Chapter 86: Soul, Jade Slip

After finishing all this, the look of gravity on Wang Lin's face deepened. His eyes flickered as he stared at the Formation emerging on the Scabbard. He formed Hand Seals with both hands and spat out a stream of blue Spiritual Qi. As soon as the Spiritual Qi appeared and touched the Scabbard, a ball of blue fire suddenly ignited inside the Scabbard, spreading outward.

To call it fire was perhaps inaccurate, for other than possessing the shape of a flame, it lacked the temperature of fire. On the contrary, the moment this blue fire appeared, the surrounding temperature plummeted, and waves of cold currents surged continuously.

Wang Lin didn't blink, cautiously controlling the cold fire as he began to refine it.

He was attempting this cold fire by imitating the Core Formation Stage Cultivator's core fire. Since there was no one to consult, Wang Lin was extremely careful. He had calculated for a long time just now and believed that, theoretically, his cold fire should be able to refine weapons.

Time passed slowly. Three days later, on the plains outside the Corpse Yin Sect, the figure of Ye Zizai tore through the sky like a meteor. After landing, he stepped down and immediately vanished without a trace.

When he appeared again, he was already in his secluded cultivation area within the Corpse Yin Sect. Ye Zizai's face was uncertain, and along the way, he had been silently calculating the gains and losses of joining forces with the other three Demonic Path Schools this time.

A hundred years ago, the Demonic Path had won the qualifying tournament for the Outer Realm Battlefield. However, this time, due to the appearance of Piao Nanzi in the Righteous Path, a Xuandao Sect had been added, increasing the number of variables. The final outcome remained unknown.

Furrowing his brows, he tapped his forehead with his right hand and muttered to himself, "That Piao Nanzi, do you have the confidence to kill him?"

A hoarse voice emanated from within Ye Zizai's body: "Although that junior only has the cultivation of the Middle Stage of the Nascent Soul Stage, he has already reached the peak. If he is lucky, he will surely enter the Late Stage within a hundred years and become an ultimate expert of a Level 3 Cultivation Country. If I had finished devouring, naturally I would not put him in my eyes, but as for now, it is hard to say."

Ye Zizai remained silent. After a long while, he flipped his right hand and took out a Jade Slip. The Jade Slip was emerald green throughout, with tiny blood-colored runes flickering incessantly upon it.

"Foundation Establishment Stage Disciples from caves seventy-seven to ninety-nine, hasten to cave thirty-six to assemble." After Ye Zizai finished speaking, he pondered slightly. He glanced at A-Dai, who had been sealed in the corner of his secluded cultivation area for several days, and had already made a decision. He took out another Jade Slip, placed it against his forehead for a moment, and then flung it out.

Mu Rong was meditating when he suddenly opened his eyes. The Jade Slip inside his Storage Pouch flew out on its own. His expression changed slightly. After picking it up, his face was uncertain. After a long while, he sighed and muttered to himself, "Fortunately, I broke through the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment three years ago and jumped from cave eighty-seven to cave seventy-two; otherwise, I fear my life would be forfeit this time."

Suddenly, a wisp of green smoke appeared silently before him, transforming into a Jade Slip.

Mu Rong was startled. After taking it and scanning it with his focus, he immediately sneered. Without a word, he turned and flew rapidly toward the place where Wang Lin was Cultivating.

Not long after, he arrived at the cavern where Wang Lin was located. Glancing at the sealed entrance, Mu Rong pressed his hand against it, releasing a faint trace of spiritual power. After vibrating it several times, he said loudly, "Grandmaster, the Progenitor has summoned the Foundation Establishment Stage Disciples to assemble at cave thirty-six. I have come to guide you."

After a while, seeing that the other party had no reaction, he furrowed his brows. Based on the voice transmission the Progenitor had just given him, this Wang Lin was not well-liked. Furthermore, before the Progenitor left, he had specifically instructed him and several other Foundation Establishment Stage Disciples to guard the surrounding passages. From this, it was evident that this Wang Lin was, in reality, no different from a prisoner.

However, Mu Rong was deep in thought and naturally would not reveal this in his words.

Just at this moment, the entrance to the sealed cavern emitted a clicking sound, extended to the sides, and slowly opened. Wang Lin walked out with a weary expression.

Mu Rong glanced at Wang Lin and smiled, "Grandmaster, what happened to you?"

Wang Lin did not answer this question but instead took out the deep blue Jade Slip and said, "I hope Brother Mu can lead the way to cave thirty-six."

Mu Rong didn't mind and nodded, stepping aside to walk in front.

A cold light flashed and vanished in Wang Lin's eyes, and he sneered inwardly a few times before following. Although he had not completely refined the Scabbard during his few days of refining, he had deepened it from three-fifths to four-fifths, and the power of the Flying Sword had increased significantly.

Walking through one cavern after another, after a while, the two arrived at a massive cave. Sixteen stone pillars stood tall inside, and a ball of blue fire floated above each stone pillar.

As waves of eerie light overflowed, they illuminated the place with an air of gloom.

About twenty people stood neatly inside the cave, each with a coffin floating behind them. The coffins were of various styles, but all emitted not-weak auras.

After bringing Wang Lin here, Mu Rong glanced at those people with a complex look in his eyes and turned to leave without a word.

Wang Lin furrowed his brows. He always felt that something was wrong. He scrutinized the crowd carefully, and the more he looked, the more confused he felt. The vast majority of them had clearly just entered the Foundation Establishment Stage, and what was strange was that most of these people had dull expressions and possessed no spiritual awareness whatsoever.

