Naturally, Gu Hai had told Long Wanqing how to control the ritual array that he laid.
Long Wanqing stepped out of the ritual array silently and headed to the valley that the Unborn Man had indicated.
At this moment, a hidden ritual array encircled that valley. White fog shrouded the outside, but black energy swept about inside with cold, sinister winds.
“Come in,” the Unborn Man said.
Long Wanqing nodded and stepped in.
There was a strange ritual array at the center of the valley, hovering above a strange black hole that gave off the cold, sinister winds. It seemed to be connected to the nether realm.
“This is?” Long Wanqing frowned.
The Unborn Man turned his head to look at Long Wanqing. “There is also a sound barrier in my ritual array. Just ask what you want to know.”
“How did you obtain my mother’s mortal soul?” Long Wanqing goggled at the Unborn Man.
“Duke Lu Yang gave it to me. However, I am still not certain about it and need you to help me verify it. You are the lass’s daughter, so there should be a mortal soul inheritance. If it matches, then this is the lass’s mortal soul. If it is really her mortal soul, I still need to find her heavenly soul and earthly soul. Perhaps I can revive the lass. Hah,” the Unborn Man sighed.
“Why not do it in the valley where I was?” Long Wanqing stared somewhat skeptically at the Unborn Man.
“In that valley? With that fellow Liu Nian around? Back when the lass was still alive, he kept pitting himself against me. I do not want him to know about this,” the Unborn Man said coldly.
“The venerable was smitten with my mother. You are just jealous of him, right. Furthermore, the venerable said that you are not worthy of knowing who my father is. That shows that you are petty and narrow-minded,” Long Wanqing said with some hate.
Venerable Liu Nian had helped to raise Long Wanging. He was like a benefactor to her, so she could not permit the Unborn Man to speak badly about him.
“Humph! Your father is nothing good. He abandoned his wife and daughters. I want to know who he is and teach him a lesson,” the Unborn Man said coldly.
“Humph! My mother said that my father was a matchless hero, and no one in the world could go against him. He just did not know that my mother died. Just wait until my father returns. He will show you all!” Long Wanqing said through gritted teeth.
Although Long Wanqing said that she did not want to look for her father anymore while feeling heartbroken, she still felt some anticipation for her father—an expectation that had supported her heart all these years.
“Alright. Let’s not waste time. Place your hand on this Harmonious Soul Family Acknowledging Ritual Array. Let’s see if this is really the lass’s mortal soul,” the Unborn Man said.
As the Unborn Man spoke, he took out the jade box and extremely carefully opened it while placing it at one end of the ritual array.
Long Wanqing looked at the Unborn Man. She did not have a good impression of this Unborn Man. However, this might be her mother’s mortal soul, so she did not dare to act carelessly. She did as the Unborn Man said and carefully placed her hand on the other end of the ritual array.
“Don’t move. It will hurt a bit. Just endure it,” the Unborn Man said coldly.
As the Unborn Man spoke, he activated the ritual array.
Buzz!
Boundless negative energy instantly rushed out of the hole below the ritual array and covered Long Wanqing. It felt like bone-chilling cold energy flooded into the depths of her soul.
“Ow!” Long Wanqing let out a pained cry.
Buzz!
Suddenly, a faint blue silhouette floated out of Long Wanqing’s body. This was Long Wanqing’s mortal soul.
A golden aura then appeared in the ritual array. It grabbed a finger of Long Wanqing’s mortal soul and gently pulled it to the center of the ritual array.
At the other end, a slender, golden thread pulled on a faint blue light in the jade box and connected it to the finger of Long Wanqing’s mortal soul.
Buzz!
Suddenly, the jade box released a dazzling blue light.
“What a warm feeling! Mother. Mother. This is Mother’s aura. Mother, is that really you? Is it you? Mother, I am Little Wanqing! I am Little Wanqing. You said that you would bring presents back for Younger Sister and me. Why haven’t you returned yet? Mother, Younger Sister and I miss you. Mother!” Long Wanqing’s eyes turned bloodshot as her entire body trembled.
Buzz!
The ritual array suddenly stopped operating. Long Wanqing’s mortal soul returned to her body, and Long Xiaoyue’s mortal soul returned to the jade box.
“It’s the lass! It’s really the lass!” The Unborn Man’s voice trembled slightly.
The negative energy around Long Wanqing vanished. However, tears suddenly poured out of her eyes.
“Mother, is that you? Can you hear me speak? Mother! Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob! I’m Little Wanqing! I am Little Wanqing!” Long Wanqing cried as she stepped forward.
Clack! The Unborn Man closed the box and carefully put it away, not letting her get near.
“That’s my mother! My mother! Give it to me! Return it to me! Sob! Sob! Sob!” Long Wanqing felt extremely agitated.
Twenty-odd years of grievances and longing instantly erupted.
“Calm down. Long Wanqing, this is only your mother’s mortal soul. Furthermore, she has lost all her memories and character!” the Unborn Man shouted.
The shout shook Long Wanqing’s mind, forcing her to calm down.
After wiping away her tears, Long Wanqing looked at the Unborn Man and said, “Senior, this is my mother. You have a way to revive her? Is that right? You definitely can, right?”
To save her mother, Long Wanqing’s attitude towards the Unborn Man instantly changed.
The Unborn Man looked at Long Wanqing and let out a long breath. Then, he nodded. “Long Wanqing, many thanks for helping me verify that this is the lass’s mortal soul. I do have a way to save her. I need to gather all three spiritual souls. However, even if I bring her back, she will not have any memories. She would be a blank slate. She would not recognize you or me.”
