Chapter 615: The Depth of the Soul

Xu Qing was keenly aware of what set him apart from ordinary cultivators: his physical body.

Although this body belonged to him, it had originally been shaped by a divine finger, intended to better accommodate the deity's own integration. Yet, thanks to the purple crystal, it ultimately became a perfect fit for Xu Qing. It was a divine body.

"Though she was somewhat ordinary, merely a finger from one of countless avatars of an Immortal-Sealing God, her divine status remained absolute," Xu Qing mused, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Therefore, the eyes of this body could, to some extent, be considered divine eyes. Theoretically, then, I should be able to perceive this world through a god's vision," Xu Qing whispered to himself.

Xu Qing raised a hand to his brow, concentrating on sensing his soul. However, his comprehension of the soul was quite limited. He only knew that the soul represented his spirit and divine consciousness, an accumulation of his intrinsic emptiness. The strength of the soul was determined by the amount of spiritual power. As for the specifics, Xu Qing didn't fully comprehend them. It wasn't something his current cultivation level typically required him to research.

Now, however, Xu Qing had repeatedly recognized the soul's importance, and through a series of prior analyses, he had arrived at a conclusion. "If I can sublimate my soul and integrate the poison within it, then wherever my gaze falls, toxic enchantments should spontaneously activate!"

"But what exactly *is* the soul?"

The answer to this question varied for everyone. Some believed it was formed by one's aura, others that it was the embodiment of concentrated spirit, while still others saw it as an invisible ripple. In short, it was all connected to the elusive and intangible.

Xu Qing closed his eyes. The essence of his poison enchantment spread within him, permeating his sea of consciousness as he searched for his soul. He found it. Deep within his sea of consciousness, at the very core of his spirit, existed a cluster of light and fire, woven from divine consciousness. There was both light and fire. The light was the soul's radiance, and the fire, the flame of life. They merged, forming what felt like the core of his being. If this core were altered, his perception would be affected; if it were extinguished, his life would fade to black.

This was what Xu Qing had always believed the soul to be. Now, however, Xu Qing wavered. When he attempted to integrate his poison enchantment into this light and fire, he clearly sensed the cluster shake. He distinctly felt that, indeed, it had integrated with his poison enchantment. Yet, it didn't achieve the desired effect. In the next instant, it spontaneously separated again. It was as if all the integration was merely superficial, as if this luminous cluster was nothing more than a projection.

Perhaps it wasn't the true source of the soul.

Xu Qing fell silent.

Time ticked by. Seven days passed as Xu Qing remained absorbed in his thoughts. Over these seven days, Xu Qing's body visibly thinned. His continuous contemplation and relentless exploration yielded no answers, only mental exhaustion and a depletion of his vital energy.

"Cultivators differ from mortals. We possess Nascent Souls and divine consciousness. At my current realm, I can even perform soul transference. If I remain myself after a soul transference, then the soul cannot reside solely within the physical body!"

Xu Qing frowned, recalling the divine finger's earlier attempt at soul transference on him. He remembered feeling his soul being eroded and his consciousness dissipating at that time. "I need to conduct an experiment."

Xu Qing looked up, determination in his eyes. He *had* to understand what the soul was; only then could he proceed with the next step of integrating the poison.

Xu Qing took a deep breath. He was about to transmit a divine thought to the shadow when he suddenly paused. The shadow had been in constant dread these past few days. It sensed that ever since Xu Qing received guidance from the Young Master, he had grown increasingly formidable, and his aura had changed accordingly. Thus, seeing Xu Qing seemingly about to issue a command, it promptly prepared to listen. However, after a long wait, Xu Qing gave no order.

"Li Youfei!" Xu Qing pondered for a moment, then transmitted a message to Li Youfei, who was outside.

In the main hall, Li Youfei, who was attending to chores, heard the summons. He bowed respectfully towards Xu Qing's back room, then turned and swiftly departed.

That very night, Li Youfei returned, carrying a middle-aged cultivator, whom he placed before Xu Qing. "Master, this individual is a notorious villain from the Bitterlife Mountain Range. He has committed every imaginable evil, from rape to plunder. Since he is affiliated with Old Ancestor Mogui, no one in Pingyou dares to punish him," Li Youfei spoke respectfully.

Xu Qing glanced down. It was a middle-aged man, not human, at the Golden Core cultivation level. A ferocious scar marred his face, and a strong scent of blood emanated from his body. Xu Qing nodded, knowing Li Youfei wouldn't dare deceive him unless he was tired of living. He waved a hand, dismissing Li Youfei, then gazed at the unconscious middle-aged cultivator. Raising his right hand, he pressed it against the man's forehead.

In the next instant, his divine consciousness surged forth. All his aura and fluctuations flowed into the cultivator's body along with his divine consciousness. Even his Nascent Soul materialized and burrowed within. He began the soul transference!

In the next instant, Xu Qing's perception revealed he had entered a dimly lit sea of consciousness. Within it, six heavenly palaces shone with a mundane glow, and they trembled at Xu Qing's appearance. Xu Qing remained impassive. His divine consciousness spread, engulfing the entire sea of consciousness as he searched for the other party's soul cluster of light and fire. He quickly located it and swiftly lunged.

In the blink of an eye, the luminous cluster twisted, emitting shrill screams and wails from within. Countless memories surged into Xu Qing's divine consciousness; he witnessed the cultivator's entire life. Scene after scene materialized, from birth to the present; some hazy, others clear. Regardless, as Xu Qing absorbed them, they were all vanishing, as if being stolen by him.

