Chapter 208: One Must Be Glorified After Salvation!
At the entrance of the Origin Spirit Realm, Situ Cheng and the others stood as if facing a formidable enemy!
He and Mei Chuxue immediately shielded the Heir of Prince Rui and Lin Zixuan behind them, casting scrutinizing gazes toward Chu Huaixu.
Because no one could be certain whether the person who emerged now was truly Chu Huaixu himselfâor a body possessed!
Clearly, incidents like this had happened many times throughout the millennia, hence their wariness.
Moreover, even if Chu Huaixu had returned safely, what if there were still Nascent Souls that had followed him out?
After all, a Nascent Soul was immortal and nearly undetectable.
If a Nascent Soul had indeed slipped out quietly, it must be guarded against seriously.
Chu Huaixu hadn't expected to be met this way after returning blood-soaked from battle.
But he quickly figured it out and smiled nonchalantly, thinking to himself:
"If you're going to act like this, then don't blame me for putting on a grand performance later."
Those who knew the truthâJiang Zhi and Chu Yinyinâhad already stepped forward.
"You're this badly hurt?" Chu Yinyin's eyes revealed a trace of heartache for her beloved disciple.
She had already sent her divine sense into her storage token, preparing to retrieve a healing spiritual pill.
Yet someone acted even faster than her.
Jiang Zhi had already taken out a healing spiritual pill and handed it to Chu Huaixu immediately, saying, "Quickly, take this!"
After giving the pill to Chu Huaixu, he asked without delay, "Did you take care of everything?"
The young man in black robes swallowed the pill, then nodded. "This disciple will always fulfill his promises."
Their relationship wasnât good, so his tone remained stiff.
"Good!" Jiang Zhi immediately exclaimed, "Good! Good! Good!"
He then let out a long, exuberant laugh, and as the laughter continued, his gaze grew increasingly complex.
There was excitement, exhilaration, relief, vindicationâand perhaps a hint of peace?
By the end of his laugh, the white-robed elder's eyes had turned red.
He laughed as if no one else were there, unrestrained and unbridled!
As if there had been a festering grudge in his heart, and this junior had helped release half of it!
As for the restâhe would enter the fifth level of the Origin Spirit Realm himself to vent it all!
He had intentionally dropped his cultivation to retrain just for this pent-up rage!
Situ Cheng couldn't help but interject, "Senior Jiang! Be careful of the Nascent Soul!"
He didnât think this was the time for joy.
Mei Chuxue and Teng Lingyi also said, "Yes, Senior Jiang, we must first find a way to verify whether any Nascent Soul remains."
Just as they spoke, the battered young man extended his right hand and took out a golden alms bowl. He turned his head and calmly said:
"Three seniorsâis this what you're looking for?"
Within the dense forest, silence fell.
Situ Cheng and the others stared at the golden stream inside the bowl, momentarily stunned.
With their discerning eyes, how could they not recognize this as a Soul Seed?
It astonished themâit even made their scalps tingle!
With some simple deduction, they quickly pieced things together.
Teng Lingyi, his throat slightly dry, asked:
"So, within the Origin Spirit Realm, you encountered a Nascent Soul cultivator who had possessed a body to retrain?"
This had been considered the worst-case scenario from the start!
It was hell mode, unquestionably!
Chu Huaixu nodded and said calmly, "This Nascent Soul Old Monster named Ye Kongxuan did indeed claim to be a Nascent Soul True Lord."
The moment he spoke, the golden stream within the bowl trembled and began to swell and spin within the Stainless Holy Water of Rootless Pure Land.
Clearly, it could understand human speech.
Chu Huaixu immediately looked down and glanced at it coldly.
The Soul Seed instantly quieted.
Chu Huaixu now knew that beings like these often feared death the most!
Mei Chuxue, voluptuous and charming, raised her peach blossom eyes and scrutinized the youth before her, as if looking at a monster.
"So, you killed a Nascent Soul cultivator who had possessed a body for retraining?"
Chu Huaixu corrected her calmly, "The Soul Seed remains, so strictly speaking, itâs not entirely dead."
He suddenly became very precise with his words!
After speaking, he deliberately gave a playful look at the thing inside the golden bowl, frightening it, as if he might destroy it at any moment.
The others looked at the shriveled corpse on the ground and began to realize the strength of this opponentâa body possessed by a Nascent Soul!
No one knew how Chu Huaixu had managed it.
Judging by his injuries, he had also suffered greatly.
But regardlessâhe had walked out of the vortex on foot, while Ye Kongxuan had been dragged out flat!
As for Qin Xuanxiao, he felt nothing but deeper shock.
And even a strange sense of relief.
"If not for Huo Dingyi, facing a Nascent Soul cultivator alone with my strength..."
Just the thought made his back go cold, and a sense of helplessness rose within him.
Situ Cheng promptly asked, "So, Chu Huaixu, you have means to injure a Nascent Soul?"
"And you can resist being possessed by a Nascent Soul?"
Normally, a Nascent Soul could easily possess a First Realm cultivator. You couldnât resist. If the enemy wanted your body, you could only surrender.
But not only had Chu Huaixu remained unscathed, he had even injured the opponent's Nascent Soul down to an indestructible Soul Seed and sealed it with spiritual tools and arrays.
Perfect! He had handled it perfectly!
He had done everything necessary to completion!
Chu Huaixu didnât deny it, nor did he elaborate.
He had no intention of telling them he could completely annihilate the Soul Seed.
Because he wasnât sure how many more Nascent Souls remained in the Xuanhuang Realm, or how many powerful Evil Cultivators still lurked in the shadows.
If this leaked out, he would become a thorn in every Nascent Soulâs side.
Because he would be the only one who could truly threaten them!
