“After this ghost enters the room, he will inevitably force you to test blades with him. You can agree, but you must set two conditions.”

“First, during the blade test, insist on striking first. If he draws his blade, you stand no chance.”

“Second, he will try to pull you into his blade realm during the test. You must make him swear within that realm that he won’t use its power against you.”

“Only if he agrees to these two points should you accept the test. Don’t worry about him refusing. As I mentioned, after clashing with me for three days, he’s already weakened and is desperate for your fresh body.”

“Third, during the test, strike at the back of his neck.”

“Why this third point? Because even if he agrees to the first two, you’re bound to lose. But that’s not important. The purpose of this test is to force his true form out of your Senior Brother Four’s body, then use the Ghost-Sealing Talisman I gave you to seal him.”

“The back of his neck is where his life gate is. If attacked there, his true form will reveal itself.”

“All this I’ve learned from battling him these past three days. Do not err in any step, or all will be in vain.”

“If it weren’t for the fact that only the living can use this Ghost-Sealing Talisman, and that I’ve exhausted most of my strength drawing it, I would never let you take such a risk.”

“Taiping, take care. I hope to see you again.”

As Xu Taiping read the last part of the letter, his expression grew even more solemn.

What kind of being could make the always confident Fairy Lingyue utter such words as “I hope to see you again”?

“Bang!”

Just then, the knocking at the door turned into kicking.

The talisman pattern Fairy Lingyue had inscribed on the door began to smoke as if it were burning.

Although Xu Taiping still had many questions, just as Fairy Lingyue had written in her letter, the pressing matter was to seal the Demon Blade.

“The Triad Ghost-Sealing Talisman.”

He glanced at the folded talisman in his palm and gripped it tightly.

“Bang!…”

Before long, the door to the Hundred Grass Hall was kicked open.

The talisman behind the door ignited in flames and then vanished.

“Junior Brother, why didn’t you open the door?”

Senior Brother Four, Zhou Yidao, stepped into the room, his eyes narrow and fox-like, looking at Xu Taiping with a smirk.

“Since you’re not my Senior Brother Four, there’s no need for such titles, right, Red-Haired Demon Blade?”

Xu Taiping sat at the table beside the sickbed, casually placing the Spring Tiger saber on his lap, his gaze calmly meeting that of the Red-Haired Demon Blade.

Hearing this, the Demon Blade possessing Senior Brother Four grinned, his hand resting on the hilt of his saber as he strode over and pulled out a chair to sit opposite Xu Taiping.

“It seems you’ve been feigning sleep these past few days.”

The Demon Blade flipped over a teacup that had been upside down on the table.

Xu Taiping picked up the teapot and poured him a cup.

“The shadow I killed, who had decent cultivation, who was that to you?”

The Demon Blade asked while sipping his tea.

Clearly, Fairy Lingyue had used some trick to make the Demon Blade think she was dead.

However, Xu Taiping, realizing this, remained composed.

He poured himself a cup of tea and then said:

“My sister.”

“How does it feel to have your sister killed by me?” The Demon Blade put down his cup, his smile lingering as he looked at Xu Taiping.

“I want to kill you.” Xu Taiping took a sip of tea, his gaze steady as he locked eyes with the Demon Blade.

At these words, the Demon Blade’s smile widened, a fervent look flashing in his eyes.

“I love it when people say that to me,” he said, his gaze burning into Xu Taiping.

“Do you plan to make me your puppet too?” Xu Taiping asked the Demon Blade.

“No,” the Demon Blade laughed, shaking his head, “I want to take your place.”

“What about me caught your eye?” Xu Taiping asked again.

The Demon Blade didn’t answer, just kept smiling at Xu Taiping, then suddenly clenched his fist and threw a punch at his head.

With a muffled “thud,” Xu Taiping’s form dissipated into True Qi and vanished from the table.

The Spring Tiger saber clattered to the floor.

“Didn’t your sister tell you? I’m only interested in your body.”

The Demon Blade looked up at the sickbed.

Soon, the bed that had been occupied only by Senior Sister Jiang Zhi now had an additional figure: the true form of Xu Taiping.

He had just used a concealing herb to hide himself.

“But my sister told me that you’re just a strand of obsession. Possession isn’t easy; the victim’s spirit must give up resistance, or else there will be many problems later on.”

Even after being discovered, Xu Taiping was not overly panicked.

As he spoke, he got off the bed and walked back to the table to pick up the Spring Tiger saber and sit down.

“So I’ll give you a chance. If you can defeat me with a single strike, I’ll leave.”

The Demon Blade set down his teacup, his face full of smiles as he looked at Xu Taiping.

“You’re lying,” Xu Taiping said with a smile.

Hearing this, the Demon Blade’s eyes turned icy cold in an instant.

But Xu Taiping, as if oblivious, continued:

“Judging by the wounds you left on my Senior Brother Four, to make someone your puppet or to possess them, you need them to lose to your blade. Otherwise, all you can do is kill them.”

“And you wouldn’t go to such lengths to possess me only to kill me.”

After speaking, he took a sip from the cup his clone had just used, glancing casually at the Demon Blade.

Upon seeing the Demon Blade fall silent, Xu Taiping inwardly sighed with relief.

What he had just said were all deductions from Fairy Lingyue’s letter. Only by confirming these deductions could he proceed to the next step.

“Your sister is very clever. No wonder she could last three days in my blade realm and still manage to leave you some instructions.”

The Demon Blade chuckled.

He clearly wasn’t surprised that Fairy Lingyue had informed Xu Taiping of these things.

“It’s a pity to kill you, indeed. After all, in this cultivator’s sect, it’s not easy to find a martial arts master’s body of your age.”

He then looked at Xu Taiping again.

Xu Taiping remained silent, just quietly facing him.

“But,” the Demon Blade suddenly turned his gaze to Senior Sister Jiang Zhi lying on the sickbed behind Xu Taiping, and continued, “Aside from you, I can kill any disciple of the Seventh Peak.”