Free Web NovelChapter 408: Chapter 391: Wandering Soul
It was hard to say how much Wang Meng had to do with Tu Mu’s departure, but it was clear that Tu Mu seemed unwilling to provoke him. He even seemed willing to proactively establish some sort of connection.
’When Mo Chen reached this conclusion, he was truly shocked. All this time, he had simply wanted to help Wang Meng, treating him like a nephew. A certain quality about Wang Meng had triggered his human emotions. Mo Chen thought it might be a sentimentality one feels before death, and everything he was doing now felt like fulfilling a last wish.’
’But Tu Mu had snapped him out of it. Could it be possible... was instinct driving him to do this? Was it because of the law that Wang Meng represented?’
After Tu Mu left and the Golden Dragon King vanished back into the Dragon Cave, the cultivators who had just fled to a safe distance all crept back out. They stared, dumbfounded, at the bodies littering the ground.
Of all the experts from the Ten Great Sects, only Mo Chen remained. The cultivators who had not reached the Great Perfection realm were all killed by the sheer force of the Dragon Power. The dragon didn’t even need to attack, a testament to the might of the Dragon Race.
Aside from Hei Wuchang’s gruesome state, the others had died peacefully. The issue, however, was the identities of the dead, which made the scene all the more bizarre.
The sole survivor was Mo Chen of the Taiyin Sect. The terrifying dragon hadn’t even given the No Illusion Demon Sect a second thought, yet it had spared Mo Chen, filling the other survivors with reverence and fear.
’Could it be that the Taiyin Sect’s true strength surpasses that of the No Illusion Demon Sect?’
Mo Chen gazed quietly at the Dragon Cave. He would wait for Wang Meng to emerge. ’He will definitely make it out alive.’
Mo Chen had been famous for a long time. He was the Supreme Elder of the Taiyin Sect, the Sect Leader’s senior brother. His identity quickly spread among the surviving cultivators. This Supreme Elder had vanished for over a decade; some had even assumed he’d passed away in seclusion. For him to reappear now likely meant he had achieved another breakthrough.
The Taiyin Sect’s power had soared. Meanwhile, the No Illusion Demon Sect’s losses were nothing short of catastrophic: their Illusionless Dragon-Devouring Cannon was destroyed, and one of their key leaders, Hei Wuchang, was dead. The Flower Fairy Sect, the Cyan Cloud Sect, the Evil Intent Sect, the Cloud Dragon Sect, and many others had also suffered disastrous losses.
Meanwhile, inside the Dragon Cave, Mingren and the others passed through the caverns and entered the Dragon Tomb.
The moment they entered, it felt like stepping into a void. A faint light glimmered within the boundless darkness.
The Dragon Fiend was gone.
"So this is the Dragon Tomb? Where are the dragons? And the treasure?" Ji Rushan muttered, surveying the vast emptiness around them.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than long, drawn-out wails echoed from the depths of the boundless Abyss. The sound was low and deep, yet filled with an oppressive, soul-hooking power.
"Everyone, be careful! It’s the Dragon Soul-Capturing Demon Sound!"
The sound grew increasingly drawn out, seeming to well up from the depths of their own hearts. It was impossible to block with Elemental Power.
"It’s attacking the Sea of Heart!" Ling Fei said coolly.
Everyone’s Heart Spirit tensed. ’This is truly vicious,’ they thought. All those present were cultivators of the Sea of Heart, and they braced themselves against the waves of the Demon Sound’s assault.
The Demon Sound was relentless. Everyone used their own Divine Techniques to guard their Heart Spirit, steadily resisting its assault.
This was when the depth of one’s foundation was revealed. Ling Fei and Lin Jinghao were the most composed of the group. Not only did they both possess a Holy Statue Body, but their foundations were in a completely different league. Mingren might also have a Holy Statue Body, but possessing a Holy Statue wasn’t everything. The accumulated heritage of a sect was not to be underestimated.
Lin Jinghao was the most at ease. As someone with the Nine Luminaries Cyan Dragon Body, he shared certain attributes with dragons, so the Demon Sound’s assault on him was significantly weaker.
