32: Chapter 32 With the Soul Imprint on His Body, What Lies Ahead?

The soul power storm completely subsided, leaving only devastation in its wake.

Inside the cave, shattered stalactites were scattered everywhere, and the rock walls were covered in cracks. The pitch-black pool of Xuanming True Water had ceased boiling, yet it seemed a layer shallower than before, its color slightly dimmed. The ancient flood dragons remnant remained quietly coiled in the pool, the light on its bones having completely faded, returning to a deathly stillness. Only the rune mark where the horn had broken off had vanished, replaced by a pitch-black scale (origin ancient soul scale) tightly embedded in the bone, like a silent tombstone, recounting ancient grievances and legacies.

In the deathly silence, only heavy, exhausted breathing could be heard.

Lin Yan leaned against a relatively intact rock, his face as pale as paper. The pale flame pattern between his brows was clearly visible, emitting a faint, cold light, like a third, icy eye. He sat with his eyes closed, brows tightly furrowed, desperately trying to adapt to the sudden, drastic change within his soul.

Vast! That was the most direct sensation he had regarding his soul power at this moment. Having devoured a large amount of pure resentful soul power (though filtered and converted by the Void Swallowing Flame) and the final forced infusion of the Purifying Soul Flame origin, his total soul power had surged, crossing directly from the mid-stage of the Mortal Realm to the peak, even touching the threshold of the Spirit Realm! This speed of improvement, if spread, would be enough to drive any Alchemist or soul cultivator insane.

However, the price was equally heavy.

First was the omnipresent "coldness" and "heaviness." The Pure Corrosion Soul Seal was like an inextinguishable source of ice, continuously emitting chilly soul power fluctuations, eroding and reshaping the essence of his soul, making his thinking occasionally become abnormally calm, even cold. At the same time, his soul carried a total amount of soul power far exceeding his current realm; it was like a child wielding a giant hammer, making it extremely difficult to control. Every time he mobilized his soul power, it felt sluggish and heavy, accompanied by faint, stinging pain.

Secondly, there was the "causality" and "information" left behind by that cold will. The nine keys (corresponding to nine types of ancient soul scales?), the Gate of Return to Ruins, the infighting of the Hun Clan, the possibility of the Scale Lord returning... These fragments of information swirled in his mind like a nightmare. He felt as if he had inadvertently stepped into a giant web spanning eons, becoming a pawn in some ancient entity's plan for revenge or return, or perhaps even... spare firewood.

"System, perform a comprehensive scan of my soul state and analyze the essence, impact, and controllability of the 'Pure Corrosion Soul Seal'." Lin Yan thought silently to himself.

[Scanning...]

[Soul State: Total volume has reached the peak of the Mortal Realm, undergoing qualitative change, stability is low-to-medium. Two external marks exist:]

[1. Heart-Burning Seal (Magma Earth-Walking Dragon): Fire-attribute tracking/curse mark, energy level medium, partially suppressed.]

[2. Pure Corrosion Soul Seal (Ancient Hun Clan - Ancestor of Ten Thousand Scales): Composite soul power brand, containing a portion of pure soul power origin, 'Purifying Soul Flame' law fragments, and a piece of 'causality contract' information. Energy level: Extremely high. Current status: Semi-activated.]

[Impact Analysis:]

[Positive: Provides continuous soul power nourishment, accelerates soul realm improvement; grants a certain resistance and understanding of 'Pure Corrosion' type (purification, soul power erosion) energy; contains partial high-level soul power application techniques (requires analysis).]

[Negative: Continuous cold soul power erosion, may lead to personality shifts (tending towards calm/cold); increased soul burden, decreased control; 'causality contract' is unknown, may trigger mandatory tasks or become a summoning/sacrifice coordinate under specific conditions in the future.]

