nashuaworldcup Chapter 287 Breaking the seal and extinguishing the soul!
Chapter 287 Breaking the seal and extinguishing the soul!
Chapter 287 Breaking the seal and extinguishing the soul!
"As expected, it has already eroded to this extent..." Upon seeing this, Chen Jinshu's heart sank a little.
The soul imprint was too deeply integrated with the host's soul; forcibly separating it would be tantamount to tearing Jiang Yi's soul apart.
However, if left unchecked, once Xuan Yinzi's main soul awakens, Jiang Yi will undoubtedly die, at which point Xuan Yinzi will be considered a true reincarnation through possession.
She hesitated for a moment, then withdrew her divine sense and said to Jiang Yi, whose face was covered in cold sweat:
“The soul imprint has become one with your soul, and ordinary methods cannot eradicate it. There is only one method that we can risk trying.”
"What method? Any method is acceptable as long as we can survive!" Jiang Yi asked breathlessly.
"With the power of the 'Soul-Nourishing Wood,' I will nurture your soul and enhance its resilience. At the same time, I will use a secret method to guide the transfer of the soul imprint to a substitute puppet."
Chen Jinshu slowly said, "This technique is dangerous and requires your full cooperation. Moreover, the pain of your soul being torn apart during the process is something that ordinary people cannot endure."
Jiang Yi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, grinned, and the smile looked particularly tragic against his pale face:
"Don't worry, senior. I may not be good at other things, but I am tough and can withstand pain."
Chen Jinshu said no more and took out the piece of ten-thousand-year-old soul-nourishing wood from his storage bag.
The wood is dark and deep, with a subtle, warm, and spiritual light flowing through it.
She held her fingers together like a knife, cut off a section the size of a thumb, and refined it with alchemical fire into a ball of liquid soul essence, which she then held in her palm.
"Open your mouth."
Jiang Yi opened his mouth as instructed, and the essence of his soul transformed into a stream of light that entered his throat.
In an instant, a gentle yet powerful soul force rose from his abdomen, rapidly nourishing his damaged soul.
He groaned, and some color returned to his face.
"Next, no matter how much pain you experience, keep your mind clear and guard your spirit."
Chen Jinshu said in a deep voice, his hands forming a hand seal once again.
This time, what she gathered at her fingertips was no longer the spiritual power of the green wood, but a trace of the creative energy of the Mysterious Female Treasure Furnace, mixed with the soul-soothing and calming rhythm of the "Zhou Tian Xing Yue Yin" (a text on divination), transforming into countless pale silver runes that slowly disappeared into Jiang Yi's brow.
"what!!!"
Jiang Yi let out a shrill scream, curled up like a shrimp, trembled violently, and blood seeped from his seven orifices.
"Master, his soul is unstable, and the backlash of the soul imprint has begun!" Qingheng said urgently upon seeing this.
Upon hearing this, Chen Jinshu's gaze sharpened, and the hand seals in his hands suddenly changed!
"The Mysterious Female is the furnace, from which creation and life arise—Suppress!"
She let out a low shout, and her body shone with a bright blue light. Behind her, the faint image of an ancient cauldron, three zhang tall, appeared.
Chaotic patterns flowed on the furnace wall, and the furnace mouth opened wide, spewing out wisps of warm and gentle creative energy, which flowed into Jiang Yi's sea of consciousness along the threads of his divine sense.
Wherever that aura of creation passed, Jiang Yi's soul, which was on the verge of collapse, was stabilized as if it had been parched and received timely rain.
"Qingheng, help me!" Chen Jinshu transmitted his voice.
She originally intended to use a transfer method, but now that the soul imprint is fluctuating abnormally, she can only try to eliminate it...
"coming!"
With a flash of light, the jade hairpin revealed the small figure of Qingheng, which hovered on Chen Jinshu's shoulder.
She clasped her hands together loosely, her emerald eyes shimmering with light, and her whole being radiated an intensely rich vitality of plants.
The vitality condensed into a pillar of emerald light, which merged with Chen Jinshu's aura of creation, transforming into a stream of azure light that slowly enveloped the gray mist within Jiang Yi's soul.
"Zi la..."
As if encountering its nemesis, the fog churned violently, countless hideous faces appearing on its surface, emitting silent shrieks!
