After the mysterious figure vanished, Meng Meng stood silently atop a barren mountain. The air was thick, heavy ten times denser than normal. Powerful gusts of wind tore across the wasteland, forcing his long hair to flutter wildly. Yet despite the crushing pressure, Meng Meng stood firm. His body trembled slightly, but no major injury appeared only a faint hindrance to his movement.
The endless desert stretched in all directions gray, lifeless, and silent. The land beneath him was cracked and soaked in an ancient aura of death. Every grain of sand carried the faint whisper of slaughter and despair. As Meng Meng closed his eyes and extended his divine sense, fragments of chaotic energy pulsed beneath the ground.
"This…" he muttered, eyes narrowing, "this place is… the Dead Land."
His face turned pale. He bit his tongue to remain calm, and a bitter taste of blood filled his mouth. He had heard of this place from his ancestors the battlefield oof ancient cultivator, where countless powerful souls had perished.
He searched the surroundings through his soul sense, spreading his perception far and wide. Being the young master of the Soul Family, he was adept in reading soul memories. He had once been trained to search the deepest fragments of a lingering soul and so, as he found the faint, broken trace of the City Lord's soul, he immediately scanned it.
The moment he delved into its memory, understanding struck him like thunder. The city lord had once been an acquaintance of Meng Meng's ancestor and through his memories, Meng Meng realized the horrifying truth.
The excessive absorption of souls within his soul orb had caused its structure to crack. If he didn't release all the souls he had devoured, his soul orb would collapse, and he would perish instantly.
Meng Meng's pupils contracted sharply. The realization made his heart pound as a chilling wave swept through him.
He bit his tongue once more, forcing himself to stay calm. "So that's how it is…" he whispered. "If I wish to survive, I must release all the souls I've taken in…"
He looked up at the dull, dead sky. His lips curled into a faint, helpless smile.
His original cultivation had been at the ninth step Qi cultivator, but through fate and chance he had reach golden core. Now, to survive, he had to let all of that go to return to what he once was, or perhaps even lower.
A moment of hesitation flickered across his face. The thought of losing everything… of falling back into weakness… burned like acid in his veins. But then the image of Meng Ping surfaced in his mind her fragile smile, her innocent eyes. His fists clenched tightly, nails digging into his palms.
He bit his tongue again, blood dripping down his chin. Then, with sheer resolve, he knelt on one knee and began to release the bound souls.
A piercing roar tore through the wasteland as his soul orb quivered violently. Cracks spread across his spiritual sea, and pain unlike anything he had ever felt consumed him. He could feel thousands of souls leaving his core, rushing upward like streaks of dim light, swirling into the sky.
His body shuddered; his vision blurred. Yet his will remained firm.
One by one, the souls escaped thousands upon thousands — until his inner world turned hollow. His once-brilliant soul orb dimmed, its light fading until only seven flickering stars remained.
From golden core, he fell not merely to Qi , but even below his original ninth step Qi cultivation, to a frail, barely stable seventh step Qi cultivation.
after that he ignored his drop and cultivation and sated to wonder why would that mysterious figure help him. Even though Meng Meng looked clumsy he was a cautious person he thought about that matter and came to a conclusion he must want the heaven might bone!
killing inter surged from his his eyes.
but due to extreme exhaustion he couldn't do any thing and decided to first find a way to recover.
killing intend despaired from his eyes and with a calm expression said "I am just overthinking with his power he can just take it with force and don't need any schemes to take that"
he let out a sign of relief.
He collapsed to his knees, panting, eyes dim yet burning with an unyielding light. "As long as there's a chance…" he whispered hoarsely, "I, Meng Meng, will pursue it to the end."