Chapter 304

Chapter 304: Master Ling Xiao Performs Soul Nurturing for Bai Mu Mu

No matter how many times Master Ling Xiao knocked her down, Bai Mu Mu kept her teeth clenched and continued the Soul-Sacrifice Rite.

Pale blue Divine Soul Power slowly wrapped around Master Ling Xiao and sank into his body.

A chill like ice and snow quickly soothed the raging fire inside him.

In a daze and trapped in killing, Master Ling Xiao seemed to hear someone calling him: “Master, Master!”

The voice called again: “It is Mu Mu, Master, your youngest disciple, Bai Mu Mu.”

The next moment, Master Ling Xiao clutched his head in pain and roared; [No. His disciple is Shen Sang Ruo!]

Then he heard a firm vow: “I offer my soul to help Master regain clarity!”

Shen Dao Chen’s eyes filled with tears as he turned his head away, unable to keep watching. In this life they owed Bai Mu Mu too much; even Ling Xiao’s Devilization had to be saved by her.

The black fog before Master Ling Xiao’s eyes finally faded, and his reason returned.

Before he could figure out what was happening, he saw Bai Mu Mu ahead of him, pale as paper, fall weakly to the ground.

She used her last bit of strength to smile and say: “Master, you finally woke up.”

Master Ling Xiao stared at his hands, where traces of Devil Qi still lingered, and he was shocked beyond words.

He had devilized, and Bai Mu Mu had pulled him back?

He remembered clearly the thoughts in his heart while devilized. He had wanted to kill Shen Dao Chen, Bai Mu Mu, his other disciples, and even everyone in the Flying Cloud Sect.

He hurried forward to lift Bai Mu Mu.

But Shen Dao Chen rushed in first, gathered Bai Mu Mu into his arms, and faced Master Ling Xiao with a cold look as he said: “If you do not want Mu Mu’s effort to be wasted, then endure the rest of the Heavenly Lightning Tribulation, break through to Void Refinement, and do not fail the soul she sacrificed.”

Of the 64 blasts of Heavenly Lightning Tribulation, 27 still remained.

Master Ling Xiao opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing. He sat down again in the center of the round platform and faced the next bolt about to fall.

Shen Dao Chen carried Bai Mu Mu away.

With the Heart Devil Tribulation resolved, there was no longer any need to serve as Master Ling Xiao’s Dharma Protector.

He would call people later to carry off the Elders whom Master Ling Xiao had struck down.

This time the Flying Cloud Sect lost at least five Elders.

So be it. If Master Ling Xiao could break through, that would be the best outcome.

The strange red glow inside the tribulation clouds faded as Master Ling Xiao regained clarity.

People across the Cultivation World saw the clouds return to normal and understood that Master Ling Xiao had defeated his Heart Devil.

After the Heavenly Lightning Tribulation finished, the Cultivation World, after thousands of years, would gain another cultivator at the Void Refining Stage.

Those from the Hall of Myriad Spirits, who had been ready to suppress the scene, relaxed and chose to watch.

Fang Yu pouted as he said: “That tribulation cloud was so terribly red that I thought Master Ling Xiao would be certain to fail his Tribulation Crossing.”

Others felt the same; his sudden recovery seemed strange.

Shen Sang Ruo could not help thinking of Bai Mu Mu and wondered: was this her doing? She could not know the truth, but Master Ling Xiao’s success now looked almost certain.

Shen Sang Ruo gave an order: “Pass the word. For now, everyone should try not to leave the Ninghua Sect, in case someone with bad intentions makes a move.”

Staying inside the Ninghua Sect, its Warding Seal could at least protect the people.

This would keep the Flying Cloud Sect from grabbing anyone and using them as leverage against the Ninghua Sect.

Master Ling Xiao’s Tribulation Crossing lasted a full day and night. At noon on the second day, a dazzling golden light shot out from the Flying Cloud Sect, brighter than the sun, telling the Cultivation World that someone had broken through to Void Refinement.

Many in the Flying Cloud Sect wept with joy.

In different places, Feng He Yun and the other three also showed excited smiles.

This crossing had been full of danger. Even usually calm Master Ling Xiao felt his emotions surge when he sensed the Heavenly Gate.

Through that Heavenly Gate, one could rise to the Transition Realm.

His plan had been to go to the Ninghua Sect and bring Shen Sang Ruo back right after he broke through.

But now that Bai Mu Mu had sacrificed her spirit soul to save him, he had to save her first.

He stepped into Bai Mu Mu’s room and asked: “Sect Master, how is Mu Mu?”

The Spiritual Pressure of a Void Refining Stage cultivator was terrifying. Even though he tried to hold it in, the spillover still made people struggle to breathe.

