Seventy-Two Frames

When the Female Dao Comprehender fell, his heart seemed to die with her. He, the Remnant Soul that had tried to seize Qiao Ranran's body, had been a male Dao Comprehender who followed her all his life. He had died before her and spent tens of thousands of years trapped on the Divine-Demon Battlefield, watching her fight on even in death, never finding release. He had long harbored a plan: Cultivators entered these Ruins from time to time, and he would find the most suitable Vessel among them so she could use Body Snatching to be reborn. But as time passed, he grew weaker, while each generation of Cultivators who entered was worse than the last. He clung to life by devouring other Remnant Souls, controlled Cultivators' bodies to set up a Formation, and waited for a suitable body.

At first, he had wanted to control Pei Ling's body. But Pei Ling's bearing and Mighty Pressure made him afraid to act rashly, so he targeted Qiao Ranran instead. He had never imagined he would lose to a female Cultivator at the Golden Core Stage whom he had not considered a threat at all.

Only when Qiao Ranran devoured him did he suddenly realize that hers was the most suitable body—the one he had waited so many years for.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

Everything he had done had come to nothing. Everything he had longed for would never return.

I only want to see her once more. I only want her to look at me one more time.

The instant his Remnant Soul vanished, the shackles suppressing Qiao Ranran finally disappeared. Not far away, the lingering figure still "fighting" seemed to sense something. She trembled slightly, faltered, and was struck hard by her opponent's blade. When she raised her head