Qing Lin Emerges from Seclusion
Myriad Beast Hall, time seemed to lose its meaning, with only deathly silence and dust as the eternal themes. Zi Yan and Xiong Zhan, like two faithful stone statues, guarded the ever-surging Malice Soul Pool, day after day.
The occasional Soul Fluctuation emanating from the pool were sometimes violent, sometimes peaceful, sometimes as faint as a candle flickering in the wind, and sometimes as resilient as Refined Steel, stirring their minds.
During this long wait, I don't know how much time passed—perhaps a month, perhaps half a year...
Suddenly, the previously silent Inheritance Altar in the center of the hall lit up with a soft yet dazzling light without warning! Countless profound runes, like awakened stars, lit up one after another, converging into a pillar of light that pierced through the entire hall!
A vast, ancient aura, yet brimming with the vitality of new life, emanated from the pillar of light, instantly dispelling the oppressive atmosphere of deathly silence and malevolent thoughts that permeated the hall!
"Um?!"
Zi Yan and Xiong Zhan woke up almost simultaneously, turning their heads sharply to look at the pillar of light on the Altar.
As the light gradually subsided, a slender figure in cyan slowly emerged from the center of the pillar of light.
She was still wearing that light blue dress, but her demeanor had undergone a complete transformation.
The former Qing Lin, though beautiful, always carried a hint of timidity and dependence in her eyes. But now, she stands tall and walks with ease, her beautiful eyes revealing faint blue three-flower phantoms, deep as if containing an ancient Beast Realm.
Her aura had already broken through the Dou Zong barrier and reached the Dou Venerate level! Although she was only One-Star Dou Venerate at the initial stage, the pressure emanating from the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils and the orthodox inheritance of the Beast Taming Sect made Xiong Zhan, who was also Dou Venerate, feel an extremely dangerous pressure.
Clearly, Qing Lin has successfully inherited the legacy and his strength has greatly increased!
"Qing Lin!" Zi Yan's eyes lit up, and she immediately went to greet him. "You succeeded?!"
Xiong Zhan breathed a sigh of relief and a simple, honest smile appeared on his face.
Qing Lin nodded slightly, her face glowing with the radiance of someone who had successfully inherited the legacy. But after her gaze swept over Zi Yan and Xiong Zhan, it quickly turned to the Malice Soul Pool that was still churning with dark water, and to Lin Ming, who was sitting cross-legged by the pool with his eyes closed and his aura closely connected to the soul pool.
"This is the <Turbid Lotus Spirit Quenching Art>... Brother Lin Ming actually..."
Qing Lin's voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly. She could sense countless terrifying auras of chaos, violence, and resentment emanating from that soul pool. Just getting close was enough to send a warning tremor through the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils on her forehead.
During the inheritance, she naturally learned about this dangerous secret technique created by the Yu Cang Sect Master, which also led to the sect's destruction—the <Turbid Lotus Spirit Quenching Art>!
She knew how amazing this secret technique was, but she was also well aware of its terrifying and perilous nature, where one was guaranteed to die! To willingly let one's soul fall into the mire of evil thoughts was tantamount to going against the negativity of the entire world!
"Lin Ming has been in there for over half a year..."
Zi Yan's face fell as she pointed at the dark pool water, her voice filled with worry.
"The noise inside is intermittent, sometimes good, sometimes bad; it's frightening to watch."
"Our Sect Master leader is resolute and will surely turn misfortune into good fortune. All we can do now is trust him and protect him," Xiong Zhan said in a deep voice.
Qing Lin walked to the edge of the Soul Pool, feeling the chill and chaos that rushed towards her. Looking at Lin Ming's body, which seemed to be in deep meditation, yet subtly formed a strange balance with the evil fluctuations of the entire Soul Pool, her heart clenched tightly. Her fair hands unconsciously clenched, her nails almost digging into her flesh.
"The Lotus Spirit is tempered... Brother Lin Ming, you must hold on..."
Qing Lin prayed silently, the joy of inheriting the power replaced by deep worry. She had gained immense power, but what would be the point if she lost her Brother Lin Ming, who had always protected her and given her the best opportunities?
Time seemed to slow down even more after Qing Lin emerged from seclusion. The three of them fell silent, all holding their breath and watching the Malice Soul Pool and Lin Ming intently.
At this moment, Lin Ming was at the most critical juncture.
Deep within the Malice Soul Pool, his Soul Body was no longer the solid Human Form it once was, but had transformed into a strange plant rooted in endless black silt.
It was a lotus bud.
The flower bud was tightly closed, its entire body displaying a dark color, as if it were formed from the purest darkness. Its surface was covered with countless twisted, struggling faces of vengeful spirits and malevolent patterns, exuding a chaotic aura that sent chills down one's spine. At first glance, it almost blended into the churning Malice Mud around it, making it indistinguishable from the surrounding filth.
However, if someone with an extremely keen Soul Perception were here, they would discover that at the very core of this flower bud, amidst the extreme darkness and chaos, a faint yet pure Pure Light, just like the first ray of light at the beginning of the universe, stubbornly exists and gradually grows brighter and stronger at an extremely slow but steady pace!
Over the past six months, Lin Ming's soul has teetered on the brink of collapse and reconstruction countless times.
