Chasing Souls, Devouring Lives

As the black arrow of light transformed from the Soul Chasing Talisman pierced the barrier of the Cave Heaven, the Tai Chi Pattern in Ren Xiaoyao's palm suddenly trembled violently—golden and white spiritual light fluttered wildly in his palm like startled birds, the fine fragments of light trailing behind them falling and landing on the hem of his plain-colored robe. Before they could even settle, they were swept Void by the surrounding cold aura, leaving even the fabric with a faint chill. The Yin and Yang Energy, which had been flowing gently like a mountain stream, instantly became chaotic, like a lake disturbed by a gale. The surging waves even crashed against the walls of his meridians, causing dull pain. Even the immortal energy that had just stabilized in his dantian began to churn, rippling with fine energy, like pebbles being thrown into a lake. A bone-chilling cold, even more intense than the previous Demonic Qi Erosion, surged through his meridians to his dantian, as if countless sharp, icy cones were repeatedly churning within it. Each rotation brought a tearing pain, raising goosebumps on his skin and even stiffening his belt. His recently calmed breathing suddenly froze, each breath feeling like swallowing icy winds. A sharp pain shot through his throat, and his exhaled breath condensed into a translucent cloud in front of him, its outline clearly visible, only to be instantly swallowed by the surrounding chilling aura, leaving no trace except for a brief, icy coolness on the tip of his nose before vanishing completely.

"This is... the primordial aura of the Nine Ancestors of the Demon Realm?" Ren Xiaoyao abruptly looked up, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, locked onto the entrance to the Cave Heaven. His pupils contracted slightly with extreme vigilance, and even the corners of his eyes showed a fine line of tension. The hair on his forehead trembled slightly from the tension in his body. A streak of jet-black light pierced through the gray mist, moving so fast it left a faint black afterimage in the air. The space in its path was distorted into tiny ripples by the demonic flames, like the marks left on the surface of water after a pebble has disturbed it. The black light, like a venomous snake ready to Sky-Rending Strike, hurtled towards him with a sharp, tearing sound. A faint "sizzling" sound was mixed in with the sharp sound, as if something was constantly corroding the air. Even the surrounding dust was burned into black powder by the demonic flames, scattering on the ground and leaving black spots. Where the light arrow passed, the already thin Spiritual Qi along its path was instantly sucked into a vacuum, forming... A brief "Spiritual Energy Fault" formed, where even light seemed to refract slightly. The tender sprouts of spiritual herbs that had just emerged from the ground lost their vibrant green luster the moment they came into contact with the lingering power of the black light, turning withered and brittle, their veins clearly visible, as if all their life force had been drained away. They then withered and scorched at a visible speed, finally shrinking into a powder the size of a fingernail, crumbling at the slightest touch. A gust of wind would scatter them without a trace, even the roots turning into black ash, merging with the pebbles on the ground. The chilling aura in the air intensified several times over, even freezing the temperature that had returned to his fingertips due to the breakthrough. A thin layer of White Frost condensed on his knuckles, spreading from his fingers to his palm, attempting to envelop the pulsating Tai Chi spiritual light. But upon touching the light, it melted into tiny water droplets, sliding down the lines of his palm, dripping onto the ground and quickly freezing into ice particles, making a soft "tap" sound.

