"Can't hold on any longer!"
Seeing Zhu Wudang about to be suppressed, a voice suddenly rang out.
The four people following Ji Wenwen cried out in succession, their tones sounding quite anxious.
It could be seen that as their spiritual power was continuously depleted, large amounts of death qi began to erupt from within their bodies, growing at an extremely rapid pace.
Previously, with sufficient spiritual power to suppress it, a precarious balance had been maintained, and there was even surplus spiritual power to fight enemies.
Now, with the massive consumption of spiritual power, the few people were gradually unable to suppress it. If too much death qi grew within their bodies, not only would there be no spiritual energy left to use, but they would even lose control of their bodies.
Even Ji Wenwen was too weak to offer words of comfort. Although her strength was greater, her previous consumption had been the most substantial, and her current condition was even worse.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan's heart stirred, and he immediately manipulated several streams of light to descend from the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda, enveloping the five people who were continuously providing spiritual power.
"Don't resist!"
He simultaneously shouted.
In fact, there was no need for him to say more. Upon feeling the streams of light on their bodies rapidly devouring the death qi within them, everyone immediately stopped resisting.
As the death qi within their bodies was continuously devoured, the spiritual power they had used to suppress the death qi was suddenly liberated, naturally allowing them more power to use.
Half an hour passed, and Zhu Wudang let out a roar of unwillingness, after which he became completely still. He even lost control of himself, and the death qi within his body was rapidly absorbed.
For a time, the entire Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda was shrouded in dense death qi, originating from both Zhu Wudang and the five people of Ji Wenwen. Simultaneously, pure spiritual energy surged within the pagoda.
Lin Yubai stood by Ji Yuan's side, looking at the scene before him with a strange expression. As the so-called 'people of the Reincarnation Hall' were suppressed and the death qi within their bodies was continuously devoured.
These five people before them were now more proactively contributing their spiritual power, even to the extent of exerting their full strength without being told.
"Wuliang Tianzun... seems to be stuffed!"
Half an hour later, Ji Yuan's expression changed slightly, and he revealed a wry smile.
As the endless death qi was refined, the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda was filled with pure spiritual energy, leaving no empty space, to the point where spiritual light overflowed and drifted through the heavens and earth.
Even Lin Yubai beside him couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth, suddenly feeling streams of pure spiritual energy flowing into his body through several beams of light.
Because of this, while maintaining vigilance of his surroundings, he had to do his best to refine this spiritual energy, converting it into his own magical power to replenish the consumption from fighting demonic cultivators and escaping.
However, one Lin Yubai did not seem to be enough. The speed of consumption was far from matching the speed of generation. In desperation, Ji Yuan could only send the spiritual energy back into the bodies of Ji Wenwen and the other five.
However, the spiritual energy he returned did not contain the power of life. This power was intercepted by him, and it had now accumulated to about half the size of a fist within the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda.
When three hours passed, the condition of everyone present had recovered to their peak, their magical power and spiritual energy were abundant, and their entire bodies were enveloped in spiritual light.
Yet, even after such a long time, the power of death qi had not been completely refined. Ji Yuan could only, with no other option, pour the overflowing spiritual energy into the magic treasures of himself and Lin Yubai.
Magic treasures and artifacts alike seemed to have found overdue rain after a drought. They experienced a day they had never had before, with an endless stream of spiritual energy pouring into them. Some of the damages that had accumulated in the past were slowly but steadily being repaired.
By the fifth hour, the death qi on Ji Wenwen and the others had been completely refined. Their entire bodies were enveloped in spiritual light, appearing peaceful and sacred, unlike 'living dead'.
As the death qi dissipated, a subtle aura flowed from the five people. Just a slight sensing of it made Ji Yuan and Lin Yubai's hearts pound.
If their guess was correct, this should be the power of heavenly punishment they had mentioned.
Even with his confidence in the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda, he did not dare to rashly attempt to devour this power, for fear that a single mistake could cause problems with the treasure, or even implicate himself.
On the contrary, after observing for a while, Lin Yubai's eyes showed a hint of interest. It seemed that the power of heavenly punishment held an irresistible temptation for him.
Ji Yuan understood after a brief contemplation. He cultivated the most vigorous lightning techniques in heaven and earth. If he reached the peak of his cultivation, he would possess the authority to act on behalf of heaven.
In this case, this power of heavenly punishment would indeed be a rare opportunity for Lin Yubai. If he could obtain it and comprehend it thoroughly, the lightning techniques he mastered would undoubtedly increase in power.
Even his realm would be able to ascend to an extremely high level with this, laying the most solid foundation for his own great dao.
However, after observing for a long time, he sighed with regret. Although he was greatly tempted, he was not confident that he could safely separate it.
If not handled properly, this kind of thing could bring about immense disaster. Although it appeared to be only a sliver of the power of heavenly punishment, if it got out of control, it could cause a cultivator in the Third Realm to perish on the spot.
