Spirit Realm Chapter 495-498

Chapter 495: He Wei’s Regret

Chu Li turned and left.

This turn of events stunned everyone.

He Wei hadn’t expected Chu Li, the person she had always relied on and who catered to her every whim, to burst out in fury at this moment. He had even been resolute in his departure, drawing a clear line between them.

He Wei felt a bit of anxiety in her heart.

She was well aware of Chu Li’s abilities. She knew that, even without Terminator Profound Bombs in his hands, Chu Li’s personal combat power still ranked amongst that of the top geniuses.

The moment they lost Chu Li, they would no longer have any hope of fighting for the Pure Soul Springs.

Chu Li’s departure was the same thing as them giving up on the Pure Soul Springs.

This was something that He Wei desperately did not want to happen.

“Chu Li!” He Wei shouted anxiously.

“Senior Brother!” Ren Peng, Hu Ping, and Wei Liang were also anxious.

Ye Yihao, Feng Yiyou, and Yu Men, on the other hand, were momentarily stunned. Then, immediately afterward, they looked as though a heavy weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

To them, Chu Li was definitely a strong, sturdy opponent. If he were to leave, there would be one less powerful enemy. This was a situation that they were happy to see.

“Big Brother Chu!” Qin Lie suddenly shouted. “You should be aware that you weren’t the reason I refused to let your group join us! Since you and He Wei have now gone separate ways, I officially invite you to join us in fighting for the Pure Soul Springs! I, Qin Lie, swear that, as long as there’s a harvest to be reaped from the thunder lagoon, we definitely won’t forget about Big Brother Chu’s portion!”

Chu Li’s figure stopped retreating into the distance, pausing where it was.

The people watching him felt that something was strange. Every single one of them grew anxious.

Even the expressions of the people from Black Voodoo Cult suddenly turned grim. They clearly found the current situation somewhat troublesome.

Feng Yiyou and Yu Men’s sunken expressions continued to grow more and more depressed.

Xue Moyan and Luo Chen were already on Qin Lie’s side. If Chu Li joined him as well, their force would be enough to contend with Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families!

It would result in the formation of an almighty power with a terrifying ability to dominate!

No one was willing to see such a situation take shape. No one was hoping for Chu Li to actually stay and join Qin Lie’s group.

Chu Li turned around, not even batting an eye at He Wei. He surveyed everyone else, and when he looked at Qin Lie, he sighed helplessly.

“Brother Lie, I have received your good will,” he said, shaking his head. “From the very beginning, I knew that you have never owed us anything. You also never took advantage of us. I… I simply do not wish to think too much. If I stay here, I’ll be at odds with… them… in the fight for the Pure Soul Springs. So, let’s just forget it. My departure would be best.”

The people he spoke of as “them” were naturally He Wei and the three other Terminator Sect martial practitioners. The moment he moved to Qin Lie’s side, he would be opposing He Wei.

Even if Chu Li were in a state of crazed fury, he remained unwilling to truly consider He Wei, Ren Peng, Hu Ping, and Wei Liang enemies.

He couldn’t do it, and it was that his inability to do so would influence the choices of Qin Lie’s group if he joined them. That’s why he decided to just give up.

“Is that so?” Qin Lie stroked his chin. After humming for a few seconds, he said, “If you’re not here, they have to either give up and leave immediately… or face certain death! If you join us, however, our group will at least refrain from being too ruthless…”

Chu Li’s expression changed upon hearing this.

And he began to hesitate again.

Of He Wei and her group of four, Hu Ping was injured and probably didn’t have enough strength remaining to fight.

Only Ren Peng, Wei Liang, and He Wei remained. Compared to the crowd of people here in the thunder lagoon, their combined power simply wasn’t worth mentioning.

Without Chu Li, He Wei’s group of four did not have even the slightest chance of victory against any force in the Forbidden Land of Thunder.

A key thing to keep in mind was that Chu Li had an intimate understanding of He Wei’s personality. He was certain that He Wei wouldn’t give up so easily.

He Wei would definitely stay behind to try and snatch the Pure Soul Springs!

Indecision surfaced on Chu Li’s face as he plunged deep into thought. Having to choose between staying or going seemed to be a painful struggle for him.

It was at that instant that Qin Lie continued to provoke Black Voodoo Cult. Although his feet had come to a stop earlier, they once again stepped forward.

Qin Lie approached Huang Zhuli one step at a time. The distance between the two quickly shortened, and it looked as if he were about to charge right into Huang Zhuli’s face!

Every martial practitioner of Black Voodoo Cult surged with killing intent!

This sudden development successfully drew the attention of Feng Yiyou, Yu Men, and their combined force as all of their people turned to look at Qin Lie one after another.

“He said he wanted to step on the corpses of the three great families and allow Blood Fiend Sect to rise once more. His arrogance is too astounding.” Huang Zhuli took two steps back and then asked, “All of you know what to do, right?”

Huang Zhuli couldn’t stand Qin Lie’s arrogant, tyrannical demeanor.

So she commanded Su Yan and the rest of the three great families to attack.

“Do it!” Su Yan shouted coldly.

Six people instantly charged out from amongst the martial practitioners of the three great families. Six cold, sharp swords that glowed with frosty light stabbed toward Qin Lie’s chest.

“Great timing!” Qin Lie exclaimed, letting out a bizarre laugh.

“Crack, crack!”

Streaks of lightning the width of a thumb discharged from every orifice in his body. It looked as though hundreds of electrical ropes wreathed him.

A violent cacophony of thunderous noise exploded outward from Qin Lie’s mind, True Soul, consciousness, and organs.

“Boom!”

In the depths of the clouds, the ferocious thunder and lightning that was connected to the thunder lagoon once again soared through the sky like enormous dragons.

Several hundred lightning bolts as thick as trees descended one after another. Booming thunder accompanied each and every one.

This scene embodied the god of thunder’s wrath!

“Booooom! Booooom!”

The entire area surrounding Qin Lie was flooded with an onslaught of flashing, crackling lightning. It was as if Terminator Profound Bombs were endlessly exploding one after another in the vicinity of Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families.

Even the interior of the thunder lagoon was swept up in a hurricane of lightning. Like a giant python that had emerged from an abyss, lightning bolts hurtled toward the people of Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families.

