Using the power of Soul Devouring to refine Ye Xian’s soul and obtain his memories had always been Shui Miao’s desire—and now, finally, the opportunity had arrived.
Under the corrosive effects of the Soul Devouring force, Ye Xian couldn’t help but panic.
“Ugh… I miscalculated…”
“I never expected your cultivation progress to exceed my imagination, Shui Miao!”
“No wonder you managed to rescue Bai Feng, and stop Huangquan Patriarch from completing his Thunder Soul Body…”
Ye Xian was shocked repeatedly. Even at the brink of death, he merely expressed admiration and surprise—there was not the slightest hint of begging for mercy.
Shui Miao felt a bit curious, slightly concerned that Ye Xian might have some other means of escape. Thus, he focused all his attention and fully concentrated on devouring Ye Xian’s soul.
Ye Xian’s soul had originally been weak; under Shui Miao’s full-force consumption, he naturally couldn’t last long.
“Hahaha…” Suddenly, Ye Xian laughed. “Shui Miao, you must be dying to know who you were in your past life, right? You must want to obtain answers from my memories. But unfortunately, I won’t let you have your way. I’ll leave you forever trapped in confusion, never able to uncover the truth. I still have another Yuan Shen hidden elsewhere—I can be reborn again. But you, you only have one life. If you fail, you lose completely. I can afford to lose, but you cannot. Hahahaha…”
So that’s it—he was relying on having another Yuan Shen for rebirth!
Shui Miao’s heart trembled. He finally understood why Ye Xian hadn’t begged for mercy. Yet, he was even more curious about Ye Xian’s words, so he couldn’t help but counter-question, “Just who exactly are you? Why are you toying with me?”
The reason Shui Miao said this was purely as a deliberate test.
Ye Xian, in turn, willed his soul to begin fragmenting while coldly replying, “Do you really think you’re that lucky? What you don’t realize is that all of this has been our setup—you’re merely a small pawn in the game. I must admit, though, you’re a very hardworking pawn. Oh, and I can tell you one more secret: I’m leaving now, but soon, others will come to help you enhance your cultivation, making you an increasingly stronger piece. So keep working hard, won’t you… Hahaha…”
Ye Xian’s soul completely dissipated amidst his laughter.
Shui Miao withdrew his Soul Devouring power and stood motionless, stunned.
Using the Soul-Devouring Power to refine Ye Xian’s soul and obtain his memories was something Shui Miao had always wanted to do. Now, the opportunity had finally arrived.
Under the corrosion of the Soul-Devouring Power, Ye Xian couldn’t help but feel terrified.
“Ugh… I miscalculated…”
“I never expected your cultivation progress to far exceed my imagination, Shui Miao!”
“No wonder you were able to rescue Bai Feng, and no wonder you could stop the Yellow Spring Ancestor from mastering the Thunder Soul Body…”
Ye Xian was shocked repeatedly. Even at death’s door, he only expressed astonishment and showed no intention of begging for mercy.
Shui Miao felt slightly curious and also worried that Ye Xian might have some other means of escape, so he focused his energy on devouring Ye Xian’s soul with all his might.
Ye Xian’s soul was already weak, and under Shui Miao’s full-force devouring, he naturally couldn’t hold on for long.
“Hahaha…” Suddenly, Ye Xian laughed. “Shui Miao, you must be very curious about who you were in your past life, right? You must want to obtain my memories to resolve the doubts in your heart. But unfortunately, I won’t let you have your way. I want you to live forever in doubt, never able to uncover the truth. I still have a spirit hidden elsewhere, and I can be reborn again. But you can’t—you only have one life. Once you fail, you lose completely. I can afford to lose, but you can’t. Hahaha…”
So that was it—he was relying on his spirit to be reborn!
Shui Miao was stunned. He finally understood why Ye Xian hadn’t begged for mercy. But what puzzled Shui Miao even more were Ye Xian’s words, so he couldn’t help but retort, “Who are you? Why are you toying with me?”
Shui Miao said this purely to test him.
Ye Xian, however, focused his mind and began to dissolve his own soul. At the same time, he coldly said, “Do you really think your luck is that good? Little do you know, all of this is part of our plan. You’re just a small pawn. But I have to admit, you’ve worked hard as a pawn. Oh, and I can tell you another secret: I’m leaving now, but soon, others will come to help you improve your cultivation, to make you, this pawn, stronger and stronger. Keep working hard… Hahaha…”
Amid his laughter, Ye Xian’s soul completely dissipated.
