C591 Penetrating!
The colossal soul that manifested within the Little World of the Dark Domain at a pivotal moment shifted the tide and rewrote the outcome of the conflict.
Subsequently, Yu Zhu, having assimilated the Asura's Eye, replayed that scene for him.
Thus, he came to understand that it was the emergence of that immense phantom soul that eradicated the lingering soul consciousness of the Asura from the Dark Domain.
The dominance exhibited by the phantom soul in that realm was profoundly memorable to him.
He had initially believed that the phantom soul, which surfaced due to his actions, was a product of the Soul Forging Technique and a mysterious link between him and the Soul Transformation Pool.
He considered the phantom soul to be an external force, a profound mystery left by the creator of the Soul Forging Technique.
But now...
Having advanced to the Penetrating Stage and unlocked his Consciousness Little World, he could finally perceive his own soul.
His own three souls, superimposed upon one another, cast a misty shadow within this microcosm, reminiscent of the very phantom soul that had once reversed their fortunes!
Yet, his own soul was merely a fraction of its former magnitude.
Observing his soul and remembering the intimidating presence of the phantom soul that had once made even Yellow Old Devil, a master of Soul Arts, tremble with the urge to prostrate, Yu Yuan was momentarily lost in thought.
"Could it be that after the battle at the Absence Relic, a spirit from the depths of the Soul Transformation Pool stealthily breached my spiritual sea and etched itself upon my soul?"
His mind teemed with questions.
At a mere impulse, the tendrils of Spiritual Sense, shrouded in mist, suddenly burst forth from his Niwan Palace.
He was eager to explore the mysterious applications of the Spiritual Sense that had emerged around his soul upon reaching the Penetrating Stage.
With his eyes gently closed, he extended his Spiritual Sense, probing the cave's anomalies.
The Spiritual Sense served as an extension of himself, caressing the cave's walls, discerning their chill and texture.
Around Chen Qingyan, his Spiritual Sense detected a strikingly clear sword intent, as well as the stirrings of her soul.
Through his Spiritual Sense, Chen Qingyan's sword intent surged like lightning, ceaselessly coursing through the veins of this exquisite woman, perpetually honing her very sinew and bone in an unending sword practice.
"It's even more formidable than I had imagined!"
He was well aware that Chen Qingyan, a genius of unparalleled talent, could instantly annihilate peers with her fearsome sword spell if she were to draw her blade outside. Their constraints outside the Sword Prison and their limitations within were due to the fact that they encountered individuals who had long since made a name for themselves in the world.
Approaching Zhongli with his spiritual sense, he was overwhelmed by the sensation of a volcano in the throes of eruption. Merely nearing Zhongli was too much for his spiritual sense to bear, threatening to shatter it completely.
Zhongli's formidable life force was like a ticking time bomb, ready to detonate at any moment, exuding a dominant presence that seemed capable of crushing the heavens and shattering the fabric of time itself. This presence, imbued with the essence of his fist, was beyond the reach of his spiritual sense.
Spiritual sense isn't akin to sight; it's about feeling and perceiving, not seeing everything. It's only when one advances further, refining the Yin God and transforming spiritual sense into soul power, that one can perceive with the clarity and precision of an eye.
Unable to discern anything deeper from Zhongli's form, he withdrew his spiritual sense back into himself. "Introspection!" he commanded. In response, a surge of spiritual sense burst forth from his Niwan acupoint.
In a mere moment, his focus converged on the arm bone. As he concentrated on the sword scar etched upon it, his spiritual sense seemed to be drawn into the very imprint of the blade. Dense with sword intent, the scar held within it the paths of countless swords, the harmonious interplay of spiritual force, life force, and the operational essence of the sword.
As he navigated with his spiritual sense, a slight tremor passed through his mind, causing the three souls within his Consciousness Little World to sway in unison. The overlapping of the Earth Soul and Heaven Soul sparked a delicate transformation.
A thread of sword intent, sinuous as a phantom worm, began to take shape within the Earth Soul and sketched its evolution within the Heaven Soul. The Earth Soul, a nexus of memories, now engaged with his mind and spiritual sense in the act of comprehension.
Informed by the profound insights of the Heaven Soul, these revelations became deeply etched memories within the Earth Soul. The emerging sword intent of the Earth Soul reflected the very sword scar he was currently contemplating, allowing him to trace its lineage, to understand the synergy between spiritual Qi, life force, and spiritual sense.
The nascent state of illusion was still incomplete, merely an embryonic form, because he had yet to fully grasp it.
In that instant, he intuitively witnessed the distinct roles of the three souls—Heaven, Earth, and Man—and their intricate mysteries.
Once he mastered the sword spell and his memories, once he fully understood them, they would transform into enduring memories, becoming an integral part of his Earth Soul, nearly impossible to forget.
Upon closer inspection, it was as though he had delved into the inner workings of the Earth Soul, where he could see numerous enigmatic points of light.
His spiritual sense, upon contact, would enter one of these lights, revealing scenes from the past.
These were imprints of memories, chronicles of bygone times.
Within them were experiences from his past life, his travels across various lands, his insights from concocting medicines, and the myriad names of pills and spiritual herbs—complex and numerous.
"The Earth Soul is composed of innumerable lights of memory, imprinted with the experiences of two lifetimes, encompassing a wealth of skills and insights."
His heart illuminated with clarity, he gained a profounder comprehension of the subtle intricacies of his soul's three aspects.
"Yu Yuan!"
A soul-stirring cry pierced from the external world into the depths of his mind.
He jolted awake.
Before him stood Chen Qingyan, who had approached and cautiously taken his hand, her eyes carefully tracking the flight of the sword beams.
The sword beams, meant to obstruct the passage of the Big Devil, emitted a perilous glow as they darted chaotically within the cavern.
The beams, like rainbow streaks of lightning, were unpredictable and devoid of any discernible pattern, their trajectories impossible to anticipate.
Each beam posed a grave danger, enough to unsettle even Chen Qingyan.
Hence, she had sought out Yu Yuan's company, taking his hand as a precaution to prevent injury from the erratic sword beams.
Even Zhongli of the Ancient Desolate Sect wore a furrowed brow as the beams surged into the cave, constantly shifting his stance.
His garments billowed with the flow of fist intent, as if he were navigating from one realm to another.
It seemed the only way to evade the fist intent and remain unscathed.
"Kid, if you're intent on understanding the sword, you'd be better off finding a different cave."
Zhongli, while not in a state of disarray, was gradually depleting his dwindling strength.
He gestured toward a cave, "That direction leads to an empty cave, perfect for your sword meditation. As you meditate, the Sword Prison's pervasive sword intent and beams will be drawn to you, darting chaotically in response to the fluctuations of your mind."
Yu Yuan caught on instantly.
The sword spells etched into his arm bones, resonating with the omnipresent sword intent and beams of the Sword Prison, would provoke an anomaly within it as he delved into their mysteries.
Within the Sword Prison, the fierce sword beams acknowledged only him, no one else.
Zhongli and Chen Qingyan, sharing the cave with him, would find themselves under siege by the sword beams during his meditation.
"Excellent!"
Yu Yuan flashed a wide smile, released Chen Qingyan's hand, and headed for the cave indicated by Zhongli.
The errant sword beams that had been swirling around him stilled the moment he opened his eyes and ceased his meditation.
With every movement he made, the sword beams eagerly trailed behind him.
"We're onto something!" Zhongli's spirits lifted, "Judging by the behavior of these sword beams, I might just have a shot at escaping the Sword Prison and making my way back to the Boundless Land!"
