Chapter 92: Severing Three Souls and Seven Spirits
Inside the Youxiang Restaurant.
A woman in white, her eyes closed, played a melodious tune on the zither in the pavilion erected in the center of the restaurant.
However, a starkly contrasting scene unfolded less than twenty meters away, in one of the four private rooms on the third floor.
The four private rooms were located in the four cardinal directions. The Tianhai Gang and Medicine Gang’s meeting was in the East Tranquil Pavilion, while Nangong Mengxiang sensed Little Martial Aunt’s faint aura in the West Quiet Spring Pavilion.
After rushing out of the East Tranquil Pavilion, she ignored the Core Formation cultivators shouting behind her and flew across the pavilion below, landing in front of the West Quiet Spring Pavilion.
Wu Hai and Li Zhanglao, another Core Formation cultivator of the Tianhai Gang, followed closely behind. Seeing that Nangong Mengxiang had already crossed the pavilion on the first floor and reached the West Quiet Spring Pavilion, Li Zhanglao began to circulate his spiritual power, preparing a divine ability.
“Wait!”
Seeing this, Wu Hai broke out in a cold sweat and quickly stopped Li Zhanglao.
He fearfully glanced at the Zither Witch, who looked like a celestial maiden on the pavilion below. Seeing that she was still quietly playing the zither, he breathed a sigh of relief.
They couldn’t afford to provoke this Nascent Soul old monster…
As the Holy Maiden’s protector, the Zither Witch’s strength was unfathomable. It was rumored that only a handful of Nascent Soul cultivators could match her.
However, for some reason, the Zither Witch rarely intervened, even during the Immortal-Demon War.
But once she decided to act…
She wouldn’t leave any survivors within ten miles.
She was the Zither Witch, not as gentle as her appearance suggested.
Being stopped by Wu Hai, Li Zhanglao looked puzzled.
But he still followed Wu Hai’s instructions, withdrawing his divine ability and preparing to fly over like Nangong Mengxiang had done.
Seeing this, Wu Hai broke out in another cold sweat, quickly grabbing Li Zhanglao, who had already taken a step, and said in a slightly panicked voice,
“Go around through the corridor! Quickly! Don’t use any divine abilities outside!”
Flying over the head of a terrifying demonic cultivator who could be the strongest Nascent Soul expert, Wu Hai didn’t have the courage.
Nangong Mengxiang had committed such a transgression out of ignorance, but Wu Hai knew the Zither Witch’s power very well. He was afraid of provoking her and being annihilated with a single note. No one would dare to speak up for him.
Yes, the Zither Witch rarely intervened.
But if anyone dared to offend her, they would surely die without a burial place, and no one would dare to complain. Even the forces behind them would have to offer generous gifts and apologize.
“Let’s go, let’s go…”
Thus, the two Core Formation elders, tiptoeing through the corridor, not even daring to use their spiritual power, hurried towards the West Quiet Spring Pavilion like mortals.
The Medicine Gang, seeing this, although puzzled, followed cautiously behind the two from the Tianhai Gang, not acting rashly.
Rao Weiyi, the only one who knew the inside story, looked at Wu Hai with a hint of pity. This Elder Wu, who had been so arrogant earlier, was now fearfully chasing after Nangong Mengxiang, constantly glancing at the Zither Witch playing on the pavilion.
Chaos unfolded upstairs, while the melodious zither music continued below. Only these people remained in the Youxiang Restaurant; the other guests had been sent away.
And the manager of the Youxiang Restaurant stood respectfully behind the Zither Witch, his head slightly lowered.
He knew that the Youxiang Restaurant might soon be destroyed by a great battle, but he didn’t say anything.
Because the “manager” was just a proxy. The true owner of the Youxiang Restaurant was the Holy Maiden.
Not the former Holy Maiden, but the current one.
Every Holy Maiden.
…
Inside the West Quiet Spring Pavilion.
The condensed ghostly hand descended fiercely. Luo Xue and the Sha sisters, having broken free from the Mystic Dark Eyes’ control, barely dodged Sima Ye’s attack.
But it wasn’t over yet. Sima Ye’s ghostly hand condensed again, and Shangguan Lengyan, also recovering from the zither music’s influence, activated her Mystic Dark Eyes once more.
Just then, a loud bang echoed through the Youxiang Restaurant, the entire room trembling slightly.
Sima Ye’s chair slipped, almost making him fall to the ground. The sudden change dispelled his ghostly hand.
Shangguan Lengyan steadied herself against a nearby pillar, frowning slightly, her Mystic Dark Eyes looking towards the door.
