The Soul-Calling Ritual and Divine Suspicions

Yet, from the passage ahead, a sound akin to a gunpowder explosion suddenly erupted.

Boom!

Whoosh!

Immediately, the roar of surging water echoed from nearby.

Hearing the frantic rush of water, the Demonic Cultivator swiftly invoked a Water Repelling Spell.

Swish!

Yet, even as his spiritual energy shield materialized, it proved no match for the torrent’s relentless force.

He was instantly overwhelmed, submerged by the powerful, surging current.

With his mental faculties still severely compromised, he swiftly lost his bearings in the raging water, unable even to deploy his divine sense.

He could only just manage to sustain the Water Repelling Spell’s duration.

‘If I survive this, I swear I will slaughter every last member of the Jiang family!’

These were his final, desperate words, uttered as his consciousness flickered.

****

Just four or five meters before the entrance of the Jiang Residence.

A muffled thud resonated from beneath the earth, and then, a ten-meter-high column of water, as wide as a wellhead, erupted from the ground.

Along with it, a dishevelled figure was violently ejected, plummeting heavily onto the ground.

“Ugh…”

“Pfft!”

He coughed up a mouthful of yellowish-brown, sandy water, his wide eyes bloodshot, yet his limbs refused to obey, leaving him utterly motionless.

“This Venerable One… must… kill…”

“Ah!”

Crack!

Just as the Demonic Cultivator attempted to activate the death curse marks etched into the souls of those mortals, a shattering sound emanated from his abdomen—the distinct crack of a crumbling Golden Core.

“You chose not the righteous path, but this twisted, heretical way of blood sacrifice. Your demise is well-deserved.”

Zhuang Xun, who had approached the Demonic Cultivator’s corpse unnoticed, spoke with a placid tone.

With a wave of his hand, the spiritual sword, formed of spiritual energy and lodged in the Demonic Cultivator’s dantian, dissipated into nothingness.

Then, he suddenly declared, “The demonic cultivator is vanquished. The three of you may emerge now.”

Creak~

The grand gates of the Jiang Residence parted slightly, revealing a narrow crack through which a gaze cautiously peered.

“…..”

Zhuang Xun offered no comment on this, merely turning to address the brothers Shangwen and Shangwu, who stood observing.

“You two will escort the remaining individuals into the Jiang Residence shortly and ensure the mother and daughter are properly settled.”

“After I perform a secret technique to recall the scattered souls of Yuelong County’s populace from the wilderness back to their bodies and replenish their vital blood…”

“Then, you may depart.”

“Fellow Daoist, are you certain a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like yourself can accomplish such a feat?”

Shangwen’s demeanor was exceptionally grave this time, devoid of his usual lightheartedness. “Tens of thousands of souls, to recall them all and then replenish their bodies with vital blood—even a Nascent Soul cultivator would not dare to expend such immense mental and spiritual power.”

“Indeed, if this goes awry, the direst outcome could be a severely damaged foundation and a halved lifespan,” Shangwu concurred.

Such an undertaking was simply too perilous: recalling tens of thousands of souls and performing blood replenishment for their physical bodies.

Even Nascent Soul cultivators wouldn’t dare to gamble so recklessly!

Zhuang Xun, however, merely waved a dismissive hand. “It matters not,” he stated casually. “Saving one is saving, and saving ten thousand is also saving. To me, there is no significant difference.”

“Since I have the opportunity to save more, why would I not seize it?”

With those words, two exquisitely condensed blood crystal flowers materialized in Zhuang Xun’s hand. He then lightly tapped his toes, soaring effortlessly into the sky.

His eyes, devoid of both joy and sorrow, betrayed not a single ripple of emotion.

‘I am merely doing all that I can…’

‘To shape this world, born of my own hand…’

‘Into the vision I hold for it…’

‘This is my prerogative, as its author…’

‘My greatest, most selfish indulgence toward the characters I have created…’

‘Even if they eventually uncover the truth…’

‘But what does it matter?’

‘As long as my tongue remains nimble, they will be powerless to do anything against me.’

The blood crystal flowers in Zhuang Xun’s grasp began to melt, releasing drops of exquisitely refined, alluring blood beads that slowly coalesced.

Concurrently, he engaged in a conversation with the Heavenly Dao through his divine soul.

[Zhuang Xun: Daoling, would you temporarily lift ten Forbidden Curses for me?]