He dared not hesitate for a moment. The Pure Yang Immortal Energy within his dantian, like a thousand-year-old furnace ignited, instantly boiled. The scorching heat surged along his meridians to his palm, warming the meridians along the way until they were slightly hot. Even the surface of his skin flushed slightly, causing the Tai Chi Pattern to radiate golden light, almost enveloping his entire palm. The light diffused outwards through his fingers, illuminating a small area in front of him. Even the White Frost remaining on his fingertips melted instantly into water vapor, condensing into a thin mist in his palm, swaying gently with his breath. A crimson wall of fire, half a zhang wide, rose out of thin air. The flames crackled as they danced, and Mars fell onto the broken stones of the immortal statue on the ground, scorching small marks. Faint black marks, like ink stains, lingered around the marks for a long time. This wall of fire was like a fiery curtain stretching across the heavens and earth. Within the wall, there was also a dense, spiderweb-like silver-white Yin Power, the Yin and Yang Energy intertwined and permeating each other. The wall of fire formed a seemingly solid defensive barrier, its surface shimmering with a faint glow. Within this glow, the Yin and Yang Energy could be clearly seen flowing like two serpents, sometimes intertwining, sometimes separating. Yet, the arrow of light formed from the Soul Chasing Talisman showed no fear. The moment its tip touched the wall of fire, a piercing "sizzle" resounded, so sharp it hurt the eardrums. Black demonic flames surged and spread from the arrow, engulfing the crimson flames layer by layer like spilled ink. The crackling of the flames was gradually replaced by the sizzling of the demonic flames, even the air was tainted with a faint, fishy stench, like rotting seaweed mixed with rust, making one nauseous to inhale. The silvery-white Yin Power disintegrated the instant it touched the demonic flames, turning into tiny specks of light that vanished into the air as if it had never existed, offering no resistance whatsoever. Only a faint, chilling aura remained, lingering like a ghost.

"Such powerful Demonic Might! This Soul Chasing Talisman contains such terrifying Origin Power!" Ren Xiaoyao's heart sank. He felt an overwhelming pressure, like a towering mountain, pressing down on him, making his chest feel tight and his breathing difficult. Each inhale felt like swallowing cold lead, with a faint metallic taste in his throat. His chest rose and fell slightly, causing his clothes to sway gently. He instinctively tried to dodge to the side, but the pressure slowed his movements by a fraction, as if he were bound by invisible shackles. The arrow grazed his shoulder, the demonic flames at the end of the arrow sweeping across his plain clothes, instantly burning a half-foot-long black gash. The smell of burning fabric mingled with the... The stench of demonic energy assaulted his nostrils, causing him to wince and his nose to sting, almost bringing tears to his eyes. A searing burning sensation spread through his skin beneath his clothes, as if branded with a red-hot iron. His skin instantly swelled and blistered. A wisp of foul-smelling black smoke seeped into his meridians through the wounds, frantically eroding his immortal power like a persistent, bone-deep infection. Wherever it passed, the walls of his meridians throbbed with pain, and the newly healed cracks showed signs of reopening. Even the flow of his immortal power became sluggish, like struggling through a riverbed strewn with pebbles. Each movement was accompanied by a painful friction, causing him to gasp sharply.

Before he could regain his footing, the Soul Chasing Talisman suddenly veered back in mid-air, its movements so agile as to seem almost sentient, tracing a strange arc. The arrow itself split into dozens of tiny black rays, each as thick as a finger, like flowers blooming. Each ray was enveloped in an intensely potent Soul Devouring Power, its surface shimmering with a faint, eerie glow, like will-o'-the-wisps in the dead of night. Like swarms of locusts, it attacked from all directions, completely sealing off his escape routes, leaving no gaps above or below him, forming an impenetrable black net of light. Where the net covered, the air seemed to solidify. Even before the black rays approached, Ren Xiaoyao felt a sharp, piercing pain in his soul, as if countless invisible hands were tearing at his consciousness. He even uncontrollably saw visions—mountains of corpses and seas of blood from the Demon Realm unfolded before him, dark red blood reaching above his ankles, viscous liquid bubbling at his feet. As the bubble burst, tiny droplets of blood splattered, emitting a nauseating stench mixed with a faint sulfurous aroma, making him dizzy. Countless wronged souls struggled to emerge from the blood, their faces twisted and terrifying. Some had empty eye sockets, from which flowed black tears of blood, which dripped into the blood and created tiny ripples. Others had their mouths torn to their ears, revealing gleaming white teeth with dark red bits of flesh clinging to them, sending chills down one's spine. Still others were missing limbs, propelled by their broken torsos as they lunged at him, Black Blood still seeping from their broken wounds, leaving streaks of black blood in the blood. The shrill screams echoed in his ears, like countless steel needles piercing his eardrums, shaking him to his core. The Tai Chi Pattern in his palm dimmed, the golden-white light flickering like a candle flame about to go out, even his fingertips began to tremble slightly, and his body swayed.

