"Something extremely powerful?" Hao Ren was left completely baffled by the Data Terminal's cryptic remark. "What thing?"
The Data Terminal bounced on Hao Ren's shoulder. "It could be a Soul Fragment, or perhaps some kind of Mental Imprint. This unit can't see clearly, but it's entangled with Zhao Xi's soul. That thing is too powerful—so powerful that the soul of Zhao Xi herself can't control her body."
Hao Ren immediately thought of the effect the whispers of the Godslaying Sword had on Demon Hunters. "The Thought Imprint of the Godslaying Sword?!"
"No. Its nature is different, and the thing in Zhao Xi's soul looks even more... advanced. This unit can't see through it at all."
Hao Ren hadn't expected such an advanced device as the Data Terminal to suffer from insufficient performance. Beside him, Ryūsei could no longer hold back. "What are you talking about? Has Zhao Xi been possessed by something like an evil spirit?"
"It's hard to say, but it seems this isn't dissociative soul disorder. Rather, her soul is being suppressed by an external consciousness." Hao Ren waved a hand. "Do you know what she came into contact with in the Spirit Realm Bell Tower?"
Ryūsei thought for a moment, then gently shook his head. "...I'm not sure. I was still recovering in the rear when she was captured. By the time she was brought back, she was already like this. I asked the others, and they said that while Zhao Xi was trapped in the bell tower, she had wandered around the upper district just like everyone else."
Ryūsei's information wasn't of much use, so Hao Ren shifted his attention back to Zhao Xi. He poked the Data Terminal on his shoulder. "Can you separate that external consciousness from her?"
The terminal thought carefully for a