Shui Miao withdrew the Soul-Devouring Power and stood there in a daze.
His mind was reeling. Suddenly, he felt as if he really was just a pawn, and everything that had happened was part of someone’s scheme to use him. Otherwise, how could an ordinary mortal like him, who had practiced the same martial arts as his grandfather, so quickly attain unimaginable spiritual power, immortal power, and even the Soul-Devouring Power? It all seemed too easy, didn’t it?
Shui Miao stood motionless, his thoughts racing, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t unravel the doubts in his heart.
※※※
The Yellow Spring Ancestor and Zhuge Abacus stood beside Shui Miao, watching him while secretly communicating through mental transmission.
“Advisor, help me make a decision. According to the texts, shortly after mastering the Thunder Soul Body, a cultivator should be able to sense the summoning power of the immortal realm and ascend to the immortal world. But I’ve succeeded for a while now and haven’t felt any summoning power at all. I suspect I still need to cultivate for some time. But the Nine Cauldrons Pill Furnace is in Shui Miao’s hands. Should I take this chance to destroy him and seize it back?”
The Yellow Spring Ancestor was not an honorable man. He believed that circumstances changed, and if necessary, he wouldn’t hesitate to destroy Shui Miao’s soul and take the pill furnace from him.
Hearing this, the usually upright Zhuge Abacus was shocked. For some reason, he suddenly thought of Bai Feng and how she referred to Shui Miao as her younger brother. He felt he should speak up for Shui Miao. “Ancestor, I advise you not to do this. Shui Miao may be deeper than he appears, and you already agreed to give him the Nine Cauldrons Pill Furnace…”
“I never agreed to that—Ye Xian did. Besides, his strength isn’t anything special. He’s far from being deep or unfathomable…”
The Yellow Spring Ancestor had already made up his mind to kill. He didn’t acknowledge his previous promises and completely disregarded the vows he had made earlier.
He slowly moved closer to Shui Miao, secretly gathering thunder power, ready to launch a surprise attack!
Zhuge Abacus grew anxious. He suddenly realized how much he despised the Yellow Spring Ancestor. He was well aware of the Ancestor’s selfishness and cunning. Once the Ancestor ascended to the immortal realm, he would undoubtedly abandon the Yellow Spring Sect without a second thought. What would become of him, the advisor? Wouldn’t he also be cast aside?
Thinking about his loyalty, how he had been framed by Ye Xian and others for the Ancestor’s sake, and how centuries of cultivation had been ruined in an instant, Zhuge Abacus felt a chill in his heart. Now that the Ancestor had mastered the Thunder Soul Body, he paid no attention to Zhuge Abacus and didn’t even offer him pills to restore his cultivation. Seeing the Ancestor about to launch a sneak attack on Shui Miao while he was unprepared, Zhuge Abacus suddenly shouted, “Ancestor, I’ve thought of something!”
“What!”
The Yellow Spring Ancestor was startled and quickly withdrew his thunder power, turning to look at Zhuge Abacus.
Shui Miao also snapped out of his daze and turned to look at Zhuge Abacus.
Seeing the Ancestor glaring at him with anger in his eyes, Zhuge Abacus hurriedly said, “Ancestor, have you forgotten where we are? To sense the summoning power, you need to be in the mortal realm!”
“Ah! How could I have forgotten that! I’ll go now, right away…”
Upon hearing this, the Yellow Spring Ancestor was overjoyed. Without hesitation, he abandoned Shui Miao and Zhuge Abacus and flew straight toward the surface.
As soon as the Ancestor left, Zhuge Abacus rushed to Shui Miao’s ear and whispered urgently, “Leave quickly! The Ancestor was just about to launch a sneak attack on you to seize the Nine Cauldrons Pill Furnace. I came up with this idea in a moment of desperation, but I’m not sure if it will work. If you don’t leave now, when will you?”
“Why are you helping me?” Influenced by Ye Xian’s words, Shui Miao wondered if Zhuge Abacus was also someone sent to assist him.
With a kind heart to rescue someone but faced with suspicion, Zhuge Abacus blinked. “I don’t know why. I just felt you shouldn’t die. The Ancestor is untrustworthy and breaks his promises. I felt I should save you.”
