Chapter 178
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Chapter 178: Intertwined Souls
Ming He’s eyes flickered as she silently noted down the four words, holding Qin Chu Yi tightly as she retraced their steps.
Jiang An stood at the end of the secret passage, observing her and Qin Chu Yi with a flicker in his gaze before nodding slightly and leading the way.
After turning through a long, dark passage, Jiang An kept shifting direction, but Ming He sharply realized this was not the original route.
The underground passages were typically dark and deep, with complex terrains, making it challenging for even a Human King stage cultivator to discern directions.
However, Ming He was far from an ordinary Human King stage cultivator.
In addition to her swordsmanship, she also practiced soul mastery. Moreover, she had focused her mind since the moment she saw Jiang An, feeling both vigilant and testing.
Thus, the route they had come was accurately etched into a mental map by her soul power, clearly displayed in her mind.
This was not the way they came.
Realizing this, Ming He remained silent, not voicing her thoughts. She simply held the unconscious Qin Chu Yi closer and walked behind Jiang An.
"This is indeed not the way we came," Jiang An suddenly spoke, glancing back at Ming He. His complex gaze seemed to resonate with her silent thoughts, and he nodded in affirmation.
"The path we took leads into Mo City, but the city gates are now shut tight, allowing entry but no exit. We cannot leave through the city gates openly, so we have to take the secret passage."
His implication was clear: the secret passage he led Ming He through was meant to exit Mo City.
Secret passage.
Ming He silently repeated the words, her gaze icy as she chose not to speak further. She quietly followed Jiang An, her steps ghostly as they traversed the long path shrouded in darkness, until she caught sight of a grand hall rising amidst swirling clouds and mist.
The words "Vast Jade" were inscribed above.
She recognized those characters; they were from the Soul Clan’s script.
A passage from the underground to the heavens?
Unable to help herself, she let out a chilling smile, suppressing the frustration within her and speaking in a voice as cold as unmelting snow, “Your Highness Jiang An, how can I wake my Senior Sister?”
“Follow me,” Jiang An replied, facing her icy gaze. He hesitated for a moment but then managed a wry smile as he guided her into a pavilion filled with swirling mist.
“Young Master Qin is uninjured and has no issues; she merely fell into a coma due to awakening her demon race bloodline.”
Demon race bloodline.
Ming He’s lips curled into a sardonic smile. “But we know that my Senior Sister is from the Qin Clan, a pure human bloodline. How could she possibly have a demon race bloodline?”
“Yes,” Jiang An nodded, “Young Master Qin indeed has a pure human bloodline. Thus, her demon race bloodline is not innate but rather birthed through the means of powerful human cultivators.”
“Your demon race bloodline comes from the same origin.”
He met Ming He’s increasingly calm gaze and spoke deliberately, “The Vast Ancient Realm is actually an ancient secret realm left behind by the Soul Ancestor after their death. It has no consciousness but naturally possesses the ability to perceive.”
“The gifting of Vast Jade is because it is associated with the ancient divine beast Pi Xiu, and more importantly, because its chosen master is you. The gift of Vast Jade to Young Master Qin is because she carries the inheritance of the Ancient Emperor’s Tomb.”
“In fact, that piece of Vast Jade was originally meant to be given to you.”
“Vast Jade contains the essence blood of the ancient human emperor, condensed through great divine abilities. Once recognized as a master, the demon race bloodline within will merge into the host’s body, enhancing their cultivation.”
“The Phoenix and Sky Swallowing Rabbit both possess royal demon race bloodlines, inherited from ancient times, and they can mutually refine and enhance each other, but they must rely on the pure demonic energy of the demon race. Therefore, the time within the cause and effect of the mortal world stretches over thousands of years.”
“Only the demonic power from that time is worthy of awakening the royal demon race bloodline.”
“As for why Mo City, as a royal city of the demon race, has a secret passage leading to Shura Hall, and how that passage connects from the underground to the clouds—” Jiang An paused for a moment before continuing, “Have you heard of the concept of a thought transforming into a world?”
“The cause and effect of the mortal world is an illusory realm. Since I have temporarily taken control of the Vast Ancient Realm, I can naturally alter some of the minor details.”
“Why must it involve the demon race bloodline?” Ming He gently placed Qin Chu Yi on a nearby soft couch, adjusted her robes, and sat down, her gaze fixed on Jiang An.
“Among the Myriad Races, the human race is the weakest. Although the demon race and the demon race must take on human forms to cultivate due to their physical limitations, they inherently possess a formidable strength that humans lack.”
“On the battlefield of the heavens, other races do not fear the howling storms or the black fog; only the human race, even after reaching the Human King stage, still requires heavy armor for protection. Only those battle soldiers tempered by the Phoenix Fire Seed can survive the relentless bloodshed.”
“The young leader may not be aware of what the Tianwu Continent was like before the invasion of other races, but you might not realize that even without their presence, the human race was never truly at ease.”
