Translator: Cinder Translations
---
Shi Shou's face was filled with alarm. Just now, he had felt something crawling in his left eye, but the sudden attack from Song Wen had left him no time to react.
With this reminder from Song Wen, Shi Shou suddenly realized that two small insects had crawled into his skull through the eye socket and were now making their way towards his brain!
Gu Insects!
Two Qi Refinement Ninth Layer Gu Insects.
Shi Shou's eyes widened in terror.
He quickly mobilized all his spiritual power, gathering it in his head, trying to exterminate the insects before they could cause significant damage.
Suddenly.
A sharp, stabbing pain pierced his chest!
A scan of his spiritual sense revealed that there were four Gu Insects in his heart as well. At the moment he was focusing spiritual power on his head, the insects had taken the opportunity to break through his blood vessels and burrow into his heart.
At this moment, there was a whooshing sound from his left side.
A cold glint shot straight towards his throat!
Surrounded by enemies on three sides, Shi Shou's composure shattered, and he was no longer as calm and confident as before.
Instinctively, he activated the small shield to block the Cold Moon Blade.
Suddenly, an excruciating pain surged through his brain, causing his internal spiritual power to stagnate.
The Cold Moon Blade skimmed past the edge of the small shield that had been a moment too late, cutting through Shi Shou's throat.
His head flew high into the air!
Song Wen's figure moved like lightning. Before the head could even hit the ground, he caught Shi Shou's head in one hand and his falling body in the other.
At this moment, Shi Shou's soul had not yet departed his body; it was still within his head's sea of consciousness.
Song Wen did not consume Shi Shou's soul but instead performed a spell to seal Shi Shou's soul within his head.
Soul Binding Technique!
This was a spell that a Qi Refinement mid-stage cultivator could practice.
It was the most commonly used spell by demonic cultivators to bind souls.
However, Song Wen had underestimated the strength of Shi Shou's soul.
Unlike the souls he had previously devoured, a mortal's soul would become muddled and easy to consume after death.
Although the souls of Qi Refinement cultivators could retain their clarity, they had no resistance.
Shi Shou, being a Foundation Establishment cultivator with spiritual consciousness, had a stronger soul. After death, his soul remained active and managed to avoid Song Wen's Soul Binding Technique.
Shi Shou's soul did not attempt to escape but instead launched an attack on Song Wen's sea of consciousness.
During this time, he even transmitted a message to Song Wen.
"Ji Yin, you attempt to bind my soul. You must be a newly established Foundation cultivator, unaware that a Foundation cultivator with spiritual consciousness can seize another's body."
"Hahaha... Now this body is mine."
"Strong, with pure blood and a deep foundation. With two cultivation methods, heaven has not abandoned me. To think that in such a dire situation, I could seize such a perfect body."
Song Wen was momentarily startled by the sudden turn of events but quickly calmed down.
His sea of consciousness could devour even the fragmentary souls of Golden Core cultivators, so Shi Shou's Foundation Establishment soul could not stir up much trouble.
As Shi Shou's soul rushed into Song Wen's sea of consciousness, ready to use all its power to assault it, a massive black hole appeared before him.
The black hole seemed boundless, as if it occupied Song Wen's entire sea of consciousness.
A powerful, irresistible suction force emanated from the black hole.
Shi Shou felt as insignificant as an ant before the black hole, and at that moment, he even doubted that Song Wen might be an ancient powerful being reincarnated. How else could such a terrifying black hole, seemingly capable of devouring everything, exist within his sea of consciousness?
Just as Shi Shou felt his soul was about to be swallowed and his consciousness scattered, a thought flashed through his mind:
"I wonder how Wan Rou, who is still bound to the stone pillar, is doing? I wonder if Ji Yin will spare her and the child in her womb."
In this desperate situation, a surge of attachment towards his wife and the unborn child filled Shi Shou's heart.
At this crucial moment, the suction power of the black hole suddenly vanished.
However, the black hole did not disappear. It remained like a mountain pressing down on Shi Shou, rendering his soul immobile.
Outside the sea of consciousness, Song Wen had a smile on his face.
This was the first time he attempted to control the black hole in the sea of consciousness, and he was pleasantly surprised that it worked.
Shi Shou's soul could not dissipate for the time being and was still useful.
Song Wen used the power of the soul from his sea of consciousness to weave a gigantic net, binding and sealing Shi Shou's soul within the sea of consciousness.
As the soul was sealed, Shi Shou's awareness gradually blurred.
After completing this, the black hole in the sea of consciousness slowly disappeared and vanished without a trace.
...
When Song Wen devoured Shi Shou's blood essence, he was surprised to find that Shi Shou's body contained a spiritual power that also flowed into his own.
This spiritual power was absorbed by Song Wen's body, giving him the sensation of consuming a powerful elixir, gradually enhancing his physical strength.
Unfamiliar with this situation, Song Wen was somewhat puzzled.
After repeatedly checking his body and confirming there were no abnormalities, he relaxed a bit.
Unable to find the reason for this phenomenon, Song Wen decided not to dwell on it.
He then turned his attention to the eight people bound to the stone pillars. Except for Wan Rou, the other seven had already lost their breath.
Song Wen devoured the blood essence and souls of the seven deceased individuals one by one before finally approaching Wan Rou.
Wan Rou's injuries were severe. Due to the immense pressure from the formation, her skin was torn in multiple places, with blood oozing out. Her spine was misaligned in several places, and her leg bones were fractured.
Her body was no longer recognizable, and she could only barely maintain a standing posture due to the iron chains binding her to the stone pillar.
Seeing Song Wen approach, Wan Rou did not immediately act. A glimmer of hope appeared on her face as she clung to the hope of survival.
She still did not want to die; she was carrying a child and wanted her baby to come into this world and see its wonders.
"Please don't kill me. I have..."
Before she could finish, a powerful hand like a Vajra grabbed her by the top of her head.
A powerful spiritual force surged from her head into her sea of consciousness.
This spiritual force was overwhelming compared to her own, instantly submerging her awareness.
Soul Search Technique!
This was a secret technique that only Foundation Establishment cultivators could practice, capable of searching another's soul and extracting their memories. As for whether the memories obtained would be useful, it depended on luck.
Song Wen had purchased this Soul Search Technique from a shop in the marketplace after his Foundation Establishment.
In the demonic path, this technique was quite common, with many Foundation Establishment cultivators practicing it. As Song Wen disguised himself as an external Foundation Establishment cultivator, it was easy for him to obtain.
Wan Rou's soul power was much weaker compared to Song Wen's and, being injured, offered little resistance. Song Wen easily accessed all her memories.
Her memories mostly consisted of her time spent in the cave dwelling, rarely interacting with others, and never engaging in conflicts. With Shi Shou providing cultivation resources, she did not need to venture out. She was a woman who avoided disputes.
Although she was a demonic cultivator, her personality was very gentle and unviolent, just as her name suggested.
Perhaps because of this, when Shi Shou intended to use her for cultivation, she harbored no hatred but rather begged and advised him.
(End of the Chapter)
---
FUN FACT! You can now support me and read advanced chapters of RDC!
Currently up to 200 as of 26Sep24.
Just visit my p atreon: Pa treon.com/CinderTL
If you are content with the free chapters, you can show your appreciation by joining me for as low as $1. You can read this and other series (more coming in the future) on my Pa treon.
AND PLEASE LEAVE SOME REVIEWS, NEED MORE REVIEWS