"The end of death is life?"
Ji Yuan raised an eyebrow, and a sudden realization dawned in his heart.
The entire Xuán Tiān Shì Líng Tower was filled with dense life force, integrated with the magnificent spiritual energy, exuding a profound and mysterious aura.
With just a slight focus, one could experience numerous insights, as if glimpsing the mysteries of life.
"Who would have imagined that a person facing death could ultimately possess such abundant life force within?"
Lin Yubai murmured to himself, awestruck by the life force that suddenly surged from the several-zhang-tall tower.
In contrast, Ji Wenwen and the others showed no surprise, seemingly accustomed to it.
"When extremes are reached, fortune reverses; when extremes are reached, everything turns back."
Her voice echoed in his ears, tinged with emotion.
For thousands of years, they had been trapped in a cycle of life and death. When the death qi was exhausted, dense life force would emerge, nurturing and strengthening their physical bodies.
Then, when the life force ceased to flow, dense death qi would rapidly regenerate, unchecked by any power, repossessing their bodies.
Through this constant cycle, their physical bodies had become increasingly robust, at least comparable to high-grade spiritual artifacts, with some even rivaling magic treasures.
However, this time, it was beyond Ji Wenwen's expectations. After the life force within Zhu Wudang ceased to emerge and was completely absorbed by the Xuán Tiān Shì Líng Tower, no death qi manifested.
"Could it be related to the environment?"
Ji Wenwen shared all the information she knew with the two individuals before her, along with her conjecture.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan's mind stirred, and the Xuán Tiān Shì Líng Tower, filled with spiritual energy and life force, shrank back to a size of a few inches, gently landing in his palm.
Zhu Wudang stood on the ground, appearing somewhat bewildered, looking down at his hands. This was the first time in thousands of years that his body was devoid of death qi, life force, or even residual Heavenly Punishment power.
Yet, after only a few breaths, a subtle fluctuation suddenly arose within him, and an inexplicable power began to coalesce. Within mere finger snaps, a wisp of Heavenly Punishment power reappeared.
In a short period, Zhu Wudang's body generated a large amount of death qi, and the turbidity in his eyes deepened.
"Why?"
His voice resonated, filled with unwillingness. For that fleeting moment, he truly believed he could finally escape his eternal confinement.
Even Ji Wenwen and the others around them couldn't help but feel perplexed. The Heavenly Punishment power had been stripped away, yet the outcome predicted by their deductions did not occur.
"The Heavenly Punishment power is deeply ingrained, imprinted on every corner of the entire body. What was stripped away earlier was merely the surface."
Lin Yubai said thoughtfully.
No matter how much the surface power was removed, it was futile as long as the root remained. With access to the world's spiritual energy, infinite gray and white death qi could continuously regenerate.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan immediately tossed the small tower in his palm, causing it to rapidly grow to several zhang in size, and then suppressed the dazed Zhu Wudang.
The spirit-devouring power was activated again. With prior experience, it easily stripped away the newly formed Heavenly Punishment power, enfolding it in a radiant glow and sending it into Lin Yubai's natal magic treasure.
This time, he observed carefully and found that the stripped Heavenly Punishment power showed no signs of dissipating. On the contrary, nurtured by the spiritual energy within the lightning bead, it gradually grew stronger.
He then shifted his gaze to the Xuán Tiān Shì Líng Tower. With a mere thought, the massive tower slowly ascended, revealing Zhu Wudang, whose death qi had been refined and Heavenly Punishment power stripped away.
The man stood motionless, his clouded eyes devoid of any discernible emotion, offering no resistance to being manipulated.
Clearly, he also yearned to understand what anomaly had occurred in his body, and why, despite the removal of death qi and Heavenly Punishment power, the scenario he had yearned for thousands of years had not materialized.
Whether it was Fú Shēng Táng, Lún Huí Diàn, or even the people from other districts, their deductions over the millennia had yielded similar, not significantly different, results.
Trapped within their physical bodies, tormented by death qi, and unable to step beyond Xuán Huáng City for an immeasurable time, they had believed that removing even a trace of Heavenly Punishment power would, if not bring them back to the light, at least offer liberation.
Yet, when someone finally achieved this, they discovered they were mistaken. The Heavenly Punishment power within was merely a superficial manifestation; in reality, it permeated their entire bodies.
No matter how many times it was stripped away, Heavenly Punishment power would still regenerate within them, seemingly making complete escape impossible.
"Is there no way to completely strip it away?"
Ji Wenwen turned to look, her eyes not overly clouded, still holding a glimmer of hope.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan did not reply immediately. Instead, with a furrowed brow, he caused the Xuán Tiān Shì Líng Tower to descend once more, beginning to refine and strip away the death qi and Heavenly Punishment power within Zhu Wudang.
However, over the next half-incense stick of time, this action was repeated seven or eight times, each attempt proving futile. All they obtained was abundant spiritual energy, and Lin Yubai’s natal lightning bead gained several wisps of Heavenly Punishment power.