“…”
Seeing that Zhuge Abacus seemed sincere and not like he was lying, Shui Miao frowned but immediately activated his Wind Riding Technique and flew away.
While meditating earlier, Shui Miao had learned the Wind Riding Technique from Bai Feng.
Shui Miao only knew the way through the Yellow Spring Marsh, so he flew unsteadily back to the Yellow Spring Inn, where he met Old Cai and the others.
Turning around, he saw that Zhuge Abacus was still following him. Puzzled, Shui Miao was about to speak when Zhuge Abacus urgently said, “Don’t waste any more time. Let’s hurry to the surface. If the Ancestor successfully ascends to the immortal realm, then we can breathe a sigh of relief. If not, your lives will be in danger. He will definitely come back for the Nine Cauldrons Pill Furnace.”
“Alright, let’s go to the surface now!”
Old Cai, experienced and knowledgeable, understood the severity of the situation. He quickly led Shui Miao through the Ghost Gate and back to the surface.
Standing completely still, Shui Miao’s thoughts raced, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t untangle the many doubts in his heart.
※※※
Huangquan Patriarch and Zhuge Suo Pan stood beside Shui Miao, watching him while secretly communicating through mental telepathy.
“Strategist, quickly help me make a decision. According to the book, once the Thunder Soul Body is completed, the cultivator soon receives the Ascension Force from the Immortal Realm. Yet, I’ve already succeeded in my cultivation for quite some time, and I haven’t sensed any Ascension Force at all. I suspect I might need more cultivation time. But since the Nine Cauldron Furnace is now in Shui Miao’s hands, should I take this opportunity to kill him and reclaim the furnace?”
Using the Soul-Devouring Power to refine Ye Xian’s soul and obtain his memories was something Shui Miao had always wanted to do. Now, the opportunity had finally arrived.
Under the corrosion of the Soul-Devouring Power, Ye Xian couldn’t help but feel terrified.
“Ugh… I miscalculated…”
“I never expected your cultivation progress to far exceed my imagination, Shui Miao!”
“No wonder you were able to rescue Bai Feng, and no wonder you could stop the Yellow Spring Ancestor from mastering the Thunder Soul Body…”
Ye Xian was shocked repeatedly. Even at death’s door, he only expressed astonishment and showed no intention of begging for mercy.
Shui Miao felt slightly curious and also worried that Ye Xian might have some other means of escape, so he focused his energy on devouring Ye Xian’s soul.
Ye Xian’s soul was already weak, and under Shui Miao’s full-force devouring, he couldn’t hold on for long.
“Hahaha…” Suddenly, Ye Xian laughed. “Shui Miao, you must be very curious about who you were in your past life, right? You must want to obtain my memories to resolve the doubts in your heart. But unfortunately, I won’t let you have your way. I want you to live forever in doubt, never able to uncover the truth. I still have a spirit hidden elsewhere, and I can be reborn again. But you can’t—you only have one life. Once you fail, you lose completely. I can afford to lose, but you can’t. Hahaha…”
So that was it—he was relying on his spirit to be reborn!
Shui Miao was stunned. He finally understood why Ye Xian wasn’t begging for mercy. But what puzzled Shui Miao even more were Ye Xian’s words, prompting him to retort, “Who are you? Why are you toying with me?”
Shui Miao said this deliberately to test Ye Xian.
Ye Xian, however, focused his mind and began to disintegrate his own soul, coldly saying, “Do you really think your luck is that good? Little do you know, all of this is part of a scheme we set up. You’re just a small pawn. Still, I have to admit, you’ve worked hard as that pawn. Oh, and I can tell you one more secret: I’m leaving now, but soon, others will come to help you improve your cultivation, making you, the pawn, stronger and stronger. Keep working hard… Hahaha…”
Ye Xian’s soul completely dissipated amid his laughter.
Shui Miao withdrew the Soul-Devouring Power and stood there in a daze.
His mind was reeling. Suddenly, he felt as though he really was just a pawn, and that everything that had happened was part of someone’s scheme to use him. Otherwise, how could an ordinary mortal like him, who had practiced the same martial arts as his grandfather, so quickly attain unimaginable spiritual power, immortal power, and even the Soul-Devouring Power? It all seemed too easy, didn’t it?
Shui Miao stood motionless, his thoughts racing, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t unravel the doubts in his heart.
