Chapter 96: Reversing Tiangang, Plundering Yin Spirit Soul Power

"Clang!" Before the wildcat could make sense of what was happening, another sound came from behind.

Donghu Bo's statue suddenly swayed violently and its eyes snapped open.

In the wildcat's yellow-green pupils, a shadowy figure emerged from the statue.

"Meow!" The wildcat, raised by a mountain deity and naturally endowed with spiritual senses, could see Donghu Bo's apparition and felt a sense of familiarity.

Donghu Bo glanced at the sleeping Zhao Xing, then at the wildcat, before carrying his guandao and passing through the door.

"Meow?" The wildcat walked to the door, peered through the crack, and felt a strong urge to go out and investigate the sense of danger.

However, remembering Zhao Xing's instructions, it jumped back onto the table and quietly guarded Zhao Xing.

Zhao Xing had initially felt no sleepiness, but as he lay there, he suddenly drifted off and entered a dream.

In the dream, the sun shone brightly, the air was warm as spring, and golden light streamed down from a distance.

Zhao Xing immediately saw a paradise: cranes soared, auspicious clouds filled the sky, and ethereal fairies with flowing sleeves and colorful ribbons appeared and disappeared among the clouds.

He, himself, was living in a dilapidated courtyard, barely clothed and starving. Looking down, he saw himself disheveled, with a face full of wrinkles, appearing frail and aged, seemingly on the brink of death.

"Alas, a sickly body, approaching its end. Pitiable, so pitiable," an old Daoist repeatedly shook his head.

"Who, who is speaking?" Zhao Xing looked up.

At that moment, an old man in a purple Daoist robe, holding a whisk, with a benevolent face, arrived on auspicious clouds and landed before Zhao Xing's courtyard gate.

"I am the True God Xuantian. You are critically ill, your end is near, and your life will soon be over."

"Immortal, please save me, immortal!" Zhao Xing seemed stunned and immediately bowed his head in supplication.

The old Daoist smiled slightly: "This deity observes the suffering of the mortal world. Our encounter is fate; very well, I shall save you."

Then the old Daoist waved his whisk, and a golden light fell upon Zhao Xing. His body visibly became younger.

His wrinkles vanished, his hair turned from white to black, his legs became agile, and his body was filled with strength.

"Thank you, immortal! Thank you, immortal!" Zhao Xing, seemingly overwhelmed, continued to shout.

"Alas, this deity can only resolve your temporary ailments, freeing you from sickness and restoring your youth. You remain a mere mortal; in a few years, you will still not escape death."

"Immortal, I don't want to die, I don't want to die!" Zhao Xing shouted urgently. "Since you pity me, immortal, please give me another golden light like the one just now!"

"If you wish to truly escape this fate, you must cultivate immortal arts and receive infusions of magical power..."

"Please, immortal, give me another one."

"Only by entering the immortal gate and embarking on the path of immortality can you..."

"Please, immortal, give me another one."

"Achieve longevity, be free from sickness and disaster, otherwise..."

"Please, immortal, give me another one."

"..." The old Daoist in purple robes grew annoyed. What was wrong with this mortal? Why did he keep asking for "another one," as if his soul power was free?

But Zhao Xing ignored him, endlessly repeating the phrase as if entranced.

Seeing this, the old Daoist in purple robes could only send another golden light toward Zhao Xing.

Zhao Xing was overjoyed: "Thank you, immortal! You are truly a good immortal! I feel much better now!"

The old Daoist in purple robes continued: "If you pledge allegiance to the True God Xuantian sect, you can escape the sea of mortal suffering. Are you willing to worship me?"

Zhao Xing stared blankly and said: "Will you give me another one? Immortal, I am suffering..."

"You scoundrel! Will you ever stop?!" The old Daoist in purple robes was furious. "How can someone so greedy ever attain the Great Dao?"

Zhao Xing seemed intimidated and remained silent.

The old Daoist in purple robes' expression softened slightly: "All humans possess greed. Considering our fated encounter, come out of the courtyard so I may observe your innate talent, and then I shall bestow benevolent magic upon you."

Zhao Xing said, "My legs aren't agile. Immortal, please perform your magic outside the courtyard gate."

Suppressing his anger, the old Daoist in purple robes maintained a benevolent expression: "If that is the case, then invite this deity inside."

"Immortal, please..."

The old Daoist in purple robes was about to lift his foot.

But then he heard Zhao Xing's tone change: "Please, immortal, just stand outside the door and perform that golden light magic. My humble abode is too dirty; I fear it would defile your esteemed presence."

