C672 Blazing Soul Electricity
"Soul Igniting Lightning!"
Xie Binn's eyes were fixed on the drop of blood, where strands of crimson lightning danced. He let out a cry of horror.
As a prodigious cultivator from the Little Clouds Sect, widely renowned, he was deeply shaken upon recognizing the origin of that lightning.
"Soul Igniting Lightning?"
Yu Yuan looked perplexed. He racked his brain but found no trace of it in his memories, neither from his past life nor his current one.
"Very few are privy to this phenomenon. You're not a practitioner of lightning techniques, so it's natural you're unaware," Xie Binn inhaled sharply, his expression grave. "Yu Yuan, the one who struck her, by all accounts, shouldn't exist within the Boundless Land."
"What do you mean?" Yu Yuan inquired, intrigued.
"A faction originated from the current Thunder Sect, but they renounced their ties and formed their own enclave within the Outland Star River," Xie Binn's voice trembled with emotion. "They practice the Thunder Sect's secret methods, and by harnessing the power of an extraordinary lightning pool in the Outland Star River, they've created lightning like this."
He gestured to the blood droplet and continued, "This type of lightning is known as 'Soul Igniting Lightning,' characterized by its scarlet hue."
"Our Little Clouds Sect, as well as the former Great Clouds Sect, typically produced lightning that was green or luminescent white—scarlet lightning was exceedingly rare. This 'Soul Igniting Lightning' is notoriously sinister and malevolent."
"Those who cultivate this technique in the Outer Star River have long been ostracized by the Boundless Land."
"Whether it's the Thunder Sect, our current Little Clouds Sect, or even the three great upper sects, they are all committed to exterminating these renegades on sight, offering no quarter."
"They have no business meddling in the affairs of the Boundless Land!"
While speaking, Yu Yuan noticed the tiny bolts of crimson lightning making a beeline for the drop of blood.
Ann Ziqing's Yin God flickered within the center of the blood, like a flame buffeted by the wind, threatening to snuff out at any moment, as if it sensed the destructive essence of the "Soul Igniting Lightning."
Her breaths grew labored.
Yu Yuan, with his acute senses, felt that she, despite being unconscious, was desperately trying to awaken. It was as though she was trapped in a nightmarish ordeal, struggling fiercely, yet tragically unable to rouse herself.
"Her Yin God has been pushed to such extremes by the 'Heavenly Soul Burning Lightning,' it's likely her Heavenly Soul and main soul have suffered severe damage too. Judging by her condition, unless we resolve the issue with her Yin God, she won't fully awaken," Xie Binn observed before asking, "Shall we head to the Blue Sky Shrine?"
"That was my intention!" Yu Yuan exclaimed.
Xie Binn mused to himself, "It's remarkable that she managed to find her way here, to you. She must have learned that I've recondensed my Heavenly Soul and that I possess the Ice Thunder Mark. That's the only reason she would seek me out."
"What?" Yu Yuan was taken aback.
"Isn't it obvious she's here because she knows the Ice Thunder Mark I hold can neutralize her 'Soul Scorching Lightning'?" Xie Binn said with a self-assured air of pride. "Deep within the Outland Star River, it's common knowledge that our Little Clouds Sect's treasured Ice Thunder Mark can counteract the 'Soul Scorching Lightning'!"
"Remember when Qi Jinghai came with a message, inviting me to join the Thunder Sect and assist in refining my Heavenly Soul? His interest was piqued by the Ice Thunder Mark. The three upper sects agreed to support me because they're all aware of the significant suppressive power the Ice Thunder Mark has over the 'Soul Scorching Lightning'."
"I suspect that the cultivators from the Thunder Sect have put some pressure on the three upper sects," Xie Binn speculated.
Yu Yuan was taken aback, not expecting this layer of complexity. It appeared that the Ice Thunder Mark in Xie Binn's possession was indeed a key to restraining the 'Soul Scorching Lightning'.
With this new insight from Xie Binn, Yu Yuan began to suspect that Ann Ziqing's purposeful visit was because she knew about the Ice Thunder Mark.
"The origin of that drop of blood is unknown to me, and dissolving it could prove difficult," Xie Binn admitted.
"Regardless of whose blood it is or the circumstances surrounding it, I have the means to deal with it," Yu Yuan confidently stated, empowered by the Life Altar and the potent life force within the blood. "If you can handle the crimson lightning, we'll be able to save her."
"What's your relationship with her?" Xie Bin inquired with a hint of curiosity.
"Haven't you already looked into me? Then you should know she once served as my personal maid for many years within the Yu family of Darkmoon City," Yu Yuan replied, a smile playing on his lips.
"I'm talking about the real relationship!" Xie Bin shot her a piercing look. "This girl would have been dead without our intervention. I've heard that you have no ties with the Blood God Cult, and there might even be some bad blood between you. She's the cult's goddess, and by saving her, you could be inviting more trouble."
"Let's cross that bridge when we come to it," Yu Yuan declared.
His thoughts were on the hidden connection between the Yu family and the An family of the Blood God Cult. He suspected that the secret buried beneath the Yu family's estate might also involve the An family. It was out of respect for the current leader of the Blood God Cult that he had chosen to save Ann Ziqing's life.
"We can't delay any longer. Let's move out now!"
True to his word, Xie Bin swept his sleeve, and a flurry of white Ice Thunder Threads burst forth from the Ice Thunder Mark, weaving into a blanket before Yu Yuan's eyes.
With a mere thought, the Ice Thunder Thread blanket enveloped the unconscious Ann Ziqing. Curiously, the protective shroud of bloody light around her, that viscous blood, seemed oblivious to any threat, showing no signs of reaction.
"She has an instinctive sense of danger. The blood that guards her is imbued with her spirit," Xie Bin observed, grasping a thick Ice Thunder Thread and twisting the blanket snug around Ann Ziqing. "Stay close. If we're ambushed along the way, I'll cause a commotion. That'll alert the Chen family, and they'll come to our aid."
He believed that anyone who dared to strike at Ann Ziqing, a traitor to the Boundless Land, should be met with united retribution from all the strong if they showed their face in Luan Bird City.
"Understood," Yu Yuan nodded.
Xie Bin took to the skies, not through the main gate, but as a streak of lightning, heading straight for the Blue Sky Shrine.
He deliberately moderated his speed, allowing Yu Yuan to keep up at a distance. The night streets lay quiet and deserted, without a single city guard on patrol.
The journey was incredibly smooth, so much so that we didn't encounter a single soul along the way.
Yu Yuan, trailing behind Xie Binn, was taken aback by the silence. It was hard to believe that the vast Luan Bird City could be so eerily quiet at night, devoid of even the faintest sounds of animals or insects.
"Something's not right."
Out of the blue, a message from the Artifact Soul within the Evil Cauldron concealed in his purple palace cavity reached him.
"We should have reached the Blue Sky Shrine by now."
It was at that moment that Xie Binn, who had been pulling the blanket with a robust, lengthy strand of Ice Thunder Thread, came to an abrupt halt. He stared at the Blue Sky Shrine looming nearby, which seemed just moments away.
Yu Yuan also stopped, casting his gaze up at the Blue Sky Shrine, sensing an ethereal and surreal quality to it.
Suddenly, the cauldron soul issued an urgent warning, "This is bad, you've likely stepped into a small world crafted by someone else!"
Taking his time, Xie Binn gently set down the blanket swaddling Ann Ziqing, and with a flick of his wrist, released the Ice Thunder Mark from his sleeve, declaring, "I'll shatter this illusion before us first!"
