Chapter 328: Origin Rule Soul Weapon? The Shocking Secret of the Sith Race (Part One)

The Ultimate Cloud Art, "Heaven's Path," combined with a second-tier Great Heat Temporal Domain. Wu Yuan quickly fell into a disadvantage and found himself unable to escape.

Back when Zhao Xing first comprehended a Rule Domain, he effortlessly defeated Chu Qianqiu using the Ultimate Art "Heaven's Path." Now, with his Temporal Domain reaching the second tier, the power of his Ultimate Art has also risen further, reaching the level of Ultimate Two-Turn. Each "turn" increase in an Ultimate Art's power makes it ten times stronger than its previous state. Zhao Xing had trapped Wu Yuan within the Cloud Stacking Realm, and Wu Yuan found himself unable to break free no matter how he tried.

"Boom, boom, boom!" Black spectral light surged like a torrent, focusing its attack on one spot. However, as the black energy struck the cloud-filled space, half of it was immediately vaporized by the ten suns in the sky. The remaining force hit the clouds, which rippled, dispersing the energy across the vast, continuous cloud realm. After hundreds of attempts, Wu Yuan not only failed to escape but also felt his entire body go numb from the vibrations.

Wu Yuan abruptly looked up at the sky, his eyes filled with disbelief. "My domain is third-tier, his is second-tier, yet I'm being utterly suppressed? How is this possible? My Dark Divine Annihilation Domain was comprehended from three Lesser Yin origins, and all three Lesser Yin Intents are second-tier Intents! A Dark Divine Annihilation Domain comprehended from three Lesser Yin origins can be considered a high-grade Rule Domain. Could his Rule Domain be formed from a top-tier Intent? And is his art also at the ultimate level?" Realizing the situation, Wu Yuan's heart sank.

From the earlier attacks, he could sense that the ten suns above were a first-tier Solar Intent. Although it was only one Solar Intent, it was a top-tier Intent!

"He's this powerful, yet he still played it safe, luring me into his trap step by step? He possesses a top-tier Rule Domain and also knows an Ultimate Art." There's no inherent connection between a Rule Domain and an Ultimate Art. Although Wu Yuan had comprehended a Rule Domain through special means, he didn't know any ultimate-level martial arts. Even so, Wu Yuan was undoubtedly a strong expert among first-rank cultivators, considered top-tier in the Western Extreme Continent. Yet, now he faced an expert who was a peerless genius in both the Dao and the Arts! And his fighting style was so sly; despite his formidable strength, he was as steady as an old dog.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!" Wu Yuan's body was eroded by raindrops, and the black light around him grew weaker and weaker. "Arghhh!" Above, Zhao Xing frowned as he watched Wu Yuan struggle. Outmatched in both his domain and techniques, Wu Yuan instantly fell into despair.

"What's going on? Does this Wu Yuan not know ultimate-level martial arts? In terms of Dao, he has comprehended a high-grade Rule Domain with three Intents, all belonging to Lesser Yin origins, which is quite rare for a first-rank cultivator. Yet his techniques are only at the top-tier five-turn level?" It was very odd, like a martial arts master with centuries of cultivation who only knew basic moves like a sweeping leg kick. "There's a significant mismatch between his Dao and his Arts. Logically, with a third-tier domain, his top-tier martial arts should at least be at the nine-turn level. Yet he's only at five-turn, meaning he's just barely reached the stage of top-tier martial arts mastery, still far from full completion." Of course, with his powerful Rule Domain, even Wu Yuan's casual attacks carried immense power, but from Zhao Xing's perspective, most of that might was derived from the domain itself. "While there's no inherent connection between a Rule Domain and an Ultimate Art, there's still a strong correlation between the Dao and the Arts. Such a huge disparity shouldn't exist. Is he faking it, or does he genuinely not know?"

Zhao Xing glanced outside the clouds. Ambassador Zhang Ning, Mi Fu, and Old Chen all held the upper hand. Primarily, the range of his Cloud Art was vast enough that even though Mi Fu and Chen Shijie were only third-rank, their spells were greatly amplified by his Ultimate Cloud Art, becoming incredibly potent. As for Zhang Ning, he was at the early Heavenly Fortune stage. As an ambassador, he lacked neither courage nor bravery, and with Mi Fu and Chen Shijie's cooperation, his performance was outstanding. Three people against seven of the Xis race; they eliminated two peak Nascent Soul Realm cultivators in a single encounter.

