Soul Severing Mountain Range

Morning Light pierced through the thin mist and spilled over the babbling stream. Ning Xiaochuan sat cross-legged on a flat rock, his hands forming seals as fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead. Little Dragon's Source Soul hovered before him, continuously exhaling milky-white mist that enveloped his upper body.

"Wrong!" Su Linger's voice came from beside him. "The Ice Heart Art emphasizes 'a heart as clear as ice, unshaken even if the heavens collapse.' You're being too impatient."

Ning Xiaochuan opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air. "I've been trying for three hours, but I still can't condense my source energy into ice crystals."

Ever since they had left Qingyun City three days ago, they traveled by day and cultivated at night. Su Linger had kept her promise and begun teaching Ning Xiaochuan the Tianyuan Sect's basic source techniques. But the progress had not been smooth.

"The Ice Heart Art is a required beginner technique for the Tianyuan Sect. Ordinary disciples need three months just to get started." Su Linger folded her arms. "You've only practiced for three days, and you're already complaining?"

Ning Xiaochuan scratched his head. "I thought having the Sacred Spirit Young Dragon's help would make it easier..."

"A Source Soul is only an aid. The key lies with you." Su Linger walked over and held out her right hand, palm upward. "Watch carefully."

A cluster of ice-blue source energy condensed in her palm, rapidly crystallizing into an exquisite ice lotus. Its petals were crystal-clear, refracting Colorful Light beneath the sun.

"Shaping source energy is the mark of minor mastery in the Ice Heart Art." Su Linger handed the ice lotus to Ning Xiaochuan. "Feel its structure and Energy Fluctuation."

Ning Xiaochuan took the ice lotus and immediately felt a piercing chill. Yet strangely, the cold did not make him uncomfortable. Instead, it felt refreshing, as though it could cleanse his soul.

"How amazing..." he murmured. "It's obviously so cold, but it doesn't feel unpleasant."

"That is the essence of the Ice Heart Art." Su Linger rarely explained things so patiently. "Within extreme cold lies vitality. Like seeds in winter, they may seem lifeless, but they are actually nurturing new life."

Ning Xiaochuan fell into thought. Little Dragon's Source Soul curiously leaned closer and nudged the ice lotus with his nose. He immediately sneezed, spraying out a puff of milky mist. The ice lotus melted within the mist, turning into a wisp of blue source energy that Little Dragon absorbed into his body.

"Goo Chu!" Little One's eyes lit up as he excitedly spun through the air. Faint ice-blue patterns emerged across his scales.

Su Linger raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Your Source Soul can actually absorb and fuse source energy of other attributes?"

"Is that unusual?" Ning Xiaochuan reached out and caught Little Dragon as he flew back.

"Extremely unusual." Su Linger's expression was complicated. "Normally, a Source Soul can only strengthen source techniques of the same attribute. For example, my Mysterious Ice Phoenix can only enhance ice-element source techniques. But your Sacred Spirit Young Dragon..."

She suddenly pressed a hand against Ning Xiaochuan's forehead. "Try again. This time, imagine your source energy flowing like water, then suddenly freezing at a certain point."

Ning Xiaochuan closed his eyes and tried again according to her instructions. Source energy flowed slowly through his meridians. When it reached his palm, he imagined a frigid current suddenly surging in—

"Hiss!" A sharp pain shot through his palm. Ning Xiaochuan opened his eyes and saw an irregular ice crystal floating above it. Though it was far less exquisite than Su Linger's ice lotus, it was undeniably solid!

"I did it!" He jumped up excitedly, and the ice crystal fell to the ground and shattered.

The corners of Su Linger's lips lifted slightly. "Barely passable. But..." She paused. "Being able to condense an ice crystal within four days is indeed much faster than ordinary disciples."

This was the first time she had given him a positive evaluation, and warmth rose in Ning Xiaochuan's heart.

"Pack up. It's time to leave." Su Linger turned toward the cave. "We'll enter the Soul Severing Mountain Range today. The Dark Source Soul Hall is very active there, so we must stay alert."

Ning Xiaochuan nodded, suppressing his excitement. Their escape over the past few days had made him understand that the threat posed by the Dark Source Soul Hall was no joke.

After a simple meal of dried provisions, the two headed south along the stream. As the elevation increased, the surrounding vegetation gradually changed from broadleaf forest to coniferous woods. The air was filled with the fresh scent of pine, but the temperature also dropped noticeably.