The next moment, her pupils constricted, and a look of shock appeared on her usually indifferent face.
“Troublesome times…”
Sima Ye gritted his teeth. If he hadn’t wanted to capture the souls of Luo Xue and the Sha sisters for cultivation, he would have already killed them with a single palm strike, without needing to use his ghostly hand.
But now, he encountered one unexpected event after another, first the inexplicable intervention of the Zither Witch, and now this sudden tremor.
He was getting annoyed.
“Forget it, I originally wanted to leave your souls wandering the world, but now… you can just die!”
A sharp glint flashed through Sima Ye’s eyes, and a sinister killing intent emanated from him.
His next attack would annihilate these weaklings who hadn’t even reached Spirit Condensation.
“Wait!”
Shangguan Lengyan suddenly called out, her voice trembling slightly.
“The Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang… why are they suddenly coming for us?”
In her vision, countless Core Formation auras were approaching the West Quiet Spring Pavilion. The weakest among them were at the peak of Foundation Establishment and were already standing at the door.
Although most of these Core Formation cultivators were mediocre, having reached this realm after years of arduous cultivation, they were still Core Formation cultivators.
It was rare for a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator to defeat a Core Formation cultivator, and almost impossible to defeat two Core Formation cultivators working together. And now, there were five Core Formation cultivators outside.
Facing this group… even escaping would be difficult.
Had these two Immortal Domain sects discovered their presence?
No, Sima Ye and Shangguan Lengyan had always concealed themselves very well.
If not for the Zither Witch’s intervention, they wouldn’t have revealed any flaws.
But this wasn’t enough for the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang to immediately put aside their differences and join forces against them.
A trace of the Demonic Ghost City’s aura would at most arouse their suspicion.
But now… they were coming in full force, aggressively.
“What!”
Sima Ye’s face paled as he realized the gravity of the situation.
The reason they had been so careful to conceal their identities wasn’t just because they were demonic cultivators, but also because they were the most famous prodigies of the Evil Ghost lineage of the Demonic Ghost City.
And Ghost Demon Pass was at the border between You Province and the Nether Spirit forbidden area.
The Temple of the Nether Spirit and the Demonic Ghost City weren’t exactly neighbors…
Once discovered, in this lawless land, countless people would be willing to risk capturing them.
In fact, even if Luo Xue’s identity wasn’t discovered, she and the Sha sisters, disguised as the man in the bamboo hat, wouldn’t be able to leave this room.
“…Should we escape immediately?”
Sima Ye forced himself to calm down.
But could they escape…
No, they couldn’t escape immediately.
They had to create a diversion…
Right, there was still the Zither Witch! She was still in the Youxiang Restaurant!
She had just saved that Peerless Summit Sect disciple, which meant that this Immortal Domain cultivator, who wasn’t even at the Spirit Condensation Realm, had a special significance to the Zither Witch, at least she didn’t want her to die.
Sima Ye steeled his resolve. No matter what, he had to face the combined forces of the Core Formation elders of the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang. It was better to drag the Zither Witch into this mess to have a chance of survival.
Thinking of this, Sima Ye’s ghostly hand slowly condensed again, targeting Luo Xue.
This time, it wasn’t to capture her soul, but to destroy it. This was a killing blow.
In a flash, the West Quiet Spring Pavilion was breached.
A tall, pink figure rushed in, throwing herself in front of Luo Xue.
“Little Martial Aunt—”
Luo Xue slowly opened her eyes.
She saw Nangong Mengxiang’s anxious face, and a familiar feeling washed over her.
Oh right, she seemed to have experienced this before…
Many times, many people, had treated her like this.
…How did it come to this?
Luo Xue lowered her eyelids slightly.
“Nan… gong…”
The deadly hand of ghostly energy descended, striking the pink figure directly.
A surge of ghostly power erupted, carrying the force of soul-rending, sweeping through everything around them.
Sima Ye had put all his strength into this strike, intending to completely annihilate Luo Xue’s soul.
Only in this way could he force the Zither Witch to intervene.
Sima Ye was confident that even if he went this far, the Zither Witch wouldn’t attack him.
Because his identity was important. If he died at the hands of the Zither Witch, it would cause a lot of trouble for the Temple of the Nether Spirit.
But now… this attack was blocked.
“Damn it…”
Sima Ye’s face darkened. Why did a woman suddenly appear and block his attack for the Peerless Summit Sect disciple?
His soul-destroying technique could only be used once in a short period, completely destroying a person’s soul.
