Chereads / To Be The Dark Lord / Chapter 134 - Twin Soul

Chapter 134 - Twin Soul

"Ha-ha-ha, I see. I was wondering why you were so odd before. When you switched to using your left instead of your right, it turned out it was wounded."

A sudden old chuckle pierced Zhuo Fan's ears, making him shiver. He swished a shocked face around but only found an old drunkard. It looked as if he had been in Zhuo Fan's room from the start, taking his sweet time gulping down wine and looking at him with a penetrative sneer.

His brow shook, and Zhuo Fan cried, "S-senior, how did you get in?"

"What, ain't I welcome?"

Danqing Shen's face looked a little savage as he said, "I've told you already, there's nowhere on these lands I cannot go. No one can stop me!"

Ugh!

Zhuo Fan's face stiffened, and he let out a strained laugh, "Ha-ha-ha, yeah. You do me a great honor seeing me, senior. You light my home with your presence. How could little old me ever refuse you? It's just that senior's sudden appearance caught me by surprise."

"Tch, quite slick, I see. Who'll ever believe your smooth talk?"

Danqing Shen sneered, then his cruel eyes snapped on the bleeding right hand, "You must be most annoyed this old man found out your secret."

Speechless for a moment, Zhuo Fan's eyes spun all over the place, but then he chuckled as he strained to deny it, "Senior, how can you say that? How could a little old and average Radiant Stage disciple ever hide something from so many experts? Senior must be joking, ha-ha-ha…"

Even with the forced laughter, Zhuo Fan made sure to hide his wounded right back in his clothes.

"Spare me your lies."

Danqing Shen's face went cold, his piercing eyes staring right at him as he questioned, "Boy, tell the truth. Who gave you that wound?"

Flicking his eyes around, Zhuo Fan waved him off, "Isn't it obvious? Having fought so many times, injuries are common. Sir also knows I am a tough man, not going to let a flesh wound bother me, so I endured it. Since sir has found me out, then I am most grateful for your concern."

"Cut the crap. Don't you play dumb with me! I'm not buying it!"

Danqing Shen's face twitched and snorted, "I've seen your recent fights, and you think I don't know who you've been fighting? They couldn't even scratch you, let alone hurt you. Moreover, that wound is a through and through, clearly made by sword energy. Talk, where did you run off to?"

Heart tensing, Zhuo Fan gave the old man a look. He clearly knew everything despite questioning him, so all he could do was admit it. "Senior, you're so astute, and I can't hide anything. I was curious, explored someplace, and got this little scratch for my troubles."

"Boy, you sure are deceitful. Using your teammates that were toying with Heaven Trailing Sect, you sneaked away to check out the sacred mine. Not even the Exalted Double Dragons figured you out. Boy, your plan was brilliant!"

"Ha-ha-ha, you're too kind, senior. Did it not fail to pull the wool over senior's brilliant eyes?" Zhuo Fan grinned at Danqing Shen, flattering him whenever he could.

The way he saw it since Danqing Shen had left Double Dragon Manor ages ago, he came to him after finding him out. It was a clear sign the old man wanted to negotiate something.

So, Zhuo Fan was working to lighten the mood and see what he wanted.

Sparing him a glance, Danqing Shen sneered, "Easy on the flattery, boy. I needed one look and knew something was off about the show you pulled on Heaven Trailing Sect. Why did each disciple go after their prey and then return to that valley, all except you? Why were you so late for the show? Then there was the fight with Demon Soul Sect. It was clear from your demeanor that there was something with your right hand, though just a hunch. Now that I see it myself, it all became clear."

"You got guts, boy. The sacred mine is Double Dragon Manor's territory, yet you dare go in? Talk, who sent you? What is their purpose?" Danqing Shen barked.

Zhuo Fan shrugged, muttering for a bit, "Senior, you're only fussing over trifles. No one sent me; I didn't even know there'd be a sacred mine in that place. I just felt that spiritual energy was incredibly thick when I entered. So curiosity got the best of me, and I went to check it out. I never thought it would lead to such a careless mistake and got wounded."