As for Cultivators in the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment, there were none, but there were three Cultivators in the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment. These three were clearly different from the others, just like the difference between the dead and the living.

Wang Lin's pupils contracted slightly. Just at this moment, the sixteen fireballs around them suddenly dimmed. Immediately following, the figure of Ye Zizai appeared silently in mid-air. The moment he appeared, Wang Lin noticed that most of the Disciples had eyes filled with fanatical colors.

Ye Zizai swept his gaze across, lingering a moment longer on Wang Lin, then said in a flat voice, "The once-in-a-century Outer Realm Battlefield is about to open. In order to seize the qualification to enter, we must compete with the Righteous Path. This competition will follow past conventions: the Core Formation Stage and Nascent Soul Stage are not allowed to participate. Shortly, you will be sent to the gathering place of the four Demonic Path Schools. Once there, all actions related to my Corpse Yin Sect will be led by Du Chen. Du Chen, come out."

A middle-aged man dressed in black slowly walked out of the ranks. Wang Lin swept his gaze over him; this middle-aged man was exactly one of those three Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivators and had already entered the False Core Realm.

"This is the token to enter the Outer Realm Battlefield, hold it well. Remember, the fundamental goal of this qualifying tournament is to seize the opponent's token. Additionally, be careful of the other three Demonic Path Schools. Anyone who kills five enemies can obtain Soul freedom." After Ye Zizai finished speaking, he threw a token to the middle-aged man, then took out three Jade Slips, his gaze icy as he suddenly stared at Wang Lin.

Wang Lin's expression remained normal as he looked at Ye Zizai, saying nothing.

"A wisp of the Soul of everyone here is within these Jade Slips, only one is missing, and that is yours." Ye Zizai said in a calm, flat tone.

Wang Lin did not say a word. He bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a wisp of fresh blood. He pressed his right hand against his forehead, and immediately, a yellow light shone. The spat-out blood immediately congealed together, forming a golden blood bead.

This secret technique for extracting a wisp of a Soul had a detailed record on the deep blue Jade Slip that Ye Zizai had previously given him.

Wang Lin pointed at the golden blood bead. Immediately, the blood bead traced a golden rainbow and shot onto one of the Jade Slips in Ye Zizai's hand. Ye Zizai was startled and looked at Wang Lin deeply. He had not expected the other party to be so decisive. Originally, he had been prepared to kill him directly if he resisted. He had already made a decision beforehand not to use the other party as a Cauldron or a corpse puppet for possession. After all, in his view, other than the Cultivation Technique he was Cultivating being somewhat pure, Wang Lin's Aptitude was not excellent. Among the Cauldrons and corpse puppets he had prepared, any one of them would have an Aptitude much better than Wang Lin's, so after weighing the pros and cons, he decided to choose A-Dai.

At this moment, seeing that the other party was sensible, Ye Zizai glanced at Wang Lin and flicked his sleeve. Immediately, the cavern shook, and a circular giant gate appeared. Inside the gate was pitch black, emitting waves of suction force.

He flung the three Jade Slips containing the sealed Souls of the crowd, throwing them to Du Chen and the other two people in the crowd. Wang Lin's eyes flashed; those other two people were exactly the remaining Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivators.

Wang Lin's inner confusion deepened. He remained composed and silently noted one of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivators; the Jade Slip that sealed Wang Lin's Soul was in that person's hand.

"Go in. I await your good news." Ye Zizai said flatly.

Du Chen nodded respectfully, then stepped into the giant gate first, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Wang Lin's expression remained normal, but his feet did not hesitate, and he followed the crowd into the giant gate, disappearing from the Corpse Yin Sect.

After everyone had left, the hoarse voice echoed in the cavern.

"Ye Zizai, with these twenty-plus human puppets, plus that brat's flesh and blood as a catalyst, once these puppets absorb it, they will surely go berserk and their cultivation will instantly surge to the False Core Realm. The qualification for this Outer Realm Battlefield is securely held by the Corpse Yin Sect."

Ye Zizai's tone was flat as he said, "The yin cold qi within Wang Lin is extremely pure; there must be a secret on him. If I had met him a few years earlier, I might have had an interest in investigating it. But now, I will not live past three months. The day the Outer Realm Battlefield opens is the day I will be completely devoured, so all of this is no longer important. Since I have decided not to choose him as a Cauldron, I might as well use him as a catalyst for the human puppets to increase the cultivation of the human puppets.

Raksha, I require you to raise A-Dai to the Core Formation Stage; he will be my Cauldron. As for the corpse puppet, I hope that after the Outer Realm Battlefield opens, you will enter and help me choose one. In exchange, I will make a trip to the Kumang Forest and assist Lord Zi in devouring my Junior Brother Wu Yu."

The hoarse voice laughed wildly a few times and agreed.

Jueming Valley is located in the southern part of the State of Zhao. The valley is extremely large, even containing several dense forests and flowing water. As the battle location for the once-in-a-century Outer Realm qualifying tournament, this place is surrounded by fog all year round.

At this moment, on an open space on the north side of the valley, a giant gate suddenly appeared out of thin air, and one Cultivator after another with coffins floating behind them walked out.

After the last person came out, the giant gate gradually turned into sparkling points of light and slowly dissipated.

At this very moment, the three remaining Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivators looked at each other and, without a word, were about to crush the Soul Jade Slips in their hands.