Thunderous Soul Tide · Mirror Feather Deep Battle
At dawn in the Netherworld, purple lightning streaked across the sky. The second group of the Thunder Prison Mystic Gate departed from the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect at daybreak. The six members, under orders from Nangong Heyao, set sail on a thunder boat, heading straight for the "Soul Source Anomalous Tide".
This place is one of the oldest soul domains in the Spirit Firmament Great Realm, constantly surrounded by nine layers of soul tides, experiencing an anomaly once every thousand years and opening only once every ten thousand years. Legend has it that it seals within a divine beast comparable to a fragment of the "Immortal Antiquity Soul Canon Codex"—the [Nether Glaze Soul Luan], the sovereign of "All Sounds Return to the Netherworld," capable of controlling soul consciousness with spiritual sounds and manipulating the sea of consciousness throughout the world.
--
As the Thunder Boat broke through the Soul Source Sky Curtain, the six people boarded the boat and stood there. The first thing they saw was a scene that shocked their very souls.
That was a vast and boundless realm of soul tides—
Nine layers of soul waves overlapped like a sea, each layer a spiritual sea formed by the condensation of billions of soul sounds. Deep within, mirror-like reflections appeared, as if soul shadows floated within, or as if the sounds of nothingness reflected the universe. As the thunder boat passed by, every inch of the void resonated with melodies, as if myriad spirits were whispering, quietly beckoning souls.
Yao Wanqing stood at the bow of the boat, the Soul Seal between his brows trembling slightly. "This... is Soul Source Anomalous Tide... so vast and terrifying."
Nangong Heyao said in a deep voice, "Remember, every soul wave here is a mixture of 'Consciousness Realm' and 'illusion realm'. From the moment you enter, everyone's sea of consciousness is in danger of being infiltrated by 'illusionary music'. If you lose your composure for even a moment, you will fall into the Illusory Abyss forever."
The Thunder Boat slowly descended to the edge of the Soul Tide, in front of the "Abyss of Deep Sound." An ancient stone gate built of soul stones stood silently in front of the waves, with the four characters "Mirror Feather Illusory Realm" engraved on it. The strokes seemed to come from beyond the heavens, and each stroke resonated and echoed in the soul consciousness, as if it were a soul-knocking incantation left by an ancient Soul Master.
"The Soul Gate... has been opened." Ran Haoxuan's gaze was deep.
The six stood at attention, fully equipped. Zhou Yu turned around one last time to look at the lightning patterns on the Thunder Boat, then lightly patted the Soul Seal at his waist. The phantoms of the Azure Thunder Lightning Hunter and the Nether Soul Abyss Viper appeared behind him. The Thunder Hunter roared like a tiger, while the Abyss Viper coiled in the dark, its gaze as cold as a snake.
"Enter." At Nangong Heyao's command, the six people stepped into the Soul Gate.
--
In an instant, the world fell silent for miles around, and the six people felt as if they had fallen into the Soul Sea.
The earth beneath their feet was like a mirror, and the sky above their heads was also like a mirror. Countless illusory wings appeared from all directions, as if millions of souls had formed this world with "sound and form." Ancient sounds echoed in the void, and every word, every verse, and every segment struck the core of the soul.
Yin Xuanxi murmured, "This is... a realm constructed by the Soul Sound Spectrum... even divine sense dares not tamper with it."
Just as everyone stepped into the realm, a gentle yet captivating melody resounded from the deepest part of the Mirror Feather Illusory Realm.
"Those who first hear the soul's voice may listen to the 'Melody of the Consciousness Deep.' If your heart is impure, your soul may fall, your consciousness may be confused, and your spirit may crumble."
The voice seemed to emanate from the very source of the soul, devoid of joy or sorrow, vast and ancient.
Zhou Yu and Yao Wanqing exchanged a glance, both feeling a faint pain between their brows from the Soul Seal —the true oppression of the "Soul Gate's First Cry" had only just begun.
Before the tide of souls receded, the phantom cries had already arrived.
In that abyss of shimmering light, a barely perceptible rumble suddenly came from all directions. It was neither the sound of wind nor thunder, but an "echo" that seemed to pierce the soul and stir up memories—like a baby's first cry, a mother's murmur, or a farewell song in a child's dream. The sound was not a sound wave, but a manifestation of "memory," reconstructed from the wails of countless lingering souls, echoes of old dreams, and obsessive attachments.
Yao Wanqing suddenly frowned, and a cold white light exploded from between her eyebrows.
"This is... the first tribulation of soul consciousness leakage," Nangong Heyao said coldly, a thunder seal appearing in his hand, "The Nether Glaze Soul Luan is currently using 'First Sounding of Illusory Sound' to disrupt the foundation of our Spiritual Sense."
Zhou Yu suddenly turned her head and saw Yin Xuanxi's body tremble slightly, her face gradually turning pale. Her eyes lost their luster, and her lips murmured, as if she were immersed in some kind of memory she had never experienced.
"Her soul... has been awakened from its deepest nightmare."
