Chapter 1502: In the City in Spring, Grass and Trees Grow Deep

The revelations Li Yan had experienced today, ever since seeing these two statues, had been numerous.

First, there were the secrets of the Soul-Suppression Palace, then the sudden appearance of the statues, and now, it was connected to a cultivation method the first-generation old Sect Master had supposedly obtained by chance.

Looking at it now, the so-called “accidental discovery” was likely not the case at all. The “Saintly Soul Transformation Art” was deeply intertwined with the Soul-Suppression Palace, and by extension, the Hellsoul Clan.

What Li Yan thought of even more was the matter of the “Immortal-Seeking Lineage.” This special group that had led him through the great gates of cultivation was unexpectedly connected to soul cultivators.

Even more terrifying was that the dilapidated Earthen Jar in his hands had been obtained in the lower realm. Based on the cultivation manual inferred from the chipped section, how did its creator possess a cultivation art of the Spirit Transformation level and above?

‘Does this mean a soul cultivator similar to Master Dong Fuyi also went to the lower realm and left some cultivation methods there? And this person’s earliest origins were likely from the Immortal-Seeking Lineage as well…’

Li Yan began to speculate, feeling that this “Immortal-Seeking Lineage” he had encountered had become even more mysterious. Setting aside the possibility of some peerless genius, for someone in the lower realm to create a cultivation method surpassing the Spirit Transformation Realm was simply monstrous.

After Li Yan had returned to the Malevolent Spirit Sect, especially after reaching Nascent Soul Formation and gaining significant authority, he had compiled and diligently read through every single classic and jade slip in the sect that mentioned the “Immortal-Seeking Lineage.”

The final conclusion was that to most who knew of them, the “Immortal-Seeking Lineage” was just a peculiar, minor group of mortals.

Ninety-nine percent of them were mortals who, after accumulating a certain amount of wealth or cultivating their martial arts to the peak of the secular world, would begin to think of so-called eternal life.

They would spare no expense to search for immortal lands or the haunts of immortals.

Needless to say, the final result for ninety-nine percent of these people would be a fruitless endeavor, ending as nothing more than a pile of white bones.

Only a very small minority would have a sliver of opportunity to find some traces of immortals.

But in the eyes of top-tier sects like the Malevolent Spirit Sect, the cultivation methods these people could find were nothing more than the lowest-grade arts.

It was already a fine outcome for these persistent mortals to eventually find immortals and become a group of low-level cultivators.

This explanation was the most logical for the Desolate Moon Continent; otherwise, wouldn’t a fifth major power have emerged?

However, the Hellsoul Clan that Li Yan had encountered was clearly a special branch within the “Immortal-Seeking Lineage.”

From Li Yan’s experience, every cultivation method and formation from the Hellsoul Clan he had come into contact with was absolutely top-tier. This was what surprised him.

Even the Gui Water Immortal Sect in the Immortal Spirit Realm, where Li Yan currently resided, might not dare to claim that its cultivation methods were superior to those of the Hellsoul Clan.

After a while, Li Yan finally reined in his thoughts. He still couldn’t be sure about the relationship between the Hellsoul Clan and the Soul-Suppression Palace, but he had at least found traces of the Hellsoul Clan again in the upper realm.

This discovery alone was enough to stir his heart for a moment.

Once his emotions calmed, he looked down again at the dilapidated Earthen Jar in his hand. By now, all the characters on its inner wall had vanished, and it had returned to its ordinary state.

‘Perhaps back then, at the Hellsoul Clan’s pool, when that statue emitted a beam of light and the teleportation occurred, the cultivation method had already appeared inside this jar.’

‘But the situation was different then. I was caught completely off guard by the sudden teleportation, and then I was distracted by the underground passage that appeared later.’

‘After all that commotion, even when I thought to use the dilapidated Earthen Jar to see if I could leave, the characters had already disappeared. Naturally, I had no way of knowing about this!’

Li Yan mused to himself, then looked up again at the two statues before him, one civil and one martial.

‘The hun and po souls are divided into yin and yang, and so the Hellsoul Clan has civil and martial statues. The “Saintly Soul Transformation Art” is likely their core cultivation method.’

‘If I follow this line of reasoning, does the appearance of these two statues signify that the path of cultivation corresponds to the orthodox teachings of Yin Huns and Yang Pos, or perhaps what could be called Civil Huns and Martial Pos?’

‘And if my guesses are still correct, it would mean the Hellsoul Clan was founded by two people, one civil and one martial.’

‘Furthermore, these two were most likely mortals in their early days, probably officials serving in the same dynasty. But both wished to become immortals, so they joined forces and eventually entered the Immortal-Seeking Lineage.’

‘Then, through some fortuitous encounter, they founded the Hellsoul Clan and became soul cultivators!’

‘But all of this… contradicts what Su Hong told me about the origins of the Hellsoul Clan. According to the unofficial history recorded on a jade slip that Gui Qu Lai Xi obtained, the Hellsoul Clan was founded by three people.’ (TN: Gui Qu Lai Xi is the name of a messenger service.)

