Xie Linlang had used the Crane Demon True Spirit Bone as the foundation for his rebirth, so his body naturally carried a trace of avian demon bloodline.
The attraction he felt during his rebirth also came from this Soul Lamp.
The Soul Lamp likely mistook Xie Linlang for a little crane demon and thought he needed help and protection.
Xie Linlang tentatively reached out to touch the Soul Lamp.
The golden light, as if stirred by airflow, gently evaded his hand, revealing a black circular hole beneath.
Xie Linlang paused. He then noticed that the Soul Lamp wasn’t floating in midair but seemed to be plugging something.
He looked closely; below the Soul Lamp was a slightly curved old tree root.
Purple fish-scale-like branches wound upward, like a blooming flower, with the Soul Lamp at its core.
Xie Linlang followed the old tree root downward; below were countless stacked hollow branches, then pitch blackness—he didn’t know what lay at the bottom of the stacked branches.
Xie Linlang circled the Soul Lamp once. He wanted to take it away, at least to prevent it from falling into Le Qingping and Senior Ying’s hands.
Not to mention that finding it first meant it was fated to him.
Moreover, in future fights, he didn’t want to encounter such a artifact that would completely dispel his battle intent.
Xie Linlang’s eyes flashed. He pointed with his finger, and a drop of blood fell onto the Soul Lamp.
Since this Soul Lamp called to him because of the trace of Crane Demon True Spirit Bone in his body, could demon race bloodline attract it away?
However, contrary to Xie Linlang’s expectations, the moment this drop of blood appeared, the Soul Lamp began to expand, gradually turning into a head-sized orb of light.
At the same time, the fish-scale patterns on the purple old tree root below the light orb emitted golden light, as if something was about to open!
Xie Linlang suddenly understood—the Soul Lamp was a switch!
The next second, Xie Linlang’s vision blurred, and his whole body instantly lifted into the air.
A violent force swept over Xie Linlang’s body. All the tree branches trembled wildly, emitting shrill roars.
In a daze, Xie Linlang even heard Le Qingping and Senior Ying’s startled cries.
The massive Divine Tree turned into a passage. The three cultivators were like tiny twigs swept up in giant waves, instantly lost in the violent chaotic airflow.
Xie Linlang barely released demonic qi to protect himself. Perhaps because of his Crane Demon True Spirit Bone, in the terrifying chaotic airflow, the golden Soul Lamp always floated before him, blocking most of the impact.
He didn’t know how much time passed before the external turbulent flow that scraped everything away finally dissipated. Xie Linlang’s feet touched solid ground.
His legs went soft, his demonic qi completely depleted, and he nearly fell.
No helping it; he was still just a Qi Refining Stage novice.
At this moment, Xie Linlang no longer had the strength to disguise his appearance, revealing a face so exquisitely bewitching that anyone could tell he absolutely carried demon race bloodline.
The Soul Lamp gently landed on Xie Linlang’s shoulder, dimming its light, resembling a blooming golden Ditang Flower.
After landing, Xie Linlang quickly scanned his surroundings.
Before him was a massive corridor, flanked by towering stone walls that soared into the clouds, with no end in sight.
Looking back, the path behind was pitch black; looking forward, faint mists swirled ahead, with something vaguely lurking within.
Le Qingping and Senior Ying had landed not far away.
But none of this captured Xie Linlang’s attention.
He stared fixedly at the sword marks on the towering stone wall, struck as if by lightning, frozen in place.
Those were Pei Ji’s sword mark signatures!
The sword qi trajectory blooming like Moon Tang Flowers, nearly tearing apart this side wall with endless terrifying gashes…
Pei Ji had been here!
Xie Linlang’s body trembled slightly. He staggered forward, lunged to the towering stone wall, and reached out shakily to touch the sword mark.
However, the instant he touched it, the sharp sword qi lingering on the mark sliced open his finger.
Xie Linlang seemed oblivious, his shoulders heaving as tears welled in the corner of his eye.
He had found it—he had truly found the trace Pei Ji left behind!
In this moment, Xie Linlang suddenly felt that his previous self-indulgent malaise was too decadent, and he was immensely grateful that he had awakened in Shen He’s Portable Jade Pendant.
He thanked the heavens for giving him a second chance, thanked Shen He for willingly giving up the family heirloom jade pendant, and thanked himself for not giving up, picking up hope once more.
“Huh, what just happened?”
Le Qingping finally awoke from the ground. She was the unluckiest of the three.
Senior Ying was at least just a puppet, and Xie Linlang had the Soul Lamp’s protection.
Only Le Qingping had forcibly activated a Protective Artifact left by her master to barely hold on.
She glanced at the seemingly glitched Senior Ying puppet and rolled her eyes ungracefully.
“This place is…”
Le Qingping finally struggled to her feet and saw Xie Linlang leaning against the wall, head bowed in tears.
Le Qingping instinctively flashed a soft, weak smile, fanning out her Embroidered Fan to guard against attacks while asking gently, “Fellow Daoist, do you know…”
Before she finished, the youth leaning against the wall lifted his head. A pair of pitch-black eyes looked over clearly, brimming with joy, excitement, brightness, and delight.
Le Qingping gasped, clutching her heart.
Heavens, this cultivator was even more beautiful than her!
Le Qingping looked closely and saw skin white as jade, lips red as cinnabar, bewitching yet with a trace of aloofness, like an immortal descended.
…But only Qi Refining Layer 8.
Sorrow welled up in her.
According to the Silent Night Palace’s demonic cultivator common knowledge class, the more beautiful the cultivator, the stronger they were.
If an extremely beautiful cultivator maintained very low cultivation, it meant you were out of luck: either a big shot fishing for enforcement or cultivating some special secret art.
Whether collateral damage from the former or silenced by the latter, there was only one doomed end.
Le Qingping deeply felt her recent bad luck.
First encountering Soul Transformation Stage Senior Ying scavenging the secret realm, now this clearly story-laden, excited over the battle traces around—super pretty senior. Could she really return to the sect alive?
She could only suppress her inner grief and bow gracefully.
“Silent Night Palace’s Le Qingping pays respects to Senior. If Senior has any commands, this junior will exert full effort.”
No choice—kneel first, find a chance to run later!
