In a world shrouded in darkness, a blue-faced Ghost Messenger rode the wind, gradually lowering his altitude.
Beneath him stretched a vast forest, its scattered points of light twinkling as if he were flying through the Milky Way itself.
After a long while, he hovered in place, glanced around, then descended onto a patch of grass.
"Third Saintess? Third Saintess?" he called out in a deliberately hushed voice.
"Over here." Anna Yang poked her head out from behind a massive boulder.
She nodded to Little White, the white pigeon demon hiding behind her, then stepped out alone.
The blue-faced Ghost Messenger tiptoed over to her, about to speak, when Anna Yang took a small bagua from her sleeve and handed it over, saying, "Thank you for your hard work. Inside are thirty-five souls: six died in battle, twenty-nine passed away peacefully."
The Ghost Messenger's mouth opened slightly, but he did not reach out to accept it.
"What's wrong?" Anna Yang steadied herself and asked.
"Third Saintess... From now on, I'm afraid I won't be able to..."
Just at that moment, a crisp shout rang out from afar.
Both hearts jolted in alarm. They hurriedly looked around, and Anna Yang's hand instinctively pressed against the sword at her waist.
Six beams of white light flashed by, splitting and landing at six points around them, revealing six Heavenly Generals clad in golden armor.
"Ha ha ha ha, I wondered who had the nerve to shelter those Blossom Mountain demons. Turns out it's the Holy Mother of Mount Hua herself." The lead Heavenly General casually displayed a golden command token and declared, "I am Fu Yuqiong, Fifth-Rank Heavenly General before the throne. By decree, I am here to supervise the Netherworld. You two have colluded with demons and received them in secret, bringing chaos to the Yin Domain! Are you not going to surrender?"
Among these six Heavenly Generals, two were true Gold Immortals; the others were all wandering cultivators of lesser rank!
Faced with this scene, the blue-faced Ghost Messenger was so terrified his legs gave out and he collapsed to the ground. Anna Yang, however, drew her sword without hesitation, summoned the Lotus Lamp, and assumed a stance ready for battle. She retorted, "If you want to capture me, then come and try!"
"A mere Spirit-Refining Realm, ignorant of the heights of Heaven and depths of Earth!" scoffed Fu Yuqiong coldly, no longer wasting words. He gestured left and right, commanding, "Take them alive!"
"Understood!"
With that order, the six Heavenly Generals charged at the two from all directions.
Fu Yuqiong, the lead Heavenly General, flicked his wrist, sending out a streak of spirit light that struck the blue-faced Ghost Messenger's soul, scattering it halfway. The other five rushed straight at Anna Yang.
Anna Yang's sword danced like lightning, weaving a barrier of radiant lotus petals. The five Heavenly Generals pressed in from all sides, their golden armor flashing, blades clashing in a storm of sparks.
Suddenly, a gust of demonic wind swept through, shattering the encirclement. Anna Yang seized the moment, darting to the blue-faced Ghost Messenger's side and pulling him up.
Fu Yuqiong's eyes narrowed. He barked, "Stop them! Don't let the demon wind interfere!"
But the demonic wind grew stronger, swirling around Anna Yang and the Ghost Messenger, shielding them as they retreated.
The Heavenly Generals tried to break through, but the wind was like a wall, repelling their attacks.
Anna Yang gritted her teeth and, with a shout, surged forward through the wind, dragging the Ghost Messenger with her.
Fu Yuqiong raised his command token, summoning a net of golden light that swept toward Anna Yang and the Ghost Messenger.
The net closed in, but Anna Yang slashed with her sword, sending lotus petals flying and tearing open a gap.
Seizing the opportunity, Anna Yang and the Ghost Messenger escaped through the opening, vanishing into the swirling wind.
The six Heavenly Generals stood in stunned silence, the golden net drifting to the ground, its glow fading.