The Gilded Lands.
Outside the cave dwelling, a dense crowd had gathered in multiple layers. Some were cultivators of shallow cultivation, not daring to enter. Others had gone in but, fearing for their lives, had come back out. And of course, there were those who had encountered danger inside and fled in terror.
What exactly had happened inside, no one knew for sure. However, according to the last group to emerge, many had died this time.
Who had died, and how? They didn't say. Each one seemed to have experienced something terrifying, refusing to utter a single word about the events within the cave dwelling. Once outside, without a word, they swiftly departed.
Whoosh!
The radiant glow of the cave dwelling began to crackle and pop, showing signs of imminent collapse.
At the foot of the mountain, beside a carriage drawn by four horses, a short, rotund man was pacing back and forth. He looked extremely anxious, standing on the carriage and peering over from time to time. This was none other than Fei Kui, who had been waiting anxiously at the mountain's base.
"This is truly nerve-wracking...
I wonder how the Young Master is faring inside..." Just as Fei Kui was about to say something more upon seeing the cave dwelling about to collapse, a voice suddenly came from within the carriage.
"What are you looking at? Let's go."
Hmm?
Hearing this, Fei Kui was startled. He turned to look and saw a man in white robes already seated inside the carriage, pulling out a wine gourd and pouring a bowl of wine. It was unclear whether he was craving a drink or simply thirsty.
"Young Master, when did you..." Fei Kui was utterly astonished, as he had no idea when the Young Master had emerged.
"Just now."
Gu Qingfeng casually sat down, tilted his head back, and downed a bowl of Ice-Fire Aged Cellar wine in one gulp. He let out a satisfied "Ha!" as if it wasn't quite enough, then poured another cup. Glancing at Fei Kui, he said, "Let's go. What are you standing there for?"
Fei Kui dared not delay and quickly drove the carriage away.
"Young Master, where... where are we going?"
"Been busy inside for most of the day. I'm actually a bit tired."
After downing three consecutive bowls of the aged cellar wine, Gu Qingfeng rubbed his neck and stretched lazily. "Find a comfortable place nearby to rest for a couple of days."
Although Fei Kui wasn't a local of the Gilded Lands, that didn't mean he was unfamiliar with the area. On the contrary, he was quite familiar with the surrounding seven or eight territories. He might not know some remote spots, but when it came to places for food, drink, and entertainment, he could find them with his eyes closed.
Since Gu Qingfeng wanted a comfortable place, Fei Kui naturally didn't dare ask further. He drove the four-horse carriage straight to a mountain manor named Crimson-Letter. This was the most luxurious and high-end manor in the Gilded Lands, and it was considered one of the top manors across a dozen surrounding territories. Its scale rivaled that of a sect, and its opulence was staggering. It was said the density of spiritual energy within the manor even surpassed that of the Gilded Lands' major sect, the Lingdu Sect.
Most crucially, the manor possessed an incredibly terrifying background. Forget the cultivation sects of the surrounding territories; even the giant Nine Flowers Alliance was wary of it.
Why?
No reason needed. Because this was a manor of the Crimson-Head.
Night.
Inside Crimson-Letter Manor, in an exquisitely decorated hall also rich with spiritual energy, Gu Qingfeng reclined in a chair, legs crossed, leisurely sipping wine while toying with a fist-sized ice crystal.
This was the very ice crystal that had been floating within the Cave Manor Eye. It was different from the turbid and rather peculiar crystal he had found in the other cave dwelling. This one was entirely crystalline, as if carved from ice and jade, shimmering with Taiyin mist. Gu Qingfeng had already studied it for a long while on the road. While he might not have known what that previous turbid crystal was, he had gained some insight into the one in his hand.
This was a Taiyin Spirit, more or less a type of Taiyin Seed. Nurtured properly, it could give birth to Taiyin Spiritual Qi and also produce Blue-Aura Frost Crystals.
Among cultivation resources, it could absolutely be called a priceless treasure.
Of course, that might be true for others. But for Gu Qingfeng, who had once ascended to the throne of a post-immortal demon king and also to the seat of the Nine Nethers Emperor, this thing was just so-so. Having one more didn't matter; having one less didn't either.
If that were all, it wouldn't have kept him studying it for most of the day.
The key was that this was no ordinary Taiyin Spirit.
Because it sealed a soul fragment within.
Yes.
A soul fragment, specifically one of the Three Hun and Seven Po.
