As Yuanshi Tianzun spoke and his molten-gold eye opened, the terrifying cyclone devouring everything suddenly stuttered and fell into disarray, like a machine running on an unstable power supply.
"Yuanshi..." In Xiao Yuan's dimming eyes, a brilliant light burst forth like a dying spark flaring back to life.
She heard Yuanshi Tianzun's voice.
He was awake?! Both Huang Taiji and Commandery Princess Yinyao felt the surge of joy from escaping certain death, though the former showed it on his face, while the latter manifested it through spiritual fluctuations.
"Who are you?"
Zhang Yuanqing spoke again, his voice raspy and deep, laced with astonishment—this was Murong Long talking.
He sensed a formidable will awakening in his sea of consciousness. Its aura was overbearing and fierce, making him feel as though he stood before a scorching sun.
Clearly, the original owner of this body was not completely dead.
"I'm your daddy!" Zhang Yuanqing cursed in response from within the very same shell.
After clearing the Sea of Yashan, Zhang Yuanqing's experience points had been stuck at 98%. He had considered hunting an irredeemable evil Stargazer and leveling up by devouring them.
However, because he had never found a suitable target and inwardly resisted that method of advancement, that remaining 2% had stalled him, delaying his promotion to Level 5.
Not until moments ago—when Murong Long used the Great Five Elements Art to swallow Commandery Princess Yinyao's origin—did Zhang Yuanqing's experience bar inadvertently max out, successfully triggering his breakthrough.
Upon leveling up, the Spirit Realm poured spiritual power into him through the character card, which was bound to his soul.
It wasn't the level-up that awakened Yuanshi Tianzun; it was the Spirit Realm that awakened him.
Yet waking up, he found his body both unfamiliar and immensely powerful, and an entirely new soul had appeared in his sea of consciousness.
A powerful, mad, and exceedingly volatile soul.
He was certain someone had taken over his body, but it was neither possession nor body snatching.
The sensation was more like two people crammed into a single sleeping bag, or two drivers sitting in the same car. Both held control over the body, and both were masters of the vessel.
Zhang Yuanqing had never encountered such a situation, but he quickly understood the root of the problem: his body was no longer what it used to be.
Within this shell now resided the power of the Five Elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. These powers had reshaped his physical flesh, fusing with it to become part of his form.
And those powers belonged to the squatter who had stolen his nest.
His body had turned into a chimera, a joint venture where the other guy was a shareholder who also possessed executive control. Hence, two souls now presided over a single physical form.
Furthermore, the Five Elements were beyond his control.
What he could truly command was the lunar, astral, and solar power inside him.
"Y-Yuanshi Tianzun, hurry and dismiss the technique, I... I can't hold on much longer..."
A feeble cry for help came from the princess's small horn. Although Yuanshi Tianzun's awakening was exhilarating and offered a glimmer of hope for survival, she genuinely could not endure much more.
Why is Xiao Yuan in this instance too? The princess's head... to save me, she hung her head from her waist? Phew, Huang Taiji isn't dead yet... His molten-gold eye surveyed the trio before him as numerous questions flashed through his mind.
Yet he soon noticed their condition, realizing his companions were hanging by a thread. He immediately channeled the divine power of the sun within him, letting both arms erupt with a radiant, brilliant golden glow.
The cyclone woven from black and white qi dispersed under the overbearing, pure golden light.
Xiao Yuan, Commandery Princess Yinyao, and Huang Taiji went weak in the knees, collapsing limply to the ground.
As if granted a second life, the three gasped for air. Xiao Yuan was pale, looking like someone who had just survived a severe illness. She completely disregarded her physical state, raising her head in ecstatic delight to stare at Yuanshi Tianzun.
He was alive! He had survived!
Huang Taiji hurriedly activated his Child of the Earth Pulse skill, siphoning inexhaustible spiritual power from the earth to restore his condition.
In the distance, the evil faction members who had been eagerly watching furrowed their brows when Murong Long suddenly ceased the slaughter.
"Why did he stop?" Snake Woman slithered forward a few meters, rearing her body high.
