This was clearly a sealed underground chamber, yet the banner not only floated in mid-air but also fluttered and snapped from time to time. Anyone who heard it felt a sharp, unbearable stabbing pain deep within their souls.
Lin Huanhuan murmured in a low voice, “How can the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, one of the three great treasures of the Soul Path, be here? This is not a treasure that a family like the Huang Family should possess at all.”
Bai Lingfeng stared intently, feeling a throbbing pain around his eyes. He could clearly sense the extraordinary nature of this banner and couldn’t help but ask softly, “One of the three great treasures of the Soul Path? Hasn’t the Soul Path been gone for a long time?”
Lin Huanhuan glanced at Bai Lingfeng, her gaze filled with an indescribable complexity. She didn’t hide anything and explained directly, “I also learned about it by chance from ancient texts in my family. This matter has to be traced back a hundred thousand years.”
“A hundred thousand years ago, there once appeared a young man of exceptional talent. His real name has long been lost to history; the world only knows his Daoist title: Master Youyue.”
“In that golden age a hundred thousand years ago, when heroes rose together, he used only twenty years to break through to the peak of the Golden Core stage, sweeping across all five regions. For a time, his fame was unmatched.”
“In that era, everyone, including himself, believed he would be the next Nascent Soul True Lord.”
“After that, he spent another fifty years honing his divine abilities to their peak, unifying all the soul paths under heaven, intending to prove himself as the Lord of the Soul Path to achieve the position of Nascent Soul True Lord.”
Lin Huanhuan paused. Bai Lingfeng, growing impatient, quickly asked in a hushed voice, “Then what happened to him in the end? Did he become the Lord of the Soul Path?”
Lin Huanhuan sighed and shook her head gently. “Look at how many people today even recognize the Soul Path. Does that look like a sign of success?”
Bai Lingfeng was momentarily speechless. Lin Huanhuan continued, “In the end, he failed in the process of proving himself as the Lord of the Soul Path. Not only did he perish, body and soul destroyed, but the Soul Path was also carved up by the myriad other Paths, completely disappearing into the void.”
“So, in today’s world, the Soul Path can be said to be extinct. But conversely, almost all other Paths carry a trace of the Soul Path’s characteristics. Of course, more practical spells like Soul Searching have been preserved.”
As she spoke, Lin Huanhuan also thought to herself, ‘When I read about it back then, I didn’t think much of it. But now, thinking back carefully, why does it feel a bit similar to a one-vote veto system? Is it just an illusion?’
Bai Lingfeng opened his mouth slightly, looking a bit dazed. Recovering, he asked again, “Then what is this Soul Path treasure, the Ten Thousand Souls Banner?”
Lin Huanhuan explained, “The so-called three great treasures of the Soul Path are the three magical artifacts used by Master Youyue back then, possessing ineffable mysteries.”
“Logically, this Ten Thousand Souls Banner should have been destroyed long ago. Why does it appear here? Could it be an inheritance left behind by Master Youyue?”
Bai Lingfeng nodded, thought for a moment, then couldn’t help asking, “Wait, that’s not right. Since this is a treasure of the Soul Path, why does it consume human flesh and blood?”
Lin Huanhuan sighed and explained, “It’s simple. Because the Soul Path today is almost completely fragmented, if an ordinary person dies a non-natural death, there’s an extremely high probability their soul will shatter. The situation is slightly better for Qi Refiners, but it’s similar. Only when one’s cultivation reaches the Foundation Establishment stage and possesses a Dao Foundation to slightly nurture the soul is there a high probability of reincarnation after death. Of course, even a Foundation Establishment stage soul rarely retains memories of past lives.”
“What needs attention is that even the soul fragments of ordinary people will slowly be consumed by other substances after death. So, if you want to collect soul fragments, you have to be quick, while they’re still fresh.”
“As for these soul fragments, they naturally remain within the human body. Look at the blood in that blood pool; it’s black and foul-smelling. It’s obvious they’ve thrown who knows how many corpses into it.”