When he tried to see if he could break the seal, Gu Qingfeng was taken aback. The seal on this Taiyin Spirit was actually the 'Grand Blood-Coagulation Seal'.
This thing, he couldn't undo. At least not with his current abilities. If he hadn't been judged by the Heavenly Dao, he might have tried using his formidable power. But now, he had only just established his foundation. The spiritual power within him might be strong, but ultimately, it was still just spiritual power. Forget divine abilities; without a Yuanshen, many immortal techniques couldn't be performed.
Most importantly, Gu Qingfeng knew that with this kind of Grand Blood-Coagulation Seal, even if he forcefully broke it with power, it would likely be futile. The soul fragment sealed within would inevitably be affected. Because when the Grand Blood-Coagulation Seal was cast, the caster's own blood-spirit was fused into it. In other words, under the heavens, aside from the caster themselves, no one could open this thing perfectly and intact.
Gu Qingfeng examined it. The technique used to set up the Grand Blood-Coagulation Seal was identical to that of the mechanism array within the cave dwelling, undoubtedly the work of the same person.
Earlier in the cave dwelling, he had encountered a desiccated corpse refined down to a mere wisp of consciousness. That fellow had said the cave dwelling was opened by the founding ancestor of the Ice-Heart Sect.
If that were true, then that woman's methods were truly vicious!
Not only did she refine someone's soul...
She also extracted someone's soul fragment from their soul, sealed it into a Taiyin Seed, and used an extreme seal like the Grand Blood-Coagulation Seal.
Such methods could no longer be called merely cruel; calling them perverse among the perverse wouldn't be an exaggeration. Because this way, the sealed person would be trapped inside for all eternity. Forget death, forget becoming a ghost—they wouldn't even have a chance to go to hell.
"No wonder people always say it's better to offend the heavens than to offend a woman...
Offend the heavens, and you might just get judged, dying cleanly once and for all. Offend a woman, and you'll find yourself unable to live or die..." Gu Qingfeng sighed. He had cultivated for five hundred years and had dealings with quite a few women along the way. If he had offended any, he certainly had offended a few. He knew all too well that once this kind of creature went mad, they were more terrifying than those old demons from the Nine Nethers...
He shook his head, not dwelling on it further, and continued observing this Taiyin Seed. But the more he looked, the more something felt off. As he stared, Gu Qingfeng suddenly stood up. His previously narrowed eyes snapped wide open, his brow furrowed as he stared intently at the Taiyin Seed.
At this moment, some incredibly profound crimson patterns appeared on the surface of the Taiyin Seed.
This was precisely the Grand Blood-Coagulation Seal.
And at the very center of the Taiyin Seed was a wisp of azure light—the sealed soul fragment.
Previously, neither the Grand Blood-Coagulation Seal nor the sealed soul fragment inside had shown any activity. But just now, the sealed soul fragment suddenly came to life, like a tiny flame beginning to flicker and burn. As it burned, the crimson patterns of the Grand Blood-Coagulation Seal manifested.
The flame burned brighter and stronger, and the Grand Blood-Coagulation Seal also grew increasingly vivid and crimson.
Soon, the flame engulfed the entire Taiyin Seed, and then...
It actually fused with the Grand Blood-Coagulation Seal. The once ice-sculpture-like Taiyin Seed instantly transformed into a crimson ice crystal.
"This..." Gu Qingfeng looked rather stunned. Indeed, he hadn't expected this to happen. Because the Grand Blood-Coagulation Seal contained the caster's blood-spirit, the blood of their soul. And now it had fused with the soul fragment sealed inside.
What did this mean?
It meant the blood-spirit contained within the Grand Blood-Coagulation Seal and the soul fragment came from the same soul.
In other words, this woman hadn't sealed someone else's soul fragment; she had sealed her own.
"Well, I've truly broadened my horizons today...
This is the first time I've ever encountered such a bizarre affair."
Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but take a deep breath, then slowly sat back down. He picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and said in a low voice, "Who in the world would have nothing better to do than extract one of their own Po from their soul and then seal it with a Grand Blood-Coagulation Seal?
Is that woman out of her mind?"
Sigh...
My apologies, I was too exhausted yesterday...
Finished one chapter, planned to lie down for a bit, then get up and write more...
Didn't expect to fall right asleep...
Opened my eyes and it was daylight...
Sorry!
I'll write more today!
Can't guarantee how much, but I'll do my absolute best.