[Controllability Suggestion: Use the Void Swallowing Flame sub-flame as the core to construct a soul defense system, gradually devouring and converting the cold soul power and negative contract parts of the seal. This process requires a large amount of time and soul power, and carries the risk of triggering a backlash from the seal. Current controllability: Less than 30%.]

It was indeed extremely troublesome. But at least, the Void Swallowing Flame had a restraining effect on it, which could be considered a glimmer of hope. Lin Yan slowly opened his eyes, a faint, pale cold flame seemingly flashing in his pupils before quickly fading away.

"Lin Yan, are you alright?" Xiao Yi Xian's concerned voice came. She had barely managed to suppress the poison power riot in her body that had reignited due to the impact of the resentment. Her complexion was still not great, but the worry in her eyes was very genuine. She walked to Lin Yan's side, her gaze falling on the cold flame pattern between his brows, and couldn't help but reach out. Her fingertips condensed a wisp of gray-blue poison power fused with the characteristics of the Xuanming True Water, and she gently touched it.

"Hiss..." Upon contact, the soul seal on Lin Yan's brow grew slightly hot, and the poison power on Xiao Yi Xian's fingertips recoiled as if electrocuted. Her expression changed slightly: "So cold... and, there's a feeling of strong rejection." Her poison power was inherently sinister, but it was completely different from the cold purity of this soul seal, even conflicting with it.

"I'm fine, it's temporarily suppressed." Lin Yan shook his head and looked at Xiao Yi Xian, "How are you feeling?"

"The poison power... seems to have become a bit purer, and it's actually easier to control. Maybe it's because it was 'scared' by that resentful soul power and forced to become more condensed?" Xiao Yi Xian cracked a joke with a bitter smile, then straightened her expression, "But my soul has suffered some damage and needs time to rest. Also, this ancient soul scale in my hand..." She opened her hand; the pitch-black scale was currently slightly heating up, and the dark gold patterns on it seemed to come alive, faintly pointing in a certain direction of the cave—not the exit, but the deeper rock wall. "It seems... to be guiding something."

Lin Yan looked at the remaining ancient soul scales in his storage ring and could similarly feel a faint resonance from them, pointing in different directions. It seemed that each ancient soul scale might correspond to a place of inheritance or sealing like this one, with different attributes. Nine scales, nine locations, nine keys... This clue was simply too vast.

"Mas... Master..." A weak mental fluctuation came. You Lan struggled to lift its massive head. It was severely injured, its scales shattered, and its aura was withered, but when those deep blue vertical pupils looked at Lin Yan, there was an indescribable complexity mixed with awe. It had witnessed Lin Yan use the ancient soul scale to calm the resentment, devour the soul power, and even "inherit" the Pure Corrosion Soul Seal, which further confirmed its suspicion that Lin Yan had an extraordinary relationship with the "Scale Lord." "Thank you, Master... for calming the ancestor's resentment... and saving this place..."

"How are your injuries?" Lin Yan asked. You Lan could be considered one of his own now (although it was because of the ancient soul scale), and the combat power of a rank 5 Magical Beast could not be ignored.

"My origin is damaged... I need a long period of quiet rest and a large amount of water and yin-attribute energy..." You Lan's voice was bitter, "The Xuanming True Water here... has suffered great damage to its spirituality after this incident, but the core remains, which is enough to help me recover... However, I am afraid I cannot leave with Master immediately..."

Lin Yan nodded. You Lan was seriously injured, and taking it with him would be a burden. This place had Xuanming True Water, which was the best place for it to heal and recover.

"You stay here to heal and guard this place. If there is anything important, you can contact me through the Soul Contract." Lin Yan instructed, while taking out a jade bottle from his storage ring, which contained the small wisp of Xuanming True Water essence he had collected earlier, "I give this to you; it may be helpful for your recovery."