"Imperial Dragon Fist!" Zhang Ning unleashed a secret art. This was a powerful martial art, "Imperial Martial Scripture," which he had been specially permitted by Emperor Jing to select from the imperial library during his time as an envoy. The fierce fist technique, like a true dragon emerging, instantly caught up with two Xis third-rank cultivators, their battle armor dented by the blows. "Bang! Bang!" Their physical bodies instantly turned to pulp, and two Nascent Souls flew out of the blood mist, attempting to escape. "Dragon Flame!" Zhang Ning's abdomen caved in, but his chest swelled rapidly. He took a deep breath and then exhaled a stream of fire.

"Refining True Fire from the Five Zang organs, has he cultivated the Yangming Minister Fire from the kidney area?" The scorching fire stream shot out, and Zhang Ning instantly crushed these two fleeing Nascent Souls into a demonic state. "It's just Yangming Minister Fire. If it were Yangming Sovereign Fire, then the Dragon Flame could unleash its full power, capable of burning the opponent's Nascent Soul to the 'Xi' level. Now, it can only burn them to the 'Ni' level," Zhao Xing thought to himself.

Like Zhang Ning and Wu Yuan, they both possessed high-grade True Intents, commonly known as second-rank True Intents. Top-tier True Intents are those that can be cultivated to the first rank, such as Solar True Fire, Lunar True Water, Heavenly One Heavy Water, Primal True Water, Southern Brightness Lihuo, Lunar Xin Metal, and so on. Zhang Ning entered the Dao with a second-rank True Intent. His martial body, even refining the Five Zang True Fires, couldn't cultivate the stronger 'Solar Sovereign Fire'; he could only cultivate the Yangming Sovereign Fire. However, this was already very good. Ninety percent of people only possessed low-to-mid-grade True Intents, destined to remain at the third-rank realm their entire lives, barely able to condense a martial body and a Dao body.

Back when Zhao Xing was comprehending the Leaves of True Intent under the Myriad Dao Tree, he encountered Yang Long and two other martial artists comprehending alongside him. Zhao Xing quickly comprehended the 'Dust Water True Intent,' but it was only the lowest grade. Lord Zhao disdained it and didn't want it, but Yang Long and the other two treated it as a priceless treasure.

"From the perspective of martial arts, Zhang Ning hasn't yet cultivated to the heart region. He's only using the slightly less powerful kidney fire, which is the Yangming Minister Fire. However, even with the Yangming Minister Fire, his 'Dragon Flame' top-tier martial art is enough to burn an enemy's soul to the 'Ni' state. Neither Beitu Kingdom nor Xis Kingdom has the concept of 'heavenly souls residing in temples,' so they cannot transform people into Yin Spirit bodies. Now that people have been killed, it proves that King Beitu truly intends not to interfere and wants to see us determine a victor." Zhao Xing no longer hesitated. If King Beitu wanted to watch, then he'd let him watch to his heart's content!

"Pure Essence Projection!" Zhao Xing immediately activated Pure Essence Projection, and a hazy golden bamboo shadow appeared within the royal city. Dragon Spirit Bamboo phantom! Having mastered the first layer of the Divine Soldier Art, Zhao Xing could already command ninth-tier soldiers. However, having comprehended his Ego Domain, he could now project a portion of its power. The Dragon Spirit Bamboo was a normal Rule Realm entity, possessing true super-first-rank combat power. Even manifesting as a phantom, its power was terrifying. "Buzz!" The Dragon Spirit Bamboo phantom appeared for only a fleeting moment before Zhao Xing recalled it. Yet, in that single instant, the bamboo joints on the Dragon Spirit Bamboo exhaled a breath, which was pure Geng Metal Rule. The fleeting Geng Metal breath, like a sharp sword, effortlessly pierced through Wu Yuan's Dark Divine Annihilation Domain. "Bang!" Wu Yuan's battle armor was shattered instantly, and his physical body exploded.

"Stabilizing Wind!" Zhao Xing used a top-tier wind art to trap Wu Yuan's Soul of Life. Top-tier Netherworld Yin Wind enveloped Wu Yuan's Yin Soul, preventing him from dispersing his Soul of Life. "Shrink, shrink, shrink!" Zhao Xing quickly condensed the cloud layer. The Yin Wind enveloped Wu Yuan's Soul of Life, and the cloud layer enveloped the Yin Wind. It finally landed in his palm, becoming a Yin Wind Orb, within which a human figure could vaguely be seen struggling.

"Kill!" Zhao Xing directly attacked and thoroughly eliminated the remaining Xis envoys. Once he moved, it was absolute crushing dominance. The remaining small fry couldn't even become ghosts; they were directly shattered into the 'Yi' state, completely vanishing into nothingness.

