The wedding-like procession continued to move forward, and the ear-piercing sound of the suona that was like a funeral dirge, continued to reverberate.
The four jars placed on the poles like they were some kind of tribute were of four colors: blue, black, red, and white.
Xu Qing looked at all of this from the sky and a cold glint appeared in his eyes. With a sway, he moved toward the sedan chair.
His appearance immediately attracted the attention of the entourage. Among them, seven to eight snake-headed soul figures headed straight for Xu Qing.
Xu Qing's expression didn't change at all as he continued to move forward. His gaze was focused on the sedan chair and nothing else was in his vision.
With every step he took, the underworld river would rumble fiercely. His aura was like a sharp blade that continued to show its edge on his body.
As for the seven to eight soul figure, they quickly arrived before, but the instant they got close, the wind from the Poison Restriction blew past. Immediately, their souls rotted and they let out mournful cries.
Just as they were about to dissipate, they strangely fused together and transformed into a huge soul figure that was more than ten feet tall. It spread its arms and roared as it pounced toward Xu Qing.
However, this soul shadow came to a sudden stop in front of Xu Qing. After that, cracks appeared on its body and rapidly spread throughout its body. It then collapsed and exploded uncontrollably. Its pieces turned into dust and scattered on the underworld river.
Xu Qing expressionlessly retracted his fist and continued to speed forward. Just as he was about to get close, the long entourage in front of him disappeared like a bubble.
Further in the distance, the entourage appeared again. They didn't stop and continued forward.
This time, the curtain of the sedan chair was lifted by a hand that was like white jade. The young girl sitting inside stretched out her long neck and coldly looked at Xu Qing.
This was the first figure Xu Qing encountered that wasn't a crazed soul. However, this young girl was clearly not completely normal. Her expression seemed to only contain coldness. The moment she looked at Xu Qing, dozens of snake-headed souls in the entourage around her emitted a ferocious intent as they rushed toward Xu Qing.
Xu Qing didn't bother with these rushing souls. He looked at the sedan chair and pointed his right hand at the sky.
Immediately, the sky rumbled and the poison mist storm descended, landing in front of the sedan chair and stopping it.
After that, he lifted his foot and stomped on the underworld river. In an instant, a purple fog spread out from Xu Qing's body and quickly fused into the river, changing the color of the river and spreading forward rapidly.
It sealed the whole area.
The entourage blurred again, as though they were about to disappear. However, under the cover of the Poison Restriction and Purple Moon, their teleportation failed.
The entourage instantly turned their heads and stared fixedly at Xu Qing before rushing toward him.
The underworld river churned violently. A large number of corpses crawled out from it and countless evil souls rose into the air.
Xu Qing's speed didn't decrease as he sped forward. The black iron stick appeared beside him and flickered with lightning, stirring up bolts of lightning that quickly stabbed toward those souls.
It instantly got close to one of them. After it pierced through the other party's head, lightning exploded and destroyed the soul.
It continued to pierce through the souls.
The shadow also spread out. Even though it felt disgusted, it still devoured those souls crazily.
The souls that were rushing toward Xu Qing let out mournful cries. They either collapsed, or melted from the poison, or were devoured.
Xu Qing got closer and closer to the sedan chair. From time to time, he would grab at the air, grabbing the souls that rushed to his side and crushing them.
As he moved forward, the aura on his body became increasingly terrifying. At the same time, an ear-piercing suona sound suddenly rang out from afar.
It formed a force that could target the soul and attacked Xu Qing.
However, this bit of strength was nothing to Xu Qing, who had withstood the mutterings of a god. The black umbrella materialized, and he paid no attention to the suona. He took a step forward and landed, causing the suona's tone to change into shattering sounds and screams.
The souls in the surroundings continued to collapse and die. Xu Qing's figure was like a demonic god, unable to be stopped at all.
Just as he was about to approach the sedan chair, the curtain of the sedan chair quickly lifted and the young girl in the wedding dress walked out. Her expression was still cold and fluctuations that were infinitely close to the Nascent Soul realm spread out from her body.
At this moment, her hands grew long fingernails that were incomparably sharp. Her eyes also revealed double pupils as she stared at Xu Qing.
Afterwards, her face turned black, with rotting scales spreading across her features as she charged towards Xu Qing with frightening speed.
Her speed wasn't slow and she even stirred up waves of dense aura of death. However, the instant she got close to Xu Qing, Xu Qing suddenly disappeared.
Before the snake woman could react, a hand that was like an iron clamp stretched out from beside her and grabbed her neck.
It was Xu Qing's hand.
The snake woman tried to break free immediately, but a shocking force came from this hand. With a cracking sound, her neck was instantly crushed.
Xu Qing waved his hand and threw the snake woman's body into the distance.