※※※
The Yellow Spring Ancestor and Zhuge Abacus stood beside Shui Miao, watching him while secretly communicating through mental transmission.
“Advisor, help me make a decision. According to the texts, shortly after mastering the Thunder Soul Body, a cultivator should feel the summoning force of the immortal realm and ascend to the immortal world. But I’ve succeeded for a while now and haven’t sensed any summoning force at all. I suspect I still need to cultivate for some time. But the Nine Cauldron Pill Furnace is in Shui Miao’s hands. Should I take this chance to destroy him and seize it back?”
The Yellow Spring Ancestor was not an honorable man. He believed that circumstances change, and if necessary, he would not hesitate to destroy Shui Miao’s soul and take the pill furnace from him.
Hearing this, the usually upright Zhuge Abacus was startled. For some reason, he suddenly thought of Bai Feng and how she referred to Shui Miao as her younger brother. He felt he should speak up for Shui Miao. “Ancestor, I advise you not to do this. This Shui Miao may be hiding unexpected depths. Besides, you already agreed to give him the Nine Cauldron Pill Furnace…”
“I never agreed to that—Ye Xian did. Also, his strength is nothing special. He’s hardly hiding any unexpected depths…”
The Yellow Spring Ancestor had already made up his mind to kill. He didn’t acknowledge his previous promises and completely disregarded the vows he had made earlier.
The Yellow Spring Ancestor slowly moved closer to Shui Miao, secretly gathering thunder power, ready to launch a surprise attack!
Zhuge Abacus grew anxious. He suddenly realized how much he despised the Yellow Spring Ancestor. He was well aware of the Ancestor’s selfish and sinister nature. Once the Ancestor ascended to the immortal realm, he would undoubtedly abandon the Yellow Spring Sect without a second thought. What would become of him, the advisor? Wouldn’t he also be cast aside?
Thinking about his loyalty, how he had been framed by Ye Xian and others for the Ancestor’s sake, and how centuries of cultivation had been ruined in an instant, Zhuge Abacus felt a chill in his heart. Now that the Ancestor had mastered the Thunder Soul Body, he paid no attention to Zhuge Abacus and didn’t even offer him pills to restore his cultivation. As he watched the Ancestor prepare to ambush Shui Miao, Zhuge Abacus suddenly cried out, “Ancestor, I’ve thought of something!”
“What!”
The Yellow Spring Ancestor was startled and quickly withdrew his thunder power, turning to look at Zhuge Abacus.
Shui Miao also snapped out of his daze and turned to look at Zhuge Abacus.
Seeing the Ancestor glaring at him with fury in his eyes, Zhuge Abacus hurriedly said, “Ancestor, have you forgotten where we are? To feel the summoning force, you must go to the mortal world!”
“Ah! How could I have forgotten that! I’ll go now, right away…”
Upon hearing this, the Yellow Spring Ancestor was overjoyed. Impatient, he immediately left Shui Miao and Zhuge Abacus behind, flying straight to the surface.
As soon as the Ancestor left, Zhuge Abacus rushed to Shui Miao’s ear and whispered urgently, “Hurry and leave! The Ancestor was just about to ambush you and take back the Nine Cauldron Pill Furnace. I came up with this idea in desperation, but I don’t know if it will work. If you don’t leave now, when will you?”
“Why are you helping me?” Influenced by Ye Xian’s words, Shui Miao wondered if Zhuge Abacus was also someone sent to assist him.
Having acted out of kindness only to be met with suspicion, Zhuge Abacus blinked and said, “I don’t know why. I just felt you shouldn’t die. The Ancestor is untrustworthy and goes back on his word. I felt I should save you.”
“…”
Seeing Zhuge Abacus’s sincere expression and finding no deceit in his words, Shui Miao frowned but immediately activated his Wind Riding Technique and flew away.
While meditating earlier, Shui Miao had learned the Wind Riding Technique from Bai Feng.
Shui Miao only knew the way through the Yellow Spring Swamp, so he flew unsteadily back to the Yellow Spring Inn, where he met Lao Cai and the others.
Turning around, he saw that Zhuge Abacus was still following him. Puzzled, Shui Miao was about to speak when Zhuge Abacus urgently said, “Don’t waste any more time. Let’s hurry to the surface. If the Ancestor successfully ascends to the immortal realm, only then can we breathe easy. If he doesn’t, your lives will be in danger. He will definitely come back for the Nine Cauldron Pill Furnace.”
