116 In the Midst of Dispute

"Whether it is a delusion or not, only trying will tell."

Seeing this mysteriously appearing figure, Si Ji regretted her actions. How could she have trusted him so easily? Even more ridiculous was the fact that, until now, she still did not know his true identity.

"Who exactly are you? What is your purpose in wanting this spirit?"

"You don't need to know that. Just hand over the spirit, and I can guarantee that I will never appear before you again. Furthermore, this matter will remain a secret; the Goddess of the Earth will never know what you have been doing behind her back. Isn't that the best possible outcome?"

"The best outcome? You truly take me for a fool. This spirit must have a deep connection to Her Highness, but it is certainly not for the reason you claim. How could I possibly hand him over to you now? Keep dreaming."

"Are you not afraid that the Goddess of the Earth will punish you once she finds out?"

Si Ji sneered. "Fear of punishment? Even if you don't say anything, I will report everything truthfully to Her Highness. As for what punishment I must endure, that is for Her Highness to decide. Whatever she chooses, it is what I deserve. Compared to that, what I truly fear is you using those spirits of the Xiuyi tribe to harm Her Highness. I deeply regret becoming your accomplice."

"If that is the case, then there is nothing more to say." The shopkeeper, however, felt a degree of admiration for the Goddess of the Earth. His previous speculation was correct: the only reason Si Ji had believed him was to protect the Goddess of the Earth from harm.

With a wave of his hand, he struck at Si Ji with the most ferocious force and deadly killing intent. He knew he had to defeat her first to claim the spirit.

The lightning-fast attack left Si Ji with almost no room to dodge. His strength was indeed superior to hers. All this time, he had appeared before her with a mysterious and harmless persona, deliberately hiding his true power. Si Ji had tested him a few times before and had even felt relieved that she was not below him, but now she realized how terribly wrong she had been.

At this moment, Si Ji wished that Her Highness would discover her absence, or that Time suddenly had business with her. With Her Highness’s power, she would eventually discover this place and the spirit within.

Alas, it was all wishful thinking. Si Ji gradually fell into a disadvantage; she was truly no match for him. The shopkeeper’s attacks grew more violent, and he realized that Si Ji could not hold out much longer.

Under another assault, Si Ji was thrown heavily into the air and crashed down hard. With a "bang," she left a deep crack in the ground. She struggled to stand, but the shopkeeper gave her no such chance. Another flash of lightning-like power struck, and Si Ji collapsed helplessly to the ground. The blood flowing from her body stained the earth red, and her barrier was shattered.

The shopkeeper did not look at Si Ji again and stepped into the house.

The spirit had been listening to the fighting outside but could not leave. Suddenly, he felt the barrier around him lose its effect, and a figure appeared before him.

It was not the Goddess, but this figure looked even more terrifying.

The Goddess had once harmed him, but she had later ceased all attacks. Though her words were sharp, she had never truly hurt him. But the figure standing before him now made the spirit feel a flicker of fear. The look in the man's eyes reminded him of a beast discovering its prey—full of bloodlust.

"Who are you? How did you get in?"

The shopkeeper looked at the spirit with interest, eyeing him up and down. "Worthy of being a spirit of the Xiuyi tribe; truly extraordinary." Who would have thought that such a presence could belong to a mere spirit?

"How do you know my identity?"

"How do I know? Do you think you would still be standing here if you weren't a spirit of the Xiuyi tribe? The Underworld is your only destination."

The shopkeeper wasted no more words. He placed a restraint upon the spirit and led him outside.

"Where are you taking me?" The spirit finally realized how gentle the Goddess had been. The restraint placed upon him felt as though it were tearing him to pieces. Had he not already been a spirit, he would have been covered in blood by now. Even so, he felt excruciating pain.

"Ah!" The spirit cried out as he saw the Goddess lying in a pool of blood. He had never seen her in such a disheveled state, and she appeared to be severely injured.

Si Ji heard the sound and struggled to lift her head; she saw the spirit about to be taken away. "You cannot take him."

"Goddess Si Ji, at this point, you should worry more about yourself."

*Goddess Si Ji?* She was Goddess Si Ji. The spirit was shocked. If she was Goddess Si Ji, shouldn't she be protecting him? Had he committed some unforgivable crime to incite her wrath? He could not recall ever doing such a thing. He wanted to ask her why she had kept him imprisoned here all this time.

