As Ming Qi watched Zi Yue's body rapidly turn pitch black, a name suddenly came to his mind.
The Black Soul Curse!
This is a sinister spell of the Black Soul Curse. It implants a spell deep within the soul, tightly connecting it to the body. If the body is damaged or the victim resists, they are instantly enveloped in a shroud of black energy, transformed into black clothing, and instantly reduced to ashes, leaving no trace.
Such a death is undoubtedly horrific, but this is not the terrifying aspect of the Black Soul Curse.
The most terrifying aspect of the Black Soul Curse is that once implanted, the victim remains completely unaware. A spell that connects silently and flawlessly to the soul, even those with far greater cultivation than the victim remain unable to detect any clues.
Legend has it that the Black Soul Curse originated from the ancient Tianwu Divine Sect tens of millions of years ago. It was developed by the great wizards of the Tianwu Divine Sect. Back then, the spell didn't have its current name, but the great wizards of the Tianwu Divine Sect all wore black robes. Therefore, through subsequent generations, this silent, dark spell came to be known as the Black Soul Curse.
Furthermore, the black robes transformed by the cursed person indirectly infect anyone who comes into contact with them. While not as terrifying as a direct curse, the damage is still significant.
That's why Ming Qi acted immediately upon seeing Zi Yue's body transformed into black.
What surprised Ming Qi was that Meng Ling acted without hesitation, directly using her innate energy to pull Zi Yuan towards her.
Zi Yue died, her body completely destroyed.
This was undoubtedly a devastating blow to Zi Yuan. Zi Yue held a special place in her heart. Even though she had been immersed in the magic path for years and associated with the demonic cultivators of Wandering Soul Valley, Zi Yuan had never hated her.
Seeing this scene, a pain like a sword piercing her heart surged through her body.
She simply stood there, staring blankly at the spot where Zi Yue had vanished, motionless as a statue.
"The Heavenly Witch Cult? How could it be the Heavenly Witch Cult?"
Ming Qi looked at Zi Yuan quietly. He knew that giving her quiet time at this moment was the best comfort, so he remained silent.
Beside her, Meng Ling suddenly began to mutter to herself.
Ming Qi was stunned and asked, "Do you know the Heavenly Witch Cult?"
Clearly, if Ming Qi could recognize the Black Demonic Soul Curse, then Meng Ling would certainly be able to do the same.
The Heavenly Witch Cult was once a giant in the demonic world, standing tall for hundreds of years. It once led the demonic sect and numerous alien cultivators to wreak catastrophic havoc on the humanity of the Central Earth.
According to unofficial rumors, the demonic holy war launched by the Heavenly Witch Cult reached the heart of the Central Earth, the Capital of the Gods. This terrified righteous sects and forces, who avoided the Heavenly Witch Cult's black-clad monks like the plague.
That unprecedented holy war, which nearly overturned the righteous cultivators' control over the Central Earth, was ultimately hampered by the intervention of numerous gods. Ultimately, the leader of the Heavenly Witch Cult attempted to defy the will of Heaven and was slain by the gods. Later, other gods secretly acted to destroy the foundations of the Heavenly Witch Cult.
What followed was an unprecedented counterattack by the righteous cultivators of the Central Earth, ultimately crumbling the Heavenly Witch Cult, which had stood firm for centuries, and disintegrating into thin air.
Thus, almost every cultivator who had ever existed in this Central Earth, or even in the Four Directions, knew the name of the Heavenly Witch Cult.
Ming Qi wasn't surprised at all that Meng Ling mentioned the Tianwu Divine Cult, but he was somewhat curious because there seemed to be something else in Meng Ling's tone.
"Yes, I know about the Tianwu Divine Cult, and I know quite a bit about it."
Meng Ling's words immediately shocked Ming Qi.
"A lot of knowledge?"
Could it be that Meng Ling, before she fell asleep, had some connection to the Tianwu Divine Cult?
"You have a connection with them?"
Ming Qi didn't care about anything else at this point, just asking whatever came to his mind.
After all, the Tianwu Divine Cult existed thousands of years ago, a great ancient sect. If that was true, then this Guqin Meng Ling must have an unfathomable history.
However, in response to Ming Qi's question, Meng Ling shook her head in confusion.
Unsatisfied with his curiosity, Ming Qi stopped asking.
Meng Ling had indeed lost many memories when she awoke from her slumber. Seeing the Black-robed Demon Soul Curse remember the Heavenly Witch Cult was quite surprising. If this continued smoothly, it wouldn't be long before Meng Ling's memories gradually recovered and became complete.
"However, I do remember a prophecy circulated during the Holy War, when the Heavenly Witch Cult was annihilated."
Ming Ling's eyes flickered, as if she was struggling to recall something.
Ming Qi didn't interrupt, simply listening quietly.
He knew that if Meng Ling remembered something, she would naturally speak it out.
"It seems that the Black-robed Demon Soul Curse appears, and the Heavenly Witch Cult will rise."
The Black-robed Demon Soul Curse appears, and the Heavenly Witch Cult will rise!
