Chapter Thirty-Six: Cold Gleam—Heavenly Chant Shattered

Master saw him return at last and asked, “Where have you been, rascal?”

Sikong Fan let out a long breath and said, “Here, I brought the thing that kid wanted.”

Master was taken aback, eyeing Sikong Fan with suspicion. He walked to the box, lifted the lid, and upon seeing what lay inside, his brows furrowed. He closed the box again and asked, “Is this the treasured relic of the Celestial Immortal Manor?”

Sikong Fan nodded, neither denying nor confirming outright. Master continued, “Don’t tell me you went back to the Celestial Immortal Manor this afternoon and took their treasure?”

“Exactly. What else could I do? You wouldn’t believe it, boss—the old guy at the manor actually moved the entire place. I searched for ages before I found them.”

At his words, Master fell silent. Sikong Fan, puzzled, asked, “Boss, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Master glanced at Sikong Fan, his brows knitted together. “How could you just go and seize the Celestial Immortal Manor’s relic? If Sikong Qi finds out, we’ll be dragged into another feud with them.”

Hearing this, the nearby Demon Sage Tian and Chu Feng nodded in agreement, but Sikong Fan only shrugged indifferently. “Why should I care if he finds out? The Tianyin Spear was brought to the Celestial Immortal Manor by me. It’s rightfully mine. Why should I need his permission to reclaim my own?”

Master stared at Sikong Fan for a long while before finally saying, “Fine. What’s done is done.”

Sikong Fan nodded, then beckoned me over. I walked to him, stiff and awkward, as Sikong Fan said, “Come here, kid. From now on, this belongs to you.”

He stepped aside. I slowly opened the box, my heart pounding wildly. A dazzling cold gleam burst forth from the crack as the lid lifted, growing brighter as I opened it fully. Suddenly, the cold radiance enveloped the entire hall, and only after a moment did it fade. I gazed at the box, unable to utter a word.

I couldn’t tell if I’d been struck dumb or simply stunned by the sight before me: inside the box lay a long spear, its entire body radiating silver lightning and icy brilliance. I thought I must be seeing things, so I rubbed my eyes, but it was all real. The weapon I had long awaited was finally in my hands!

Sikong Fan saw my dazed expression and laughed. “What are you waiting for, kid? Try it out!”

My mouth hung open as I glanced at Sikong Fan. With trembling hands, I reached for the spear. The moment my fingers touched it, a roar echoed through the room—so vivid and real, reverberating around us. The others heard it too, all looking around in confusion. Then Demon Sage Tian spoke, “Huh, the spear can emit a dragon’s cry. Interesting.”

All eyes turned to Sikong Fan, who was just as puzzled. “I… I don’t know what’s happening. When I got it, it never made a sound. Could it be—?”

He frowned, gazed at me, and said, “Maybe you’re destined for this spear?”

Standing before everyone, utterly confused, I had no idea how to reply. Just then, my right arm sensed something. The others noticed it too, their brows furrowing. Master was the first to speak, “Everyone, relax. Qiyuan is just playing tricks again!”

As he finished, a cloud of black mist swept into the room, settling before us. The mist dispersed, and Qiyuan the Ghost God appeared, declaring, “Boring!”

“Hey, old man, you’ve lived for a thousand years and you’re still this bored?” Chu Feng quipped.

Qiyuan glanced at Chu Feng. “Chu, you know I’ve been around for a millennium. Do you know the agony of living that long? Have you tasted loneliness? By seniority, you ought to call me ancestor.”

“Ha! Who used to follow me around, begging me to help him destroy the Seawind Ghost King?” Chu Feng retorted.

At that, both men burst into laughter, walked up to each other, and slapped palms. “Qiyuan, welcome back to the team!”

Qiyuan grinned and nodded, then looked over at me. “Oh? What’s that you’ve got there?”

Sikong Fan smiled. “The Tianyin Spear, I’ve gifted it to this kid.”

Qiyuan was surprised. “Sikong, you went back to the Celestial Immortal Manor?”

Sikong Fan nodded. Qiyuan continued, “Impressive—you went there and brought the Tianyin Spear out. Didn’t Sikong Qi throw a fit?”

“Do you think I’m afraid of him? It was mine to begin with,” Sikong Fan replied.

Qiyuan laughed. “You’re generous, handing over such a treasure. Kid, you’ve struck it rich.”

He turned the conversation to me, and I grinned. “It’s all thanks to Sikong Fan’s care. Thank you, elder!”

I bowed, hands clasped. Sikong Fan helped me up. “No need for thanks, kid.”

I scratched my head and laughed foolishly, then asked, “So, elder, how do I use this thing? It’s so long—I can’t carry it everywhere. That would be a hassle.”

Sikong Fan gave a mysterious smile, took the Tianyin Spear in hand, and said, “That’s simple. I’ll teach you a spell that lets the spear grow or shrink at will.”

He beckoned me closer, and when I approached, he leaned in and whispered, “Actually, there’s no spell. I made that up to fool them. If you manage to tame the Tianyin Spear, it’ll manifest in battle whenever you wish. As for the method, I don’t know. Divine weapons usually have their own spirit—it’s up to you.”