"Lord Junyi!" Just as the battle ended, a group of people rushed over from a distance. It was 'Yi,' the son of King Beitu. "Lord Junyi! You, you..." Great Prince 'Yi' had a shocked look in his eyes. He had originally intended to feign ignorance and ask what had happened. But seeing Zhao Xing so decisively eliminate the Xis envoys, he was still somewhat stunned. His strength was only slightly greater than Wu Yuan's, but not by much. Didn't that mean Zhao Xing could also easily kill him?

"Great Prince," Zhao Xing said calmly as he put away Wu Yuan's soul. "This official discovered Xis spies infiltrating, and happened upon them attempting to cause chaos and overthrow the royal city. So I assisted King Beitu by eliminating them." Great Prince 'Yi' finally reacted at this point. He immediately continued the charade. "What? Such a thing happened?!" "The Xis race is truly detestable!" Mi Fu looked at the Great Prince with some disgust. "Jingong, look at this person, he's so damn hypocritical." He only appeared after the fight was over. With such a massive commotion in the royal city, could the Great Prince truly have known nothing at all? Chen Shijie transmitted a message: "Yuanzhang, don't show your disdain so obviously. All three heads and six eyes are glaring at the Great Prince; it's quite impolite." Hearing this, Mi Fu immediately retracted two of his heads and snorted.

After the Great Prince's act concluded, Zhang Ning stepped forward. "Great Prince, the Xis race has dared to attempt such an act of subversion, and there may be larger schemes at play. I request that you report this to King Beitu and discuss the important matter of forming a joint army with Lord Junyi." Great Prince 'Yi' solemnly said, "That is only proper. Lord Junyi, please."

Inside the imperial palace, King Beitu retracted his gaze and took a deep breath. He had witnessed the entire battle just now. Mi Fu, Chen Shijie, and Zhang Ning were one thing. But Zhao Xing's performance truly exceeded his expectations. "At the Heavenly Fortune Realm, he comprehended two top-tier domains, mastered an Ultimate Art, and is proficient in both Dao and Arts..." King Beitu recalled the battle. Especially when Zhao Xing finally killed Wu Yuan, releasing the Dragon Spirit Bamboo phantom, even if it was only for an instant. King Beitu hadn't clearly seen what it was, but he still felt a sense of dread. "Even I feel threatened. This Lord Junyi of Great Zhou, he might truly be someone who can call the New Emperor 'brother'..." King Beitu silently thought. Such a genius, King Beitu had never seen, let alone heard of. This showed that Zhao Xing's reputation was not unwarranted! King Beitu also understood that Great Zhou's show of force in the Western Extreme State this time was not just for show like before. They truly had the determination!

"Heavenly Dynasty's Sacred Envoy, Lord Junyi has arrived!" A guard's voice came from outside the palace gate. King Beitu immediately straightened his attire and strode out to greet him. "Sacred Envoy! This humble king's governance was inadequate, allowing Xis infiltrators to sneak in and even offend the Sacred Envoy. I beg you to mete out punishment!" King Beitu placed one hand on his chest and bowed slightly. This time, his posture was very humble.

Zhao Xing looked at King Beitu, who was bowing his head, with a calm expression. Beside him, Zhang Ning felt immensely pleased, his gaze toward Zhao Xing filled with profound reverence. According to intelligence reports, King Beitu was a peak first-rank cultivator, with a sixth-tier high-grade domain! In the Western Extreme Continent, he was one of the foremost experts. As an ambassador, when had Zhang Ning ever seen King Beitu act with such reverence? Yet, such a figure had now lowered his proud head. While Great Zhou's national power was certainly a factor, more importantly, Zhao Xing had displayed astonishing strength and courage.

"King Beitu, please rise quickly." Zhao Xing smiled and made a gesture to help him up. "It's all because the Xis race is too cunning!" "Thank you, Sacred Envoy, for your understanding." King Beitu sighed in relief. "The Xis Kingdom disregarded the prestige of Great Zhou and dared to invade our tributary states, a heinous crime!" Zhao Xing said. "King Beitu, this official has come on His Majesty's orders to preside over justice for you all and annihilate the Xis Kingdom." "Please give your command, Sacred Envoy. As long as you give the order, Beitu Kingdom will brave any dangers!"

After securing King Beitu's cooperation, the four nations' joint forces swiftly began their preparations, while Zhao Xing's main body returned to his Divine Abode battleship to study Wu Yuan's Soul of Life. "This Wu Yuan is indeed peculiar." In his palm, Wu Yuan's Soul of Life contained a tiny black, rhomboid substance. It expanded and contracted with Wu Yuan's Soul of Life, flowing within its core. After observing it carefully for several days, Zhao Xing's pupils contracted. "'Artificially crafted Essence Soul Crystal.'" "As expected, it's something from a higher version; it must be an extraterrestrial object!"