"Concentrate! It's just an illusion created by demonic flames!" Ren Xiaoyao gritted his teeth and bit his tongue, the sweet, metallic blood sliding down his lip and staining his clothes, leaving dark marks like blooming dark flowers. The intense pain exploded in his mind like thunder, instantly waking him up. The illusion before him faded somewhat, and the roar in his ears lessened considerably. He quickly formed hand seals, his fingertips leaving faint silver-white trails as they traced the air. The trails lingered for a moment before slowly dissipating, like the afterimage of a shooting star, leaving a brief imprint in the air. The Silver Light of the Tai Chi Pattern in his palm surged, becoming even stronger than before. A semi-transparent silver-white light shield spread from his palm, firmly enveloping him. The surface of the light shield was covered with faint Golden Patterns, like a layer of sturdy armor. The Golden Patterns and Silver Light intertwined, forming complex patterns that were clearly visible. The Yin and Yang Energy flowed slowly within, sometimes converging, sometimes dispersing. But the moment the black light struck the light shield, the shield shook violently. The Golden Patterns on its surface cracked like a spiderweb, with tiny fissures appearing from the cracks. Faint black energy seeped from these fissures, and the silvery-white light flickered like a candle in the wind. Each flash was accompanied by a slight contraction of the light shield, as if it would shatter at any moment. Each impact sent a metallic taste rising in Ren Xiaoyao's throat, and the immortal energy in his meridians surged like a raging storm. The previously healed cracks in his meridians could no longer hold on and completely collapsed. Fine beads of blood seeped from his fingertips, dripping onto the ground, where they were instantly frozen into red Ice Crystals by the surrounding cold aura. The surface of the Ice Crystals gleamed with a faint demonic luster, as if inlaid with a black edge, making them particularly conspicuous in the gloomy Cave Heaven, forming a stark contrast with the surrounding rubble.

The Soul Chasing Talisman seemed to sense his weakness; all the black light suddenly converged, reforming as if drawn by a magnet, transforming into a jet-black arrow of light about ten feet long. This arrow was several inches thicker than before, its Demonic Runes flashing wildly, writhing like living venomous snakes. A viscous black liquid flowed within Demonic Runes Demonic Runes, slowly trickling along them like snake blood. The aura it emitted caused the entire Cave Heaven to tremble slightly, the rubble on the ground shaking gently, and the black marks on their surfaces deepening, spreading like ink on rice paper, gradually merging and covering the original color of the rubble. The arrow of light slowly hovered... In mid-air, the surrounding space was twisted into black vortexes by demonic flames. A howling wind emanated from these vortexes, like the wailing of wronged souls or the whispers of demons, sending chills down one's spine and making one's hair stand on end, causing an involuntary cold emanating from the body. Even the shattered stones and statues on the ground were sucked into the vortexes, spinning rapidly within them. The stones collided with each other, making a "crackling" sound, like bones shattering, sending shivers down one's spine. They were instantly crushed into dust, leaving not a trace. Only a faint demonic aura remained at the center of the vortex, like an inescapable shadow, lingering in the Cave Heaven for a long time.