‘Could the jade slip Su Hong obtained really be an unofficial history, not the truth, but just another theory? Or perhaps it was simply fabricated by someone else…’

‘And… why have I seen so many of these statues? And every single one of them is related to this dilapidated Earthen Jar…’

With a flash of light, the dilapidated Earthen Jar disappeared from Li Yan’s hand. At this point, the object had no further use for him.

But his gaze continued to sweep back and forth between the two statues as his mind endlessly speculated on various possibilities.

A long time passed, and Li Yan eventually gave up with a headache, unable to figure out the reason.

But in the end, he was certain of one thing: the dilapidated Earthen Jar in his hand was definitely crafted by the same person who had carved these statues. And the person who carved these statues was the true successor of the Hellsoul Clan.

He could even speculate on a possibility based on the information he had received back then: the Hellsoul Clan that disappeared from the Verdant Continent were likely the last of the true successors to vanish, while the Soul-Suppression Palace that appeared here was merely a branch of the Hellsoul Clan.

It was possible their founding ancestor had unintentionally obtained a partial inheritance of the Hellsoul Clan, which would explain the appearance of the incomplete “Saintly Soul Transformation Art.”

This point could be inferred from the fact that the Soul-Suppression Palace did not treasure the “Saintly Soul Transformation Art” as the sect’s core cultivation method, nor did they continuously search for the missing parts in the subsequent years.

Li Yan stopped dwelling on the statues and began to ponder the origins of the Soul-Suppression Palace. After all, he had now obtained a partially complete version of the “Saintly Soul Transformation Art.”

Although it only allowed cultivation up to the Spirit Transformation Realm, it was a complete method for cultivating the Three Huns and Seven Pos. The missing portion was from the rim of the jar, not a lack of specific soul formulas.

In a sense, the two versions were fundamentally different. One seemed intentionally incomplete, while the other was merely an accident.

If Li Yan were to reveal the complete set of the “Saintly Soul Transformation Art” that he had now pieced together, from Qi Condensation to the late-stage Spirit Transformation Realm, it would undoubtedly make cultivation significantly less difficult for those who practiced it.

Li Yan didn’t know what consequences he would face if this were exposed; it might very well be a catastrophe.

The Soul-Suppression Palace intended to use the “Saintly Soul Transformation Art” to awaken their two Supreme Elders. Although Li Yan didn’t know exactly how they planned to do it, the importance of this art was self-evident.

Although they hadn’t designated this art as the sect’s core cultivation method, they must have discovered something unusual about it.

Otherwise, Tang Feng wouldn’t have said that besides the Void Refining Elders, only those who cultivated this art were permitted to enter the Civil and Martial Hall to cultivate.

Furthermore, after cultivating this art himself, Li Yan felt that it could substantially increase the power of his soul arts—by as much as one to two times.

If he could cultivate the Power of the Cold Moon, or even the Power of the Great Sun, it shouldn’t be difficult to fight enemies a major realm above his own.

Soul cultivators already possessed an advantage over other cultivators, with their formless and invisible attacks perfect for assassination. If their own cultivation were to be further enhanced, the value of this art was clear to see…

After pondering for a while, Li Yan finally calmed his mind. He would, of course, never reveal the dilapidated Earthen Jar or the complete cultivation method he had obtained.

If he did, he would have no way to explain himself, and it would only bring disaster upon him.

Li Yan had not anticipated this turn of events, but by now, his mood had gradually stabilized.

Since he couldn’t figure it out, Li Yan decided not to dwell on it any longer. He couldn’t afford to delay any further.

The Soul-Suppression Palace was under immense pressure, and his time was short. Setting aside his thoughts, he immediately chose a prayer mat facing the martial general and sat down cross-legged again.

He already had a plan. He would start from the beginning and supplement his cultivation, completely rectifying the remaining five po souls, from Qi Condensation all the way to the Nascent Soul Realm…

As Li Yan began to cultivate in earnest, the outside world had already erupted into chaos.

The Soul-Suppression Palace and the nine major powers clashed back and forth, their battles leaving fields of corpses in their wake. The territories they controlled changed hands repeatedly—seized, lost, lost, and seized again…

The situation later developed just as Xue Tieyi had predicted: the two sides became locked in a stalemate.

Furthermore, of the other soul cultivator sects they had summoned, only a few were genuinely contributing. The rest, though they raised their banners and stood in opposition to the nine major powers, were basically just shouting slogans without putting in any real effort.

On the other side, the nine major powers had no intention of provoking those sects either. Since you’re just putting on a show, then we’ll play along for the sake of appearances.

But this situation was not good for the Soul-Suppression Palace. If the sect’s Supreme Elders didn’t appear within the next few years, those fence-sitters would surely fall.

And they would undoubtedly fall to the side outside the wall, not within it.

Likewise, the attacks launched by the nine major powers grew fiercer with each wave. They too feared the sudden appearance of the Soul-Suppression Palace’s Supreme Elders and were racing against time, hoping to annihilate the Soul-Suppression Palace as quickly as possible.

Then, after breaking into the Soul-Suppression Palace, they would find the secluded cultivation chambers of the two Supreme Elders and do everything in their power to seal them inside completely, ensuring they could never rise again.

Under such circumstances, both sides were fighting with all their might, racing against time.