Mu Fei suddenly recalled how his master had disregarded his own life for Ye Jingyu, and a look of confusion crossed his eyes...
"Master, if you were this gravely injured, and General Ye was by your side, do you think he would have killed so many people? Although rumors paint him as a tyrant, I always felt he possessed a fundamentally kind heart..." A moment later, Mu Fei spoke again...
"He would..." Liang Xiaoke replied instantly, without hesitation...
"Why? He's still human now; how could he bear to kill so many defenseless commoners?" Liang Xiaoke couldn't understand; he couldn't believe Ye Jingyu would slaughter so many innocents...
"Because we are brothers..."
"Brothers?" Mu Fei started in surprise...
"Exactly. You can never comprehend the bond between him and me; no one in this world can understand us. We would give our lives for each other, let alone the act of killing a few people? He might feel a pang of conscience, perhaps even guilt, but for my sake, he would still kill, and he would kill utterly and completely..." Liang Xiaoke declared with unwavering certainty...
A haze of bewilderment settled in Mu Fei's eyes, but after a brief moment, he seemed to grasp something, nodding gently, and remained silent...
Seeing his disciple choose silence, Liang Xiaoke also held his peace, thinking to himself that he and Ye Jingyu were, in essence, the same kind of person: selfish in their pursuits, yet profoundly loyal to those they cared for...
Bubbles periodically broke the surface of the pool of blood, and streaks of spiritual talismans continuously emerged from the golden-yellow drops. Strange incantations emanated from the droplets, and a surging power churned the bloody liquid...
The sky above was shrouded in thick, ominous clouds, and gusts of chilling wind swept through, pierced by beams of sinister light shooting toward the heavens. To perform a forbidden rite of regeneration so brazenly was likely a feat no one had ever achieved before Liang Xiaoke—after all, there were no Daoists left in this world!
"Heaven and earth are dark and vast; the universe is primordial chaos. Yin and Yang are clearly divided; between life and death, flesh is reborn..." A majestic voice resonated, immediately followed by the golden-yellow drops of blood flaring with intense light. The blood in the pool began to spin frantically, relentlessly drawn into the golden droplets...
Slowly, a piece of flesh sprouted on the surface of the blood drop. This nascent tissue began to writhe, continuously absorbing the energy from the blood pool and relentlessly expanding...
An hour passed, and a head had fully formed, bearing that handsome yet slightly pale countenance. However, compared to before, a heavier aura of grimness clung to the features...
Two hours elapsed, and the upper torso had taken shape beneath the head...
Three hours crawled by, and arms emerged...
Four hours later, the legs had grown.
Then, Liang Xiaoke's naked form lay submerged in the blood pool, ceaselessly drawing in its power. The once vivid crimson of the pool began to pale gradually...
When nine hours had passed, not a single trace of blood remained in the basin...
Liang Xiaoke stood up, entirely unclothed, his eyes emitting a faint blue luminescence, yet lacking the former icy chill...
"Damn it, the realm is still Corpse King, but this power level is severely lacking. A newly formed body truly can't compare to the old one..." He swung his fist hard, testing his strength, a distinct dissatisfaction etched across Liang Xiaoke's face...
"Congratulations on your rebirth, Master..." Mu Fei seemed not to register Liang Xiaoke's complaint. Seeing him alive and present before him again, a flicker of joy crossed his features as he stepped forward and knelt in reverence...
"Rebirth my foot, I was never dead. Where is that jade pendant?" Liang Xiaoke rolled his eyes dramatically and extended his right hand...
Mu Fei dared not say another word, immediately handing over the Azure Dragon Jade Pendant and the Qiankun Ring. After adorning the jade pendant around his neck, Liang Xiaoke retrieved a set of robes from the Qiankun Ring and donned them...
"Master, where do we go now?" With Liang Xiaoke fully dressed, Mu Fei inquired respectfully...
"We head straight for White Emperor City. If they truly killed Jingyu, we must find his corpse within seven days. Otherwise, once his three souls and seven spirits dissipate into the void, even I cannot save him," Liang Xiaoke stated grimly...
Mu Fei naturally offered no objection. Master and disciple then departed, rushing toward White Emperor City...
Just three days after Ye Jingyu was captured by Bai Tianyu, the largest reception hall in the White Emperor City Lord's Estate was filled. Bai Yunlan, the patriarch of the Bai family, sat in the main seat. Bai Tianyu (Martial Saint), Bai Tianlong, Bai Tianhu (Martial Saint), Bai Tiankun (Martial Saint), Bai Tianye, Bai Tianyun, Bai Ziyun, and Bai Jingfei—all the influential members of the Bai clan—were gathered. However, apart from these eight individuals, everyone else was relegated to standing along the sides...
In the center of the hall, a heavily wounded Ye Jingyu lay unconscious on the floor...
"A fine blade, a truly fine blade..." Bai Yunlan seemed utterly oblivious to Ye Jingyu, instead focusing on the jet-black long saber in his hands, his eyes gleaming with dazzling light...
"Father, do you know what this blade is called?" Bai Tianyu was certainly aware of the blade's extraordinary nature, yet his memory held no trace of this seemingly battered treasure.
"This probably isn't the blade's original form; I have no memory of it either, but it must be centuries old. Our Ancestor should know; it's a pity we don't know where he is now..." Bai Yunlan murmured with a sigh...
The ancestor he referenced was none other than Bai Xiaodi, the very first City Lord of White Emperor City...
Upon hearing the mention of their Ancestor, looks of profound reverence washed over everyone present...
"Father, since we don't know what this blade is, perhaps we should deal with Xiao Mo's matter first?" At this juncture, Bai Ziyun spoke up...
Along the way, had Bai Tianyu not intervened, he might have already slain Ye Jingyu. Now that they had finally brought Ye Jingyu back, his own father seemed utterly unconcerned, which naturally agitated him.
"How do you propose to handle him?" Bai Yunlan suddenly turned his gaze toward Bai Ziyun...
"Naturally, by taking this wretch's head to honor the heroic spirit of Xiao Mo," Bai Ziyun ground out through clenched teeth...
Observing the utterly furious Bai Ziyun, Bai Yunlan sighed inwardly. He had learned everything from Bai Tianyu's account, including the description of the weapon that killed Bai Xiao Mo. That level of power was indeed something Bai Xiao Mo could not have withstood; in other words, Bai Xiao Mo had indeed died unnaturally...
Bai Ziyun's desire to execute this man was not entirely unwarranted. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, looking at the ancient, pitch-black saber before him, Bai Yunlan felt an undercurrent of unease. Still, seeing the grief etched upon the face of his most beloved son, Bai Yunlan gave a slight nod...
"Then kill him..." A soft sigh escaped Bai Yunlan's lips...
Bai Ziyun's expression shifted, and he prepared to rise and move toward Ye Jingyu...
"Kill! Do you dare?" But at that very moment, an icy yet overwhelmingly domineering voice rang out from thin air. Immediately, a gaunt figure materialized at the entrance of the hall. The expressions of everyone present, including Bai Yunlan, contorted violently...