Chapter 673

Chapter 673: Fragments of Demonic Energy?

"Are you still planning to venture into the Deceptive Array within the stone tablet?" Ye Yun inquired, noticing Jin An’s lack of intention to continue. "With your current cultivation, you should be capable of defeating a black-armored soldier by now."

Jin An chuckled. "Senior, since I’ve already achieved that, there’s little point in trying further. The moment I saw hundreds of black-armored soldiers guarding the first layer, I knew passing through was impossible."

"True enough." Ye Yun nodded, agreeing with Jin An’s logic. Testing one’s limits in the Deceptive Array lost meaning once the outcome became clear.

"By the way, Senior," Jin An added, "Ling’er discovered a vast forest ahead littered with human bones. She wanted to investigate but feared leaving you two alone, so she came back out of concern." He spoke earnestly but faltered when he noticed Jin An stifling a laugh. "What’s so amusing? Ling’er was being considerate!"

"I’m not laughing," Jin An insisted, forcing seriousness. "How could I mock such thoughtfulness?"

"Hmph! You’re hiding it!" Golden Ling’er huffed, cutting off Jin An’s excuses. "You’re clearly itching for a scolding."

"Is the fragment still glowing?" Ye Yun studied the pink fragment in his palm. Its steady radiance confirmed one final task awaited in the direction Golden Ling’er had indicated.

"What else remains hidden here?" Without Golden Ling’er’s discovery, Ye Yun might have mistaken the stone tablet as the end goal. But as the fragment’s glow brightened, he strode forward with renewed purpose.

"Ling’er, how many times must I warn you against reckless exploration?" Jin An fretted, watching the girl skip ahead. Helplessness tinged his voice—he couldn’t always protect her, and a single misstep could spell disaster.

His gaze drifted to Ye Yun, whose calm demeanor masked seventh-level Golden Core stage power. Jin An’s respect wasn’t merely for cultivation rank; he trusted Ye Yun to shield Ling’er if danger arose.

"Senior, we’re here!" Golden Ling’er announced, pointing at the desolate expanse ahead.

"Ancestor, any findings?" Ye Yun scanned the cracked earth and black forest, sensing only deathly stillness. The pink fragment flared brighter in his grip.

"Numerous Nascent Soul stage souls linger here," the Ancestor of the Sword Path observed. "Fascinating—they’ve survived far longer than ordinary detached souls. The weaker Golden Core souls were likely devoured. Stay alert: even Nascent Soul souls scatter if bodiless beyond an incense stick’s burning time."

"Consuming these would strengthen your soul, yes?" Ye Yun asked bluntly. "Could you absorb them all without the True Roaring Four-Tailed Flower’s aid?"

"Naturally." The Ancestor’s voice warmed with approval.

"Wait here for an hour," Ye Yun instructed Jin An and Golden Ling’er.

"Senior, you’re entering alone?" Jin An had no intention of following—nor letting Ling’er risk it. "Stay put this time," he ordered the girl.

"Fine! I’m not foolish," Golden Ling’er grumbled, though her eyes betrayed unspoken worries as she watched Ye Yun depart.

White light flickered within Ye Yun, masking the Ancestor’s presence. This secret—even from allies—was too perilous to reveal. The Ancestor’s enemies could reduce them all to ashes.

Inside the black forest, Ye Yun closed his eyes, spirit perception revealing translucent soul forms. "Ancestor, can you take that one?"

"A mere Golden Core soul?" The Ancestor’s power crushed the spirit instantly, purging impurities to leave pure soul essence. "Ah, such purity! A rare treat."

"Was the heavenly material I provided inferior?" Ye Yun questioned.

"Quantity, not quality," the Ancestor chuckled. "Your scraps barely match this feast."

"Picky." Ye Yun smirked, drawing the Purple Shadow Divine Sword. He became a violet blur, slaughtering every soul in his path.

Three incense sticks later, he stared at the condensed soul’s origin in his palm. "When do I get to enhance my soul?"

"Dream on, Golden Core brat." The Ancestor scoffed. "Nascent Soul treasures would shred your spirit."

Resigned, Ye Yun tossed the harvested power to the Ancestor. The pink fragment’s glow intensified as he advanced, undimmed by the carnage—a lone star piercing eternal night.

"Bountiful indeed." The Ancestor marveled at his replenished strength. Yet Ye Yun’s tension mounted with each step. Calm facade aside, his instincts screamed of looming peril ahead.

"Could it be some thousand-year-old demon, just like you?" Ye Yun joked.

"Does this Ancestor appear like some evil fiend with my kind demeanor? You’ve witnessed my true visage—a face that once charmed the continent and made all maidens swoon," the Ancestor of the Sword Path huffed indignantly.

"Spare me. That sinister countenance of yours isn’t to my taste," Ye Yun snorted.

"Young people these days can’t grasp this Ancestor’s former glory." Noting Ye Yun’s disbelief, the Ancestor sighed dramatically. "Pity. So young, yet already blind."

"Watch your tongue, old man," Ye Yun retorted.

"Focus. Something approaches." The Ancestor’s expression hardened as his soul power detected ripples in the air. A massive spectral figure loomed in the distance.

"That soul pressure… beyond the Nascent Soul stage?" Ye Yun eyed the hulking troll spirit with metallic-black skin. Though clearly a high-level giant, the aberrant soul power radiating from it felt unnatural.

Normally, the Purple Shadow Divine Sword in his hand suppressed spirits effortlessly. Yet this troll not only resisted but actively sought to seize the sword’s violet glow. The creature’s bloodred eyes fixated hungrily on the blade even as Ye Yun unleashed Ice Spirit Qi.

The troll’s roar shattered the icy assault. Cratering the earth with each step, it lunged with terrifying speed.

"Troublesome." Sheathing his sword, Ye Yun unleashed Fire Spirit energy. Flames erupted as the troll struck, intercepting its crushing blow.

Fists blurred like phantoms. Ye Yun stood unmoved until spotting an opening. His Fire Dragon Whip crackled with true qi, conjuring a fiery serpent whose breath ignited a blazing pillar through the black forest.

"Overdid it. Scattered the soul completely." Ye Yun stared at the smoldering crater, regretting the lost chance to harvest its energy.

"Better than getting mauled," the Ancestor remarked drily.

"Strange. Its power surpassed the Seventh Level of the Nascent Soul stage, though fell short of Earth Immortal realm. Without the whip and my soul strength…" Ye Yun’s words trailed off as he noticed the dimmed pink fragment in his palm.

Within the blast crater, another pink shard glowed faintly. Spatial laws flashed as Ye Yun retrieved it. The paired fragments briefly shimmered before dulling to ordinary crystals.

"Not immortal tools—demonic ones. They feed on souls." The Ancestor extracted tendrils of Dark Energy from the inert shards.

"Disappointing." Ye Yun tossed them into the abyss.

"No regrets?"

"A trap. These shards lure victims to their deaths, preserving souls while eroding minds." White light enveloped Ye Yun as he departed. Treasures mattered little to the dead.