The illusions that lingered were no longer ordinary hallucinations, but rather a deep dream within the sea of consciousness reconstructed by the "causality of Fate Soul".
Jiang Liran also suddenly swayed, his consciousness overflowing, and a blurry figure slowly emerged from his body, which turned out to be his deceased senior brother.
"Don't look at him!" Yao Wanqing roared, his voice booming as he unleashed the "Clear Consciousness Art," a purple light instantly striking Jiang Liran's forehead.
"Cough--I... I almost..." Jiang Liran drenched in cold sweat and knelt down hard.
Yin Xuanxi, however, was unable to dodge. The Wheel of Fate Soul within her body suddenly sank, and countless "Mirror Feathers" bloomed abruptly in her sea of consciousness. She felt as if she had fallen into an endless sea of crystal mirrors, where countless "hers" struggled, cried, questioned, and drowned...
"Xuanxi!" Zhou Yu roared, and the Thunder Hunter Soul Shadow roared out, a thunderous sound piercing through the illusion layer, like lightning breaking a mirror!
Azure Thunder Lightning Hunter suddenly leaped into the Illusionary Mirror Sea, tearing through layers of illusion with his lightning-patterned claw marks, forcibly dragging Yin Xuanxi's soul out of the Illusionary Sea.
"Cough... I..." Yin Xuanxi suddenly woke up, her eyes bloodshot, tears streaming down her cheeks. She looked at Zhou Yu, hesitant to speak.
"It's good that you're back." Zhou Yu nodded gently.
But in the brief moment they regained their senses, the entire Mirror Feather Illusory Realm suddenly trembled—
--[Mirror Feather Illusory Resonance]!
Amidst the roar, tens of thousands of soul shadows appeared throughout the entire realm. These were the "soul images" of countless unbound beast souls and those who died from the illusion. They floated out of the void like jellyfish, their cries sounding as if they were pleading or shouting.
The Nether Soul Abyss Viper also appeared, hissing and crouching, protecting Zhou Yu, its snake eyes discerning the fluctuations of the illusion within the black mist.
"Everyone be careful. These soul shadows are not physical entities, but if you are entangled by the 'illusionary touch,' you will be drawn into the next 'dream cage,'" Nangong Heyao said in a deep voice.
"Guard your minds, I will break this illusion!" Nangong Heyao uttered a thunder incantation, and a "Soul Lightning Void Breaking Array" rapidly expanded from him.
At the same time, Yao Wanqing clasped his hands together, and his True Soul surged forth, setting up the "Nine Breath Consciousness Stabilizing Array" to stabilize the soul domain fluctuations of the entire team.
"Second node, the initial tribulation of the Illusory Cry, remember it." Nangong Heyao said coldly.
Although the illusion has been shattered, the real calamity has only just begun.
--The Soul Source Anomalous Tide, the Mirror Feather Illusory Realm, has only just begun to reveal its first corner.
As soon as the illusory creaking subsided, a strange mist of soul energy, like a tide, quietly overflowed from all directions.
This is no ordinary mist, but "Soul Mist Abyssal Breath," formed from remnants of soul fragments, lingering thoughts, and traces of annihilation. It arrives silently, yet carries a chilling aura that seems to penetrate to the bone and devour one's consciousness.
"These soul mists will absorb the Fate Soul essence within our bodies." Yao Wanqing frowned, a purple seal forming in her palm to resist the ever-evolving soul energy.
"It is filtering... the will of the weak." Ran Haoxuan suddenly looked up at the sky.
In the center of the soul mist, a pale silver Soul Tower gradually emerged, standing like a ghost atop the realm. That was the [Mirror Feather Abyss Tracing Tower] deep within the Soul Source Anomalous Tide, which only those with a steadfast heart and soul could approach.
"Everyone, advance in the direction of the Soul Tower!" Nangong Heyao shouted, his thunderous power shaking the soul mist and clearing a path forward.
The five followed closely behind. Zhou Yu, along with the Nether Soul Abyss Viper and the Azure Thunder Lightning Hunter, moved close to the ground. The soul beasts roamed left and right, using lightning to dispel the fog and poison to sever souls.
But strange phenomena gradually emerged from the mist of souls.
The first soul shadow came from Yao Wanqing.
It was a shadowy woman dressed in feathered robes, with cold eyes and a pale face. It was the "Mirror Moon Illusory Soul" that her True Soul had once suppressed—the inner demon she had failed to eradicate, which was now manifested in the Mirror Feather Illusory Realm within the soul mist!
"She came to find me..." Yao Wanqing's voice was low and deep, his soul trembling.
"Close your eyes! Don't look, don't listen, don't respond!" Zhou Yu shouted, striking a bolt of lightning into the center of her consciousness, sealing her heart and Return to One her mind.
The next moment, Yin Xuanxi also suddenly froze.
"I... saw... my mother?"
She murmured to herself, tears welling in her eyes, but that figure kept crumbling, reforming, and fading away!
"No, this is a manifestation of soul mist!" Jiang Liran roared, "This isn't your mother, it's an obsession you've never possessed!"
Before the words were even finished, a dark shadow flashed out from the mist and slashed down like a blade!
