bookbashuk Chapter 803 Soul
Chapter 803 Soul
He Yuzhu led Xiao Li inside. The stone steps were covered with green moss, making them slightly slippery. After passing through a dense bamboo forest, they stopped at the training ground and pointed to a stone house emitting a cold light in the distance. He said to Xiao Li, "Xie Lang should be sharpening his bone blade in that stone house over there. Go and play with him for a while. Remember, his weapon rack is full of poisoned weapons. Don't touch or wander around, understand?"
The little raccoon quickly raised its head, its fluffy face full of obedience, and made soft "squeaks" as if it were trying its best to agree. Then it wagged its tail and happily ran away, its fiery red figure like a small flame. Soon it hopped to the door of the stone house and gently knocked.
Only after the figure completely disappeared behind the door did He Yuzhu's relaxed expression fade slightly, and a hint of seriousness quietly gathered between his brows as he turned to look at Elder Qingyi, who had just come to greet him.
Elder Qingyi, dressed in a plain-colored Daoist robe with faded edges, had snow-white hair and beard, but his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, like two cold stars hidden within. His keen perception was such that he had noticed the fleeting seriousness in He Yuzhu's expression the moment He Yuzhu stepped into the stronghold. Seeing that He Yuzhu had deliberately sent Xiaoli away, he understood immediately. Without beating around the bush, he clasped his hands together in a respectful bow to He Yuzhu and asked directly, "Sect Master, your special visit today is surely not just about introducing Xiaoli to a friend. There must be something important, right? If you've encountered a bottleneck in your cultivation, or noticed any unusual activity, please speak frankly—though I am old, if the sect is in trouble, I will risk my old bones to protect everyone in the sect."
He Yuzhu smiled and tried to keep his tone relaxed: "Elder Qingyi, you're overthinking it. There's nothing to worry about. I just have a little trouble with me that I wanted to tell you about."
Elder Qingyi, seeing the lingering seriousness in his eyes, had no reason to believe him. He simply said gently, "Sect Master, let's go to the inner room to talk. It's quiet there."
He Yuzhu nodded—he knew in his heart that his situation was indeed somewhat unusual, and even he himself didn't fully understand what was going on. This matter involved many people, and it was indeed something that couldn't be known by others, especially Xiao Li, who was simple-minded and would probably worry if she heard about it. He followed Elder Qingyi into the deeper stone chamber, walking very slowly, as if he was pondering how to start the conversation.
He Yuzhu felt like he had a heavy burden on his mind, something stuck in his throat. He wanted to speak, but he also felt that even if he did, no one would believe him—after all, even he himself couldn't understand what was going on with those flickering memories, the inexplicable emotional fluctuations, and the occasional surge of unfamiliar yet powerful energy. Filled with doubt, he pushed open the door to Elder Qingyi's secret chamber.
The room was simply furnished, with only a smooth stone table, a few matching stone stools, and a sandalwood incense burner burning in the corner, its wisps of smoke rising and filling the air with a faint woody fragrance, exuding a sense of seclusion and solemnity.
Elder Qingyi was sitting cross-legged on a cushioned futon, his eyes lightly closed, his breathing long and deep, clearly meditating. Hearing footsteps, he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze clear as an ancient pool: "Sect Master, you've arrived. Is there something important?"
He Yuzhu sat down on the stone bench opposite him, his fingers unconsciously tracing the cool stone surface. He recounted his recent strange behavior in detail—the occasional hazy fragments of memory, like looking through frosted glass; the inexplicable surges of emotions, sometimes overwhelming rage, sometimes profound loneliness, all drastically different from his usual state of mind; and that sense of power that wasn't his own, occasionally flowing through his fingertips, so powerful it startled him. Finally, with a hint of anxiety, he asked, "Elder Qingyi, do you think... there might still be someone else's soul hidden within me? Or perhaps the evil power of that demon Zhang Jiao wasn't completely eradicated last time, leaving some hidden danger?"
Elder Qingyi stroked his white beard, pondered for a moment, and slowly shook his head: "Sect Master, do not be hasty. I have an ancestral secret technique that can penetrate the depths of a person's soul to explore its depths. However..."
"But what?" He Yuzhu asked hastily, leaning forward involuntarily.
"Although this secret technique can accurately probe the soul, it requires the caster to expend a lot of mental energy, and they will probably feel somewhat weak afterward." Elder Qingyi looked at him and said sincerely, "But Sect Master, don't worry, it won't harm me. I'll recover after a few days of rest."
He Yuzhu frowned. He had spent some time in the Demon Suppression Hall and knew that some secret techniques, though powerful, were like double-edged swords, causing great damage to the caster. Especially Elder Qingyi and the other senior elders, who were the pillars of the Demon Suppression Hall, its foundation, and could not afford the slightest mishap. "This secret technique... truly has no harm to you?"
Elder Qingyi was surprised that He Yuzhu was concerned about his safety first at this moment. A warm feeling flashed in his eyes, and he couldn't help but stroke his beard and smile: "It's nothing. I will only be weak for a few days afterward and my spiritual energy will be slightly slower. I will recover after resting for a while. It's nothing serious."
He Yuzhu still had some concerns, but the abnormality in his body was like a fishbone stuck in his throat; he couldn't eat or sleep until he figured it out. He finally nodded, his tone somewhat solemn: "Then I'll have to trouble Elder Qingyi."
Elder Qingyi said no more, rose and walked behind He Yuzhu. He Yuzhu sat up straight as instructed, relaxing his mind. Elder Qingyi slowly raised both palms, palms facing each other, and then gently placed them on He Yuzhu's back. As a deep and ancient incantation echoed in the secret chamber, a gentle yet pure spiritual energy flowed slowly into He Yuzhu's body through his palms, like a precise searchlight, carefully infiltrating the depths of his soul.
However, what Elder Qingyi didn't know was that He Yuzhu's soul was already fused with Long Shishen's soul; the two were two sides of the same coin, and the concept of "another soul" simply didn't exist. At this moment, Long Shishen's consciousness lay dormant in the deepest part of He Yuzhu's soul, like a sleeping golden dragon, its aura extremely restrained. When Elder Qingyi's spiritual power probed in, his eyelashes twitched almost imperceptibly, and he merely curled his lips into a faint smile—with such cultivation, they dared to try and probe his existence? How naive. He subtly concealed all the aura belonging to "Long Shishen," allowing his consciousness to perfectly merge with He Yuzhu's soul, like a drop of water merging into the ocean, revealing not a single flaw.
Elder Qingyi carefully probed He Yuzhu's soul with his spiritual power, and the more he looked, the more astonished he became—the sect leader's soul was so powerful and vast, like an endless sea of stars, with spiritual power flowing and surging, several times stronger than the soul he had cultivated for a lifetime! With such talent, it's no wonder he can shoulder the heavy responsibility of the Demon Suppression Hall. It seems that the Demon Suppression Hall is truly about to make its mark in this world.