“Even if you knew, Fellow Daoist, you wouldn’t be able to do the same,” Yuansha said indifferently.
“Hehe, Fellow Daoist Yuansha, how would you know I couldn’t unless you tell me?” The Bloodlight doppelganger chuckled dismissively.
“Since you’re so eager to know, I’ll tell you the truth. Do you recall the human brat’s avatar I left behind to deal with?” Yuansha’s eyes flashed as she countered.
“Of course I remember. And you stayed there for months, yet never mentioned it again after returning. Could your method be related to that avatar? Did you capture it alive?” The central doppelganger’s expression shifted slightly.
“You’re not entirely correct, Fellow Daoist Bloodlight, but close enough. That avatar was actually a split infant of the human brat. Though its cultivation was only at the late Void Refinement stage, it had mastered several life-saving divine abilities. Despite chasing it for so long, it ultimately self-destructed its infant form, scattering countless split souls to escape. I only managed to capture one wisp of its soul,” Yuansha replied, her expression turning grave.
“What? A Void Refinement-level split infant escaped from Fellow Daoist Yuansha?” One of Bloodlight’s doppelgangers exclaimed in shock.
The other two exchanged glances, their faces also showing astonishment.
“Hmph, that brat must have cultivated some soul-splitting secret technique and carried several unfathomable talismans. A momentary lapse on my part allowed him to escape. With such infant abilities, as long as most of his residual souls regroup, recovery isn’t impossible. Had I not been in a hurry to meet Fellow Daoist Bloodlight, I could’ve eradicated all those remnants. But I abandoned the chase because I already obtained a wisp of its soul. My Demonic Origin Art includes a technique to track the main body through soul resonance. I refined that wisp into myself, allowing me to sense its general direction. Without a second wisp, you naturally can’t replicate this. However, the sensing is vague, with significant error—otherwise, we wouldn’t still be led by the nose by that brat,” Yuansha explained bluntly.
“You need a wisp of his soul! Even if I had a similar technique, it’d be impossible. Had I known, I should’ve stayed longer to capture his split infant properly,” the central Bloodlight doppelganger said regretfully.
“If you had, the human brat might’ve seized the chance to flee far away. If a mere split infant was this slippery, imagine how troublesome his main body is,” Yuansha retorted, shaking her head.
“Hmph… No matter how cunning he is, after being chased this long, his mana and spiritual sense must be nearly exhausted. Without strength, he can’t play any tricks,” Bloodlight sneered.
“You said the same thing two months ago. Yet here he is, still lively ahead of us. Meanwhile, we’re the ones barely holding on,” Yuansha said self-deprecatingly, her lips twitching.
“That’s because I didn’t expect him to carry so many mana-restoring pills. Without precise tracking, we can only outlast him. Once his mana runs dry, he’ll be like a fish in a net,” the central Bloodlight doppelganger replied awkwardly.
“True, his speed, though still decent, is a far cry from before. His mana must indeed be nearly spent,” Yuansha nodded, her face darkening.
“To be safe, I wanted Fellow Daoist Yuan to join me in the Qiankun Disk. Combined, we’d lose little speed but save much mana,” Bloodlight suggested hopefully.
“Enter the Qiankun Disk? Forget it. I won’t take unnecessary risks. The Stone Demon Hall itself is transformed from two Stone Demon Elders. Controlling it costs me far less mana than others,” Yuansha said coldly.
“If Fellow Daoist Yuansha distrusts me, so be it. I brought subordinates who can temporarily operate the disk,” one of Bloodlight’s doppelgangers said wryly after exchanging glances with the others.
“Then it’s settled. Though the brat seems near collapse, we must prepare. If he outlasts us or makes a desperate final strike, we can’t be caught off guard,” Yuansha said, her eyes glinting coldly.
“Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Yuan. I’ve prepared other measures to ensure the human brat has no chance to turn the tables,” the central Bloodlight doppelganger declared confidently.
“Good. To conserve mana, I won’t contact you unless necessary,” Yuansha said flatly, waving her sleeve. The crystal wall flashed white, and her figure vanished.
Silence fell over the Qiankun Disk.
“What do you make of Yuansha’s words?” the central Bloodlight doppelganger asked, his smile gone as he turned to the other two.
Though of the same origin, their personalities differed drastically after their split.
“Clearly, she lied. Tracking a main infant through residual souls is common in demonic arts, but only if your cultivation far surpasses the target’s. Otherwise, the target can simply block the connection,” one frowned.
“Not just that. Her willingness to return the Demon-Sealing Lock and Purple Speech Cauldron suggests ulterior motives. Those treasures, though not true Profound Heaven artifacts, are still Profound Heaven materials. She’d never give them up easily. Had she fought for one from the start, it might’ve been genuine,” the other sneered.
“Keep this between us. Our priority is capturing the human brat. Starting today, we’ll take turns absorbing the True Demon Crystals we brought. Even if Yuansha won’t enter the disk, she’d never guess the army’s leader brought so many. With these crystals replenishing our demonic energy, we can last years. Once the stalemate drags on, the power balance will shift, and we’ll decide how to handle Han Li’s treasures,” the central doppelganger said darkly.
The other two brightened at this.
Meanwhile, in the giant stone tower, the palace-robed woman sat silently on her throne, lost in thought.
After a long while, a sigh echoed through the hall—melodious yet unfamiliar, clearly from another woman.
“Liuji, you’re finally awake!” The woman’s expression shifted from blank to joyous.
“Yes, thanks to your borrowed body, my split soul could slip past detection and descend to the Spirit Realm,” the unfamiliar voice replied cheerfully.
“But sister, your soul fell into a years-long slumber after crossing realms. I was worried…” Yuansha exhaled.
“Your avatar’s body, though strong, can’t sustain two powerful souls. I had to seal my senses to avoid damaging it. Where are we? Your mana’s severely depleted—trouble?” the stranger asked pointedly.
“My story can wait. First, return your soul to your body. Even your weakest avatar surpasses mine.”
Yuansha flicked her wrist, releasing a black light from her sleeve. It circled before landing as a ten-foot-long black jade coffin, etched with mystic patterns and oozing demonic energy. Sealed with golden-silver talismans, it lay tightly shut.
“True. Now that I’m awake, I shouldn’t linger in your body.”
Black mist surged from Yuansha’s brow, coalescing into a green figure above the coffin. With a chant, Yuansha pointed, igniting the talismans. The coffin lid flew open, releasing thick demonic fog that filled the hall. The green figure dove inside and vanished.
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