Greed Divine General and the others exchanged glances.
Because of their angle, they could only see Murong Long's back and missed the nebula surfacing on his forehead.
That was a mark unique to a Stargazer's promotion.
Yi Chuanmei closed her eyes, focusing her senses. Her mental power scanned outward like radar. In the unique "vision" of an Illusionist, heaven and earth were pitch-black, and the souls of those around her were like flickering flames.
In her perception, within Yuanshi Tianzun's body, two soul flames were overlapping, clashing and colliding with one another.
One was mad and chaotic, broadcasting emotions with reckless abandon.
The other was masculine and overbearing, like a blinding, inviolable scorching sun.
Yi Chuanmei snapped her eyes open, her heart skipping a beat. "I-it seems Yuanshi Tianzun has awakened."
"What?!"
Those words struck the evil faction members like a bolt from the blue. Their faces changed drastically as they turned toward Yi Chuanmei.
"He really didn't die?" Bai Ren Zhan's expression turned ugly, his brow furrowing tightly. "Why wake up at a time like this..."
Facing an unexpected turn of events on the verge of success filled him with an ominous foreboding.
Snake Woman steadied herself, saying in a low voice, "No matter. Yuanshi Tianzun is merely Level 4. Even if he's awake, he cannot contend with Murong Long."
The tension eased slightly on their faces. Greed Divine General pondered a moment, then said, "Yuanshi Tianzun is a Stargazer and could very well use Astral Travel to flee. Yi Chuanmei, be ready to annihilate his spirit body at any moment."
Yi Chuanmei nodded.
Greed Divine General gripped his blood-colored saber, glanced at Bai Ren Zhan, and said in a heavy voice, "Let's go take a look. Snake Woman, stay here and protect Yi Chuanmei. Don't let Cai Longshen ambush her—though that coward probably wouldn't dare show his face anyway."
The war for physical control had begun.
Zhang Yuanqing stood frozen in place, as if split into two separate beings.
His left eye was a deep, sunken brown concealing madness; his right eye shone with brilliant gold, fierce and domineering.
The left side of his face was manic and ferocious, while the right was resolute and calm.
Across his skin, pale-gold divine power of the sun surged, clashing violently against black and white qi, locked in an unyielding stalemate.
"He's fighting the boss for control of the body," Commandery Princess Yinyao offered her expert opinion.
Huang Taiji's expression grew solemn. "Is there any way we can help him?"
Commandery Princess Yinyao shook her head. "We can't."
Slumped on the ground, Xiao Yuan listened. Before the joy in her heart could fade, fresh worry welled up.
"His mastery of the Pure Yang Body Cleansing Record is very high. He isn't without a fighting chance," Commandery Princess Yinyao said.
Lying in that coffin for so long had yielded some gains after all.
Zhang Yuanqing believed he had cultivated the Pure Yang Body Cleansing Record to minor completion, reaching the limit of the Saint stage. If a Day Wanderer's passive ability was called the "Solar Body," then he was currently a "Half-Solar Body."
Although the intrusion of Five Elements energy had elevated this physical frame to an unimaginable level—making it impossible to clearly measure the amplification granted by the Pure Yang Body Cleansing Record—Zhang Yuanqing had read through the manual several times. Its greatest strengths were "combat prowess" and "immunity."
Combat prowess referred to battle, including close-quarters combat.
Immunity referred to a massive increase in resistance to magical afflictions such as poison, illusion, and mental manipulation.
Beneath a scorching sun, no shadow could dwell.
The overbearing nature of the divine power of the sun allowed Zhang Yuanqing to barely hold his ground against the will of a Dominator.
Unable to break through after prolonged attacks, Murong Long had an idea and unhesitatingly triggered the special effects of the Heaven-Worship Attire.
Whoosh!
The flaming cloak billowed in the wind, and dark light crawled across his entire frame, condensing into a deep black robe. The jade belt at his waist gleamed with a gentle azure radiance, while the exquisite Houtu Boots exuded a dignified, grounded aura.
The black and white qi surged dramatically, enveloping his whole body and immediately suppressing the divine power of the sun.