"Careless, you say? Who are you trying to fool?"

Danqing Shen mocked, "The sacred mines aren't important just for Double Dragon Manor, but the entire western lands. While the mine's interference prevented an array from being set up, thousands of monitoring arrays existed before it. There's no way you could've bypassed them without inside help."

"And not just you. Even I, a former Double Dragon Manor disciple, have no idea where they've changed those monitoring arrays' positions. And just touching one of them will instantly get the two old coots on you. It may look like light protection when in fact, it's at the highest. It's like casting thousands of eyes on that place, taking in your every movement."

Zhuo Fan's brow shook.

[So the monitoring arrays were placed by the exalted in person.]

He had just skirted the two old guy's traps under their noses.

Zhuo Fan sighed.

[That was close.]

[How fortunate I'm an array master and a good one enough not to run into any of them.]

Glancing over, Danqing Shen resumed the inquiry, "Talk! Why did you come here? Who's your contact in the Double Dragon Manor?"

"Senior, I won't lie to you. I was just curious and took a look. That's all."

Zhuo Fan chuckled, "As for those monitoring arrays? I just had to read the terrain and energy flow to find them out. I always stepped in their blind spot, going in and out without a sign. I had no devious ploy at all."

Danqing Shen's heart shook, looking at Zhuo Fan in shock and doubt, "Those were set up by the exalted themselves and hidden very well. Yet you saw them at a glance?"

"Senior, my low cultivation might not show it, but I'm a 10th-grade array master. Also, this is just what I can do now. If we discuss insights and theories in arrays, my accomplishments are way higher."

Rolling his eyes, Zhuo Fan's face was solemn. "I was a little nervous about when the two exalted might find me in the short time I had, or I could have just broken them, you know?"

Danqing Shen looked at him, filled with skepticism.

He did not believe him at first.

[The two exalted set them up themselves and you, a snot-nosed brat, up and said you could break them? Even talent has limits!]

However, Zhuo Fan's confidence was too genuine to write it off as acting.

Seeing hesitation play on his face, Zhuo Fan broke his thoughts with a smile, "Senior, what do you need of me? How can I be of help?"

"Boy, you've been caught messing around. Now you want to drag me into it too?"

"Ha-ha-ha, senior, you can't say that when it's you who came here for something. Now you approached me with the intent to test my limits, so how can it be all my fault?" Zhuo Fan chuckled and shook his head.

Danqing Shen's eyes flashed, praising his sharp mind, but his voice was still the same. "Boy, I only came to check something and not for anything else. Stop your wild guessing."

"Oh, senior, you're really… ha-ha, can't you be a little frank with me?"

Zhuo Fan shook his head, annoyed, "Senior, you're not part of Double Dragon Manor. Since you found my secret trip to the sacred mine, you had no reason to come and question me. Yet you came nevertheless. For you to keep asking me about my contact only means you have two purposes."

"One, you still care about Double Dragon Manor and want to protect it by removing the danger, though that could've been easily done by dropping a hint about my actions. That leaves the second purpose for yourself, to eavesdrop. I think this one has a higher probability. Because that is your purpose, you need an insider who knows the ins and out of the current Double Dragon Manor. Didn't you say it yourself that you've been gone for ages? "

Eying Zhuo Fan, Danqing Shen's beard shook. He chuckled and shook his head, "You're one little freak, you know that? You saw through me down to the last detail. No wonder in the fight with Demon Soul Sect, you let Lu Xie, who has been at odds with you, step in instead of others who would've listened just the same. Because he will do a better job. "

"Ha-ha-ha, when using others, one needs to consider every aspect. Lu Xie is petty and untrustworthy. Though sometimes, for some things, only petty people can do them." Zhuo Fan's eyes glinted and snickered. "Senior, what do you need of me? Please tell me."

Danqing Shen's eyes shook, and he finally sighed, "I want the sword that injured you…"

"What?!"

