Chapter One: The Formation Shatters, Releasing a Hundred Spirits

“Dong—dong!”

“First watch at the hour of the Dog, the air is dry—beware of fire—”

In the alley paved with bluestone, the night watch’s clappers rang out six times.

On the Arch of Chaste Widowhood, the last streak of dusk was swallowed by the lengthening night.

Sparse stars tugged at the shadow of the roof ornaments, crawling over the eaves and converging beneath the courtyard into a small pool of ink-black water.

Within the empty, silent courtyard, there came the faint sound of embroidered shoes brushing against the ground, and a shriveled, hollow cheek was cast upon the shadowed wall—

“Who’s there? Who?” A young woman, wrapped in a cloak, held a candle aloft, cautiously navigating the deserted, aged corridor. “Who’s there?”

Tiles fell from the eaves into the lake, shattering the reflection of the silver moon with ripples.

From the small side room at the end of the long corridor came the grating, acidic sound of teeth gnashing, reminiscent of a rusty saw grinding against an ancient tree, or rotten lips and teeth biting into bone.

—A sound that sent chills down the spine.

“If you don’t come out now… I’ll send someone to report to the authorities!” Gathering her courage, the young woman tightened her cloak and reached out with trembling hand to push open a window thick with dust, raising her voice as high as she dared.

Suddenly, a gust of shadowy wind burst from the corner and snuffed out her candle; beneath the curling smoke, a grotesquely decayed face appeared, with only half a skull remaining—

“Help—help… help!”

“Sister Su… Sister Su!!”

*

Three days earlier.

Alchemy Peak, Mount Huang.

“How dare you, Demon King, trespass upon the forbidden chamber of our Stepping Cloud Sect’s Alchemy Room!”

Upon the violet-stone platform, before the chamber doors, a group of young cultivators clad in the Stepping Cloud Sect’s uniforms brandished their weapons, using the cliff as a natural barrier to encircle the demon shadow lurking in the dense, inky miasma.

“I’ve sent someone to summon Master from the rear mountain. He’ll be here to reinforce us any moment—” The lead disciple forced himself to speak sternly, gripping his sword hilt so tightly that sweat beaded in his palm.

—After several exchanges, not only had they failed to gain any advantage, but their strength had been significantly diminished.

At such a moment, none dared act rashly, yet the Demon King, whose attack had failed, showed no sign of retreat.

As the Age of Decline approached, spiritual energy in the human world grew ever scarcer. By now, the legendary “Elixir of Immortality,” said to have been left on Mount Huang by the ancient Emperor Xuanyuan and guarded through generations by the Stepping Cloud Sect, had become the ultimate shortcut for cultivators seeking transcendence.

—Just two days prior, they had dealt with several lesser demons attempting to steal medicine; today, their luck had run out, confronting the Demon King himself.

He felt caught between a rock and a hard place, uncertain when the junior who had gone to summon reinforcements would return.

If help didn’t arrive soon, he would have to…

“Demon King, our Stepping Cloud Sect only guards the mountain gate, never wantonly shedding blood. If you’re wise, surrender now—”

“Senior Brother, why bother arguing with a demon?”

Suddenly, a gust of sword wind shattered the tense equilibrium between both sides. Sword energy, mingled with mountain mist, cleaved through the demon’s shroud.

Beneath the ink-black miasma emerged the pale, bloodless face of a young man; the maiden who leapt down from the clouds twirled her sword and, with a swift turn of her wrist, struck decisively at the Demon King!

“Whether he’s a Demon King, Ghost King, or Devil Lord… we strike first and talk later!”

Su Changling’s voice rang out cold and resolute. By now, she had already exchanged several blows with the Demon King.

On the alchemy platform, sword energy and miasma crossed and soared, and the disciples watching from the perimeter swallowed nervously.

“So… Senior Brother, should we step in?”

A junior tugged anxiously at his sleeve; the Senior Brother scowled, his face tight with worry. “Step in? Forget it. At this rate, we’d only make things worse.”

“—Hold formation outside. When Master arrives, don’t let the Demon King escape.”

“Yes.” The junior nodded, and silently followed the others in forming a defensive array outside the alchemy platform.

As the formation settled, the duel on the stone platform remained deadlocked. Suddenly, a voice called from the horizon, neither loud nor soft: “Changling.”

At the sound, Su Changling instantly retreated a hundred feet with her sword. Spiritual energy lashed out like a whip, striking the Demon King’s back.

“Boom—”

Unable to dodge, the Demon King was hit squarely. In the thunderous explosion, shattered stone and sand sprayed everywhere. Su Changling narrowed her eyes, staring intently at the turbulent center. Suddenly, she spun around and hurled her sword toward a spot beyond the array!

“Ling Chenzi… Su Changling!!”

From the sea of clouds came a shrill, anguished cry. Only then did the disciples realize that Su Changling’s strike had severed the Demon King’s arm at the root.

The arm, wrapped in wide sleeves, fell and disintegrated into ash, forcing Jing Shao, the Demon King, to finally reveal his true form.

But now, he was no longer composed and elegant. Su Changling frowned and leapt forward, sword poised to deliver another blow.

“You mortals—your cruelty to demons knows no bounds!” Seeing the sword edge closing in, the Demon King shrieked, sleeves billowing as a thousand clouds surged forth.

The maiden’s sword spun deftly in her hand, its snowy blade slicing through the demonic clouds. Yet her gaze lingered on the Demon King’s bare arm, smooth and unblemished, showing no trace of injury.

She remembered clearly: her previous strike had cut off that arm.

His torn black robe still bore remnants of her sword energy.

But that arm…

A faint, obscure light flickered in Su Changling’s eyes. She had already formed most of her sword technique in thought.

But before she could aim her sword at the Demon King’s throat, a series of deafening hums erupted behind her—the sound of a formation breaking!

It was the mountain-sealing array, built by generations of Stepping Cloud Sect guardians beneath the thirty-six main peaks, to suppress the Hundred Ghosts of Huizhou!

—Should those ghost pearls escape the mountain, Huizhou itself would be doomed!

“Damn it.” Realizing the consequences, Su Changling gritted her teeth in frustration, forced to abandon her pursuit of the Demon King and instead intercept the countless ghost pearls attempting to break free—each sealing untold evil spirits and monsters.

But the mountain-sealing array had been destroyed so suddenly, and most people were still gathered at Alchemy Peak.

Even if Su Changling and the others grew three heads and six arms, they could not catch all the ghost pearls fleeing into the mountain. By the time the array was hastily repaired, many had escaped through the gate.

“Your disciple failed: I could not capture the Demon King, nor prevent the destruction of the mountain array—please punish me, Master.”

Having repaired the last part of the formation, Su Changling sheathed her sword and knelt. Ling Chenzi, hearing her plea, gazed down at his bowed disciple and sighed at length.

“Let it be. That demon came prepared; he was never one we could easily detain. This fault is not yours.”

“The others: search to see if any more ghosts have escaped the mountain—Changling, come with me.”