Jiang Yi's body convulsed, his face drained of color, but two strange, eerie green lights suddenly burst forth from his eyes!
"You brat... how dare you ruin my plans!"
A cold, aged, and venomous voice squeezed out of Jiang Yi's throat, overlapping with his original clear voice, making it sound particularly eerie.
Chen Jinshu's eyes turned cold: "Xuan Yinzi!"
"Indeed...it is I!"
The body, temporarily controlled by Xuan Yinzi's remnant soul, slowly raised its head, revealing a twisted smile on its face.
That smile resembled Jiang Yi by three parts, but by seven parts the sinister look of a strange old man.
"I never expected... that you, a mere junior, would find me while I was hiding in a vessel to nurture my soul... and even dared to try to remove my soul imprint? Wishful thinking!"
He suddenly raised his hand, his five fingers forming a claw, the tips of which were swirling with a dark, sinister aura, and grabbed directly at Chen Jinshu's door!
This seemingly simple grab contained the Yin Sha true meaning at the Golden Core level. Wherever it passed, the air froze, and layers of white frost instantly condensed on the stone wall.
Chen Jinshu was prepared. He flashed backward, his figure like a wisp of smoke, retreating three zhang, while simultaneously raising his right hand.
"Clang!"
A dark ink-colored ancient zither, resembling a star and moon, appeared out of thin air and rested across his lap.
Her fingertips brushed across the strings, and clear, melodious music flowed out like a spring. The sound waves condensed into visible pale silver ripples, meeting the sinister claws that were grabbing at her!
"laugh--!"
The sound waves collided with the ghost claws, producing a piercing corrosive sound.
The Yin energy was continuously purified and dissolved by the moonlight sound waves, but the ghost claws continued their momentum, still grabbing at Chen Jinshu's throat!
"A mere trick!" Xuan Yinzi's remnant soul sneered, controlling Jiang Yi's body to step forward, his other hand forming a hand seal while he chanted incantations.
In an instant, a cold wind rose in the cave, and countless tiny black ice insects crawled out from the frost on the ground, flapping their wings and flying towards Chen Jinshu!
"Master, be careful! It's the 'Mysterious Yin Ice Gu'!"
Qingheng exclaimed in surprise, and with a wave of her small hand, emerald green vines sprouted from the ground, intertwining into a net in an attempt to intercept the ice poison.
However, there were too many ice gu, and they contained yin evil cold poison. The vines were frozen and corroded the moment they touched them, and collapsed in the blink of an eye.
Chen Jinshu remained calm, pressing the strings with his left hand and plucking them with his right hand!
"Ding, dong, zheng, zheng—"
The music suddenly intensified, like the clash of swords and the thunder of horses, or like a galaxy hanging upside down!
Seven star-like spots lit up from the body of the zither, merging with the moonlight falling from the sky, transforming into seven silvery-white beams of light that shone with starlight. Like meteors falling to earth, they shot towards Xuan Yinzi's remnant soul and the countless ice Gu!
"Boom!!"
Wherever the beam of light passed, the ice gu, like snow meeting the blazing sun, instantly vaporized.
Jiang Yi's body, controlled by Xuan Yinzi's remnant soul, was struck by three beams of light, and most of the Yin energy dissipated!
"Pfft!" Jiang Yi spat out a mouthful of black blood, his eyes flashing with a dark green light. The roar of Xuan Yinzi's remnant soul intertwined with Jiang Yi's pain.
"The power of stars and moon... You actually obtained the Star and Moon Ancient Zither?" For the first time, Xuan Yinzi's remnant soul's voice carried a hint of shock.
"Impossible! This instrument has long been lost..."
"Shut up." Chen Jinshu interrupted coldly, and the music changed again!
This time, the music was melodious and ethereal, like a clear spring flowing under the moon, or like a night breeze blowing through a bamboo forest.
The sound waves transformed into countless fine silver threads, silently wrapping around Jiang Yi's body, drilling into his seven orifices, and heading straight for the gray mist deep within his sea of consciousness!
"Ah!! I am not reconciled!!" Xuan Yinzi's remnant soul let out a mournful roar, and the gray mist struggled wildly, trying to fight back.
However, the power of the stars and moon is specifically effective against yin spirits and ghosts, and with the life force of the green lotus assisting from the side, the foundation of the mist is constantly weakened.