Zhuo Fan's eyes widened as he cried, "Sacred weapon?"

His heart tensed, and his brow furrowed. He would never have thought Danqing Shen's return to Double Dragon Manor was for the sacred weapon.

Worse, now that the said sacred weapon was now with him. Wouldn't telling get himself killed and robbed?

[No, he can't know about this at all costs. Whatever I do, I must never allow him to suspect I have it. But when he reaches the cave, he'll know I have it when it's not there. How am I going to hide the truth?]

[God damn it! What the hell is a top expert even doing setting his sights on a sacred weapon? It's a rarity even for me, so why should I just give it up?]

Seeing Zhuo Fan's heavy look, Danqing Shen was suspicious. "What did you just say? Sacred weapon? Who told you that?"

"Uhm, when I entered the cave, I saw a very dangerous longsword with sharp spirituality that actually moved by its own will. It almost took my little life! There's no way it's the same as spiritual weapons, so in a moment of inspiration, called it a sacred weapon, ha-ha-ha…" Zhuo Fan lied through his teeth as he started blabbing.

Danqing Shen nodded like it was natural. "I see. It's something you named it yourself. I actually thought you knew Atlas Sword's history."

"Atlas Sword?!" Zhuo Fan gasped.

Danqing Shen nodded, "Yes, the Atlas Sword. The continent's five regions all have a sacred mine. In those sacred mines, over eons, nature itself forged a divine sword to guard them. The western lands' is this Atlas Sword, the one I want to obtain.

"But… having left the western lands long ago, I had lost my right to get it through normal means. All I can do is take it by force!" Danqing Shen sighed and shook his head, "That's why I hope I can get the map showing me the way to the sacred mine and obtain Atlas Sword."

[So that's why!]

Zhuo Fan gave an understanding nod, though his frown deepened. "But when I saw Atlas Sword, it was savage. It almost took my life, and I barely escaped. Is sir that sure that you can subdue it?"

"Of course!"

Danqing Shen beamed in pride, "Atlas Sword is a sacred weapon of this world, incomparable to every other sword out there. Even someone at my level would have a very hard time subduing it. It also cannot leave the sacred mine, which makes it even harder. But I grew up training with it while at Double Dragon Manor. Our will reflect on each other's thoughts to the point we are one. "

"I once had the chance to have it. With enough sacred stones in my ring, the Atlas Sword would simply follow me instead. But then you know what happened. In my rage, I destroyed ten sects, and the exalted sealed that area, forcing me to leave. Otherwise, I would have long since taken the sacred sword and become almighty through all the lands."

Zhuo Fan nodded, even as he was cooking a plan in his mind on how to dissuade the drunkard. So he said, "Since you didn't want it last time, why would you want it now?"

"That's… none of your business!"

Put in a difficult situation, Danqing Shen grumbled and stared at Zhuo Fan with conviction, "Boy, didn't you say you saw the way through the monitoring arrays? I don't care if it's the truth or not, I just want you to draw me a safe path, and I'll make it worth your while."

[Well…]

Zhuo Fan was put on the spot, not knowing what to do. If he did that, it would be the same as sealing his fate.

He could practically see Danqing Shen reaching the cave only to see it empty of no sacred stones and no sacred weapon. After a brief moment of shock, he'd go berserk.

[Won't he kill me in his rage?]

Zhuo Fan felt like he was handing out the noose to string himself up.

"Uhm, senior, have you ever thought the sword might accept someone else before you?"

"That's not possible. Didn't I tell you? The sword has a will and won't just follow anyone. Unless…"

"What?" Zhuo Fan's eyes lit up with hope.

Danqing Shen's mood darkened, "Unless the exalted kept the sword distracted. Atlas Sword has been under the exalted's care, and it would definitely listen. If they wanted to move it, it would obey."

"Oh, in other words, you're not the sword's true love."

Zhuo Fan bobbed his head and sighed inside.

[I can rest easy knowing there's a convenient scapegoat around.]

Therefore, he took out a blank jade slip, imprinted it with the right path, and then presented it to Danqing Shen.

