Chapter 239: Soul Possession by the Hua Xin Sword Spirit

“Junior Brother Qian, we can’t go any farther.”

At the edge of the Red Scorched Circle, a silver kite hovered above a fissure in the scorched red earth. Nangong Li brought the silver kite to a halt and spoke up.

Qian Songshi held a map in his hand and said, “The Crimson Sky Sect has already claimed a portion of the Red Scorched Circle, and the Returning Immortal Sect is about to surpass us.”

Their team had fought their way from the Abyssal Circle all the way to the outskirts of the Red Scorched Circle without stopping once. From the very beginning, their goal had been to take first place.

Nangong Li naturally understood what he meant and said slowly, “The Red Scorched Circle is too dangerous. Even I can’t guarantee I can protect all of you.”

Qian Songshi replied, “Even Lu Feishuang went in. Senior Sister, you’re being too modest.”

“Have you not noticed? There’s been no movement from them for quite some time,” Nangong Li said. “And they might not even realize they’ve entered the Red Scorched Circle.”

Qian Songshi frowned. “What do you mean?”

Nangong Li moved her fingers slightly, dispelling the barrier on the silver kite. The gaping fissure in the scorched ground vanished, revealing a flat, unbroken path.

“Someone tampered with this place. If not for the barrier just now, what you saw would have been this illusion.”

Gu Qingyu realized it belatedly, a chill running down her spine. “An illusion array.”

If they’d encountered it alone, they might have walked straight in without ever realizing they were stepping into danger.

“Do you understand now?” Nangong Li said. “Whatever is hiding in the Red Scorched Circle, we are no match for it. Even I could barely sense it and was almost deceived.”

Qian Songshi’s smile faded. “You’re incredible, Senior Sister. If not for you, we would’ve fallen right into the trap. But those who already went in…”

Nangong Li sighed. “The map hasn’t shown any activity for a long time. I’m afraid things don’t look good. Based on my estimation, at least two teams are currently inside the Red Scorched Circle—one from the Returning Immortal Sect and one from the Crimson Sky Sect. Fortunately, no one from our sect is in there yet.”

Gu Qingyu hesitated. “Then should we stay here to warn the others?”

Nangong Li said, “We need to leave. This place is not safe. Junior Brother, leave an arrow here to warn those who come after.”

Qian Songshi nodded and raised his hand, firing an ice arrow toward the edge of the scorched fissure. The arrow embedded itself in the ground, instantly freezing a large patch of earth around it.

The moment the arrow struck, Qian Songshi paused. The arrow was still connected to his spiritual energy, and he sensed a wave of power from beneath the ground—some kind of special communication technique.

His expression grew serious. After a moment of thought, he said, “Senior Sister, let’s forfeit. We should withdraw from the exploration early.”

…

…

Mist Sea Cliff.

“Shen Wuxie, did the message get out?” Baili Que transmitted over in an instant, appearing on the opposite side of Mist Sea Cliff and grabbing Shen Wuxie off the ground.

He had been entangled with the Thousand-Eyed Fish Demon until just now and had only just managed to break free and teleport across.

He was extremely anxious. The massive body of the Thousand-Eyed Fish Demon had completely blocked the view between the two sides of the cliff. He couldn’t see anyone and had nearly assumed the worst.

Shen Wuxie hung limply in his grip like a dead fish. He was completely drained, his yellow sect robes soaked in blood, his face pale as paper.

“Are you blind? I’ve been casting the message spell for over an hour. My spiritual energy’s nearly gone,” Shen Wuxie rasped weakly. “Why are you only getting here now? I thought you all ran off without me.”

Baili Que glanced across the cliff. Ye Minghe was still locked in combat with the Thousand-Eyed Fish Demon, and the situation looked dire.

He scanned the area but didn’t see Lian Mu. “Where’s Lian Mu?”

Shen Wuxie rolled his eyes. “She jumped off the cliff. You’re just now noticing? She’s probably dead by now.”

Baili Que’s fingers tightened. “She… really jumped?”

Shen Wuxie snapped, “Why would I lie to you? She kicked me over here so hard I’m half-crippled, and I haven’t even had a chance to settle the score with her. Then she just jumped off herself.”

Baili Que froze. He let go, and Shen Wuxie dropped back to the ground, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

Lying there in pain, Shen Wuxie’s face twisted in agony. “I helped you guys, and this is how you treat me? You people from the Returning Immortal Sect are seriously the worst.”

Baili Que ignored him completely and ran straight to the edge of the cliff.

Shen Wuxie called out, “Hey, you’re not thinking of jumping too, are you? I’m telling you, don’t go looking for death. No one’s ever come back alive from Mist Sea Cliff. You’re the young master of the Baili Family. If you jump, won’t that leave your clan without an heir?”

Then, as if remembering that Baili Que was one of his rivals on the talisman cultivator rankings, he changed his tone. “Actually, never mind. Go ahead and jump. I support you. Maybe she’s still alive down there. You two were so close, I’m sure you can’t bear the thought of her suffering alone.”

Baili Que stared into the abyss, shrouded in gray mist. Only when the Thousand-Eyed Fish Demon’s furious roar echoed from across the cliff did he snap out of it.

He immediately sealed Shen Wuxie’s legs. “Stay here. Keep transmitting until a senior comes.”

With that, he turned on his heel and teleported back to the other side of the cliff.

Ye Minghe was covered in wounds. When he saw Baili Que return, he kept his guard up against the fish demon and asked, “How are they?”

Baili Que didn’t know how to answer. Given the situation, telling Senior Brother Ye about Lian Mu might only distract him.