What is an Essence Soul Crystal? Soul crystals are a common material for soul artifacts, capable of being contained by the Soul of Life. Essence Soul Crystals are formed by extracting fragments of a minor world's rule essence and fusing them into a soul crystal. The one in Wu Yuan's Soul of Life was a 'Dark-type Rule Essence' fragment that had been cut out. A tiny fragment could allow someone to directly possess a Rule Domain! The Xuanhuang Realm couldn't possibly create something like this!

"No wonder his spell arts were ordinary, yet he could unleash a third-tier Dark Rule Domain." Zhao Xing suddenly understood. This was fundamentally not Wu Yuan's own ability. Of course, if Wu Yuan contained the Essence Soul Crystal for a long time, as long as he wasn't utterly foolish, he would eventually comprehend a Rule Domain. "This kind of object is used by major cosmic-level powers to cultivate their descendants and elite disciples. To forge such a soul artifact, the current Mech Master profession is simply incapable." "Indeed, the Xis race has obtained a treasure from beyond this world." Zhao Xing looked at the black rhomboid soul crystal. When he magnified his vision, he discovered a very tiny pattern composed of secret runes on its surface.

"I haven't seen this symbol before." Zhao Xing recalled his memories from his previous life but found no corresponding force. However, this was normal. The universe is vast, its territories immense, and there are various worlds like the Xuanhuang Realm... The places are too numerous; it's impossible to recognize them just by looking, as one might in the Xuanhuang Realm. He could inadvertently obtain a Sky Cloud Vine seed, so it was normal for the Xuanhuang Realm to have some secret treasures from beyond the heavens. Of course, it's an era of spiritual energy depletion now. Even if there are cosmic-level items, they would likely be difficult to discover, and even if discovered and their use understood, they might not be able to unleash their full power. High-quality Essence Soul Crystals, for instance, can allow a person to cultivate beyond the Dao Establishment Realm! But if one remains in the Xuanhuang Realm, even a complete, high-quality Essence Soul Crystal cannot be fully cultivated. Compared to a world's fundamental rule power, an Essence Soul Crystal cannot break the Xuanhuang Realm's natural laws.

"Dius, the Great Venerable of the Xis race, must possess many of these, otherwise he couldn't cultivate them in bulk." "He might even be a normal Rule Realm expert!" "This is worth a war of national annihilation." Zhao Xing was somewhat excited. "However, I need more evidence, otherwise deploying troops would make it difficult for Emperor Wu." Currently, it was just his speculation; without evidence, it lacked any persuasive power.

"First step, strip this dark-type Essence Soul Crystal fragment. Generally, good items like this have unique restrictions. I must first control Wu Yuan's soul." Soul crystals are very fragile; if one is not careful, this fragment could be affected by the Xuanhuang Realm's natural laws and dissipate directly. "Secondly, I also need to obtain Wu Yuan's memories to get some useful information." "With the soul crystal and accurate information, calling in powerful armies for a punitive expedition will be logical." The combined forces of just the four vassal states could win a battle, kill Ulik the Venerable, and drive him out of the vassal territories. But annihilating the Xis Kingdom wouldn't be so simple.

"Normally, if I use the Soul Devouring Dharma Body to devour Wu Yuan's Soul of Life, I could obtain his memories from the past few years." Zhao Xing summoned the Soul Devouring Dharma Body, and as it opened its mouth, a cold, dark vortex appeared above Wu Yuan's head. "Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!" As it devoured, a beam of light emanated from Wu Yuan's Soul of Life, resisting. "No, this will cause it to collapse; the Soul of Life will disintegrate on its own." "To interrogate the Xis' secrets, I can't let him die." Zhao Xing stopped the soul devouring. If he increased his power even slightly, Wu Yuan's Soul of Life would self-destruct, and he would gain nothing.

"This is truly troublesome, even more so than the White Bone Soul Nail." Zhao Xing frowned. After all, it was something from a different version, making it very difficult to handle. Any time it involved the core secrets of a force, trying to extract confidential information through interrogation was very troublesome. Otherwise, so many sects and forces in the world would have long since vanished completely, with one capture leading to a whole chain, uprooting them entirely. "I've got it!" Zhao Xing suddenly thought of a method. "I can give Wu Yuan Heavenly Soul Fruit!"