Lin Jinghao, meanwhile, began searching for the source of the Demon Sound. ’Everything before us could be an illusion. Since this is the Dragon Tomb, there’s no way it’s this simple.’
Ling Fei formed her hands into a lotus mudra and chanted the Calming Spell, which was more than enough to resist the Demon Sound.
Mingren was the most peculiar one. It was true that, in the eyes of others, Ling Fei’s and Lin Jinghao’s foundations were far stronger than his, and they had a greater variety of magic to handle unexpected situations.
But the thing was... Mingren didn’t need to handle it at all.
The Demon Sound seemed to have no effect on him. To Mingren’s ears, this soul-hooking melody was like a beautiful song.
The others weren’t having such an easy time. They all used their respective Cultivation Techniques to stabilize their Sea of Heart. It was clear that no sect neglected the tempering of the Sea of Heart after one reached the Minor Perfection realm.
Zheng Dasheng was also among them, watching Mingren with a cold gaze filled with envy, jealousy, and hate. ’No one knows Mingren’s background better than me. Not long ago, he was just a piece of trash at the Thirtieth Layer, yet he has accomplished so much in such a short time. Is the gap in aptitude really that vast?!’
Of course, Zheng Dasheng "didn’t know" Mingren, and Mingren didn’t know him either. Every outsider who knew about Mingren’s past was already dead. Clearly, the Extreme Dao Alliance had given Mingren an even greater mission, one that even he was not privy to. This made Zheng Dasheng quite "heartbroken."
’The Extreme Dao Alliance is always thorough. If there was one oversight, it was Wang Meng. It would be a disaster if the Alliance found out Wang Meng was still alive. Where the hell did that damn brat run off to?!’
The Demon Sound continued unabated. Suddenly, dark, shadowy things flew out from the gloomy depths, rushing crazily toward the cultivators.
One cultivator slashed at them with his sword, but the blade passed right through one of the shadowy monsters, failing to kill it. The creature instantly pounced on him, and amid a bloodcurdling scream, he was reduced to a pile of withered bones.
"They’re Wandering Souls! Use your Magical Artifacts!"
No one dared to hesitate. Hua Jianyu brought out his Demon Suppression Tower, blocking the pouncing Wandering Souls. The few that tried to break through the tower’s defense were instantly dispersed by its power.
A giant bronze bell appeared in Ji Rushan’s hands. He struck it sharply, sending out a concussive soundwave that swept outwards. The Wandering Souls near him immediately turned and rushed toward the other cultivators.
Bu Qingyun, however, stood composed, gripping his sword. A faint white light emanated from his body, and the Wandering Souls dared not approach him.
Yi Fan, beside him, was the same. This was a Cultivation Technique of the Cyan Cloud Sect, possessing a powerful Exorcism effect. However, it was a rather nasty move, as it effectively drove the Wandering Souls toward everyone else.
The others also displayed their various Divine Techniques. Those who had made it this far clearly had substantial means and were unwilling to give up so easily.
In a short while, the Wandering Souls were all slain, and looks of pride appeared on everyone’s faces.
"The Dragon Tomb is nothing special," Chen Zhuhua said lightly.
"Is that so? Let’s hope you still think that in a little while."
A chaotic noise, like the churning of bubbles, rose from the dark Abyss. It sounded like countless things stirring and mixing together.
Immediately after, a boundless, densely packed swarm of Wandering Souls surged forth.
Zheng Dasheng sighed. His combat experience far surpassed that of these people. ’This is just the entrance to the Dragon Tomb, and it’s already this much trouble. I can only imagine what’s deeper inside,’ he thought. ’I’m... done playing!’
Crushing the Teleportation Spirit Stone in his hand, a Teleportation Array appeared beneath Zheng Dasheng’s feet. In a flash of light, he was gone.
Zheng Dasheng’s judgment was undeniably astute. Had he been a moment slower and allowed a Wandering Soul to get close, activating a Teleportation Array would have been impossible. In fact, another cultivator managed to activate his array, but it was "eaten" by a Wandering Soul. He was instantly swarmed and devoured, leaving nothing behind.