"It's not entirely bad news. At least you can suppress him within the tower, ensuring you'll never lack spiritual energy again."
Lin Yubai, seeing the young Taoist priest lost in thought, couldn't help but jest.
Even for him, this was beneficial. As the Heavenly Punishment power in his natal magic treasure increased, he gradually realized that while this power absorbed spiritual energy to grow, it was a consumable.
Once refined or expelled, a wisp of Heavenly Punishment power would be permanently depleted.
"Everything in the world has its limits, and even Heavenly Punishment power cannot be an exception!"
Ji Yuan said in a deep voice, effectively refuting Lin Yubai's notion.
He could sense that with each repeated attempt, although the death qi within Zhu Wudang had not diminished, the amount of spiritual energy that could be refined had significantly decreased. After a few more attempts, no more spiritual energy could be extracted.
As for whether the Heavenly Punishment power within his body would weaken from being stripped away so many times, only further experimentation would tell.
"Should we continue?"
Lost in thought, he murmured to himself.
Truthfully, the predicament of the people present had no bearing on him. He bore no responsibility or obligation to help them.
Indeed, if he could find a way to completely resolve the Heavenly Punishment power, and if this news were to spread, neither Fú Shēng Táng, Lún Huí Diàn, nor any other faction would easily let him go.
If it were merely for spiritual energy or life force, this approach was clearly a losing proposition, easily leading him into danger.
As for their mention of valuable rewards, he did not take it to heart.
No matter how precious a treasure or opportunity, one needed to survive to enjoy it.
"Please do not have any reservations. Do your best, and we will by no means harm you because of this."
As an existence who had lived for thousands of years, Ji Wenwen, with just a glance, discerned the other's thoughts.
At the same time, she understood that any further words would be weak unless she could offer something tangible as leverage to sway the person before her.
"Xuan Huang City was once a grand city renowned for hundreds of thousands of miles. Although thousands of years have passed, many things have been preserved."
Ji Wenwen pondered for a moment, then spoke: "If you can completely eradicate the Heavenly Punishment power, you may choose any spiritual item within this place. You may even take it all."
Their cultivation realms and power had been stripped away by the Heavenly Punishment power, reducing them to 'living dead.' Magic treasures, artifacts, or rare heavenly materials had lost all meaning to them.
However, for Ji Yuan and Lin Yubai, this represented an unimaginable, astonishing opportunity.
The spiritual items preserved through the ages were no ordinary things; they were either rare heavenly materials, magic treasures of exceptionally high quality, or exceptionally precious ingredients.
Yet, after hearing this, the two felt only a slight flicker of interest before suppressing their desire.
Even when faced with an unimaginable opportunity, they maintained their resolve and were not overwhelmed.
One had already condensed the nascent form of a Dao heart, and the other was a heavenly talent within the Nine Xuan Sect. Their state of mind surpassed that of ordinary cultivators, and they naturally would not act like rogue cultivators, recklessly risking their lives for an opportunity.
For individuals like them, neither cultivation techniques nor resources were lacking. The most crucial aspect was self-preservation. Even if they lived a mediocre life, there was a high probability they could, one day, ascend to the Third Realm.
It would merely require more time and a more arduous path.
"If heavenly materials and earthly treasures are not of concern, then what about the cultivation insights and experiences of Golden Core stage cultivators?"
Ji Wenwen's voice gradually rang out.
Upon hearing this, a sharp gleam flashed in the eyes of both individuals, and they instantly connected the dots.
Seeing their reaction, her voice was filled with a smile: "Although in the battle of that year, many seniors were annihilated, there were still over a dozen great cultivators at the Golden Core stage who ultimately ended up in this state."
"The cultivation insights of more than ten great Golden Core cultivators and dozens of Third Realm cultivators would be a massive treasure trove even for a powerful sect."
Furthermore, Ji Wenwen explicitly stated that if they could completely eradicate the Heavenly Punishment power, before their liberation, they would use their formidable bodies to forcibly enter dangerous territories and retrieve precious spiritual items as a token of gratitude.
This time, even with their esteemed state of mind, the two couldn't help but be genuinely moved.
"Let's give it a try?"
Lin Yubai took a deep breath, then looked at the young man beside him.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan could only nod, repeating the process of refining and stripping away the death qi and Heavenly Punishment power within Zhu Wudang.
After more than an hour, the Heavenly Punishment power within the man had weakened to the point where it might dissipate at any moment. However, no matter how they tried, they were unable to strip it away.
Even when he was released from the Xuán Tiān Shì Líng Tower, no death qi regenerated within his body, nor did any Heavenly Punishment power manifest.
Despite only a sliver remaining, it stubbornly refused to be expelled, a sensation that was truly frustrating.
"If the elders were here, perhaps they could deduce a method."
Ji Wenwen suggested, bringing the present Zhu Wudang back to Fú Shēng Táng, entrusting him to several seniors who were once great Golden Core cultivators, hoping they might deduce something.