"The Soul Severing Mountain Range is an important barrier in the north of the Open Source Continent," Su Linger explained as they walked. "South of the range lies the territory of the three great empires, while to the north are many small city-states and wildernesses. It is said that the Dark Source Soul Hall's lair is hidden within some valley deep in the mountains."

Ning Xiaochuan pulled his collar tighter. "So we're heading straight toward a tiger's den?"

"The most dangerous place is often the safest." Su Linger pushed aside the shrubs in front of her. "And only by crossing the Soul Severing Mountain Range can we reach the Tianyuan Sect as quickly as possible."

At noon, they arrived before a steep mountainside. It was covered in thick pine needles, making it wet and slippery.

"I'll take the lead." Ning Xiaochuan volunteered, grabbing exposed tree roots as he climbed upward. Little Dragon's Source Soul flew beside him, occasionally spraying milky mist to restore his stamina.

Halfway up, Ning Xiaochuan suddenly sensed something strange—the surrounding mist had become denser, and its color had shifted from white to a faint gray.

"Su Linger, this mist..."

Before he could finish, Su Linger shouted sharply from below, "Get back! It's Soul Devouring Mist!"

Ning Xiaochuan's heart tightened, and he immediately let go and slid down. But it was already too late. The gray mist suddenly thickened like liquid and coiled around his limbs. A cold, sinister force seeped into his body through his pores, causing the circulation of his source energy to become sluggish at once.

"Ah!" Ning Xiaochuan curled up in agony, feeling as though something was tearing at his soul. Little Dragon's Source Soul anxiously circled him, but the milky mist he sprayed was corroded away the moment it touched the gray fog.

"An ambush by the Dark Source Soul Hall!" Su Linger formed seals with both hands. The Mysterious Ice Phoenix Source Soul appeared behind her and exhaled a stream of ice-blue breath, temporarily dispersing the gray mist around them.

She leaped to Ning Xiaochuan's side and grabbed his arm. "Can you walk?"

Ning Xiaochuan gritted his teeth and nodded, forcing himself to stand. But after they had taken only a few steps, the gray mist around them churned violently and formed a sealed cage!

"Hehehe... You took the bait after all." A familiar voice came from within the mist as a figure gradually came into view—it was the Silver-masked Soul Hunter they had severely injured before! His right sleeve hung empty, yet his aura was even more sinister than last time.

"You just won't go away!" Su Linger shielded Ning Xiaochuan behind her. The Mysterious Ice Phoenix Source Soul unleashed its cold at full force, forming a ring of ice-crystal protection around them.

The silver-masked man sneered. "I was careless last time. Let's see where you can run now!" With a wave of his left hand, dozens of twisted Humanoid Form Dark Figures emerged from the gray mist. "Soul Devouring Puppets, give them a warm welcome!"

The Dark Figures let out piercing shrieks and lunged at them from All Directions. The ice-crystal barrier shook violently beneath the impacts, cracks spreading across its surface.

"My source energy is being suppressed..." Ning Xiaochuan struggled to mobilize the source energy within him, but his meridians seemed frozen, and its circulation was painfully slow.

"The Soul Devouring Mist is specifically designed to restrain orthodox source energy." Cold sweat beaded on Su Linger's forehead. "Unless one has light-attribute or sacred-attribute source techniques, otherwise..."

Her words abruptly stopped as a Soul Devouring Puppet broke through the barrier, its claw-like mist shooting straight for her throat!

"Watch out!" Ning Xiaochuan instinctively threw himself forward, using his body to shield Su Linger. The Soul Devouring Claw raked across his back, tearing open his flesh as blood streamed down.

"Ning Xiaochuan!" Su Linger cried out, quickly supporting the staggering Ning Xiaochuan.

"I'm fine..." Ning Xiaochuan endured the Intense Pain, then suddenly noticed that when the blood from his wound came into contact with the gray mist, it made a sizzling sound and burned away a patch of the fog!

"Your blood...?" Su Linger noticed the anomaly as well.

The silver-masked man was equally shocked. "Purifying Blood? Impossible! Only the Sacred Origin Tribe could—"

His words abruptly cut off, as if he realized he had let something slip. He immediately changed his tune. "Capture them! Take them alive!"

More Soul Devouring Puppets surged forward. The ice crystal barrier finally gave out and shattered with a deafening crash.