However, the snake woman didn't die. She let out a mournful cry in the air. Just as she was about to struggle, the Poison Restriction storm descended and enveloped her.
Immediately after, the purple fog also arrived and surrounded her, forming a restraining force.
All of this took a long time to describe but in reality, it happened the instant the snake woman got close to Xu Qing.
After doing this, Xu Qing remained expressionless, not even sparing a glance at the snake woman's screams. He walked towards the side of the sedan chair where the white jar was positioned.
The scorching heat emitted by the shattered golden thread in his palm guided him to this jar.
Xu Qing carefully picked up the white jar and gently opened it.
A wisp of soul rose from the jar like fog and slowly gathered in the air. Finally, it transformed into a little white snake. It wasn't clear and was a little blurry, as though it was incomplete.
Xu Qing looked at the white snake and the image of the young girl in the white dress meditating in the cave appeared in his mind.
It was very weak, as though it wanted to open its eyes but didn't have the strength. Xu Qing put his hand closer to the little white snake.
As though it could sense Xu Qing's aura, even though the little white snake didn't have the strength to open its eyes, it shook slightly. It instinctively landed on Xu Qing's hand and gently rubbed it, revealing a sense of familiarity.
Xu Qing's heart softened. After his right hand gently closed, his gaze swept past the other three jars.
These three jars also had souls, but they didn't belong to Ling'er.
They should also be Ancient Spirits who experienced the same thing as Ling'er. Their inheritance failed and their souls fell into this world.
However, in order to avoid negligence, Xu Qing still waved his hand. The three jars were immediately opened and souls of different colors spread out, each taking shape. Xu Qing checked carefully. After confirming that there was no Ling'er's soul, he retracted his gaze and turned to look at the place where he had imprisoned the snake woman with the poison mist and purple fog.
The scene of the snake woman sitting in the sedan chair appeared in his mind.
"She might be absorbing…"
This was also the reason why Xu Qing didn't completely erase it earlier. The way the four jars were placed on the poles gave off the feeling that they were tributes waiting to be enjoyed.
Xu Qing's eyes revealed coldness as he walked over.
The shadow spread out behind him and the black iron stick followed on his right. As for the Poison Restriction, it spread out in front of him and the purple fog also parted to form a path, allowing Xu Qing to walk to the snake woman.
The snake woman's soul body was in the midst of collapse, but her expression was still cold. It was as though other than this emotion, there were no other emotions in her mind.
Xu Qing coldly glanced at the snake woman. The Golden Crow manifested behind him. As flames filled the air, the huge Golden Crow sucked at the snake woman. Immediately, the snake woman's soul body trembled and dissipated, transforming into soul fog.
Amidst the fog, there were a few strands of soul threads of different colors. One of them was white.
Xu Qing's left hand transformed into bizarre nether form, entering the soul fog. He then gently took out the white soul thread and fused it into the little white snake's body.
The little white snake's body trembled and its blurry state became clearer. It slowly opened its eyes, which were a little dazed as it let out a sound.
"Gurgle, gurgle…"
Xu Qing's heart ached. He discovered that Ling'er's eyes were still filled with confusion and did not have much spirit. That feeling of incompleteness still existed. At that moment, it slowly seemed like she was about to fall asleep again.
Through those shattered golden threads, Xu Qing could sense that there was guidance in the direction the underworld river flowed in.
That was where another part of Ling'er's soul was.
Xu Qing looked into the depths of the underworld river.
Deep shouts came from the end of the underworld river at this instant. This shout could intimidate the soul, and even the river shook. The world fluctuated, as though a god was breathing in the depths.
An endless sense of danger continued to rise in Xu Qing's heart. It grew denser and denser, becoming a horrifying sensation that spread throughout his body.
It was as though every inch of his flesh was reminding Xu Qing that that place… was very dangerous.
This feeling gradually became a haze that enveloped his mind.
Xu Qing fell silent. He looked at the little white snake that had fallen asleep again in his palm. He then lifted his head and looked into the depths of the underworld river.
After a long time, he closed his right hand. As the Bizarre Nether Dao Snatching Art circulated and his entire arm became translucent, his right hand reached into his chest until it entered his sea of consciousness. He gently put down Ling'er's sleeping soul there.
This place was currently the safest place on Xu Qing's body.
After doing this, Xu Qing walked toward the end of the river.
There were some things that he had to do even if it was dangerous. He wouldn't let down anyone who treated him well.
As he moved forward, the shouts from the depths of the underworld river echoed even more.
As Xu Qing listened, he suddenly lifted his right hand and pointed at the sky. Immediately… in this dim great world, a purple moon slowly rose into the air with fog formed by poison.
As the light scattered down, purple intent descended on the ground.
This was the first time in countless years that a moon appeared in this great world that originally didn't have a moon!