“Papapa! Papapa!”

Dozens of lightning bolts shot toward the six martial practitioners, the ones who had taken the initiative to charge at Qin Lie, intent on slashing him to death. The bolts descended upon them like waterfalls of potent energy, striking them squarely in their heads.

Those six martial practitioners were submerged in lightning. Their sharp, inhuman screams resounded from within its terrifying, electrical glow, making everyone’s hair stand on end.

The people of Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families could only watch as electricity enveloped their six doomed comrades. They had no way to save them.

They couldn’t save them because, at the very same moment, the lightning and thunder energy shot out from deep within the clouds and from the thunder lagoon. This explosive energy flooded forth, quickly approaching the crowd.

The location of Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families suddenly became the forbidden area of a thunder god—a violent meat grinder.

“Sister Xue! Sister Xue!” Pan Qianqian perked up in an instant, inadvertently dancing with joy. “Q-Qin Lie is actually so powerful! Incredible, simply incredible! He actually attacked Black Voodoo Cult and the great families all by himself!”

Her entire body trembled with excitement.

Pan Qianqian had fallen into despair multiple times. When her sisters were killed one by one… when she saw Huang Zhuli hurl a deadly blow at Xue Moyan after acquiring the Spring of Life… when she found out about Huang Zhuli’s strength and understood the reality of their situation…

She had lost hope many times.

She eventually started thinking that, even after using up all their strength, she and Xue Moyan would have no way of avenging their sisters in the Graveyard of Gods.

Pan Qianqian had even become pessimistic enough to think that she and Xue Moyan would die at Huang Zhuli’s hand as well.

She thought that Qin Lie might’ve been able to help them, but she couldn’t have imagined that Qin Lie could control the rain and the clouds with a flip of his hand. She never would’ve foreseen Qin Lie being able to turn this extremely disadvantageous situation around.

She never would’ve dreamed that Qin Lie would dare to single-handedly charge at Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families. She also never would’ve envisioned Qin Lie not being immediately slaughtered… instead, he resembled the son of a thunder god. He walked confidently, commanding lightning bolts that filled the sky to descend and slaughter Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families!

Pan Qianqian could hear the shrieks and howls of the people being slaughtered. She could hear the curses that these people hurled in the face of panic and loss. She could see the numerous charred corpses of people who had died miserable deaths.

It took her a single glance to understand what all of this meant.

—Qin Lie was in control of the situation!

Pan Qianqian’s eyes involuntarily grew misty all of a sudden as she muttered to herself in a low voice. “Little Wan… Little Die… Your deaths won’t have been in vain”

Qin Lie’s figure shone clearly in Xue Moyan’s eyes. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and surprise appeared on her small face.

A surreal feeling, as if she’d fallen into a dream, sprouted inside of her.

At this very moment in the Forbidden Land of Thunder, Qin Lie had charged into the lion’s den. He clearly didn’t possess a high realm, but he twisted and contorted the energy of lightning and thunder,, carrying out a slaughter in every direction like a lightning controller.

These events were simply too incredible!

Luo Chen was similarly dumbstruck as well.

It was only at this moment that he finally understood why Qin Lie had wanted to keep Luo Chen from joining them.

Qin Lie didn’t require any assistance at all!

He, alone, was the strongest power within this Forbidden Land of Thunder!

He Wei was just as stunned as Luo Chen.

She, Ren Peng, Hu Ping, and Wei Liang wore deathly gray expressions at this moment. They finally saw the reality of the situation and understood just how ridiculous they were.

The four of them were actually arrogant enough to harbor thoughts of snatching the Pure Soul Springs from Qin Lie?

They were basically courting death!

In the same vein, they finally understood why Celestial Artifact Sect and Ten Thousand Beast Mountain, both of which clearly bore intense hatred for Qin Lie, remained silent after Huang Zhuli’s constant persuasion.

They had been silent because they were afraid!

Everything that had occurred amazed Chu Li.

Chu Li knew that, in the Forbidden Land of Thunder, Qin Lie would be capable of displaying just how profound his thunder spirit art was as much as he wanted. However, he never expected Qin Lie to have actually reached such a level. Qin Lie was capable of going against Black Voodoo Cult and three great families with just his strength alone!

“He Wei… just give up on this fight for the Pure Soul Springs,” Chu Li said, sighing softly. “Go. Leave right now. You four don’t even have the strength to influence this battle in any way.”

“Senior Brother, w-with you by our side, we’d still have the power to fight!” Ren Peng pleaded bitterly.

“I already told you earlier. It doesn’t matter if we’re in the Graveyard of Gods or even the Land of Chaos. From now on, we walk separate paths!” Chu Li said, emphasizing every single word.

In saying this, he had blotted out their final ray of hope.

“…go. Let’s go.” He Wei’s face was pale. She had been completely struck down.

She hadn’t been struck down by Chu Li, but by Qin Lie’s unparalleled might!

She was acutely aware of the fact that her actions and words up to this point had completely offended Qin Lie already.

She hadn’t been afraid at first. She thought that, with the forces of Black Voodoo Cult, Ten Thousand Beast Mountain, and Celestial Artifact Sect present, Qin Lie would still end up restrained in the end no matter how strong he was.

However, she now realized that she had been wrong.

Furthermore, she had been outrageously wrong!

Within the Forbidden Land of Thunder, Qin Lie was the true master. Not a single force here had any way to oppose Qin Lie!

So how would He Wei’s group of four possibly do so?

Apparently Qin Lie could pinch them to death whenever he wanted!

Even if Chu Li were to join them, nothing would change because Luo Chen and Xue Moyan were still by Qin Lie’s side…

Drained of their willpower, He Wei, Ren Peng, Hu Ping, and Wei Liang hung their heads in dejection. Disheartened, they stiffly retreated, resembling walking corpses.

Only at this moment did they finally begin to regret their actions. They should not have become Qin Lie’s enemies. They should not have sabotaged their relationship with him to this degree.

They regretted it now, but it was far too late for that.

……

Chapter 496: Soul Break!

Qin Lie directed lightning down from the heavens as he charged into the center of Black Voodoo Cult’s martial practitioners.. While he attacked, slaughtering them to his heart’s content, He Wei silently led her pale-faced group away.