Ming Qi was shocked. The Black-robed Demon Soul Curse appears, and the Heavenly Witch Cult will be revived!
Could it be that the Heavenly Witch Cult will truly be revived after ten thousand years?
During the Holy War of Extinction, while the righteous cultivators had utterly crushed the centuries-old Tianwu Divine Cult with overwhelming force, annihilating all of its disciples was naturally impossible.
Are there remnants of the Tianwu Divine Cult? And have they been hiding, attempting a revival?
The appearance of the Black Clothes Demonic Soul Curse might not mean much, but who was behind it? Since they could cast it, they were most likely disciples of the Tianwu Divine Cult!
The Tianwu Divine Cult is Black Clothes, and Black Clothes is the Tianwu Divine Cult; the two are practically synonymous.
The Tianwu Divine Cult disciples have finally taken action. Does this mean the Tianwu Divine Cult has truly begun its revival?
This series of speculations left Ming Qi somewhat bewildered. He felt a bit redundant. What was the point of all this? The Tianwu Divine Cult was a colossal existence that had alarmed the gods. Even if he knew all this, what would it matter?
With a self-deprecating laugh, Ming Qi tossed the items aside. Seeing that Meng Ling couldn't recall anything for the time being, he turned to look at Zi Yuan.
After a period of silence, Zi Yuan had clearly recovered considerably. Although a hint of sadness still lingered in her eyes, it was under control, and she seemed to be showing no signs of significant emotion.
Ming Qi took out the Zi Yuan Feather.
Zi Yuan no longer hesitated, taking the feather and carefully putting it away.
"I'm leaving now. Take care."
Ming Qi didn't know what else to say, so he offered a polite remark.
Zi Yuan nodded and said nothing more. She occasionally glanced at Meng Ling, who was following Ming Qi, as if trying to guess what kind of person this woman was.
Ming Qi turned around and heard Zi Yuan say, "If you ever pass by Teng Hua again, come find me at the Zi Mansion."
Teng Hua Zi Mansion!
Ming Qi was startled. He had always believed Zi Yuan's origins were somewhat puzzling, so hearing her speak out now wasn't surprising.
Teng Hua's Purple Mansion was on the same level as Jinchuan's White Mansion, both under the jurisdiction of the governor of Xiongfeng City, the largest power in the heart of Xilan Province. There were seven other powers like Teng Hua's Purple Mansion and Jinchuan's White Mansion in Xilan Province, and their mutual checks and balances ensured the province's stability.
The Biyou Sect, which Ming Qi had joined, was a notch below both the Purple Mansion and the White Mansion. Whether in terms of the number of disciples, the resources controlled, or the number of powerful cultivators, it was far inferior to any of the other seven.
If we were to compare them purely, the Biyou Sect's current strength was probably even weaker than that of Youhun Valley.
Of course, Ming Qi didn't consider these things for the time being. Learning that Zi Yuan was from the Purple Mansion didn't seem to be a bad thing.
"Okay. If I ever get the chance to visit Teng Hua, I'll definitely visit the Purple Mansion."
With that, Ming Qi departed.
The evil spirit gathering array had dissipated, leaving Qinglong Town clear of obstacles. It wasn't long before Ming Qi was out of the town and found the dire wolf.
Just as he was about to return to the Biyou Sect, Meng Ling said, "I've expended too much energy. I can no longer maintain a stable, perfect form. I must replenish it with blood."
Hearing this, Ming Qi's heart skipped a beat. He'd actually considered this a long time ago, but hadn't found a good solution, so he hadn't asked. Having unexpectedly stumbled into the treacherous Qinglong Town, Meng Ling had attacked several times, utilizing her innate energy. Naturally, her collapse was unsurprising.
Killing people for their blood was a complete no-go.
The only remaining option was to hunt demonic beasts, and the Valley of Despair, where Ming Qi had just visited, was undoubtedly the most abundant.
It seemed he couldn't return to the Biyou Sect for the time being, so he had no choice but to return to the Valley of Despair.
"Then let's go back to that valley and hunt some more monsters to replenish our energy."
Meng Ling held many secrets, and her intentions were not ill-intentioned. Ming Qi was willing to have someone like her, capable of unleashing extraordinary combat power in a crucial moment, accompanying him. At the very least, she could serve as a trump card.
Meng Ling nodded, her blood-red eyes resting on Ming Qi's face for a moment before she took flight.
Ming Qi wasted no time, summoning the sacred tree leaf and staggering towards the Valley of Despair.
Meng Ling's flying speed could easily match Ming Qi's sacred tree leaf, so she simply floated atop it, saving her energy.
They flew for an indeterminate amount of time before Meng Ling suddenly asked, perplexed, "Are you as kind to others as you are to me?"
Ming Qi stumbled and nearly fell from the leaf.
Good?
Ming Qi realized he'd been misunderstood. Honestly, this wasn't really a good thing. To put it nicely, it was a mutually beneficial situation. To put it bluntly, Ming Qi was simply deceiving an innocent young girl.
But how could he explain this? How could he explain it clearly?
"Well, no, I'm only being nice to you."
Ming Qi thought again and lied without blushing or beating his heart.