Not dead!!
The final two words struck Lin Feng's ears like thunder, freezing him in place. His violent agitation vanished as if doused by ice water. The crimson haze cleared instantly from his eyes, replaced by desperate clarity.
His aura calmed almost instantaneously. He stared at Bai Honglin, shock and burgeoning hope warring on his face. "What did you say?!"
Seeing Lin Feng regain control so swiftly, Bai Honglin breathed an internal sigh of relief. There was no time to ponder whether his calming technique or Lin Feng's own formidable will was responsible. To prevent another outburst, he spoke quickly and concisely:
"Nephew Lin, this is our Profound Ice Palace's ancestral treasure – the Xuanbing Immortal Coffin! Your mother is currently protected by the coffin. A final wisp of her soul remains intact! Therefore, she is not truly dead! There is still a chance… a chance for 'revival'!!"
Lin Feng's eyes blazed with sudden, fierce light. He couldn't help but turn back towards the coffin cradling his mother. He realized now how overwhelming emotion had blinded him earlier; he should have recognized the legendary Xuanbing Immortal Coffin. Recalling its fabled properties, it wasn't difficult to deduce that whoever lay within it wasn't truly gone.
"Haaah…"
Lin Feng lifted his still slightly trembling right hand, gently touching the ice surface of the coffin. He closed his eyes, taking one deep, shuddering breath. When he opened them again, they held only focused calm. He turned back to Bai Honglin.
"My apologies for my earlier discourtesy, Senior Bai… Please forgive this junior's loss of composure."
Bai Honglin offered a small, understanding smile. "No matter, Nephew Lin. Think nothing of it."
Lin Feng gave a brief nod, acknowledging the sentiment before moving past it. Urgency surged back into his voice. "Senior Bai, what is my mother's exact condition now? What truly happened back then? Can you tell me now?"
"Of course. I will share everything I know."
Bai Honglin nodded. He briefly considered suggesting they find a more comfortable place to talk, but seeing Lin Feng's stance – rooted protectively beside the coffin, unwilling to move an inch – he dismissed the thought with an inward sigh. He gathered his memories, a look of deep recollection settling over his features. His voice softened, carrying the weight of years.
"Your father and I met… forty years ago…"
"At that time, I had not yet become Sect Leader. I was journeying abroad, seeking a breakthrough in my cultivation. In the Shadow Beast Forest of the Bis Kingdom, I encountered a Level Six Demonic Beast. It nearly killed me. Fortunately, your parents happened to pass by. They intervened and saved my life… Your father, Brother Lin, was a man of immense integrity and generosity. He saved my life yet asked for no reward. He even gave me the beast core of that Level Six demonic beast – an item of immense value to me then. We traveled together for several days before parting ways."
"During those days of travel, we spoke freely and found much common ground. Yet, your parents remained deeply guarded about their own identities. Naturally, I did not pry. They didn't even tell me where they lived, leaving me no way to find them later. I had resigned myself to the thought that I might never see them again… Then, unexpectedly, over twenty years later – precisely sixteen years ago – Brother Lin suddenly appeared at our gates…"
"He arrived… already gravely injured… and carrying your mother, who was barely clinging to life!! And the wound afflicting your mother… it was caused by the 'Soul-Corrosion Palm' of the Corpse Sect!! The Corpse Sect's Soul-Corrosion Palm is an exceptionally vile and insidious technique. Its victims suffer a gradual corrosion of their soul, ultimately transforming them into a soulless Corpse Puppet! The curse is notoriously difficult to lift. When your mother was brought here, her soul was already frighteningly weak. Your father begged me to lend the Xuanbing Immortal Coffin to preserve her life. How could I refuse? Thankfully, the coffin's power worked. It succeeded in preserving that final, fragile thread of her soul…"
"However… though that last wisp of soul was saved, your mother could never recover by her own power. While the Xuanbing Immortal Coffin can perfectly preserve both her body and soul in the exact state they were in when she was placed within, it lacks the power to nourish or heal the soul. You may have heard… this treasure of ours is actually a replica. Though named an 'Immortal Coffin,' it is not a true Immortal Artifact, only a high-grade Dao Artifact. The legendary ability to nourish and repair a soul… that belongs solely to the mythical true Xuanbing Immortal Coffin."
