Chapter 153: You're Hurting Me So Much

"Very well, brat, it seems you are well aware of your current situation... Heh-heh!"

Seeing that Qin Xuan seemed ready to offer the Mystical Yin Physique, Ghost King Qianhuang let out a triumphant laugh.

After a short while, Liu Qianqian finally brought Dongfang Qingwan to Qin Xuan's side.

Qin Xuan pulled Dongfang Qingwan to him and seized the opportunity to send a voice transmission to Liu Qianqian, who was standing close by: "Lass, I'm going to threaten the Ghost King first. If that doesn't work... I will deal with the Ghost King. You must protect Qingwan well until dawn and go look for Master Jinguang..."

Because it was a close-range voice transmission, even someone as powerful as the Ghost King could not eavesdrop on what Qin Xuan said.

"Little Qin Xuan!"

Liu Qianqian was startled, feeling as though Qin Xuan's words sounded like final farewells. Yet, even if Qin Xuan fought to the death, he could never be a match for Ghost King Qianhuang.

"Remember this."

Without further explanation, Qin Xuan pulled Dongfang Qingwan into his embrace while simultaneously grasping her delicate and soft white neck with one hand, shouting aloud: "Ghost King! If you dare to take another step closer, I will snap her neck right now. I mean what I say!"

Dongfang Qingwan possessed the Mystical Yin Physique, making her the object of pursuit for numerous wandering souls and ghost cultivators. However, should Dongfang Qingwan die, the mystical yin energy within her body would return to nature, and no one would reap any benefits.

Qin Xuan intended to use this as leverage to threaten Ghost King Qianhuang. After all, the Mystical Yin Physique was a rare sight even in decades. As long as Dongfang Qingwan remained alive, Ghost King Qianhuang still had a chance; once she died, everything would be lost. Even if he temporarily retreated and waited for an opportune moment to make a comeback, that was still far better than losing the chance entirely.

Unfortunately, Ghost King Qianhuang had cultivated for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, and was not easily frightened by Qin Xuan.

"Heh-heh! This king doesn't believe you'd have the heart to do it. Such a pretty little girl—heh-heh, could you really bring yourself to harm her? Hurry up and offer her to this king, and I'll spare your lives!"

While speaking in a sinister tone, Ghost King Qianhuang whipped up a gust of ghostly wind toward Qin Xuan, as if some unseen entity was approaching along with the gale.

"Hmph, every swordsman is ruthless at heart. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Sensing that Ghost King Qianhuang had unleashed something, Qin Xuan let out a cold snort and tightened his grip on her neck.

Instantly, Dongfang Qingwan felt a tremendous force gripping her throat, leaving her nearly suffocated. She could not help but cough softly, one of her hands clutching tightly onto Qin Xuan's arm as she trembled continuously.

Just as she was panicking and letting her mind wander in fear, she noticed that the black mist filling the sky suddenly retreated, reforming into a humanoid figure of black fog beneath the moonlight.

Ghost King Qianhuang fixed his sharp gaze upon them and said with a grim snarl: "Brat, are you playing for real?"

When Qin Xuan tightened his grip just now, even Dongfang Qingwan felt as though Qin Xuan genuinely intended to choke her to death. Ghost King Qianhuang could not possibly have missed that, and having been thoroughly startled, he immediately halted his attack.

"Get out of here right now, until I can no longer sense your aura!" Qin Xuan said coldly.

"Brat, don't push your luck! If this king leaves, the ghosts filling the sky will tear you into pieces." Ghost King Qianhuang grew furious, the mass of humanoid black mist expanding instantly until it was larger than a car.

"That's none of your concern. Not leaving, are you?"

Qin Xuan continued to apply pressure with his hand.

"Cough, cough... Qin..."

Dongfang Qingwan waved her hands frantically.

"Brat, you're ruthless!"

Truly afraid that the Mystical Yin Physique would be choked to death, Ghost King Qianhuang finally ascended into the night sky, enveloped in his black mist. Nascent Soul stage cultivators were all capable of flight through levitation, and Ghost King Qianhuang could soar freely through the heavens with his physical form, largely because he possessed no fixed corporeal body to begin with.