[Soul Mist Condensed Blade], an illusionary killing technique!
A soul blade pierced through Jiang Liran's left shoulder almost instantly, blood gushing out, and his consciousness momentarily blurred. Instead of retreating, he advanced, his sword swirling and slashing, forcefully shattering the illusory soul shadow.
"We are gradually entering the [Soul Consciousness Slicing Layer], where everyone's soul will be forced to manifest." Yao Wanqing gasped for breath, "This is the second tribulation of the Illusionary Realm's 'Condensing Abyss'."
"Keep going! The Soul Tower isn't far!" Nangong Heyao's Thunder Seal trembled, and his body was enveloped in azure lightning, forcibly guiding everyone through the Soul Mist.
At this moment, at the top of the Mirror Feather Abyss Tracing Tower in the distance, a feather-like shadow seemed to move slightly.
A clear chirp, as gentle as falling snowflakes, or like ten thousand feathers returning to their nest, quietly rose into the air.
The sound of "[Nether Glaze Soul Luan]" was heard for the first time, and before any figure was seen, the soul was shaken to its core.
At the boundary between soul mist and illusion, they are about to step into the Soul Luan True Realm.
After the fog cleared, the road ahead suddenly opened up.
The mist of souls suddenly stopped flowing, and the surroundings were completely Space Silence. There was no wind, no light, and no fluctuations of spiritual energy; it was as if the world itself had stopped turning at that moment.
The members of the Thunder Prison Mystic Gate passed through the Soul Mist Abyssal Breath and entered—a completely different world.
Ahead lies a vast virtual realm constructed from floating mirror feathers, the wings like towers extending layer upon layer into the sky; the ground below is composed of fragments of mirror light, and walking on it is like walking among one's own reflection.
"This... is the Soul Luan Illusory Domain." Nangong Heyao said in a heavy tone.
Yao Wanqing nodded. "'Illusory Mirror Three Realms,' the first realm [Consciousness Reflecting Origin Realm]."
She pointed to the floating mirror feather in front of her, and with a Spiritual Sense, the mirror feather trembled slightly, reflecting a scene of her cultivating alone in a cold mountain village when she was young—a memory buried deep in her heart.
Yin Xuanxi held her breath and focused, and the same old scene appeared in the mirror before her.
"Here... are they reading each of our 'sea of consciousness memories'?" Jiang Liran gripped his sword tightly, his expression grim.
"No—" Zhou Yu's eyes suddenly narrowed, and he said in a low voice, "It's not just reading, it's manipulating."
The mirror feathers trembled, causing the air to sway.
The next moment, the mirror light beneath everyone's feet shattered.
Boom--!
They were forcibly drawn into their respective illusory realms of the Consciousness Realm!
Each person is isolated and confined within their own consciousness, like a closed world—without enemies, but with their most authentic self.
Yin Xuanxi stood in a Soul Forest, surrounded by images of her past defeats, forgotten pain, and deepest humiliations.
"You are not worthy of becoming a soul cultivator." In the illusion, a very familiar figure looked at her coldly—it was her own sister, Yin Yuexin.
Yin Xuanxi's eyes trembled; she wanted to deny it, but no sound came out.
Jiang Liran's illusion was a burning river, in which he looked at his past self, who had hesitated and failed time and time again in battle—"You are not the son of a general, you are nothing but a useless person who doesn't even deserve to die." The voice was chillingly cold.
Yao Wanqing walked up an endless staircase, her soul shattering with each step; Jing Yu echoed in the air with a sentence: "Your persistence is nothing but a prison you've built for yourself."
And Zhou Yu--
He was trapped in a torrent of lightning, the Thunder Soul River beneath his feet crumbling into nothingness, and behind him, the Azure Thunder Lightning Hunter and the Nether Soul Abyss Viper roared and howled, yet they could not get a single step closer to him.
He heard his own voice, cold and detached:
"You are not qualified to bear a soul beast, you... are not worthy of a soul contract."
...[The Illusion Appears], is a slaughter without any enemies.
The enemy is the past, the obsession, and the "self" that cannot be let go.
--This is the true meaning of the first level of the Soul Luan Realm:
"Reflect Consciousness, Sever the Self."
As they struggled individually, at the very top of the Soul Feather Tower in the distance, a crystal-clear soul figure stood quietly, its mirror feathers fluttering in the wind and its spiritual sounds like a tide. It was a wisp of the original consciousness of the Nether Glaze Soul Luan, watching over the soul struggles of all the intruders.
It waits for them to fall...
Or perhaps... a transformation.
Within the illusory realm, time seems to have lost its meaning. Those figures trapped in the illusory mirror of the sea of consciousness are undergoing a series of soul-cleansing and crushing trials.
But if it was destined to perish within the mirror, then the Soul Luan wouldn't have needed to set up such a sophisticated "Triple Illusion Mirror of Recognition"...
This is "the arrival of the soul".
When the Illusion Blade approaches the deepest part of the Soul Core, it will touch the "Soul Resistance Instinct" of the Sea of Consciousness—those who can overcome this hurdle will have the opportunity to step into the true path of Soul Contract.
