Ling Chen's body collapsed lifelessly to the ground, his once-vibrant aura extinguished. The artifact's dark glow faded, its task complete—his Martial Soul and Primordial Bloodline now sealed within its cursed core. The pain of extraction paled against the agony of helplessness; he had watched his father die, then felt his own soul and Bone marrow essence torn away strand by strand, leaving his body a hollow shell.
Xue Mo twirled the now-dormant artifact in his hands, his crimson eyes gleaming with perverse satisfaction. "Ah, the sweet silence after a perfect harvest," he mused, kicking Ling Chen's motionless form. The Scarlet Enchantress strode to Xue Mo's side, her boots crunching over shattered tiles as her midnight-blue robes trailed behind her. Her lips curled in disgust as she surveyed the broken clan. "Finish this. Wipe this pathetic clan from existence. Even their screams annoy me now."
The Family Lord crawled forward, blood staining his robes, his voice a desperate whimper. "W-We'll do anything! Kill the boy ourselves! Swear eternal silence! Become your slaves—!"
One elder "You think those demons will let a single soul live to whisper of their crimes?" he muttered.
The Enchantress's laughter cut him off, sharp and mocking. "Slaves? You? Even our pets are stronger than your entire bloodline.
Ling Chen's consciousness stirred in a void of liquid shadows—his spiritual sea, now a fractured realm of crashing obsidian waves and splintered light. He stood knee-deep in the dark waters, their icy chill biting into his soul. "Am I... dead?" he whispered, his voice echoing endlessly.
Outside the spiritual sea, the aftermath of the soul extraction was chaos. The sheer killing intent radiating from Xue Mo and Scarlet Enchantress, both cultivators of considerable realm, proved overwhelming. Many of the Ling family members, who had gathered to witness the soul awakening, possessed some low level of cultivation, but the weaker ones succumbed to the pressure. Those with lower cultivation levels fainted, their bodies unable to withstand the oppressive force, while even some of the stronger members struggled to remain conscious. Ling Zhan's death and the subsequent extraction of Ling Chen's soul had already created a scene of horror, and now unrestrained power threatened to annihilate remaining family. Ling Chen's mother and his sister were among those who had collapsed, their faces pale and lifeless.
The Scarlet Enchantress's laughter abruptly ceased, and she turned silent. "Enough," she stated, raising her hand to strike. The air crackled with a palpable sense of impending doom, as if the entire Ling Clan stood on the precipice of utter destruction. But before she could act, a voice boomed from above, resonating through the courtyard, " I really have to admire your courage
!" The crushing pressure that had pinned the Family Lord and the Ling family members instantly vanished, as if gravity itself had normalized. Xue Mo and the Scarlet Enchantress both whipped their heads toward the sky, searching for the source of the commanding voice. "Who dares interfere?" Xue Mo demanded, his tone laced with hostility."
As they gazed upwards, everyone saw a girl standing in the sky. She wore a white robe, whose folds billowed in the air behind her, with some strands also dancing lightly on her shoulders. Her expression was serene and devoid of any strong emotion, as if the turmoil below held no consequence for her. A light blue rope adorned a section of her hair, its delicate form, no thicker than a strand of pearls, fluttering gently in the breeze, accentuating her ethereal beauty, a beauty that could only be described as that of a celestial beauly, It was this same girl who was sent by the master of Frost Ice Flame Sect to the outside world to select a disciple.
The girl in white robes turned her gaze upon the Family Lord and the assembled Ling family members. "It appears you are the head of this clan," she stated calmly. "I have come to select a disciple from your family. Therefore..." She extended her hand, and a small, luminous orb, resembling a miniature elixir, appeared in her palm. With a gentle motion, she sent the orb towards the Family Lord. As it entered his body, his injuries vanished as if they had never existed. The Family Lord, astonished, bowed deeply towards the girl. "Senior, your benevolence is boundless!" The girl acknowledged his gratitude with a slight nod, her gaze already moving past him. She focused on Ling Mei, who stood trembling slightly. "You are the one who underwent the Soul Awakening today, correct?" Ling Mei, startled by the attention, nervously replied, "Yes... Yes, Senior." The girl in the sky instructed, "Show me your soul, then." Ling Mei glanced at the Family Lord for encouragement and hesitantly summoned her Martial Soul. It emerged from her body—a magnificent Phoenix Soul. As it materialized, Ling Mei directed it to release bursts of thunderous energy from its wings, creating a spectacle of crackling lightning that illuminated the sky. The Phoenix Soul resembled a crow in silhouette, yet its cry was melodious and resonant, echoing through the air like a drawn-out belt of sound. As it cried out, arcs of electricity spread from its eyes, further electrifying the atmosphere.
