Night Roaming

The harrowing scene just now had made Liu Ding wary, and he no longer dared to casually perform that terrifying Soul Method. Yet he was unwilling to let it go and asked, "General Jiang, what should I do next?"

Having recovered his senses, General Jiang said, "It's fine. At the critical moment when you were performing the Seven Souls Separation Ritual, the incense was nearly burned out. I was afraid interrupting you midway would make you lose your insight again, so I let you take the risk. Now, you only need to return your soul to your body before the incense burns out. There is no need to worry."

"Alright." Liu Ding did not waste words. He washed his hands again, lit the incense, and calmed his mind. This time, he was familiar with the process. Closing his eyes, he performed the Seven Souls Separation Ritual. As his Sea of Souls churned, he suddenly felt as though he had leaped from the water, and his entire body became startlingly light.

Whoosh

This time, the upheaval was not so violent. Naturally, he left his body, his soul leaving its shell.

"Your comprehension is not bad."

General Jiang's voice came from nearby. This time, it no longer sounded quite so distant and ethereal.

Turning his head, Liu Ding saw General Jiang standing beside him. He no longer seemed as mysterious as before, merely an ordinary old man.

"General Jiang, what do I do next?" After General Jiang had saved his soul from leaving his body, his standing in Liu Ding's heart had risen considerably. Liu Ding asked humbly.

"Hehe, you have already entered the Five Soulforging Cauldrons realm. I do not have much ability left to guide you in your cultivation realm." General Jiang looked rather unbefitting of his age.

"Cut it out." The faint trace of respect that had just arisen vanished completely. Liu Ding's mouth twitched. "You're still here, so you must have something up your sleeve. Hand it over, and I'll spare your life. Heh heh."

"Kid, if you can make me die, I'll be eternally grateful to you," General Jiang said.

"You really want to die?" Liu Ding asked in surprise. "How do you want to die? This young master will fulfill your wish." Seriously, did he think he could fool a three-year-old?

"Every word I say is true." To his surprise, General Jiang's expression was extremely solemn. "If you want me dead, defeat Liu Ji. As long as you defeat Liu Ji, I will immediately disappear, as though I had never existed in this world."

"You have a grudge against Liu Ji? Impossible, right? The generation gap between your ages is huge." Liu Ding shook his head. "Could it be that you were enemies in your past lives? Tell me so I can have a laugh."

"Get lost, get lost. Why are you so improper? If Liu Ji defeats you, you will walk the same destitute path I did. Do you understand?" General Jiang was furious.

Liu Ding froze, as if he had caught onto something. He stared at General Jiang, wanting to glean some information from him.

"Stop looking. I won't tell you. Once you become strong enough in the future, find the answer yourself." General Jiang turned his old face away and ignored him.

"If you fail, you will suffer miserably."

In the end, General Jiang added that harshly.

If he failed in the battle for the sect master position, Liu Ding could imagine that the outcome would indeed be miserable. Especially Zhi'er... Thinking of Zhi'er's delicate, ethereal little face, he suddenly shook his head, casting those terrifying thoughts aside.

No. I can't. Absolutely not.

"General Jiang, you have lived for so many years. Even if your strength is lacking, you can still offer some guidance to the current me, can't you?" With Zhi'er as his weakness, Liu Ding no longer dared to act recklessly and humbly sought advice.

"Kid, there is still hope for you after all." General Jiang was very pleased. "For now, perform the Soul Method in your room every day. After at least seven days and seven nights, you will be able to roam at night. I can direct you to a place where you may be able to absorb more soul qi and reach the peak of the Five Soulforging Cauldrons. As for whether you can break into the Six Soulforging Cauldrons realm, that will depend on you."

"Where?" Liu Ding asked in delight.

"Look, the incense is about to burn out." General Jiang grinned mischievously and pointed at the incense burner.

Liu Ding was startled. Turning back, he saw that at least a third remained. When he turned around again, General Jiang had already vanished. He was thoroughly annoyed. "What is that old man being so mysterious about? I refuse to believe my soul cannot roam at night."

