Chapter 133: How to Prove I Am Me? It's Too Difficult
Once is unfamiliar, twice is habit. Xiao Yifeng was now a veteran at dealing with body snatchers. However, Daoist Qingxu proved to be far more resilient than Mo Tianqing.
Although both souls were equally frail, Qingxu’s mastery of the soul arts was profound. He dodged and weaved through the Sea of Consciousness, and for a moment, neither Xiao Yifeng nor the Zhan Xian sword spirit could pin him down.
"Once I get out, I will make you regret being born!" Daoist Qingxu roared. Realizing he had walked into a trap, he abandoned the conquest and shot toward the exit of the mindscape with desperate speed.
Xiao Yifeng and Zhan Xian intercepted, slicing off chunks of his red soul light, but the main body of his soul was too fast. He was inches away from escaping.
Xiao Yifeng panicked. If Qingxu escaped, Su Miaoqing would be defenseless.
Desperate, he shouted at the sky of his mind, "Big Brother Green Lotus! Wake up and work! It's mealtime! If you wait any longer, the food will run away!"
As if understanding the command, the dormant Green Lotus in the center of the golden ocean suddenly erupted with power.
BOOM!
The Sea of Consciousness churned, raising waves ten thousand feet high. From the depths, massive lotus roots shot up like dragons emerging from the abyss, intercepting Qingxu with terrifying speed.
"What is this ghostly thing?!" Qingxu screamed.
Before he could react, he was ensnared by the roots, bound tight as a dumpling, and dragged screaming back into the depths of the ocean.
Xiao Yifeng and Zhan Xian stood frozen, dumbfounded. He hadn't expected the mysterious Green Lotus to actually listen to him, let alone suppress a Mahayana soul in seconds.
He nudged Zhan Xian. "Look at that. Why can't you be that efficient?"
Zhan Xian rolled her eyes, snorted coldly, and turned her back on him.
Seeing Qingxu completely subdued, Xiao Yifeng hurriedly shouted at the water, "Brother Green Lotus! I lured him in, so give me a share! His memories are useless to you, right?"
The Green Lotus rotated impatiently. With a ptui sound, it spat out a cluster of soul light containing Qingxu’s memories and partial essence.
Xiao Yifeng quickly suppressed the memories for later perusal and tossed the pure soul energy to Zhan Xian. Only then did the sword spirit smile with satisfaction.
Xiao Yifeng thought it was over. But then, the Green Lotus spat out something else—a complex, glowing contract.
Before Xiao Yifeng could react, the Green Lotus forcibly branded the contract onto his soul.
"AAAAHHH!"
From the depths of the ocean, Qingxu’s scream of agony echoed as the contract was ripped from his essence.
Zhan Xian: ????? Xiao Yifeng: ????!!!!
Xiao Yifeng recognized it immediately—it was a Divine Artifact Master Recognition Contract. Wait, you can forcibly transfer ownership like this? Is that even legal?
Zhan Xian shivered, feeling a wave of sympathy for her fellow artifact spirit.
"Brother Green Lotus, this really isn't necessary!" Xiao Yifeng cried out, feeling a heavy weight settle on his soul.
The Green Lotus ignored him and went back to sleep.
Shaking his head, Xiao Yifeng sat down to digest the fragmented memories. Sifting through the chaotic images, he finally pieced together the truth of what happened years ago.
Decades ago, Qingxu entered the Immortal Abode and engaged in a brutal battle royale with other Mahayana cultivators for control of the realm. He won, killing the others with the Ink Snow Sword, but was mortally wounded. While attempting to refine the Abode's control stele, the artifact backfired and suppressed him to death.
His soul was trapped, unable to leave. However, his obsession allowed him to refine a portion of the Abode, gaining partial control. Over the years, paranoid that someone would steal the Book of Destiny, he secretly interfered with the trials, lowering the difficulty to lure people in while sabotaging the strong.
Recently, sensing his soul was about to disperse, he guided Su Miaoqing to the stele, planning to seize her body and escape with the treasure.
"A classic case of a snake trying to swallow an elephant," Xiao Yifeng muttered.
He checked his soul. The inheritance imprint of Wuya Hall was still intact, though Qingxu's specific memories of it were damaged.
Xiao Yifeng smiled wryly. Does this count as betraying my master and ancestors? Well, Ancestor started it.
Thinking of Su Miaoqing waiting outside amidst the chaos, Xiao Yifeng sealed the memories for later study and prepared to leave.
Wentian Sect, Feixue Hall.
Liu Hanyan was not hiding in her secret chamber sleeping, for once. Today, she sat upright on the Ice Spirit Throne, presiding over the monthly hall meeting.
After handling routine affairs with cold efficiency, she asked indifferently, "Has anything unusual happened in the sect recently?"
It was a standard question. Usually, nothing ever happened.
"Reporting to the Hall Master," a disciple stepped forward. "Wuya Hall has been acting strange. They suddenly dispatched all their disciples out of the mountain."
Liu Hanyan sat up straighter. Wuya Hall involved Xiao Yifeng, and by extension, her secret marriage pact. "What happened? Do we have intel?"
Chu Mo stepped forward and bowed. "Rumor has it that Su Miaoqing, the daughter of Hall Master Su, and Junior Brother Xiao Yifeng have gone missing during their travels."
Liu Hanyan froze. Her brow furrowed. "Missing? Even Su Qianyi couldn't find them?"
"It's no secret," a female Elder laughed lightly. "Their Soul Lamps are flickering and about to extinguish. They must have fallen into a hopeless situation. That's why Wuya Hall is in a panic."
"Su Miaoqing was their only hope for a comeback," another Elder added with a smirk. "For her to perish unexpectedly... perhaps it is heaven's will."
Liu Hanyan didn't respond. She sat motionless on her throne, her gaze unfocused.
That boy... the one who said he would marry me... has he really perished just like that?
Reincarnation Immortal Abode.
Inside the temple, Xiao Yifeng’s body twitched. His eyes opened slowly, revealing a clear, vibrant gaze.
He smiled. I am still me.
"Senior Sister, don't be afraid," he said, his voice gentle. "It's me, Xiao Feng. Ancestor Qingxu has been killed. I'll undo your restrictions now."
"I knew you'd be fine!" Su Miaoqing cried, tears of joy streaming down her face.
Xiao Yifeng breathed a sigh of relief and tapped her acupoints to release the seal.
BOOM!
The moment she was free, Su Miaoqing erupted in flames. She summoned her Immortal Sword and slashed at his neck with zero hesitation.
"You monster!" she screamed, her face twisted in grief and rage. "Do you think I'm a three-year-old child?! Give him back! Die, old thief! DIE!"
Xiao Yifeng barely dodged, cold sweat drenching his back. "Senior Sister! It's me! I was acting! I tricked him!"
"Liar!" Su Miaoqing shrieked, swinging her sword like a madwoman. "I saw Xiao Feng's soul disperse with my own eyes! He was only Foundation Establishment—how could he defeat a Mahayana soul?! You killed him! I'll kill you!"
Flames roared around her as she began to ignite her Undead Bird Source Blood, preparing to burn her own life force to take him down.
Xiao Yifeng was terrified. If she burned her Source Blood, saving her would be a nightmare.
Why is my life so hard?
First, he had to prove to his wife he was her husband. Now, he had to prove to his childhood sweetheart that he was himself.
Proving I am me... why is it so difficult?!