“Alright, let’s go to the surface now!”
Lao Cai, wise and experienced, understood the severity of the situation. He quickly led Shui Miao through the Ghost Gate and back to the surface.
Upon hearing this idea, Zhuge Suo Pan, who was usually upright and principled, was immediately alarmed. For some reason, Zhuge Suo Pan suddenly thought of Bai Feng, and how she addressed Shui Miao as her younger brother, so he felt he should speak up for Shui Miao. “Patriarch, I advise you not to do this. Shui Miao might be hiding formidable strength, and besides, you’ve already promised to give him the Nine Cauldron Furnace…”
“I never promised! That was Ye Xian’s promise. Also, his power is nothing special—he’s definitely not hiding any great strength…”
Huangquan Patriarch had murder in his heart, completely disregarding his previous oaths, and cast aside all the vows he had made earlier.
Huangquan Patriarch slowly approached Shui Miao, secretly activating his Thunder Force, preparing to launch a sudden attack!
Zhuge Suo Pan’s heart grew anxious. Suddenly, he realized how much he despised Huangquan Patriarch. He was well aware of Huangquan Patriarch’s selfish and treacherous nature. Once Huangquan Patriarch ascended to the Immortal Realm, he would certainly abandon the Huangquan Sect, leaving Zhuge Suo Pan, the strategist, behind. What was he anyway? Just another pawn to be discarded.
Thinking of his own loyalty, how he had been framed by Ye Xian and others, his centuries of cultivation ruined, and now that Huangquan Patriarch had succeeded in cultivating the Thunder Soul Body, he hadn’t even offered Zhuge Suo Pan any pills to restore his cultivation. Zhuge Suo Pan felt a chill creeping into his heart. Seeing the Patriarch taking advantage of Shui Miao’s distraction, preparing to launch a sneak attack, Zhuge Suo Pan suddenly shouted, “Patriarch, I just remembered something!”
“What?!”
Startled, Huangquan Patriarch hastily withdrew his Thunder Force and turned to look at Zhuge Suo Pan.
Shui Miao was also startled and snapped out of his daze, turning to look at Zhuge Suo Pan as well.
Seeing the Patriarch glaring at him, eyes filled with rage, Zhuge Suo Pan quickly said, “Patriarch, have you forgotten where we are? To receive the Ascension Force, you must go to the Yang World!”
“Oh! How could I forget such a thing! I’m leaving now, right now…”
Upon hearing this, Huangquan Patriarch immediately became excited. He couldn’t wait any longer, so he dropped Shui Miao and Zhuge Suo Pan and immediately flew off toward the surface.
Once Huangquan Patriarch was gone, Zhuge Suo Pan quickly approached Shui Miao, lowering his voice and urging him, “Hurry up and escape! The Patriarch was about to sneak attack you and reclaim the Nine Cauldron Furnace. I thought of this plan on the spur of the moment—I don’t know if it will work. If you don’t leave now, when will you?”
“Why would you help me?” Shui Miao, influenced by Ye Xian, wondered in his heart. Could it be that Zhuge Suo Pan was also someone sent to help him?
It was strange for a kind-hearted rescuer to be suspected like this, but Zhuge Suo Pan blinked and said, “I don’t know why either, but I just feel you don’t deserve to die. The Patriarch is untrustworthy, breaking his promises, so I should save you.”
“…”
Seeing Zhuge Suo Pan’s sincere expression, seemingly not lying, Shui Miao furrowed his brows and immediately activated the Wind Riding Technique to flee.
Earlier while meditating, Shui Miao had learned the Wind Riding Technique from Bai Feng.
Shui Miao only knew the way back through Huangquan Marsh, so he awkwardly flew back to Huangquan Inn, arriving and meeting Old Cai and the others.
Turning around, he saw Zhuge Suo Pan still following him, which puzzled him. Just as he was about to speak, Zhuge Suo Pan urgently said, “Don’t waste any more time. Let’s hurry to the surface. If the Patriarch successfully ascends to the Immortal Realm, then we can finally relax. But if he fails, your lives will be in grave danger—he will definitely come back to seize the Nine Cauldron Furnace.”
“Alright, let’s go to the surface now!”
Old Cai, experienced and knowledgeable, sensed the seriousness of the situation and quickly led Shui Miao out of the Ghost Gate, returning to the surface world.
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