Two pairs of golden irises and dark pupils opened at the same time, absorbing the illuminated surroundings fully, including the grand jade palace that possessed exceptional craftsmanship of elegance and purity. The faint, guttural growls of a dragon stung their ears. The warmth of a Fire Phoenix soothed their exhausted bodies and minds. A familiar scent that they both were strangely familiar with wafted into their noses.
The younger of the two, Lin Xianxei subconsciously smiled as a feeling of inexplicable safety flowed quietly through her heart. While Lin Xianxian's eyes glinted and shone with wild excitement. She hurriedly turned and found the origin of that scent, finding the young man staring ahead riding a white and gold feathered Bai Lin, his side profile was unforgettable, and his bearing was inimitable.
"Master Wei!" Lin Xianxian instinctively called out.
Lin Xianxei easily recognized her mother's voice, yet when she looked around, her eyes fixated on a single, hazy silhouette of cyan hovering far into the sky. The fluctuations of spiritual and mystic power were something she felt, but her thoughts were inexplicably foggy for a moment.
"Master?"
The hazy figure was difficult to discern for anyone at a glance, but Lin Xianxei recognized the aura within a single heartbeat, not even needing to see him entirely or up close. Moreover, her recent memories, albeit hazy, were enough for her to remember being summoned by her Master.
"..." The man titled Divine King by the world and Han Xei by his parents was taken aback by these developments. Initially, Han Yuhei had intervened at a critical juncture and seized the two after he had established seals on their Seas of Consciousness, Mind's Eye, and Souls. Then, Han Yuhei fought against him. It wasn't a simple fight, he was measured and careful, as if deliberate in his defenses and offenses to keep him here. He found this suspicious, but he didn't think too deeply about this, and sought to retrieve his possessions-the two women!
Han Yuhei refused to speak a single word and just fought. He refused to take a single step back and only threw blows. He refused to lose the two women and guarded them with his life. Han Xei knew of the relationship Lin Xianxian and Lin Xianxei had with the Bai Clan of the True Element Sect, the lineage of his wife, but it wasn't enough to fight against him here! Especially when he knew how critical the situation was!
He was the only one who knew!
Now, an azure-scaled dragon emerged alongside Zhan Ziyi, the Fire Phoenix, and that monstrously unfathomable Wei Wuyin! He immediately felt the situation was far against his favor with developments that he was unaware of. Still, as he felt the draconic pressure exert itself, hatred flowed intensely through his spiritual form causing it to distort slightly.
Moreover, the two women were bound by an astonishingly profound Spiritual Spell that couldn't be easily undone, especially given his Spiritual Strength. Not even ordinary Worldly Saints would be able to undo it. This was specifically mentioned in the spell's scroll itself!
However... Wei Wuyin had undone them! Moreover, there didn't seem to be any backlash or harm, their eyes as bright as before, perhaps even brighter. The sight of Lin Xianxei was particularly shocking. Unlike her mother Lin Xianxei's Sea of Consciousness and Soul was cleansed entirely. She shouldn't have any memories, recollections, or personality left! He had long since made preparations for this, and yet she had recognized him by aura alone and referred to him as 'Master'! He was unable to process what was happening!
But regardless of 'how', the 'who' remained constant: Wei Wuyin!
Curiosity got the better of him as he forcefully suppressed his instinctive urge to slaughter the dragon, turning his gaze toward Wei Wuyin and slowly asked in a pulsating, vigorous voice that seemed booming and heavenly, backed by Spiritual Strength that could stir the minds of any Earthly Saint: "What did you do? Why are you here?" He couldn't help but add the second question, one that originated from the depths of his heart.
If this was Wei Wuyin before his conquest of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, before Tian Taizong's unquestionable defeat and subsequent death, before Lin Ming's death, then he wouldn't have been so nervous of this young mortal. While he was occupied by Han Yuhei, both of them had divided some of their attention to observe the events beyond this unnamed realm and were thoroughly shaken by the events. When Wei Wuyin's declaration swept through them, they both felt as if they couldn't resist. They weren't qualified to!
While he was in this strange state, Han Xei hadn't developed a Seed of Law to the Sprouting Stage, so there was nothing he could do but watch Wei Wuyin exert his supreme dominance across the eighteen regions. While they all felt as if 'something' had changed in the world shortly after, the two were too preoccupied with fighting each other to delve into this difference.
Wei Wuyin's gaze never left Han Xei's form. He didn't answer any of his questions. The first was simple, however. He merely unraveled his spiritual seal with his own Spiritual Strength intermixed with the aura of the Imperial Law. It was as easy as breathing.
The second question's answer was slightly more complicated. During the time when Lin Xianxei was 'kidnapped' by Wei Wuyin, her mind was explored. It was then that he discovered an incomparably dark truth regarding her origins and trauma that originated from the soul.
A disturbing memory filled with faceless imagination, the dark, dreary, and twisted presence of death, and a mystery that hanged within a three-year-old mind. Wei Wuyin saw how Lin Xianxei at such a tender age had died. Despite that, her memories were intact and the rest of her memories were consistent with a normal individual. Others might not grasp what happened, but Wei Wuyin knew at that moment.
Lin Xianxei's soul was invaded, overwritten. She was turned into a vessel to house another's soul. In a sense, she wasn't that three-year-old girl except by memory, emotion, and thoughts, but someone else entirely.
Wei Wuyin's silver eyes stared unblinkingly at the hovering figure. All those years ago, Divine King Han Xei had transplanted a cleansed portion of his soul into hers, absorbing her past self, and acting as Lin Xianxei.
The three-year-old girl then-she was dead.