"Afterwards, your father, his own injuries still far from healed, insisted on leaving. He said he needed to return to fetch you, and then he would seek a way to revive your mother. I made a pact with him: the Profound Ice Palace would safeguard the coffin untouched for a hundred years, awaiting his return. Yet… after that… there was no further word from him…"
"As for the specific circumstances of what befell them that day… your father did not share the details with me. I know it was to protect our Profound Ice Palace, to avoid dragging us into his troubles. From your mother's injury alone, however, it's clear the Corpse Sect was involved. And the Corpse Sect… is far too powerful. A sect as small as ours could never hope to oppose them. To ensure security, I declared this matter a top-secret affair of the sect. Only myself and a few senior elders know the truth."
"This… is the extent of what I know…"
Bai Honglin finished his account and let out a long, slow breath, his eyes filled with complex emotions – regret, nostalgia, sorrow. He composed himself, watching Lin Feng, who stood in silence, processing the flood of information.
"..."
Lin Feng's head was bowed slightly, his expression shadowed as he pieced together the narrative. Truthfully, he felt a pang of disappointment. Bai Honglin's story hadn't provided many concrete answers he desperately sought – the exact nature of the incident that trapped his father, the reason for his disappearance. Yet, one crucial piece of knowledge was now irrefutable…
— He could finally be one hundred percent certain: His father's disappearance was inextricably linked to the Corpse Sect! Moreover, his mother's current state… was the direct result of the Corpse Sect's actions!
"Corpse… Sect…" The name ground out from between Lin Feng's clenched teeth, syllable by venomous syllable. His fists were balled so tightly his knuckles turned white. A volcanic fury surged within his chest, a primal urge to hunt down those who had harmed his mother and tear them limb from limb.
With monumental effort, he forced the rage down. Another deep breath steadied him, and his face smoothed into controlled calm. He looked up at Bai Honglin.
"Senior Bai, I need to know… Did my father ever mention any specific method… any way… to save my mother?"
"This…" Bai Honglin shook his head with genuine regret. "The cultivation world has never heard of a surefire method to counteract the Corpse Sect's Soul-Corrosion Palm. However…"
He paused, then offered a sliver of possibility. "For injuries to the soul itself… remedies do exist. Legendary elixirs like the 'Soul-Mending Pill', the 'Soul-Returning Pill', the 'Spirit-Nourishing Pill'… even certain rare and profound soul-healing techniques… are said to be capable of mending soul damage. I believe… these were the kinds of things your father sought…"
Though Lin Feng had never heard of these remedies before, a wave of profound relief washed over him. Even if his current knowledge and strength were insufficient, having a direction, a goal, was everything. He would find a way to save his mother – no matter the cost!
His gaze drifted unconsciously back to the Xuanbing Immortal Coffin. Then, a practical complication surfaced. Ideally, he would take his mother with him – safeguarding her himself would be the only way to truly ensure her protection. But this was impossible. She absolutely could not be removed from the coffin. And the coffin itself… was the Profound Ice Palace's priceless ancestral treasure. They could never permit it to be taken away casually…
Furthermore, another pressing concern emerged. Lin Feng's brow furrowed slightly as he turned back to Bai Honglin.
"By the way, Senior Bai," he said, his tone shifting to one of immediate concern, "before I arrived, I heard rumors outside regarding a conflict between your esteemed sect and the Purple Flames Sect… What is the true situation? How do you plan to handle it?"
The abrupt shift in topic caught Bai Honglin off guard. He blinked, then a wave of weary resignation washed over his face, twisting into a bitter smile. "Ah, that… it's a long story. We—"
BOOM!!!
A sudden, massive explosion rocked the ground, its deafening roar cutting through the icy silence of the chamber and ruthlessly cutting off Bai Honglin's words. Both men inside the chamber instantly paled.