Chapter 762: Chapter 184: Charming Heart, Soul Path Vast Qi

“The Endless Ice Palace has appeared, and so has the Jade Fox Ghost and the Demon Heart You Hu. I wonder if the Mechanical Clan will show up.”

Liu Jin, the plump one, had a worried expression on his face as he talked to himself.

“Worrying about such distant matters is pointless. If we die here, we will truly have no chance of rising within our family. Even if we survive, we’ll be nothing more than useless, better off dead.”

Fang Hong spoke realistically.

“The Ghost Fox Kill Intent is coming again!”

Liu Jin’s face also took on a few shades of gravity, his voice tinged with a sense of helplessness.

“There are many array patterns here—Tai Chu Runes, I will take another look.”

Zhou Yan cleared his mind of all chaotic thoughts, focusing on the environment before him. After careful analysis, he assessed.

“Uh? So, is there a way out for us?”

Fang Hong asked.

“Let me look again before I say anything.”

Zhou Yan replied with concentrated thought.

His body contained various hidden Sword Body abilities, which he unlocked but skillfully did not fully manifest externally, so that other Cultivators could not see anything unusual. However, Fang Hong and Liu Jin could vaguely sense an aura, which left them visibly shocked and excited, clearly bolstered in their confidence to survive.

However, that confidence did not last long. The constant occurrence of Cultivators disappearing or dying in horrific ways forced them to face the reality—that this was a land of utter extinction.

“Huh?”

After fully activating his constitution, Zhou Yan’s Soul began to heat up, and he deeply sensed a strong familiarity, as if something was not quite right about this place.

“What is it?”

Liu Jin and Fang Hong nearly jumped in tension, asking in a kind of frantic concern.

“I see an ancient tea tree, an ancient city of blood. Could that be the Sacrificial Heaven Ancient City and the Heavenly Destiny Enlightenment Tea Tree?”

Zhou Yan said gravely.

After he spoke, Liu Jin and Fang Hong froze for a moment, then lapsed into a collective silence.

“Are you talking about the Heavenly Vein Ancient City and the Enlightenment Tea Tree?” Liu Jin asked with mild curiosity, clearly unaware of the ‘Sacrificial Heaven Ancient City.’

“I was just thinking out loud, it’s nothing. How much will it deplete to use the Black Chess to determine the function of the True Illusion Realm?”

Zhou Yan inquired.

“It’ll take about seventy percent of my Soul Power to do it, and it will require twice as much Soul Power from you to activate the ‘Qiankun Guardian Righteous Qi.’ But, are you going to waste more Soul Power to figure out the environment here?” Fang Hong said seriously.

“Knowing both the enemy and yourself is essential for strategizing. I think it’s necessary to determine, as this place is very sinister.”

Liu Jin spoke with a heavy voice.

“What you say is not without reason. Brother Zhou Yan, what do you think? The method of determination using Black Chess specifically involves consuming Soul Power to activate the Black Chess ‘Qiankun Array Plate’ and determine its ‘Gua Image.’ I’ll tell you about the ‘Gua,’ there are sixty-four hexagrams…”

“That’s the Eight Diagrams, isn’t it? If so, I understand.”

Zhou Yan returned, somewhat surprised.

“Right, how do you know our Fang Family’s secret—not to mention the Little Princess of our family passing it to you… You must never reveal this secret, or great calamity will befall you. Even if you are the next life of Lei Yan King, those old antiques in the Fang family won’t let you off easy.”

Fang Hong’s expression was very serious.

Zhou Yan merely nodded slightly, stroking his chin in thought.

“Upper Nine, the hidden dragon is not to be used. With the power of Upper Nine, controlling life and death with Black Chess, determining the reality and breaking through illusions. As for the power of Upper Nine, the dragon appears in the field, True Dragon or False Dragon, clarity will be seen.”

Fang Hong explained.

Zhou Yan nodded, already deciding that after returning to Earth, he would delve into the history corresponding to “The Book of Changes” and the information of the ancestral lands of the various cultural greats from the era of the ‘Hundred Schools of Thought’ to see how those legacies survived to the current day.

