Seven Souls Shattered

Lu Feng roared hysterically. Seeing the woman so grievously wounded, his eyes instantly turned bloodshot. Soul qi within him surged out wildly beyond his control, and the killing intent around him shot straight into the heavens. He was clearly furious to the extreme.

Watching Lu Feng's transformation, the Black-Clad Men involuntarily took another step back. Each of them gripped their weapons tightly and stood ready for battle, terrified that Lu Feng, red-eyed and bereft of reason, would charge at them without regard for anything.

"Leave... quickly..." the woman in green cried weakly. Her bruised face was full of remorse. If not for her wilfulness and recklessness, she would not have been captured and caused Lu Feng to be threatened.

To capture without killing meant they had an aim. And if they had an aim, there was a chance to save her.

Once Lu Feng calmed down and clearly assessed the situation, he held his longsword horizontally and pointed it coldly at the Black-Clad Men. "Speak. What will it take for you to release her?"

The black-clad man laughed teasingly. "If you had obediently handed over the Divine Map earlier, things would not have come to this. We originally planned to use this little girl to threaten that old fellow from the Clear River Sect."

Lu Feng could not help but be secretly shocked upon hearing this. He had never expected their target to be his Sect Leader.

"Hand over the Divine Map and destroy your own seven souls."

The black-clad man's expression turned solemn as he intensified his threats against Lu Feng. With a hostage in hand, he looked utterly fearless.

The seven souls were the starting point of cultivation, the foundation of everything.

If the seven souls shattered, one's cultivation would be crippled.

If the seven souls left the body, one would either die or be crippled!

Hearing the black-clad man make such a vicious demand, Lu Feng knitted his brows tightly. Yu Yihan's expression was exceedingly pained as she listened and watched.

"No..." Strength seemed to come from nowhere as Yu Yihan cried to Lu Feng, "Go quickly! Leave me behind. Take care of my father."

Lu Feng shook his head and smiled helplessly. "If you die, the Sect Leader may not be able to bear it." His tone was exceptionally gentle, in stark contrast to the fierce killing intent he radiated.

After a brief pause, Lu Feng had already formed a plan. He said to the Black-Clad Men, "It is only destroying my seven souls. What is there to fear?"

As soon as he spoke, Lu Feng forced his blood and qi to flow in reverse, forcibly driving the seven souls within his body out. Seven spirals of qi radiating spiritual light floated above his head.

Heavenly Rush, Spiritual Wisdom, Qi, Strength, Central Pivot, Essence, and Heroism—the seven souls of man, tied to a person's very foundation and the basis of Soul Cultivation—were now leaving his body one by one.

Only upon seeing this did the Black-Clad Men truly relax. No one could remain unharmed after their seven souls left their body. Even if the seven souls were not destroyed, the agony of leaving the body would damage Lu Feng's cultivation, leaving him unable to advance again for the rest of his life.

If the Young Master learns that we not only completed his task but also unexpectedly got rid of the Night Feather Sword Master, he will surely reward us handsomely. The black-clad man's thoughts ran wild, and he was brimming with smug delight.

Yu Yihan, however, went mad at the sight. She began shouting frantically in an attempt to stop him.

Suddenly, the spiritual energy atop Night Crow Ridge churned and surged wildly out of control. Everyone turned to look at Lu Feng, only to discover that the source was not him, but Yu Yihan, who lay collapsed amid the Black-Clad Men.

"If I cannot love you in life, how could I burden you to pay with your life in death?!"

A tragic yet relieved smile rested on Yu Yihan's lips, carrying the air of liberation and an indescribable, heartbreaking beauty.

Borrowing the spiritual energy, she swiftly floated up from the ground. Her entire presence became terrifying. In that instant, it was as though the entire valley had darkened with her.

"Careful! She's going to self-destruct!" a black-clad man cried in alarm. In a flash, he struck Yu Yihan with his palm and sent her flying toward Lu Feng. Whether or not they could stop her in time, they wanted to drag Lu Feng into hell first.

In the end, the black-clad man was one step faster.

That palm strike scattered all the power Yu Yihan had painstakingly gathered. Her self-destruction failed, and suffering the backlash of the secret art, she sprayed out a mouthful of blood that became a thick crimson mist in midair.

Lu Feng caught the flying Yu Yihan and quickly stabilized her injuries. He then wiped the blood from the corner of her lips, his eyes full of tenderness. "Does it hurt? Rest for a while. I'll take you home soon."

Lying in Lu Feng's arms, Yu Yihan could no longer muster even a shred of strength. She was weak to the extreme, yet a faint blush flashed across her cheeks. Suddenly, she discovered a hint of happiness in this moment. Resting in Lu Feng's embrace was so peaceful, as though all the clamour of the world had nothing to do with her anymore, and even the pain of her injuries had vanished.

If the seven souls left the body, forcing them back would inevitably bring backlash. If the seven souls self-destructed, death was certain. If Lu Feng wanted to leave alive, he could only choose one of the two.

This entire situation had been brought about by the people before him. If he did not avenge this hatred now, he might never have another chance. Moreover, these Black-Clad Men were of unknown origin and harboured ill intentions toward the sect. He could not allow them to leave.

A flash of killing intent crossed Lu Feng's eyes. He was not one to endure silently. He had always disdained words like "a gentleman's revenge can wait ten years." Those who cultivated should repay kindness and enmity with unrestrained conviction.

Looking at the pitiful girl in his arms, Lu Feng recalled the gentle, loving smile of an old man. He remembered something the old man had once mentioned in passing, and his resolve in the decision he had made grew even firmer.

