Chapter 109: Soul Telepathy

Xu Yang spoke, guiding powerful spiritual energy with his finger to outline a complete sealing array within the cave.

"I need to borrow some of your life essence to cleanse a new physical body for my disciple. It's a form of activation; without it, her soul and body won't be able to synchronize, making cultivation impossible for her."

Ling Yao frowned. "You want to use my life to revive your disciple's? Don't you find that incredibly cruel to me? Why not just kill me with a single sword stroke? Then you could do whatever you please!"

Xu Yang sighed helplessly. "Your aptitude is exceptional; it would be incredibly difficult to find another female cultivator with your talent in the entire Great Qi. I understand this request is unreasonable, but there's no alternative. To revive her, I'm willing to pay any price. As for how I'll compensate you, I assure you it will be satisfactory."

Ling Yao knew her place as a captive and understood that resisting Xu Yang's decision would be utterly meaningless.

She had no choice but to relinquish her life essence.

"Xu Yang! Listen to me: by lending you my life today, you owe me a life! Unless you kill me, I will eventually come to collect this debt, no matter where you go, be it heaven or hell!"

Xu Yang chuckled. "It's a deal."

The array's power was quickly activated, and potent sealing energy completely filled the cave. Simultaneously, Xu Yang began the arduous, heaven-defying task of reconstructing Bai Lianxue's physical body.

Xu Yang carefully held the snow lotus, which had been sealed in profound ice, in his palm.

As his bright eyes fixed on the lotus, Ling Yao, situated on the opposite side of the array's core, surprisingly witnessed fragments of memories that had lain dormant in Xu Yang's mind for ten millennia.

Ling Yao perceived all the myriad experiences the master and disciple shared ten thousand years ago: their indescribable bond, and even the profound, intimate affection that surpassed mere mentor-disciple sentiments.

For reasons unknown, Ling Yao suddenly found herself envying this woman who had slept for ten millennia.

Since childhood, Ling Yao had been sent to the Heavenly Sword Sacred Land. From the moment she entered, she was hailed as a prodigy, the Grand Elder's direct disciple. Within the sect, she had always been the most exceptional, a figure towering above her peers.

Yet, precisely because of this, for a hundred years Ling Yao had focused solely on cultivation, diligently following the Grand Elder's commands. She had never developed an independent identity, nor had she ever experienced the affections between a man and a woman.

Now, witnessing the myriad memory fragments projected onto the lotus's surface through Xu Yang's pupils, Ling Yao was profoundly moved. The ice deep within her heart seemed to gradually melt amidst Xu Yang's deep affection.

Even though this fervent love wasn't her own, as both a participant and the sole observer, Ling Yao felt a warmth that was both captivating and perplexing.

Soon, Xu Yang's formidable spiritual energy imprinted all these memory fragments into the lotus. Immediately afterward, a vast ocean of spiritual origin energy poured into the bloom.

Only then did Ling Yao realize Xu Yang intended to use this lotus as Bai Lianxue's resurrected physical body. With the holy lotus as her form, its inherent strength already surpassed that of a normal flesh-and-blood body, blurring the very lines between life and death.

This method of resurrection was an almost impossible, heaven-defying feat! But this time, Xu Yang was determined to defy destiny for his beloved disciple.

After an endless stream of spiritual energy, Xu Yang bit his finger, infusing the vital holy lotus with his own essential true blood. This granted the flower, dormant for ten millennia, the signs of autonomous life.

In doing so, the holy lotus could mimic the circulatory functions of a human body, truly serving as a living substitute for a physical form.

As a vast amount of vital essence integrated into the lotus, Ling Yao watched from the side, utterly spellbound.

She understood the immense sacrifice this entailed for Xu Yang; he was practically pouring half his life into the lotus.

"Hey! Aren't you afraid I'll sabotage this holy lotus, leaving us both to suffer a complete loss?"

Ling Yao, idly seated within the array as it wasn't yet her turn to act, couldn't resist questioning Xu Yang.

"That would bring you no benefit. Furthermore, I can see that despite being a member of the Heavenly Sword Sacred Land, you are fundamentally a kind-hearted girl, unlike those old fogeys. More importantly, once a portion of your life essence integrates into this holy lotus, your life will become intertwined with Bai Lianxue's. If anything were to happen to her, you wouldn't survive either."

Ling Yao was stunned. "So, if you ever truly anger me, all I have to do is fatally wound myself, and your disciple will die alongside me?"

Xu Yang scoffed. "You're overthinking it. If you commit suicide, she won't be affected at all. Her physical body is this holy lotus, which is virtually immortal unless struck by a world-shattering force."

Ling Yao was speechless.

Soon, the holy lotus began to radiate an astonishing brilliance!

This sight left even the young Ling Yao completely dumbfounded.

"My heavens, can such a perfect lotus truly exist in this world? Its vitality has been completely activated; I can even hear the pulse of its soul! It's an independent life form now! It can sense your joys, angers, sorrows, and emotions!"

Ling Yao was already somewhat awestruck by Xu Yang's heaven-defying methods.

Having lived for so long as a powerful cultivator, Ling Yao understood precisely how incredible it was to achieve such a feat.

"If word of this gets out, you'll likely become a talent that all major powers across the continent will scramble to acquire!"

Xu Yang gave her a sidelong glance. "Enough chatter. Prepare yourself; I'm about to draw your life essence!"

Ling Yao shrugged with an expression of resignation.

Moments later, Xu Yang extended a finger, and a domineering wave of spiritual energy instantly pierced Ling Yao's protective true qi. From her chest, her vital true blood emerged, transforming into a blood-red thread as fine as silk, slowly flowing into the holy lotus.

Just then, something even more unexpected occurred. The Deep-Sea Blue Heart, which had been suspended above him, began to resonate with an exceptionally powerful fluctuation after the holy lotus absorbed Ling Yao's bloodline.

"Lianxue, is that you? Wait for me; you'll be revived very soon!"

As these thoughts ran through Xu Yang's mind, he ceased his actions after gathering enough life essence. Ling Yao, having lost a significant portion of her life essence, became incredibly weak. Even at the Nascent Soul stage, her cultivation showed signs of instability. A single palm strike now would likely leave her half-dead, rendering her almost incapable of fighting.

A deafening rumble erupted.

Powerful spiritual energy began to erupt, and a vast, vibrant life force surged outwards, flowing from each petal of the lotus.