As the Xuanyuan Devouring Spirit Pagoda in mid-air continued to swallow and obliterate the death qi, Ji Yuan felt a surge of emotion, unsure how to describe his current feelings.
He hadn't expected that a mere flash of inspiration would lead to the creation of such a powerful artifact. Nor had he anticipated that a severely damaged fourth-tier demon core could grant the Xuanyuan Pagoda such potent spirit-devouring abilities.
The Crimson Feather Evil Tiger, having recently advanced, truly lived up to its ancient lineage. Its demon core alone contained such peerless, spirit-devouring power. The combination of the Xuanyuan lineage's inherited artifact and the fourth-tier demon core of an ancient exotic species had forged the Xuanyuan Devouring Spirit Pagoda.
To date, Ji Yuan had yet to encounter any power that the pagoda could not absorb and refine. This included ordinary spiritual energy, magical power, various divine arts cast by cultivators, and even the sea of blood from the Demonic Dao's Blood Fiend Hall. Even demonic qi and death qi could be devoured by the pagoda's spirit-devouring force and refined into pure spiritual energy.
Lin Yubai, too, was filled with envy. As a direct disciple of the peak master of Leize Peak, he had seen countless precious and powerful artifacts. Yet, this was the first time he felt a desire for an artifact, repeatedly sighing about how wonderful it would be to possess one.
"Almost there, almost there! I can feel the shackles on my soul gradually disappearing!" Zhu Wudang's voice rang out with excitement. For the first time, he saw real hope for liberation. At this rate, he might not even perish his soul and might even have a chance to reincarnate.
However, as the gray-white death qi was continuously devoured and refined into streams of pure spiritual energy that filled the Xuanyuan Devouring Spirit Pagoda, Ji Yuan's brow furrowed slightly. A persistent unease lingered in his heart, as if continuing this path would lead to something dire. This feeling was vague and lacked any concrete basis, yet it arose spontaneously in his mind. He did not dismiss it as a mere illusion but treated it with seriousness and caution. He had experienced similar premonitions before, and each time, his instinct had saved him from disaster.
Despite his inner turmoil, Ji Yuan betrayed no outward sign of distress. He calmly scanned his surroundings but found nothing suspicious. Finally, his gaze fell upon Zhu Wudang. If any change were to occur, the greatest probability lay with him. Yet, he felt some confusion, as Zhu Wudang seemed to have no reason to act inappropriately. Furthermore, everything the man had said so far had been validated; he was indeed tormented by death qi and merely sought to escape his predicament.
Wait!
Ji Yuan's eyes narrowed. A sudden suspicion flickered through his mind. After a moment of contemplation, he subtly shifted his hand seals.
As torrents of gray-white death qi surged from Zhu Wudang's body and were devoured and refined by the Xuanyuan Devouring Spirit Pagoda into streams of pure spiritual energy, a subtle aura began to emerge within Zhu Wudang. His body shimmered with a faint glow, taking on a metallic sheen.
Witnessing this, Lin Yubai quietly moved in front of Ji Yuan, his gaze darkening imperceptibly as his aura began to rise.
"What is it?" Zhu Wudang's deep, hoarse voice broke the silence. He seemed to sense the subtle shift in the atmosphere and spoke with a hint of confusion. He slowly raised his head, his movements no longer as stiff as before. The turbidity in his eyes had lessened, and a hint of clarity flickered within. Compared to when they first met, as the death qi was gradually dispelled, he appeared more like a 'living person.'
"Fellow Daoist, you seem to be changing, unlike what you described earlier," Lin Yubai stated, emphasizing his words with a displeased expression.
Zhu Wudang did not answer immediately. After a long pause, he replied, "This is a normal manifestation after the death qi is dispelled."
Ji Yuan's heart stirred. Zhu Wudang's words lacked the previous jubilation and had become somewhat subdued. He was like an unexploded volcano, capable of erupting into a cataclysm at any moment.
"Fellow Daoist Zhu, I suddenly have a question. Would you be willing to enlighten me?" Ji Yuan's gaze was deep, a sharp glint passing through his eyes.
"Ask," Zhu Wudang replied. Whether it was an illusion or not, his tone seemed to carry a hint of coldness.
Ji Yuan smiled faintly, pointing to the radiant Xuanyuan Devouring Spirit Pagoda, and asked in a calm tone, "May I ask, fellow Daoist, why death qi can contain such pure spiritual energy?" This was something he had only just noticed, having overlooked it unintentionally due to various circumstances. In the normal understanding of cultivators, all things in the world were formed from spiritual energy. Whether it was a blade of grass or a living being, it contained a certain amount of spiritual energy. Even ordinary mortals and livestock possessed a trace of it, the very source of life. Under this understanding, it seemed not strange that pure spiritual energy could be refined from death qi, and no one would find it problematic.
However, Ji Yuan recalled Zhu Wudang mentioning that spiritual energy was like hot oil to him, causing him immense pain as if he were in a boiling cauldron, though not fatal.
"Is it strange that death qi contains pure spiritual energy?" Zhu Wudang's voice held a faint smile. "This substance can corrode heaven and earth, wearing away the vitality and spiritual energy of all things. But where do you think that which is corroded ultimately goes?"
Death qi itself was one of the few things in this world that did not contain spiritual energy. Like sin, it was not formed from spiritual energy but was a negative force of heaven and earth, its purpose being to erode spiritual energy and the laws of the Great Dao. However, few people understood this secret, and only reputable sects with organized lineages would have relevant records.