Zhang Yuanqing's molten-gold right eye gradually dimmed, on the verge of being extinguished. Suddenly, he raised his right hand and wiped it across his torso.
The magnificent set vanished instantly, returning to his inventory.
That was an action Murong Long could never replicate.
The divine power of the sun erupted once more, resuming its relentless clash against the black and white qi.
"Tsk. My Five Elements energy is endless and ever-renewing, whereas you will eventually exhaust yourself. How long can you fight me?" The left eye representing Murong Long flashed with arrogant ferocity.
"Indeed. It seems suppressing you is virtually impossible. After all, the gap in our levels is too vast." After resisting for so long, Zhang Yuanqing realized that without taking extreme measures, he would ultimately lose. He sighed. "In that case, my only option is to devour you."
Yes, he was going to use his Spirit Devouring skill to consume Murong Long's soul.
Just as he had reversed the possession by Sect Master Chunyang in the past.
Zhang Yuanqing's greatest backing was the Fragment of Taiyin Origin left to him by the Demon Lord.
He could be killed by powerful foes, but his body could never be stolen. Any enemy who entered his sea of consciousness was doomed to a single fate.
Devour me? Murong Long was taken aback. Then, he saw the pale-gold soul in the sea of consciousness transform into a golden tide, surging toward him with torrential fury.
He finally confirmed he hadn't misheard. This brat was trying to devour his soul.
While Stargazers held an innate suppression over spirit bodies, and body snatching and Spirit Devouring were indeed their privileges, this brat was being absurdly arrogant.
The next instant, the golden tide swallowed Murong Long.
Yet it felt like draping a thin flatbread over a boulder—nothing more.
Murong Long had cultivated all five elements. He possessed a Scout's Iron Will, an Earth Monster's Endurance, a Fire Master's Fury, a Water Ghost's Flexibility, and a Wood Monster's Resurgence.
His soul was flawless.
"Hmph! I told you, my Five Elements power is endless! Even if a Golden Crow descended in person, it could never devour my soul!" Murong Long had barely finished boasting when his soul suddenly shuddered.
High above the sea of consciousness, a pitch-black full moon materialized, radiating clear, pristine brilliance that layered a sheet of pure white moonlight over the golden waves.
Imbued with lunar power of unimaginable purity, Zhang Yuanqing felt the rank of his spirit body elevate tier after tier, acquiring peerless, formidable might.
This enemy—hard as iron, volatile as fire, and heavy as a mountain—was instantly reduced to a paper tiger.
He immediately unleashed his Spirit Devouring skill.
"Aaargh!" Murong Long's agonized wail echoed through the sea of consciousness. "W-what power is this? Could this be the legendary Human Immortal?"
"P-please forgive my offense... please spare me, I... I can leave..."
The fiend who had cultivated all five elements completely lost his unbridled arrogance, screaming for mercy out of instinctual dread toward the power of the Taiyin Origin.
Zhang Yuanqing gave him no chance, gnawing away at Murong Long's soul bit by bit until it was utterly consumed.
Boom!
Thoughts exploded in his mind. Countless memory fragments and negative emotions surged like a tidal wave; he absorbed everything that belonged to Murong Long.
Yuanshi Tianzun abruptly froze.
Immediately after, the alternating golden light and black-and-white qi on his body's surface flickered out.
With eyes closed, he stood rooted to the spot.
Greed Divine General and Bai Ren Zhan approached slowly, sabers in hand. They sensed the shift within this body, but could not determine what had transpired.
They had witnessed the tug-of-war between the divine power of the sun and the Five Elements energy. Frankly, it had terrified them.
They truly hadn't expected Yuanshi Tianzun to be so resilient, holding out for so long against a Dominator-level boss.
Now, it appeared the stalemate was over.
Who had won?
Under the tense gazes of both factions, Yuanshi Tianzun slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was murky, harboring madness, and the corners of his mouth curved into a neurotic smirk.
That familiar expression made Greed Divine General and Bai Ren Zhan breathe a sigh of relief.
Of course! How could Yuanshi Tianzun possibly defeat a Dominator?