“As long as my mother can come back to life, I can slowly tell her everything. She is my mother. Please save her!” Long Wanqing suddenly knelt.
The Unborn Man looked at Long Wanqing and said, “Then, we need to get back the lass’s heavenly soul and earthly soul first.”
“My mother’s heavenly soul and earthly soul? Where are they?” Long Wanqing asked anxiously as she looked at the Unborn Man.
“They are with Duke Lu Yang. He promised that as long as I helped him to do one last thing, he would hand the lass’s heavenly soul and earthly soul to me,” the Unborn Man said.
“What is it? Is it difficult? Can I help? What can I do? I will do anything to save my mother!” Long Wanqing said with bloodshot eyes.
“Kill Gu Hai!” the Unborn Man said.
“Wha…wha…what?!” Long Wanqing felt like lightning struck her. She goggled at the Unborn Man.
“For your mother to live, Gu Hai has to die!” the Unborn Man said.
“My mother and Gu Hai? Only one can live?” Long Wanqing suddenly slumped to the ground.
“No. Gu Hai has to die,” the Unborn Man said coldly.
“No, no, no! You cannot kill Gu Hai! You cannot!” Long Wanqing’s entire body trembled.
“If Gu Hai does not die, the lass cannot come back to life. Do you wish for Long Xiaoyue to come back to life? Oh, right, I don’t have to ask you for your opinion,” the Unborn Man said indifferently.
To save Mother, Gu Hai has to die?
If Gu Hai lives, I cannot save Mother?
Long Wanqing slumped on the ground as her mind crumbled.
“Why is it like this? Why is it like this?” Long Wanqing revealed despair on her face.
One is the person I love, and the other is the mother I miss greatly. I can only choose one. What should I do?
“Alright. Long Wanqing, go back. I will save the lass. I have to go now,” the Unborn Man said indifferently.
“Go? Where are you going?” A thought suddenly struck Long Wanqing.
“Naturally, to Gu Hai. Previously, I was not sure about this mortal soul. Now that I am sure, I just need to finish off Gu Hai,” the Unborn Man said indifferently.
“No, no! You cannot kill Gu Hai!” Long Wanqing exclaimed immediately.
“Don’t you want your mother to come back to life?” The Unborn Man looked at Long Wanqing coldly.
“I do! I do!” Long Wanqing showed a bitter and sorrowful expression.
“Then, it is settled. Alright. We’ll speak again when I have rescued the lass!” the Unborn Man said.
“Wa…wait!” Long Wanqing called out immediately.
“What’s wrong?” the Unborn Man asked, feeling puzzled.
“How will you find Gu Hai? We have been extremely careful over the past few days. Extremely, extremely careful. Yet, you managed to find us. How did you do it?” Long Wanqing asked the Unborn Man, looking at him with some anticipation.
“Finding a person might be hard for others. However, for lifespan cultivators like me, it is not difficult. The hair is an abandoned product of the three spiritual souls. As it was once part of the three spiritual souls, it can be used as a substitute. We lifespan cultivators are very sensitive to souls. The hair has a soul signature. I paid attention to your soul signatures before, so I can find you using them,” the Unborn Man said.
“Our hair? You found us because of our hair? You can accurately pinpoint Gu Hai’s location?” Long Wanqing looked at the Unborn Man in despair.
Given this, there was no escape for Gu Hai.
“That’s right!” the Unborn Man said indifferently.
“Se…Senior, on account of my mother, I beg you. Please wait on killing Gu Hai, alright? Please?!” Long Wanqing suddenly knelt to the Unborn Man.
The Unborn Man looked at Long Wanqing coldly.
“Wait for Gu Hai to return. Let me say goodbye to him. Please! I beg you! Sob! Sob! Sob!” Long Wanqing continuously kowtowed to the Unborn Man.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Every time Long Wanqing knocked her head against the ground, she wounded her forehead, drawing blood. However, she never stopped.
The Unborn Man looked at Long Wanqing, unmoved. However, when he turned his head to look at the jade box, his aura suddenly warmed.
“Never mind. Stop kowtowing. Although I don’t care for you or your father, in the end, you are the lass’s daughter. If she knew that I pushed her daughter into such a state, she would be incredibly upset. Never mind. No matter how incredible Gu Hai is, he cannot flee from me. I’ll give you one day. I permit you one day after Gu Hai returns. Then, I will break Gu Hai’s ritual array and kill him,” the Unborn Man said.
“Many thanks. Senior, many thanks! Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob!” Long Wangqing said with bloodshot eyes.
“Long Wanqing, I don’t care about what you think. Gu Hai cannot escape. Make good use of your time and say your goodbyes. Don’t delude yourself. Furthermore, know that your mother, Long Xiaoyue, can come back to life only if Gu Hai dies. Don’t you want to see your mother? Don’t you want to see the lass?” the Unborn Man said.
“I do! I do! I miss my mother!” Long Wanqing said with bloodshot eyes. At this moment, her heart felt completely torn.
“Alright. Go back first,” the Unborn Man said indifferently.
Long Wanqing’s eyes remained red. She wiped her eyes as she looked at the box in the Unborn Man’s hands. Then, she showed a sorrowful smile. I need to kill my most beloved to revive my mother?
Long Wanqing seemed soulless as she walked out of the Unborn Man’s ritual array and returned.
She felt completely dispirited, her eyes blank. She did not even know how she returned.