“For a long time, the Tianwu Continent was ruled by the demon race. Thus, the ancient human emperors pondered long ago whether they could merge the demon race bloodline into the human body to compensate for the human race’s inherent weakness and create an unparalleled Great Emperor.”
“They called this the Power of Manifestation, documenting it in their texts, meticulously designing it to make the demon race believe in the existence of these four words.”
“The rumors of half-demon blood are also somewhat connected to this.”
Jiang An looked at Ming He, whose cold gaze betrayed no emotion, and sighed, “As the young leader suspects, this can indeed be seen as a calculated move.”
Although the Vast Ancient Realm granted them Vast Jade back then, no one anticipated today’s act of merging the bloodlines of the Phoenix and the Sky Swallowing Rabbit into the human form. The existence of Vast Jade indeed saved Ming He and Qin Chu Yi’s lives, shielding them from being torn apart by the spatial currents.
However, since Ming He and Qin Chu Yi arrived in the Vast Ancient Realm, the cause and effect of the mortal world has been entirely orchestrated by him; he chose to awaken the hidden demon race bloodline within Vast Jade and sent them to the lands of the demon race thousands of years ago.
“But if I had initially revealed the specific cause and effect to you and Young Master Qin, the demon race bloodline would not have successfully awakened.”
Grasping the natural order of the universe has always been an arduous journey. The ancient human emperors bore the weight of the previous cause and effect, while the palace master and the elder Qing Long protected the lives of Ming He and Qin Chu Yi. They had no strength left to deal with unexpected events.
The natural order required ignorance and lack of understanding, relying solely on one’s true heart, to achieve the best outcome.
“Moreover, according to what the palace master and the ancestor of Qin Huang Mountain glimpsed from the will of heaven, the leader of the Tian Yan Tribe is only one step away from the Emperor realm.”
Jiang An’s smile faded, gradually turning bittersweet. “Although previously you and Young Master Qin teamed up to kill one of his avatars, depleting some of his foundation, the Emperor realm is still within his reach.”
“As it has been said since ancient times, beneath the Emperor, all are but ants.”
“If that leader truly ascends to the Emperor position, even if the human race has many experts at the peak of the Earth Emperor Realm, what use will it be?”
The Emperor realm and the royal realm are separated not just by a world but by an insurmountable gap.
That is the distinction between the pinnacle of the celestial sky and the mid-level stages.
The Sword Master once severed time and space with his sword, blocking the Myriad Races at the Martial Gate, because his Emperor realm far surpassed that of an ordinary Emperor.
He believed that if given enough time, Ming He could achieve accomplishments that would rival the Sword Master, and the human race had never doubted this.
There was no need for the Star Lock or the Xuanyuan Sword; with just the word Swordsmanship, today’s Ming He was already capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with the Sword Master.
Given time—
But now, what the human race lacked most was time.
“You once experienced a moment of enlightenment, refining the Zichan Cave and advancing directly from the Wind Master realm to the Heaven Origin realm. Later, during the young leader’s coronation ceremony, you also received the power of the celestial laws, breaking through to the Human King stage. Both breakthroughs were extraordinary strokes of fortune.”
“Entering the battlefield of the heavens before the age of thirty is not unique to the human race, but you are different from them.”
Because, to be precise, Ming He began her own path of cultivation at the age of seventeen.
From the very beginning, her path has been distinct from that of ordinary prodigies.
“Due to the age limit of cultivation, your current physical condition makes a third major breakthrough difficult unless you merge with the demon race bloodline.”
Jiang An lowered his gaze and spoke softly: “The human race experts of the Earth Emperor Realm who still exist have all made a mistake; their Dao hearts are incomplete, and they likely will never touch the Emperor realm in this lifetime. Among the young prodigies, only you and Young Master Qin have the potential to breakthrough in the shortest time.”
“Young Master Qin already possesses the inheritance of the Ancient Emperor’s Tomb, and now, with the merging of the demon race bloodline, his potential will not be lower than yours. However, this is originally a source of assistance for both of you.”
“To resolve the lingering violent nature of the demon race bloodline, both Young Master Qin’s power and your strength are needed.”
Jiang An’s expression showed no emotion, only bending his body slightly and lowering his head. “The human race has truly reached a point of no choice.”
“I apologize for deceiving you once more.” He had nothing but this cheap excuse of an apology.
Ming He lowered her gaze in silence and, after a long moment, asked Jiang An, “What must I do to awaken Senior Sister?”
“Merge your souls.” Jiang An stepped to the right and looked out the window.
The sky over the land of the demon race was no different from that of the human race, filled with bright white clouds stretching for miles, and the gentle breeze caressed the mountain scenery.
“You are a soul cultivator and should be able to control your own soul power.”