Shen Dao Chen lowered his head as if he did not want to see Master Ling Xiao. His tone was far from friendly as he said: “Mu Mu’s soul is badly damaged. We used every treasure in the Flying Cloud Sect, and her condition is stable now.”

Then he added with heavy worry: “But she may never wake up.”

His voice held deep sorrow, as if he had aged decades in an instant.

Master Ling Xiao swept Bai Mu Mu with his Divine Sense. The situation was just as Shen Dao Chen said.

He could not imagine how much Bai Mu Mu had suffered when she sacrificed her soul.

Before this he had even grown distant from her; how could he have treated her that way?

Thinking of this, Master Ling Xiao made up his mind. He would make her wake up.

Now that he had reached Void Refinement, there was nothing he, Master Ling Xiao, could not do.

His voice was calm, yet brooked no refusal, as he said: “She will not sleep forever. She lost her soul to save me, so I should nurture and restore it.”

“Ling Xiao, you…” Shen Dao Chen finally looked up and glared at him.

Master Ling Xiao answered in a low voice: “My mind is set.”

He formed hand seals and channeled his Divine Soul Power into Bai Mu Mu’s body.

He was not skilled at the art of Soul Nurturing, so much of the Divine Soul Power did nothing and was wasted.

On top of that, the emptiness in Bai Mu Mu’s soul was like a bottomless pit. It quickly drained his Divine Soul Power.

If he wanted to keep nurturing, he needed to make up the loss with his own soul.

Bai Mu Mu had sacrificed most of her soul for him; what harm if he spent some of his own? With a hard resolve, Master Ling Xiao tore off a piece of his own soul and used it to perform Soul Nurturing for Bai Mu Mu.

Even for someone at the Void Refining Stage, after all these steps his face turned a little pale.

Thankfully, he fully filled the deficit in Bai Mu Mu’s soul. At the end, he sent a stream of Spiritual Power into her body to call her back.

Soon, Bai Mu Mu opened her eyes.

With just the right amount of confusion, she looked at them and said: “Master, Father? Was I not…”

Shen Dao Chen, unable to hide his joy, spoke quickly: “You were lying down. Rest for now. When your spirit is better, Father will tell you what happened.”

He called in an Elder from the Medicine Pavilion who was less injured to check her condition, then left the room and told her to rest.

After they left, the corner of Bai Mu Mu’s pale lips lifted slightly.

She did not need them to tell her anything. If she could wake up, it proved everything had gone according to her plan.

Sure enough, the System’s electronic voice sounded in her mind right after.

[Congratulations, Host. You have successfully obtained Master Ling Xiao’s soul. Mission complete.]

Her mission had never been to help Master Ling Xiao break through. It was to use this chance to take Master Ling Xiao’s soul.

Taking soul from a devilized Master Ling Xiao was too risky. One slip and she would die in his hands.

It was better to help him break through and make him offer his soul to her on his own.

Her soul would be nurtured by the System, and Master Ling Xiao’s soul would be handed to the System to finish its task.

As for what needed his soul, she did not know. It was not her concern.

In this way, she could also boost their goodwill toward her.

Her romance quest had been voided, but her Proving the Dao through Slaughter method still remained.

Maybe she could use their cultivation to reach the Transition Realm. She had long since grown tired of staying in the Cultivation World.

This move worked very well.

[Ding: Master Ling Xiao goodwill +10. Current goodwill: 73.]

[Ding: Master Ling Xiao goodwill +10. Current goodwill: 83.]

[Ding: Shen Dao Chen goodwill +5. Current goodwill: 89.]

[Ding: …]

The goodwill prompts kept chiming in her mind.

At last, Master Ling Xiao’s and Shen Dao Chen’s goodwill reached 98 and 95.

Shen Dao Chen’s number was a little lower. Bai Mu Mu guessed it was because the Malevolent Spirit matter was not resolved, and he still had a knot in his heart.

Once she proved in public that she had nothing to do with the Malevolent Spirit, Shen Dao Chen’s goodwill would catch up.

Bai Mu Mu felt very pleased.

She asked with a smile: “System, the mission is done. Did you get the energy?”

The System answered with delight: [Got it. Energy is full. We can make a move on that person now.]

She said coldly: “Good. Do it now. If I can see Shen Sang Ruo grit her teeth in pain, then the suffering from the Soul-Sacrifice Rite will be worth it.”

The System replied: [Understood, Host.]

She said, hungry for more: “Show me what other missions there are.” Her ambition kept growing; she needed more energy.

Soon she picked one she liked and said: “This one is good. It can serve as my backup.”

The System responded at once: [System will arrange it for the Host.]