"It would invite disaster," Chu Huaixu thought.
He was still only in the First Realmâtoo weak.
Especially with people from the Moon Country presentâhe didnât trust them.
Only now did everyone understand why Jiang Zhi had acted that way earlier.
It seemed the Dao Gate had already known that Chu Huaixu had the ability to resist possession and even injure Nascent Souls!
Perhaps this method was developed recently by the Dao Gate and taught to him!
"So well hidden! So deeply hidden!" thought the three elders from the three great sects.
Such divine techniques must be obtained from the Dao Gate at all costs!
Even though the matter involved the Heaven-and-Earth Calamityâbusiness was business.
The Dao Gate must have paid a great price to develop such a method.
Offering rewards in exchange was only properâjust follow the rules.
Only now did they understand the weight behind Chu Huaixuâs earlier wordsâ"Glad I didnât fail the mission."
The Origin Fragment hovering in his left palm might very well be the hardest one to obtain from the first level in this entire millennium!
At first, Qin Xuanxiao had felt envy and greed when he saw it.
But now, there was also a hint of dejection.
Always proud, he felt for the first time a crushing sense of disparity.
"So this is the real difference between me and Chu Huaixu?" he wondered.
Of courseâthat wasnât the full answer.
Teng Lingyi crouched to inspect the shriveled corpse.
This great figure, who had created many cultivation methods and techniques, frowned and said:
"This... was the Profound Nether Blood Ignition Technique used?"
Everyone turned to look at Chu Huaixu in shock.
"Yes. Knowing he couldnât beat me, he did use the Profound Nether Blood Ignition Technique in a final struggle," Chu Huaixu said steadily.
Qin Xuanxiao's heart quaked at those words. His Dao Heart nearly wavered.
"A Nascent Soul cultivator possessing a body, using Profound Nether Blood Ignitionâand it's just a last-ditch struggle to him?"
He had read the palace archives and knew well the terrifying power of cultivators!
Though Chu Huaixu looked gravely injuredâthose two bloody holes were strikingâhe didnât seem in poor condition, and his calm tone was convincing.
Even Teng Lingyi was left speechless, finally uttering a single heartfelt line: "Truly, heroes emerge from the youth."
Chu Yinyin, watching from the side, blinked her big, round eyes.
At this moment, Chu Huaixu seemed to exude boundless charm, and she found herself longing for him!
That presence, that bearing, that look... ahhhh, if only it were me!
Teng Lingyi continued inspecting the corpse, frowning. "These parts... look a bit like Baleful Aura?"
"Thatâs possible," Chu Huaixu replied immediately.
"That Nascent Soul Old Mutt was likely attempting some evil trick. By sheer chance, I seized the opportunity and forced him to suffer a backlash!" He began to speak nonsense in a serious tone, portraying himself as both wise and brave.
After all, the Soul Seed in the bowl couldnât protest.
And the corpseâits mouth was always tight.
Teng Lingyi and the others exchanged glances. They still had more questions.
They had come to protect and to investigate the changes within the Origin Spirit Realmâwhether the Dao Ancestorâs prophecy was alarmist.
Now they had half their answer.
To encounter a Nascent Soul on the first level was a dreadful sign.
If it had been like this before, it would've been a death sentenceâwhoever entered died. No solution!
"Then, within the Origin Spirit Realm, the suppression of Kunlun cultivators by the Xuanhuang Realmâs origin power..." Teng Lingyi asked again.
Chu Huaixu replied, "The suppression has weakenedâa lot."
"The reason I was so badly wounded was that this Nascent Soul Old Mutt used some methods that weakened the suppression, boosting his strength by several levels."
Everyone's heart sank.
It was just as the Dao Ancestorâs prophecy foretoldâthe situation was dire!
"How did he weaken the suppression?" Teng Lingyi pressed.
Chu Huaixu answered, "I haven't fully figured it out. I may need to think more after returning."
He wasnât being directâbut the meaning was clear: I need to go back and have a meeting with my Dao Gate leaders.
Even Jiang Zhiâclumsy with both EQ and IQ, only good at cultivating and killingâcaught the implication.
He immediately spoke up protectively: "Question, question, always questions! Our Dao Gate will explain everything in time. What, you think weâll keep secrets?"
He glared, and the three Eighth Realm cultivators were momentarily silenced.
Even though Situ Cheng was one of the Four Great Divine Swords, in truth, all three together couldnât take on Jiang Zhi.
Qin Xuanxiao, who had been eavesdropping the whole time, didnât even qualify to speak.
The Moon and Mirror Countries had never been on good termsâburdened by long-standing historical grievances.
At this moment, Jiang Zhi looked at them and began praising Chu Huaixu:
"All you need to know isâso what if the suppression was weakened? Chu Huaixu still defeated him!"
"He completed the salvation and captured the Nascent Soul aliveâthis is the result!"
"He has the merit of holding up the collapsing heavens!"
"If youâve more to ask, ask now."
"If not, Iâm taking him back to heal."
Situ Cheng and the others exchanged glances. They all had one more thing to do.
In the end, Situ Cheng stepped forward, cupped his fist, and said:
"Young Friend Chu, as Senior Jiang saidâyou have the merit of holding up the heavens. On behalf of the Sword Sect, I declare: you may be granted the Eastern Continent Token!"
Teng Lingyi also cupped his fist. "Young Friend Chu, on behalf of Luo Heaven Valley, I declare: you may be granted the Eastern Continent Token!"
Mei Chuxue, voluptuous and alluring, looked at Chu Huaixu with a playful frown, cupping her fists. "Letting you two get ahead of me! Young Friend Chu, on behalf of Spring and Autumn Mountain, I declare: you may be granted the Eastern Continent Token!"
...