At this moment, they were in this together, with no one able to sell out the other.

Danqing Shen took it and laughed, "Great. Now I can do it. Ha-ha-ha, thank you, boy."

"It's no trouble. Senior is a straightforward person, and I'm sure helping senior will definitely not go unnoticed, ha-ha-ha…" Zhuo Fan waved him off with an innocent face, even when his words had obvious implications.

Danqing Shen's face twitched, "I just knew that when I told you my reason, you'd try haggling with me. Spill it, what do you want? I'll do all I can to achieve it."

"Senior, how can you say that? I'm not petty. A mere map is nothing." Zhuo Fan faked modesty.

Danqing Shen rolled his eyes and mocked, "Save it. With your keen mind, I could tell you're not one to lose out on anything. Now I am owing you a favor, and who knows what you'll do that'll make me have a hard time. No, I have to repay it today!"

"Oh, then what does sir think it's an appropriate reward that can compare with a sacred weapon?" Zhuo Fan grinned. His smile twisted, but he never asked for anything, letting him come up with the price.

[This is all appealing to one's conscience. Moreover, there's no way a big shot like you would be stingy with a junior.]

Glaring at Zhuo Fan, Danqing Shen shook his head, "Boy, you're truly sharp, to make me say it so that you won't lose out at all. An old man like me can't dupe a kid, either. I planned on giving you a cultivation method or martial arts, but never mind. Since you said it has to match the worth of the sword, a mere cultivation method will look like an insult."

"True, so very true…" Zhuo Fan bobbed his head, his grin ever present.

He didn't care about any manuals. What could the mortal domain ever come up with that was worthy of his attention?

What he wanted was a true expert's promise. Now that was the true reward.

Danqing Shen pondered for a bit, then clapped, "Fine then, I'll make this an exception and give you a secret art I created personally. This is sure to be enough!"

Danqing Shen's hand flashed, and a green jade slip rested in his palm.

Zhuo Fan took it and squinted once he read, "Twin Soul Art?"

"Right, that's the one!"

Danqing Shen nodded, smiling, "Boy, you are so much like me back in the day, just as talented and proud."

"Uhm, senior, you call this a reward?"

"Of a sort, yet also yes. Because we all form our souls in the Radiant Stage." Danqing Shen's eyes flashed, and he gave a vague grin.

Startled, Zhuo Fan looked lost.

[Who'd have thought he is another one with Ethereal Stage power in the Radiant Stage?]

Zhuo Fan knew that the reason for the mighty power he had right now was due to the azure flame. While Danqing Shen just relied on himself to reach it. Now that was a true genius.

Danqing Shen beamed, "Boy, did you really think you're the only genius? My talent wasn't any less than yours in those days. How else do you think I surpassed my two masters and earned the title of the strongest in western lands? All my success is attributed to having twin souls."

Danqing Shen extended two fingers, and they started glowing azure before touching Zhuo Fan's forehead.

In a blink, Zhuo Fan's vision changed, appearing in a golden world. There, a proud sword stood stalwart with a huge prismatic dragon winding around it, bearing its fangs and claws. It was none other than a heaven dragon soul.

Whoosh~

Zhuo Fan was back to reality.

"Senior, that's…" Zhuo Fan's eyes widened in shock.

Danqing Shen smiled in pride, "See that? Those are my twin souls. One is the sword soul, and the other is the heaven dragon soul. They both exist at the same time, making my soul many times stronger than anyone else's. This is why I have become the best in western lands. The next one to have it, boy, will be you, ha-ha-ha…"

Zhuo Fan shook, his face overwhelmed by what he saw and heard.

Twin souls had never appeared even in the sacred domain since two souls meant they had to fight for supremacy.

However, those two souls were peacefully coexisting in the same place.

[What's going on?]

Zhuo Fan's eyes glinted as they rested on the jade slip.

[So even the mortal domain has some nifty stuff…]

"The formation of the soul usually only happens once, in the Ethereal Stage, the culmination of one's spirit."