A moment later, the middle-aged cultivator lying there suddenly opened his eyes, stood up expressionlessly, and gazed at Xu Qing's main body, which was seated cross-legged, a thoughtful expression in his own eyes. "Is this soul transference?" the middle-aged cultivator murmured. Sensing his entire body, a feeling of discomfort enveloped him, as if he were wearing clothes a size too small. Yet, subconsciously, he felt strangely familiar with these "clothes." The origin of the scar on the face was also crystal clear. Even if Xu Qing closed his eyes, all the past experiences of this body could slowly surface. But these memories were insignificant; he could erase them at any time. In fact, Xu Qing felt he would be more comfortable once they were gone.

As these memories surfaced, Xu Qing's body suddenly jolted, and his eyes snapped open. "Memories?"

"I think I'm starting to understand. If the soul is a composite of life, aura, and spirit, then it is indeed elusive and intangible. It could also be described as a tangible reality composed of countless abstract components! And from the moment life is born, a form of self-perception and external awareness actually forms memories! If the soul is likened to a blank bamboo scroll, then memories are the characters inscribed upon it; they are inextricably linked! Therefore, during soul transference, even though my cultivation prevented me from perceiving the absorption of the other party's soul directly, I distinctly felt myself absorbing their memories. For mortals, memories dissipate after death, as if severed. That's why even if their souls enter the underworld, they remain muddled and confused—a characteristic of wandering spirits whose memories are fragmented and incomplete."

Xu Qing's breathing grew rapid. He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and in the next instant, all the divine consciousness within his body detached and returned to his main form. His main body's eyes opened, revealing a flicker of profound understanding.

"The soul is life. My conclusion might not be entirely correct; I'll need to continuously explore and verify this as my cultivation progresses. However... one thing I can now confirm is that memory is the very depth of the soul, its measure, its vessel, its essence! Therefore, if I want my soul to contain the poison enchantments, enabling them to spontaneously activate wherever my gaze falls, then what I must do is engrave them into my memories with the utmost depth! I must alter my memories, so that the concept of poison enchantment exists from the very moment of my birth, permeating my memories right up to the present!" Xu Qing murmured.

What Xu Qing didn't know at that moment was that the main hall, separated by a curtain, had been isolated into a distinct spatial pocket due to the Young Master's presence. Within this space, his murmurs were being faithfully repeated by the parrot.

"Right up to the present!"

The parrot was clearly caught up in Xu Qing's emotions, its voice now soaring with excitement, echoing throughout the space. Ling'er's small face was etched with worry as she gazed towards the back room. She felt that Brother Xu Qing had grown somewhat consumed by obsession lately. Wu Jianwu also gasped, a thought similar to Ling'er's rising in his mind. He believed Xu Qing had gone mad; normal people wouldn't obsess over questions about the soul or memory. Especially this particular question; even after hearing the parrot repeat it, he remained completely bewildered. "I understand every single word Xu Qing says, but when they're strung together, I can't make sense of it! What is he even talking about...?" Wu Jianwu looked around blankly, figuring the problem couldn't possibly be with him. He saw that Li Youfei wore the same utterly bewildered expression. The only difference was that Li Youfei's bewilderment was tinged with additional fear. Clearly, he was worried that Xu Qing might one day conduct such an experiment on *him*.

Ning Yan, on the other hand, was horrified, his mind churning. He had heard similar words from his own father... but he never imagined that Xu Qing, at the Nascent Soul realm, could utter such profound statements. He could sense that these insights truly originated from Xu Qing's own analysis and comprehension. The Captain's eyes held deep meaning, and a bright smile lit his face as he murmured to himself, "Little Ah Qing, Senior Brother brought you to this Moon Sacrificing Great Domain not merely to devour the Crimson Mother... This place will be where you and I ascend!" As for You Jing, she was silent now, her gaze complex as she looked towards Xu Qing's back room. A thought surfaced in her mind: "Could this Xu Qing also be like me, a split soul from some ancient entity?"

While everyone's thoughts diverged and their hearts stirred, the Young Master smiled. This time, he wasn't surprised by Xu Qing's comprehension; everything was within his expectations. He had previously predicted that with Xu Qing's understanding, he would certainly reach this level of insight. "This is the difference between me and that boy's master," the Young Master thought, a faint smile playing on his lips. "His master has limited understanding, so it's difficult for him to offer guidance. And it's not his fault; such an uncarved jade wouldn't be so precious if just anyone could sculpt it." He rose, knowing that next, Xu Qing would consider his power to alter perception, and he would then present Xu Qing with three options. "An outsider attempting to alter memories through perception is an imperfect method; it can't penetrate the subconscious, only remaining on the surface, and it would leave my brand on his soul. The benefit, however, is that his eyes would gain the ability to unleash poison. Given this kid's disposition, he likely won't agree. In that case, the probability of him accepting my second method will be much higher."

The Young Master took a step, about to depart, when the parrot suddenly spoke, repeating Xu Qing's words from the back room: "To achieve this, there is only one possible method! That is, to leave countless imprints of poison upon my body, so that every piece of my flesh, every drop of my blood, every inch of my bone, all contain potent toxins! I cannot directly alter memories, but memories are not solely composed of experiences and cognition; they also include bodily instincts! I will brand the poison into my body's very instincts, using these instincts to retroactively overwrite my memories! And these eyes of mine must also be refined further. Ultimately, every reaction of my physical body will feed an eternal message back to my memories: I am poison!"

Xu Qing's eyes gleamed with sharp insight, his spirit invigorated.

In the main hall, everyone was stunned. Ling'er grew even more worried, Ning Yan gasped, the Captain was visibly moved, and the Young Master, who had paused in his steps, silently sat back down. "I don't need to alter his perception anymore... This kid... is he altering his *own* perception?"