kvmb Chapter 257 Is there a ghost here?
Chapter 257 Is there a ghost here?
The dusk is like a spilled inkstone.
It spread across the sky, gradually casting the eaves and corners of Xiaoyao Sect into shadow.
Shen Yue stood in front of the carved window of the library.
The evening breeze lifted her moon-white skirt, and the yellowed ancient book in her hand was rustling in the wind.
The cinnabar talismans sandwiched between the pages trembled in the draft, and the lines on them were twisted like poisonous snakes.
It was exactly the same as the trace she had left on the rock wall at the back mountain during the day, which made her feel a chill in her heart.
"Junior Sister Shen?"
A clear voice suddenly came from behind, startling Shen Yue and causing him to turn around abruptly.
Jun Jiuchen had stepped into the pavilion without knowing when. The hem of his dark clothes was still stained with mountain dew, and the mutton-fat jade pendant on his waist made a ringing sound as he moved.
His black hair was tied under a jade crown, his sword-like eyebrows slanted into his temples, and his pair of phoenix eyes were staring at her at this moment, with a hint of inquiry in his expression.
Shen Yue stuffed the scroll into his arms, her skirt sweeping across the bluestone floor of the Sutra Library, casting a swaying silhouette in the flickering candlelight. "The elder still doesn't care."
Her tone was filled with helplessness and anxiety. "They said it was some naughty child's play. But look at this talisman—" She quickly pulled out a piece of rice paper. The runes printed on it glowed a strange red light under the candlelight.
"It's clearly the Soul Locking Formation recorded in the Forbidden Techniques Record. The sealed person's spiritual veins will transform into nutrients to nourish the formation's core."
Jun Jiuchen stroked the paper with his slender fingers, his knuckles turning white from the force.
He suddenly slammed the scroll down onto the sandalwood table, causing the flame in the copper lamp to vibrate violently. "No wonder the spiritual power of the clan members has declined rather than improved recently."
When he raised his eyes, a dark tide surged in them, and his dark robe rustled in the breeze. "Someone must be coveting my Jun family's spiritual vein and wants to secretly..."
His voice stopped abruptly, and he suddenly rushed forward, his movements were so fast that Shen Yue had no time to react.
Shen Yue took a half step back, and his lower back hit the bookshelf with a dull sound.
Jun Jiuchen withdrew his hand, twisting a dark purple feather. The ice crystals at the end of the feather reflected a cold light. "This is the tail feather of the Nether Bird, an evil creature that only appears once every three hundred years."
He hung the feather over the candle flame, and the dark blue flame instantly shot up to half a person's height, illuminating the faces of the two people and making them appear bright and dark.
In the strange firelight, Shen Yue saw Jun Jiuchen's tightly pursed thin lips and the deep furrows between his brows, and knew that his heart must be in turmoil at the moment.
Suddenly, a night owl cried out outside the window, and its shrill cry was particularly harsh in the silent night.
Shen Yue looked at the feathers being engulfed by flames, and the tragic scenes of those sealed spiritual veins kept emerging in his mind. A chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
She took a deep breath and suddenly grabbed Jun Jiuchen's sleeve. "Three quarters past midnight, on the clifftop behind the mountain." Her black hair fell to her shoulders, and a determined light danced in her amber eyes. "Bring your Chixiao Sword, and..."
She pulled out a small jade bottle from her bosom. The liquid inside the bottle glowed with an eerie fluorescence. "I found this Soul-Erosion Powder in the alchemy room. It's specifically designed to counteract evil spells."
Jun Jiuchen finally curled up the corner of his mouth into a sneer, and there was a hint of cruelty in that smile.
Outside the Sutra Library, dark clouds were quietly swallowing up the last ray of moonlight, and the entire Xiaoyao Sect was plunged into darkness. Only sporadic lights flickered in the night, as if they would be swallowed by the darkness at any time.
After returning to his residence, Shen Yue did not dare to stop for a moment.
She spread out the rice paper and meticulously copied the talisman in the dim candlelight.
Every stroke of her pen was filled with her desire for the truth and her concern for Jun Jiuchen's safety.
The wind outside the window was getting stronger and stronger, making the window frames creak, as if countless hands were scratching outside, trying to break in through the window.
It was almost midnight, Shen Yue carefully put away the talisman he had made and checked the Soul-Eroding Powder again.
She put on a black cloak and quietly walked out of the room.
The night was as dark as ink, with only a few stars faintly visible through the clouds.