They finally realized that trying to snatch the Pure Soul Springs with just their strength alone would be the same as courting death.

—Especially since Chu Li had abandoned them.

Once He Wei and the other three Terminator Sect martial practitioners had left, the various forces around the thunder lagoon immediately set their sights on Qin Lie.

Qin Lie was essentially a brutal electrical field!

Wherever he went, the ground would be assaulted with a barrage of thunder and lightning. The lightning hidden deep within the clouds descended without end, adding to the surging electrical currents of the thunder lagoon and the explosive, thunderous rumbling resounding through the sky.

Lightning as intense as that of a heavenly tribulation swamped the martial practitioners of Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families.

Shrill screams filled the area. Ear-splitting roars echoed one after another, occasionally accompanied by feeble curses.

The formation of Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families had virtually collapsed.

The people of Celestial Artifact Sect and the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain currently wore incredibly grim expressions.

“This person can utilize the lightning that fills the sky of the Forbidden Land of Thunder, attacking in every direction with thunder and lightning energy.” Feng Yiyou had a headache just thinking about it. “He has occupied an unsurmountable position in this place from the very beginning. If we want to snatch the Pure Soul Springs from him, I’m afraid that…”

“If we can’t find a way to restrain him, none of us will be able to acquire a Pure Soul Spring.” Yu Men’s eyes shone with a savage light.

Everyone could see just how much of an advantage Qin Lie had in the Forbidden Land of Thunder.

Here, Qin Lie was like a colossal beast tyrannically occupying this piece of land. Anyone who wanted to seize a Pure Soul Spring would inevitably have to face the otherworldly chasm known as Qin Lie.

How could they cross it?

Every Celestial Artifact Sect and Ten Thousand Beast Mountain martial practitioner had deeply furrowed brows. They couldn’t feel the slightest bit of happiness even though they were watching Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families suffer bombardment after bombardment of lightning.

Only by suppressing Qin Lie’s ferocity, preventing him from acting so brazenly, did they think that everyone would be able to truly focus on the Pure Soul Springs.

Qin Lie had suddenly become a scourge in the hearts of these people, one that they wanted nothing more than to remove as soon as possible.

“Awoooo!”

A furious, earthshaking howl suddenly exploded from the depths of the thunder lagoon.

As if attracted by some new, unknown force, the lightning that crashed down from the heavens and the electrical dragons that soared from inside of the thunder barrier began to rush toward the thunder lagoon..

Qin Lie had been deprived of his control over the thunder and lightning!

The thunder spirit hiding within the thunder lagoon angrily asserted its authority, as if it had finally realized that another entity was challenging its rule.

—As if to say that it was the true master of the Forbidden Land of Thunder!

Deafening, high pitched shrieks echoed from deep within the thunder lagoon as the thunder spirit howled continuously. It seemed as though the Forbidden Land of Thunder were shaking.

Thunder and lightning energy had gathered by Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families. After the thunder spirit’s furious howls, however, they flooded back into the thunder lagoon like rivers flowing to the ocean.

It was then that Qin Lie discovered he had lost his command over the thunder and lightning!

He also realized that the thunder spirit, as the eye of the formation in the Forbidden Land of Thunder, was the true master of this land.

Qin Lie had clearly enraged the thunder spirit with his astonishing display of ability.. His actions using Heavenly Thunder Eradication made this highly intelligent creature notice him and interfere with the surges of thunder and lightning.

“The thunder and lightning has disappeared!”

“The thunder spirit is directing all of it back into the lagoon!”

“Qin Lie will have a tough time displaying his strength after this!”

The moment the martial practitioners of Black Voodoo Cult, the three great families, Celestial Artifact Sect, and Ten Thousand Beast Mountain witnessed all of the thunder and lightning flow back into the thunder lagoon, all of them went mad with joy.

All of these people felt extremely relieved, as if a gargantuan boulder that had been pressing on their heads were suddenly removed.

“Without thunder or lightning to control, you’re nothing more than a normal Netherpassage Realm martial practitioner, Qin Lie!” Ye Yihao smiled coldly, a sinister, icy light flashing in his eyes. “Everyone nearby is currently able to slaughter you! Let’s see how you’ll survive now!”

“Kill him!” Su Yan’s fury surged skyhigh.

The martial practitioners of Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families were on the verge of going crazy.

Right at that moment, Qin Lie unleashed a piercing howl, and a wave of blood energy as thick as actual blood poured from his body.

On the other side of the thunder lagoon, Song Tingyu, Du Xiangyang, Xue Moyan, Pan Qianqian, Xie Jingxuan, and Luo Chen leaped into action and charged toward Qin Lie’s position.

Chu Li no longer hesitated and flew over as well, fiercely roaring, “Even if thunder and lightning aren’t present, the Forbidden Land of Thunder still isn’t a place for Black Voodoo Cult to try and lord over!”

Song Tingyu, Xie Jingxuan, Du Xiangyang, Luo Chen, Xue Moyan, Pan Qianqian, and Chu Li quickly arrived behind Qin Lie, assembling into a formidable force.

Strong waves of blood energy radiated from Qin Lie’s body. He grinned as he leisurely glanced at the thunder lagoon behind him. A hint of sharp light flashed in his eyes.

The thunder spirit intervening at a critical point left Qin Lie extremely unhappy. Once Qin Lie broke through the thunder barrier and entered the depths of the thunder lagoon with the Demon Sealing Tombstone, sealing the thunder spirit wouldn’t be a problem.

He already had a plan in mind.

“Crack crack crack!”

Thick tendrils of twisting lightning coiled around the thunder barrier like colossal, winding serpents.

Strange cries abruptly echoed from inside of the thunder barrier, and the clatter of containers being forcefully opened could be heard.

Feng Yiyou’s expression abruptly changed.

Fear appeared in the eyes of every Celestial Artifact Sect martial practitioner as they subconsciously distanced themselves from the thunder lagoon.

“This isn’t good! The Consecutive Soul Splitting Formation is about to explode!” Du Xiangyang cried out.

“Consecutive Soul Splitting Formation? There’s a Consecutive Soul Splitting Formation in the thunder lagoon?” Ye Yihao’s expression quickly changed as well.