"After eating the Heavenly Soul Fruit, his Soul of Life cannot completely vanish. With a Heavenly Soul Fruit yielded by a treasure-grade great tree, even if exposed to disintegrating power down to the 'Yi' state, he won't truly die; it will automatically re-condense to the 'Xi' state." "As long as it's not complete nothingness, through Great Zhou's Star Lord of Fate, wielding a divine artifact, Wu Yuan can be re-condensed into a Yin Spirit body." "Any Soul of Life oaths, silencing spells, or oblivion arts – as long as he dies once and disintegrates to the 'Xi' level, they will all be gone." As the saying goes, 'when a person dies, their Dao vanishes.' Whether it's a Soul of Life oath, a silencing spell, or an oblivion art, there might still be some restrictions if one transforms into a Yin Soul. But if reduced to the 'Heng' state, most restrictive buffs would disappear. If it reaches the 'Xi' state, practically no restrictions would remain. The 'Yi' state is complete nothingness, offering no opportunities for utilization.

"I have ten Heavenly Soul Fruits stored in my Pure Essence Space. In the Western Extreme State, we can also invite the Star Lord of Fate to perform Yin Spirit transformation for an alternative resurrection." "However, Wu Yuan is not part of Great Zhou's Destiny Dynasty system. To use a divine artifact to revive him, I'd still need to file an application."

Zhao Xing closed his eyes. Immediately, his clone in Tianyong State rushed towards the imperial palace. "Brother, why such haste?" Ji Che was reading the Book of Destiny and stopped when he saw Zhao Xing arrive. "I may have discovered a secret of the Xis race!" Zhao Xing said. "That Great Venerable of Xis Kingdom named Dius might be a Rule Realm expert. He has actually cultivated numerous Life Palace Realm experts who have mastered Rule Domains in a short period." "Hmm?" Ji Che was startled. "A Rule Realm expert... can cultivate dozens of domain-mastering experts?" The number of Rule Realm experts in the world was limited! Great Zhou only had the Emperor as a normal Rule Realm expert; others could only be called 'Rule Realm combatants,' not truly having entered that realm. Rule Realm experts cannot be divined by fate spells; they are beyond rules. It's impossible to know where a Heavenly Fortune Realm expert has appeared just by glancing at something like the Heavenly Fortune Gold List. The Western Extreme Continent, a barren land with a sparse population, how could it possess enough destiny to give birth to a Rule Realm expert? But since Zhao Xing said it, the credibility was very high.

"I have now captured one of his important subordinates," Zhao Xing said. "And I discovered a strange item within his Soul of Life. However, I need to use the Past Life Star Lord and the divine artifact Heavenly Soul Hall, specifically through the Yin Spirit Reincarnation Pool, to confidently obtain these secrets." Ji Che immediately said, "I will issue an order right away for the Past Life Star Lord's true body to rush to the Western Extreme State, and the divine artifact Heavenly Soul Hall will be brought along as well!" Ji Che also understood that a distant expedition to the Western Extreme Continent wouldn't work without sufficient persuasive power. If it could be proven that the Xis race possessed a strange item capable of helping people master Rule Domains, then things would be much simpler. Watching Zhao Xing hastily go offline and leave, Ji Che couldn't help but feel a little happy. Originally, the Xis race was merely a means for Ji Che to establish his prestige. But unexpectedly, Zhao Xing went and discovered such a secret. "The late emperor was truly right, Big Brother is indeed a lucky general!"

The four nations' allied army quickly assembled and approached Wisen Glacier. Venerable Ulik, who was attacking in the east, immediately personally deployed troops to defend Wisen Glacier. After learning that his brother had died in Beitu Kingdom, Ulik was even more enraged. However, with the four nations united, he could no longer resist them alone. He could only retreat further and further, relying on Wisen Glacier's natural barrier to establish a defensive line, while immediately reporting to Dius.

"Sacred Master, I am guilty." Ulik prostrated himself on the ground, trembling. In front of him was a statue of an alien god, flickering with red light. "Not only have I lost vast territories, but Wu Yuan has also died in battle. This is all due to my strategic mistakes, and Wu Yuan might even have leaked secrets. I beg the Sacred Master to punish me." "Ulik, this is not your fault." A voice came from within the statue. "Wu Yuan will not leak secrets. In this world, no one besides us recognizes the methods of a god. However, you have already attracted the attention of Great Zhou. If Wisen Glacier cannot be defended, then do not defend it. The Western Extreme Continent is a barren land. As long as we do not continue eastward, Great Zhou will not invade us. Observe the situation quietly and wait for Great Zhou's envoys to depart before acting." "Yes," Ulik nodded respectfully.

