Translator: CinderTL
"Little friend Jin, we've been here for nearly two hours. Why hasn't this ghost cultivator you mentioned shown himself yet?" Yun Xinghai's brow furrowed slightly, his tone tinged with impatience.
As he spoke, his gaze swept the surroundings like a hawk's, his divine sense radiating outward without restraint. From the Clear Spirit Market at the foot of the mountain to the slightest rustle of grass two thousand miles away, nothing escaped his perception.
Jin Xiuqi, equally vigilant, clasped his hands in a respectful bow. "Senior, I sent him a message earlier, and he replied that he would arrive as soon as possible. He should be nearby, but I don't know why he hasn't appeared yet."
Yun Xinghai replied, "Then we'll wait a little longer. Let's hope he shows up. Otherwise, don't blame this old man for disregarding my friendship with your father and tossing you into the Pill Furnace to refine you into a Vitality Pill."
The Vitality Pill was the most common life-extending medicinal pill in the Qicang Domain, known to virtually every high-tier cultivator.
This pill was crafted by refining a living person along with numerous Spirit Herbs, but it only extended one's lifespan by a few months to a few years, depending on the cultivator's cultivation level and remaining life essence.
The efficacy of the Vitality Pill diminished with each successive dose. By the tenth pill, its life-extending effect became negligible, almost imperceptible.
Yun Xinghai had already consumed a vast quantity of Vitality Pills, rendering the medicine completely ineffective for him. Yet he continued to take them regularly, as if they were mere sugar pills.
Jin Xiuqi knew Yun Xinghai's threat was no idle boast. Given his current temperament, he was indeed capable of such an act.
However, Jin Xiuqi remained unconcerned.
The ghost cultivator would inevitably appear.
Having gone to such lengths, he couldn't possibly abandon his plan at the final moment.
"Senior, please remember our agreement. Once you obtain the complete Devouring Soul Array, you must capture this person. Afterward, I will mobilize the Jin Family's resources to help you swiftly gather the medicinal human sacrifices required for the array."
To prevent eavesdropping, Jin Xiuqi conveyed this message through spiritual sense transmission.
Yun Xinghai replied telepathically, "This is a trivial matter. As long as I acquire the Devouring Soul Array today, everything will proceed as you wish."
"Thank you, Senior," Jin Xiuqi said.
At that moment, Yun Xinghai's expression subtly shifted. He turned his gaze toward the southwestern horizon.
"Someone is approaching."
Seeing this, Jin Xiuqi also turned his gaze and divine sense toward the southwest.
However, he saw nothing.
"May I ask, Senior, is it an elderly ghost cultivator?"
Yun Xinghai shook his head. "No. It's a peerlessly beautiful female cultivator."
Jin Xiuqi was momentarily puzzled, but his expression quickly shifted from doubt to joy.
He moved to fly southwestward, but just as he rose three feet off the ground, a powerful force slammed him back down.
"Don't act rashly!" Yun Xinghai warned sternly.
He hadn't yet obtained the Devouring Soul Array and wanted to avoid any complications.
"Is this woman your beloved? She certainly possesses celestial beauty."
"Senior's eyes are sharp as ever. It is indeed Li Yue." Jin Xiuqi gazed excitedly southwestward, his eyes fixed on the rapidly approaching figure.
"Didn't you say she was kidnapped? Why would she come alone?" Yun Xinghai frowned, his tone laced with suspicion.
Jin Xiuqi stiffened slightly, then hesitated before whispering, "Could she have escaped on her own?"
Yun Xinghai replied coldly, "Absolutely not. If she had escaped, how would she know we're here?"
A wave of intense unease washed over Jin Xiuqi.
Yun Xinghai sensed a faint killing intent emanating from Ye Bing, fearing she might suddenly attack "Li Yue."
However, "Li Yue's" sudden appearance was indeed suspicious, making it impossible not to harbor doubts.
As they spoke, Ye Bing approached, stopping about three miles away in mid-air.
"Junior greets Senior Yun and Fellow Daoist Jin," Ye Bing said, bowing with clasped hands.
"Li Yue, did you escape?" Jin Xiuqi's suppressed excitement surged back, even more intense than before. He moved to greet her again, but Ye Bing stopped him.
"Fellow Daoist Jin, don't come any closer!" Ye Bing's voice trembled with panic, as if terrified of Jin Xiuqi's approach.
Jin Xiuqi froze, his face etched with worry. "Li Yue, what's wrong?"
Ye Bing's expression darkened. "Someone planted the Soul Burial Curse in my Sea of Consciousness. I was forced to come here for this exchange. If I don't return in time, my soul will scatter and my spirit will vanish."
"This..."
Jin Xiuqi's face twisted with panic and helplessness. He turned to Yun Xinghai, his eyes pleading for help.
Yun Xinghai's gaze remained icy, his eyes scrutinizing Ye Bing with suspicion.
"Open your Sea of Consciousness. This old man needs to examine it."
"Yes!"
Ye Bing obeyed, exposing her Sea of Consciousness to their scrutiny.
The Sea of Consciousness was a vast, empty void.
At its deepest point, Ye Bing's divine soul stood alone in the void.
Surrounding her soul were four colossal black pythons.
Their massive bodies radiated waves of dark energy.
They reared their heads, looming menacingly over Ye Bing's soul, their fangs bared in gaping maws as they glared down at her.
Compared to these monstrous pythons, Ye Bing's soul appeared utterly insignificant and helpless, as if it could be swallowed whole at any moment.
"It is indeed the Soul Burial Curse," Yun Xinghai declared.
Jin Xiuqi's face drained of color as he exclaimed anxiously, "Li Yue, how could you allow someone to plant the Soul Burial Curse in your Sea of Consciousness?"
Ye Bing's expression twisted into a bitter smile. "My life is in another's hands. What choice did I have but to submit?"
The Soul Burial Curse was an exceptionally malevolent technique. With a mere thought, the caster could inflict torment worse than death upon the cursed victim, or even scatter their soul and spirit into oblivion.
However, the conditions for casting this curse were exceedingly stringent. The victim had to completely open their Sea of Consciousness, offering no mental resistance whatsoever, for the curse to take hold.
It was precisely because of this that people would willingly allow the Soul Burial Curse to be planted within them, often only when facing imminent death.
This curse bore some resemblance to the Soul Lock Curse of the Lower Realm.
However, the Soul Lock Curse targeted the soul and could only be cast on cultivators below the Divine Transformation Realm. In contrast, the Soul Burial Curse targeted the divine soul and could imprison anyone who had not yet ascended to immortality.
Yet the Soul Burial Curse within Ye Bing's Sea of Consciousness had not been imposed by an outsider; she had planted it herself.
"Senior Yun, do you know how to break this curse?" Jin Xiuqi asked urgently.
Yun Xinghai shook his head. "Breaking this curse is extremely difficult. This old one cannot do it. Perhaps if your Jin Family's Void Refinement Stage fellow daoists joined forces, they might have a chance. But let's discuss the trade first."
Yun Xinghai cared nothing for Ye Bing's life or death; he only wanted the Devouring Soul Array as quickly as possible to extend his own lifespan.
He had originally planned to capture the ghost cultivator if they appeared and interrogate them about their origins. He was certain the formation was not from the Qicang Domain but rather an external artifact. This had piqued his curiosity about the ghost cultivator's true identity.
However, the ghost cultivator wisely remained hidden. Yun Xinghai decided to postpone further investigation, focusing instead on completing the trade and returning to prepare for deploying the formation as soon as possible.
(End of the Chapter)
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