He actively guided his evil thoughts, analyzed their origins, understood their composition, and endured their erosion. His consciousness was riddled with holes under the impact of countless negative emotions, yet it became more resilient and insightful through repeated perseverance and enlightenment.
He witnessed the wildness and violence of countless Beast Soul, and also felt their resentment at being tamed and driven.
He experienced the extreme temptations and torments of the Seven Emotions and Six Desires, and also gained insight into the fragility and root causes behind these emotions;
He even caught a glimpse of the Nirvana True Intent in the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix's Hatred Fire —a flame that could burn everything yet contained a glimmer of life!
His soul is undergoing a reverse tempering and sedimentation within this endless "turbidity".
All the malice, pain, and chaos became the whetstone that honed the Soul Essence. That core point of Pure Light was his indestructible True Heart that had endured countless tribulations, the true core of the "Lotus Seed" pursued by the <Turbid Lotus Spirit Quenching Art>!
At this moment, the Pure Light at the core of the flower bud has grown to a certain critical point!
It is no longer content to be shrouded in darkness; it wants to break through this thick barrier formed by extreme malice and pain; it wants to... blossom!
"Buzz--!"
A strange fluctuation suddenly emanated from inside the Pitch Black Flower Bud!
The entire Malice Soul Pool began to tremble violently! As if sensing some kind of threat, all the malevolent thoughts, Remnant Soul, and resentments in the pool roared in terror and anger, surging even more frantically towards the flower bud, trying to completely crush and devour it!
"This is... the Purifying Light from the tempering of the turbid lotus!"
Qing Lin suddenly stood up, her eyes gleaming with surprise. She knew from her inherited memories that this was a sign that the <Turbid Lotus Spirit Quenching Art> was reaching its peak and was about to succeed!
Zi Yan and Xiong Zhan also held their breath nervously, staring intently at the increasingly dazzling vortex of light.
Within the Soul Pool, Lin Ming's consciousness was clearer and more focused than ever before. He guided the core point—the pure, Pure Light Soul Origin had endured countless tribulations and been tempered to its extreme—like a sword being drawn from its sheath or a seed breaking through the soil, launching a final and most dangerous assault on the closed, flower bud-like barrier constructed from endless evil thoughts!
"Break!"
A silent cry from the soul echoed throughout the Soul Pool!
"Click--"
A faint yet earth-shattering sound rang out from the top of the Pitch Black Flower Bud!
A tiny crack appeared, and a pure, flawless ray of light, containing indescribable vitality and Purified, suddenly shone through the crack, like the first rays of dawn!
The light was so pure that it formed a stark contrast with the surrounding murky, dark Malice Pool Water!
Wherever the light passed, the raging evil thoughts and vengeful spirits, as if encountering their nemesis, let out shrill screams and were instantly Purified and dispelled like melting snow!
"Sizzle sizzle sizzle--!"
More and more cracks spread across the surface of the flower buds, and more and more Pure Light shone through!
The entire Pitch Black Flower Bud resembled a Giant Egg about to hatch, with the light inside tearing through the darkness outside!
The Malice Soul Pool has completely boiled over!
It sensed a deadly threat: the resentment of the ancient Heavenly Phoenix Remnant Soul, the ferocity of countless Beast Soul, the filth of countless negative emotions... All these forces coalesced into a ferocious and terrifying Pitch Black Giant Python, carrying the will to destroy everything, and launched its final attack on the budding flower of light that was about to bloom!
This is the backlash of evil thoughts, the final obstacle of depravity to transcendence!
At this critical moment, as the last trace of dark malice was Purified and absorbed, the entire Soul Pool transformed into a translucent Spirit Liquid, rippling with vast Soul Fluctuation—
"Buzz!!!"
An immense, indescribable Soul Pressure suddenly erupted from the bottom of the pool, like an ancient god awakening from slumber, instantly sweeping across the entire Myriad Beast Hall!
"Bloom!"
Lin Ming's soul was calm and resolute.
Boom!!!
Endless Pure Light erupted like a volcano suppressed for millennia! The cracked, Pitch Black Flower Bud burst open and vanished in that instant!
Instead, a magnificent, perfectly blooming Soul Lotus!
The lotus is crystal clear, as if it were formed from the purest crystal and light. Its petals are outstretched, its veins are clear, and it exudes a gentle yet vast Soul Fluctuation.
Above the Lotus Pedestal, a faint Daoist aura flowed, as if bearing the ultimate Supreme Principle and earth. At the core of the lotus sat a miniature, incredibly solid, clearly defined Soul Figure emanating the Source Qi Lin Ming.
This is precisely the core of Lin Ming's Soul Origin!
The moment this Soul Lotus appeared, a terrifying Soul Pressure, surpassing even the Spirit Realm and seemingly resonating with heaven and earth, capable of stirring the surrounding energy, swept out like a tidal wave, instantly filling the entire Myriad Beast Hall and even penetrating the barriers of space to spread further afield!
This oppressive force is no longer at the level of the Spirit Realm Grand Perfection! It has transcended that boundary and reached a more profound and vast realm!
As the oppressive aura passed, the Magical Beast Totem on the stone pillars Myriad Beast Hall all emitted a faint hum, as if paying tribute to this newly born Soul King!
Even the three Dou Zun expert, Qing Lin, Zi Yan, and Xiong Zhan, felt a tremor and awe originating from the very essence of life in the face of this Soul Pressure!