### Chapter 38: The Invitation

### Chapter 38: The Invitation

The summer night's torrential rain had just ceased, yet the courtyard of Yi Zhaung was ablaze with fire, which did not dispel the gloom but rather made the flickering flames seem even more eerie.

Amidst this eerie scene, a voice roared in fury.

"You lied! You burned my body!"

The voice was filled with rage. The coffin lid, burning fiercely with Su Mo's inner strength, suddenly shattered, and a small, fiery figure emerged from within.

Snarling and flailing, it tried to extinguish the flames on its body.

"He... he's not dead!!!"

Lou Jingjing was startled and instinctively hid behind her senior brother.

Cheng Feiyu was also greatly shocked.

Clearly dead, how could a single fire bring someone back to life?

His first thought was to save him...

But then he reconsidered—what was the point!

This was the Ghost Lord of Yin Mountain, who had tried to fake his death to escape, only to be foiled by Su Mo's fire.

Fortunately, the rain had stopped, or else the fire wouldn't have ignited, allowing him to get away.

Thinking about it, Cheng Feiyu broke out in cold sweat.

What kind of person was the Ghost Lord of Yin Mountain?

If he were truly set free and they believed he was dead, leaving them unguarded, they might never know how they died.

Thinking this, Cheng Feiyu felt grateful for Su Mo's unintentional action...

However, when he glanced at Su Mo, he noticed that Su Mo was smiling, seemingly unsurprised.

Even Yang Xiaoyun showed no surprise, merely shaking her head slightly:

"Indeed, there was a backup plan."

"How did you know?"

Cheng Feiyu couldn't help but ask.

"A man who values brotherhood so much wouldn't abandon his brother's body like trash in a critical moment just to save himself."

Su Mo sighed. "Xiaoyun reminded me, otherwise, I might not have realized it."

"I spoke without thinking; it was your subsequent actions that made me realize."

Yang Xiaoyun smiled. "The world is full of deceit, and your quick thinking is admirable."

Su Mo remained silent, watching the struggling Ghost Lord of Yin Mountain, whose cries were growing weaker.

He was already severely injured, which was why he had to fake his death.

Though he managed to break out of the coffin, he lacked the strength to fight anymore.

He couldn't even extinguish the flames on his body.

Perhaps overwhelmed by shock or pain, he didn't think to use the mud in the courtyard to prolong his life.

As the cries weakened, he was eventually burned alive.

Su Mo and the others did not move until the Ghost Lord of Yin Mountain turned into charcoal and the corpses in the coffin were reduced to ashes. Then, Su Mo approached and examined the charred remains, raising an eyebrow:

"The spirit hasn't been damaged."

That strike of his could not have missed, so the one who emerged wasn't the one he had killed.

Reflecting further, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.

Yang Xiaoyun sighed. "Let's leave them here for now. Once they cool down, we'll bury them together."

They returned to the main hall of Yi Zhaung.

Cheng Feiyu thanked them repeatedly, and Lou Jingjing, still shaken, looked at the charred corpse in the courtyard: "He... he isn't still alive, is he?"

"The martial arts of the world are diverse, each with its strengths. Some martial arts can keep people alive even with fatal injuries... I know of one called the [Yin-Yang Undying Command], which requires two practitioners—one cultivating yin, the other yang. The key is that yin cannot be separated from yang, and yang cannot be separated from yin. As long as they are together, their energies connect, and life continues.

"The remarkable part is that even if one's head is severed, they won't die immediately.

"Instead, they can run holding their head, and given time, they can even reattach it."

Yang Xiaoyun spoke casually while looking at the fire.

"Is... is such a martial art real? Wouldn't that make them invincible?"

Lou Jingjing was astonished.

"In this world, there is no invincible martial art."

Yang Xiaoyun sighed. "While the [Yin-Yang Undying Command] is powerful, there are two ways to kill such a person. Either separate the two completely... Since yin cannot be separated from yang, their energy flow has limits. If they exceed these limits, the energy connection breaks, and they will die.

"If one practitioner dies, the other will also lose their powers and die.

"Alternatively, use overwhelming martial arts to sever their energy connection, achieving the same result."

"It's just that both of these points are extremely difficult to achieve, yet not impossible."

"Although the Xuanming Scripture has the ability to feign death, it is far from being an invincible demon. After being burned like this, there's no way to survive."

Lou Jingjing listened quietly, her gaze distant, lost in thought, almost entranced.

Su Mo then asked Cheng Feiyu, "Brother Cheng, please don't take offense at my forwardness."

"Not at all."

How could Cheng Feiyu still harbor any resentment towards Su Mo after he had saved their lives?

The act of saving one's life is akin to giving them a second chance.

This night, not only did he and his junior sister owe a great debt of gratitude, but even the Falling Star Gate owed Su Mo a great deal.

He immediately said, "Brother Su, if you have anything to instruct me, please speak freely."

"You flatter me."

Su Mo shook his head. "Tonight's events are somewhat peculiar. We can't be sure how much of what the Ghost King of Yin Mountain said is true. However... I believe there's one point you two should consider carefully. The journey ahead may not be smooth sailing, especially with the Ghost King of Yin Mountain involved. It's best to be prepared and have contingency plans."

Since the Ghost King of Yin Mountain specifically targeted them, even if some of what he said might be false, the possibility remains.

If they dismiss everything as lies, who knows what might happen next?

Cheng Feiyu looked helpless. "This is something we didn't anticipate... My junior sister and I only accepted an invitation. Originally, it was meant for our master, but since he hasn't been active in the martial world for a long time and doesn't want to travel, and we have already learned enough, we decided to venture out for experience. That's why we left."

"And yet, someone has been watching us."

"An invitation..."

Yang Xiaoyun glanced at Cheng Feiyu.

Since the Ghost King of Yin Mountain was waiting here, he must have known their route. The Falling Star Gate hadn't been active, so she wondered how the Ghost King managed to intercept them.

But now, there was an invitation involved?

If the Ghost King knew about the invitation, deducing their route wouldn't be surprising.