Even if they were lucky enough to survive, they would undoubtedly end up in a tragic state!
"If you need it, perhaps I can separate it."
Ji Yuan pondered for a moment, then spoke, "However, if I were to separate it, it would likely require an artifact of higher quality to store it."
To store this power of heavenly punishment, even if it was only a tiny amount, required at least the quality of a magic treasure. Ordinary magic tools would likely struggle to withstand such power.
Upon hearing this, Lin Yubai looked over with surprise, as if he hadn't expected him to be able to separate the power of heavenly punishment. His eyes immediately shone with brilliance.
"Can you truly separate the power of heavenly punishment?"
He quickly asked, at the same time taking out a lightning bead from within his body.
This was his Natal Magic Treasure, and its quality was extremely high. Not only had it consumed almost all of his fortune, but it had also used up a considerable amount of the accumulated resources of the peak master of Lei Ze Peak.
On the other side, Ji Wenwen and the others also looked over. Their cloudy eyes showed no emotion, but they could sense that the five people seemed somewhat excited.
"If you can separate the power of heavenly punishment from us, countless treasures and opportunities will be offered as a great gift in return for this favor!"
Ji Wenwen spoke, her tone filled with great excitement.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. If he remembered correctly, when Zhu Wudang had deceived them, he had said something similar.
If he hadn't maintained his vigilance, discovered the clues in the end, and if these people hadn't appeared, they might have fallen into the trap.
With a soft sigh, his heart stirred, and he turned to ask, "What would be the effect on you if the power of heavenly punishment were to be separated?"
Whether it was Zhu Wudang or Ji Wenwen and the others, their existence was fundamentally due to this wisp of heavenly punishment power. If it were to be rashly separated, he wondered if it would cause them any harm.
Would it be to break free from the imprisonment and torment of countless years, or would it lead to some unpredictable variables? It would be better to inquire beforehand.
"According to deductions over thousands of years, if all the death qi within our bodies can be dissolved and that wisp of heavenly punishment power can be removed..."
Ji Wenwen remained silent for a long time, then her voice sounded in their ears: "Perhaps we can be freed, and no longer suffer eternal torment."
"There is even a slim possibility that misfortune will turn into good fortune, and our physical bodies will be revitalized, 'resurrected' in another way, and reappear in the world."
The two looked at each other, their expressions somewhat complex, and both were thinking in their hearts.
According to their words, no one had ever achieved this in thousands of years, being able to remove a wisp of heavenly punishment power from their bodies after losing their cultivation realms.
Everything was merely the result of their own deductions over the long years.
Whether it would truly develop as expected was still an unverified unknown. Besides the two possibilities mentioned above, there were too many other variables.
"Let's use this person as an experiment first."
After much thought, Ji Yuan glanced at Lin Yubai beside him and slowly said.
Hearing this, the latter nodded solemnly. The replenished magical power within his body began to circulate quietly, and strands of lightning flickered in his eyes.
After more than five hours of devouring and refining, Zhu Wudang's death qi was dwindling. However, because he had taken a different path, after the death qi was dispelled, no power remained.
Apart from his physical strength, his body was empty, unlike Ji Wenwen and the others, who were filled with spiritual energy containing the power of life.
Soon, as the spirit devouring power subsided, Zhu Wudang's death qi was completely gone, and a wisp of heavenly punishment power appeared.
Ji Yuan continuously formed seals with his hands, and the spirit devouring power within the pagoda grew stronger again. Countless beams of light descended upon the other party, actually shaking that wisp of heavenly punishment power.
A moment later, this wisp of heavenly punishment power was separated. He carefully wrapped it with layers of light, sent it out of the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda, and then quickly infused it into Lin Yubai's Natal Magic Treasure.
In an instant, beams of lightning erupted. This lightning bead immediately emitted a profound aura, as if it were evolving in a certain direction on its own.
As for whether this change was good or bad, it was impossible to know at the moment. Only by spending enough time and waiting for the evolution to complete would they know.
However, judging by the joy on Lin Yubai's face, it should be a very good thing.
"Hmm?"
Ji Yuan suddenly froze, then turned to look at the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda.
Within the pagoda, which was several feet in size, Zhu Wudang's body began to emit a soft glow after the power of heavenly punishment was separated. Within his sturdy physique, particles of faint light suddenly emerged.
"Power of life? Misfortune turns into good fortune?"
He muttered to himself, then thought of a possibility.
For thousands of years, this person had been eroded by death qi. Not only had his body not suffered any damage, but its sturdiness was comparable to ordinary magic treasures. This was likely because every time the death qi was depleted, a large amount of the power of life would be generated within him.
Like Ji Wenwen and the others, their physiques were nourished by the power of life, far surpassing that of pure martial artists in the Third Realm!
Now that Zhu Wudang's death qi was completely gone, and even the power of heavenly punishment had been stripped away, the power of life that emerged was even more immense.