The first to break free from the illusion was Yao Wanqing.
Within the "Revolving Steps Severed Dream" she inhabits, every step results in the loss of a piece of memory, and each counterattack of her Spiritual Sense causes excruciating pain that tears her soul apart.
"If you keep going, you'll never remember why you fought."
She slowly stopped walking.
Those voices were contemptuous and mocking:
"Your weak will is unworthy of being called a Soul of Obsession."
But Yao Wanqing closed her eyes, and after a moment, whispered:
"If I can't even let go of my obsession, how can I wield my sword and die for the 'Thunder Prison Mystic Gate'?"
She suddenly opened her eyes, and True Soul flashed in her palm!
True Soul Burning Soul Skill: Thunder Candle Soul Flame!
A burst of lightning flame erupted atop her sea of consciousness, burning the illusion mirror to ashes.
--Click.
Like a shattered mirror.
Yao Wanqing opened her eyes and returned to reality. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her breath was extremely weak, but she remained steadfast.
The moment she broke free, the illusion trapping the other five people violently trembled, as if a "retaliation ripple" was spreading.
The second person to break through the mirror was Zhou Yu.
He stood amidst the chaotic sea of thunder and souls, while the Azure Thunder Lightning Hunter and the Nether Soul Abyss Viper had shattered into phantoms, leaving him alone to sink into the heart of the thunder vortex.
That was the source of his Fate Soul that he had feared since childhood.
The mark of fate associated with "Soul Consciousness Depletion Syndrome".
He was destined to have a weak soul and was destined not to go far.
Within the illusion, he heard the sect elders whispering:
"He can't even control a spirit beast; he's just relying on his reckless drive to get by."
"In the end, it's just a useless body; I'm afraid even its True Soul won't last past the third realm."
"Thunder Soul? What a joke."
He gritted his teeth, his lightning power surging but unable to erupt.
When he saw Yao Wanqing's figure struggling in reality to block the illusory sound attack for him, a certain dormant Soul Seal within him shattered!
"I don't believe in fate," he whispered.
"I don't believe in wasting life either."
In an instant, the Azure Thunder Lightning Hunter and the Nether Soul Abyss Viper reshaped their thunderous forms within his sea of consciousness, and the two beasts roared in unison!
Zhou Yu's Thunder Soul Power surged wildly!
He roared, his hands forming a hand seal, forcefully burning his consciousness!
"Break it!!"
A sound as loud as thunder shook the depths!
With his own will, he cleaved the entire illusory world in two!
Boom!!
Thunder roared, shattering the barrier between reality and the Soul Realm!
Zhou Yu, shrouded in soul-light and lightning, stepped out of the illusionary mirror. His soul energy was in disarray, his blood and qi were flowing backward, and his sea of consciousness was almost shattered, yet he still stood upright beneath the Illusionary Feather Tower!
At this moment— the Soul Luan stirred slightly.
He saw it.
A soul who doesn't believe in fate.
A boy who ignited his own soul--
This is the "First Encounter with the Soul Pact".
That was also the moment of His choice.
At this point, Yin Xuanxi, Jiang Liran, Ran Haoxuan are still trapped in the Soul Realm, completely locked in by the Soul Luan's consciousness, and will soon enter the "Second Stage of the Illusion Mirror".
--Yao Wanqing and Zhou Yu returned after breaking through their mirrors, but they were exhausted and unable to fight any longer.
Deep within the Illusory Abyss, the sonic tide had reached its Ultimate.
As that wisp of soul sound approached from afar, transforming into a long, resonant cry of countless overlapping spiritual sounds, the second group seemed to have fallen into a chaotic torrent of disordered soul consciousness—the ripples in their sea of consciousness twisted, memories intertwined and reversed, and even their soul spirit seals faintly lost their response.
"This is... a surge of soul tides?!"
Nangong Heyao turned his head, lightning flashing at his fingertips, only to see Yao Wanqing's body tremble, blood seeping from his seven orifices, his soul violently fluctuating!
"Junior Sister Yao!" Zhou Yu exclaimed, wanting to rush over to help, but several sound waves rippled up from the twisted earth beneath his feet, locking him in place like dreamlike waves.
At that moment, the Mirror Feather Phoenix Cry suddenly descended.
[Nether Glaze Soul Luan ·Illusion Soul Skill: Mirror Feather Illusory Resonance]
The ninefold mirror feathers unfolded, like clouds and rings, with countless illusions overflowing from between them, reflecting everyone into the "illusory true consciousness" deep within their respective Fate Soul.
Bloodshot appeared in Yin Xuanxi's eyes. "I saw the day my master died..."
Jiang Liran roared furiously, "Why is my Dao heart beginning to waver!?"
Ran Haoxuan stood up with his hair disheveled, pounding the ground with his fists, struggling to wake up. "No! That's not me!"
As for Yao Wanqing, her soul shattered like thin ice. In her illusion, what appeared was a stubborn obsession that she had once severed with her own hands—her past when she had given up on spiritual cultivation and betrayed her faith.