Within moments, the mist shrank and dimmed at a visible speed. "Qingheng, now!" Chen Jinshu shouted.
"understand!"
Qingheng's bright eyes shone, her hands formed a hand seal, and her whole body burst with vitality, transforming into a verdant vortex, which she fiercely inhaled at the gray mist that was about to dissipate!
"Do not!!!"
The last, unwilling roar of Xuan Yinzi's remnant soul came to an abrupt end.
The gray mist completely dissipated, transforming into a wisp of pure, yet unconscious soul power, which was drawn into Qingheng's vortex of life force and merged into her small body.
"Hiccup~"
Qingheng let out a small burp, a faint blush rising on her jade-like cheeks, her eyes sparkling as if she had received a great boost.
Jiang Yi's body went limp, and he fell straight backward, crashing onto the cold ground with a "thud," whereupon he remained motionless.
The cave returned to silence, with only the occasional dripping of water from the spiritual spring and Chen Jinshu's slightly rapid breathing.
She slowly withdrew her stance, the illusory image of the Star Moon Guqin dissipated, and the light of the blue lotus birthmark between her brows gradually dimmed.
Fine beads of sweat had formed on his forehead, and his face was slightly pale.
The battle just now, though seemingly brief, was actually dangerous. Using the power of the stars and moon to suppress the remnant soul of the Golden Core cultivator with the sound of the zither greatly depleted her divine sense and spiritual power.
"Master, are you alright?" Qingheng flew to her shoulder, gently stroking her cheek with her small hand, her eyes full of worry.
"It's alright." Chen Jinshu shook his head, his gaze falling on the unconscious Jiang Yi.
"Go see him."
She walked to Jiang Yi's side, squatted down, and placed her fingertips on his wrist to feel his pulse.
His pulse was weak but still present, but his spiritual energy fluctuations had plummeted to rock bottom. His cultivation level, which was originally at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, had now dropped to the level of the early Foundation Establishment stage, and his foundation was unstable. Clearly, his soul had been severely damaged.
Chen Jinshu took out a gentle, nourishing pill and put it into Jiang Yi's mouth, then used his spiritual power to help it dissolve.
A moment later, Jiang Yi's eyelids twitched, and he slowly opened his eyes.
The eerie green light in those eyes was gone, replaced only by a bottomless weariness and bewilderment.
He stared blankly at the cave ceiling for a long while before struggling to turn his eyes to look at Chen Jinshu.
“Senior…” His voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible.
"The soul imprint has been removed, and Xuan Yinzi's remnant soul has been destroyed," Chen Jinshu said succinctly.
Jiang Yi's body trembled, and a bright light suddenly burst forth in his eyes, but that light was quickly blurred by the water vapor.
He struggled to get up, but his body was too weak, and he could only say in a trembling voice:
"Thank you so much, senior... for saving my life..."
Chen Jinshu helped him sit against the rock wall and handed him a pot of water.
Jiang Yi took it, tilted his head back and gulped down several mouthfuls. Clear water mixed with blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, but he was completely unaware, only concerned with panting.
Once he had caught his breath, he looked at Chen Jinshu and said with a wry smile, "This junior, Jiang Yi... has made a fool of himself in front of you, senior."
"Tell me. The Jiang family, Xuan Yinzi, and you."
Jiang Yi remained silent for a moment, a look of reminiscence flashing in his eyes.
"The Jiang family... was once a small cultivation family in the 'Crimson Flame Mountains' area of southern Xinjiang. Their ancestors included a Golden Core cultivator and passed down the 'Crimson Flame Sword Manual,' so they were quite well-known in the area."
His voice was low and deep as he spoke slowly:
"But three hundred years ago, after the last Golden Core ancestor of the family passed away, no one else was able to form a Golden Core. Generation after generation, the family declined, and by my father's generation, there were only a dozen or so cultivators left, barely clinging to life in the ancestral land."
"I was diagnosed with dual spiritual roots of wood and fire from a young age. My aptitude is quite good, and my family has high hopes for me."
He began his studies at six, began practicing Qi cultivation at ten, and reached Foundation Establishment at fifteen… He thought he could revive his family, but unexpectedly…
He paused, his fingers unconsciously stroking the scar on his left cheek.
