Jiang Tong’s soul body, nourished by the Soul-Nourishing Liquid, together with the restorative effects of the Spring and Autumn Bell itself, possessed far greater soul force than a mere wisp of divine sense.
If it had been him just after crossing over, he would have been devoured by these black mists, not even a scrap remaining.
And these black mists were, in fact, the infamous resentful souls cruelly refined alive by evil cultivators—hundreds of such souls gathering together to form a terrifying force.
Who could have expected that, instead, they would benefit Jiang Tong—though only a remnant soul, his soul body was even stronger now.
Jiang Tong controlled his soft, pliant soul body, swallowing up the resentful souls before him one after another, like a large ball consuming smaller ones, focusing all his attention on devouring them completely.
He had to consume these resentful souls as quickly as possible; the faster he ate, the greater his little disciple’s chance of survival.
Outside the black mist, the young girl and the others fought on, finding that they could not claim victory in a short time.
With a furious slash, she forced the woman in yellow back, then, disregarding her own safety, charged into the black mist.
She knew: the longer she delayed, the more dangerous it became for her master.
“Master, Master, where are you…”
The black mist sizzled as it corroded her hands; in the blink of an eye, her fair, delicate hands were covered in wounds.
Gu Xianyu groped through the black mist, lost and despairing, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.
Sound transmission, even sound transmission was useless now…
It was as if a great hand clutched her heart, squeezing so hard it ached unbearably.
Master had entered here to save her…
But if she lost her master, she had no desire to live in this world any longer.
In the girl’s small world, there remained only that transparent, soft and gentle soul body—her master always saving her, and she unable to help in any way.
Her heart ached.
Not even when her mother beat her as a child, or when her father died, had it ever hurt like this.
No, she had to find her master.
“Master!”
Her body covered in wounds, she drew her sword and forced back the approaching resentful souls, calling out in a last shred of hope.
There must be a way, there must.
At the very end, surely her master would be waiting for her to rescue him.
Jiang Tong heard his little disciple’s call, and a strange, indescribable feeling surged up in his heart. He could only smile wryly, his heart aching for her.
Silly child.
Your master is just hungry, not dead.
The woman in yellow gradually stood up, narrowed her eyes as she stared at the girl in the black mist, and let out a cold, mocking laugh.
Idiot.
To dare enter the Thousand Soul Mist released by the Thousand Soul Banner—though her refining skills might not be as good as her older brother’s, it wasn’t something a mere Foundation Establishment stage could survive.
Your foolish master is probably already nothing but nourishment; if you want to find him, just die obediently in there.
With one more Foundation Establishment stage resentful soul, her Thousand Soul Banner would have another level of battle power!
Then she and her brother could refine the town at the foot of the mountain…
The woman in yellow’s imagination soared; she already saw herself joining the Five Major Demonic Sects as an elder or a hive mistress.
Thinking of this, she chuckled, bit through her fingertip, and flicked a drop of blood towards the black mist.
Eat, eat, grow up quickly!
Inside the Thousand Soul Mist, Jiang Tong was stunned.
Wow, after chewing so many tough, dried-up souls, someone’s actually delivering broth to drink.
Not bad, not bad.
Contentedly, he absorbed the drop of blood essence; his soul body now had a faint tendency to become more solid, no longer as soft as before.
Still a long way from taking form, but enough to perform certain soul arts.
“Master…”
The girl’s lips quivered, tear stains damp on her cheeks. Suddenly, she seemed lost for a moment, her gaze searching all around.
The black mist was thinning; the waves of resentful souls that had previously surged forward were gone.
What was going on?
The woman in yellow was dumbfounded as well.
She raised a small black flag, waved it at the black mist, only to find she could not recall it at all.
How strange, refining a half-dead remnant soul, and then a Foundation Establishment cultivator—it should have been over in an instant.
She raised the flag again and waved it vigorously at the black mist, saying, “Return!”
“Hiccup!”
With the last resentful soul devoured, Jiang Tong felt entirely satisfied, his soul body now swollen and full.
He opened a gap in his soul body, spitting out a few wisps of black resentment; that stuff was inedible.
“After being tempered by the Spring and Autumn Bell and Soul-Nourishing Liquid, it seems my soul body is even stronger than I imagined…”
As the black mist gradually dispersed, Jiang Tong muttered to himself, looked up at the woman in yellow, and smiled faintly.
