young junior? Then when the time comes, Fellow Daoist Wu must introduce him to this old man. I've always been fond of nurturing promising newcomers." The Confucian-robed elder's eyes glinted as he spoke with a thin, insincere smile.
"Old fox! His suspicions really are as sharp as ever," Grand Elder Ji Yin cursed inwardly.
But out loud, he had no choice but to agree reluctantly.
Han Li still hadn't shown himself, and this gnawed at him so fiercely that he couldn't be bothered playing mind games with the other party. He simply closed his eyes again and forced himself into meditation.
At the same moment, in another corner of the gathering, the deep voice once again echoed through Xuan Gu Shangren's mind.
"Xuan Gu, has your so-called helper not arrived yet? Don't tell me he was devoured by that fierce ghost! What good is a helper like that — far too weak." There was a note of schadenfreude in those words.
Xuan Gu sighed, knowing that given the other's temperament, it was impossible to truly keep him quiet.