Chapter 660: The Soul of the Heavenly Tomb, Soul Essence
"An Emperor Soul realm... How is that possible?"
Hearing Xiao Xuan's words, Xiao Yan stood in shock for a while before snapping back to reality and shaking his head with a bitter smile. In the entire world, very few had reached the Heaven Perfection stage of the soul realm. But as for the Emperor Soul realm, aside from Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan, no one else had ever reached that level.
However, upon hearing Xiao Xuan's offer, Mo Yu's eyes lit up. He knew that Xiao Xuan wasn't just talking; he had the means to make it happen.
"Helping you both reach the Emperor Soul realm is indeed a difficult task, but it's not entirely impossible," Xiao Xuan said with a mysterious smile. He lifted his head and gazed deeply into the misty void of the Heavenly Tomb. "What I'm referring to is not the residual souls here but the Soul of the Heavenly Tomb itself!"
"The Soul of the Heavenly Tomb? This place has a soul?" Xiao Yan asked, startled.
"It's a strange being, born since the creation of the Heavenly Tomb, formed from countless residual souls merging together. You could see it as the tomb's guardian, but calling it a warden might be more fitting. It controls this space and drives the energy bodies to devour each other," Xiao Xuan explained as he gazed into the void.
"Other than the energy bodies here, no one can sense its existence. Even Gu Yuan and others are unaware of it."
Mo Yu's heart tightened. A space with a soul? Such a thing seemed incredibly mysterious. The Dou Emperor who created this place truly had godlike powers.
"Alright, you two wait here. I'll be back soon."
As he finished speaking, Xiao Xuan's body began to rise slowly into the air. As he ascended, the mist that had filled the heavens and earth swiftly dissipated, and an overwhelming pressure spread out from him, engulfing the entire Heavenly Tomb.
"Rumble!"
Suddenly, a booming noise echoed from the distant end of the void, like thunder rolling through the depths of space. The energy bodies in the Heavenly Tomb trembled under the power.
Mo Yu and Xiao Yan watched the distant sky intently. At that moment, they could vaguely sense a vast and unfathomable soul force emerging like an ocean. The mere touch of that soul power made Mo Yu feel as though a mountain were pressing down on him.
Although the soul force was terrifyingly strong, it also felt fragmented, likely due to the countless residual souls it had absorbed over time.
In the grayish void, the invisible soul force gathered rapidly. After a moment, the space distorted, and a massive face, spanning tens of thousands of feet, emerged from the void. The face was cold and eerie.
"Is this the Soul of the Heavenly Tomb?" Mo Yu and Xiao Yan exchanged glances as they stared at the giant face in the sky.
"Xiao Xuan, we've always stayed out of each other's way. Do you intend to break our agreement today?" The massive face twisted as its emotionless eyes locked onto Xiao Xuan. Its voice was cold and thunderous, reverberating through the heavens and earth.
Xiao Xuan looked up at the face and smiled lightly. "Your very existence is a mistake. I doubt the Dou Emperor who created this place ever expected a being like you to come into existence."
"Nonsense! I was born according to my master's will! I am the guardian of this space! You live because of me, and you must follow my rules!" the Soul of the Heavenly Tomb roared coldly.
"They exist because of the tomb, not because of you," Xiao Xuan shook his head.
"I am the tomb! The tomb is me!" the Soul of the Heavenly Tomb's voice became sharp and agitated.
"You are not the tomb. You were born from the remnants of the souls here. From a certain perspective, they created you," Xiao Xuan replied calmly, but his words caused the giant face to twist into an even more ferocious and hideous expression.
"If you seek death, I will gladly grant it!"
The giant face roared, and from its mouth, a massive soul storm burst forth, spinning violently like a drill aimed straight at Xiao Xuan.
But Xiao Xuan merely continued walking forward calmly. The ferocious storm passed through his body without leaving a trace, as though it could not touch him at all.
As Xiao Xuan reached the giant face, strange flames began to ignite around his body. It was as if his very soul was burning!
"Give me your soul essence," Xiao Xuan said, his voice calm and his expression soft, even as flames continued to rise from his body.
"Soul combustion? Xiao Xuan, you're insane!" The giant face's eyes filled with shock, and its voice turned shrill.
"Soul combustion?" Mo Yu, standing nearby, was startled. Xiao Yan's body trembled, and his face turned pale.
"Ancestor…" Xiao Yan's voice quivered, and his eyes reddened with emotion.
Mo Yu, too, was deeply moved. Soul combustion meant complete annihilation, leaving no trace in the world. Both Yao Dan of the Yao Clan and Xiao Xuan were willing to make this ultimate sacrifice for the sake of their descendants.