“To dare bully my disciple, this master must stand up for her.”
“Master!”
The girl was the first to spot Jiang Tong; her nose tingled, and the great hand clenching her heart finally loosened.
A flash of golden light, and a healing pill landed before her.
“Master, I thought you…”
“How could your master possibly die now?” Jiang Tong gazed at her, his tone softening.
“Don’t cry, I’m still counting on my disciple to look after me in my old age.”
What?
The woman in yellow finally realized something was very wrong.
She stared dumbly at the flag in her hand—now like a mere toy—and looked at the master and disciple as if nothing had happened, her heart beginning to tremble.
These two—one person, one soul—had killed all the resentful souls of the Thousand Soul Banner?
These resentful souls could even contend with an early Golden Core cultivator.
And she herself was late Foundation Establishment…
Run!
Seeing that things had taken a disastrous turn, the woman in yellow hastily activated her movement technique, ready to flee.
As long as she could reach the foot of the mountain and join up with her second brother in the town, these two would be nothing more than a couple of chickens and dogs!
But how could Jiang Tong let her escape?
“Bind.”
He uttered a single word—the first of the Five Spirit Soul Arts created by the Soul Cultivators of Shangyuan Sect.
He had learned it at fifteen, though his soul power had been weak, and he’d thought it of little use. Who’d have thought it would come in handy two hundred years later.
As soon as he finished speaking, an invisible force grabbed the woman in yellow, rooting her to the spot.
It was obvious Jiang Tong’s use of the technique was still rough, as the woman in yellow struggled with all her might, her body already beginning to move.
But that brief moment was enough.
A cold sword appeared before her eyes, drops of fresh blood still clinging to its edge.
The woman in yellow looked up in panic, meeting the girl’s eyes, tears not yet dried, glaring at her furiously.
The girl sniffled, still looking a bit cute despite her reddened nose, but her words were:
“Dare to bully my master? How do you want to die?”
Of course, the woman in yellow couldn’t just give in. Gritting her teeth, she leaped up, her pale right hand clawing towards Gu Xianyu.
Clang!
Gu Xianyu blocked steadily, then began to counterattack.
She had always had the confidence to win; it was just that her heart had been preoccupied with Jiang Tong’s safety and she had no mind to fight before.
The woman in yellow grew more and more alarmed the longer they fought—was this really the strength of a mid-Foundation Establishment?
Willow-like sword light slashed at her. Without the boost of the Thousand Soul Banner, she could only barely dodge, using her bony right hand to counter when she could.
Just as the woman in yellow bit her tongue, preparing to forcibly activate a secret art, Jiang Tong’s voice rang out: “Chaos.”
Her mind went blank for a few moments, and by the time she came to, sword light was drifting toward her.
“Pff!”
Clean and efficient—a sword pierced through her chest. The girl slowly twisted the hilt, stirring the wound, her eyes cold and lifeless.
She leaned in, her rosy lips moving slightly:
“My master is my only family. Yet you tried to take him from me…”
“You deserve to die.”
The woman in yellow opened her mouth in agony, unable to utter a single word, her eyes rapidly losing their light.
Blood spattered across the girl’s snow-white cheek, mixing with the drying tears, reflecting those emotionless eyes.
With a soft sound, the girl twisted enough, then smoothly withdrew her sword, turning back with a sweet smile:
“Master.”
For some reason, seeing that smiling face, a strange chill crept up Jiang Tong’s heart.
He smiled and reached out to pat her head, praising, “Well done. That’s the spirit a sword cultivator should have.”
“Master…”
With a clang, the girl let her sword fall, tears streaming down her face in fat drops as she clung to Jiang Tong’s soul body, sobbing uncontrollably.
After a while, she wiped her eyes, a bit embarrassed as she released Jiang Tong.
“Master, you seem a bit more solid now…”
“Yes, perhaps before long, your master will become a complete soul, and take on a corporeal form.”
“Then I want to see what Master looks like.”
“When the time comes, I’ll let you see.”
“Master…”
“Hmm?”
“I really thought you were dead just now…”
“Don’t die, stay with me for a long, long time, alright?”
“…Silly girl.”
Jiang Tong patted his little disciple and sighed softly.
“Your master is an old immortal—I could never bear to leave you.”
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