A ruthless curve flickered across Lu Feng's lips, while his eyes revealed a killing intent as though he bore a hatred for heaven itself. Before everyone's eyes, the seven souls hovering above his head rapidly exploded in an exceptionally bizarre manner.

The immense energy contained within the seven souls instantly flooded into his body.

Yu Yihan instantly understood Lu Feng's action. Tears streamed uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes. Horrified, she tried to stop him, but a surge of blood and qi made her faint. Even so, both her hands clutched Lu Feng's sleeve tightly.

The air atop Night Crow Ridge suddenly seemed to freeze, creating an intensely stifling sensation. The wind, originally merely cold and gloomy, now became bone-piercingly frigid. Without anyone noticing, flakes of frost began to drift down from the sky.

"Run!" The Black-Clad Men were no fools. They knew what the sight before them meant. Against Lu Feng in his normal state, they had only a fifty-fifty chance at best, much less against Lu Feng, who had used a secret art to burn his life and explode his souls in a bid for survival. If they did not flee, only one-sided slaughter awaited them.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..." Thirteen shadows fled at top speed.

But in Lu Feng's eyes at that moment, how fast could these Black-Clad Men possibly be?

Lu Feng wiped away the tears at the corners of Yu Yihan's eyes and helped her sit on the ground. Then his figure vanished from the spot in an instant.

"Slash..."

The Night Feather Sword emerged!

Cold light arrived, and heads fell!

In only a brief instant, all thirteen Black-Clad Men lost their lives. Thirteen heads fell upon Night Crow Ridge and rolled in every direction, while blood gushed like springs from thirteen headless bodies, shooting straight into the clouds.

Although the leading black-clad man had already fled a hundred meters away, he still did not escape alive. The Night Feather Sword, flying forth like a piercing stab, ended his life.

Because Lu Feng had suddenly left, the unconscious Yu Yihan slowly began to fall over. Yet before she could hit the ground, Lu Feng had already returned to her side and supported her. Watching the thirteen black figures collapse in unison in the distance, Lu Feng finally let out a breath of relief.

If Yu Yihan had not been unconscious at that moment, her eyes would surely have widened in disbelief. Lu Feng's realm had risen again—at the instant he self-destructed his seven souls, he had broken through.

But so what? Self-destructing the seven souls was no different from digging one's own grave. Death was inevitable.

Although Lu Feng had recalled the method of rebuilding through rebirth from dead ashes that his master once spoke of when he used the secret art, and had drawn out a portion of the seven souls' origin power, was this not still a situation with nine chances of death and only one of life?

Lu Feng exhausted the remnants of his soul power to treat Yu Yihan's internal injuries. Weakness swept through his entire body, but reason told him that he absolutely could not lose consciousness now.

Crows were exceptionally sensitive to the scent of blood, and the stench atop the ridge was now extremely thick. The deaths of thirteen Black-Clad Men had blanketed Night Crow Ridge in an eerie chill.

"Caw, caw, caw..."

Several harsh cries came from below the ridge. Lu Feng's expression changed slightly. He quickly lifted Yu Yihan into his arms and ran swiftly away from the ridge entrance.

Weakness spread through him. Before he had gone far, Lu Feng collapsed. Before hitting the ground, he placed himself beneath her to protect the woman in his arms. After landing, he covered her with his body, shielding her from the crows' ravaging.

And in the instant before he lost consciousness, Lu Feng witnessed a horrifying sight he would never forget for the rest of his life.

Flocks of crows, black as an endless sea, blotted out the sky as they flew toward the Black-Clad Men, where the scent of blood was strongest. A few lone crows that did not know better flew toward him.

Jet-black feathers, sharp beaks, venomous talons—these were the most dangerous signs of Night Crow Ridge.

Seeing this, Lu Feng's heart turned utterly still. He knew there was no longer any chance of survival today. Struggling, he took the Divine Map from his arms and used his last sliver of strength to flick it down from Night Crow Ridge. Let this Divine Map, said to record supreme secrets, never appear in the world again.

Yet to the crows, Lu Feng's act was like throwing rubbish into their home. It completely enraged them. They screeched and cried in fury, then began madly tearing at Lu Feng's back.

Lu Feng had exhausted his final shred of strength and was too weak to move. His remaining consciousness began to blur.

Feeling the desolate atmosphere of Night Crow Ridge, listening to the crows' "joyful" cries, and looking at the scattered corpses in the distance, a lonely sorrow suddenly surged into his heart.

As Lu Feng felt his life withering away, he was suddenly overcome with emotion. The path of Soul Cultivation was so long and lonely. If he somehow survived this time, would he still have the courage to walk it once more?

Very soon, Lu Feng gave himself a firm answer. Knowing all too well how insignificant the weak were, he cast aside the despondency in his mind without hesitation. If he did not die, he would become stronger still. He would uncover the vile figure behind today's events and kill them.

Lu Feng's back had already been gnawed until it was covered in wounds and a bloody mess. As his consciousness neared collapse, he lowered his head once more to look at Yu Yihan in his arms, his eyes carrying a trace of apology.

Lu Feng was not grass or wood—how could he be without feeling? He had long understood Yu Yihan's feelings, but over these years, he had immersed himself in the path of the sword, intent only on Soul Cultivation and becoming stronger. In the end, he had let down a heart of devotion.

"In the next life... I will surely cherish those by my side."

The last of Lu Feng's consciousness faded away.