Gratitude appeared in You Lan's eyes: "Thank you for your grace, Master! You Lan will definitely recover as soon as possible to serve you! Also..." It hesitated for a moment, looking at the ancient flood dragons remnant, "The ancestor's remnant has had its inheritance mark fully activated after this event; Master can use the ancient soul scale to sense and obtain the complete inheritance within at any time. The bones of the remnant are also supreme treasures for artifact refining, but... although the resentment on them has dispersed, they still retain extremely strong pressure and yin power, making them difficult to separate and collect with ordinary means."

Lin Yan looked at the ancient flood dragons remnant. A complete remnant of a rank 7 or higher Magical Beast was of immeasurable value. But he did not have the ability to handle it now, and forcibly separating it might trigger another incident. It was better to leave it here, guarded by You Lan, and come back to take it when his strength was sufficient. As for the inheritance, he had already obtained most of it in the torrent of information just now, and the rest could be slowly digested later.

"Leave the remnant for now; you look after it as well." Lin Yan made his decision. He looked at the Xuanming True Water pool again. Although a wisp of the core essence had been taken away, the pool water itself was still a rare, extremely yin treasure. "Xiao Yi Xian, you can collect some more true water to use for tempering your poison power in the future, but you must act within your capabilities."

Xiao Yi Xian nodded, carefully stepped forward, and used a special cold jade container to collect about a bowl of Xuanming True Water. This time, without the protection of the ancient soul scale's aura, she had to use her own poison power to resist the true water. The process was still painful, but with the previous experience, she could barely endure it.

After handling these matters, the cave temporarily quieted down. The two of them and the flood dragon each adjusted their breathing to recover from their injuries and strength.

A few hours later, Lin Yan felt the stinging pain in his soul ease slightly, and his control over the surging soul power had also barely improved a little, at least it wouldn't emit cold pressure at every turn. Xiao Yi Xian's complexion also became much ruddier, and her aura was more stable. You Lan dived into the Xuanming True Water pool to heal using the water, its aura slowly recovering.

It was time to consider the next step.

Lin Yan spread out the map (already soaked by water, but roughly legible) and, combining the faint guidance of the ancient soul scale with his own memory, attempted to determine their current location.

Having been carried by Chi Rong as he crashed through the depths of the Lava Cave, they had entered an underground dark river and drifted here, long since unaware of how far they had deviated from their original route.

This place was likely deep within the northwestern region of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, perhaps even approaching some unknown perilous area.

[Ding! Detected that the host has obtained key information 'Nine Keys Return to Ruins', triggering a long-term main quest: Secret of the Ancients.]

[Quest Content: Investigate the truth behind the fall of the 'Ancestor of Ten Thousand Scales' (an ancient powerhouse of the Hun Clan), collect all nine 'origin ancient soul scale's, and uncover the secret of the 'Gate of Return to Ruins'. Current progress: 1/9 (partial information and resonance obtained for water and yin attribute scales).]

[Stage Quest One: Based on the resonance guidance of the existing ancient soul scale, search for the next possible 'Scale Lord relic' (it is recommended to prioritize areas that are compatible with the host's attributes or are relatively safe).]

[Quest Rewards: For every relic discovered, obtain corresponding points, treasures, and clues based on the exploration degree. After collecting all nine scales, the final stage will be unlocked.]

[Warning: This quest involves extremely high-level secrets and dangers, and may conflict with the goals of other forces (such as the Hall of Souls, ancient races); please proceed with caution, host.]

The system quest was released at the right time, confirming Lin Yan's guess. This muddy water was something he had no choice but to wade through.

"Where are we going next?" Xiao Yi Xian packed her things and looked at Lin Yan. She now placed absolute trust in Lin Yan, even if the road ahead seemed shrouded in mist and fraught with danger.

Lin Yan stroked the slightly warm ancient soul scale in his hand, which pointed toward the northeast (this piece had the strongest resonance, and the direction was not toward the dark river they had come from).

The northeast... according to the map's vague markings, that area seemed to be a perilous place in the Magical Beast Mountain Range known as the "Mist Swamp", filled with toxic miasma all year round, inhabited by many poisonous insects and beasts, with a harsh environment and rarely visited by humans.