Western Extreme State, Xichang Prefecture City. Zhao Xing's true body had returned to Xichang Prefecture aboard his battleship. Ji Xuanqing, the Prefect of Xichang Prefecture, had been respectfully waiting in the prefecture city for a long time. "Nephew-grandson Xuanqing pays respects to Uncle-Lord." Zhao Xing had originally just intended to go through the motions and give a notification, but this address of 'Uncle-Lord' truly stopped him. "What did you just call me?" "Uncle-Lord," Ji Xuanqing said. "How is this related?" Zhao Xing wondered. You don't build connections like this, do you?

"Uncle-Lord might not know, but I am the sixth-generation grandson of King Wu, Ji Shi." Ji Xuanqing explained. He was a second-rank official, and although over five hundred years old, by seniority, he was Emperor Wu's nephew-grandson. Because his lineage multiplied quickly. The Grand Ancestor and Ji Shi were blood brothers. Emperor Wu was the Grand Ancestor's fourth-generation grandson, and Ji Xuanqing was Martial God Ji Shi's sixth-generation grandson. Now Zhao Xing was Lord Junyi, officially enfeoffed as the Emperor's sworn brother. It was indeed not an exaggeration for him to address Zhao Xing as 'Uncle-Lord.' Of course, generally, they would address each other by their respective ranks. Ji Xuanqing called him this to leave an impression. His lineage had been in the Western Extreme State for many years. If he didn't find a way, Emperor Wu might not even remember them. Zhao Xing understood Ji Xuanqing's intentions and didn't say much, just smiled and said, "Go prepare." "Yes," Ji Xuanqing obediently withdrew.

Half a month later, the Past Life Star Lord arrived in the Western Extreme State first. A month later, Life Official Ji Six, carrying the divine artifact 'Heavenly Soul Hall,' secretly arrived in Xichang Prefecture. "Lord Junyi, besides the Heavenly Soul Hall, His Majesty also ordered me to bring one hundred Heavenly Soul Fruits," Ji Six reported. "If a hundred aren't enough, we can temporarily commandeer more." Heavenly Soul Fruits were generally supplied to high-ranking meritorious officials. 100 fruits were from the imperial palace's reserves, not needing to be drawn from the national treasury or the Shangluo Academy. If that wasn't enough, they could still procure another batch. "That's enough," Zhao Xing nodded. It was clear that Ji Che also attached great importance to this matter. In reality, not that many Heavenly Soul Fruits were needed. Because the Reincarnation Pool in the Heavenly Soul Hall also had a usage limit; it couldn't revive infinitely. Clearly, Ji Che was planning for the future. "When shall we begin?" Ji Six asked. Zhao Xing released Wu Yuan's soul. "Now." Zhao Xing couldn't wait. Ji Six silently stepped aside, guarding quietly.

"I'll eat!" He opened his mouth, and a black vortex appeared above Wu Yuan's Soul of Life. The vortex exerted a pulling force on all parts of Wu Yuan, except for the 'Essence Soul Crystal fragment,' which remained still. "Ah, ah!" Wu Yuan's Soul of Life began to show signs of pain. Forcefully stripping the Essence Soul Crystal was extremely painful. Now, Zhao Xing had thought of a stripping method with a relatively high success rate: to stay within the divine artifact Heavenly Soul Hall and use the artifact's rules to isolate the soul crystal from the outside. Even if Wu Yuan collapsed during the stripping process, the soul crystal fragment wouldn't dissipate. Other divine artifacts wouldn't work; it had to be a soul-type divine artifact. If he hadn't recognized it as soul artifact craftsmanship, even if he had noticed the unusual nature of the Essence Soul Crystal fragment, it would have been easy to end up with nothing. "Rise!" The vortex tore at Wu Yuan, crushing him like a millstone. "Buzz!" As the anomaly appeared, the Essence Soul Crystal fragment emitted black light, attempting to vanish into the void. However, it quickly stabilized because it was inside the Heavenly Soul Hall. As for Wu Yuan's soul, it triggered protection during the stripping and had already dissipated. This casting did not yield Wu Yuan's memories.