At the critical moment, Ning Xiaochuan suddenly grabbed Su Linger's hand. "Source Soul Resonance!"

Understanding his intent, Su Linger stood back-to-back with him as they simultaneously released their Source Souls. Little Dragon's Source Soul and the Mysterious Ice Phoenix met in midair once more, but this time, they fused far more completely—the Ice Phoenix spread its wings and wrapped Little Dragon within them, forming a blue-and-white Cocoon of Light.

"Ice Crystal Barrier!"

The Cocoon of Light erupted with blinding radiance, transforming into a hemispherical transparent barrier that enveloped the two of them. The Soul Devouring Puppets crashed against it and immediately melted away like snow meeting fire.

"What?" The silver-masked man's expression changed drastically. "A dual-Source Soul defensive technique? How is that possible?!"

Inside the barrier, Ning Xiaochuan and Su Linger were both gasping for breath. This move consumed an enormous amount of energy. Ning Xiaochuan's newly recovered source qi had been drained dry again, while the wound on his back burned with searing pain.

"We can't hold on much longer..." Su Linger gritted her teeth. "We have to find a way to break through."

Ning Xiaochuan suddenly remembered the jade pendant his father had given him. "Dragon Soul Jade!"

He took out the jade pendant, but had no idea how to activate its power. Last time, it had protected him of its own accord, yet this time it showed no reaction at all.

"Use your blood!" Su Linger suddenly said. "Since your blood can purify the Soul Devouring Mist..."

Without hesitation, Ning Xiaochuan wiped his palm across his wound, then pressed it against the jade pendant once it was covered in blood. The Dragon Soul Jade immediately blazed with light. The dragon pattern on its surface seemed to come alive, swimming across the jade.

"Roar!" A heaven-shaking Dragon Roar rang out from the jade pendant, and the winds and clouds outside the barrier immediately churned. The Soul Devouring Mist retreated like a tide, while the Soul Devouring Puppets let out miserable shrieks and dissolved into wisps of green smoke.

The silver-masked man staggered back again and again. "Impossible! Even the bloodline of the Sacred Origin Tribe couldn't possibly unleash the full power of the Dragon Soul Jade!"

Ning Xiaochuan felt an unprecedented power surge from the jade pendant into his body. Little Dragon's Source Soul swelled accordingly, transforming in the blink of an eye into a three-meter-long white dragon! Though it was still far smaller than the Sacred Spirit Dragon recorded in the Ancient Tome, it had already begun to possess Dragon Might.

"Little One... grew up?" Ning Xiaochuan stared in astonishment at the white dragon circling above his head.

The white dragon looked down at the silver-masked man, its dragon eyes flickering with humanlike fury. It opened its jaws and unleashed a milky-white beam of light. Wherever it passed, the gray mist scattered, and trees, rocks, and mountains were all reduced to dust!

The silver-masked man dodged in panic, but the beam still grazed his left shoulder. His entire arm instantly vaporized.

"Ah!" He let out a miserable scream. "The Hall Master won't let you off!"

A mass of black mist exploded, and the silver-masked man fled once again. The white dragon wanted to give chase, but its body suddenly shrank. Before long, it had reverted to Little Dragon's adorable puppy-sized form and weakly flew back onto Ning Xiaochuan's shoulder.

"Overexertion..." Su Linger supported the swaying Ning Xiaochuan. "We have to leave this place immediately. The commotion from the battle will draw more enemies."

Ning Xiaochuan nodded and forced himself to move forward. But after only two steps, his vision went black, and he pitched forward.

Before losing consciousness, he felt someone catch him, and a faint, cool fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose...

After an unknown amount of time, Ning Xiaochuan slowly woke up. The first thing he saw was the ceiling of an unfamiliar cave, much more spacious than the ravine cave where they had sheltered before. A bonfire burned in the center of the cave, and in its glow, Su Linger stood with her back to him, tending to something.

"Su... Linger..." Ning Xiaochuan spoke with difficulty, his throat dry as though it were on fire.

Su Linger immediately turned around, a bloodstained cloth in her hand. "You're awake?" She hurried over, helped Ning Xiaochuan sit up, and brought a waterskin to his lips. "Drink slowly."

Cool stream water slid down his throat, and Ning Xiaochuan felt as if he had come back to life. Only then did he notice that his upper body was bare and his back was wrapped in bandages.

"You saved me?" he asked quietly.

