Chapter 874: Witch Spirit Advances Again

A moment ago, I was chased by the middle-aged man. Panicking, I fled in a hurry, completely losing my sense of direction. The palace was vast, and countless buildings looked similar, leaving me disoriented. I couldn't find the banquet hall.

So, Dean Zhang, the esteemed head of the Master Teacher Academy, was lost!

My physical body was nearby and still detectable. However, the entire palace was now filled with various formations, and powerful experts were everywhere, severing my connection to them. How could I find my way?

Flying high enough might have helped me find a way out, but after what just happened, I knew the palace was swarming with powerful experts. If I were to fly, I'd likely be instantly targeted and killed.

More importantly, the middle-aged man from before surely hadn't given up. If I showed myself, he might pursue me again.

While I managed to escape successfully in the courtyard with the help of the formation, being intercepted in the air would put me at a disadvantage in terms of speed and terrain. I might not even be able to escape.

"As long as I keep moving in one direction, through all the courtyards, I'm bound to leave the palace..."Unable to find his way and daring not to fly out, Zhang Xuan rubbed his temples and resorted to the most rudimentary method.

Legend had it that if one was lost in a pitch-black cave, unable to discern direction or see what lay ahead, there was only one way to survive and emerge: by staying close to one wall and continuously moving forward, no matter how deep the cave, one would eventually find their way out.

He was now employing this very method. The surrounding buildings were all very similar, stacked one upon another. If he tried to retrace his steps, he might not only run into the middle-aged man again but also wander further afield, making it even harder to exit. The only way was to pick a path and follow it relentlessly, regardless of direction.

No matter how vast the palace was, there had to be a way out. Once he left, he could discern the terrain, find an entrance again, and return to the banquet hall.

"This direction it is!"With that thought, he dismissed all others, fixed on a direction, and strode forward.

As a spirit soul, walls posed no obstruction; he could pass through them effortlessly. However, the formations in the courtyards were more troublesome, and occasionally, experts patrolled them, requiring caution.

Nevertheless, with the Eye of Insight and the Heaven's Path Spirit Soul, he could perfectly control his aura. Unless it was a Saint realm expert skilled in soul arts, it would be almost impossible for anyone to detect him.

After passing through six or seven courtyards, a massive one appeared before him.

"What is this place?"This courtyard was distinctly different from the one where the stone tablets were stored. It was much wider, surrounded by a massive spirit-sealing formation, as if to prevent anything from leaking out.

"Does this palace hold some unknown secret?"The primary purpose of a spirit-sealing formation was to conceal auras, preventing them from dissipating and outsiders from probing. For this place to be set up like this, did it contain something illicit?

Not rushing forward, he stood in the courtyard and looked around.

"It looks like a testing ground. Have I already left the palace?"The courtyard contained many stone pillars used for testing strength, giving it the appearance of an assessment area. What was the palace doing with so many of these?

He walked around, full of doubt. At the far end of the courtyard were two rows of neat walls, forming what looked like a narrow alleyway, covered in densely carved characters.

"There are seven methods to enhance the soul: first, mental concentration. Second, facing fear, terror... and various other emotions. Third,..."The walls on both sides were covered with various cultivation methods, all related to the soul.

"These are so simple..."With a glance, Zhang Xuan understood. The soul cultivation techniques recorded on these walls were exceedingly basic, even inferior to the Heaven's Path Soul Refining Art he had cultivated. They were only suitable for cultivators at the Spirit Unification realm, who were just beginning to delve into soul cultivation.

The walls inside the alleyway were covered with extensive, dense writings that stretched for an unknown distance. After reading for a while, he couldn't help but take a few steps forward.

"The cultivation techniques in here seem more profound..."He nodded subtly. The soul cultivation arts recorded within were clearly much more advanced than those on the outermost walls. Although still a step below the Witchcraft Soul arts, they were nonetheless legitimate soul cultivation methods that, if practiced regularly, would help increase soul power.

"This alleyway is so long; will the content inside become increasingly profound?"He looked further in, finding the alley deep and extending to an unknown length. Zhang Xuan couldn't help but feel curious.

Just by taking those few steps, he realized that the deeper he went, the more profound the content written on the walls became. Would continuing forward also provide him with beneficial information?

"There's still some time left before the half-hour mark; I might as well go and see!"He had only been away from the banquet hall for about ten minutes, so he still had plenty of time. It wouldn't hurt to explore further inside.

He hurried forward. As expected, the further he advanced, the more profound the soul cultivation techniques became. Although many seemed impractical to him, they were by no means weak.

"Hmm? Why does this passage feel like it has some pressure?"After walking a bit longer, just as he was about to reach the end, Zhang Xuan suddenly noticed a subtle pressure surrounding the passage, bearing down on his soul. It was very faint, though, imperceptible without close observation.

"Whatever it is, I'll deal with it after I've finished reading!"Knowing there were even more advanced cultivation techniques ahead, Zhang Xuan didn't hesitate and continued forward. For him, whether a cultivation method was shallow or complex made little difference; as long as he could collect it, it would contribute to compiling the Heaven's Path cultivation art. Since he was here, he might as well collect them all.