“Use your soul power to locate the scattered essence of Young Master Qin’s spirit, and dissolve the bloodline of the Phoenix with the bloodline of the Sky Swallowing Rabbit. This is similar to the dual cultivation between Dao partners, but it is the true method of dual cultivation from ancient times.”
He turned to look at Ming He. “You share a deep understanding, forming a Spirit Contract, and with the protection of the Star Lock, this cultivation will face no unexpected events. If you have any doubts, just consult your heart.”
“It will guide you, give you strength, help you out of confusion, and lead you to where the stars are.”
After saying this, Jiang An strode out of the pavilion. “I will guard you outside.”
“As for Xin Ming Zhu’s matter, I have said that I will speak without reservation; if the young leader and Young Master Qin want to know later, I will certainly reveal everything.”
Regarding Xin Ming Zhu.
Ming He’s gaze turned slightly cold, and then she looked at Qin Chu Yi on the soft couch, recalling Jiang An’s words as her gaze flickered.
Merge souls, dissolve bloodlines, dual cultivate as Dao partners.
Is it—just as she thought?
Ming He suddenly felt a wave of warmth spread within her heart. Initially, only her ears turned slightly red, but soon, the warmth enveloped her entire body, resembling a large shrimp blushing brightly. Even the snow-white rabbit ears atop her head, unfit for the moment, took on a layer of rosy hue. Where was the calm and composed demeanor she usually possessed?
She reached out to help Qin Chu Yi sit up, only to discover that although the woman’s eyes were tightly closed, her originally rosy complexion had taken on a layer of vivid crimson, so red it seemed like it could drip blood, complementing the fiery red attire she wore, outlining an exquisite elegance.
Did Senior Sister hear what was just said?
Ming He’s heart tightened; for some reason, she felt a little relaxed inside, even though she remained nervous, awkward, and shy.
She settled cross-legged on the soft couch opposite Qin Chu Yi, placing her hands against the other’s. Silently gathering her energy, she looked at Qin Chu Yi’s tightly closed eyes and quietly spoke, with a mix of testing and trembling in her voice, “Senior Sister, can you hear what I’m saying?”
Qin Chu Yi remained silent, but her delicate eyelashes trembled uncontrollably for a moment. The earlobes seen beneath her gaze blushed deeper, like branches of red plum blossoms blooming in the snow, their color staining the lonely white and adding a hint of charm.
Then, Ming He realized that Qin Chu Yi not only heard her words but also listened to what Jiang An had just said.
Even when she had jumped through the secret passage to rescue her in Shi Cheng Sui’s palaces, Qin Chu Yi had heard that too.
Though she kept her eyes closed, clearly unable to act as usual, her consciousness remained alert, able to clearly perceive everything happening externally.
As Ming He thought of this, the warmth within her swelled even further.
She sat upright, calming the chaotic emotions within her, pressing both palms against Qin Chu Yi’s and letting her Sea of Souls stir relentlessly. Threads of soul power formed, surrounding Qin Chu Yi, seeking out the scattered soul power within the pavilion, and seriously and solemnly untangling her essence.
This was what Jiang An referred to as merging souls.
While it was easy to speak of, doing it was beyond mere words.
In that moment, Ming He felt her heart and spirit stir. She and Qin Chu Yi seemed to be at the very center of a swirling tide, each other’s core, as well as the center of the world.
In the vastness of the universe, they were drawn tightly together, barely able to see anyone else.
This subtle intertwining feeling suddenly reminded Ming He of a long-ago memory when she and Qin Chu Yi had traveled to the depths beneath the East Sea to seek the Phoenix Fire Seed.
The tumultuous currents had swept them along, and as she held Qin Chu Yi amidst that chaos, the sensation of her lips meeting the woman’s was vivid.
The cold air mixed with an enduring warmth, transmitting straight to the depths of her heart.
Now, as her heart raced uncontrollably, it was like an unconscious emotional stir from the silent moments of the past.
Senior Sister.
Ming He murmured, no longer hesitating, and embraced Qin Chu Yi. The snow-white rabbit ears curled around the little black horn atop the woman’s head. She lowered her gaze and kissed the lips of Qin Chu Yi beneath her trembling eyelashes, the mix of cold and warmth instantly awakening all her emotions.
The first time she saw the woman, she was as clear and bright as the snow atop Mount Tianshan. Ultimately, as time passed and their hearts resonated, they reached this moment of intertwined breaths and a binding of life and death, turning the accumulated snow into spring water and warming her future years.
In the midst of her dazed mind, it seemed she saw Qin Chu Yi open her eyes, which glimmered with starlight and a smile, softness blooming into a dazzling brilliance around them.
Ming He heard Qin Chu Yi calling her name.
Sometimes calmly saying “Ming He,” sometimes with a melodious tone calling out “little Junior Sister,” and sometimes elongating “Ming Xiao Yi.”
She didn’t recall other details, only that for every time Qin Chu Yi called out, she replied in kind.