At this moment, the old Daoist in purple robes finally reacted. The smile vanished from his face, the golden light around him faded, replaced by a red glow, and he stared coldly at Zhao Xing.

"Interesting. You, a mere mortal, can actually remain unaffected by my magic. This dream..."

"Hmph!" Zhao Xing scoffed, dropping his pretense. His worn clothes suddenly emitted a profound golden light.

"Buzz!" The dream shattered, cracking like glass, and disintegrated along with the purple-robed Daoist.

"Whoosh!" The ever-burning lamp lit up again.

Zhao Xing woke up.

"Meow?" The wildcat jumped onto Zhao Xing's shoulder and rubbed its head against him.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me," Zhao Xing said, stroking the wildcat's small head.

He glanced back at Donghu Bo's statue, then looked outside the main gate, his eyes narrowing slightly.

He hadn't expected the Xuantian Sect to actually make a move.

"Evil spirits entering dreams first determine locations. At this point, all officials on the list should have been influenced."

"I just wonder how many fell for it and opened the door, or said 'come in'," Zhao Xing mused.

The Xuantian Sect's actions always began with their evil gods.

This meant the evil spirits would first enter dreams to ensnare their targets.

However, the house Zhao Xing was in had protection, a rule established by the Grand Ancestor when he founded the Dao: "Do not enter an occupied place without invitation."

The evil spirit couldn't enter and could only linger outside the door. This evil god could only use "benevolent magic" to influence Zhao Xing with soul arts.

This was because only benevolent magic could enter the house and affect Zhao Xing inside.

The moment the dream invasion began, his Sixth-Tier Soul Armor instantly sobered Zhao Xing and gave him absolute control over the dream.

Therefore, he was completely immune to temptation. All the dream's illusions, such as him being old and frail, were merely Zhao Xing's active cooperation.

"What this evil spirit did was essentially feed me with the purest soul power. If I had been tempted to open the door or said 'come in', it could have taken it back."

"However, it released two streams of soul power, both of which I absorbed. This means I truly plundered it, and it's probably furious with embarrassment," Zhao Xing thought to himself.

He glanced at his system panel.

You plundered the 'soul power' of the Seventh-Rank Evil Spirit 'Blood Spirit Venerable'. Your Fated Soul has advanced to the Ninth-Rank initial stage.

You plundered the 'soul power' of the Seventh-Rank Evil Spirit 'Blood Spirit Venerable'. Your Fated Soul has advanced to the Ninth-Rank middle stage.

Fated Soul: Ninth-Rank middle stage

Seeing the new attribute on the panel, Zhao Xing couldn't help but smile: "Successfully fleeced the sheep!"

Normally, the rank of the Fated Soul tends to lag behind.

This is because there are no specific methods for cultivating the soul directly; only by gathering essence and practicing spells can the Seven Anima grow.

The Seven Anima then nourish the Fated Soul, causing its rank to gradually increase.

In the Dynasties of Fortune, fate cultivation was not practiced. The Grand Ancestor cut down all such professions and spells.

Of course, Zhao Xing's Fated Soul is only at the Ninth-Rank middle stage, which can hardly be called 'fate cultivation'. It simply means his soul power is stronger, offering higher resistance to soul-based spells like 'Yin Wind', and also slightly enhancing the power of his own spells or secret techniques that involve the Fated Soul.

For example, the 'Sleep Bug' spell and the 'Dream Manifestation' technique are now more powerful than before.

"Many thanks to Blood Spirit 'old friend' for the soul power; truly too kind!"

Even without relying on his Soul Armor, Zhao Xing had a certain level of confidence in using the Dream Manifestation technique to fleece soul power from an evil god during the dream invasion stage. With the Sixth-Tier Soul Armor, it became even easier.

It should be known that the Nightmare Sect are the true masters of soul cultivation. Compared to them, the Xuantian Sect is far inferior in cultivating souls and manipulating dreams.

"The Xuantian Sect used evil spirits to locate targets; next, their people will make their move." Zhao Xing looked outside. "I hope Old Chen is effective."

"I am the True God Xuantian. Chen Shijie, you caused the death of your parents and were cast out by your relatives, reduced to competing with beggars for food. All this is because your 'Fate Palace' shows signs of decay, which leads to premature aging of your Fated Soul. Furthermore, your destiny carries malevolent omens; if you cannot cultivate your fate and alter your fortune, you are destined for ill luck in old age."

"If you worship me, I can help you change your destiny! Now, quickly kneel and worship this deity!"

In a dilapidated temple, Chen Shijie stood before a statue, holding a broken bowl containing half a bloody bun.