"We go here." Lin Yan pointed to the blurry shadow on the map representing the swamp. "This scale points that way. It is filled with toxic miasma, which might be beneficial for your cultivation of the Poison Scripture, but it is also more dangerous. Furthermore..." He looked at Xiao Yi Xian, "Your Calamity Poison Body is likely related to the 'poison' attribute scale among these 'nine keys'. That place might be your land of opportunity."

Xiao Yi Xian's eyes brightened slightly. The toxic miasma environment was truly like a fish in water for her. If she could find an ancient soul scale relic related to the poison attribute, it would undoubtedly be of huge help in her control of the Calamity Poison Body.

"However, before that, we must first leave this underground and return to the surface." Lin Yan put away the map. Although You Lan and the remnant were here, this was not a place to stay for long. Above, there was still the threat of the Hall of Souls' powerful enemies (although the collapse of the earth's veins might have temporarily blocked or misled them), so they had to move as soon as possible.

He contacted Chi Rong, who was guarding outside the cave, through the Soul Contract. Chi Rong sent a response, indicating that the outside lake area was relatively stable and they could leave.

The two bade farewell to You Lan, who had dived into the pool to heal, and promised to return in the future. You Lan respectfully agreed and indicated that he would recover his strength as soon as possible.

Retracing their steps, passing through the curtain of crystal stalactites, they returned once again to the underground lake dotted with fluorescent light. Chi Rong was waiting anxiously, and upon seeing the two appear safely, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Master, above... it seems to have quieted down. However, the commotion from the earth collapsing earlier was too great; I fear it has already attracted quite a bit of attention." Chi Rong transmitted his voice, his massive head looking toward the dome.

Lin Yan also sensed it. The "Heart-Burning Seal" on his back was still burning hot, but the feeling of being clearly locked onto had weakened significantly. It seemed the other party had temporarily lost their precise location, though they might still be able to sense the general direction. They had to move far away from this area as soon as possible.

"Chi Rong, can you still find a way to the outside world? Something as concealed as possible." Lin Yan asked.

Chi Rong carefully sensed the flow of the water and air, then nodded: "There is an underground water vein leading to an underground river exit in the northeast, which should be behind a canyon waterfall on the surface; it is quite concealed."

"We will take that path."

Led by Chi Rong, they dived into the water once again and entered a narrower and more winding underground river channel. This time, without the push of the dark river, they relied entirely on Chi Rong's guidance and their own swimming.

They did not know how much time had passed, but ahead, the rumbling sound of water could be vaguely heard, and faint daylight was penetrating through! The current also became rapid.

"We are almost at the exit!" Chi Rong reminded them.

The two spirits lifted, and they accelerated forward. Soon, a cave entrance obscured by a waterfall's water curtain appeared before their eyes. Through the intense water flow, they could see that it was daytime outside, as well as lush greenery.

Chi Rong rushed out of the waterfall first, with Lin Yan and Xiao Yi Xian following closely behind.

Fresh air rushed toward them. Before them was a deep canyon, with towering cliffs on both sides and dense vegetation. They were rushing out from behind a waterfall that was dozens of zhang high, landing in the deep pool below.

Finally back on the surface!

The two climbed onto the edge of the pool and lay on the ground, exhausted, feeling the warmth of the sunlight (through the gaps in the canyon) and the long-lost fresh air. Chi Rong also lay beside them, breathing greedily.

However, before they could even catch their breath, Lin Yan's soul perception (though his control was raw, its range was immense) suddenly captured a chaotic energy fluctuation coming from the forest above the canyon, about a few miles away, and... a familiar, disgusting, cold soul-force aura!

Not just one! Moreover, it seemed to be fiercely clashing with another violent Magical Beast aura!

"It's the Hall of Souls! What are they fighting with?" Lin Yan sat up abruptly, looking toward that direction with sharp eyes.

