pertwk 672. The Return of an Old Friend
672. The Return of an Old Friend
After encountering an unprecedented disaster more than a year ago, the powerful force of Yin Valley in Zhongzhou also fell into a period of silence.
The sect's strength was greatly diminished, and its already scarce contact with the outside world was almost completely severed. The disciples became increasingly cautious and discreet in their actions. The vast valley, shrouded in dense spiritual mist, resembled a wounded beast, curled up and licking its wounds, silent to the point of death.
And it was under these circumstances that a dark figure appeared here.
This person was shrouded in an impenetrable black mist, his figure indistinct and his aura completely concealed. His strength was beyond imagination, far surpassing that of Lei Jingxiao, who had previously come to steal fighting techniques. Even Fan Yin, the strongest in Yin Valley, would be completely unaware of his presence, so entering Yin Valley was as easy for him as entering his own backyard.
He eventually stopped at an open space. The damage there was particularly severe, with huge, deep craters cracked in the ground.
The shadowy figure's eyes seemed to burn with a dark flame, its gaze piercing through the physical ruins to fall upon something in the void that ordinary people could not "see." There, an extremely complex and intense intertwined soul force raged: an overwhelming hatred of unwillingness to perish, a morbid thirst for power, an extreme resentment at the destruction of everything, and even more so, a powerful, almost twisted—obsession!
"Such a strong obsession. This trip was worthwhile." The dark figure said to himself, and then used a method that ordinary people could not understand to draw upon the fighting energy between heaven and earth.
A few specks of fighting spirit and soul power appeared together, acting like the most obedient guards before him, doing exactly as he wished without the slightest deviation.
Countless tiny fragments of the soul, invisible to the naked eye and difficult to perceive, quietly emerged. These fragments of the soul were small and fragile, the parts that had not yet completely disappeared after being shattered by the "Thousand-Mile Sound Sniper" of the Sanskrit chant.
Finally, after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the power that was almost dissipating gathered here under his guidance, and in the end, it actually took the shape of a person's soul.
It trembled violently, without facial features or expression, yet in the instant its form was first formed, it instinctively exuded a primal, violent aura.
The shadowy figure's lips seemed to curve into a deeper smile, as if examining a novel toy. He merely bent a finger, and with a wisp of deep, eerie light swirling around his fingertip, he gently touched the struggling silhouette.
"Don't rush. Now that I'm here, I'm not going to come empty-handed." The shadowy figure's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable indifference.
Then, a dark soul force rushed into the shapeless soul. Normally, soul force should be colorless and formless, but the soul force in the shadowy figure's hands seemed to completely disregard that rule.
Then, the soul power and the soul body in the fluctuation merged together, and the last human form appeared. It was re-condensed from the broken and scattered soul power into a human form. The power of this ability is probably no less than the soul body resurrection ability that Yao Lao collected.
But in the shadowy figure's hands, it was as easy as a trivial matter, something that didn't require any attention.
The soul entity was clearly not clear about what was happening in the outside world at first. It just stretched out its hands in a daze, and only after looking closely did it realize that it no longer had a physical body, but only the power of a soul.
"Hmm, how could this happen?"
"I haven't chosen your body yet, so don't rush," the shadowy figure said directly upon seeing this.
Who are you?
The blankness was replaced by immense shock and vigilance. Who was it? Who had so easily reassembled his shattered soul from nothingness? The other party's ability to completely suppress him with such ease far surpassed any powerful figure he had ever encountered in his life! Fan Yin? Tian Luan Ancestor? No, they were powerhouses on completely different levels, incomparable.
"I admire the person who brought you back to life. You're ruthless and have a wide range of methods."
"Since you still harbor such strong resentment and bitterness, it would be a real shame to let it all dissipate in vain."
The shadowy figure stated calmly, "I can revive you, and even give you a new body. The new body will be far more than the mangled remains of your former self; its potential will far exceed what you had in life."
After communicating for a while, the soul had almost regained its senses. Upon hearing the shadowy figure's request, it grinned.
"Say whatever you want, I will try to do whatever it takes. After all, there is nothing I, Tang Qiying, cannot lose now." The soul formed by the shadow is Tang Qiying, the traitor of the Tianluan Clan, who had an earth-shattering battle with Xiao Yan in the Sound Valley and was ultimately "killed".
Tang Qiying wasn't a naive fool. The other party's painstaking efforts to reshape him couldn't possibly be out of pity. This was undoubtedly a transaction, a transaction using his soul as capital. And in his current situation, he was indeed capable of anything.
The shadowy figure finally withdrew its fingertips, the lingering eerie light dissipated, and the immense, invisible pressure was largely relieved.
"Be my whetstone, to hone and refine a person."
"Who?"
"Xiao Yan".
"Who?" Tang Qiying's humanoid silhouette, formed from soul energy, even distorted violently for a moment, as if he doubted whether he had misheard. He immediately confirmed again, "You mean Xiao Yan from the Starfall Pavilion?"
"That's right, it's Xiao Yan of the Starfall Pavilion who caused your death and possessed a strange fire."
"Hahahaha..." A string of laughter filled with endless resentment and madness suddenly erupted.
Tang Qiying suddenly realized that he didn't have to die, that he could regain his strength, and that he even received a clear order to personally finish off Xiao Yan? This was a thousand times more tempting than any promise or gift!
"Sure, but I must tell you, I'm not exactly a suitable whetstone, because it's very likely that I'll end up wearing your knife down."
Upon hearing this, the shadowy figure shook his head and smiled, as if responding to the child's fierce vow.
"That's the kind of spirit I need. You don't need to hold back at all. Go all out to kill Xiao Yan. If you succeed, I'll give you your freedom."
Tang Qiying was stunned once again by the conditions offered by the shadowy figure. There was just too much good news coming too quickly for him to process.
Gaining freedom after killing Xiao Yan? That would be absolutely wonderful.
"make a deal!"
"Alright, come with me."
"Where to?"
"Participate in a hunting event. After all, a soul alone isn't enough; you need a real body, the body of a top genius on the continent. This is the kind of early assistance I can provide you."
Upon hearing this, Tang Qiying grinned again: "That's certainly interesting. Xiao Yan, just you wait, I'm taking your head!"