General Jiang had not been exaggerating. After stabilizing his soul for three days and three nights, Liu Ding tried to roam at night. The moment he stepped outside, a gust of cold wind nearly scattered his soul. Fortunately, General Jiang pulled him back in time.

Liu Ding finally made up his mind to focus on performing the ritual.

Seeing Liu Ding settle down and cultivate his character, both Zhi'er and Sister Zhu'er breathed a sigh of relief. For the past few months, Liu Ding had gone out every day looking to get beaten, returning covered in wounds. It had truly left them worried. Even Yan Hanyan, his muddleheaded mother, would often touch the scars on Liu Ding's body and foolishly smile as she asked whether they hurt.

Though General Jiang had said seven days and seven nights of ritual practice, Liu Ding continued for seven times seven, forty-nine days before stabilizing his soul. That night, he decided to roam at night once more.

At midnight, all was silent. Liu Ding lit incense and began meditating.

The Seven Souls Separation Method had already become as instinctive to Liu Ding as a reflex. He no longer needed to sense or comprehend it. He merely calmed his mind, adjusted slightly, and began visualizing the stars in the night sky and the moonlight above the clouds.

These visualizations helped soothe the soul and allowed it to merge with heaven and earth.

In the span of a thought, Liu Ding opened his eyes and discovered that he had appeared in the small courtyard of his home. The stars and moonlight were no longer mere imaginings, but shimmered dreamily across his soul body.

Feeling not the slightest discomfort, Liu Ding finally relaxed and stepped toward the door. The door had not opened, but it could not stop him. With a thought, he passed straight through it. A cold wind swept over him outside, but he felt no chill, and his soul remained solid.

"I can finally roam at night." As he walked, the night breeze felt like spring sunlight bathing him, leaving him utterly at ease.

However, aside from the fact that physical objects could not stop him—for instance, he could pass directly through a tree without going around it—he still walked steadily upon the ground and could not float through the air.

"Father, Mother, are you truly so certain that Liu Ji can seize the sect master position?"

Liu Ding drifted leisurely through the village at Crescent Moon Bay. It was deep into the night, and aside from the occasional watch call from the clan members on patrol, there was no sound.

Yet at that moment, Liu Ding heard voices.

Looking up, he realized that he had wandered to Liu Tao's residence. Even through the high walls, he could still hear Liu Tao's voice, and lamplight shone from the courtyard beyond.

Liu Ding passed directly through the wall and saw Liu Tao practicing martial arts. A small table stood at the side of the training ground, with her father and mother seated in grand armchairs on either side.

"Tao'er, honestly. Other than Liu Ji, who else do you think can seize the sect master position?" Liu Tao's mother frowned.

"But I can sense that even though Liu Ji is at the Six Soulforging Cauldrons, the soul qi on his body is far weaker than... than Liu Ding's."

Gritting her teeth, Liu Tao finally spoke the words that had weighed upon her heart all this time. When she had unexpectedly dual cultivated with Liu Ding, she had personally felt the powerful soul qi gathered within his body.

"So what if his soul qi is stronger?" Liu Tao's father said disdainfully. "Once Liu Ji refines a Phoenix Soul Forging Pill, he can directly reach the state of a Two-Cauldron Dharma Soul warrior. Besides, during this period, Nie Zhengxu arranged for me to handle certain matters for him, all concerning Liu Ji. I think he intends to have Liu Ji break through once more into the Seven Soul-Forging Cauldrons realm during the battle for the sect master position."

"What? Seven Soul-Forging Cauldrons?" Liu Tao cried out, unable to believe her ears.

It seemed Nie Zhengxu's ambitions were immense. He was determined to win the battle for the sect master position. Liu Ding frowned. If Liu Ji broke into the Seven Soul-Forging Cauldrons realm and then refined the Cauldron King Soul Forging Pill, his strength would be terrifying indeed.

It seemed this battle for the sect master position would have to be fought in blood.