Seeing Zhuo Fan staring intently at the jade slip, Danqing Shen nodded and explained. "However, Zhuo Fan, we are different. We've reached the culmination in the Radiant Stage and formed our souls. This way, we can form our soul once again."

Zhuo Fan turned solemn, listening to his every word. Danqing Shen's eyes were hard as he warned. "But this chance has some conditions. One of them is that the second soul forming has to be far stronger than the first, or the first soul would interfere and would make it harder."

"That's easy since it's obvious. Since I formed my soul in the Radiant Stage, my spirit would be stronger when I reached the Ethereal Stage."

Zhuo Fan spoke like it was obvious. Danqing Shen smiled and shook his head, "Ha-ha-ha, to others, that might be the case, but it will pose a challenge for you."

"Why do you say that?" Zhuo Fan raised an eyebrow in doubt.

Danqing Shen's eyes shone as he continued, "This is related to the second condition of the twin soul– No mountain is higher. Since the second soul has to expend your spirit, it must be stronger than the first soul so that it can suppress it and form. Otherwise, it's a failure."

"That… I… see…"

Zhuo Fan's brow shook, already understanding what he was saying. Heaven dragon soul was world energy taking form, one of the best a soul could ever become. So what could possibly be stronger than a heaven dragon soul?

Danqing Shen saw through his worry and sighed, "Alas, you did not meet me earlier. Or, having seen how alike we are, I would have warned you when forming your first soul. Just like how I formed the sword soul first, then the heaven dragon soul to suppress it and accomplish the Twin Soul Art."

"Uhm, senior, that's just hindsight. I refuse to believe that if you were presented with the chance to form the heaven dragon soul the first time, you would first wait for the sword soul. I bet you didn't even know twin soul was possible." Zhuo Fan rolled his eyes.

Ugh!

Danqing Shen's heart jerked, but he nodded, "True. When I formed the sword soul, I had no chance of forming the heaven dragon soul first. However, it was this that gave me insight on how to achieve the twin soul of today."

"What if I form a second heaven dragon soul?" Zhuo Fan's eyes lit up.

Since the second soul had a hard time surpassing the first, making them equal was better.

[I'll just have to scour the world for some ten more earth dragon souls. How hard could it be?]

However, Danqing Shen shook his head. "Boy, you know full well that a mountain ain't big enough for two tigers. If a man formed a twin soul of the same type, it would be a true toil. That is why a person can't have two beast souls. If you want them to coexist, they have to be different. When you try to form another heaven dragon soul, your first one won't just sit still. It will fight for its turf and will make sure you fail."

"Which takes us to the third condition, harmony. Take your room, for instance. You'd be annoyed if someone waltzed in yet wouldn't even bat an eye when an ant slipped in. Why is that? Because you don't see it as a threat to your interests. It is like you consider this room yours, and the ant will also see it as their nest. You live in harmony despite sharing the same room."

"I see. In other words, the heaven dragon soul sees your sword soul as nothing more than a prop. Heaven dragon soul is a reptile at the core, so the two have no conflict of interests, resulting in harmony." Zhuo Fan's eyes lit up.

Danqing Shen nodded, "That's exactly it, child. While the spirit is unique, the soul is a twin one, resting within it in harmony. As for how to achieve this, it's all written down in that art. Do your best and read it carefully. This is as far as I'm going to help you, ha-ha-ha…"

"But senior, while I can understand all the other stuff, how am I going to form a soul stronger than the heaven dragon soul? Please enlighten me, senior!" Zhuo Fan pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands.

Danqing Shen shook his head, "I have no solution either. It's all down to luck, ha-ha-ha…"

Danqing Shen turned around and was gone. He ran away. "In any case, I returned the favor and freed myself of this tie. Your success will now solely rest on your shoulders. I'm powerless anyway, ha-ha-ha…"

"Wait, senior…"

Zhuo Fan hastily said, but he no longer sensed the old man around.