At this moment, he appeared to be a child of seven or eight years old, but his face looked like that of a thirty or forty-year-old, which was extremely bizarre.

This was because the evil spirit could not fully recreate the dream scene that Chen Shijie feared.

Compared to Zhao Xing, Chen Shijie's dream was far more realistic, and control was not in his hands but held by the evil spirit.

This was because he lacked Soul Armor for protection and, unlike Zhao Xing, had not practiced the 'Grand Dream Spring and Autumn' technique.

"Worship a god?!" Chen Shijie's eyes struggled as he muttered, "I joined the army at thirteen. Because my natural aptitude was too poor, I often had to train until late at night before resting. Even then, the next day, the squad leader would still punish me for being too slow."

"My colleagues mocked and bullied me. Every night, I prayed for my aptitude to be even slightly better, just a little bit, but I only reached the first stage of Essence Accumulation at fifteen. Did any immortal ever hear my prayers?"

"I followed the commander into the Great Wild Mountains and accidentally fell into a barbarian trap, dying. It was the Marquis who found me in the end. Did any immortal ever hear my cries?"

"You..." The Blood Spirit Venerable paused, sensing that the dream was being shaken by some will within Chen Shijie.

"I accumulated essence at fifteen, trained diligently day and night, and in every campaign, I fought with my life on the line. It wasn't until I was twenty that I reached the fourth stage of Essence Accumulation. I don't know how much blood I shed or how many injuries I sustained, but finally, I earned enough military merit to change my cultivation aptitude."

"After another three years of effort, I finally passed the examination for the position of Military Agricultural Officer... I fought for all of that myself."

With each sentence Chen Shijie spoke, he took a step forward.

With each step, he grew visibly taller.

The purple-robed Daoist remained silent, quietly observing Chen Shijie.

The latter walked step by step until he was in front of him. By then, Chen Shijie had fully returned to his normal form.

He looked at the purple-robed Daoist and smiled: "You should know that a Military Agricultural Officer can also invite deities to cast spells. Do you know how many times I've invited a deity in my ten years as Military Agricultural Officer?"

The Blood Spirit Venerable asked calmly, "How many times?"

Chen Shijie glanced at the bloody bun in his bowl and smiled faintly: "Following the Marquis into the barren lands to pacify the barbarians for ten years, there were four times I faced certain death."

"Even then, I, this official, never once invited a deity of this dynasty!"

Chen Shijie looked coldly at the Blood Spirit Venerable, slowly crushed the bun and bowl in his hand, and blew the dust towards the Blood Spirit Venerable: "Much less you?"

The dust diffused, transforming into a sinister wind that enveloped the Blood Spirit Venerable.

The latter shook his head. Before his form shattered, he regretfully said: "Chen Shijie, with a mind like yours, you truly belong in my Xuantian Sect. It doesn't matter; after I take you, I will personally accept you as my disciple, never treating you as a disposable pawn..."

"Hmph, evil cultists dare to speak so presumptuously!" Chen Shijie scoffed. The apparition shattered completely, and he stood on the hillside, the reflected illusion in his eyes vanishing as clarity returned.

The wind blew through Anping Town's night.

It was already Hai Shi (9-11 PM), and most residents were already asleep.

However, in several residences not far from the ruins, rockeries or underground secret rooms suddenly opened.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

Figures emerged, like agile cats, leaping out of the residences and heading towards the ruins.

Their attire matched that of the 'demonic individuals' in the Martial Department's assessment.

Even any officials who had not yet returned home, upon seeing this, would simply assume it was part of the government's arrangement.

They swiftly rushed into the ruins. The officials patrolling the perimeter seemed not to see them, as if these individuals were air, allowing them to enter freely.

In reality, they truly didn't perceive these individuals' presence, as everyone had been affected to varying degrees by the evil spirits entering their dreams.

Led by several key figures, the group split into small teams and headed towards their destinations.

Chen Deshun and Wu Mei's mission was to abduct Zhao Xing and Li Chengfeng.

Of the two hall masters, Chen Deshun was responsible for Li Chengfeng, while Wu Mei was tasked with capturing Zhao Xing.

Hunter Hawk, meanwhile, led seven individuals with robust vital energy directly towards Chen Shijie's location.

Wu Mei advanced quickly, knowing their time was limited. The Blood Spirit Venerable had allotted them only three quarters of an hour.

If they failed to complete the mission by the designated time, they would have to retreat.

Every quarter of an hour they exceeded that deadline, the chances of detection increased.

If they exceeded it by three quarters of an hour, it would mean certain death.

"Years of waiting, all for these three quarters of an hour!"