“I see. I never imagined it was like this.” Bai Lingfeng nodded thoughtfully, then thanked Lin Huanhuan. “Huanhuan, thank you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known any of this.”
“It’s nothing. It’s just some knowledge. Even if I didn’t tell you now, you’d come across it later.”
Then, worried that the two Huang Family servants might come to throw the corpses into the blood pool, Lin Huanhuan and Bai Lingfeng took advantage of them still stirring and quickly stood up. Lin Huanhuan took out the two corpses from her Qiankun Bag again, and they hid in a corner piled with miscellaneous items.
There were several large jars there, filled with piles of unknown substances that smelled terrible. But this wasn’t the time to worry about that. They hid behind them, intending to continue observing.
Not long after they left the crate, the two Huang Family servants walked over. Chatting and laughing, each dragged a corpse and, with practiced ease, threw them into the blood pool. They used sticks to poke the corpses to the bottom, repeating the process until all corpses were thrown in, then began stirring again.
Some more time passed. The Huang Family Young Master walked in, gave some pointers on the two servants’ work, and then left.
Lin Huanhuan and Bai Lingfeng remained completely silent the whole time, waiting quietly. They planned to leave at dawn, trying not to cause any commotion.
The current situation involved far too much. The Huang Family must possess an extremely powerful hidden card. They decided to leave here first and discuss later whether to have Lin Huanhuan inform the Lin Family or report it to the Lingyun Sect.
Midnight arrived quietly. Layers of dark clouds obscured the crescent moon, and the underground chamber gradually began to emit wisps of a chilling aura.
The Huang Family Head and the Huang Family Young Master arrived silently.
The two Huang Family servants hurried forward to greet them, bowing and scraping. “We pay our respects to the Family Head and Young Master. For the two esteemed ones to come so late, you must be tired.”
The Huang Family Head smiled and nodded. He walked to the blood pool, carefully observing the somewhat tattered Ten Thousand Souls Banner. After a long while, he shook his head and sighed. “Still a bit short. It seems we need a little more time.”
The Huang Family Young Master stepped forward. “It’s at most a few more days anyway. As they say, ‘the eager can’t eat hot tofu.’ There’s no need to be too anxious.”
The Huang Family Head shook his head and said, “How long have you two been working for the Huang Family? Has my Huang Family ever treated you poorly?”
“Reporting to the Family Head, we’ve both been here for over ten years. The Family Head is benevolent and kind, giving us a full fifty taels of silver in wages every month. Naturally, it’s generous treatment; how could it be considered poor treatment?”
“Speaking of which, we must thank the Family Head. Our families have added two more members this year; you could even say we are prospering.”
The Huang Family Head smiled and nodded. “In that case, I am relieved. Now, the Huang Family needs you to contribute a little something. I trust you won’t refuse, will you?”
Before the two servants could react to what he meant, the world spun around them. Two heads suddenly rolled to the ground. Then, the Huang Family Head waved his sleeve, and their corpses were swept into the blood pool.
“I will take good care of your families. Rest assured.”
“Ah, this…” The Huang Family Young Master was so shocked he couldn’t speak.
The Huang Family Head glanced at him, placed his hands behind his back, and said solemnly, “Lately, I’ve been feeling uneasy, as if something big is about to happen. These two days, though not long, I don’t want to wait any longer.”
“To repair the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, my Huang Family has offered flesh and blood for over twenty years, just waiting for the day it is completely restored.”
“Those who achieve great things do not fuss over minor details. If it is truly necessary, what does it matter if even I am sacrificed? You are my heir. You must understand that everything must be for the sake of the family. For the family’s prosperity and flourishing, everything can be sacrificed!”
The Huang Family Young Master was momentarily speechless, just lowering his head in deep thought.
The Huang Family Head paid him no more mind. The closer he got to success, the more uneasy he felt. Involuntarily, he quickly activated a formation to scan the entire Huang Family estate.
Not scanning was one thing; scanning gave him a fright. There were actually two unfamiliar auras within the Huang Family estate… and their location was right here!
“Who’s there?!”
The Huang Family Head suddenly turned around and shouted coldly.
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