"I can't fight it head-on! With my current strength, I'm no match for this Soul Chasing Talisman!" A resolute glint flashed in Ren Xiaoyao's eyes. He knew clearly that continuing the fight would only result in his soul being completely devoured by the Soul -Soul Chasing Talisman, leaving him no chance for reincarnation. He suddenly raised his hand, and the golden and white forces of the Tai Chi Pattern in his palm erupted simultaneously. More condensed energy gathered in his palm than before, forming a Yin-Yang Fish Pattern the size of a fingernail. The pattern was still slowly rotating, emitting a faint spiritual light, which also carried a trace of warmth, contrasting with the surrounding coldness. Then, a burst of energy containing the Yin and Yang Energy shot out from his palm, the energy carrying a slight whistling sound as it flew, stirring up the air along its path. A thin gust of air stirred up dust from the ground, forming a brief gray streak in the sky. He then turned and sprinted towards the Heaven's Gate deep within the Cave Heaven —the only exit he had discovered during his earlier exploration of the Cave Heaven, hidden behind a pile of broken immortal statues. The surface of the Heaven's Gate was covered with thick dust and tiny cracks, beneath which faint Rune Imprint could still be seen. Although the runes were dim, they still retained a faint spatial power; a slight touch could reveal a spatial fluctuation. Although he knew that the Heaven's Gate connected to the desolate and perilous Border Wasteland of the Immortal Realm the Spiritual Qi, it was, at this moment, his only way out. He could not afford to hesitate for a moment; each step was quick and urgent, his footsteps echoing in the empty Cave Heaven.

The moment the energy clashed with the light arrow, a deafening roar erupted, echoing throughout the Cave Heaven like thunderclaps, causing eardrums to ache and teeth to chatter slightly. A thunderous roar filled the mind, briefly impairing the ability to think. Black demonic flames and golden-white spiritual light exploded in the air, forming a massive Energy Storm. The energy density at the storm's center was extremely high, causing ripples in space. These ripples spread, causing the surrounding rubble to vibrate slightly, and even toppling several distant Immortal Statue Wreckage immortals. The statues crashed to the ground with a deafening roar, kicking up clouds of dust. Where the storm swept, rubble was lifted into the air before crashing back down, striking the Immortal Statue Wreckage with loud thuds. With a clatter, rubble fell from the remains of the Immortal Statue Wreckage, causing the entire Cave Heaven to shake violently. Rock fragments continued to fall from the ceiling, striking the ground with dull thuds and raising clouds of dust, as if it were about to collapse and bury him. Using the force of the storm, Ren Xiaoyao shot out like an arrow, but his back was still struck by the demonic flames within the storm. The intense pain made his vision go black, blurring as if covered by a layer of mist. He could no longer hold back and spat out a mouthful of blood, staining his clothes red and leaving traces of blood at the corners of his mouth. The blood dripped onto the ground and was instantly dispersed by the aftershocks of the storm, turning into fine blood mist that lingered in the air for a moment before dissipating, leaving only a faint smell of blood.

The Soul Chasing Talisman was momentarily blocked by the force of the energy, its Demonic Runes dimming slightly, like a candle flame about to go out. However, it quickly recovered, as if it had never been damaged, even appearing more ferocious than before, its demonic flames growing even stronger. Then, it transformed into a black streak again, its speed even faster than before, closing the distance as if by Teleport, now only a few feet from Ren Xiaoyao's back. The scorching heat and chilling aura of the demonic flames assaulted him, almost scorching his hair. Even the hairpin held in place on his head was slightly charred by the demonic flames, emitting a faint burnt smell. A small crack even appeared on the surface of the hairpin, threatening to break at any moment. Ren Xiaoyao could clearly feel the aura of death behind him, like a cold, venomous snake coiling around his neck, chilling him to the bone. His hair stood on end, his heart pounded wildly in his chest, almost leaping out of his throat. He mustered his last ounce of immortal power and slammed his palm towards the Heaven's Gate. The golden and white forces in his palm coalesced into a sharp blade of light, slicing through the air with a sharp, piercing sound, shattering the dust-covered seal on the Heaven's Gate as easily as cutting paper. The seal shattered with a soft "crack," like glass breaking. As soon as the seal broke, a faint white light emanated from within the Heaven's Gate, carrying the desolate and arid aura unique to the Border Wasteland of the Immortal Realm, a stark contrast to the chill of the Cave Heaven within. The white light also contained fine grains of sand, which rustled as they fell to the ground like a light rain, forming a thin layer that crunched softly underfoot.