The martial practitioners of Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families immediately focused their gazes on the thunder lagoon. Urns could occasionally be seen flashing amidst the writhing lightning.

“It really is the Consecutive Soul Splitting Formation!” Su Yan cried out involuntarily.

The martial practitioners of Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families who were all prepared to engage Qin Lie and his group instantly began to retreat one after another.

“Get away from it!”

“We should take shelter as well!”

Du Xiangyang and Chu Li declared at the same time.

Upon seeing the other forces retreating from the thunder lagoon, Qin Lie and the others did not dare to be careless. They followed Chu Li and Du Xiangyang’s advice and also distanced themselves from the thunder lagoon.

In a matter of moments, all of the forces in the Forbidden Land of Thunder withdrew from every side of the thunder lagoon, taking up different areas several kilometers away.

At this point, only four forces remained. Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families were considered as one force, another was Qin Lie’s group, and the remaining two were Celestial Artifact Sect and Ten Thousand Beast Mountain.

Each force positioned themselves in a different corner of the region with only a distance of three to four kilometers separating them from the others. All of them were observing the thunder barrier in expectation or anxiety.

“Guard me!”

Feng Yiyou sat cross-legged and closed his eyes, using his soul consciousness to sense the Consecutive Soul Splitting Formation. In order for the formation to detonate at peak condition, he got ready to forcibly manipulate it.

Everyone could tell that Feng Yiyou was using a unique method to prepare the Consecutive Soul Splitting Formation and was about to unleash its full potential.

Nobody would dare interrupt Feng Yiyou, because they wanted nothing more than for him to blast the thunder barrier apart with the Consecutive Soul Splitting Formation. Him doing so would allow everyone to enter the depths of the thunder lagoon.

This was why the martial practitioners of the other three forces were secretly observing Feng Yiyou. They were gathering their strength, getting ready to charge into the depths of the thunder lagoon as soon as possible, seize the Pure Soul Springs, and flee.

“A special artifact is needed to contain a Pure Soul Spring. This sheep-fat white jade bottle is similar to a spatial ring and possesses a uniquely cold dimensional space that is capable of housing Pure Soul Springs.” Chu Li pondered for a moment as he retrieved nine white jade bottles from his spatial ring, then placed every single one of them in front of him and said, “I only have this many of them.”

Qin Lie, Song Tingyu, and Xie Jingxuan’s eyes shone.

Everyone else shook their heads slightly, indicating that they didn’t need them.

“All of you have artifacts used for carrying materials like Pure Soul Springs?” Qin Lie was stunned.

Du Xiangyang, Luo Chen, and Xue Moyan nodded.

Even Pan Qianqian responded softly, saying, “I have two of those jade bottles as well.”

This surprised Qin Lie.

“I’ll give you guys six of them then.” Chu Li smiled as he pushed six jade bottles toward Qin Lie.

Qin Lie did not bother to stand on ceremony. He flashed a slight smile, then pulled the six jade bottles over to him, giving four of them to Song Tingyu and Xie Jingxuan. Once they both had two each, he then picked up the remaining two and put them away.

“It seems like you guys have several jade bottles too. Too bad there are only six Pure Soul Springs. Heheh, too many monks but only a few bowls of porridge, huh.” Song Tingyu laughed gently.

“Aside from us, three other forces are still in this fight over the Pure Soul Springs. The instant the thunder barrier is broken, a chaotic battle will erupt,” Du Xiangyang said calmly.

“Qin Lie, are you truly unable to control the power of thunder and lightning?” Xie Jingxuan frowned.

“Who knows?” Qin Lie said with a shrug. “Regardless of whether or not I’m able to borrow the power of thunder and lightning, as we are now, we have no reason to be afraid of any force.”

Everyone nodded silently at these words, excitement on their faces.

Suddenly, several rays of dazzling light shot from Feng Yiyou’s eyes. Resembling bright chains, they struck the thunder barrier, separated, and entered different bone ash urns.

“Soul Break!” Feng Yiyou shouted.

The instant he did, the souls in every bone ash urn flared to life. The violent, crazy waves of each soul resembled dormant volcanoes that were finally about to erupt.

Everyone watched the thunder barrier with bated breath.

They could clearly see clusters of gray soul clouds mingling with the lightning of the thunder barrier. Dark, illusory flames raged around these soul clouds as they became as black as ink at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Then, the potential energy of fourteen souls was unleashed. Like demons and vile ghosts baring their teeth and swiping their claws, the souls twisted madly, releasing even more violent soul waves.

This was the form of chaos-distorting soul energy!

“Boom!”

All fourteen True Souls in the thunder barrier shattered and exploded at the same time!

A terrifying shockwave that seemed capable of obliterating land and fracturing space burst outward from the explosions.

Most of the people observing this instantly lost their sense of hearing and could only see the lightning in the thunder barrier warp and bend. It was almost as if someone were tearing them apart. A moment later, every single arc of lightning was reduced to threads of energy.

Like a giant worm that had been cut to pieces, one small section after another, the threads of lightning scattered throughout the thunder barrier’s interior.

Explosive thunder energy burst from the thunder barrier, making it appear as though bombs had been triggered by the Consecutive Soul Splitting Formation.

Like a door had been thrown open, the gigantic, bowl-like thunder barrier shattered and disintegrated.

“It broke apart!”

“The thunder barrier has disintegrated!”

“We can enter the thunder lagoon now!”

Excited cheers rang out from the various forces while several impatient figures had already taken the lead and charged out.

They headed straight for the thunder lagoon.

Chapter 497: If You Can Do It Yourself, Then Do It!

The spirit energy waves from Song Tingyu and the others surged. They prepared to charge toward the thunder lagoon, pulling out sharp swords or gripping an Illusory Demon Orb.

“Stop!” Qin Lie shouted just as they were about to fly out.

Everyone immediately reined themselves in at the command.

Song Tingyu, Du Xiangyang, Xie Jingxuan, Chu Li, Luo Chen, Xue Moyan, and Pan Qianqian looked at him in confusion.

Martial practitioners from Black Voodoo Cult, the three great families, and Ten Thousand Beast Mountain made up the group of people currently charging toward the thunder lagoon, auras flaring up.

Only Feng Yiyou’s Celestial Artifact Sect had yet to move.

