Green Flood Dragon's Sacrifice, the First Attempt at a Spirit Soul, Descent of the Nine-Colored Divine Deer
The moment the emerald green beam shot into the sky, the wind outside the Water Curtain Cave completely stopped.
Even the air seemed to be drained by this vast life force, and the surroundings were so quiet that only the hissing sound of burning energy could be heard.
What's going on?
Ice Empress's beautiful, large eyes were filled with confusion.
"Is this worm out of its mind? Has it lost its mind from waterlogging or from cultivating itself into a fool?"
No wonder she swore.
She has lived in this Far North for a full four hundred thousand years, and has seen countless Soul Beast, of which at least eight thousand, if not ten thousand, have died.
Either they are outmatched in skill and are killed by the Soul Master to retrieve their Soul Ring, or they are nearing their end and cannot withstand the Heavenly Tribulation, perishing.
At worst, they'll fight each other to the death over territory.
But this practice of voluntarily sacrificing one's flesh, bones, blood, and even soul is too sinister.
"It's a sacrifice."
The Snow Empress spoke.
Her voice, which was usually so cold it could freeze a person, surprisingly carried a very complex fluctuation.
Three parts surprise, seven parts respect.
The Snow Empress withdrew her hand and turned her gaze to the pillar of light that stretched from the sky to the earth in front of her. "Only those who have gained sentience will choose this path on their own."
Ice Empress curled his lip. "Isn't that still death? What's the point?"
Snow Empress's gaze pierced through the blinding emerald light, landing precisely on the center of the pillar of light.
"It chose the little girl next to Ye Qing who was into drugs."
In the center of the pillar of light, Dugu Yan stood with her eyes closed.
The countless emerald green specks of light, like living fireflies, frantically burrowed into her body.
Dugu Yan felt a sense of panic.
It's too huge.
The force was so immense that she felt she would be completely swallowed up by this vast green ocean if she didn't grab onto something.
She subconsciously tilted her head towards where Ye Qing was standing, her eyelashes trembling violently, as if she were asking for help.
"Don't get distracted," Ye Qing said.
"With me here, the sky won't fall down."
"Hold fast to your mind and guide your Soul Power through the Great Circulation."
"Accept whatever it offers, take it all, don't push it away, and don't be afraid of bursting your meridians."
"Leave the rest to me."
Dugu Yan's heart, which had been hanging in her throat, suddenly fell back into her stomach with a thud.
She took a deep breath, completely relaxed her mind and body, and let the enormous dragon blood pulse wash over her limbs and bones.
After comforting Dugu Yan, Ye Qing's relaxed expression faded, replaced by extreme focus.
A faint blue light quietly appeared between his brows.
The Chaos Green Lotus has appeared!
He had been pondering something ever since he realized that the Green Flood Dragon had gained sentience and was able to assess the situation.
Since the essence of sacrifice is a one-way transfer of energy and soul, what if the most crucial trace of consciousness were forcibly intercepted during the transfer?
Is it possible to preserve a sliver of the soul, allowing this Soul Beast to coexist with its host in another form?
Ten thousand years in the future, this idea has a beautiful name: "Soul Spirit".
For tens of thousands of years, no one has actually accomplished this.
Because the conditions are too demanding, it requires extremely high mental strength, extremely precise energy micro-management, and 100% cooperation from the Soul Beast.
But Ye Qing wanted to give it a try today.
So what if we fail?
Even if the Green Flood Dragon dies, Dugu Yan can still get the Soul Ring.
Why not take a gamble on a deal that's guaranteed to make a profit?
"Go."
Ye Qing flicked his sword finger, and the Chaos Green Lotus swayed slightly.
A wisp of deep Azure Flame flowed down from the lotus petals.
The fire had no heat; in fact, it had a cool quality to it.
The Azure Flame stretched in the air, transforming into a nearly transparent veil that gently enveloped the raging emerald green sacrificial pillar of light.