Hearing this, I felt a pang of disappointment. So I had to tame it myself? Not every divine weapon recognizes its master like the Yangming Jade. Qiyuan then spoke, “Sikong, is there something you can’t say aloud?”

Sikong Fan shot him a look. “Mind your own business, old ghost!”

Qiyuan feigned offense. “Hey! You’re getting bold, talking back to me. Among us, you’re the youngest. Watch your mouth!”

Sikong Fan rolled his eyes at Qiyuan. Master stepped forward. “Enough. It’s getting late. Let’s discuss our next move.”

Everyone nodded and followed Master upstairs. I trailed after them, but as we reached the door, Master stopped me. “Time for you to get some sleep, kid.”

I was about to protest, but Master shut the door in my face. I smiled to myself, crouched by the door, and listened in on their conversation.

Master began, “How long has it been since we’ve gathered like this?”

Qiyuan thought for a moment. “Hmm? It’s been years, I suppose. I can’t recall.”

The others nodded. Master continued, “This time, I trust you all know what’s at stake—Qingchen Ghost King! He’s disrupting the order of the Underworld. The Ten Lords of Hell are missing, even Granny Meng has been outmaneuvered. Now his ambition is reaching toward the Mortal Realm. If we don’t stop him, I fear Qingchen will grow even bolder. What are your thoughts?”

Everyone fell silent. After a while, Demon Sage Tian, sitting on the bed, spoke, “If he dares come, we’ll make sure he doesn’t leave. The Demon Clan isn’t to be trifled with. But I’ve heard that Qingchen’s first and second ghost generals are fierce adversaries. If no one targets them, they’ll be tough to handle in battle.”

Demon Sage Tian finished, and Qiyuan chimed in, “True. How about this—leave those two ghost generals to me. I’ve faced them before, so I know their tricks.”

“Hmm. Are you confident handling them alone? Sikong Fan, join Qiyuan in dealing with the two ghost generals. When the time comes, unleash your thunder—don’t hold back,” Chu Feng suggested.

Sikong Fan nodded. The preliminary plan took shape, and everyone turned to Master. Master strode to the balcony and said, “So it’s settled. Qiyuan and Sikong will take on the two ghost generals. The third ghost general is yours, Chu Feng. I and the old demon will handle Qingchen. As for the ten thousand ghost soldiers under Qingchen, Chu Feng, are you up to it?”

Chu Feng nodded without hesitation. “Don’t worry, boss. It’s just a bunch of fierce ghosts.”

“Good. The third ghost general and the ghost soldiers are yours. Be careful—this time you’re not alone. Don’t be reckless like before. Qiyuan, Sikong, after you deal with Xie Fan and Xing Qing, immediately support Chu Feng. Understood?”

Everyone answered in affirmation. Master continued, “That’s the plan for now. In ten days, we set out—head to the Underworld and destroy Qingchen. Since he’s invaded the Mortal Realm, let’s return the favor!”

With that, Master stood up and opened the door. I was startled, stepping back quickly. Master saw me outside and was surprised. “Didn’t I tell you to go to bed? Why are you still here?”

I laughed awkwardly. “I’m going, I’m going. Heh!”

Master nodded. I ran back to my room, exhaling in relief—I thought I’d been caught. I patted my chest and sighed.

Alone in my room, I took out the Tianyin Spear and studied it for a while, but nothing happened. No matter how much I fiddled with it, the spear remained unresponsive. Frustrated and anxious, I put it back in the box and lay on the soft bed. Without realizing it, I drifted into sleep.

What I didn’t know was that, deep in the night while I slept, a cold gleam slipped into my body. I felt a chill, turned over, and wrapped myself tightly in the blanket. After a while, the cold feeling faded, and the room grew quiet again. Throughout the entire process, I never woke, slumbering soundly.

The next morning, I stretched lazily and glanced at the Tianyin Spear beside me. To my shock, it had vanished from the box—as if it had flown away. I checked the door; it was locked from the inside, no sign of anyone entering. Had a thief really stolen it?

Panicked, I jumped out of bed, slipped on my slippers, and searched the room thoroughly, but found nothing. My anxiety grew—like getting a treasure only to lose it instantly. I searched upstairs and downstairs, but still found nothing. Dejected, I returned to my room and sat on the bed, growing more uneasy.

I raked my hair in frustration. But when my hand dropped, I felt my right arm grow heavy, as if I might collapse. Puzzled, I looked at my arm—and suddenly! A sphere of silver light, flickering with lightning, blossomed from my palm. In a moment, the long spear, shining with silver lightning, appeared in my hand. I grabbed it quickly before it could fall to the floor. Astonished, I was speechless as thoughts raced through my mind.

To confirm my suspicion, I tried again. After fiddling with the spear for a while, I made it disappear. Once more, I scratched my head and put my hand down—a silver spear appeared in my palm. Elated, I made the spear vanish, then walked out to the balcony and looked at the dazzling sunlight. With a slight curl of my finger, the spear appeared again. Each experiment proved it: I had fully merged with the Tianyin Spear!