Then, the girl who stood in the sky vanished as if teleporting, appearing suddenly before the Family Lord and Ling Mei, startling everyone present. Seeing their fear, She spoke calmly, "There is no need to be afraid. I mean you no harm." She then introduced herself, "My name is Shen Xi. I am a disciple of the Frost Ice Flame Sect." This announcement caused shock among the Ling family members and the Family Lord, as they had never heard of the Frost Ice Flame Sect. Shen Xi turned to Ling Mei and asked directly, "Would you like to come with me?" Ling Mei hesitated, then looked at Shen Xi and countered with a question, "Senior, will you protect my clan from these people?" She declared, "If you protect my clan from these individuals, then I am willing to become a disciple of your sect." Upon hearing this, Shen Xi replied, "That is not a difficult task." However, she added a condition, "But you must understand that if you join my sect, you will have to sever all ties with your family until you reach the peak Transformation Realm. You will not be able to meet them again for a long time. I need your confirmation on this." The Family Lord, the elders, and the family members were stunned, as they were unfamiliar with the concept of the Transformation Realm. Despite this, Ling Mei firmly stated, "Senior, I accept.
Those standing behind, Xue Mo and Scarlet Enchantress, scoffed. "Without assessing the situation properly, promises should never be made so hastily," Xue Mo sneered. "Today, this entire clan will be annihilated, and you foolishly align yourself with some unknown, third-rate sect. You will perish with them." Scarlet Enchantress added, "Indeed, you will share the same fate as this pathetic clan."
Shen Xi turned to face, her expression unwavering. "Oh? Then tell me, you two, who are at the peak of the Sky Profound Realm, are you confident in your ability to defeat me?" Xue Mo and Scarlet Enchantress exchanged surprised glances. "How did you discern our cultivation level?" Xue Mo questioned, his eyes narrowing. Shen Xi replied calmly, "This is my first time venturing out from the sect. I have no desire to kill needlessly. If you choose to leave now, I will allow this clan to remain under the protection of my sect, and no harm will befall them."
Shen Xi's words were met with a burst of speed as Scarlet Enchantress lunged forward, a sword appearing in her hand. She attacked Shen Xi, but the moment her blade made contact with Shen Xi's robes, an invisible force erupted from Shen Xi's body. The sword shattered into countless fragments, leaving both Xue Mo and Scarlet Enchantress stunned and hesitant. The Family Lord was equally astonished. He realized that even with Xue Mo and Scarlet Enchantress's formidable cultivation, they were no match for Shen Xi. Shen Xi had effortlessly repelled the attack without even turning around. The Scarlet Enchantress's assault was completely nullified.
The Family older, filled with a desperate hope, bowed towards Shen Xi. "Senior," he pleaded, "do you help this boy of ours? Ling Chen was also a member of our younger generation who awakened a powerful soul today, but these extracted it from his body. Can you save him?" Shen Xi turned her attention to Ling Chen's lifeless hollow form on the platform.
Shen Xi knelt beside Ling Chen's unconscious form, her frost-tinged fingertips hovering over his pulse point.
After a brief examination, she said coolly, her gaze shifting to clan olders "His soul force is severely damaged, and his Martial Soul is gone- extracted root and stem. Worse, his Body Soul has been fractured by the crucible's corruption."
The Ling family members and elders were overcome with grief. Shen Xi paused, then offered a glimmer of hope. "I can save him. He is not truly dead." However, she tempered their relief with a grim caveat: "But even if he survives, he will be a mortal for the rest of his life, Without intervention, his damaged soul cannot sustain him past eighteen years." This news filled everyone with regret, lamenting the tragic fate of a boy who had manifested a powerful soul only to lose it. The Family Lord, however, remained indifferent, his mind preoccupied with the fact that his daughter had secured a powerful backer in Shen Xi.
but Shen Xi rose, dusting her robes. "I will stabilize his spiritual sea temporarily. It will grant him time… but no more."