"Is this the strange item?" Ji Six looked at the soul crystal fragment. "It is indeed extraordinary." "Mm," Zhao Xing carefully put the Essence Soul Crystal fragment into a box. Having the item alone wasn't enough; he needed to read the method of its use from Wu Yuan's mind. "Summon the Past Life Star Lord!" Ji Six began burning incense and offering sacrifices. Afterward, the statue inside the Heavenly Soul Hall came to life. The Past Life True Lord's expression was cold, and his eyes were lifeless. As the first generation Yin God, the Past Life True Lord had completely lost all emotions from his living days, acting only according to rules. "Greetings, Star Lord." Zhao Xing also cupped his hands in greeting. "Please, Star Lord, revive the soul that just dissipated and transform it back into a ghost state." "Understood," the Past Life Star Lord nodded. He then held his hands in a void grip, and the pillars within the great hall began to tremble, four soul pillars emitting mist. Wu Yuan, who had disintegrated between the four soul pillars, quickly reappeared. "Whoosh!" A spirit tablet flew up from the altar, took Wu Yuan into it, and then flew into the Reincarnation Pool. "Gurgle, gurgle!" The Primeval Soul Liquid steamed, and Wu Yuan's soul became clearer. In a short while, Wu Yuan looked around, somewhat bewildered.

The next moment, he saw Zhao Xing, his expression drastically changed, and he immediately tried to commit suicide! "Hmph, you still want to die here?" Zhao Xing stretched out a hand and immediately trapped Wu Yuan's soul. Then he forcibly fed Wu Yuan a Heavenly Soul Fruit. "Wuwuwu!" Wu Yuan didn't want to eat it, but he couldn't resist. Soon, his soul was covered in a layer of white light. Seeing the effect activated, Zhao Xing once again summoned the Soul Devouring Dharma Body to consume the soul.

Half an hour later, "Buzz!" Wu Yuan's soul collapsed again. "Still no good?" Ji Six asked. "A very high-level force is obstructing it," Zhao Xing mused. "Even though Wu Yuan has been annihilated once, its rule power involves certain time-based rules, which also restored it." "It's that terrifying?" Ji Six was astonished. Normally, ghosts revived through the Reincarnation Pool would have no issues remaining. After the first disintegration, Wu Yuan's soul reached the 'Ni' state, and even after being re-condensed, it was still affected.

"W-what are you doing?" Zhao Xing couldn't help but glance at Ji Six. This old fellow was actually touching Wu Yuan. "Nothing," Ji Six retracted his hand. Zhao Xing suspected Ji Six had another wild idea. "You, you're not planning to write letters to ghosts, are you?" Ji Six's eyes lit up: "Lord Junyi also had such a thought?" Zhao Xing: "..." Just had to say that! Waving his hand, Zhao Xing quickly changed the subject: "Let's focus on the main task. This time, I will crush it to the 'Xi' state. Please ask the Star Lord to keep an eye on it." "Alright." When it came to serious matters, Ji Six became solemn again.

"Buzz!" Having sensed the mysterious protective force, Zhao Xing this time no longer used the Soul Devouring Dharma Body, but instead used the Soul Seven Stars from the second layer of the Divine Transformation Art to crush Wu Yuan. "Boom!" Seven stars crushed Wu Yuan into dust. From Zhao Xing and Ji Six's perspective, Wu Yuan's phantom shattered twice. The first was from ghost to 'Ni' (a lower state), the second shattering transformed it from 'Ni' to the 'Xi' state. "Summon the Past Life Star Lord!" Wu Yuan appeared from the Reincarnation Pool for the second time, instantly falling into despair. Not only couldn't he escape, but he couldn't even die! It was torture! "Let me die, let me die..." Wu Yuan murmured to himself. But before he could even finish speaking, he was controlled again.

"The power has weakened." Hearing Zhao Xing say this, Ji Six was a little puzzled, as he couldn't feel it at all. However, Zhao Xing was the authority in this regard. Because Zhao Xing had mastered the second layer of the Divine Transformation Art, possessed an unprecedented five hundred thousand split souls, and could even cure the flaws of Liu Tianning's Myriad Arts Straw Man... In the analysis of the Dao of the Soul, no one was stronger than Zhao Xing.

"I'll have to take some risks," Zhao Xing said, feeding Wu Yuan another Heavenly Soul Fruit and taking a deep breath. "This time, I will attempt to crush it to the 'Yi' state. With the Heavenly Soul Fruit's protection, before he completely vanishes into nothingness, he will re-condense to the 'Xi' state. Combined with the Past Life Star Lord, there's a good chance to clear the protection in Wu Yuan's Soul of Life. But there's also a chance of failure. Regardless of success or failure, this will be the last chance." "Understood. Lord Junyi, please proceed without hesitation," Ji Six nodded. This matter could only be decided by Zhao Xing. If Zhao Xing, the strongest cultivator of the Divine Transformation Art, in conjunction with a soul-type divine artifact and the Past Life True Lord, still couldn't resolve it, then it would prove they had encountered an unsolvable method. The small Xis race actually possessed an unsolvable method? This could also serve as corroborating evidence to persuade everyone. Of course, success would be best.