Their position made it seem as if they were focused on guarding Feng Yiyou. They definitely weren’t in a hurry to enter the thunder lagoon.

“Feng Yiyou hasn’t moved,” Qin Lie said gravely.

“He linked his mind consciousness to the Consecutive Soul Splitting Formation and ignited the bone ash urns, so there may have been some damage to his mind. The people watching over him should be waiting for him to recover, so they aren’t immediately able to make their move,” Du Xiangyang suggested hesitantly.

Qin Lie shook his head. Eyes narrowed, he calmly said, “The Consecutive Soul Splitting Formation in the thunder barrier has yet to completely detonate. I can sense other profound intricacies built into it that have yet to be revealed…”

Realization dawned on everyone’s faces when they heard this.

“Your soul consciousnesses might not be able to sense your surroundings within the Forbidden Land of Thunder, but mine can.” Qin Lie took in a deep breath. “Feng Yiyou harbors bad intentions. He’s probably scheming against those who enter the thunder lagoon first. Let’s wait and see.”

Qin Lie’s words helped everyone to calm down as well.

“Nobody from Qin Lie’s side moved!” Ye Yihao exclaimed.

Huang Zhuli’s brows furrowed deeply as she glanced at Qin Lie off in the distance. After a few seconds of thought, she yelled, “Have everyone return immediately!”

This seemingly random command stunned Ye Yihao. “Is something amiss?”

“Qin Lie is capable of controlling the thunder and lightning energy in this place, so his soul consciousness probably isn’t inhibited like ours. Not only did he stay where he was, he even prevented his people from moving. He must have discovered something!” Huang Zhuli shouted.

“Celestial Artifact Sect hasn’t moved either!” someone cried out.

Huang Zhuli turned her head to look at Feng Yiyou.

Feng Yiyou wore a grim expression as he watched the martial practitioners charging toward the thunder lagoon from afar. A cold, heartless sheen flashed through his eyes.

Only then did Huang Zhuli realize what was going on. “Feng Yiyou is…!”

At that exact moment, another new round of explosions resounded from within the thunder barrier. The bone ash urns that the souls had exploded in appeared, exuding terrifying, dissonant waves of energy.

The moment immediately after that, the fourteen urns released brilliant silver light that took the shape of silver crescent-shaped fragments of energy.

“Swish swish swish swish!”

The fragments of energy became more distinct, resembling multiple crescent-shaped blades. Like sharp, spinning swords, the silver crescents illuminated the thunder lagoon, forming a wall of light that replaced the thunder barrier.

The spinning crescents pierced five martial practitioners, three from the three great families and two from Ten Thousand Beast Mountain. They immediately died miserable deaths, several fresh, bloody holes in their bodies.

Formed by the silver crescents of light, a new barrier settled over the thunder lagoon, sealing it once more.

“Feng Yiyou!”

“Celestial Artifact Sect!”

“Kill them!”

Sharp howls rang out from numerous people from Black Voodoo Cult, the three great families, and Ten Thousand Beast Mountain. No longer concerned with the thunder lagoon, they surged with killing intent, bent on annihilating Celestial Artifact above all else.

Feng Yiyou stood up with an icy smile as if he had expected this.

“Let’s go!” he roared.

The group of Celestial Artifact Sect martial practitioners rose into the air using wings of light that extended from their backs and descended toward the thunder lagoon.

The silver-crescent barrier covering the thunder lagoon parted, creating an narrow opening that left just enough space for them to enter.

The martial practitioners who were charging at Feng Yiyou suddenly found themselves under attack by silver crescent blades the moment they approached the thunder lagoon. They released strange howls while hastily evading the attacking blades.

Everyone else just watched as Feng Yiyou and his group descended toward the thunder lagoon.

“I spent more than half a month investigating the thunder lagoon. I know more about it than any of you, yet you’re still delusional enough to think of seizing the Pure Soul Springs from me. Hmph! What a foolish dream!”

The moment the Celestial Artifact Sect martial practitioners descended into the thunder lagoon, the hole in the light barrier formed by the silver crescent blades closed, firmly blocking the way once more

Feng Yiyou’s sinister laughter echoed from behind the silver crescent blades.

“This is the Moon Blade Barricade, an Earth Grade spirit artifact listed as third out of the eighteen great Earth Grade spirit artifacts of Celestial Artifact Sect!” Du Xiangyang exclaimed in surprise.

“The Moon Blade Barricade is a large-scale defense-based spirit artifact. It’s Earth Grade Six!” Luo Chen said with a gloomy expression.

“Damn it! Feng Yiyou actually brought this spirit artifact into the Graveyard of Gods! Breaking the Moon Blade Barricade definitely isn’t a simple task. Although it’s possible, it would still take a considerable amount of time.” Chu Li spirits were low as well. “The moment we break through the Moon Blade Barricade, Feng Yiyou will have long since gathered the Pure Soul Springs. He and the others from Celestial Artifact Sect might even flee underwater!”

“W-what should we do?” Pan Qianqian asked anxiously.

On the other side of the Moon Blade Barricade.

“The Moon Blade Barricade? This really is the Moon Blade Barricade! As expected, Feng Yiyou is sinister and cunning. He planned everything long in advance! Damn it!” Ye Yihao gnashed his teeth.

“Breaking through the Moon Blade Barricade will be extremely difficult. It’s highly likely that Feng Yiyou will have already acquired everything by the time we crack it!” Su Yan wore a pitiful expression, as if she had already admitted defeat.

Like everyone else stuck outside of the thunder lagoon, Yu Men of Ten Thousand Beast Mountain was furious. Anger ruled his face as he cursed loudly.

It was clear that Feng Yiyou had planned everything brilliantly. When he established the Consecutive Soul Splitting Formation using the bone ash urns, he quietly set up the Moon Blade Barricade inside of them.

As soon as he destroyed the thunder barrier using the Consecutive Soul Splitting Formation, the Moon Blade Barricade hidden within the bone ash urns would be released.

It would then form a new barrier around the thunder lagoon, denying entry to anyone other than him!

This would give Feng Yiyou enough time to explore the thunder lagoon. He’d then be able to take whatever he wanted, regardless of whether that included the Pure Soul Springs of the soul crystals at the bottom of the lagoon, and still be able to flee underwater.

