Chapter 322 Guesses and Misunderstandings, Obtaining the Soul Pearl Again
Chapter 322 Guesses and Misunderstandings, Obtaining the Soul Pearl Again
After finishing the report, Ji Ying put away the statue and took out Huang Laomo's communication talisman.
Now that he has chosen a different path, Huang Laomo is no longer of any value. Presumably, he will never hand over the Star Shuttle, and Ji Ying doesn't want to play games with him anymore.
Old Demon Huang was not worried about Ji Ying, who was at the Nascent Soul stage, getting into trouble. Seeing the communication talisman flashing, he didn't deliberately ignore her this time, but immediately chose to connect.
Ji Ying's voice came from within: "Old Demon Huang, I have reported everything about this realm to the Mother Nest, and I have also made the whereabouts of the Demon Abyss Water clear."
Old Demon Huang's expression changed drastically.
He asked, barely able to contain his shock, "Are you trying to trick me? How could you be so reckless?!"
Ji Ying calmly replied, "I am trapped in the gale layer, unable to move forward or backward. That female cultivator is relentlessly pursuing me, and I have no other choice."
Old Demon Huang's rage erupted like a volcano, his voice almost shattering the communication talisman: "Do you know that once the Mother Nest intervenes, we have no say in the matter! Ji Ying, you selfish bastard, you've ruined all my plans!"
"Hmph." Ji Ying was unmoved by his anger, but displeased by his disrespect. "The water of the Demon Abyss is indeed in the hands of that female cultivator. If you are truly capable, you can go and plan it yourself."
After saying that, he hung up the call.
In Ji Ying's view, since he had already chosen to report to the Mother Nest, Huang Laomo was no longer of any use. Even without the Star Shuttle, as long as he was alive, he could still receive the Mother Nest's reward.
Meanwhile, in the mountains and forests, a sinister look appeared on Old Demon Huang's face.
He seemed to have suffered a great blow. After laughing wildly, he muttered to himself, "Ji Ying, do you still think you're that powerful and imposing Nascent Soul cultivator?"
If Ji Ying really wasn't lying to him, then he must recover his strength as soon as possible in order to find an opportunity to seize the Water of the Demon Abyss.
Soon, Old Demon Huang fell into deep thought.
During his recovery, he had some other speculations, which he wanted to explain to Ji Ying, but he never expected things to turn out this way so quickly. He was truly unreliable.
Old Demon Huang turned his head to look in the direction of Mist Mountain, a hint of apprehension appearing in his eyes.
He thought to himself that the thin spiritual energy here was not a natural phenomenon, but rather the result of someone secretly concentrating spiritual energy from all directions into the secret realm they had initially discovered.
Although Old Demon Huang guarded the cave entrance and dared not enter, he secretly sent demonic insects in to spy on the secret realm. They learned that the spiritual energy inside was so abundant that it was truly astonishing.
This situation immediately aroused Huang Laomo's suspicions.
Where in the lower realms can such a high-quality spiritual vein come from?
Moreover, the spiritual energy outside is so thin, it's worlds apart from that inside the secret realm, which is incomprehensible.
Once he calmed down, he had a guess in his mind: the spiritual veins in that secret realm must have been created by humans. This shows that the native cultivators of this world are also extraordinary people.
Thinking of this, Old Demon Huang couldn't help but recall an ancient saying: "As long as sages exist, great thieves will never cease." (Note)
He speculated that the native cultivators of this realm had long ago used their supernatural powers to steal the spiritual energy of the entire lower realm and pour it all into that secret realm, causing the spiritual energy outside to become depleted, making it impossible for others to cultivate. However, the secret realm itself was brimming with spiritual energy, like a blessed land, naturally capable of nurturing powerful individuals.
Old Demon Huang was even more certain that the female cultivator must have had accomplices, but their numbers should not be many.
Based on this speculation, he even had the illusion that she and he were both selfish and self-serving people, belonging to the same category.
……
the other side.
Chu Lengyu was worried that the statue of the plague god might have something strange about it, so she dared not make any rash moves. She retreated to the lower layer of the gale, concealed herself, and watched from a distance, keeping a close watch on herself.
After ensuring safety, Chu Lengyu took out the Qingzhou Cauldron again, preparing to conduct a new round of interrogation of Jin Lei.
The questions she raised cleverly incorporated what Ji Ying had said, in an attempt to verify their authenticity.