[Damn you, old coot, and your wretched favor! You gave me some Twin Soul Art and got me intrigued, only to leave me high and dry when it's the hardest!]

[What now? I know this strange art is nearly impossible to train in, but now I'm so piqued I can't let it go.]

[Damn ungrateful old geezer! You clearly used it to lure me! How am I supposed to form a soul stronger than that dragon soul? Your secret special art is useless to me!]

But then Zhuo Fan thought differently. [Danqing Shen wants the sacred weapon that I got before him. The map I drew for him will just lead him to nothing. So this isn't a favor, but a practical joke.]

So he no longer felt cheated.

[It's up to me to make the most of this. What matters is that I got away scot-free. There's no point in worrying over it any longer.]

And so, Zhuo Fan's hand flashed, and Blood Infant came out of his body and turned into that demonic sword he was now holding.

Looking at the pommel, he did find the word Atlas engraved on it.

"Oh, Atlas Sword, I was in such a rush then that I had no time to find out your name. Now I see it really is what that old guy wants. I just hope he never comes back to me to get it, or I'm finished…" Zhuo Fan traced the blade as he said.

However, just then, the old voice of Danqing Shen sounded again, "By the way, boy, I don't think you'll ever get to hide your wound in battle. If the two exalted find out, you'll be in trouble."

"Uh, senior, you're back…"

Startled, Zhuo Fan hurriedly stuck the sword in his gut, running his body through it, making him grimace as blood seeped.

The longsword snickered and turned into Blood Infant before hiding in his body.

Glaring at his gut, Zhuo Fan crunched his teeth.

[Is this guy blind? The old man is back, and yet it still delayed hiding. What if he found out?]

Fortunately, the wound this time was just skin deep.

So Zhuo Fan ignored his self-injury and replied, "Thank you for your concern, senior, but I have a brilliant plan."

"Oh, that's good. But just in case misfortune takes you, you had better not drag me in as well and just say what happened to you. Or else…"

Danqing Shen smiled coldly and sighed, "What a shame you got so many eyes on you. I would've nipped this trouble from the start just to keep a clear conscience, but it will only have the opposite effect right now…"

Zhuo Fan's cheek twitched, and he rolled his eyes at the old guy's whining.

[This guy takes matters into his own hands. Thank god I'm a shower and everyone's now interested in me. He won't touch me, or it'll make things worse.]

Otherwise, if nobody discovered his secret, he'd be wiped off the face of this world.

Since the outside of his room was quiet, he figured the old guy had left. Zhuo Fan eased a breath and looked at the jade slip in his hand, "Humph, might as well hang on to it just in case. I'll know more after I inspect it thoroughly."

Zhuo Fan started reading the jade slip carefully. His face shook as he delved deeper. The more he read, the more excited he got.

[Danqing Shen is a true genius to come up with such a mystical art.]

[Such a shame he's from mortal domain and had a poor start. If he were from a sacred domain, he might reach Saint level…]

On the morrow, the arena was packed in minutes. All were pushing and rushing to get the best seat, excited for what would follow.

After all, this battle had great significance, that of the greatest underdog that ever lived fighting the strongest middle three sect, Sword God Sect. Sword God Sect was also recognized as one to be just under a superior three sect.

In other words, if Demon Scheming Sect won this challenge, they would threaten the positions of the superior three sects. Be it the national delegates or the other sect teams. All were here to watch history being made.

The chances were high that western lands' status quo and sphere of interests would shift after this fight. One more reason why they should pay close attention.

"Qingcheng, the superior three sects are here as well. Look at how serious they are. They must feel threatened!" Shui Ruohua pointed at a few sects as she spoke in shock. "Tell me, do you really think Demon Scheming Sect threatens the superior three sects that had been unchanged for thousands of years?"

Chu Qingcheng had a radiant smile, "When he steps in, no one's position is ever safe. I've seen it happen so many times it has become a common occurrence. The bigger and stronger they are, the more likely they are to be thrown down from their throne by him. It's only natural to feel nervous, ha-ha-ha… "