Zheng Dasheng had set a good example. The cultivators who hadn’t yet been swarmed by Wandering Souls began activating their own Teleportation Arrays. The Dragon Tomb was alluring, but their lives were clearly more important. After making it this far, they still had promising futures ahead of them if they returned to their routine cultivation. There was no need to gamble everything here.
However, the more powerful cultivators, especially those with protective Magical Artifacts, were unwilling to retreat. The Dragon Cave rarely opened, and they were lucky to have gotten in. Who knew when the next opportunity would arise?
Just as some were leaving, others arrived. At the peak of the Wandering Souls’ frenzy, Wang Meng and his group rushed in, only to be met by a sky teeming with them.
In the ensuing panic, two people were immediately dragged away by the Wandering Souls. They were torn to shreds in an instant, leaving not even a bone behind before anyone could react.
Even in the midst of this chaos, Mingren spotted Wang Meng immediately. He had never believed that Wang Meng would die so easily, not even at the hands of Zheng Dasheng.
The other person to spot Wang Meng was Ling Fei, the star disciple of the Flower Fairy Sect. With a low cry, she unleashed her power.
A surge of Elemental Power exploded outward, naturally drawing the swarm of Wandering Souls. At that moment, a brilliant light shone, and the image of a massive Peacock King appeared behind Ling Fei. Its dazzling feathers burned like scorching flames, instantly incinerating any Wandering Soul that drew near.
It was the Peacock Great Ming King Holy Statue. With a single flicker, Wang Meng felt his body grow light as someone pulled him from the fray.
"I heard you died. You seem to be doing pretty well for a dead man," Ling Fei said coolly.
Wang Meng gave a wry smile. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Gazing at the immense power radiating from behind Ling Fei, he couldn’t help but feel mesmerized. ’So this is the Peacock Ming King Statue... the Power of the Holy Statue...’ He kind of wanted to touch it.
"Get behind me," Ling Fei said coolly.
Wang Meng didn’t try to act tough. His friendship with Ling Fei was like that of gentlemen—unassuming, but reliable when it mattered most.
Everyone stared at Wang Meng, now under Ling Fei’s protection. ’How did he get so lucky?’ they wondered. ’Who is this kid?’
"So that’s the Wang Meng you mentioned? He just looks like a loser to me," Bu Qingyun said dismissively. His Long Sword was his Life Artifact, and its brilliant radiance completely suppressed the Wandering Souls.
Yi Fan gave a wry smile. "I said his Sword Technique was incredible, but his Elemental Power is too weak, and he doesn’t have a Life Artifact."
"Hmph. We cultivators compete based on true strength. A single skill is hardly worth comparing."
Bu Qingyun glared at Wang Meng with open hostility. Yi Fan knew that Bu Qingyun had feelings for Ling Fei. The Peacock Maiden was cold and aloof toward everyone, so no one expected her to take the initiative to protect Wang Meng like this.
Hua Jianyu and Ji Rushan were also sizing up Wang Meng. Hua Jianyu’s eyes glinted with killing intent; this was the guy who had made him lose face. Ji Rushan, however, was merely curious. How could an ordinary person like this possibly earn the special attention of their Sect Leader?
’He seems so average.’
The people who remained were all true experts. Those who had been trying to get by unnoticed had either fled or become a meal for the Wandering Souls.
Soon, the area was cleared. Lin Jinghao wore a regretful expression. "I told them not to come. Really, all those lives, just snuffed out."
"Lin Jinghao, if you have the energy to ramble on, you could at least try to figure out a way to get rid of these Wandering Souls!" Ling Fei snapped.
Although Ling Fei had the Peacock Ming King Statue, and protecting herself was easy enough, adding Wang Meng to the equation was putting her in a difficult position. This was only the entrance to the Dragon Tomb; excessively draining the Power of the Holy Statue was clearly unwise.
"Sister Ling Fei, my Nine Luminaries Cyan Dragon Holy Statue isn’t very effective against Wandering Souls," Lin Jinghao said with an aggrieved look. "And you’ll have to rely on me for the trials ahead."
(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