"My mission is complete. Whether I vanish or not is of no consequence anymore," Xiao Xuan said with a soft smile, unfazed by the Soul of the Heavenly Tomb's panicked response.
Raising his flame-covered hand, Xiao Xuan reached toward the giant face. Instantly, a terrifying suction force formed in his palm, and from the giant mouth of the Soul of the Heavenly Tomb, violent ripples surged outward, as though something was being forcefully torn away.
As flames enveloped it, the Soul of the Heavenly Tomb shrieked in agony. In a normal battle, it wouldn't have feared Xiao Xuan, though it respected his power. But now that Xiao Xuan was burning his own soul, his strength had surged to terrifying levels. The flames, deadly to soul entities, left the Soul of the Heavenly Tomb unable to resist.
In the sky, the giant soul face was consumed by flames and began to shrink rapidly. At the same time, waves of intense soul energy erupted from its body.
"Xiao Xuan, I won't forgive you!" the face roared as it shrank, eventually taking on a humanoid form with crimson, furious eyes glaring at Xiao Xuan.
But Xiao Xuan remained calm, ignoring the Soul of the Heavenly Tomb's threats. His hands came together, rapidly forming intricate seals.
With each seal, flames shot from his fingertips, intertwining in the sky to form a massive array. The Soul of the Heavenly Tomb was trapped at its center.
"Sizzle!"
Before the Soul of the Heavenly Tomb could react, countless fire threads descended from the array, piercing through its body and binding it tightly.
"Xiao Xuan, let me go! We can discuss this!" the Soul of the Heavenly Tomb pleaded.
"There's nothing to discuss. Hand over your soul essence," Xiao Xuan replied with a smile. His hands moved again, and the fire threads stabbed deeper into the soul's body, pulling something out.
Gradually, a brilliant, crystalline orb about the size of a person was drawn from the soul's body, radiating a dazzling light.
Mo Yu reached out toward the light, feeling a warm sensation wash over his soul, as if his very essence were greedily craving the power within.
"So this is the soul essence of the Heavenly Tomb," Mo Yu muttered to himself. The purity and strength of this soul energy were overwhelming. Even his near-Emperor Soul level felt insignificant in comparison.
Without its power, the Soul of the Heavenly Tomb could no longer resist Xiao Xuan's attacks. Soon after, its body was shattered, leaving behind a remnant of its soul that dissipated in the wind with a final wail of anger.
Xiao Xuan smiled as he gazed at the crystalline soul essence. Turning to Mo Yu and Xiao Yan, he said, "Mo Yu, your soul has almost reached the Emperor Soul level, so I'll divide the soul essence into three parts. Two for Xiao Yan, and one for you. How does that sound?"
Mo Yu was taken aback but quickly shook his head. "Senior, this soul essence should go entirely to my cousin, Xiao Yan. I cannot accept it."
Mo Yu was genuinely surprised by Xiao Xuan's offer. This soul essence was an invaluable treasure, and while Mo Yu was tempted, he felt it would be inappropriate to accept it. He wasn't a descendant of the Xiao Clan, after all.
Xiao Xuan, sensing Mo Yu's hesitation, chuckled. "Mo Yu, you've helped Xiao Yan many times over the years, and for that, I owe you a debt. I always repay my debts, whether for good or ill. So don't refuse."
Xiao Yan smiled as well, chiming in, "Cousin, you should accept. It's a token of my ancestor's gratitude."
After some hesitation, Mo Yu nodded in agreement. Though he felt reluctant at first, the opportunity to use the soul essence to push his soul to the Emperor Soul level was too great to pass up.
"Thank you, Senior!" Mo Yu said, bowing deeply to Xiao Xuan.
Xiao Xuan split the soul essence, with two parts going to Xiao Yan and the remaining third to Mo Yu.
"You two, whether or not you reach the Emperor Soul level will depend entirely on your own abilities," Xiao Xuan said softly.
"Ancestor…" Xiao Yan's voice trembled as he looked at Xiao Xuan, his heart filled with emotion.
"Come on now, get to refining the essence," Xiao Xuan urged them with a warm smile.
Before them, the crystalline orbs shimmered like radiant suns, filled with overwhelming soul power.
Without further delay, Xiao Yan and Mo Yu stepped into their respective orbs, their bodies quickly enveloped by the brilliant light.
Watching them, Xiao Xuan's form grew more transparent, but he smiled contentedly. He was satisfied with these two descendants, confident that they could accomplish what even he had failed to achieve.
(End of Chapter)
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