Afterward, he’d still be able to retrieve the Moon Blade Barricade from afar. The plan was simply flawless.

After cursing for a considerable amount of time, Yu Men glared at Black Voodoo Cult’s martial practitioners and shouted, “Which one of you is capable of destroying this Moon Blade Barricade as quickly as possible?”

Ye Yihao and Huang Zhuli wore grim expressions. Both were deep in thought, obviously trying to think of a plan.

Then Yu Men turned and stabbed his spear in Qin Lie’s direction. “Aren’t you supposed to be arrogant? If you’re really as capable as you’d have us think, regain control over the thunder and lightning and smash that Moon Blade Barricade apart!”

“How about you? If you can do it yourself, then do it,” Qin Lie responded in exasperation.

“If I could, do you think I’d still be wasting my breath on you? F*ck!” Yu Men gnashed his teeth, walking around in circles like an anxious beast in a cage.

“Qin Lie! The Sealing Obelisks! Aren’t your Sealing Obelisks one of the eighteen great Earth Grade spirit artifacts of Celestial Artifact Sect?” Du Xiangyang suddenly cried out, frantically flailing his arms.

“The Sealing Obelisks! That’s right, you have the Sealing Obelisks!” Chu Li came to the same realization.

Startled and confused, Qin Lie said, “I do have the Sealing Obelisks, and they are indeed one of the eighteen great Earth Grade spirit artifacts of Celestial Artifact Sect, but… what does that have to do with the Moon Blade Barricade?”

“The eighteen great Earth Grade spirit artifacts of Celestial Artifact Sect were all forged by the same person. All of them have a profound connection with one another!” Du Xiangyang laughed. “The outstanding artificer who made them reportedly added a profound formation to each of them with the intent of preventing internal conflict.”

“What kind of formation?” Qin Lie grew excited.

“I’m not an artificer, so I wouldn’t know what kind of formation it is.” Du Xiangyang took in a deep breath, then sternly said, “I only know that, should any these eighteen Earth Grade spirit artifacts encounter each other and clash with their spirit energy, they will immediately neutralize each other!”

“What?!” Qin Lie exclaimed in astonishment.

“In other words, if you use the Sealing Obelisks to attack the Moon Blade Barricade, both should stop functioning and only return to normal after separating!” Du Xiangyang shouted.

“The formation that causes this was added to these spirit artifacts specifically to prevent fighting and massacres in Celestial Artifact Sect,” Chu Li explained sternly. “Their creator did this with the hope that sect elites possessing the eighteen great Earth Grade spirit artifacts wouldn’t be able to use them to kill each other, even when it came to conflict of interests or a sect member actually becoming an enemy. This was also done to prevent the spirit artifacts from being destroyed together.”

“Is this really true?” This information stunned Qin Lie.

“Without a doubt!” Du Xiangyang said.

“This is indeed the case!” Chu Li spoke up as well.

The three of them made sure to speak quietly during their conversation so that Black Voodoo Cult and Ten Thousand Beast Mountain wouldn’t be able to hear what they were saying.

Qin Lie thought to himself for a moment, then released his soul consciousness again to take stock of the situation in the thunder lagoon. His expression changed slightly as he sensed movement.

“What is it?” Du Xiangyang asked anxiously.

“At the bottom of the lagoon… Feng Yiyou and his men might not be able to gather the Pure Soul Springs. I sense violent outbursts from the thunder spirit.” Qin Lie frowned. After weighing his thoughts, he suddenly said, “If the Sealing Obelisks actually neutralize the Moon Blade Barricade, we have to act like we’re going to charge in immediately and lure the other two groups to enter before us.”

“You’re saying…?” Du Xiangyang had an inkling of what Qin Lie was planning.

“We’re going to let everyone else enter the lagoon, then move the Sealing Obelisks away from the Moon Blade Barricade so it can continue functioning.” An unspeakably cold, ghastly smile appeared on Qin Lie’s face. “Then we’ll just let them fight each other at the bottom of the lagoon. I can use my soul consciousness to keep track of the activity below, and I’ll be able to use the Sealing Obelisks to neutralize the Moon Blade Barricade whenever necessary. We can charge down there when the time is right.”

The eyes of everyone near Qin Lie shone with anticipation.

“Alright!” Du Xiangyang and the others said softly.

Once everyone came to an understanding, Qin Lie’s group approached the thunder lagoon without saying a word, slightly sneaky expressions on their faces.

As soon as the martial practitioners of Black Voodoo Cult, the three great families, and Ten Thousand Beast Mountain saw Qin Lie’s group move, all of their gazes focused on them.

All of a sudden, one Sealing Obelisk flew into the sky after another, glowing mysteriously. Then they slowly descended onto the Moon Blade Barricade.

“I’ve seen those before! Those are the Sealing Obelisks, one of the Earth Grade spirit artifacts of Celestial Artifact Sect!” a martial practitioner from the three great families cried out.

“The Sealing Obelisks of Celestial Artifact Sect!” Niu Shaojun shouted.

“Qin Lie and his group are about to enter!”

Everyone from Ten Thousand Beast Mountain and Black Voodoo Cult knew about the profound formation inside of the Earth Grade spirit artifacts of Celestial Artifact Sect. Their eyes flashed as they believed that they’d seen through Qin Lie’s scheme.

At this moment, several Sealing Obelisks descended toward the Moon Blade Barricade. The gathering of silver crescent blades no longer flew around or crisscrossed like before.

All of the floating blades of light came to an abrupt halt.

Everyone with Qin Lie roared, flying into the air one after another as if they were going to enter the thunder lagoon.

“Quickly, get inside!”

“Hurry!”

The martial practitioners from Black Voodoo Cult and Ten Thousand Beast Mountain had been paying attention to the movements of Qin Lie and his group the entire time. The moment they saw this scene occurring, all of them charged over as fast as possible—.

—including Huang Zhuli, Ye Yihao, and Yu Men.

Like fledgling swallows returning to their nest, one figure slipped through the gaps between the crescent blades after another and entered the thunder lagoon.

Du Xiangyang, Luo Chen, and the rest, however, stopped right before entering as if they had been yanked from behind.

……

Chapter 498: Staying Out

Every force other than Qin Lie’s group dove into the thunder lagoon one after another and disappeared.