Watching the black mist vanish from his sight and the oppressive pressure recede further and further away, Qin Xuan finally let out a sigh of relief and released Dongfang Qingwan. Moonlight poured through the entrance into the underground wine cellar, and Dongfang Qingwan staggered backward under the moonlight, leaning against the wall as she gasped heavily for air.

Liu Qianqian hurried over to support her, patting her back while casting a fierce glare at Qin Xuan: "Why did you use so much force? Did you really want to strangle Qingwan to death?"

"Do you take Ghost King Qianhuang for a fool?" Qin Xuan gave her a look of disdain. "How else could I have fooled Ghost King Qianhuang? That guy has lived for hundreds, if not thousands, of years."

Upon reflection, Liu Qianqian realized he had a point, so she simply glared at him once more and said nothing more.

"Qingwan, are you alright?"

Qin Xuan stood at the entrance of the underground wine cellar, his eyes filled with concern.

"I'm fine, it's just... you hurt me quite a bit..." Dongfang Qingwan's face was somewhat pale as she shook her head with a helpless smile. She knew that Qin Xuan had been forced to use such heavy force, but deep down, she knew he still cared about her.

Otherwise, if he had truly handed her over to Ghost King Qianhuang, Qin Xuan would not have faced any danger at all. With his master backing him up, Ghost King Qianhuang genuinely wouldn't have dared to do anything to him.

With the departure of Ghost King Qianhuang, the wandering ghosts lingering outside the underground wine cellar finally grew restless with excitement. Once they confirmed there was no danger, they began swarming toward the underground wine cellar one after another.

A cold glint flashed across Qin Xuan's eyes, knowing that tonight would be a bitter battle!

Although he could not use his true Qi, if pushed to the brink, what did it matter if he used his true Qi after all? Once the Nine Heavens Sword Seal was unleashed, it would instantly annihilate the ghosts filling the sky. If he fought desperately to hold his ground, lasting until dawn was not entirely impossible, especially with Liu Qianqian's assistance.

However, just as he stood at the entrance of the underground wine cellar, preparing to fight the sea of ghosts to the death, a solemn Buddhist chant suddenly echoed from the distant horizon.

"Amitabha... Since the benefactor is here, why the rush to leave?"

Although the voice was not particularly loud, it transmitted with exceptional clarity into everyone's ears. Qin Xuan felt a jolt in his heart; judging by the voice, could it be Master Jinguang who had arrived?

Following closely was a resounding explosion.

Boom!

A dark shadow plummeted from the sky, crashing heavily onto the open ground before the wine cellar and kicking up a massive cloud of dust. The shadow was smashed apart into a sprawling ring of black mist—it was none other than Ghost King Qianhuang, who had just flown away!

Yet, despite falling from an unknown height in the sky, Ghost King Qianhuang suffered no injuries whatsoever. He quickly reformed into his humanoid shape, two piercing glares within the black fog staring intently at the sky.

The wandering ghosts who had wanted to swarm forward upon seeing Ghost King Qianhuang leave now fled in all directions, terrified out of their wits.

"Little friend Qin Xuan, truly worthy of being the current generation's successor of the Mount Sh蜀an Sword Sect—calm in the face of danger and convincingly deceitful. This old monk is deeply impressed."

A golden light flashed on the open ground before the entrance of the underground wine cellar, and sure enough, Master Jinguang of the long, flowing white eyebrows had arrived!

"Master, you are..."

Qin Xuan stared at the benevolent-looking Master Jinguang, momentarily stunned.

"This old monk was entrusted by your master to keep a close eye on Ghost King Qianhuang..."

"Keep a close eye?"

Qin Xuan's expression turned ugly in an instant. This Ghost King Qianhuang had been here for several minutes already; if not for Qin Xuan's quick wit, the few of them would long have been killed by the Ghost King.

To think that Master Jinguang was the one entrusted by his master to keep a close eye on Ghost King Qianhuang. Yet, after Ghost King Qianhuang appeared, it took him this long to finally show up—was this what he called "keeping a close eye"?