The cave dwelling was filled with a hazy, gray mist.
This was Poison Spirit Qi—as the name suggests, it was a type of toxic spiritual energy, quite common in ancient cave dwellings. Usually, if left unattended for too long, the formation's core would gradually mutate, and the spiritual energy would deteriorate along with it.
If the toxicity within the spirit qi wasn't too concentrated, it posed no major harm as long as one didn't absorb it. However, if the toxicity was potent, even without absorbing it, mere physical exposure could allow the poison to erode the dantian, meridians, and more.
Fortunately.
The Poison Spirit Qi within this cave dwelling wasn't too toxic. As long as one used their own spiritual power to protect their body, they could resist it.
That was the case for ordinary people, and for Gu Qingfeng, it was even less of a problem. This level of toxicity posed no threat to him whatsoever.
At this moment, he was walking briskly down a corridor. The moment he entered, he had released his divine sense to sweep the area. To his considerable surprise, the structure of this cave dwelling bore a remarkable similarity to that of the mysterious cave dwelling he had encountered before.
That previous mysterious cave dwelling had been carved out using a great supernatural power.
This cave dwelling, however, wasn't created using a great supernatural power; it seemed more like a minor one.
It was as if they were the work of the same person, yet not entirely.
If it was imitation, it wasn't that either. This sort of thing was hard to imitate, and it was impossible to mimic it with such profound subtlety.
This was strange indeed.
Gu Qingfeng had cultivated for five hundred years and had broken into quite a few cave dwellings during that time. Although he wouldn't dare call himself the ancestor of tomb raiding, he was absolutely an experienced hand. Yet, this kind of peculiar situation was a first for him.
The more he looked, the more the two cave dwellings seemed to be the work of the same person.
Looking again, they didn't.
This feeling was strange, indescribable and elusive, impossible to fathom.
Gu Qingfeng continued to release his divine sense to probe. Suddenly, he sensed something amiss—there was activity in a hall within the cave dwelling.
Without further thought, he immediately headed there.
Similar to the previous mysterious cave dwelling, this one also contained many halls and stone chambers. Some halls were shrouded in trap mechanisms and formations, while others were not. While deciphering these mechanisms and formations, Gu Qingfeng once again had that same feeling.
The mechanisms within this cave dwelling also bore a remarkable similarity to the trap mechanisms and formations of that previous mysterious cave dwelling.
The technique was very similar, very much like the work of the same person. It wasn't just the technique; the various structures within the mechanisms and formations, the various formation patterns, and so on, all shared this remarkable similarity.
This feeling was like a master proficient in painting and calligraphy first using his hand and a brush to outline a landscape painting, then using his foot and colored ink to outline the exact same landscape painting.
It really felt like that.
But if they were from the same person, why use the hand first?
Then the foot?
Wasn't that just being pointlessly troublesome!
He pondered for a long time but couldn't figure it out.
Gu Qingfeng didn't dwell on it further. Deciphering mechanism after mechanism, it took him roughly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before he finally arrived at a great hall.
The Poison Spirit Qi contained within this great hall was much denser than outside. Earlier, when Gu Qingfeng's divine sense had swept here, he had detected something strange. Squinting his eyes to look, he discovered a desiccated corpse in one corner of the hall.
This corpse was already skin and bones, sitting cross-legged in the corner with its head drooping.
It seemed as if its life force had been completely exhausted, having passed away in meditation. Strangely, however, a bottle was placed on top of its head.
The bottle resembled white jade, its surface shimmering with a layer of profound radiance.
Gu Qingfeng focused his gaze, and his expression couldn't help but change. This was actually a seal, and moreover, it was a Nine Yin Soul-Refining Seal.
This thing was used to seal souls.
If it were merely a simple soul seal, it wouldn't have caused Gu Qingfeng's expression to change. The truth was, he knew this kind of seal was often used to torment a person's soul. After sealing it, they would use Yin fire to refine and burn it.
Looking again at this desiccated corpse.
Gu Qingfeng guessed that this person's soul had been forcibly extracted and then sealed inside the bottle.
Judging by the technique of this seal, it was likely the master who opened this cave dwelling who had cast it.