Su Linger set down the waterskin. "You saved us first." She pointed at Little Dragon's Source Soul, which was sleeping on Ning Xiaochuan's shoulder. "Your Source Soul was overexerted and can't return to your body for the time being. My Mysterious Ice Phoenix was badly injured too."

Ning Xiaochuan tried to sense the source qi within his body, only to find his meridians completely empty, like a dried-up riverbed. "How long until I recover?"

"At least three days." Su Linger returned to sit beside the bonfire. "This is a hidden cave on the southern side of the Soul Severing Mountain Range. It's safe for now."

Only then did Ning Xiaochuan notice that it was already night outside the cave. He could faintly hear the patter of rain. A small pot rested over the bonfire, brewing some kind of medicinal herb that gave off a bitter scent.

"What are you brewing?"

"Medicine for your wounds." Su Linger stirred the medicinal liquid with a wooden spoon. "Your wounds were contaminated by the Soul Devouring Mist. Ordinary methods won't heal them easily."

Ning Xiaochuan watched her focused profile. The firelight softened the face that was usually as cold as ice. He suddenly realized that Su Linger was actually very beautiful; it was just that her usual unapproachable aura made people afraid to look directly at her.

"What are you looking at?" Su Linger asked without raising her head.

"Nothing..." Ning Xiaochuan looked away. "I was just thinking about what the silver-masked man meant by the 'Sacred Origin Tribe.'"

Su Linger's hand paused. "I've been thinking about that too. The Ancient Tome of the Tianyuan Sect mentions the Sacred Origin Tribe. It says they were a reclusive race in ancient times that guarded the origin of source qi, but there's very little detailed information."

She poured the brewed medicine into a wooden bowl and handed it to Ning Xiaochuan. "Drink it. It's bitter, but it will help purify the remaining Soul Devouring Source Qi in your body."

Ning Xiaochuan took the bowl, held his breath, and drained it in one gulp. The bitterness of the medicine far exceeded his expectations. He nearly spat it out, but swallowed it down through gritted teeth, his whole face scrunching up.

"Pfft..." Su Linger actually laughed. Though her expression immediately returned to its usual coldness, that fleeting smile was like melting snow and breathtakingly beautiful.

Ning Xiaochuan stared blankly. "You look really beautiful when you smile."

"Shut up." Su Linger glared at him, though the tips of her ears faintly reddened. "Lie down and rest. We still have to travel tomorrow."

Ning Xiaochuan obediently lay down, but his thoughts refused to settle. The silver-masked man's words, the reaction of the Dragon Soul Jade, the unusual nature of his blood... everything pointed to one possibility—his mother, the woman who had mysteriously vanished, was very likely connected to the so-called Sacred Origin Tribe.

The rain gradually grew heavier, but the cave remained warm and dry because of the bonfire. Before he knew it, Ning Xiaochuan drifted into sleep. In his dream, he seemed to see a colossal white dragon stretching from heaven to earth, looking down at him from above the clouds...

By the morning of the third day, Ning Xiaochuan's injuries had improved by more than half. His source qi had recovered sixty to seventy percent, and Little Dragon's Source Soul had become lively again. The two packed their belongings and prepared to continue their journey.

"Once we pass through that mountain pass ahead, we'll officially be out of the Core Area of the Soul Severing Mountain Range." Su Linger pointed at the pass between two distant peaks. "After that, the terrain will gradually level out. In another seven days, we'll reach the Tianyuan Sect."

Ning Xiaochuan nodded, then suddenly remembered something. "Right, my father mentioned that there's an apothecary in Qingyan Town named Old Zhou whom we can trust..."

"I know that town." Su Linger cut him off. "But detouring there is too dangerous right now. We'll head straight to the Tianyuan Sect."

Ning Xiaochuan wanted to say more, but seeing Su Linger's resolute expression, he could only let it go.

The two traveled along the ridge, climbing ever higher as the air grew thinner. Around noon, they reached the mountain pass, only to discover that a landslide had blocked most of the only route through, leaving just a narrow crack.

"We can only go through one at a time." Su Linger surveyed the terrain. "I'll scout ahead. You wait here."

Before Ning Xiaochuan could respond, she had already lightly leaped onto the rubble pile. After a few bounds, she vanished into the gap.

Ning Xiaochuan waited patiently, but a quarter of an hour passed and Su Linger still had not returned. Little Dragon's source soul spun uneasily on his shoulder, letting out soft "Goo Chu" cries.

