Chapter 1

"Kill the demons!"

"Do not let a single demon escape, use the ritual weapons!"

"Death to those who dare to intrude on the imperial palace!"

Roars of anger echoed around, and more splendid spells, more dazzling than fireworks, blossomed in the sky one after another.

Su Mu stared blankly at the scene before him, was he dreaming? Or had he been transported to another world?

Instinctively, he glanced at his own body and was startled to find that his body was somewhat ethereal, like a soul.

He cautiously pinched himself, and although he had become like a soul, the clear and distinct pain in his mind still gave a response.

Finished, what’s going on?

Su Mu was flustered. This place was dangerous, and he wanted to return to Earth.

In an instant, he saw a small, azure sword swirl in front of him, slicing through the head of an old man with a sinister expression.

Such a scene did not scare Su Mu, but it made him acutely aware of the intense danger.

This place was dangerous, especially since he did not feel like he was dreaming.

Just as Su Mu moved, a bolt of lightning as thick as a bucket struck nearby, exploding and knocking Su Mu unconscious.

The battle in the imperial palace continued, with both sides clearly divided. One side, with very distinct clothing, used spells that were grand and sweeping.

The other side, with no clear characteristics in their clothing, was enveloped in a black mist, tightly wrapping around them.

"You have no way to escape, surrender now!"

The invaders were retreating, and with a roar, another bearded general entered, casually eliminating several people.

"We never intended to leave alive when we came!"

Hearing this, a strange man with an adult body and a baby’s head let out a strange laugh, making everyone feel uneasy.

"Today, the ritual of the Great Li failed, and the national fortune has diminished. Although your princess is talented, without the protection of the national fortune, how can she survive this heavenly tribulation?"

The voice of the man with a baby’s head was extremely sharp, making everyone feel annoyed.

Hearing these words, the surrounding people were even more furious, but before they could act, the black-clothed men emitted a wave of energy and exploded.

Fortunately, a general nearby reacted quickly, and his soldiers formed an array to withstand the explosion.

Seeing the enemies all eliminated, everyone’s faces were as dark as water, without a trace of joy.

Su Mu was only knocked unconscious for a moment and soon regained consciousness.

Looking at these people, Su Mu was somewhat trembling. He did not understand how he had ended up in such a place from Earth.

"Princess..."

A general and minister turned to look at the princess, their tone carrying a hint of unspoken meaning.

Beside them, a woman in a purple dress with a veil, her star-like eyes showed no ripples, just waved her hand, "Today’s events are not your fault. If we cannot overcome this tribulation, it is my misfortune."

"But now that the national fortune has diminished, there will likely be unrest around the Great Li, and demons will rise. We will need your help in the future."

The princess’s voice was cold, and the surrounding people, accustomed to her style, showed no dissatisfaction, only responding in unison.

Su Mu stood to the side, listening to their conversation, feeling somewhat confused.

Their language was clearly not one he knew, yet he understood it.

However, this confusion did not last long, replaced by worry. These people seemed a bit better than the previous group.

The question was, did they have any hostility towards him?

Thinking about this, Su Mu looked around, trying to understand the environment.

But Su Mu’s actions immediately caught the attention of the surrounding people, all cultivators who were extremely attentive to their surroundings after the battle.

Just a turn of his head made everyone’s eyes focus on Su Mu.

Instantly, Su Mu felt an unparalleled pressure. Their eyes on him made him feel as if he would disintegrate at any moment.

"That’s enough, he’s just an incomplete soul. If you keep staring at him like this, he’ll dissipate in a few moments."

An old man in court robes frowned at the scene.

"Hmph! A proper ritual was ruined by demons, summoning such a useless thing. Even though it’s just a fragment of a soul, it’s weaker than a commoner of the Great Li. What use is such a soul? It’s better to destroy it!"

"You’re right. This soul is weaker than a three-year-old child of the Great Li. I don’t see the point in keeping such a weakling. Even if we don’t destroy it, it won’t last long and will dissipate on its own. It’s better to destroy it!"

The surrounding people murmured, making Su Mu’s heart race.

Soul? He was just a soul now? A spirit?

From what they said, it seemed he was an incomplete soul. What was going on?

But he understood one thing: he was on Earth, and because of their ritual, he ended up here.

So, he suffered an undeserved disaster without doing anything?

It seemed he did not have much time left.

In that moment, Su Mu felt a sense of despair.

"Leave this soul for now."

The princess glanced at Su Mu with her star-like eyes and walked away.

Hearing this, the people present looked at each other, not understanding why the princess wanted to keep such a useless soul.

It was not a complete soul, and it was extremely weak. They could not think of any reason to keep it.

But since the princess had spoken, they did not dare to disobey. A few maidservants approached, touched Su Mu’s shoulder, and led him away.

Looking at his feet, they were very ethereal, like a ghost.

No, it was not like a ghost; he was a ghost...

"Miss, where are we going?"

Su Mu hesitated and cautiously asked the maidservants.

Knowing he might not have much time left, he did not want to give up and wanted to struggle a bit more.

But the maidservants did not even look at Su Mu, let alone answer.

For some reason, Su Mu clearly felt that the maidservants looked down on him and were somewhat dissatisfied.

Perhaps they looked down on him because his soul was weak?

Compared to the people here who could fly and use such splendid spells, Su Mu felt his weakness was understandable.

As for their dissatisfaction, it was probably because the ritual had failed, and they blamed him for it.