Just then, they heard Yuanshi Tianzun let out a sinister cackle:
"It's been so long since I tasted madness. The last time was when I devoured Sect Master Chunyang. I really missed this feeling..."
The Taiyin Origin possessed no purifying abilities. While it guaranteed Zhang Yuanqing could punch above his weight and devour formidable foes, it did nothing to shield him from mental contamination.
With Zhang Yuanqing's original soul strength, he should have descended entirely into madness and lost all sanity right now.
Yet the Pure Yang Body Cleansing Record had bolstered the resilience of his soul, endowing him with certain traits of a Day Wanderer. He barely managed to withstand it, though his temperament underwent a drastic transformation.
The benefit was that he had gained complete mastery over the Five Elements energy in his body, becoming the sole CEO of this joint venture.
Greed Divine General stiffened, feeling the blood in his veins freeze over, seized by unspeakable terror. He muttered, "Yuanshi Tianzun..."
His expression abruptly turned savage as he roared, "Impossible! Impossible! On what grounds could you suppress him? How could you possibly suppress him?!"
He completely lost the composure of a Divine General, his veins bulging as he screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Pleased to meet you, Greed Divine General!"
Zhang Yuanqing parted his lips in a maniacal grin, madness burning in his eyes. "I find you quite appealing. You'll make fine material for a yin corpse."
With that, he vanished from everyone's sight.
Greed Divine General's pupils constricted. His warrior's instincts screamed frantically in warning: Danger, danger, danger!
The next instant, terrifying gravitational force descended, crushing down upon Bai Ren Zhan and Greed Divine General.
The former's knees buckled, and he dropped to the ground with a thud.
Greed Divine General did not kneel, but his body convulsed violently, his calves trembling.
Yuanshi Tianzun appeared before Bai Ren Zhan. With a detached expression, he bent a finger and flicked lightly.
Thwack!
A beam of sword qi bored clean through his skull, spraying a mixture of red and white brain matter from the back of his head.
Bai Ren Zhan's pupils dilated instantly, and he collapsed limply.
This leader of the Great Saber League, who had once dominated the Northwest, returned to the Spirit Realm before he could utter a single word.
Terror detonated in Greed Divine General's heart. He released a low, guttural roar as his muscles bulged and veins stood out, forcibly tearing through the gravitational restraint to slash his blood-colored saber toward the enemy.
Bang!
The sharp blade struck Yuanshi Tianzun's crown, producing a dull thud like hitting a sandbag.
"A Heavenly King could breach my defense, but as a Divine General, you're a bit lacking." Zhang Yuanqing curled his lips into a smile and inhaled gently. A faint red glow seeped from Greed Divine General's seven orifices.
Greed Divine General's face paled rapidly, his frame stiffening like a corpse just pulled from a freezer.
The fire within his body had been stolen.
That was a skill belonging to a Dominator-level Fire Master.
Zhang Yuanqing could have used more violent methods or the yin-yang qi, but that would ruin the bodies of the two Mist Lords, damaging their quality as yin corpses.
Having dispatched both men, Zhang Yuanqing raised his eyes, casting a sinister gaze toward Yi Chuanmei and Snake Woman.
The Demon Lord's two widows turned pale as snow, their eyes filled with a mixture of terror and unwillingness.
Events had defied all expectations. Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined a Dominator-level boss could be suppressed by Yuanshi Tianzun.
In the blink of an eye, Bai Ren Zhan and Greed Divine General had been killed in succession.
Snake Woman's scales bristled, her red lips hissing as her tongue darted in and out. Her lovely eyes gradually turned crimson as she reared her body high, like a cobra poised to strike.
Under the stimulation of overwhelming terror, her beastly survival instincts overrode her rationality.
Yi Chuanmei quietly conjured an illusion while her true body fled toward the rear mountain.
Though she enjoyed humiliation and abuse, she had no wish to die.
Before taking more than a few paces, Yi Chuanmei saw starlight flare before her, revealing Yuanshi Tianzun sneering with wicked amusement.
Illusions of the Saint stage could no longer deceive Zhang Yuanqing, who had achieved minor completion in the Pure Yang Body Cleansing Record.
