“First these two questions; address them together.”
“How did you find your way into Sleeping Dragon Valley? As far as I know, Sleeping Dragon Valley has been sealed off for twenty years. Without the Sleeping Dragon Seal to guide you, it’s easy to get lost in the valley.” She had already seen from the memory mirror that ordinary people, when they arrive at Sleeping Dragon Valley, tend to wander around the first to third floors. To reach the ninth floor, you really need some intelligence.
Back then, when her mother and Qian Ziyan entered Sleeping Dragon Valley, they were confounded by the labyrinthine routes inside. It wasn’t until a month later that they realized it was a maze valley; by then, more than half of the people they had brought with them had died.
Jing Ke remained motionless, simply staring at Qian Wanyu and smiling.
“Secondly, you seem to know Sleeping Dragon Valley very well. I suspect you’ve been here before, so why didn’t you break through the stone gate until now?”
Jing Ke smiled but said nothing, quietly waiting for Qian Wanyu’s third question.
Qian Wanyu suddenly smiled at him. “I always thought you were Meng Yixiao, but now I believe you’re not. Meng Yixiao isn’t as clever as you. No matter how well you pretend, I won’t let you venture deeper.”
Almost simultaneously, the two of them unleashed their spiritual powers, which clashed fiercely. In the end, Qian Wanyu’s five-colored spiritual power gained the upper hand.
Jing Ke laughed heartily. Dongfang Minghui, who was on the side, had no idea she had just skirted the edge of death. She had been studying the issue of water in the deep pool but stopped to listen carefully when she heard Seventh Sister’s question. Unexpectedly, the two of them disagreed and began fighting immediately.
“Qian Wanyu, you’re so clever. How did you realize I was stalling for time?”
Jing Ke was looking for an opportunity, and that opportunity was Dongfang Minghui. He had feigned surrender to make everyone relax their guard. Once he had been taken hostage, he could directly enter the deep pool and extract useful information from the other party. However, the other party saw through him.
Qian Wanyu was still asking the second question when she subconsciously moved to stand in front of Ninth Sister.
“It’s quite obvious,” said Qian Wanyu, releasing all her spiritual power. Five strands of brightly colored spiritual power emerged, astonishing Mo Ce. He had seen dual-series and three-series Spiritual Masters, but never a fifth-series Spiritual Master or Monarch.
“Oh, this is eye-opening. It’s actually a five-element spirit body.”
“Seventh Sister,” said Dongfang Minghui, most afraid of her sister revealing her physique, a dangerous signal. “Little Color, we need to kill this person together.”
“You, Seventh Sister, can handle it more than adequately.”
The greatest advantage of the Five Elements Spirit is overcoming level gaps. Given that the opponent’s spiritual power hasn’t even reached the Spiritual Monarch level, this battle was entirely in Qian Wanyu’s favor, so Little Color wasn’t worried.
However, Qing Mo sounded a warning. “Although I don’t know how he takes over other people’s bodies, you must be cautious. People like him are always looking for a suitable host. Just like Meng Yixiao, he also coveted your Five Elements Spirit Body.”
Qian Wanyu nodded cautiously. “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.”
Qian Wanyu, who never underestimated her opponent, initially overwhelmed Jing Kewei. However, the latter appeared calm and untroubled. When Qian Wanyu noticed his eyes frequently shifted toward Ninth Sister, and she knew she had to remain vigilant.
In order to avoid prolonged uncertainty, she unleashed the devouring power within her body at full speed, causing the strong spiritual power in Jing Ke’s body to diminish gradually.
Jing Ke smiled oddly at Qian Wanyu before suddenly collapsing to the ground, lifeless. Qian Wanyu immediately ceased her devouring action and warned, “Everyone, be cautious; don’t let that person seize this opportunity.”
Dongfang Minghui felt uneasy. The so-called spiritual body-fighting involved two souls vying for control of a body, and the stronger soul will prevail. She subconsciously looked around, hoping not to encounter it…
“Little Color, return to my soul sea.”
“Um.”
Little Color swiftly retreated into the sea of souls, considering itself the guardian of this realm. If anyone intruded recklessly, they would be beaten beyond recognition.
The Sleepy Dragon Seal fluttered about, examining the three individuals repeatedly before finally focusing on Jing Ke, who lay on the ground. Then, a gray mist was rapidly converging and rushing toward Mo Ce.
“Over there, over there!”
The cry from the Sleeping Dragon Seal startled them. Before they could react, they saw Mo Ce smirk at them and dive into the deep pool.
The Sleepy Dragon Seal weeped, saying, “It’s over; he’s entered the deep pool!”