With Sima Ye’s current cultivation, even a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, if they took this attack directly, would face the risk of soul annihilation.
He could tell at a glance that this strange woman who suddenly appeared was also only at the peak of Foundation Establishment.
This strike had probably already taken her life.
Nangong Mengxiang closed her eyes, leaning lightly against Luo Xue’s shoulder, her soft body embracing Luo Xue, still in a protective posture.
“Mengxiang…”
Luo Xue opened her mouth slightly, her body trembling.
She could feel the terrifying aura of that ghostly hand.
This kind of soul-targeting attack was the specialty of the Demonic Ghost City.
It could be dodged, but not directly blocked.
Unless it was a soul cultivator or someone at the Core Formation Realm or above, the souls of ordinary cultivators were very fragile.
Once hit by a soul-targeting technique, their lives would be in danger.
Nangong Mengxiang, was she dead…
Did she die for her…
“You’re so silly, Nangong,” Luo Xue whispered. She looked up, gazing at Sima Ye indifferently. “You could have just let me die…”
“After all, it’s just waking up from a dream.”
But was this a dream?
Could it really be a dream?
Was it… really just a dream…
If it really was a dream, did the deaths of people in the dream… not matter?
These questions and thoughts, which had appeared in Luo Xue’s mind more than once, were now especially strong.
Even after being saved by Nangong Mengxiang, Sima Ye still wouldn’t give up.
The elders of the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang would arrive soon. If he couldn’t force the Zither Witch to intervene again, he and Shangguan Lengyan wouldn’t be able to escape.
“Heh… to think that I, the young master of the Sima clan of the Evil Ghost lineage, would be forced to such a state by an Innate Realm Immortal Domain cultivator, how embarrassing…”
Sima Ye muttered coldly, and an evil spirit slowly emerged behind him, reaching out to grab Luo Xue.
“This… is not a dream.” Luo Xue closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they were filled with a purplish-red light. “Nangong can’t die, I can’t die.”
“No one can die here!”
At this moment, the zither music abruptly stopped.
A pair of white eyes looked towards the loft in shock.
A purple phoenix cried out softly, blocking the evil spirit’s hand.
“How… is this possible…”
Sima Ye’s eyes widened. Although he had exhausted his strength using the soul-destroying technique, how could a mere Innate Realm child withstand a casual strike from a Foundation Establishment cultivator?
At the same time, Shangguan Lengyan also understood Sima Ye’s intention.
Her Mystic Dark Eyes lit up again, twisting her soul power to attack Luo Xue.
Her pupil technique was a ghostly eye, able to discreetly pry into information and condense her gaze to pierce through souls.
It was slightly inferior to Sima Ye’s soul-destroying technique, but still incredibly powerful. Few within the Foundation Establishment Realm dared to withstand it directly.
However, it wasn’t that no one could withstand it.
“Ugh… I’m a little dizzy…”
As everyone watched in shock, Nangong Mengxiang slowly opened her eyes, rubbing her temples, and muttered,
“Who hit me on the head… I feel so dizzy…”
She struggled to stand up, just as another soul-piercing gaze from the Mystic Dark Eyes struck her soul directly.
With a thud, Nangong Mengxiang, who had just managed to stand up, fell back into Luo Xue’s arms.
“Nangong isn’t dead?”
Luo Xue witnessed this scene, and amidst her shock, the shadow of the purple phoenix dissipated.
She checked Nangong Mengxiang’s breathing. She was fine, just unconscious.
She had taken two soul-targeting attacks, and they were at the peak of Foundation Establishment, yet she had only fainted?
The soul wasn’t a body cultivator’s strength, it might even be their weakness…
“This woman… why is she still alive?”
Shangguan Lengyan was dumbfounded. She used her pupil technique to observe Nangong Mengxiang’s soul.
This one glance made her speechless.
“Among her three souls and seven spirits, she’s missing one soul and three spirits… the Life Soul, and the spirits of Sorrow, Fear, and Malice. How is she even alive?”
What was even more terrifying was that, despite missing parts of her soul, why were soul-targeting techniques not very effective against her?
A possibility suddenly occurred to Shangguan Lengyan, but she quickly dismissed it.
But thinking about it carefully, besides that possibility, there seemed to be no other reasonable explanation.
“The Supreme Forgetfulness Scripture, severing three souls and seven spirits, achieving the path of physical sanctification.”
“How could anyone cultivate such a crazy technique… How could anyone dare to cultivate it…”
“And how could anyone… succeed…”
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