She tiptoed around the night watchmen and headed towards the clifftop at the back of the mountain.
When Shen Yue arrived, Jun Jiuchen was already waiting there.
He stood with his hands behind his back, his dark figure looking particularly tall and straight in the moonlight.
The Chixiao Sword was slung across his waist, and the gem on the hilt flashed red in the night.
Seeing Shen Yue coming, he nodded slightly and looked towards the depths of the cliff: "Be careful, I just sensed an extremely yin energy."
The two of them slowly descended the steep cliff, with vines and rubble sliding down from the cliff from time to time.
Shen Yue carefully grasped the protruding rock and looked around vigilantly.
Suddenly, she paused, and in the moonlight, she saw that the rock wall in front of her was densely engraved with talismans. The runes painted with cinnabar emitted a strange red light in the night, as if they were wriggling with life.
"right here."
Shen Yue lowered his voice and said, his heartbeat quickening involuntarily.
She took out the Soul-Erosion Powder and was about to sprinkle it on the talisman when she heard Jun Jiuchen suddenly shout, "Be careful!"
A black shadow rushed out from the darkness like a ghost and rushed straight to Shen Yue's face.
Jun Jiuchen reacted extremely quickly, and the Chixiao Sword was unsheathed in an instant. The blade cut through the night sky, making a clear whistle.
The black shadow nimbly avoided the sword, flipped in the air, and landed on a rock not far away.
Only then did Shen Yue see clearly that it was a man covered in a black robe, with a hideous ghost mask on his face, revealing only a pair of eyes glowing green.
"You shouldn't have come."
The black-robed man's voice was hoarse and harsh, like sandpaper rubbing against one's ears.
He raised his hand and waved it, and the talisman on the rock wall suddenly shone brightly, and countless red lights shot towards Shen Yue and Jun Jiuchen.
Jun Jiuchen swung his sword to block, and the sword energy was so powerful that it shattered the incoming red light one by one.
Shen Yue took the opportunity to sprinkle the Erosion Spirit Powder on the talisman. Strangely, as soon as the liquid came into contact with the rune, it made a sizzling sound and bursts of white smoke rose.
Seeing this, the man in black robe roared, flashed and pounced again.
Shen Yue and Jun Jiuchen stood back to back, ready for battle.
The Chixiao Sword collided with the black-robed man's weapon, sparks flying.
During the fight, Shen Yue noticed that the black-robed man's moves vaguely carried the Jun family's kung fu style, and his heart suddenly sank.
She took the time to glance at Jun Jiuchen, only to see that his face was as gloomy as water and his eyes were full of murderous intent.
"It turns out to be the Jun family's traitor."
Jun Jiuchen gritted his teeth and said, his sword moves becoming more and more fierce, "Today, I will definitely eradicate you, the traitor!"
The fierce battle was in full swing when suddenly a sharp cry was heard in the air.
Shen Yue looked up and saw a huge Nether Bird spreading its wings and coming towards him. The purple feathers on its wings were gleaming faintly in the night.
The Nether Bird swooped down, its sharp claws heading straight for Shen Yue.
At the critical moment, Jun Jiuchen suddenly pushed Shen Yue away, but his arm was scratched by the sharp claws of the Nether Bird, and the blood immediately dyed his black sleeves red.
"Jun Jiuchen!"
Shen Yue exclaimed, her heart filled with anxiety.
She ignored the danger, took out a talisman, chanted a spell, and the talisman instantly turned into a beam of fire and shot towards the Nether Bird.
The Nether Bird cried out, its wings burned by the flames, and it retreated temporarily.
At this time, the man in black robe saw that the situation was not good and wanted to take the opportunity to escape.
Jun Jiuchen would never give him a chance. He ignored the pain from his wound and chased after him on his sword.
Shen Yue followed closely behind, and the two started a thrilling chase in the night.
After chasing them to a valley, the man in black was finally forced into a desperate situation.
He tore off the mask on his face, revealing a young face.
Shen Yue looked closely and found that it was Jun Yi, a disciple from the Jun family's branch.
"Why?" Jun Jiuchen pointed the tip of his sword at Jun Yi, his voice filled with pain and anger. "Our Jun family has treated you well, why would you do such a thing?"
Jun Yi sneered, his eyes filled with resentment: "You treat me well? You just treat me as a dispensable side branch. I am more talented than you, but I can only live in your shadow forever. As long as I get this Soul Locking Formation, I will have endless spiritual power and become the master of the Jun family!"
"Idiot's dream!"