Pursuing the Wind, the Dao, and the Heart; Refining Heaven, Earth, and Man

A mighty, domineering voice suddenly rang out from Xue Mingqing's mouth.

That voice echoed throughout the entire Frozen Forest. Along with its domineering authority, it carried wisps of sinister intent.

The Evil Soul Master's eyes narrowed. As he choked Xue Mingqing, he instinctively shuddered.

He couldn't quite make sense of what was happening.

And Xue Mingqing?

He was still being held up in the air by the Evil Soul Master, who had his hand around his throat.

But—his face no longer showed the agony of having his soul stripped away.

Instead, it was utterly calm and cold!

Xue Mingqing glanced at the Evil Soul Master. A look of disdain and mockery flashed through his eyes, which had turned from black to blue-green.

"Heh... trash. Let go."

Hearing the utter disdain and arrogance in Xue Mingqing's voice, the Evil Soul Master didn't let go. Instead, he tightened his grip!

His brow furrowed as he tried to make out what was different about Xue Mingqing.

Suddenly, his pupils contracted. His face filled with shock and disbelief.

"You're not that brat! How is this possible? How can one person have two souls?!"

A disdainful sneer tugged at his lips. Xue Mingqing abruptly raised his hand and slashed!

The instant he swung, a blue-green blade of wind, formed from the breeze itself, flashed across the Evil Soul Master's chest!

"Ugh?!"

The Evil Soul Master spat out a mouthful of blood in pain and released Xue Mingqing's neck. Clutching the gash across his chest, he staggered back several steps.

His face grew even more horrified. The wound wasn't serious, but—

Anyone would have been startled by something like this.

"What are you?!"

Xue Mingqing gave a cold snort. The blue-green blade of wind in his hand dissipated, and he brushed the snow off his clothes, paying the Evil Soul Master no mind at all.

"You're not worthy of knowing this old man's name..."

"Heh... just know—"

Xue Mingqing raised his hand. A terrifying, indescribable force of attraction suddenly erupted from his palm and swept toward the Evil Soul Master.

Feeling that all-too-familiar force tug at him, the Evil Soul Master's pupils shrank!

"No, no! You can't take my soul! You can't do that!"

With a roar, the Evil Soul Master waved the Ten Thousand Soul Banner. In an instant,

the white, yellow, and purple Soul Rings beneath his feet all lit up!

Wisps of black mist, carrying anguished, resentful shrieks, swept toward Xue Mingqing from every direction!

He had activated his Soul Skill, summoning the vengeful spirits within the Ten Thousand Soul Banner to kill Xue Mingqing first!

Xue Mingqing merely snorted.

"Such a pathetic trick. What of it if I let you attack?"

With that, Xue Mingqing really did stand motionless, neither dodging nor evading, still holding out his hand to seize the Evil Soul Master's soul!

Seeing Xue Mingqing look down on him so completely, a cruel madness flashed through the Evil Soul Master's eyes. He marshaled all his Soul Power to steady his own soul, roaring without pause!

"Get him! Devour his organs! Tear his soul apart!"

At the Evil Soul Master's command, the vengeful spirits' shrieks grew even more savage and piercing!

They turned into threads of black smoke as fine as hair and slipped into Xue Mingqing's body through his seven orifices!

Seeing this, the Evil Soul Master laughed with excitement.

"Heh heh heh! You'll soon die in agony as ten thousand souls gnaw at your heart. If you stop now, I can still give you a quick death!"

"Enough noise..."

Xue Mingqing gave a cold snort. Not only did he refuse to stop, but the soul-seizing power erupting from his hand grew even stronger!

"Gaaah!"

The agony of having his soul wrenched away struck the Evil Soul Master, and he screamed instinctively. Realizing Xue Mingqing wouldn't leave him any chance to survive, he gritted his teeth.

If you won't let me live, then don't expect to get off easy!

His resolve hardening, the Evil Soul Master raised a trembling hand and formed a seal.

"Soul Explosion Technique! Explode!"

But the explosion of souls he had expected never came. Xue Mingqing wasn't reduced to a soul-destroyed idiot, either.

After a brief silence, the Evil Soul Master instinctively sensed the state of the vengeful spirits—and discovered, to his horror,

that the spirits who had entered Xue Mingqing's body had vanished without a trace, like mud cows sinking into the sea!

His pupils shrank to pinpoints. Nearly mad with rage, he roared,

"How is this possible?! What did you do to my spirit heroes? You—aaah!"

This time, Xue Mingqing didn't let him finish.