If explained this way, it seemed plausible, even if somewhat far-fetched in the eyes of both men. It did not present any major flaws.
"Fellow Daoists, do not be deceived!"
At this moment, a clear female voice suddenly rang out. As Ji Yuan and Lin Yubai watched, a cold glint flashed across Zhu Wudang's turbid eyes. They instinctively turned their heads and saw several figures rapidly approaching in the distance, darting through the ruins. With the aid of their Dharma Eyes, they could see that the leader was a woman with a stiff face and clouded eyes. This woman and those behind her were all enveloped in gray-white death qi. Like Zhu Wudang, they were 'living dead' whose souls were trapped within their bodies due to heavenly punishment.
In less than twenty breaths, the five figures, led by the woman, arrived. They stopped about five to six zhang apart.
"Fellow Daoists, I am Ji Wenwen, from the Floating Life Hall in the East City!" The woman stepped forward a few paces, cupped her hands in greeting, and announced her identity. Her voice reached their ears without her lips moving. Like the others behind her, she contained dense death qi, but it was far less than Zhu Wudang's, and faint fluctuations of spiritual energy could be detected. If not for her stiff body and turbid eyes, she would appear no different from an ordinary cultivator, provided one overlooked the pervasive death qi.
"This person is Zhu Wudang, from the Rebirth Hall. Do not believe a word he says!" Ji Wenwen's voice warned them.
Ji Yuan's heart stirred. The Xuanyuan Devouring Spirit Pagoda, which had been absorbing death qi, immediately withdrew its brilliant radiance, ceasing its spirit-devouring operation and quietly returning to hover above his head.
Seeing this, Zhu Wudang immediately strode forward, his voice filled with anger reaching their ears. "Fellow Daoists, this woman is the one with ulterior motives. Do not be deceived by her!" He pointed, rapidly explaining to them that these people were all 'living dead' affected by heavenly punishment, their souls trapped in their bodies, just like him. However, unlike him, they did not seek liberation from endless torment but continuously absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, attempting to birth a spark of life within the death qi. If they succeeded, with life and death coexisting in balance, they could gain immense power and eventually break free from the bonds of heavenly punishment. At that point, they could break through the city walls and return to the outside world, unleashing catastrophic calamities with their power of life and death, devastating vast lands.
"Nonsense!" Ji Wenwen's voice, laced with killing intent, boomed. "This person is the one with ulterior motives! This story is merely a reflection of his own ambitions!" She advanced again, a coldness flashing in her turbid eyes as she pointed at Zhu Wudang. "He is from the Samsara Hall. For thousands of years, this faction has adhered to the principle that extreme yang leads to yin, and extreme yin leads to yang."
"Everyone in the Samsara Hall has been doing everything they can to increase the death qi within their bodies, then using special methods to refine it completely, attempting to achieve a transformation from adversity to prosperity, from death to rebirth, and then back to death, thereby fostering both life and death within their bodies!"
According to her, the others in the city, who were tormented with their souls trapped in their bodies due to heavenly punishment, had been struggling to dispel their death qi and reabsorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, hoping to return to their former selves. However, this path was incredibly difficult. Every time all the death qi was dispelled, a wisp of heavenly punishment would emerge. If it could not be expelled from the body, the death qi would regenerate within a short time. For thousands of years, despite all their efforts, these individuals had been unable to completely expel the heavenly punishment from their bodies. Many had resorted to extremes and joined the Samsara Hall.
"To continuously increase the death qi within their bodies, these Samsara Hall members even capture others, raising them and stimulating the heavenly punishment within their bodies to generate death qi for them to devour!" Ji Wenwen's voice was clearly laced with gritted teeth.
Upon hearing this, the two exchanged glances, already feeling a headache coming on. Although Ji Yuan's expression was one of suspicion, he had already believed a good portion of it. When he had been dispelling Zhu Wudang's death qi earlier, he had felt a sense of unease, as if something bad were about to happen. Combined with Ji Wenwen's account, his earlier instinctive premonition was further confirmed.
"Fellow Daoist, you must be cautious. Do not stray onto the wrong path!" Zhu Wudang shook his head stiffly, his tone carrying a warning.
Ji Yuan's brow twitched. Just as he was about to ask what constituted the wrong path and the right one, a chilling sensation suddenly coursed through him. Without hesitation, he formed a hand seal. The Xuanyuan Devouring Spirit Pagoda above his head immediately cast down a radiance, shielding him and Lin Yubai within.
The next moment, dense death qi erupted from the ground, piercing forward like a spear. It struck the dazzling radiance, unleashing a powerful force!
"Samsara Hall scum!" Ji Wenwen's enraged voice immediately cried out. "Die!"
Almost as soon as the words were spoken, she and the four behind her attacked in unison. Brilliant spiritual light converged, coalescing into various spells that were unhesitatingly hurled at Zhu Wudang. However, he remained unfazed, meeting the several spells with his bare body. The impacts on his flesh produced dull thuds like the ringing of a bell. Spells powerful enough to tear through metal and shatter massive rocks could not even damage his clothing, let alone his metallic-sheened physique, which remained entirely unscathed.
Zhu Wudang took a step forward, instantly covering several zhang, and appeared before Ji Wenwen. He then raised his fist and smashed it down ferociously!