Chapter 96: You’re Lucky to Have Kept Your Life

Wu Yan (Inner) lay on the bed, moving her head from side to side.

“It’s been a while.”

She tilted her head, pressing the tip of her nose into the hollow between the pillows. The scent of lilies filled her nose.

“The room has been stained with this fragrance.”

No wonder those people liked to rub against her. I never expected this block of wood’s scent to be so pleasant. Why didn’t it have this fragrance when I was the one in control of the body?

Wu Yan (Inner) abruptly sat up, her young body full of energy.

“Forget it, I won’t think about it.”

When Lin Wan’er had examined Wu Yan’s soul origin, she had keenly noticed that the seal in her Sea of Consciousness had loosened. Now, after experiencing it herself, she confirmed that was indeed the case.

After burning her soul, she could feel that the seal had weakened considerably, and after that illusionary realm, the seal was further weakened.

She closed her eyes and silently recited the mental technique from her previous life, attempting to cultivate her Demonic Arts back without Wu Yan knowing.

Things went smoothly at first. Although the Demonic Chi in the air was pitifully scarce, relying on her sensing ability from her previous life, she could still easily capture that Demonic Chi.

But the problem came later. The Demonic Chi absorbed into her body had just flowed into her meridians when it was devoured completely by the cold white Spiritual Power welling up from the depths of her Sea of Consciousness. As a result, no matter how much Demonic Chi she absorbed, that cold white current swallowed an equal amount of Spiritual Power. Going back and forth, she didn’t store a single bit of Demonic Chi, while its Spiritual Power had instead expanded several times.

“Damn, the Soul Governance Art really is strange.”

Wu Yan (Inner) opened her eyes and stopped the technique’s operation.

She had never seen a technique like this before. So much Demonic Chi being devoured, and it could still maintain its original form without being corrupted. But Wu Yan (Inner) had plenty of ways to destroy the Soul Governance Art inside her.

She ransacked her memory of all the strange techniques from her previous life, and soon found a solution.

Wu Yan (Inner) turned her Divine Sense inward and clumsily drove the Spiritual Power within her body.

In the depths of her Sea of Consciousness, that ancient technique had turned into a blazing sun suspended at the center, radiating a heavy aura.

“How dare you obstruct This Venerable from recultivating Demonic Arts? Watch as This Venerable destroys you!”

Spiritual Power transformed into a sword, its blade wrapped in Wu Yan (Inner)’s Soul Power, emitting an enchanting blood light as it was about to strike. But just as the attack was about to hit, Wu Yan (Inner) suddenly stopped.

“No, no. If I split it now, not only will that big fool notice. If I’m careless and make too big a commotion, and end up injuring that big fool—no, if I damage This Venerable’s body, it’ll be a loss not worth it.”

With that thought, Wu Yan (Inner) dispersed the attack and shook her head. “No, it’s not worth it.”

She’d better wait until she fully reclaimed the body and created a new vessel for Wu Yan’s soul before thinking about destroying this strange technique.

Even if she couldn’t cultivate Demonic Arts now, she still had other ways to quickly raise her cultivation, didn’t she?

She got off the bed and went to the room, pulling open the largest wooden cabinet, which was where she specifically kept clothes.

But what met her eyes were not her favorite brightly colored clothes. It was all white, gray, and black robes or dresses, with pitifully few decorations.

“Sigh, I shouldn’t have expected anything from this block of wood’s taste.”

Wu Yan (Inner) casually picked a long dress with some red dot decorations on black, and quietly left the room.

The cool summer night breeze blew against her face, making every cell in her body cheer and rejoice.

Previously, as a soul body by Wu Yan’s side, she couldn’t experience this feeling. Now she could finally enjoy it properly.

“Dear Master, here I come~”

Wu Yan (Inner) was in a very good mood, not even saying her usual ‘This Venerable’.

In no time, Wu Yan (Inner) arrived at Xia Lingshuang’s door.

The restriction outside the door, Wu Yan (Inner) simply moved her fingers and broke it. Then she openly entered through the front door and arrived at Xia Lingshuang’s bedside.

On the nightstand was still the porcelain bowl that Wu Yan had been using to deliver medicine to Xia Lingshuang. This surprised Wu Yan (Inner).

“This Venerable thought the old woman would have thrown this thing away long ago. Didn’t expect she kept it.”

But these were minor matters in the face of what Wu Yan (Inner) was about to do.

Wu Yan (Inner) made a strange gesture with her hands, and with the word ‘Soul-Lock’ spoken, the Spiritual Power inside Xia Lingshuang’s body became frozen by something, unable to flow further.

“Good thing I fooled that dead wood back then and found the chance to place this Soul-Locking Seal. At last it’s finally useful.”

Mid Golden Core Spiritual Power burst forth from Wu Yan (Inner)’s body, and a visible cyan-white bridge formed between Wu Yan (Inner) and Xia Lingshuang.

Wu Yan (Inner) could feel the vast Soul Transformation mid-stage Spiritual Power inside Xia Lingshuang enthusiastically greeting her.

And what she was about to do next was exactly the same as in her previous life. She had done it before anyway.

However, just as she was about to swallow all of Xia Lingshuang’s Spiritual Power into her body, Wu Yan’s voice sounded in her ear.

“If you harm an innocent person in this life, I will never forgive you, even if I have to kill myself.”

Wu Yan (Inner) abruptly stopped her movements, her red eyes looking around in all directions.

Wu Yan did not appear in soul form like herself. That voice just now might have been her imagination.

She refocused her attention, trying to continue her plan of absorbing Xia Lingshuang’s Spiritual Power. But no matter how she concentrated, no Spiritual Power flowed from the other side of the bridge.

Wu Yan’s resolute tone and serious expression kept appearing in her mind, making her unable to make up her mind from start to finish. If she really drained Xia Lingshuang dry, Wu Yan might really be capable of killing herself.

She herself didn’t care—after all, she was the esteemed Demon Venerable, with countless ways to protect herself. But Wu Yan was different. Wu Yan (Inner) couldn’t guarantee that after Wu Yan died, her soul could be preserved intact.

“Tch, you’re lucky to have kept your life.”

Wu Yan (Inner) actively severed that bridge and lifted the restriction of the Soul-Locking Seal inside Xia Lingshuang’s body.

When she found a way to properly settle that dead wood, it would still be time to drain this old woman’s Spiritual Power.

Thus, just like when she came, Wu Yan (Inner) openly walked out through the door.

After Wu Yan (Inner) left, Xia Lingshuang, who had been lying in bed, suddenly opened her eyes.

The emotions in her eyes were very complex.

She had been awake since the moment Wu Yan (Inner) entered her room. She had originally wanted to pretend to sleep and see what tricks Wu Yan (Inner) was up to. She didn’t expect Wu Yan (Inner) to immediately immobilize the Spiritual Power inside her body.

Even though she had taken full precautions when taking the medicine processed by Wu Yan (Inner) back then, in the end she still left a hidden danger.

And what Wu Yan (Inner) had just wanted to do was no different from what she had done to her in the previous life.

The image of that brave and decisive disciple, and the evil woman who had just tried to drain her Spiritual Power, began to fight in her Sea of Consciousness.

‘Fallen into demonic possession, or still pretending?’

Xia Lingshuang murmured.

Deep in her memory, images of Piaomiao Sect filled with mountains of corpses and seas of blood, broken arms and severed limbs, flashed from time to time.

Wu Yan (Inner), whom Xia Lingshuang was thinking about, was now on her way back, completely unaware that from the moment she left the room, an invisible gaze had been watching her.

‘So that’s how it is…’