Gu Qingfeng stepped forward, raised both hands, his ten fingers dancing as streams of spirit incantations condensed and manifested. The seal on the bottle immediately emitted crackling sounds. In the short span of a few breaths, Gu Qingfeng formed hundreds of spirit incantations. With a *snap*, the Nine Yin Soul-Refining Seal on the bottle was finally completely broken by him. At the same time, the bottle itself shattered, and immediately after, a faint, almost imperceptible, dim radiance drifted out. The radiance was like mist, even more like a flickering flame scattered in a fierce wind, as if it could dissipate at any moment.
This wasn't a soul.
This was merely a wisp of consciousness.
The soul had likely long been refined, leaving only this extremely weak Consciousness Flame.
Gu Qingfeng raised his hand, his fingers once again forming spirit incantations, casting a formation to envelop this weak Consciousness Flame. This formation contained the profound principle of endless regeneration. He had hoped to see if he could salvage this wisp of consciousness. Unfortunately, this Consciousness Flame was too weak. Even if he had the power to bring the dead back to life, he couldn't save it.
Gu Qingfeng did his best to maintain the endless regeneration formation, trying to communicate with it, asking, "Can you hear me?"
No one responded.
Gu Qingfeng tried asking again. This time, the other party responded.
"You...
are...
who..." After this wisp of consciousness responded, it seemed to grow even weaker, on the verge of extinction, becoming even more indistinct. Gu Qingfeng focused his mind, formed another spirit incantation, and cast another endless regeneration spell towards it. Unfortunately, it was still no use.
"It's...
no...
use...
You...
need not...
need not trouble...
need not..." With each word the other spoke, its Consciousness Flame would weaken a bit more, blur a bit more.
"Who sealed you here?"
"Bing...
Bing Xuan..." Bing Xuan?
Gu Qingfeng raised an eyebrow. He knew this name; he had heard Huode mention it. It seemed the Founding Ancestor of the Ice-Profound Sect was called Bing Xuan. Thinking of this, he asked, "The Bing Xuan you speak of, is that the Founding Ancestor of the Ice-Profound Sect?"
"It is her..." This...
Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but fall into contemplation. The one who cast the Nine Yin Soul-Refining Seal and the one who opened this cave dwelling were clearly the same person. If the Founding Ancestor of the Ice-Profound Sect had sealed this person here, in other words, did that mean this cave dwelling was opened by the Founding Ancestor of the Ice-Profound Sect?
"That's a madwoman...
She is a Demon...
is the incarnation of a Demon...
is a Demon..." Mentioning the name Bing Xuan, the other party seemed very agitated, its Consciousness Flame growing even more feeble.
"Is a Demon...
the incarnation of a Demon..." In an instant, the Consciousness Flame completely extinguished.
Gu Qingfeng gazed at the vanished Consciousness Flame in his palm, frowning in deep thought, somewhat unable to make sense of the situation.
He had heard Huode say that the Founding Ancestor of the Ice-Profound Sect and the Founding Ancestor of the Yunxia Sect, one called herself True Person Bing Xuan, the other was called True Person Yanyang. The two were originally cultivation partners. Later, one used the Ice-Profound Heart to establish the Ice-Profound Sect, and the other used the Yanyang Heart to establish the Yunxia Sect.
How did the Founding Ancestor of the Ice-Profound Sect become the incarnation of a Demon?
If the Founding Ancestor of the Ice-Profound Sect was the incarnation of a Demon, then what kind of person was the Founding Ancestor of the Yunxia Sect?
He didn't understand.
Although Gu Qingfeng had heard Huode mention some of the origins between the Yunxia Sect and the Ice-Profound Sect, it was only some hearsay. As for what exactly the situation was between the two sects, he didn't know very clearly.
Originally, whether the Founding Ancestor of the Ice-Profound Sect was the incarnation of a Demon or something else, Gu Qingfeng didn't know and couldn't be bothered to think about it. But the problem was, the Yanyang Heart was his first branch of karma. Things related to the Yanyang Heart should all have some kind of karmic connection to him.
Now he knew the Yanyang Heart was related to the Ice-Profound Heart, and the Ice-Profound Heart belonged to the Founding Ancestor of the Ice-Profound Sect.
If the Founding Ancestor of the Ice-Profound Sect was the incarnation of a Demon... then this matter *had just become complicated...