“Brother Zhou, do you really understand?” Fang Hong seemed unable to be certain and asked again.

Zhou Yan did not speak, simply using his Soul Power to control the Black Chess, demonstrating his understanding through his actions.

In an instant, Black Chess emanated clarity of force like that of clear water, the power piercing through the Void, as if striking a skeletal phantom, with the image of skeleton appearing on the Black Chess.

“Are we actually inside the body of a great figure’s skeleton?”

“Does the Endless Ice Palace truly exist within the remains of someone? Or is this merely part of the ‘Sword Illusion Realm’? One that has surpassed the True Void Heavenly Prohibition?”

Both Liu Jin and Fang Hong exclaimed almost simultaneously!

Zhou Yan also noticed something amiss, so he was quite shocked!

What terrified Zhou Yan even more was that the skeletal remains seemed to come to life suddenly, its pitch-black eyes, like black holes, suddenly turned to look at him!

“You don’t need to be surprised,” passed through Black Mountain, you’ll reach the place where my head is located, which is also the Endless Ice Palace. I am Lee Ling, the first owner of Bai Ying. You are her next owner and I’ve known this for a long time.”

“Here lies the Charming Heart of the Jade Fox lineage. Take it away on my behalf and give it to Bai Ying to awaken the inheritance of the Jade Fox lineage. There is also the Soul Path Vast Qi, which you can inherit for yourself.”

Suddenly, a surge of information pulsed from the skeletal phantom.

Zhou Yan noticed that when he heard this information, time seemed to stop, even the mouth of the chubby Liu Jin was frozen halfway.

Zhou Yan knew in his heart that this was a Great Power of this place speaking to him.

“Senior, you…”

Zhou Yan had many questions in his heart. The inheritance of Bai Ying had such a long history?

Wasn’t the White Fox supposed to have appeared in Thunderflame Breaking Path Mountain? Everything seemed to have been overturned.

Although Zhou Yan already knew that many things were questionable, he had never thought that the White Fox was connected to the Tai Chu era.

“I know you must have doubts, but you’ll understand once you know this—many heroes would enter into the Sealing, and then wake up at a particular time—my sister Lee Su Nu was also like this. However, due to a mistake in the Sealing, when she came out, her strength was lost, and her memories were mysteriously suppressed.

Lee Su Nu, she is the mother of Lee Sha, the Lei Yan King. I am Lee Ling, Lee Su Nu’s brother. Do you understand our relationship now?”

“I have been dead for a long time, but what remains is an Immortal Venerable Soul manifested from my fixation. This Endless Ice Palace is built upon my skeletal remains, using my Tai Chu Ancient Array for suppression, to protect the Charming Heart above all else. Bai Ying was sealed to appear in an era suitable for the Jade Fox lineage to emerge. You probably know about my sister waking up, as you’re the Lei Yan King. However, your own origin is also not ordinary, and I don’t particularly care about these things. I am dead, and the fact that I am your uncle will not change. These details are actually not necessary to dwell on too much, they are insignificant in the face of ‘greater matters’.”

“What you need to know is that I will not harm you. Your mother in this life, Lee Su Nu, also needs your help to unlock the ‘Soul Path Vast Qi Lineage’ inheritance from the Tai Chu era. Besides, this is the Sword Illusion Realm, nothing more. Though it indeed contains dangers, it also holds opportunities.

If you cannot withstand even these dangers and fall here, it is a fortune for our Soul Path Vast Qi Lineage, as well as for the Jade Fox lineage. Because if you do not pass, you’ll not have the necessary strength, and dying then is much better than obtaining the inheritance and Supreme Treasures only to be killed by someone.

You are not the first one to come here, nor will you likely be the last.

I remember… thirty years ago, Lee Ran had already brought you here—Lee Ran, in my life, I regarded him as a truly unique and mysterious person whose Cultivation and strength were utterly incomprehensible. He only showed the strength of a Sword God Fifth Transition and was not suppressed by any Heavenly Dao Rules, yet he easily passed through all the dangers here. He was more suited than you because your relationship with his brother, Lee Sha, ties closely to him, and his brother was your previous life’s brother, so he is not a stranger to me. But unfortunately, he did not agree to my terms, instead, telling me to wait another three to five decades, when someone more suitable would come.

