The Evil Soul Master shattered, from the outermost mist to his skin, his bones, and his Soul Power, breaking apart layer by layer, dissolving, returning to nothingness.
In no more than a breath, all that remained was a shallow depression in the ground. The soil inside had been scorched deep black by the power of destruction, and exceedingly faint wisps of purple smoke rose from it.
Xu Jingyao withdrew his hand.
The purple halo faded, and the phantom Divine Aspect behind him slowly dissipated.
Silence returned to the barren slope, leaving only the rustle of wind through the bushes.
He turned and walked toward the young man kneeling on the ground.
The young man still held his earlier posture, his short staff braced against the ground, his face covered in blood and grime.
His eyes were fixed on Xu Jingyao, his mouth slightly open, as though he had yet to recover from what he had just witnessed.
Xu Jingyao crouched before him and extended a hand, palm up. Emerald threads of light seeped from his palm, sinking strand by strand into the young man's shoulder and chest.
The moment those threads touched the wounds, the bleeding stopped.
The torn, curled flesh healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the purplish bruises faded little by little. Even the chaotic Soul Power inside him was slowly smoothed into order by that green thread.
The young man gave a muffled grunt. His fingers slowly loosened around the short staff, and his tense shoulders relaxed bit by bit.
Within a few breaths, all his injuries had healed.
The young man sprang to his feet.
He looked down at his chest, shoulder, and arms. They were completely unmarked, without even a scar left behind.
He raised his head, his gaze brimming with unconcealable excitement and exhilaration as he looked at Xu Jingyao.
"Are you from the Body Sect?"
The young man stepped closer, his voice carrying an irrepressible urgency. "No, I've never seen you before. You definitely aren't. But your Martial Soul... that Divine Aspect, that strength-it was clearly a Body Martial Soul! And stronger than any Body Martial Soul I've ever seen! Do you have a mutated Body Martial Soul? Or twin Body Martial Souls?"
He spoke faster and faster, growing increasingly excited, until he finally slapped his thigh and reached for Xu Jingyao's arm. "Come on, I'll take you to our Body Sect! With a Martial Soul like yours, if you joined the Body Sect, the elders would definitely put you on a pedestal like a precious treasure! Come on, come on, I'll take you there right now!"
The young man's enthusiasm left Xu Jingyao momentarily taken aback.
Then the corners of his mouth curved, and he drew the fan from his waist, gently keeping that bloodstained hand at bay.
"No rush."
He opened the fan to half conceal his face, looking at the excited young man before him with a trace of amusement in his voice. "Tell me your name first."
The young man paused, then smacked his forehead and grinned. "I'm Tie Hu! An outer disciple of the Body Sect! What's your name?"
"Ziqing."
Xu Jingyao closed his fan, tucked it at his waist, and turned to walk toward Shadow Douluo.
After two steps, he glanced back at Tie Hu. "Let's go. Lead the way."
Tie Hu's eyes instantly shone like two little suns.
He caught up in a few quick strides, still talking nonstop. "Brother Ziqing, let me tell you, our Body Sect might not have many people these days, but every one of us has real skill! That Martial Soul you used, that Divine Aspect-I've never seen such a powerful Body Martial Soul in my life! Once you get there, you'll definitely... oh, right, how old are you this year? You don't look very old. How is your cultivation so high..."
Shadow Douluo followed behind.
Watching his Pavilion Master walk shoulder to shoulder with that Body Sect disciple, the corners of his mouth twitched.
He silently lit a candle for the Body Sect in his heart.
His Pavilion Master was about to start hoodwinking people again.
Tie Hu led Xu Jingyao and Shadow Douluo along the mountain paths for nearly half an hour.
They rounded two ridges and passed through a pine forest so dense the path was almost invisible, finally stopping before a steep rock face.
Vines covered the rock face, with several carved marks faintly visible between them, resembling the patterns of some sort of formation.
Tie Hu stepped forward and pressed his palm against a protrusion in the center of the rock face. With a slight surge of Soul Power, the carved marks flashed for an instant. A crack opened down the middle of the rock face, and it slowly slid apart to reveal a broad passage.
At the end of the passage lay an open valley encircled by mountains.
The valley was vast, countless times larger than the clearing at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. The surrounding cliffs were riddled with caves and stone chambers of all sizes, and stone steps wound up the rock faces, connecting platforms and buildings at different heights.
At the center of the valley was a level training ground paved with bluestone. Several rows of weapon racks stood along its edges, filled with all sorts of unusual weapons-sabers, spears, swords, halberds, axes, battle-axes, hooks, and forks, everything one could think of, along with some strange things Xu Jingyao could not name.
Dozens of disciples were training on the grounds.
Every one of them was bare-chested, their muscles knotted, their punches and kicks stirring the air and striking the bluestone paving with resounding thuds.
Their Martial Souls came in every variety. Some had arms that turned into iron hammers, some grew bone spikes from their backs, some swelled all over into lumps of flesh, and one even turned his head into an enormous fist.
The corners of Xu Jingyao's mouth twitched slightly at the sight. He thought the scene really was rather stunning; the diversity of Body Martial Souls was displayed to the fullest in these people.
Most of the buildings around the valley were built from stone and exceedingly rough, without carved beams or painted rafters. Even the doorframes were crooked, yet their bold, unrestrained spirit struck him head-on.
Crude murals were carved into the rock faces, depicting various Martial Soul forms and battle scenes. Their lines were simple, but they brimmed with imposing vigor.
After leading the two into the valley, Tie Hu looked back with a grin. "This is our Body Sect! What do you think? Pretty grand, isn't it?"
Xu Jingyao nodded, gently waving his fan. "Yes, it lives up to its reputation."
Tie Hu led them around the training ground and along a narrow stone stairway deeper into the valley.
They met several Body Sect disciples along the way, all of whom greeted Tie Hu and swept their eyes over Xu Jingyao and Shadow Douluo with some curiosity.
Tie Hu casually answered with a few words, saying, "They're my friends," and, "We met on the road." No one asked any further questions.
Most Body Sect disciples were straightforward by nature. Someone bringing friends back to stay for a couple of days was no big deal.
Tie Hu brought them to a stone house halfway up the western side of the valley and pushed open the door.
The furnishings inside were simple: a stone bed, a stone table, several stone stools, and a crudely drawn map hanging on the wall.
Tie Hu scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. "The accommodations are a bit basic. I hope you don't mind. Our Body Sect doesn't fuss over these things. As long as it's fit to live in, that's enough."
"It's quite nice."
Xu Jingyao walked inside, sat on a stone stool, and set his fan on the table. "Much better than sleeping out in the wild."
Tie Hu chuckled twice, then grew somewhat more serious. "Brother Ziqing, rest here while I go find my teacher. I need to tell my teacher about your Martial Soul. Our Body Sect might not have many people, but we still have rules to follow. If we bring outsiders in to stay, we have to report it to an elder."
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