The Thousand-Eyed Fish Demon was far too dangerous. They couldn’t afford to let their minds wander. Even Baili Que had to force down his emotions.

“They’re across the cliff. Senior Brother, let’s retreat to the other side for now,” Baili Que said.

Ye Minghe shook his head. “No. If we leave, no one will be left to hold it back. It’s clearly trying to escape Mist Sea Cliff. If it succeeds, not only will we die, but other regions will be in danger too.”

Baili Que said, “Senior Brother, none of us can beat it.”

Lian Mu was already gone. He didn’t want to see Ye Minghe fall as well.

Shen Wuxie had been sending messages for an hour, and still no one had come. Most likely, no help was coming.

If they could teleport across the cliff now, before the demon reacted, they might still have a slim chance of survival.

Blood trickled from the corner of Ye Minghe’s mouth. In the next moment, a green light flared in his hand, and a fierce wind rose around him.

“Back at Cold Arrival Peak, everyone said I had the makings of a sect master. Pity I never got the chance to sit in that seat before meeting the same end as the others.” Ye Minghe chuckled bitterly, a trace of resignation in his voice. “With my strength, even if I give it my all, I can only hold it off for a little while. Junior Brother, take the others and go.”

Baili Que froze. It wasn’t until the green light from the Hua Xin Sword surged into Ye Minghe’s body that he realized what he was planning.

Ye Minghe gripped the Hua Xin Sword tightly. His left eye was gradually overtaken by green light, and the spiritual energy around him suddenly multiplied several times over.

As the last wisp of green light entered his forehead, he whispered to the sword, “Senior, lend me your strength.”

This was… soul possession!

The Hua Xin Sword housed the remnant soul of its original swordmaster. Though it lacked consciousness, it could still possess the wielder, locking onto a target. The combination of the cultivator’s spiritual power and the first swordmaster’s mastery of swordsmanship unleashed terrifying power.

However, allowing another soul to possess your body can cause severe damage to your divine sense. If your sword heart is unstable, you might even suffer a backlash.

Since the Hua Xin Sword was listed among the Ten Great Famous Swords, its wielders have only ever been able to summon a soul four times at most. After the fourth time, they either die or go mad. Some couldn’t even handle it once.

Ye Minghe was still so young. He shouldn’t waste such an opportunity so early.

Baili Que’s eyes flickered. “Senior Brother, you… I’ll stay and help you.”

The two exchanged no unnecessary words. The resolve to fight side by side was reached in an instant.

Ye Minghe raised his sword and charged forward. The sword light flashed like lightning, striking directly at the Thousand-Eyed Fish Demon’s fin. A fierce wind howled as he sliced off one of its fins.

The Thousand-Eyed Fish Demon flipped upright. It, too, was a wind-type Demonic Creature. Its massive body rode the wind, and with a powerful slap of its tail, several wind vortices formed. The whirlwinds swept across the Sea of Mist, drawing in gray fog. The residual sword energy collided with the swirling mist and instantly dissipated.

Baili Que said, “Be careful, Senior Brother. There’s something strange about this fog.”

Wind surged beneath Baili Que’s feet. While the Thousand-Eyed Fish Demon was distracted, he unleashed a row of fire talismans, burning out the fish eyes on its side.

Ye Minghe seized the opportunity. “Back off, Junior Brother Baili!”

Baili Que vanished in a flash. Almost at the same moment, Ye Minghe unleashed his second strike.

One of his eyes glowed with a green light, and his every movement carried the trace of a swordsman’s lingering soul.

This strike carried his full strength. Before the fish demon could regenerate, the blade followed the scorched wound and sliced deep into its flesh. The sword energy struck bone, and the fish demon let out a piercing scream.

All of its countless eyes locked onto Ye Minghe. The Sea of Mist churned, and gray fog spilled over the cliffs.

It was truly enraged now.

Ye Minghe panted heavily and looked at his hand. As expected, even going all out had only managed to break its skin.

He gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand. “In exchange for my body, I ask that Senior fight to your heart’s content.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the green light began to flood into his other eye, slowly overtaking his consciousness.

“Hold on, young friend.”

A burst of Water Spiritual Power struck his wrist, knocking the Hua Xin Sword from his hand and forcibly interrupting the process.

Ye Minghe’s eyes instantly cleared. He froze, instinctively looking toward the source of the spiritual energy.

High above, a figure in bright yellow robes stood with hands clasped behind his back, sleeves billowing in the wind.

“Sect Master Shen?!” Baili Que also recognized the newcomer. It wasn’t just Shen Minglu—Ji Mingyue was there too.

The entire team led by Jiang Hanyu had arrived.

Shen Wuxie was dangling in midair, being held by Ji Mingyue. He sneered at them. “You two useless things, in the end, you should be thanking me. If my uncle hadn’t received my message and rushed over in time, you’d both be dead.”

Ji Mingyue smacked him on the head. “Already talking after just taking your medicine? Clearly, you’re not hurt enough.”

Shen Wuxie immediately quieted down, not daring to move.

Shen Minglu said calmly, “You two did well holding it off. Leave the rest to me.”

He raised his hand, and a barrier descended, shielding the two who were looking a bit battered. Then he curled his fingers slightly, and a crushing wave of pressure pinned the Thousand-Eyed Fish Demon in place.

Shen Minglu’s gaze swept across the area and finally settled on an inconspicuous corner. He parted his lips slightly and flicked his fingers. “Break the formation.”

In the blink of an eye, the hidden formation controlling the Thousand-Eyed Fish Demon was shattered.

With a thunderous boom, the demon’s body exploded into a spray of blood and flesh. Before it could even hit the ground, it disintegrated into dust.

This time, not even a bone was left behind.