When Du Xiangyang, Luo Chen, Song Tingyu, Xie Jingxuan, Chu Li, Pan Qianqian, and Xue Moyan were about to slip through the gaps of the Moon Blade Barricade and enter the thunder lagoon, they suddenly… stopped.

“Return!”

A bright light burst from Qin Lie’s eyes as he linked to the Sealing Obelisks with his mind consciousness and guided them using the spirit energy in his body.

The six Sky Obelisks were initially situated above the Moon Blade Barricade, neutralizing it and keeping all of the silver crescent blades from moving.

At this moment, however, the Sky Obelisks ascended into the sky one after another. When they did, the millions of motionless crescent blades instantly began moving again, flying around at extremely high speeds.

The Moon Blade Barricade covered the thunder lagoon once more. Every living being with a physical body would immediately be diced into pieces by the multitude of crescent blades the moment they approached them.

The Moon Blade Barricade essentially functioned as a barrier, separating Qin Lie’s group and the three forces that had just entered the thunder lagoon, preventing them seeing through the profoundness inside.

At the same time, the martial practitioners who had managed to bypass the barrier and enter didn’t have any immediate means of escape. They were trapped inside, facing confinement conditions similar to Qin Lie’s group on the outside.

“Qin Lie, will they be able to… seize the Pure Soul Springs quickly?” Du Xiangyang asked worriedly, feeling anxious.

This question voiced the doubt in everyone else’s hearts.

Chu Li, Xue Moyan, Luo Chen, and the others wore stern expressions as they looked at the thunder lagoon enveloped by the Moon Blade Barricade. They were worried that the six Pure Soul Springs below would be neatly divided between the three forces that had entered, leaving them with nothing in the end.

“Don’t worry. Even if Celestial Artifact Sect were the only force inside, quickly seizing the Pure Soul Springs would be impossible,” Qin Lie reassured them. “The thunder spirit is capable of controlling thunder and lightning from the depths of the lagoon, and right now, it’s in there with them. It definitely won’t just let them have the Pure Soul Springs. Once Ten Thousand Beast Mountain and Black Voodoo Cult head deeper inside, they’ll definitely start slaughtering their way to the Pure Soul Springs. However, neither side will be able to annihilate one another right away. We just have to wait patiently.”

Qin Lie could clearly sense everything that was happening in the thunder lagoon.

At this very moment, he could sense an indescribable irritation through his soul consciousness. It came from the thunder spirit releasing horrifying amounts of thunder and lightning in the depths of the lagoon.

At the bottom of the thunder lagoon, thunder boomed, and lightning waves that even Qin Lie found terrifying were rampaging in every direction across every single martial practitioner that had entered.

Qin Lie believed that, if he and his group were also present for this, they would’ve suffered from the thunder spirit’s assault in similar fashion.

“Chu Li, those junior brothers and that girlfriend of yours… they don’t seem to have given up,” Du Xiangyang said softly, rubbing at one of the tokens owned by Celestial Artifact Sect as he raised his head to look into the distance.

Chu Li’s eyebrows twitched.

He took out a Terminator Sect token. With a weary expression on his face, he took a moment to examine it with his mind consciousness. A moment later, he sighed and said, “He Wei isn’t someone who gives up easily.”

Du Xiangyang wore an expression of indifference. “Unfortunately, she overestimates herself.”

“We didn’t do all of this to oppress He Wei, but to respond to He Wei and the other three resenting us. I still have yet to figure out where their resentment comes from.” The fact that He Wei still insisted on opposing them shocked Qin Lie. It didn’t make sense to him.

“I don’t understand it either.” Chu Li shook his head.

“It started when we unilaterally distributed the Spring of Life in the Forbidden Land of Wood,” Xie Jingxuan interrupted coldly.

Everyone looked at her with stunned expressions.

Xie Jingxuan looked unconcerned and her tone was icy. “All four of them have been infected with the voodoo toxin, and a considerable amount of their life energies had been lost. They all wanted to use the Spring of Life to recover their lost energy as quickly as possible. This is one of the reasons why they resent us.”

She paused for a moment, before continuing. “Ever since we first met, He Wei, Hu Ping, Ren Peng, and Wei Liang never took me, Qin Lie, or Sister Tingyu seriously. Since we came from the Scarlet Tide Continent, they subconsciously treated us like people of low status, like we weren’t qualified to negotiate with them as equals.”

Once she finished voicing her opinion, Xie Jingxuan abruptly went silent.

Without warning, Song Tingyu let out a cold laugh.

Since he was carefully observing the situation, Qin Lie saw that the expressions on Luo Chen and Chu Li’s faces seemed a bit uncomfortable.

“Miss Xie is right. Even I… I initially didn’t take you seriously because I considered myself superior in status,” Chu Li said apologetically, revealing a shameful smile. “Brother Lie, when I first saw you and Miss Song, I… indeed did not hold the two of you in high regard.”

“You were never the problem.” Qin Lie gave him a carefree smile.

Then he subconsciously looked at Luo Chen.

Luo Chen had his head lowered as if he were resting with his eyes closed. He didn’t say a word.

Xie Jingxuan’s words had clearly affected him like they had affected Chu Li.

Ever since he first encountered Qin Lie on Sea Moon Island, the arrogant, prideful Luo Chen had never taken Qin Lie seriously. He had always harbored contempt in his heart and wholeheartedly desired to suppress Qin Lie. He wanted to make things difficult for Qin Lie to prove that Li Mu’s choice was a mistake.

This was a knot in Luo Chen’s heart that had yet to be untied.

“Everyone could initially work together in harmony because Qin Lie and I prioritized your desires over ours the entire time and never dared to request anything,” Song Tingyu spoke up. “In the eyes of He Wei and her group, Qin Lie and I are of low status. They felt that it was natural for us to be humble. If we had continued to stay humble, everyone might’ve been able to continue getting along.

“However, Qin Lie didn’t yield when it came to Xue Moyan and basically forced them to hand over the Spring of Life. This act crossed into forbidden territory in the hearts of He Wei and her group. They couldn’t tolerate ‘lowly’ people like us taking something from them. This is where the problem originated!” Song Tingyu’s analysis hit the mark dead on.