Jin Lei showed unprecedented cooperation.
However, despite his utmost caution, he still inadvertently revealed a flaw on a certain issue, igniting a Heart-Burning Curse.
The flames of the Burning Heart Curse burned within his demon core, causing Jin Lei unbearable pain.
He hurriedly begged Chu Lengyu for another chance, pleading, "Fellow Daoist, spare my life! I did not mean to deceive you; it was truly an unintentional mistake!"
Chu Lengyu's face remained cold and indifferent, unmoved by Jin Lei's pleas.
She knew that the parasitic people were not honest or loyal, and that Jin Lei would definitely turn on her if given the chance.
"Your chance has run out. No need for further words." Chu Lengyu's voice was devoid of any emotion.
With a gentle wave of her hand, the Qingzhou Cauldron was activated once again, and the refining power within the cauldron surged forth, firmly trapping the golden lightning.
Jin Lei struggled desperately inside the cauldron, but his demonic power was no match for the refining power, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
His wails echoed inside the cauldron but could not escape outside. His struggles grew weaker and weaker, eventually turning into powerless convulsions.
Chu Lengyu waited quietly until the inside of the cauldron was completely calm. She opened the Qingzhou Cauldron again and saw that the demon core containing the golden lightning was gone, replaced by a soul pearl emitting a faint light.
This time, Jin Lei did not have the courage to choose self-destruction, and his soul orb was obviously more complete than before.
Chu Lengyu took out the Soul Pearl and slowly probed into it with her divine sense, beginning her exploration of Jin Lei's memories.
Within the Soul Pearl, fragments of memory flickered faintly like countless points of light dancing in the sky. Chu Lengyu's divine sense captured them one by one, integrating them into her own consciousness.
Jin Lei's fragmented memories came flooding in, some clearly visible, others blurry and indistinct. Chu Lengyu saw Jin Lei's past, as well as many memories of the bodies he had possessed.
In these memories, Chu Lengyu mainly focused on the parts related to the parasitic race, including their language runes, organizational structure, sacrificial rituals, and their methods of controlling the "ranch" world.
She saw Jin Lei's views on Huang Laomo and others, as well as their infighting and conflicts of interest.
At the same time, she also learned about the general situation of the Star Sea and the Myriad Worlds, experienced the vastness and danger of the Star Sea and the Void, and knew that the Star Shuttle was the most commonly used magic weapon for traveling through it.
Chu Lengyu frowned slightly. She discovered that there were some deliberately blurred and hidden parts in Jin Lei's memories, which clearly involved the core secrets of the parasitic race.
She knew that these memories were protected by the parasitic race's special methods, which was why they were impossible to access.
Nevertheless, Chu Lengyu still managed to glean some valuable information from it.
She learned that the Plague God statues of the Parasite Clan were not only communication tools, but also had a mysterious connection with the Parasite Clan's mother nest, capable of summoning a wisp of the Plague God's power.
This was something Ji Ying mentioned casually on her way here, without going into details. However, Jin Lei noticed that Old Demon Huang seemed to know something about it.
The Soul Pearl could only be used once. When Chu Lengyu opened her eyes, it had already vanished with the wind, leaving no trace.
Chu Lengyu raised her hand and pressed her slightly dizzy forehead.
The memories of the parasitic race were too mixed, having merged with those of countless people. In order to find clues and also to increase her understanding of the outside world, Chu Lengyu read through each one in its entirety.
Even though she had many divine treasures guarding her sea of consciousness and was safe, the vast amount of other people's memories still had some impact on her.
"I was a little careless," she muttered to herself.
She understood even more clearly that the Parasitic Clan was truly blessed with unique advantages in the realm of the soul, and even if they parasitized dozens or hundreds of people, they would not experience self-confusion.
Chu Lengyu pressed her temples while sorting out her thoughts.
For Ji Ying, the statue of the God of Plague is probably her last trump card, and she shouldn't use it lightly.
Right now, she should deal with that old devil Huang first.
_______________________
Note: As long as sages exist, great thieves will never cease. — Zhuangzi, Outer Chapters, Chapter 10, "Opening Chests"
You can look up the original text yourself; it's a bit long, so I won't go into detail here.
This article is cited for reference only and has no relation to its actual significance.
The meaning of this sentence in this context is: "Saints" (monks) steal heavenly secrets (spiritual energy or other important things), and if "saints" do not die, then the theft of heaven and earth will not stop.
nucmednet