Qian Wanyu grabbed Dongfang Minghui and quickly leapt into the deep pool. Neither of them had anticipated that Jing Kewei would possess Mo Ce’s body by sacrificing himself.
“Qing Mo, do you have any effective methods to expel him from Mo Ce’s soul sea?” This was the first time Qian Wanyu had encountered such a formidable evil, and it was Mo Ce who was invaded.
As for why Mo Ce couldn’t resist, Qian Wanyu was puzzled and instinctively wanted to save him.
“Within five hours, the two souls in the body will vie for control. You must help Mo Ce expel the invading soul as quickly as possible. However, Mo Ce is seriously injured, and the dark substances in his body are eroding his life force. This is very dangerous,” Qing Mo said, unable to contain himself. He had assumed the other party would choose Wanyu, given that the Five Elements Spiritual Body was always desirable. Who would have thought he’d choose the weakest one?
“Seventh Sister, Mo Ce—” Dongfang Minghui became anxious, and tears started to flow. For some reason, this situation felt eerily similar to events from a few days ago.
Qian Wanyu looked at Ninth Sister with a complex expression. They were the only ones in the entire valley. Could the person who cast the soul-inducing spell on Ninth Sister be Mo Ce himself? But considering the time-space continuum of reincarnation, Mo Ce was ruled out. Why would he cast a soul-inducing spell on Ninth Sister? It made no sense. Qian Wanyu was extremely reluctant to admit that the soul-inducing spell was likely cast by her… or by Qing Mo on Ninth Sister.
But why?
Every time Mo Ce was mentioned, Ninth Sister cries so sorrowfully. Had she not been with Ninth Sister all this time, and had they not communicated so harmoniously not long ago, she would have thought their relationship was more than friendship based on the tears alone.
“Ninth Sister.”
“Wuwu—” Dongang Minghui sobbed and hiccupped, finally stopping. “Seventh Sister, what’s happening to me?”
Qian Wanyu opened her mouth but found it difficult to speak.
“Qing Mo, if I was the one who cast the soul-inducing spell on Ninth Sister, how would I undo it?”
Qing Mo paused before asking, “Did you cast it?”
Qian Wanyu replied helplessly, “We lost part of our memory. Mo Ce and Toothless were excluded from the memory wipe. I suspect Mo Ce wasn’t excluded; rather, he was in danger and couldn’t be involved, so he was left out.”
As for Toothless, escape was likely impossible from that senior.
Everything seemed to make sense.
Qing Mo remained enigmatic and finally advised, “Casting the soul-inducing technique is simple, requiring only a few instructions. However, reversing it is very dangerous. I suggest you don’t attempt it. Otherwise, your Ninth Sister’s soul sea might be attacked, and the risks could outweigh the benefits.”
Qian Wanyu had no choice but to relent, comforting her instead, “Ninth Sister, let’s not mention those two names.”
Dongfang Minghui looked at her pitifully, crying and hiccupping. “But Mo Ce is in danger, Seventh Sister. What should we do?”
As soon as they dived into the deep pool, Mo Ce’s shadow vanished. Clearly, the other party had used him to reach the deepest area.
“Don’t worry, Mo Ce won’t let that person succeed easily. Let’s go help him quickly,” Qian Wanyu said, noticing that Ninth Sister’s tears, which had momentarily stopped, began to fall again. It was a feeling of utter helplessness.
Mo Ce…
Seeing Ninth Sister’s tears, Qian Wanyu felt her heart tighten with distress. “Seventh Sister is sorry. Don’t cry. We still have five hours to expel that person from his body.”
As they had guessed, Mo Ce had his soul sea forcibly invaded, nearly shattering it. The soul sea was crucial for a Spiritual Master. Mo Ce hadn’t expected the intruder to control his body so aggressively, even attempting to attack his soul after entering the deep pool.
Caught off guard the first time, Mo Ce found that the black mist initially invading his body was gradually being absorbed by the man’s soul after multiple attacks.
Mo Ce was also a Dark Element Spiritual Master who already possessed the aura of death. At certain moments, this aura aligned with the black mist. After several attacks, Mo Ce did something unexpected.
He tried to merge the aura of death with the black mist. It was like a game of push and pull, with the dominant force absorbing the weaker one.
When Qian Wanyu and Dongfang Minghui found Mo Ce, he was in a pitiable state, bleeding profusely from all orifices and appearing agonized.
Dongfang Minghui was extremely anxious. “Seventh Sister, what should we do?”
Qian Wanyu couldn’t determine whether Mo Ce or the invading soul had the upper hand. “Qing Mo, how can we assist him?”