He was using the primal power of the Azure Lotus to forcibly weave a protective net for the Green Flood Dragon's soul.
The Azure Flame, enveloped in the pillar of light, circled around and around, each circle stripping away the violent energy that was enough to burn away consciousness, carefully removing the purest soul light of the Green Flood Dragon.
Things went relatively smoothly at first.
But soon, Ye Qing's brow began to swell slightly, and his temples throbbed.
He underestimated the uncontrollable power of the soul.
This isn't just about micromanagement; it's about competing with the fundamental laws of this world for resources!
The rate at which his mental energy was being depleted was more than ten times faster than he had anticipated.
The water level of the once vast and boundless spiritual Sea of Consciousness is dropping at a visible rate.
Preserving the complete soul of an 80,000-year-old high-level Soul Beast is no easy task, as it may sound.
Ye Qing's current mental strength is indeed among the best on the continent, but it is only among the best.
He hasn't reached God-Level yet.
Without the support of divine consciousness, attempting to reverse the laws is like a mortal trying to carry a mountain.
"Tsk, they've got too big for their britches."
Ye Qing gritted his teeth, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead.
We can't hold on any longer.
The thin gauze woven by Azure Flame began to fluctuate violently, and signs of disintegration were already appearing at the edges.
The Green Flood Dragon phantom within the pillar of light let out a painful wail, its soul on the verge of being completely annihilated in the pull.
Ye Qing has always been a decisive person.
Playing around is fine, but we can't joke about Dugu Yan's safety.
If forcibly preserving the soul causes errors in the sacrifice process, Dugu Yan would suffer the consequences, which would be a net loss.
At worst, I'll just give up this time and find other Soul Beast to experiment with later when my mental strength breaks through.
Ye Qing's fingertips trembled slightly, and the Soul Power in his meridians began to flow backward, preparing to withdraw the Azure Flame and comply with the rules of the sacrifice.
Just as he was about to stop...
A sudden change has occurred!
The area right in the center of his chest suddenly became burning hot.
It wasn't the burning pain of being burned by fire, but a scorching heat carrying a powerful vitality and immense pressure.
Deep within the heart of the Chaos Green Lotus, the "Heavenly God Pearl," which had been lying quietly as an ornament, suddenly lit up without warning.
It simply recovered on its own.
An extremely dazzling seven-colored light pierced through Ye Qing's clothes and shone from his body.
The light grew brighter and brighter!
In just a few breaths, it outshone even the emerald beam of light that shot straight into the sky.
The entire area outside the Water Curtain Cave was illuminated, resembling a celestial paradise.
"What is that?!"
Ice Empress was so frightened that he jumped up from the bluestone.
As Soul Beast, her instincts told her that the moment the seven-colored light appeared, she felt an absolute suppression emanating from the depths of her soul.
That feeling was very strange.
Immediately afterwards, an extremely clear and ethereal voice resounded throughout the entire venue.
"Yo--!"
That's the cry of a deer.
The sound wasn't loud, yet it easily drowned out the violent roar of the sacrifice, carrying a strange, magical power to soothe all restlessness.
A phantom-like Nine-Colored Divine Deer slowly emerged from the azure and seven-colored light emanating from Ye Qing's chest.
Its posture was elegant to the extreme.
The crystal-clear antlers are adorned with extremely fine silver starlight, as if they were topped with a miniature starry sky.
Nine different colored bands of light surrounded him, making him appear like the most revered deity descending to earth.
The phantom of the divine deer treads on the void.
High above, yet imbued with compassion.
It lowered its noble head slightly and glanced at the Green Flood Dragon's soul struggling in the pillar of light.
Then, it leaped lightly.
This leap transcended spatial distance.
A dreamlike, colorful divine light poured down from it, transforming into a soft curtain of light that steadily and completely enveloped the entire sacrificial pillar of light.
The soul, which had been fluctuating violently, gradually stabilized under this colorful divine light!