"I... cannot bear it a second time," she murmured.
Just as Huan Yin's consciousness was about to collapse--
A bolt of lightning pierced the rainbow, shattering the mirror in an instant.
"Senior Sister Yao—wake up!!"
Zhou Yu tore through the illusionary net and emerged, lightning crackling in his palm like a dragon. With a roar, he forcibly pulled Yao Wanqing out of the illusion!
Yao Wanqing suddenly coughed up a mouthful of black blood, his mind clearing for a moment, tears mingling with blood. "... It's you..."
But the next moment, a cold light pierced through the soul domain— Yin Xuanxi's soul root shattered within the illusion, and he ultimately failed to break free. As his figure fell to the ground, his remnant soul dissipated like mist at the end of the sonic wave...
"Brother Yin!!!"
Enraged, the Azure Thunder Lightning Hunter roared out from the Soul Array, transforming into a curtain of lightning that rushed straight towards Luan Ying, attempting to break through the array.
"It... is getting serious." Nangong Heyao said solemnly, summoning the Thunder Seal Star Wheel and fully activating the [Lightning Defense Divine Soul Shield] to resist the soul pressure that was about to descend.
The illusory cries have not ceased, the fierce battle has not ended.
Beneath the sonic surge, the Soul Realm trembled like a raging torrent.
The Nether Glaze Soul Luan still hovered in the center of the Abyss of Illusion, its nine-layered mirror feathers slowly rotating, like a divine ring, yet it did not radiate light, but only reflected nightmares, obsessions, and the path of soul death.
Under its gaze, the aftershocks of Yin Xuanxi's disintegration had not yet subsided, but the battle formation had already re-evolved.
We can't wait any longer.
Veins bulged on Nangong Heyao's forehead, and with a flick of his left palm, lightning patterns surged between his fingers—one of his strongest Fate Soul skills.
[Silent Lightning Soul Chaser - Fourth Seal]
A lightning seal condensed in the air, instantly transforming into a thunder dragon that soared into the sky and struck towards the Luan Ying Xu Yuan!
But in the instant the thunder dragon struck, the phoenix feather spun lightly, delivering a single, decisive blow—
"Dawn Feather Returning Light!"
The sound surged and solidified, and ten thousand vortexes of soul light suddenly swirled between the mirror feathers, like ripples washing over the sky, directly engulfing the thunder dragon into the feathers, turning it into a phantom roar!
"... How is that possible!"
Nangong Heyao coughed up blood and staggered back. He was Silent Source Realm Second Stage Perfection, yet the Soul Seal Lightning Strike failed to shake him in the slightest.
At the same time, Jiang Liran roared out, his fighting spirit as fierce as flames and as sharp as a blade. Although he had only Order Creation Realm, he unleashed a soul-burning light.
"I'll sacrifice my Fate Soul to break this illusion! Hah..."
He used his sea of consciousness as fuel and his blood soul as a blade to forcefully slash at Luan Yu!
"Brother Jiang, stop!!" Yao Wanqing's pupils contracted, but it was too late.
The Nether Glaze Soul Luan did not dodge, but only uttered a sound:
[Silent Sound Returns to the Darkness - A Single Thought]
The sound of the feather Wuhen, yet it instantly penetrated his soul. Jiang Liran's body froze abruptly, the light in his eyes seemingly stolen away in an instant...
The next moment, his body slowly collapsed, his face Anran, as if he had returned to the tranquility of his early cultivation days, but he was no longer breathing.
--The Soul Silence in slumber, forever lost in the illusory abyss.
"Senior Brother Jiang... no!"
Zhou Yu gritted his teeth and roared, the backlash of his bloodline exploding within his body. He bit his lip in pain, and the breath of his thunder soul began to boil.
The Nether Soul Abyss Viper suddenly burst forth from the ground, dragging along a sky full of black lightning. With a roar, it divided the battlefield, protecting Zhou Yu and Yao Wanqing for a moment to catch their breath.
"I can't... watch anyone else die." Yao Wanqing slowly stood up, her eyes glistening with tears, which froze into ice in the next instant.
She raised her hand, and a fragment of a soul flower appeared in her mind.
"Senior Nangong... I'm here to help you!"
She raised her hand, and a half-shattered soul flower appeared in her sea of consciousness. It was a fragment of her soul's reflection in the mirror—her last beacon of fighting power.
"Mirror Breath Cold Abyss."
Before she finished speaking, a cold mirror appeared before her, like a snow-covered moon, chilling everything. The mirror turned, reflecting the enemy's Mirror Feather Illusion Beast's sea of consciousness probing technique!
Those who spy on me will suffer soul-crushing pain.
Just as the enemy's Soul Arts was about to strike, it was suddenly reflected by the cold mirror. The illusory sound soul line rolled back directly, instantly backfiring on the enemy's consciousness, causing several mirror-feathered phantom beasts to howl and their souls to collapse, their soul fires extinguished!
--
Yao Wanqing stepped forward, her eyes as cold as ice. She raised her left hand, and the second move was unleashed with a roar!