"This scar was left when I was eighteen. At that time, I had just established my foundation and went out to train. Deep in the Crimson Flame Mountains, I encountered a 'Crimson Scale Python' at the peak of the second tier and almost lost my life. A black-robed old Taoist who was passing by saved me."
"The old Taoist called himself 'Xuan Yinzi' and said that I had extraordinary talent, but was trapped in a small clan and could not achieve great things. He was willing to take me as a disciple and teach me more advanced fire-type techniques to help me improve my cultivation quickly."
A sarcastic smile tugged at the corners of Jiang Yi's lips:
"I was young and ignorant at the time, and I was eager to become stronger and revitalize my family, so I believed him. I left the Southern Frontier with him and went to a secluded cave in the Eastern Region to cultivate. He did teach me some cultivation techniques and gave me a lot of pills and resources. My cultivation level improved by leaps and bounds in just a few years, breaking through from the early stage of Foundation Establishment all the way to the middle stage."
“But soon, I realized something was wrong.” Fear appeared in his eyes.
“Every time I cultivate to a deeper level, I always feel that there is a foreign object spying on my soul. I often have unfamiliar fragments of memories in my dreams, and sometimes I can’t even tell who I am. I asked Xuan Yinzi, and he only said that the cultivation method is special and needs to be nurtured with the soul. It will become clear after the golden elixir is formed.”
"Until three years ago, during one of my cultivation practices, I suffered a qi deviation and my soul was violently shaken. I accidentally 'saw' a gray mark that Xuan Yinzi had hidden deep in my sea of consciousness... and I also 'heard' his spiritual communication with another person."
Jiang Yi's body trembled slightly:
"Only then did I realize that I was not a disciple at all, but one of the three 'physical vessels' he had chosen to cultivate the 'Three Elements Body Seizure and Rebirth Secret Record'!"
He had already planted a soul imprint in my soul, waiting only for me to reach the Golden Core stage so he could perfectly seize my body and inherit everything from me!
“I want to escape… but the soul imprint is already deep, and he will notice any slight movement. I can only pretend not to know and secretly look for a way to remove the soul imprint, while deliberately slowing down my cultivation speed to delay his opportunity to possess my body.”
“A month ago, I suddenly sensed a violent fluctuation in the Soul Imprint, and Xuan Yinzi’s aura became extremely weak, as if he had been severely injured.”
I realized my chance had come. Taking advantage of his inability to control the soul seal, I fled the cave that very night, heading west, hoping to escape back to the Southern Frontier and find a way to remove the soul seal…
He looked at Chen Jinshu, his eyes filled with lingering fear:
"Unexpectedly, as soon as I entered the Southern Frontier, I was targeted by the Sand Bandit Alliance. They got the news from somewhere and put a reward on my capture. It must have been Xuan Yinzi or someone from the Yin Sha Sect who issued the reward."
I hid here and there, even escaping into the swamp of putrid venom, but they still found me… If it weren't for your rescue, I would probably have been captured long ago, or… completely possessed by Xuan Yinzi.”
After listening, Chen Jinshu nodded slightly: "It roughly matches what you know."
She looked at Jiang Yi: "Although the soul imprint has been removed, your soul has been severely damaged, your cultivation level has dropped to the early stage of Foundation Establishment, and your foundation has been damaged. It is feared that you will have difficulty making any progress in your cultivation in the future."
Jiang Yi smiled, a smile filled with relief:
"It's a miracle that I survived. I can practice my cultivation again, and I can slowly rebuild my foundation... It's better than becoming that old demon's walking corpse."
He struggled to his feet and bowed solemnly to Chen Jinshu:
"I will never forget your life-saving grace, senior. I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse for the rest of my life to repay your great kindness!"
Chen Jinshu looked at him and suddenly asked, "Where is the Jiang family now?"
Jiang Yi's expression darkened:
"Before I fled, my family had only seven or eight old and weak cultivators left, living in seclusion in a valley on the edge of the Crimson Flame Mountains, mingling with mortals, and had long lost the grandeur of a cultivation family."
I returned to see if they were alright... but in my current state, I fear I have no face to face my people again.”
Chen Jinshu pondered for a moment and said, "You will stay with me for a while. Once your injuries have stabilized, I can send you back to the Jiang family or find you a place to stay."
Tears welled up in Jiang Yi's eyes, and he bowed deeply once more:
"It's all up to you, senior."