His gaze swept continuously along the walls, and the inscribed contents appeared one by one in his consciousness.

The content at the end of the alleyway was already somewhat similar to the Thousand Hammer Soul Condensing Art he had seen before. Although still slightly inferior, it was no longer as dreadful as the previous ones.

"From simple to difficult, this passage must be where the imperial family teaches soul cultivation techniques to their descendants..."Upon seeing this, he finally understood. The passage began with the simplest cultivation methods, suitable for those just starting to explore the soul. The further one went, the more profound they became, eventually incorporating elements from the previous stone tablets. Anyone able to learn up to this point would likely have a grasp of the soul comparable to, if not exceeding, that of the middle-aged man he encountered earlier. It seemed those stone tablets were the foundation of the Hongyuan imperial family's soul cultivation, which explained why they were so heavily guarded.

"Without the Witchcraft Soul inheritance, these soul cultivation methods are still too simple..."After finishing the last technique, Zhang Xuan shook his head. For ordinary people, these techniques were indeed good. But having received the Witchcraft Soul inheritance, they seemed childish to him, like a postgraduate reviewing high school courses. However, even for such techniques, the imperial family must have spent countless years and immense resources collecting them. This was because, despite their simplicity, these techniques were highly systematic and could perfectly cultivate a powerful expert in soul attacks.

Withdrawing his gaze, Zhang Xuan looked forward. At the end of the alleyway was a small, round door, which seemed to be reinforced by some power, held tightly shut. He reached out to push it, finding it extremely sturdy.

"Hmph!"Raising an eyebrow, he vigorously circulated his soul power. With a crack, the round door burst open, revealing a spacious hall before him.

Boom!The moment he entered, a powerful oppressive sensation surged straight towards him, as if to tear his soul apart. "Hmph!"As the Heaven's Path Spirit Soul circulated within him, his entire soul immediately rippled with a layer of light, and the pressure sharply diminished. Looking up at the hall, he then realized that the pressure had come from four statues. These statues were extraordinarily tall; some held long swords, others great sabers, and they exuded an intense oppressive aura even from a distance, as if they could rip one's soul apart.

Inside the hall, the spiritual energy was dense, almost tangible, similar to when he had entered the Purifying Pool.

"These... are actually spiritual energies that nourish the soul?"His eyes lit up. The spiritual energy absorbed by the soul was different from that absorbed by the physical body; it was much gentler. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so troubled about Wei Ruyan.

"Though these spiritual energies can nourish the soul, Wei Ruyan is in a deep coma and cannot absorb them actively. Even if she were here, they couldn't be used..."Wei Ruyan was in a deep coma and couldn't actively absorb anything; she could only be slowly nourished by plants that invigorated the soul. While these spiritual energies were extremely beneficial to the soul, they couldn't automatically penetrate a weakened soul to provide nourishment. To utilize them, active absorption was required.

"She can't, but I can. Why don't I strengthen my soul first? If my soul is stronger, I'll have a greater chance of saving her!"Although these spiritual energies couldn't cure Wei Ruyan, they would greatly assist him, allowing his soul body to become even more powerful, thus increasing his chances of saving her.

"Let's see if I can integrate a new Witchcraft Soul cultivation method first!"With a thought, he immersed himself in his sea of consciousness. "Correct!"Upon integrating the Witchcraft Soul cultivation technique he had obtained from Mo Hunsheng with the many newly collected secret manuals, a low cry sounded, and a book appeared.

"Heaven's Path Witchcraft Soul of the Void Transcendence realm..."Gently opening it, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up. By combining the Thousand Hammer Soul Condensing Art he had previously seen, the numerous cultivation methods from the passage, and the technique given by Mo Hunsheng, he finally obtained the eighth stage Witchcraft Soul cultivation technique as he wished.

Previously, he had only cultivated to the peak of the Unity realm. Now, with the Void Transcendence realm cultivation method and such an abundance of spiritual energy suitable for soul cultivation, he no longer hesitated and immediately sat down cross-legged.

With the Void Transcendence realm cultivation method operating in his mind, his massive soul body, like a powerful spirit-gathering array, instantly began to absorb the surrounding spiritual energy into itself. Gurgle, gurgle!

With a series of crisp sounds, Zhang Xuan's soul power rapidly transformed. Boom!Before long, with a roar, he broke through to the Void Transcendence realm.Early Void Transcendence realm!Mid Void Transcendence realm!Late Void Transcendence realm!Peak Void Transcendence realm!

Half an hour later, his cultivation reached the peak of the Void Transcendence realm, and his strength reached a full 20 million ding!

"Excellent!"With his soul power increased, his thoughts became quicker, and his spirit grew more vigorous. Standing up, he then noticed that the dense spiritual energy around him had almost been completely absorbed during his breakthrough. The four statues that had previously exerted pressure on him had also lost their luster, appearing to have exhausted their energy and on the verge of crumbling at any moment.

PS: We're at seventh place now, thank you everyone! Old Ya will continue to release more chapters tomorrow!