Chapter 1671: Three Folds Make a Wave (Part One)

Li Yan let out a string of laughter, followed by several exclamations of “Excellent!” The calm he had maintained for the past few days finally gave way to a heartfelt smile.

This was the first piece of good news he had received since his return. Though he could not resurrect Qianji immediately, there were no further hidden complications within the spider’s soul.

Furthermore, he still held a Soul-Returning Pill obtained from the Soul Suppression Palace. It was a heaven-defying treasure specifically designed to restore the soul. Even if only a sliver of the soul remained—even if the three Huns and seven Pos were shattered beyond recognition—this pill could mend the damage.

“I truly do have a way to restore and revive Qianji’s soul. It will take approximately five hundred years, though there is a hope for an earlier recovery,” Li Yan continued.

According to what Xue Tieyi had told him, the Soul-Returning Pill followed the Way of the Seven-Seven Heavenly Evasion. Under normal circumstances, it required four hundred and ninety-nine years to fully reconstitute a complete soul. While that sounded like a long time, it was an undeniably miraculous feat.

Upon hearing Li Yan’s words, Zi Kun stood frozen on the spot. He was utterly stunned; this was a result he had never dared to imagine. In his heart, he had only hoped to stabilize Qianji’s soul so it might linger in the world a while longer. Li Yan’s direct confirmation was almost too much for him to process.

“Qianji… Qianji can truly have his… his soul revived?”

It took more than a dozen breaths before Zi Kun’s voice rang out, trembling with such urgency that he began to stutter.

Li Yan said no more. Wrapping Zi Kun in his Divine Sense, he blurred the space around them. In the next instant, Zi Kun found himself standing inside a cavern. It was a place of bone-chilling cold, the walls encrusted with thick, crystalline layers of ice and snow.

Though he had not been here for centuries, Zi Kun recognized the aura immediately. This was Li Yan’s mysterious storage space, and he was standing on the snowy mountain peak where Qianji once resided.

He sensed the auras of numerous Snow Mosquitoes outside the cave, yet despite their proximity, those insects were entirely unaware of their presence. Li Yan had quietly carved out this cavern at the very peak of the mountain and shielded it from the senses of all other creatures.

As Qianji possessed an Ice Spirit Root, recovering atop the snowy mountain within the Earthen Patch would provide the greatest benefit. However, this matter had to be kept secret from the other Snow Mosquitoes. A momentary lapse in security could lead to Qianji being killed by his own kind. After all, demonic beasts were driven by instinct; it was only natural for them to kill their king and usurp his place.

But within the Earthen Patch, Li Yan decided what was known and what was hidden. If he did not wish for others to enter, they would not even be able to perceive the cave’s existence.

Beside Zi Kun stood the manifestation of Li Yan’s Divine Sense. He raised a hand, and a surge of soul power enveloped the area before them. With a thought, a faint, translucent figure appeared—a shadow invisible to the naked eye.

Zi Kun stared ahead, his Divine Sense carefully scanning the area. Qianji’s soul remained suspended in the air, dull and sluggish, held within the embrace of the invisible soul power.

Li Yan flicked his wrist, and a flash of light revealed a vermilion pill. Before Zi Kun could react, Li Yan surged with magical power and flicked the pill toward the center of the cave.

As the vermilion pill touched the invisible barrier surrounding Qianji’s soul, a muffled “thump” echoed through the cavern. The pill exploded, instantly transforming into a dense cloud of crimson mist.

Though the mist had erupted outward, it did not disperse. Instead, like a cat catching the scent of fish, it surged toward the soul at the center. Within the blink of an eye, the crimson shroud completely enveloped Qianji, hiding his form from view.

The moment the mist appeared, Zi Kun sensed a potency so concentrated that his own soul felt as though it might melt and ascend. It was a comfort that originated from the deepest depths of his being, tempting him to laugh out loud in pure bliss. At the same time, a single glance at the mist made his soul yearn to sink into an endless slumber, a desire to merge with it forever.

Zi Kun’s eyelids grew heavy. Despite the comfort his soul felt, his entire being wanted to lapse into a permanent sleep.

“Wake up!”

A voice rang out in Zi Kun’s mind like the striking of a massive bronze bell. The deafening sound shattered the trance. Zi Kun jolted, his eyes snapping open.

He realized he was standing back in his bamboo courtyard. It was as if everything that had just happened was a mere hallucination, and he had been standing there all along. However, he knew it wasn’t a dream. He had sensed a powerful law of heaven and earth within that crimson mist. As a being born as a soul-body, he was exceptionally sensitive to such things, nearly losing himself in an instant.