"I'm starting," Zhao Xing said, and Ji Six began to record. "Go!" Zhao Xing spread his hands, and seven soul stars rapidly expanded, positioning themselves in seven different directions. At the same time, Wu Yuan was placed in the center. "Shatter Star!" Zhao Xing let out a low roar, unleashing the Divine Transformation Art's strongest killing move—"Shatter Star." To instantly crush the Soul of Life of a peak Life Palace Realm cultivator to the state of nothingness was not so easy. Zhao Xing could only activate his strongest soul killing move. Only with such immense power was it possible to disable that mysterious soul protection rule. Seven soul stars simultaneously collided towards the center from seven directions. "Boom!" The massive soul stars collided, and the entire Heavenly Soul Hall began to tremble. The soul stars collapsed, forming a black dot in the center, which was precisely at Wu Yuan's core. Wu Yuan's Soul of Life instantly disintegrated into a state of nothingness. Zhao Xing's face was slightly pale, as the killing move took a considerable toll on him. But he also had to make the soul stars disappear in that instant.

At the same time—the Past Life Star Lord also immediately acted. The four soul pillars instantly activated, re-condensing Wu Yuan's soul and throwing it into the Reincarnation Pool before the Heavenly Soul Fruit's effect wore off. Zhao Xing immediately appeared beside the Reincarnation Pool, staring intently at Wu Yuan. At this moment, Wu Yuan's form appeared in a fleeting 'rule-less vacuum.' "Now!" Zhao Xing immediately opened his mouth and swallowed, capturing Wu Yuan's soul. A massive amount of images flooded into Zhao Xing's mind. The information volume was enormous. But in the next moment, two of the scenes mysteriously dissipated. Even after entering Zhao Xing's memories, that mysterious rule was still protecting the secret arts from leaking. However, Zhao Xing still seized the momentary gap and captured two memory fragments.

"First memory fragment." Zhao Xing closed his eyes, using Grand Dream Spring and Autumn to re-enact the memory scene. In the dream, inside a round fortress, Wu Yuan was meditating cross-legged. Suddenly—a figure appeared in the secret chamber. It was Ulik. "Wu Yuan, my brother, I have incredible news for you!" Ulik said excitedly. "Brother, what news?" "The Great Venerable will bestow a gift upon you. After receiving it, you will break through to the Life Palace Realm!" "What? Such a thing exists?!" Wu Yuan was somewhat shocked. "Not only that, if you perform well, the Great Venerable will help you birth a Rule Domain in the future! This is an opportunity I've secured for you," Ulik said, smiling. "Come with me." "Yes," Wu Yuan excitedly followed. Soon, he followed his brother to the palace of Dius, the Great Venerable of Xis. Zhao Xing watched silently from Wu Yuan's perspective. He tried to clearly see Dius's face but found it utterly indistinct. "Feigning mystery, not even showing his face to his subordinates?" Zhao Xing also gave up trying to see Dius's appearance. Instead, he focused his attention on Dius's actions. He saw Dius pull out a metallic rod with a purple glow, appearing as if stacked from section after section of iron blocks. "Buzz!" Wu Yuan was instantly enveloped in a purple light, and the surrounding air blurred. After a very long time, Wu Yuan emerged from seclusion. When he re-emerged, Zhao Xing saw Wu Yuan excitedly report that he had broken through to the Life Palace Realm after half a year of secluded cultivation. At this point, the first memory fragment ended.

"Breaking through a realm in half a year, and not through the national destiny baptism of a Destiny Dynasty, what kind of method is this?" Zhao Xing also didn't recognize what that purple short rod was. But he recognized that it was an extremely advanced way of using spiritual energy. "Involving methods of spiritual energy use, the Great Venerable of the Xis race truly has a great opportunity!" Zhao Xing's eyes lit up. "He definitely possesses more than just divine artifacts; he also knows methods for storing and utilizing spiritual energy, and in considerable quantities."

Second memory fragment. Fifty years had passed since Wu Yuan's breakthrough. Wu Yuan was now in the late Life Palace Realm, campaigning with his brother. One day, Wu Yuan, having earned many merits, once again came before Dius, the Great Venerable. "Wu Yuan, I will take you to a place to help you comprehend a Rule Domain, but I will need to erase your memories of the journey. Do not resist the Purple Light Divine Token." Dius was still shrouded in golden light, his appearance indistinct. Purple Light Divine Token? So that thing was called the Purple Light Divine Token? Zhao Xing finally knew the name of the treasure in Dius's hand. "Yes," Wu Yuan obediently prostrated himself on the ground, opening his mind. Dius pointed a finger towards Wu Yuan's head. The next