The shopkeeper decisively placed another layer of restraint on the spirit, rendering him unable to speak.

Si Ji tried to struggle to her feet, but the shopkeeper would not allow it. He raised his hand again, and Si Ji fell into darkness.

The shopkeeper did not destroy Si Ji’s divinity, nor did he inflict further harm. It was not because he did not want to, but because he could not. If Si Ji were to disappear here, the Goddess of the Earth would spare no cost to investigate the matter to the end, and the trail would eventually lead back to him. After all, the Empress’s plan had not yet taken effect; he could not afford to kill everyone.

In his misfortune, there was a stroke of luck: Si Ji had survived.

Having captured the spirit, the shopkeeper prepared to return to report. He disappeared from the nameless town, leaving the unconscious Goddess Si Ji behind. He traveled across the human realm at top speed, not daring to pause for a single moment, eager to reach the Divine Realm.

He moved forward, never realizing that he was being followed by a shadowed observer.

Li Tian had not expected to witness such a scene—a spirit still wandering the human realm. Previously, all spirits, even those not appearing in Fengdu, had already entered the Underworld. What was going on with this one? And why did the figure beside him look so familiar?

Li Tian followed silently, drawing closer without being detected.

As they neared the entrance to the Divine Realm, the shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief; the journey had been smooth.

Li Tian finally realized who the figure was. Wasn't it the shopkeeper who had suddenly disappeared? Thinking of the bizarre vanishing of the Xiuyi spirit, could this spirit also be of the Xiuyi tribe?

What was he trying to do?

Li Tian did not confront the shopkeeper. He appeared quietly behind him and waved his hand. The shopkeeper felt the world go black and collapsed instantly. When he regained consciousness, he felt a chill go through his entire body. The spirit that had been by his side was gone.

Everything felt like a dream, so unreal. In an instant, the situation had suffered a shocking reversal.

The shopkeeper searched all around but found no traces. Not only was the spirit gone, but he had no clue who had attacked him. Who could it be? How would he explain this to the Empress? She would surely think he was lying. With his current strength, he hadn't even caught a glimpse of the assailant—or rather, he hadn't detected a single trace of the other party’s presence. Who in heaven or earth possessed such power?

The shopkeeper sat stunned for a long time. If the other party had taken the spirit in this manner, he would never find a trace of him again.

In the end, he could not escape the punishment of the Empress. He dared not imagine his fate. With heavy, dragging steps, the shopkeeper returned to the Divine Realm.

Li Tian did not reveal his identity to the shopkeeper; he did not want his presence in the human realm exposed, lest it cause unnecessary trouble. Thus, he had chosen to spirit the captive away quietly.

The spirit looked at Li Tian in astonishment. He did not understand what was so special about him that he attracted so much attention, and from beings more powerful than the last. Although he did not know Li Tian's identity, he was certain that his power far exceeded that of the man from before.

"You are of the Xiuyi tribe?" Li Tian looked at the spirit with some surprise. He was not afraid of him.

"How do you know? And who are you?" The spirit did not expect Li Tian to guess his identity so easily.

Li Tian looked at the spirit coldly and did not answer. The spirit suddenly shut his mouth; such an aura made him feel an indescribable cold, even more terrifying than the moment he had encountered death.

The atmosphere froze. Li Tian remained silent, and the spirit dared not speak. Li Tian was considering how to dispose of the spirit, or whether to simply throw him into the Underworld. Even though he was a spirit, he might still leak his whereabouts.

Li Tian was clearly overthinking; how could a spirit guess his identity? Still, he remained uneasy.

The spirit thought of Goddess Si Ji and muttered to himself, trying to ease the pressure Li Tian placed upon him. Li Tian was simply too terrifying.

Li Tian looked up abruptly. "Goddess Si Ji?"

The spirit subconsciously took a step back. His gaze was even more frightening.

"How do you know about Goddess Si Ji?"

"Because the first one to imprison me was Goddess Si Ji. Then I was taken here by that person just now, and then... you appeared." After the spirit finished speaking, word by word, he found he had exhausted all his strength.

"Goddess Si Ji imprisoned you?" What was the meaning of this? Li Tian sensed that things were not as simple as they seemed.