"Condense Consciousness, Sever the Realm."
Within his sea of consciousness, the six-pointed snow seal spun rapidly, as if freezing time itself. The void suddenly froze, and the enemy's Soul Arts was delayed for a moment, interrupted by the slightest delay.
"To seize the initiative... it's all by a hair's breadth."
Yao Wanqing slashed down with his palm, and the mirror light reflected back, completely freezing the soul of an enemy general-level Mirror Feather Phantom Beast. Before it could break free, it was pierced through the mind by the Thunder Tail of the Nether Soul Abyss Viper and died!
--
"The Soul Mirror Reflects Calamity".
The third move is silent and stealthy, leaving no trace of cold light, yet it is even more deadly.
Behind Yao Wanqing, a series of illusionary mirrors appeared, reflecting the enemy's movements and hand seals as they unleashed their Soul Arts.
Your killing move... will destroy yourself.
The next instant, the [Feather Cry Soul Seizure] that was originally attacking her turned back in the mirror—the enemy Mirror Feather Raptor was startled, but it was too late to retreat. It was actually injured by the spell it reflected, its soul wings were shattered, and its soul body disintegrated in a mournful cry!
--
The battle has reached the very front line, and Yao Wanqing is no longer holding back.
She clasped her hands together, and a swirling of icy blue runes appeared. As her consciousness trembled, she struck the void with her palm—
"Ice Prison Soul Sealing Array!"
The six-pointed mirror seal instantly landed and formed an array, a Soul-Sealing Frost Array rose from the ground, freezing the surrounding soul tides and forcibly sealing the five phantom giant feathered soul beasts within the array!
"Town."
She spoke softly, and a snowy light bloomed at the center of the formation. Countless cold chains descended from the sky, like countless soul chains, pressing down on the enemy's soul until it could not move!
"Cut."
She looked up and locked onto the strongest enemy in the formation.
"The Mirror Cold Final Radiance."
The Soul Mirror shines brightest, a single strike severing the soul!
The icy mirror reappeared behind Yao Wanqing, its light condensing into an extremely cold ice blade. She took a step forward, and the void shattered like porcelain as the mirror blade slashed horizontally.
Where the cold light fell, the consciousness of the enemy general-level Mirror Feather Soul Beast collapsed layer by layer, its Soul Domain, Soul Seal, and Soul Lock were all severed!
Boom!
The entire Ice Prison Soul Sealing Array was completely destroyed by this soul-severing strike, and the enemy souls within the array were completely wiped out.
--
Yao Wanqing single-handedly held the battlefield, using the five techniques of [Mystic Mirror Ice Soul] to break through the core of the enemy formation, causing the enemy's soul to collapse instantly, thus gaining a chance to catch his breath.
She slowly knelt down, blood stained her lips, yet she raised her eyes and smiled.
"... This is my soul."
The mirror's breath melts into snow, and the soul's light illuminates the Illusory Abyss.
Deep within the Mirror Feather Illusory Realm, the soul's echo had not yet ceased, and the Illusory Abyss reopened. As Yao Wanqing's soul skill swept across the enemy formation, the battlefield fell into a brief Space Silence. But this Space Silence lasted only a few breaths.
Suddenly, a long cry erupted from the distant sky—it was the Illusory Abyss Howl brought about by the awakening of the true consciousness of the Nether Glaze Soul Luan Phoenix.
The myriad shadows of mirrored feathers surged forth like a tide, thousands of illusory soul mirror images danced together, reconstructing the battle formation, and illusions and consciousness intertwined once more.
Yao Wanqing managed to stay upright, though her sea of consciousness was still throbbing with pain. She had already unleashed all five of her techniques, but now her Spiritual Sense was depleted, and her divine sense was barely a thread.
"I can hold out for another... three breaths."
She whispered, but showed no fear.
At that very moment, thunder broke through the dawn!
A thunderous roar, like the fury of the heavens, erupted from behind the barrier.
That was a silver-blue Thunder Hunter--
"Azure Thunder Lightning Hunter!"
It flapped its wings and took off, its lightning feathers swirling with fury. With one step, it cleaved the heavens and earth, forcibly tearing open a passage from the depths of the lightning mist illusion, and its lightning soul crashed down like waves!
At the same time, a figure in lightning-colored robes slowly emerged, covered in blood but still standing tall, its eyes burning like lightning—
Zhou Yu.
His breath surged like a river flowing backward, and his consciousness boiled like a thunderbolt.
"The Soul's Voice... I will sever it."
"Illusory Abyss... I'll slay it!"
Zhou Yu clenched his fists, and the Nether Soul Abyss Viper surged up behind him, its hiss like thunder from the Nether Prison, coiling around his shoulders and sea of consciousness.
In an instant, Zhou Yu stepped into the void, a lightning array formed, and within his sea of consciousness, a lightning soul core completely exploded!
" --Image Severing, open."
He roared to the sky, causing ten thousand thunderbolts to surge, and an eightfold thunder diagram appeared in his sea of consciousness!
Breakthrough directly from [Realm Consciousness Realm First Stage Perfection]!