“The reason why we can’t get along is because, in the end, He Wei and the others still look down on Qin Lie’s group from the bottom of their hearts. They stubbornly persist in believing that Qin Lie does not qualify to stand with them on equal footing!” Du Xiangyang exclaimed sharply, pointing out the most important factor.

Xie Jingxuan and Song Tingyu nodded slightly, while Chu Li, Luo Chen, and even Xue Moyan went silent. They wore thoughtful expressions.

“Awooo!”

The thunder spirit’s furious roar reverberated from the depths of the thunder lagoon. It was like an enormous lightning bolt had descended.

Qin Lie’s group, who were in the midst of conversing with each other, all shut their mouths at the same time. Their gazes gathered on the lagoon behind the Moon Blade Barricade.

Qin Lie focused his mind so he could make sense of the situation inside.

Behind the Moon Blade Barricade.

The moment they entered the thunder lagoon, the people of Black Voodoo Sect, the three great families, and Ten Thousand Beast Mountain were immediately shocked by the scene before them.

The sealed area they were in wasn’t influenced by gravity.

They were able to float through the air here, and could even see six clear streams of light flowing through empty space.

These six streams of light were emitting clean, untainted soul auras. They were clearly authentic Pure Soul Springs!

This indisputable proof utterly shocked the crowd of martial practitioners.

However, there were clusters of arcing lightning and electric flame hovering beside the six Pure Soul Springs. They surrounded the Pure Soul Springs, sealing them like barriers of light.

Beneath them, crystalline lights filled the floor of the lagoon, shining brilliantly. If one were to look at them carefully, they would realize that all of the lights were bright soul crystals.

Every single soul crystal was translucent, dazzling to the eye, and radiated soul energy waves capable of stirring one’s heart.

Unfortunately, if one looked at them a little longer, they would see streaks of lightning crisscrossing above the soul crystals. Those terrifying streaks of lightning seemed as though they could easily annihilate a martial practitioner.

At the same time, a strange crystalline beast sitting on the soul crystals opened its eyes wide, glaring at them coldly.

This strange beast had the form of a lion, but its body seemed to have been constructed with mystical lightning crystals. Terrifying waves of lightning energy were present within those crystals.

It was the thunder spirit!

The thunder spirit sat on the soul crystals, and the thunder energy surrounding it erupted violently, releasing waves of it that seemed capable of shaking the world.

Electric flames could faintly be seen inside of its crystal eyes. As it breathed, terrifying surges of electrical light constantly flowed to and fro.

“Crack crack crack!”

The moment Huang Zhuli and the others arrived at the bottom, they spotted Feng Yiyou and his people from Celestial Artifact Sect gathered by a Pure Soul Spring.

They were presently trying to think of a way to destroy the clusters of electric flames and arcing lightning surrounding the Pure Soul Spring and preparing to seize the first of the Pure Soul Springs.

The strange crystalline beast was crouching at the bottom of the thunder lagoon. Traces of ridicule and disdain surfaced in its crystal eyes.

Feng Yiyou and the rest of his group pulled out their spirit artifacts and used various spirit arts, attempting to destroy the clusters of electric flames. However, the moment their spirit artifacts and spirit energies collided with the flames, violent explosions would immediately erupt, dispersing all of the spirit energies. The shockwaves from the explosion blew the spirit artifacts away as well.

Celestial Artifact Sect was ahead of everyone else by nearly seven minutes, but they had yet to acquire even a single Pure Soul Spring. Even the strange crystalline beast below had only roared occasionally. It hadn’t intervened or attacked them thus far.

“The Moon Blade Barricade has been resealed! Qin Lie and his group didn’t come down!” Xiahou Yuan roared furiously.

Huang Zhuli and Ye Yihao immediately reacted to this information, both realizing that they had fallen for Qin Lie’s scheme. They then looked at the current expressions of the people from Celestial Artifact Sect and immediately understood that seizing the Pure Soul Springs wouldn’t be as easy as they had thought.

At that moment, the thunder spirit roared again. Clusters of electric flames floated around in its eyes, and its breath of surging electricity resembled dragons.

The electric flames and intense lightning that filled this space suddenly became violent, crazily flooding toward Huang Zhuli, Ye Yihao, Yu Men, and the rest of their people.

In an instant, all of the people who had entered the thunder lagoon no longer had the leisure to seize the Pure Soul Springs. Instead, they used all of their power and desperately focused on dealing with the thunder and lightning inside of the thunder lagoon.

On the surface, Qin Lie opened his eyes and grinned, saying, “Everyone, rest easy. We can just wait in peace.”

“How is the situation inside?” Du Xiangyang said, overflowing with excitement.

“The thunder spirit is controlling the thunder and lightning and using them to slaughter Huang Zhuli and everyone else who entered. Barriers made from clusters of lightning surround the Pure Soul Springs. Celestial Artifact Sect has yet to break a single one even after having been down there for so long,” Qin Lie said with a smile.

Hearing his words, everyone in their group relaxed, and their faces were filled with joy.

“That’s great! Heh, once the thunder spirit has massacred every single one of them, we’ll dive straight in. Once the thunder spirit has been sealed by Demon Sealing Tombstone, it’ll be easy for us to obtain all of the Pure Soul Springs, right?” Du Xiangyang laughed loudly.

“The soul crystals too!” Pan Qianqian clenched her fists. “And we’ll be able to deal with that slut, Huang Zhuli!”

“Qin Lie, you brat! Did you lie to me back then? You and Miss Xue aren’t engaged, right?” Chu Li asked in a carefree tone.

Qin Lie and Xue Moyan both cultivated the Blood Spirit Art, so they clearly had a close relationship. When Chu Li asked Du Xiangyang about it earlier, he found out that Qin Lie’s relationship with Xue Moyan stemmed from her father, Xue Li. This was why he felt that Qin Lie and Xue Moyan couldn’t actually be engaged.

“Engaged?” Pan Qianqian cried out as if she had discovered a new world. “Qin Lie and Miss Xue are engaged? So that’s why…”

Xue Moyan was dumbfounded. She looked at Qin Lie in surprise, confusion clouding her vision.

“C-could we truly be engaged? Did father… plan for me to marry him?”

Turmoil overtook Xue Moyan’s heart.

……