[Heavenly Dao: Esteemed Father, are you aware of the price for lifting the Forbidden Curses?]

[Zhuang Xun: Is it not merely a few days of minor physical fissures and pain? It is negligible, still well within my threshold of endurance.]

[Heavenly Dao: Very well. Should any anomaly arise, I shall immediately reinstate the Forbidden Curses upon Esteemed Father.]

A serene lightness enveloped Zhuang Xun’s soul, as an ineffable sensation surged forth from its deepest recesses.

Ten Forbidden Curses, Soul Transformation stage…

How truly long it has been.

“To cast the Soul Returning Spell with this level of cultivation is more than ample.”

Zhuang Xun began to silently intone an arcane incantation, and waves of divine soul fluctuations emanated from him, spreading outwards.

He commenced the recall of the souls dispersed throughout the wilderness.

Simultaneously, a faint fissure began to appear upon his chest, a consequence of the surging outflow of a portion of his soul’s power.

****

Taixuan Dao Sect

Perched atop a mysterious celestial palace, suspended amidst the clouds.

Within her bedchamber, Xuanyuan Luoshui, who had been meditating in a cross-legged position, seemed to sense something. She slowly opened her eyes, which glowed with the fiery hue of amber.

With a mere flick of her wrist, a bronze mirror materialized before her, vividly displaying the scene of Zhuang Xun performing the Soul Returning Spell.

“Heh…”

“You have indeed been concealing something from me.”

Xuanyuan Luoshui let out a knowing chuckle, her usually aloof countenance blooming like a frost-kissed lotus.

“However, if only I could perceive your true thoughts at this very moment…”

[Though performing this spell will certainly draw her attention]

[Yet, with my talent for deception, I should be able to fool that stubborn girl, Luoshui.]

“Hmm?”

“Who is there!”

Xuanyuan Luoshui felt a voice reverberate within her sea of consciousness, prompting her to let out a sudden, sharp cry.

The full might of her Tribulation Transcending stage cultivation instantly dispersed tens of thousands of miles of clouds outside the palace, its formidable pressure still expanding outwards.

“…..”

“Could this possibly be his inner thoughts?”

She attempted to trace the origin of that voice, yet despite employing every secret sound-seeking art at her disposal, she could not ascertain its source.

After a moment of deep thought, Xuanyuan Luoshui resolved to leave her palace once more, intent on probing and testing Zhuang Xun again.

If she were truly to discover that he had been lying and deceiving…

Concealing the truth that he had not, in fact, lost his memories from his previous life…

Then, no matter what it took, she would bind this man and bring him back to her bedchamber.

There, she would engage him in a thorough ‘night-long conversation by candlelight’.

Yet, just as Xuanyuan Luoshui prepared to step into the void and soar out of her celestial palace…

Ziyin, however, arrived, drawn by the oppressive aura she had just unleashed.

She winked at Xuanyuan Luoshui, then inquired, “Elder Xuanyuan, where do you intend to go? Would it be convenient for this Sect Master to accompany you?”

“As the esteemed Sect Master, you should rightfully remain within the sect, guarding against external threats. You ought not to follow me on important errands.”

Xuanyuan Luoshui was well aware of what the recently appointed Sect Master Ziyin truly desired, and thus politely declined her request.

“Elder Xuanyuan, your words are mistaken. This Sect Master has prepared countermeasures; I absolutely will not be detected.”

“I am pressed for time, so I shall not humor your antics. Focus on overseeing the sect.”

With that, Xuanyuan Luoshui instantly utilized spatial translocation, vanishing tens of thousands of miles away in a single breath.

“Luoshui!”

“This Sect Master’s word is law!”

As Ziyin spoke, she summoned a spatial immortal-grade talisman, which, utilizing a soul token, instantly pinpointed Xuanyuan Luoshui’s divine soul aura.

“Today, no matter what you say, you *will* take me on a journey to the mortal realm.”

She hurled the talisman forward, and a colossal spatial passage materialized before her.

With a resolute expression, she stepped into it without the slightest hesitation.

****

Yuelong County

Upon the eaves of a dwelling.

Qin Zhaoyu gazed at the god-like figure in the sky, her heart a tumultuous swirl of mixed emotions.

An overwhelming impulse urged her to rush into his arms and embrace him tightly.

However, Zhuang Xun was presently engaged in a secret technique she had never witnessed, and she dared not interrupt him rashly, fearing an unforeseen mishap.

****