[Severed Phenomena Realm, First Stage]!
--
"Thunder Soul Sacrifice! Azure Thunder, Nether Viper —All Return to One!"
He raised his hands to the sky, releasing all his soul power. The Azure Thunder Lightning Hunter and the Nether Soul Abyss Viper suddenly transformed into two streams of soul energy, which entered his sea of consciousness!
Two soul beasts actually fused together!
With Thunder Hunter as its main body and Abyss Viper as its core, the Thunder Soul and Poisonous Breath merge to form a completely mutated Lightning Viper Divine Hunter!
At that moment, an unprecedented soul shadow rose from his body in the void:
--Half hunter, half snake, thunderous shadow, eyes like lightning, a killing abyss!
Lightning Viper Divine Hunter roared and swooped down, instantly shattering the Mirror Feather Illusion Array!
Boom--!
The consciousness seas of more than fifty phantom beasts shattered, and fragments of their soul light scattered everywhere.
"Clear the bowl!"
Zhou Yu slapped her shoulder and forcibly injected a Thunder Soul Crystal Core into her sea of consciousness.
"Don't faint. You still need to watch how I sever this Illusory Abyss."
Yao Wanqing forced her eyes open, and the next moment, a resonance appeared in her mind!
Nourished by the Thunder Soul Crystal Core, her damaged soul consciousness surged violently, breaking through several levels from the [True Soul Realm Fifth Stage Perfection]!
A storm rages through the sea of consciousness, the Soul Mirror reopens!
Severed Phenomena Realm - First Stage Two!
Yao Wanqing was taken aback. "I..."
You can fight again.
Zhou Yu grinned, his eyes blazing like thunder.
The two stood one in front of the other at the peak of the battle formation, one wielding lightning and the other ice, their soul energy intertwined like a dual abyss!
"Soul Contract - Reverse Merge Array - Activate!"
They simultaneously bit their fingers, using their blood to draw an array, and the Mirror Feather Illusory Realm in front of them began to twist and tremble!
This is not an ordinary soul fusion ritual, but a [forced reverse contract] – it can only be triggered when the enemy's soul is near death and the contracted soul's consciousness is synchronized!
At this moment, the illusory form of the Nether Glaze Soul Luan finally appeared.
Jing Yu spread out, all sounds returned to the sea, and her gaze fell on Zhou Yu and Yao Wanqing. Surprisingly, it no longer carried hostility, but rather a vague yet profound sense of recognition.
It uttered a whispered, almost inaudible, soul-like language:
"... You are capable of upholding my principles."
The Soul Seal, like flames, fell from its wings, landing on Zhou Yu's brow, and then on Yao Wanqing's Soul Mirror!
Two Soul-Binding Seal were simultaneously imprinted!
The entire illusionary realm trembled violently!
The Nether Glaze Soul Luan folded its feathers into radiance and slowly stepped into the Dharma Seal of the Consciousness Realm, its soul light splitting in two:
Zhou Yu, the main Soul Seal, and Yao Wanqing, the auxiliary soul mate, have officially completed the dual Soul Pact inheritance!
--
Thus, the second group of Thunder Prison Mystic Gate completed their soul contract within the Soul Source Anomalous Tide!
However, the losses in this battle were heavy:
Yin Xuanxi and Jiang Liran died in battle, and Elder Nangong Heyao sacrificed his life to protect them, but their remains were never found.
Yao Wanqing and Ran Haoxuan were seriously injured, and Zhou Yu also returned from the brink of death several times.
After the Nether Glaze Soul Luan fully merged, it transformed into a pair of Mirror Feather Soul Rings, which were always hidden in Zhou Yu's sea of consciousness and could be summoned or put away.
The moment the Soul Pact Seal completely merged into Zhou Yu and Yao Wanqing's sea of consciousness, a magnificent Soul Wheel suddenly appeared above the entire Soul Source Anomalous Tide.
That was the projection of the Soul Realm of the Nether Glaze Soul Luan's master, signifying that it had been truly subdued and was willing to be led by the two of them together.
In an instant, the thunder in the sky and the sonic waves of the Illusory Abyss simultaneously Annihilation, and countless waves of consciousness returned to the void.
The Soul Source Anomalous Tide, returning to slumber.
The two knelt together in the void, their souls trembling and their physical strength nearly exhausted.
But at this moment, no one dared to underestimate the twin masters of this "new soul of Image Severing".
Zhou Yu slowly raised his right hand, the radiance of the mirror feathers swirling around his fingers, Nether Glaze Soul Luan transformed into a light halo, circling around his side like a guardian seal of the heavenly soul.
Yao Wanqing lowered her brows and remained silent, her snow-white hair half-draped. Behind her, the power of the Xuanjing Soul Mirror formed an ice mirror that froze the void. She used the Soul Mirror to seal the remnants of the formation, completing the final soul-collecting ritual in place of all the sacrifices.
And just as they stood up—
A familiar phantom descended from the sky.
That was the teleportation talisman of the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect's grand formation. The azure magic seal materialized, and the consciousness imprints of the Xuancang Shenying and the Grand Venerable Mingxu descended upon the peak of the alien tide!