She was essentially a soul clone of Han Xei, a flesh vessel designed to nurture that soul naturally, all for the sake of a nefarious attempt at resurrection. The concept of possession was foreign to cultivators because to do so one needed to at least grasp a degree of understanding of souls. Wei Wuyin had unintentionally grasped this degree of understanding, allowing him to form four Spirits of Cultivation and perform other soul-based feats like retaining awareness of Hell. But this profound degree of insight was typically limited to those at the Resonant Soul Realm! The realm beyond the Mystic Ascendant Realm!
But possession was not foreign to Spiritualists. They were, in essence, cultivators who've taken the paths of Spirits of Cultivation. With sufficient time and preparation, seizing another's body wasn't too difficult at all!
It was an evil method to its core, but one with boundless benefits if done right!
Wei Wuyin had once mentioned to Wen Mingna that Lin Xianxei needed a lot of help and that this wasn't his problem. In the end, he didn't stand on the sidelines. He wasn't too strong then, his means were not too great, but that didn't mean he couldn't help her in some ways. For example, seeking insight from the Heavenly War Spirit and War Commander Zhan Zheng on how to handle this!
Their solution was both complex and simple: Revive her original soul!
Lin Xianxei had died hundreds of years ago, so reviving her soul should be something unfathomably impossible. But shockingly, she wasn't truly gone! At least in regards to entering the cycle of samsara. To ordinary cultivators, this meant their soul dispersing. To Wei Wuyin, this meant entering Hell by the Heavenly Daos' guidance and subsequently being cleansed. Her True Soul was still bound to her original body! This also meant the young girl's True Soul would be tethered to the possessed body until its death, until the newly possessed experienced soul dispersal!
Horrifically, the True Soul was haunting Lin Xianxei!
It wasn't that difficult to do for a three-year-old mortal girl. Zhan Zheng completed the act using his Void Energy with ease, and Wei Wuyin had no issue melding the two after. It was quite easy. Perhaps it had to do with his understanding of souls or his Bloodline of Sin, but they merged seamlessly. He didn't decide to try cleansing or killing Han Xei's soul, only merging the two. If he killed or cleansed Han Xei's soul and implanted her memories into the new soul, it would only mean killing the current 'Lin Xianxei' that lived for so many years and replacing it with a puppet with implanted memories. Unwilling to do that, he went with the more practical and sensible way.
After completing this, setting up some defenses to protect her from being cleansed again to prevent any conflict during the act of possession when Han Xei inevitably initiated the process wasn't too difficult with Zhan Zheng's strength. The Soldiers of War, especially the Commanders of War, had numerous ways to defend against possession already, as the act itself could cripple an army, and after being 'cleansed', Lin Xianxei's Sea of Consciousness, Mind's Eye, and Soul would go dormant until awakened instead of being erased.
But he couldn't be bothered to answer either of these for Han Xei.
"You tried to perform Spiritualism Conversion without an initiator and horribly failed," Wei Wuyin stated. Both Lin Xianxei and Lin Xianxian were taken aback. The former's eyes grew strangely dazed and the latter's expression changed, realizing that Wei Wuyin's tone was far different than the warm one he would typically have. Lin Xianxian noticed her daughter and the rest and tacitly went silent, her gaze solemn.
"..." Han Xei's hazy figure shook slightly. However, he wasn't too surprised that Wei Wuyin knew this given the traitorous Han Yuhei. The ungrateful whelp!
"So you've decided to use a formation from an ancient Evil Method you've trudged up to act as a replacement initiator. By possessing the fresh, unruined mortal body of another, you then intended to use an Ascended being's relative of your vessel's soul and flesh to assist in the conversion process, merging Mortal and Mystic?" This method wasn't too uncommon for the desperate who sought to become Spiritualists in the Azure-Prime Galactic Zone, although it was looked down upon by all. It was even mentioned in the Sacred Library.
A low, deep rumbling growl followed as Anu eyed Han Xei with murderous intent. The vestiges of his willpower only lasted because of Wei Wuyin's presence. If not, he would have long since crushed this person into minced spirit and swallowed him whole.
"..." Lin Xianxei might have just woken up, but she was a keen cultivator and an intelligent woman. Within mere moments, her eyes widened to their limits as she realized the implications of her mother being here. Moreover, her mother thought the same. But she didn't quite know who this hazy spirit was, only an inkling of an idea that he was the Nine-Divine Elementus King, Han Xei!
Both of their expressions paled, turning into a shade of white ash!
"Lin Ming was indeed of their familial lineage, huh?" Wei Wuyin had always assumed this was the case given the similar surnames, but they originated from different starfields. Was the Lin Clan of Lin Ming who abandoned him all those years ago and the Lin Clan of the True Element Sect the same?
Wei Wuyin's eyes suddenly brightened, "Or was he of yours?" If so, then Han Yuhei was going to be the Mystic Ascendant Realm level replacement relative! In a way, Lin Ming and Han Yuhei were a better vessel for possession than the female Lin Xianxei and the Soul of Mysticism Phase Lin Xianxian!
It was clear that Lin Ming was being cultivated as a vessel for the sake of possession, especially since he was compatible with Han Xei's Divine Origin. Han Xei's method wasn't very different from what he had done to Lin Xianxei! Gradual assimilation until properly primed and then a thorough cleansing and soul replacement! In the three-year-old Lin Xianxei's memory, Han Xei was a familiar and frequent figure she trusted in her life, like an imaginary friend. And to Lin Ming, he was an unfathomable and reliable Master!
Hearing of Lin Ming and his plans being exposed, Han Xei's hazy figure fluctuated wildly as if on the verge of dispersal. In the eyes of others, his plans being uncovered was a terrifying blow, but to Wei Wuyin's Celestial Eyes, he was attempting to accumulate his Spiritual Power!
He planned to fight!
Or he planned to flee!
Either way, Wei Wuyin's eyes flashed with a glint of rarely revealed disdain and contempt.