"Pfft!" The demonic flames of the Soul Chasing Talisman finally grazed his shoulder. A bone-chilling cold instantly spread from his shoulder to half his body, stiffening his muscles like stones, rendering even his fingertips immobile. His meridians were completely frozen, like a frozen river, preventing even the flow of immortal energy. His left arm lost all feeling, hanging limply at his side, its surface faintly tinged with black demonic energy, as if shrouded in a black mist. Within this mist, tiny Demonic Runes could be seen slowly writhing, spreading like living things. Ignoring his injuries, Ren Xiaoyao leaped into the Heaven's Gate, his body passing through Heaven's Gate... In an instant, he could still feel the icy touch of the edge of the Heaven's Gate. The runes on the edge flickered briefly as he passed through, then dimmed again, as if they had exhausted their last bit of strength and no longer reacted. The moment his body completely entered the Heaven's Gate, he unleashed a burst of Pure Yang Immortal Energy. The immortal power landed on the edge of the Heaven's Gate, forming a faint Light Membrane. The surface of the Light Membrane glowed with golden light. Although it could not completely block the Soul Chasing Talisman, it could buy him a moment to catch his breath. When the light Light Membrane came into contact with the demonic energy, it made a "sizzling" sound and emitted a faint black smoke. The black smoke carried a burnt smell, similar to the smell of the burning clothes he had smelled earlier.

The moment he passed through the Heaven's Gate, the scene before him changed abruptly—no longer the dilapidated Cave Heaven, but an endless, Barren Gobi Desert. The ground was covered with pebbles of varying sizes, their sharp edges gleaming coldly in the hazy light. Occasionally, dried grass clippings could be seen beneath the pebbles, crumbling into fine powder at the slightest touch and scattering in the wind. The sky was a somber gray, devoid of sun, moon, or stars, only thick, low-hanging clouds that seemed almost within reach. The faint rumble of thunder echoed from within the clouds, yet no rain fell. Only occasional flashes of lightning illuminated half the sky, briefly dispelling the darkness before plunging the sky into even deeper gloom. The air was thick with a negligible amount of Spiritual Qi, mixed with the rough scent of wind and sand, stinging his lungs and causing him to cough uncontrollably. Each cough aggravated the wound in his chest, sending a tearing sensation through him. The intense pain caused even more cold sweat to bead on his forehead. The distant mountains were barren, devoid of any greenery, their exposed rocks resembling the grotesque skeletons of ferocious beasts, standing tall in the howling wind. The wind whipped through the cracks in the rocks, producing a mournful sound, like the wailing of ghosts or the howling of wild animals, sending chills down one's spine. Even the surrounding air seemed to grow colder, as if returning to the previous Cave Heaven. Ren Xiaoyao could no longer hold on, his body crashing heavily onto the gravel of the Gobi Desert. The sharp edges of the gravel cut his skin, leaving tiny bloodstains, from which a faint black aura seeped, slowly spreading like poison. Another mouthful of blood gushed out, splattering onto the gravel and staining the surrounding rocks, forming a dark red mark. His consciousness gradually blurred, his eyelids felt as heavy as lead, almost closing completely. Even the sound of the wind around him seemed distant, as if from another world.

He could clearly feel that the Soul Chasing Talisman was blocked on the other side by the temporary seal of the Heaven's Gate. The faint sizzling sound of demonic flames burning the Light Membrane could be heard, like the buzzing of mosquitoes in his ear. The golden light on the Light Membrane was also dimming little by little, and the cracks were constantly widening, spreading like a spider web. Black demonic energy began to seep out from the cracks, like the forked tongue of a venomous snake, constantly probing the surrounding air. He knew that this blockade would not last long, and the Soul Chasing Talisman could break through the seal at any time and catch up with him, or even attract more Demon Realm pursuers, plunging him into an abyss of no return. He forced his heavy eyes open, and through his blurred vision, he could only see the huge black rock in front of him with its eroded marks, like the deep wrinkles on an old man's face. Tiny grains of sand were still stuck in the cracks of the rock, trembling slightly in the wind.