The two high-ranking deities remained silent for a long time upon seeing the scene before them.
Behind him, the bloodstains were still wet.
Only three remained at the front.
The Grand Venerable Mingxu said in a deep voice, "Nangong... Yin Xuanxi... Jiang Liran..."
With a flick of his palm, he condensed three soul candles and lit them for the three heroic souls.
Xuancang Shenying merely glanced at Zhou Yu; in that gaze, there was neither joy nor anger, only—approval.
"Thunder Prison Mystic Gate, Sect Master Zhou Yu."
He addressed him by his full name in a calm tone, but the sound of his words echoed like thunder, formally acknowledging his unquestionable position as sect leader.
Zhou Yu bowed his head in response, his face still pale from the battle, but he replied with a thunderous oath, "This soul will not disgrace my clan."
Then, Yao Wanqing slowly stepped forward, knelt on both knees, and bowed slightly to Mingxu and Xuan Cang:
"Wanqing... if she is not dead, she is willing to follow Zhou Yu and protect this sect for the rest of her life."
Xuancang Shenying did not speak, but simply raised his hand and pointed, and a Soul Realm talisman floated down from the distant void.
"Return to the Netherworld, inscribe your name on the Soul Stele."
That is the highest reward for the victor, and also the final farewell for the deceased.
They accomplished their mission.
--
Before leaving the Soul Source Anomalous Tide, Zhou Yu walked to the place where Jiang Liran and Yin Xuanxi had fallen, his fingers gently tracing the scorched marks of the almost annihilated magic array.
He murmured softly:
"You left... even before I did."
He took out the crystal pendant that Yin Xuanxi had given him in the past and put it on his wrist.
Then, he took out the remnants of the soul metal used by Jiang Liran in forging the weapon and incorporated them into his sea of consciousness, so that he could recast a commemorative weapon for her in the future.
Yao Wanqing stepped forward and said softly, "You are no longer the Zhou Yu you used to be."
Zhou Yu smiled, gazing at the soul shadow of the Nether Glaze Soul Luan soft cry above her head:
"But I am still their fellow disciple... This sacrifice must be remembered."
The two turned around at the same time and looked at Ran Haoxuan, who was sitting in the corner of the broken formation, half-conscious.
Their eyes met, and in that moment, they understood:
Regardless of victory or defeat, the Thunder Prison Mystic Gate has been reborn with renewed strength.
As night deepened and the Soul Source Anomalous Tide receded, the Thunder Prison Mystic Gate Formation was reopened.
Three figures silently descended upon the summit of the sect's high platform. At this moment, the dark Xing Ji, and the blue lightning crackled like silk threads.
Zhou Yu and Yao Wanqing stood side by side, gazing at the familiar yet distant mountains and pavilions. Everything seemed incredibly tranquil after experiencing death and life.
We survived.
Yao Wanqing's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, like a dream, yet it carried an undeniable truth.
Zhou Yu glanced at her sideways and saw that her long hair was slightly draped over her shoulders and her face was aloof, yet it concealed an unspoken vulnerability.
There won't be a next time.
He reached out, his fingertips trembling slightly, yet still landed on the back of her fingers, like the only remaining warmth after the storm.
Yao Wanqing gently raised her eyes, and their gazes met. In that instant, there were no words, only a resonance of souls.
--The soul stirs, the spirit is summoned.
The void trembled.
The Nether Glaze Soul Luan, responding to the resonance of the two souls, soared out from its sea of consciousness!
A clear whistling sound pierced the night sky, and a dazzling mirror-like light shot into the heavens, illuminating the entire Thunder Prison Mystic Gate.
In an instant, countless sounds and images appeared above the main hall of the Thunder Prison Mystic Gate, and a thousand mirrors shone brightly.
The Nether Glaze Soul Luan hovered above the sect with its radiant feathers outstretched. Its mirror-like feathers reflected the surrounding lightning, and for a moment, it resembled a king on the Threshold!
Its wings slowly unfurled, and countless realms of sound spread out in the void, forming a wheel, as if a divine hand had drawn a star map.
Tens of thousands of Lightning Prison disciples knelt in awe, gazing up at the phantom of the soul beast suspended in the sky, reflecting the souls of the Nine Mountains and illuminating the Soul Stone Heavenly Stele!
Yao Wanqing looked up and saw that, beneath the mirror-like feathers, her pupils reflected not only the divine beast, but also the figure that was still beside her, always standing shoulder to shoulder with her.
Zhou Yu said softly, "From now on, Nether Glaze is not only my soul beast... but also our sworn brother."
Yao Wanqing nodded, her icy gaze softening slightly, a rare occurrence.
"I will... always be there."
At this moment, they were no longer the two people they used to be.
They are the Soul Contractors, the new backbone that truly reforged the will of Lightning Prison after life and death.
The Nether Glaze Soul Luan cries out once more, its mirror feathers fill the sky, and the Thunder Prison Mystic Gate undergoes a complete blood transfusion and rebirth!