“Master, can Qianji truly revive?” Zi Kun asked, struggling to suppress his excitement. He already believed Li Yan, but he couldn’t help but ask for confirmation once more.

“There should be no problem. Even if only a portion of the soul is restored, I have other methods,” Li Yan nodded.

(TN: Li Yan is referring to his two Spirit Transformation level mentors in the North Pastoral Realm who specialize in soul research.)

After speaking, Li Yan vanished. A faint message drifted into Zi Kun’s mind: “Focus on your recovery. You did exceptionally well this time. We will see the day of Qianji’s return.”

Once he emerged, Li Yan surveyed his surroundings before flying toward a secluded mountain peak. Gu Jiuqi had sent him a voice transmission half an hour ago, stating that he needed to head out. After finally handling the urgent sect affairs, Gu Jiuqi had met with the other five Spirit Transformation experts of the Desolate Moon Continent. Following their discussion, they had reached a consensus.

Gu Jiuqi first informed Li Yan of the identities of those five experts. As expected, they included the Spirit Transformation cultivators from the other three great sects. Since the Ten-Pace Courtyard, the Jingtu Sect, and the Supreme Mystery Teachings aimed to dominate this region, they all left Spirit Transformation masters in the lower realm. Gu Jiuqi noted that these three sects had their true bodies remaining below.

It wasn’t that the cultivators of those three sects in the upper realm lacked the ability to send avatars down; rather, it was because the higher one’s cultivation in the Sword, Buddhist, or Daoist paths, the more indifferent and detached their nature became. Splitting off an avatar would lower the main body’s cultivation, and if the avatar perished, the main body would suffer severe damage.

In contrast, the Malevolent Spirit Sect functioned more like a secular organization. Although others labeled them an evil sect and their cultivation methods were bizarre, this diversity allowed them to experience the “Three Thousand Great Daos” without leaving their gates. Their natures were not as coldly detached.

The other three sects preferred to use strict laws and precepts to dictate that any lower-realm cultivator who reached Spirit Transformation had a duty to guard the sect. Naturally, they would use any means necessary to nurture such cultivators, though the resources required to do so were staggering.

This time, five Spirit Transformation cultivators had gathered. Aside from the sect masters, the other two were reclusive “old monsters” who had remained in the lower realm for various reasons. Even Gu Jiuqi was unsure of their specific motivations, though he had his suspicions. Li Yan, for instance, knew that the former Great Sacrificial Priest of the Tianli Clan had stayed behind solely to ensure the clan’s inheritance until a successor appeared.

After learning the details of the great battle at the Malevolent Spirit Sect, these five experts grew anxious. Following their consultation with Gu Jiuqi, they decided to hunt for the mysterious attackers. They had to find at least a trace of them; otherwise, they would never know another moment of peace.

Having witnessed Li Yan’s combat power, Gu Jiuqi felt comfortable leaving him to guard the sect while he went to investigate. Regardless, they were on the hunt; if a Spirit Transformation aura fluctuated anywhere on the continent, they would all converge upon it.

Gu Jiuqi was meticulous. He had already ordered Yan Longzi to instruct the disciples to speak of Li Yan as little as possible. In this uncertain climate, Li Yan was a hidden trump card. As for the Golden Core and lower-tier disciples, they couldn’t discern Li Yan’s true cultivation level. When Li Yan had struck, even the Nascent Soul cultivators had failed to see him clearly. Thus, Yan Longzi simply claimed that Li Yan was at the Late-stage Nascent Soul realm, but possessed extraordinary combat strength, allowing him to provide a decisive assist.

How many people doubted his words didn’t matter; they wouldn’t receive an explanation anyway. Li Yan himself had no intention of revealing his true realm to anyone for the time being.

Years ago, he had been capable of taking a Spirit Transformation cultivator down with him, and many knew his specialty was assassination and ambush. Gu Jiuqi was already formidable enough to stall two cultivators of the same rank; Li Yan’s sudden appearance to break the balance made the resulting victory entirely plausible to outside observers. Even if a Spirit Transformation master had fallen, it looked more like the result of Li Yan’s sneak attack combined with Gong Chenying’s assistance rather than the use of soul arts.

Landing on a mountain peak and confirming no one was watching, Li Yan produced a circular Rhomboid Crystal. He immediately poured his Divine Sense into it.

A breath later, he looked up, confusion clouding his features. ‘Why can’t I sense the Secret Realm anymore?’

For a moment, he wondered if something was wrong with the crystal. He turned it over in his hand, observing it closely. After a while, he tried channeling his magical power into it, but the result remained the same. He couldn’t establish a connection. Li Yan poured his Divine Sense in once more, his brow furrowing deeply as time passed.