Xiao Yi Xian also stood up vigilantly. Chi Rong let out a low roar, revealing a defensive posture.

"There aren't many of them, the energy fluctuations are at the Dou Ling level... There are three people, besieging a... it seems to be a rank 5 'Purple Lightning Cloud Leopard'?" Relying on his powerful soul perception, Lin Yan managed to discern the situation. Why would the Hall of Souls be here? Was it a coincidence, or... were they coming for him?

"Do you want to go take a look?" Xiao Yi Xian asked.

Lin Yan pondered for a moment. The Hall of Souls was his mortal enemy. If he could catch them off guard... Besides, the other party was fighting a rank 5 Magical Beast, so there might be an opportunity.

"Conceal your auras and get close to observe. If there is an opportunity..." A cold light flashed in Lin Yan's eyes, "Then leave them behind!"

The three (dragon) immediately suppressed their auras and, utilizing the complex terrain of the canyon and the cover of dense vegetation, silently crept toward the direction of the battle.

Soon, they lurked on a cliff overlooking the battlefield.

In the forest below, it was a mess. Trees were broken, and the ground was scorched black. Three figures wearing black robes and hideous ghost masks were arranged in a triangular formation, besieging a giant leopard with a body length of three zhang, covered in purple fur, with silver lightning winding around its body! It was indeed a rank 5 Magical Beast—the Purple Lightning Cloud Leopard!

Those three black-robed men had two people holding black chains, with eerie green ghost fire burning on the chains, constantly coiling around and binding the movements of the Purple Lightning Cloud Leopard, while the other person held a white bone staff, chanting incantations and summoning clusters of pale white soul fire to bombard the Purple Lightning Cloud Leopard. The three cooperated tacitly and were clearly well-trained, with strengths around low-star Dou Ling. Although the Purple Lightning Cloud Leopard was fierce and its lightning power was strong, under such a siege of restraining soul techniques (the ghost fire chains seemed to be able to conduct the lightning to a certain extent and weaken its power), it was already covered in wounds, roaring repeatedly, and defeat was only a matter of time.

However, what made Lin Yan's pupils shrink was not the battle itself. It was that the Black Robed Man holding the white bone staff had two clusters of pale cold flames burning in the eye sockets of a large skull embedded at the top of his staff! The aura of that flame... was five parts similar to the Purifying Soul Flame within the Pure Corrosion Soul Seal between his eyebrows! It was just weaker and more impure, as if... it were an inferior imitation?

"Is that... a child flame of the Bone Chilling Flame? Or... an imitation of the Purifying Soul Flame?" Lin Yan's heart shook violently. The people of the Hall of Souls actually possessed similar power? Was it a coincidence, or... related to that "Ancestor of Ten Thousand Scales"?

Just as he was in a state of suspicion and uncertainty, the system prompt suddenly rang out, carrying a rare hint of urgency:

[Warning! Detected high-concentration 'Hall of Souls hunting squad' marker! The target squad is equipped with a 'soul guidance compass' and may have already captured the faint residual fluctuations of the host's 'Heart-Burning Seal' or 'Pure Corrosion Soul Seal', and is currently conducting a dragnet search in this area! It is recommended to leave immediately or... annihilate them!]

[Triggered emergency side quest: Eliminate the eyes and ears.]

[Quest Content: Kill or expel this three-man Hall of Souls squad to ensure your tracks are not exposed.]

[Quest Rewards: Points × 300, random Xuan-tier high-level Dou Technique × 1, Hall of Souls standard equipment (can be researched) × 1.]

[Failure Penalty: Tracks exposed, attracting higher-level Hall of Souls pursuit.]

Lin Yan's eyes turned completely cold. It seemed that leaving quietly was impossible. These three pieces of trash from the Hall of Souls must die here! Moreover, he really wanted to figure out what was going on with that pale cold flame in the skull!