Chilled to the bone, Yi Chuanmei threw her head back and shrieked without hesitation.
Mental Strike!
"Ngh, that stung a bit..." Zhang Yuanqing rubbed his temples and said, "You have two choices: one, return to the Spirit Realm; two, become my spirit servant."
Before Yi Chuanmei could answer, Zhang Yuanqing let out an "oh" and smirked. "My mistake. You don't have a choice."
With that, he reached out, caught Yi Chuanmei by her snow-white throat, and ignited a blaze at his fingertip, pressing it against her brow.
The flames transferred to Yi Chuanmei. She opened her mouth in a shrill scream as brilliant crimson light erupted from her eye sockets, mouth, and nostrils. Her flesh melted away, reducing her to a charred skeleton.
A spirit body drifted gracefully upward, shooting rapidly into the sky.
Like Night Walkers, Illusionists did not see their souls vanish immediately upon physical death, retaining their full consciousness for a short period.
Unlike other classes, whose souls mostly withered upon death, leaving behind only remnants.
Zhang Yuanqing let her flee without intervening. He merely took the stance of drawing a bow.
Pale-gold divine power of the sun coalesced into a longbow and an arrow, locking onto the spirit body in the sky.
Sensing the aura of the divine power of the sun, Yi Chuanmei froze. After struggling internally for a long time, she drifted back down and knelt her soul at Zhang Yuanqing's feet.
"I am willing to become your spirit servant and serve at your command." She resigned herself to her fate.
Serving as a spirit servant at least allowed her to live on in another form.
Zhang Yuanqing shifted his aim toward Snake Woman. The divine power of the sun ignited with a hiss, turning into a fiery bow and arrows. In a single breath, he fired three consecutive shots, each piercing cleanly through Snake Woman's head.
Whether made into a yin corpse or a spirit servant, a Spirit Medium was never of the highest quality.
Therefore, Zhang Yuanqing chose to let her return to the Spirit Realm.
Next, he opened his mouth and inhaled, drawing Yi Chuanmei into his stomach.
Having dealt with all his enemies, Zhang Yuanqing began walking toward Xiao Yuan's group. Just as he took a step, he halted, retrieved an Evil-Breaking Talisman, and slapped it onto his forehead.
The Evil-Breaking Talisman spontaneously combusted, turning into a miniature golden sun.
Zhang Yuanqing instantly felt the madness and uncontrollable emotions within him subside considerably. Yet it was only a reprieve; the usually infallible purification could not fully eradicate the mental contamination.
Murong Long's corruption was too potent, and the power of the Evil-Breaking Talisman was insufficient. If only the Demon-Subduing Pestle were still here... Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath, barely managing to suppress that erratic edge.
He produced two injectors, tossing one each to Xiao Yuan and Huang Taiji, and said coldly, "If you don't want to die, use them."
Those were the gentlest words he could currently manage.
Zhang Yuanqing then looked at Commandery Princess Yinyao. She had dropped a rank, falling from the Saint stage back to the Transcendent stage.
Moreover, the spirit talismans carved into her body were severely damaged, injuring her origin. If the talismans were not repaired within two hours, this body of hers would be completely ruined.
Two hours is enough. Once we explore Murong Fu's tomb palace, we can return to reality... Zhang Yuanqing thought, but his mouth uttered, "If you aren't dead, get up and follow me to the tomb palace."
He had discovered some very interesting things in Murong Long's memory fragments.
After Xiao Yuan injected the Life Source Fluid, the wounds on her chest and abdomen healed rapidly, though replenishing her drained origin and lost stamina would require time to recuperate.
She felt immense joy, yet being accustomed to masking her feelings, her face remained cold and aloof. "Yuanshi, your condition seems off."
Ever since I went crazy, I've felt better than ever... Zhang Yuanqing wanted to say that, but the words reached his lips as a cold sneer: "My condition has never been better."
At that moment, a gloomy-looking young man dressed in the crisp attire of the Yuanhai Escort Agency appeared at the entrance to the cemetery.
Chapter 483