He raised his hand and yanked hard. The Evil Soul Master's soul was torn out, screaming!

The instant his soul was pulled free, the Evil Soul Master's eyes went blank.

The Ten Thousand Soul Banner that was his Martial Soul and the three Soul Rings beneath his feet turned to dust and scattered on the wind.

With a thud, his body swayed a few times, then toppled to the ground, lifeless.

Lowering his gaze to the anguished, unwilling soul in his hand, Xue Mingqing couldn't help chuckling.

"Didn't you want to know this old man's name? Fine. I'll let you die knowing who I am. Listen well."

He cleared his throat, then recited two bold, sinister lines:

"Pursuing the wind, the Dao, and the heart; refining Heaven, Earth, and man. I am Feng Qingyang!"

With that, Xue Mingqing clenched his hand. The Evil Soul Master's soul screamed as it was refined in an instant!

It turned into pure Spiritual Power and flowed into Xue Mingqing's Spirit Sea.

After refining the Evil Soul Master's soul, the wild, arrogant look on Xue Mingqing's face abruptly faded, leaving behind...

only the weariness of a life weathered by time, and the exhaustion of someone waking from a long dream.

Rubbing his brow, Xue Mingqing—or rather, Feng Qingyang, who now controlled Xue Mingqing's body—raised a hand.

The Evil Soul Master's Storage Soul Tool shot into Feng Qingyang's grasp.

Weighing the Storage Soul Tool in his hand, Feng Qingyang's face softened into a relaxed, gentle smile.

"Kid, we came out ahead on this one."

At that moment, in Xue Mingqing's body, within his Spirit Sea, the displaced Xue Mingqing was filled with shock.

When Feng Qingyang took over, Xue Mingqing had still been conscious. He could still see and feel what was happening.

And the more he saw, the more shocked he became.

When Feng Qingyang's soul first awakened, Xue Mingqing had been delighted. There was a good chance he wouldn't die, and he might even kill the Evil Soul Master and avenge his village.

As it turned out, he'd been right—but he hadn't expected Feng Qingyang's methods to be so sinister!

Devouring vengeful spirits, seizing souls, refining them, and absorbing them—none of that made him look like a good person!

Compared with the traditional golden-fingered old man, this guy seemed more like the boss of a gang of Evil Soul Masters!

If Xue Mingqing hadn't read the original Douluo II and known that the leaders of the Evil Soul Masters were Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao of the Holy Spirit Cult in the Sun Moon Empire, he might really have thought Feng Qingyang was their leader.

At that moment, he began to fear the soul that had been with him for six years and slept for six years.

Please don't let me escape one wolf's jaws only to fall into a tiger's den.

If Feng Qingyang possessed Xue Mingqing outright, he wouldn't even have anywhere to cry!

As if sensing Xue Mingqing's worry, Feng Qingyang chuckled.

"I'd like to possess you, but—"

"Don't worry. I can't."

Xue Mingqing froze. When he understood, his brow furrowed unconsciously.

"Why?"

It wasn't that he wanted to be possessed. His life was at stake, so he had to ask for an explanation.

Feng Qingyang put the Storage Soul Tool into his clothes, then controlled Xue Mingqing's body to lie down on the snow-covered grass.

"You're the one in control of this body. If I possessed you, it wouldn't be long before the body perished too. This old man has no desire to kill himself..."

Feng Qingyang's explanation eased Xue Mingqing's mind a little. Then, instinctively, he wanted to ask Feng Qingyang more.

But—

Before Xue Mingqing could speak, Feng Qingyang's voice rang out again.

"This old man's soul is too depleted. I'll soon have to fall asleep."

Hearing Feng Qingyang's words, Xue Mingqing froze. Remembering how Feng Qingyang's soul had slept motionless in his Spirit Sea for six whole years, his expression turned peculiar.

"Then how long will you sleep this time, old Feng?"

"Hahaha..."

Feng Qingyang laughed heartily.

"Don't worry. It won't be long this time. A month at the shortest, half a year at the most."

Only then did Xue Mingqing nod. He didn't want the golden finger he'd finally awakened to fall asleep again without leaving him anything.

After a sigh of relief, he asked tentatively,

"Then... Old Feng, when you wake up next time, could you, um... leave me a little something?"

Feng Qingyang paused, then laughed and scolded him.

"You little rascal. Fine... when I wake up next time, I'll give you something. Consider it rent for living in your Spirit Sea for six years..."

"As for now..."

Feng Qingyang glanced at the distant horizon.

There, a sharp, ice-blue streak of light was speeding toward them...

"Someone's coming..."