"Something's wrong..." Ning Xiaochuan frowned and decided to investigate.

He carefully climbed the pile of rocks and squeezed into the gap. The passage was longer than he had imagined, winding onward for nearly a hundred meters. When he finally crawled out the other side, the sight before him made his blood freeze instantly—

Su Linger was bound to a Giant Rock by five pitch-black chains. Blood stained the corner of her lips, and she had clearly been through a fierce battle. Three men in black stood around her. Two wore bronze masks, while their leader wore a golden mask he had never seen before!

"I've been waiting for you, little bastard of the Sacred Origin Tribe." The Golden Masked Man's voice was hoarse, like two pieces of metal scraping together. "That useless silver-masked fool nearly ruined the Hall Master's grand plan. Good thing I came personally."

Ning Xiaochuan instinctively wanted to rush forward, but reason told him that would be no different from courting death. The aura emanating from the Golden Masked Man was several times stronger than the Silver-Masked Man's. He was at least a Source Sect-level expert!

"Run... Ning Xiaochuan..." Su Linger cried weakly. "He's a Golden-masked Soul Hunter... You're no match for him..."

The Golden Masked Man sneered and raised a hand, firing a streak of Black Light at Ning Xiaochuan!

At that critical instant, a blue figure suddenly descended from the sky and split the Black Light apart with a single sword strike!

"Bullying the young with your strength—the Dark Source Soul Hall is still as shameless as ever." The newcomer was a woman dressed in blue, her face veiled with thin gauze that revealed only a pair of clear eyes like autumn waters. The longsword in her hand glimmered with blue light, its tip pointed directly at the Golden Masked Man.

The Golden Masked Man visibly grew wary. "The Azure Luan Sword... Are you that person's disciple?"

The woman in blue did not answer. She merely raised her left hand, where a crescent-shaped jade pendant in her palm emitted a gentle radiance—it was identical to Ning Xiaochuan's Dragon Soul Jade, except it was blue!

At the sight of the jade pendant, the Golden Masked Man actually took a step back. "Impossible... Wasn't the Sacred Origin Tribe already..."

"Get lost." The woman in blue uttered just one word, yet the pressure contained within it made the surrounding rocks tremble faintly.

The Golden Masked Man hesitated for a moment, then suddenly grabbed his two bronze-masked subordinates and transformed into black mist, fleeing without even sparing a glance at Su Linger.

Ning Xiaochuan hurried toward Su Linger, only to be stopped by the woman in blue.

"She's fine. Her source energy has merely been sealed." The woman in blue sheathed her sword, walked over to Su Linger, and gently tapped her. The black chains binding her snapped at once. "Little girl of the Tianyuan Sect, your willpower isn't bad."

Su Linger struggled to her feet and watched the woman in blue warily. "Senior, you are...?"

The woman in blue did not answer. She turned to Ning Xiaochuan, her gaze falling on the Dragon Soul Jade on his chest. "So it really is with you."

She took out her own blue jade pendant. Both pendants lit up at once, resonating with each other.

"Who are you?" Ning Xiaochuan's heart raced. "Did you know my mother?"

The woman in blue fell silent for a moment before softly saying, "The time has not yet come." She stuffed a jade slip into Ning Xiaochuan's hand. "When you reach the Tianyuan Sect, give this to True Man Xuanyu. He will tell you some things."

With that, she leaped into the air and turned into a streak of blue light that vanished beyond the horizon, leaving only one sentence drifting on the wind:

"Be careful of the Third Hall Master of the Dark Source Soul Hall. He is determined to obtain your source souls..."

Ning Xiaochuan and Su Linger looked at each other, both seeing shock and confusion in the other's eyes.

"Who was she?" Ning Xiaochuan murmured.

Su Linger shook her head. "I don't know, but that Azure Luan Sword... I've seen it described in the sect's records. It was the personal sword of a peerless expert from three hundred years ago."

She looked at the jade slip in Ning Xiaochuan's hand. "It seems the mystery of your origins can only be solved once we reach the Tianyuan Sect."

Ning Xiaochuan clenched the jade slip and gazed in the direction where the woman in blue had disappeared. The mysteries were only multiplying, but he had a feeling that he was drawing closer to the truth, step by step.

The two steadied themselves and continued south. After passing through the mountain pass, the terrain indeed began to descend, and the outline of a plain could already be seen in the distance.

The Tianyuan Sect lay at the far end of that plain.