Chapter 086

Chapter 86: Awaiting the Moment to Possess

Yun Xi seldom ate pills. Unless they were top-grade, she wouldn’t dare swallow them, fearing the accumulation of toxins within her body. As for talismans, she selected those at the third grade and above to keep; the lower grades she planned to sell, as she could easily craft first- and second-grade talismans herself.

Items she couldn’t identify, she decided to bring to the Treasure Appraisal Pavilion, believing there would surely be someone there who recognized their worth.

Finally, Yun Xi turned her attention to the storage ring given to her by the respected senior. It was a simple white jade band, utterly unremarkable in appearance.

After emptying its contents, Yun Xi discovered there wasn’t a single spirit stone inside, just a few jade slips and a strange black lump, neither stone nor iron, unidentifiable at a glance.

Several empty pill bottles were there as well—the pills clearly already consumed by that senior—leaving only the meditation cushion she’d taken earlier.

The cushion emitted a faint grassy fragrance, making her spirit feel lighter the moment she inhaled its scent. She guessed it likely contained materials that strengthened one’s divine soul, though she couldn’t yet discern exactly what.

“This is definitely useful. I’ll keep it for myself,” Yun Xi murmured softly, placing the cushion aside.

At last, she picked up the jade slip inscribed with the Peerless Sword Lightning Manual. Her heart quickened its pace. She’d deliberately ignored the slip before, hoping to calm her excitement first.

This lightning technique was precisely what she’d yearned for. In the original novel, this method appeared when the villainess was formally inducted into the Grand Righteous Sect and meticulously cultivated. The sect had specifically found it for her, granting it only after she entered Foundation Establishment.

The story had mentioned briefly that sect disciples stumbled upon this manual in a demon beast’s lair during a mission in Treasure Blossom Range. Unable to practice it due to incompatible spiritual roots, they exchanged it for sect contribution points.

When Yun Xi realized she could no longer suppress her cultivation breakthrough, she’d come to Treasure Blossom Range, partly to seek this technique, besides aiding Immortal Spirit Herb to find spiritual veins and evading the eyes of the Pill Hall disciples and Wei Yun Qing.

She was confident she could achieve the first two goals, but finding the technique was uncertain, left entirely to fate.

Unexpectedly, during this mission at Treasure Blossom Range, she had crossed paths with Sheng Yu Hong. It felt as if some unseen force was still determinedly pushing her along the villainess’s fated path.

Although events had already begun to diverge significantly from the original novel, Yun Xi dared not let down her guard. Yet, she wouldn’t pass up opportunities that were rightfully hers.

As for the mysterious phenomenon deep within Treasure Blossom Range, she couldn’t recall the novel mentioning it at all. It seemed impossible such a significant event would go unnoted, especially with the male lead, Sheng Yu Hong, present.

Uncertain about what was happening, Yun Xi chose to remain at the Grand Righteous Sect’s outpost, awaiting further developments rather than immediately separating herself from the male lead.

These thoughts flashed rapidly through Yun Xi’s mind, taking only three breaths, before her attention returned to the jade slip in her hand.

She didn’t immediately press it to her forehead, wary of potential remnant souls lurking within. After all, she’d survived five years in the cultivation world, and had at least learned to be cautious.

After confirming no special restrictions, Yun Xi carefully extended a single strand of divine sense into the jade slip.

The instant her divine sense touched it, a gentle glow emanated from the slip. She could clearly read the recorded technique, though limited only up to the Foundation Establishment stage. A restriction prevented any further reading unless one possessed a lightning spiritual root.

Once Yun Xi confirmed its authenticity and the absence of hidden traps, she channeled lightning spiritual energy into the jade slip, slicing her fingertip to drop a bead of essence blood onto it.

Under this dual approach, the jade slip’s glow intensified, transforming into a streak of light that surged straight into Yun Xi’s brow, deeply imprinting the Peerless Sword Lightning Manual within her divine sea.

Though she still could access only the Foundation Establishment methods, she understood clearly: as she progressed in cultivation, subsequent techniques would naturally appear.

Grinning broadly, Yun Xi’s joy was abruptly cut short. Without warning, a sphere of bright light burst forth from the meditation cushion she’d placed aside, diving straight into her brow and penetrating her divine sea before she could react.

“Hahaha! How effortless! Truly worth the great cost this old one paid! Little girl, you’re quite crafty to disguise your spiritual roots. But you’ve merely made things easier for me!”

[Damn it!] Yun Xi cried inwardly, her divine sense swiftly retreating into her divine sea. Facing the foreign orb wildly flying inside her spiritual space, she shouted through gritted teeth, “Get out of my divine sea now!”

“No. It’s mine now!” retorted the olive-sized intruder arrogantly, charging directly at Yun Xi.

Even the simplest fool could see this was an attempted possession. Yun Xi was merely at Foundation Establishment. Despite having a stronger-than-average divine sense due to transmigration, she was still like an egg confronting a stone before this formidable adversary. Her own divine sense orb, only the size of a small duck egg, appeared utterly fragile compared to the invader’s massive soul form.

Yun Xi instinctively chose evasion. After all, this was her own divine sea; even if she couldn’t defeat it, she should at least be able to dodge. But the invader moved with terrifying speed, swiftly tearing away a portion of Yun Xi’s soul.

“Ah!” Yun Xi screamed, feeling as if her head had been sliced open.

The foreign soul immediately devoured Yun Xi’s torn piece, smacking its lips greedily and crying out jubilantly, “Hahaha! Truly heaven aids me! Originally, I would have had to wait longer to find a suitable vessel. Who knew you’d possess top-grade Wind, Lightning, and Ice roots? You’re precisely the body the heavens custom-made for me!”

He lunged forward again without hesitation.

Shaking from the previous attack, Yun Xi’s soul shivered, yet the enemy’s arrogant words ignited her ferocity. Instead of retreating, she charged forward, taking her opponent off guard by biting fiercely into his soul.

“Ugh!”

Caught off-guard by Yun Xi’s unexpected defiance, the enemy released a muffled grunt of pain. Yet he quickly retaliated, biting into Yun Xi’s orb of consciousness.

The two souls savagely tore at each other within Yun Xi’s divine sea, both intent on obliterating the other.

Unfortunately, after merely ten breaths, Yun Xi’s soul had visibly shrunk. It wasn’t that she lacked resolve—her opponent was simply too powerful.

Yet Yun Xi refused to yield, fiercely encouraging herself, “Yun Xi, fight! Never admit defeat until your last breath!”

“Little girl, obediently become a part of my soul, and your suffering will end swiftly. Cease this useless resistance!”

“Bah! This is my divine sea, my body! You’re the trash who needs to get out!”

As Yun Xi viciously prepared another strike, a gentle, soothing light suddenly infused her tiny soul form. Instantly, Yun Xi’s divine soul radiated brilliantly, illuminating her entire divine sea, freezing the invading soul in place.

“Ahh! Impossible! How could you possibly possess—”

Before he could finish, Yun Xi fiercely tore another large chunk from his frozen form.