Chapter 49: Startling Dream (Part 5)

It is unknown how much time had passed when the old woman finally spoke slowly, her voice deep and hoarse: "You and I are both products of the Thousand Appearances Formless Divine Skill… merely tools. Once used, we have no more value."

Her words struck Lin Chen's heart like a heavy hammer, making her feel a wave of despair and helplessness.

The old woman pushed open the dilapidated door, and a cold wind rushed in, immediately revealing the vast wilderness outside.

It was a grim and eerie scene; on the barren wilderness, countless living Souls wandered—each of them faceless, hollow and listless, roaming aimlessly like walking corpses.

"Th-this… where is this?" Lin Chen asked, trembling, as fear flooded her heart once again.

She looked at those featureless living Souls, as if seeing her own future.

The old woman said indifferently: "This is the City of Corpse Souls. All living Souls created by the Thousand Appearances Formless Divine Skill will eventually come here… and then, gradually be forgotten, becoming these boundless walking corpses."

Lin Chen's heart tightened suddenly, her eyes filled with fear and confusion.

She had never imagined that her fate would be so tragic and so desperate.

"Then… what should I do?" Lin Chen asked, nearly in despair, her voice weak and trembling, as if she had already given up all hope.

The old woman slowly pulled a yellowed map from her bosom; on the map was drawn a winding, long path that extended to the very end.

She spread the map out before Lin Chen, her voice low: "Follow this path, and within seven days, reach the end, and you can return to the real world… however, the road is fraught with danger."

Lin Chen looked at the map, and a glimmer of hope rekindled in her eyes.

She hurriedly reached out to take the map, yet the old woman's hand suddenly pulled back, her eyes carrying a hint of vigilance.

"This map… is something I obtained with all my might, spending countless time and effort." The old woman's voice turned cold, "If you want this map, you must exchange something for it."

Lin Chen was stunned for a moment, countless questions surging in her heart: "What do you want?"

The old woman narrowed her eyes slightly, as if sizing up Lin Chen. She said slowly: "You are a living Soul, and I am also a living Soul. And as living Souls, our power is limited."

Her gaze suddenly sharpened, "What I want is the power of your Soul. Give me half of the power of your Soul, and I will give you this map."

Lin Chen gasped; the power of her Soul was the Foundation of her existence.

If she lost half, her strength would be greatly weakened, and it might even affect her consciousness and existence.

But if she did not exchange it, she would be forever trapped in this eerie City of Corpse Souls, eventually becoming one of them.

"You don't need to rush to answer," the old woman smiled slightly, her faceless visage looking exceptionally eerie.

"You can consider it slowly… but remember, you don't have much time. With each passing day, your Soul will be devoured by this City of Corpse Souls by a fraction, until it completely disappears."

Lin Chen felt a bone-chilling coldness; she looked at the map, then looked at the old woman.

The choice seemed to be laid out before her—either give up half of the power of her Soul in exchange for a chance to leave; or, wait for death in this endless despair.

Lin Chen gritted her teeth; although she was extremely hesitant in her heart, she understood that she had no choice.

She nodded, finally deciding to use the power of her Soul to exchange for that map.

Seeing that she had agreed, the old woman revealed a weird smile on her face.

She slowly reached out, pressing her palm onto Lin Chen's brow, and said softly: "Rest assured, girl, I will only extract half of the power of your Soul; I will not take your life."

Lin Chen felt a cold power spread from her forehead throughout her whole body, and waves of stinging pain radiated from the depths of her Soul.

Her body felt as if it had been hollowed out, weak and powerless; the world before her eyes began to blur, and her limbs gradually lost their strength.

The extraction of her Soul made her feel as if she had turned into an empty shell, having lost all vitality.

"Ugh…" Lin Chen bit her lower lip, barely enduring the pain, not letting herself cry out.

And just during the process of her Soul power being extracted, an astonishing change began to occur to the old woman.

Her originally wrinkled face gradually regained its smoothness, and her withered skin was once again filled with vitality.

Her white hair turned black, her entire visage gradually became younger, and finally, she transformed into the appearance of a middle-aged woman.

She was no longer that decrepit old woman, but a middle-aged woman with an indifferent expression and an aura full of mystery.

In contrast, although Lin Chen's appearance remained unchanged, her originally black and beautiful hair quietly turned as white as snow, as if time had instantly drained away countless years from her.

"You… you have changed…" Lin Chen whispered weakly, her eyes full of shock and powerlessness.

The middle-aged woman smiled indifferently, tossed the map to Lin Chen casually, and said in a cold tone: "While you still have time, go quickly; you only have seven days."

Lin Chen took the map with trembling hands, her body swaying, her eyes dull.

She understood that she had no way back; if she hesitated any longer, she would likely lose even this only chance.

She gripped the map tightly, enduring the weakness and pain in her heart, forcing herself to stand steady.

"Seven days…" Lin Chen muttered to herself in a low voice, then slowly turned around, and with weak steps, left that cold, gloomy room.

The middle-aged woman behind her only watched her back coldly, a trace of inexplicable emotion flashing in her eyes.

Lin Chen began her long journey, the map in her hand guiding her forward.

She walked with difficulty step by step in this eerie world; all around was a desolate scene, and the air was filled with a scent of decay.

Lin Chen felt her footsteps heavy, but she still desperately tried to make herself walk faster, thinking of escaping this strange City of Corpse Souls as soon as possible.

However, having not walked more than a few kilometers, these walking corpses wandering in the wilderness began to notice her.

These faceless living Souls seemed to sense her presence and began to slowly approach her.

Their movements were slow, their steps stiff, yet each of them stretched out withered hands, as if longing to grab her.

Whenever Lin Chen passed by them, those living Souls would emit low moans, reaching out to grab the corner of her clothes.

"Stop… don't go… stay with us…"

These voices were hoarse and deep, carrying endless despair and loneliness, as if possessing some kind of magic, filling Lin Chen's heart with fear.

Whenever she tried to quicken her pace, those living Souls would approach her even more frantically, pulling at her sleeves and long dress, even grabbing her ankles to stop her from moving forward.

"Ah! Let go of me!"

Lin Chen struggled in a panic; she tried hard to shake off those cold hands, but no matter what, she could not completely break free from their entanglement.

The living Souls were like a group of silent ghosts, surrounding her completely, constantly pulling at her, as if wanting to drag her into eternal darkness.

Although Lin Chen struggled with all her might, her physical strength had long since become extremely weak after her Soul was extracted.

Her footsteps became heavier and heavier, her speed slower and slower; every step she took was like stepping into a quagmire, sinking deep into it, unable to extricate herself.

Her breathing began to quicken, her heartbeat accelerated, and cold sweat slid down from her forehead.

Gradually, her legs began to tremble, and her footsteps became heavier and heavier, as if every step required exhausting all her strength.

The pulling of those living Souls made it almost impossible for her to take a step; the road ahead seemed unreachable.

Just at this moment, Lin Chen suddenly heard a low roar.

She looked up suddenly and discovered that the ground not far away began to tremble, and streams of black aura gushed out from the cracks in the ground.

A giant living Soul climbed out from underground; its figure was much larger than the other living Souls, its limbs were twisted, its face hideous, looking like the guardian of the entire City of Corpse Souls.

Lin Chen's heartbeat accelerated abruptly, and fear flooded her heart like a tide.