Now you have come, and I hope you are the one he spoke of as more suitable. I hope that you won’t make this fixation of an Immortal Venerable Soul wait any longer, as I can’t maintain it much longer.”

The voice sounded somewhat old and hoarse and yet revealed another secret.

Zhou Yan was no longer surprised by any of his brother Lee Ran’s matters, so his response was relatively calm. He nodded and said, “I understand, but I have a question—I heard someone say that the Nine Origin Soul Sea devoured the strong from the Sword Burial Ancestor Star, and I want to know…”

“Those people discovered the inheritance space node of the Jade Fox, so they were attracted by my Sword Illusion Realm. The Nine Origin Soul Sea you spoke of is indeed my ‘Soul Sea’, but after the Soul Sea dried up, it became the ‘Bitter Sea’.

The Bitter Sea naturally devours the souls of Cultivators to replenish the energy of the Soul Sea, but it is not utterly irresistible.”

“Those people are still alright for now, and for them, it is also an opportunity. I have been paying attention to them, and there is a youth named ‘Qian Yao’, who is Bai Ying’s brother. So on account of Bai Ying, I won’t let them die—provided they aren’t too useless.”

The aged voice continued to speak.

“I see, so… Uncle? What should I do?”

Zhou Yan probed, knowing a bit about Lei Yan King’s mother, Li Su Woman, the Soul Path Vast Qi, and others. Zhou Yan was not entirely in the dark and remembered some things, knew some things. So according to this Li Ling’s words, he was indeed his genuine uncle.

“Cross over my head, enter into the core of my cranium, then proceed to the land of the Soul Sea. By that time, you’ll likely know what needs to be done. I’m just telling you some things you don’t know, and then I hope you won’t make me wait any longer, as I can’t wait any longer either.”

Li Ling’s voice was very feeble.

A single thread of obsession can also span through ancient and modern times without perishing, Zhou Yan knew this took immense willpower.

In fact, every moment, Li Ling’s obsession was enduring intense suffering.

Pain, like carrying a heavy object barehanded, becomes heavier and heavier with time, arms grow increasingly sore, and eventually, maintaining the effort feels intolerably painful and pervasive.

That was a form of torment that was quite unavoidable.

“This is fate, Brother Li Ran, what exactly do you want to do?” Zhou Yan inwardly smiled wryly.

Immediately afterwards, he nodded and said, “Uncle, rest assured, I won’t disappoint you. But I wish to obtain the Extreme Cold Ice Soul Stone, do you have it here?”

“Although this is the Sword Illusion Realm, simulating the True Void Land, many things here are real. When the time comes, you may dismantle my skull; those are all top-grade Extreme Cold Ice Soul Stones. You need not worry, nor feel any psychological burden. Such external possessions will decay if cast into the void; I take solace in them being of use to you. My sister, hence your mother, is very pitiable; I only hope you treat her well.”

“Mmm… Also, my sister Su Woman’s husband, who is from the Jiang family, ‘Jiang Shang’, is not as bad as the rumors suggest. He is a very decent man, but mysteriously disappeared after discussing some matters with Li Ran when your mother conceived you. If you meet him, I hope you won’t hold a grudge against him because of Li Sha’s fate. Cultivators might view familial affection as somewhat indifferent because we can live through three lives, yet we Cultivators who possess the Soul Path Vast Qi cherish loyalty and righteousness. Do not let obsession lead to resentment. If he was there, he wouldn’t be subjected to Soul Extraction.

You need not doubt these things. Although I am but a thread of obsession, I still possess a self and can easily know many things about the world. It is only because of the ‘Charming Heart’ and ‘Soul Path Vast Qi’ inheritances that I cannot interfere with anything.”

“What can a mere thread of obsession do aside from carrying out the duties it embodies?”

Li Ling seemed to carry a hint of self-mockery.

As he spoke, all signs of his presence gradually faded away.

Then, this world, which had been frozen in place, resumed its original appearance, and the half-open mouth of the chubby Liu Jin was just about to open further.