"Once the target is abducted, we retreat immediately. The Venerable will cover me, and a late Eighth-Rank individual, whose lifespan is nearing its end, will serve as our rear guard."

"Zhao Xing, Zhao Xing... my precious, wait for me, your 'mother', to dote on you..."

Wu Mei licked her lips, a seductive red glint in her eyes.

In the fenced courtyard, Zhao Xing examined Donghu Bo's wooden statue with his 'Bright Eyes', finding nothing divine about it. This meant Donghu Bo's avatar had left.

"However, the evil spirit dream invasion phase is over. It doesn't matter if Donghu Bo is guarding or not," Zhao Xing thought, well aware of the procedure. The Xuantian Sect would absolutely not launch a second attempt.

It wasn't that they couldn't, but that they wouldn't dare.

If they launched a second attempt, they would have no strength left to escape. This was an abduction mission, not a suicide attack.

"Why can't I hear any movement?" Zhao Xing pinched the pendant by his ear. This was a treasure obtained from the Grand Dream Academy, a Wind Crystal Earring.

It allowed Zhao Xing to detect distant sounds by sensing the subtle movements of air in space.

Zhao Xing didn't cultivate hearing-related spells, but with the Wind Crystal Earring, he could hear very distant sounds.

Yet now there was no sound at all. He suspected Old Chen might have already dealt with everything.

However, he sensed the earth veins and found that the Fire Hell Underworld Palace had not disappeared.

"Did the Xuantian Sect retreat then? Impossible. These fanatics love to go all in. Once they start, they'll never retreat unless they exceed the allotted time. Besides, some of them won't retreat at all; they are meant to be sacrificed to the Great Zhou to be hunted down, causing destruction and drawing attention before they die."

"It's so quiet, I wonder how Young Master Zong is doing. He should be waiting at the entrance as I told him," he thought to himself.

Zhao Xing looked around, and suddenly, he caught sight of a familiar figure.

Speak of the devil, it was Zong Shichang!

He was covered in blood, even his face, making it impossible to tell if it was his own or someone else's, and he looked utterly terrified.

"Zhao Xing, Zhao Xing, quickly let me in! Someone is chasing me!" Zong Shichang shouted.

Zhao Xing used his Bright Eyes and Five-Element Observation to examine him but found no abnormalities.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again.

Although Bright Eyes and Five-Element Observation hadn't revealed anything, his Earth Soul had stirred, and especially since his Fated Soul had genuinely advanced in rank, his Dream Manifestation technique was now stronger.

With a blink of his eyes, he completed the dream entry and the convergent sensing of his Fated Soul and Earth Soul.

"You're clearly not Zong Shichang, trying to fool a fool here," Zhao Xing sneered inwardly.

Even without the Fated Soul's perception, he would have found it strange.

He had just thought of Zong Shichang, and Zong Shichang appeared?

There was no such thing as such a coincidence.

"Brother Zong, don't come to the main door; I've sealed it off. I actually opened a gate through the fence over there."

"Yes, yes, the fence three meters to the left, covered by vines. I'll come open the door for you now..."

Hearing Zhao Xing say this.

Wu Mei was instantly delighted. After so many years of hiding, she hadn't expected the Xuantian Phantom Art to be so powerful, still as effective as ever, instantly confusing this young man.

As soon as she arrived, she sensed that the room was protected, meaning the evil spirit dream invasion had failed to trick the young man into opening the door.

If it had succeeded, she, as a vessel carrying the Venerable's blood, would have been able to enter directly. Because if he agreed to let the Blood Spirit Venerable in... she could also enter.

But unfortunately, it didn't, so she had to think of another way. She hadn't expected her trick to succeed so easily!

"Alright, alright, thank you," Wu Mei said, unable to contain her joy. She immediately followed Zhao Xing's instructions and stood in front of the fence three meters from the courtyard gate. Then, while fumbling, she said, "Zhao Xing, quickly let me in... huh?"

Wu Mei's expression suddenly changed drastically. She felt the ground beneath her feet violently heave, and a furious power erupted from below.

"Boom!"

The earth exploded, sending Wu Mei involuntarily flying backward to crash violently into distant ruins, collapsing countless stones and timbers.

"Cough, cough... cough, cough..." Wu Mei crawled out of the wreckage, clutching her chest. She looked at her lower limbs; both legs were bloody and mangled from the explosion.

Her right leg, in particular, was so badly mangled that bone was exposed.

Wu Mei felt agonizing pain, her mind dazed from the blast.

She couldn't help but ask three consecutive questions:

What was that just now? How did he figure it out? What just happened?