“It’s difficult for outsiders to intervene in such matters unless you find someone whose spiritual power matches his…” Qing Mo said helplessly. “At this point, he can only rely on his own willpower.”
Qian Wanyu looked at Ninth Sister. “Now, he can only depend on himself.”
Hearing this, Dongfang Minghui felt desperate. Compared to the intruder, Mo Ce seemed weaker, especially since he had just been injured. She paced anxiously around Mo Ce for a moment.
“Wait!”
What allows one person to defeat another is not just strength, but also personal willpower.
Dongfang Minghui knelt beside Mo Ce and whispered, “Mo Ce, think about your mother. In the Elf Clan, she must be longing to see her son again in this lifetime. She thinks about it every day and night. Since you’ve been separated, she hopes you’ll live well, take care of yourself, and eventually find the elves—and her—using your token and the mark on your body. Trust me, no mother is different; if she loves her child, she will continue to live for you.”
Qian Wanyu looked at Ninth Sister, who had been speaking so earnestly, and was reminded of a distant memory. In Death Valley, she would often hear a voice whispering in her ear, fueling her desires and ambitions.
She quickly awakened from that dreamlike state.
“Maybe Ninth Sister can actually do it,” Qian Wanyu mused, somewhat perplexed. After the soul-inducing spell had worn off, she wanted to see if the name ‘Mo Ce’ would still affect Ninth Sister. Qian Wanyu narrowed her eyes.
Noticing that the phantom was still nearby, Qian Wanyu approached and asked, “Senior, are you the third guardian of the deep pool within the Sleepy Dragon Seal?”
What was the purpose of creating illusions to pass the first and second levels and go directly to the third? What secrets lay within this deep pool?
Without a word, Senior Phantom gently slapped Qian Wanyu. The palm felt soft and seemingly powerless, but Qian Wanyu saw the surrounding water droplets solidify and rush toward her like a tidal wave.
Qian Wanyu didn’t resist head-on but took three steps back, releasing five strands of spiritual power to counter it. Even so, she was pushed back another five steps.
“Just like Jing Ke, you may not pass this level smoothly,” Qing Mo observed, noting the gap between them.
Senior Phantom appeared to possess the strength of a Spiritual Saint, making it difficult for Wanyu to defeat him. With Jing Ke having taken over Mo Ce’s body, the challenge became even more formidable.
“What if?” Qian Wanyu had never relied on luck, although she had encountered it many times before. Just when she thought she was powerless in the deep pool, the other party presented her with another challenge.
“Wanyu, what do you want to do?”
“No matter what, we’ll find out what’s beneath the deep pool after defeating Senior Phantom,” Qian Wanyu declared, drawing her whip. Wielding it in the solidified water increased the difficulty, but she remained undeterred.
Qing Mo wasn’t sure whether to attribute her audacity to youthful recklessness or a lack of self-awareness.
“Didn’t you say that the Five Elements Spiritual Body can overcome challenges beyond its level?” Qian Wanyu noted Qing Mo’s silence and spoke again, unsure if she was reminding herself or Qing Mo.
“Yes,” Qing Mo agreed wholeheartedly, recalling the numerous times the impossible had become possible. “From now on, I’ll give it my all.”
In the time that followed, Qian Wanyu gave her best effort, repeatedly challenging Senior Phantom. Through these countless battles, she gradually gained new insights.
Dongfang Minghui also wanted to confront Senior Phantom for a moment, but upon seeing Mo Ce, she paused her thoughts. “Actually, I miss my mother quite a bit too. You should understand how I feel.”
Mo Ce’s greatest wish was likely to find the elves and reunite with his mother.
However, the truth is, no one present knows whether Mo Ce’s mother was still alive. Dongfang Minghui could only hope that this wonderful mother was still living and could bless Mo Ce to escape danger successfully.
Suddenly, a large amount of black mist appeared on Mo Ce’s face. The black threads flowed across his handsome features, forming a net that seemed to be swallowing him bit by bit.
“Mo Ce!”
As soon as she uttered these words, Dongfang Minghui broke down in tears. She despised the situation so much that she cried out, “You jerk, Mo Ce, if you die, let me tell you, I’ll be devastated.”
Why was she so upset? It made no sense.
In total, she and Mo Ce had known each other for less than a month. How could they have developed such a strong bond? She hadn’t even cried this much when Lu Xing had an accident.
Dongfang Minghui was sobbing and hiccupping as if her world was ending. She covertly glanced in Qian Wanyu’s direction, hoping that seventh sister hadn’t heard what she had just said.