Chapter 473: Nourishment of the Oracle Soul, Leap in Cultivation
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
To think that this fellow would still try to possess other people despite having been driven off by Zhang shi, Luo Zhu’s face immediately paled.
“Possession?”
Everyone was taken aback.
The soul was an intangible matter. As such, when the possessing soul left the old man’s body, no one could tell where it went.
“That’s right. Back then, when I was possessed, I also sneezed. That fellow must have surely entered his body…”
Luo Zhu hurriedly pointed toward the plump man.
“Me?”
Naturally, the plump man was Sun Qiang. He was just watching the young master flaunt his immense capability in expelling the soul when the old man pointed a finger toward him. Taken aback, he blinked his eyes innocently and said, “I’ve been possessed?”
Shouldn’t possession result in a tug between the souls? If so, why was he still standing completely fine here?
“That fellow is incomparably cunning. He must have known that Zhang shi would expel him as soon as he takes control of your body. As such… he chose to hide within your body!” Luo Zhu said.
Having been possessed once before, he’d learned quite a bit about the means of the soul oracles.
“Hide?” Sun Qiang scratched his head.
“That’s right. Given the size of a human body, once he decides to conceal his presence, it’ll be impossible to find him…” Luo Zhu panicked.
If an intangible object like a soul were to really try to conceal itself, it could be lying practically anywhere within a person’s body. Even the most formidable of people wouldn’t be able to sense it at all. This way, it would be equivalent to this plump man being equipped with a ticking time bomb. He could possibly be possessed at any moment!
Luo Zhu felt incredibly guilty. It was due to helping him that another person got harmed.
“If that’s really the case, the situation is really bad then…”
Hall Master Sai clenched his fists tightly.
Based on the few books that he had browsed through in the past, it would be one thing if the possessing soul were to make a move and forcibly wrestle for control over the body, but if the soul decided to conceal itself and make use of the other party’s body to nourish itself as though a leech, that could prove to be troublesome.
Under such circumstances, it was like a virus lying dormant in your body. If the illness hadn’t even struck yet, even the best of physicians couldn’t possibly treat you!
Zhang Xuan harrumphed and said, “He has decided to hide himself? He sure is bold!”
He didn’t expect the other party would dare possess Sun Qiang right after he had expelled him from the old man’s body. If he had known about it earlier, he would have sent a torrent of his zhenqi in to destroy his soul instantly.
But still, this problem wasn’t too difficult for him. Even 7-star master teachers who were known to specialize in the subject of souls might find it difficult to find a hiding soul but he was different.
With the Library of Heaven’s Path in hand, there was no flaw that he couldn’t find. A mere hiding soul was nothing before it!
“Sun Qiang, execute a punching routine!” Zhang Xuan said.
“Yes!”
Nodding his head, Sun Qiang’s clenched fists shot out, creating a huge gust of wind in the surroundings.
Upon seeing his fist technique, the mouths Jin Conghai, Hall Master Sai, and the others twitched.
To think that a Zongshi realm expert would still be using a Mortal low-tier battle technique… They found it hard to look at those incredibly crude and simple moves.
Even 5-year-old kids were able to execute several of these kinds of battle techniques in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and yet this fellow was using this… Just the thought of it left them light-headed.
“I’ve been too busy with my cultivation technique recently that I neglected my battle techniques…”
Sun Qiang could tell what everyone was thinking through their expression and he felt a little embarrassed.
Even though his cultivation had soared during this period of time, he didn’t cultivate any new battle techniques to match his newfound strength. He was still stuck with the moves he’d used back in Tianxuan Kingdom.
Naturally, before the experts of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, the battle techniques of an unranked kingdom meant nothing at all.
Given the other party’s battle technique and his slightly unsteady cultivation, they could easily wipe out dozens of him with just a single finger. Recalling how they were actually scared by this fellow back then in the Xuanyuan Kingdom Poison Hall, Jin Conghai and Gu Mu felt a little awkward.
“Alright!”
Ignoring the expression of the crowd, Zhang Xuan had already managed to find the location where the soul was hiding after a book was compiled in the Library of Heaven’s Path. Taking out a silver needle, he immediately pierced it into the spot.
Puhe!
As soon as the silver needle pierced into Sun Qiang’s body, a piercing scream echoed from within.
“Y-you… How did you know I was here?”
An agitated ripple of a soul echoed by everyone’s ears as though a voice.
Clearly, that fellow who possessed Sun Qiang didn’t expect to be found in an instant.
“If you get out now, I will spare your life!”
Zhang Xuan harrumphed as zhenqi rumbled on the tip of the silver needle.
“Get out? Humph! Since you want to destroy me, let’s die together then! This fellow is only of Zongshi realm; I might be unable to devour Luo Zhu but devouring this fellow still isn’t a problem at all! Even if you were to kill me, what you will be left with is just a corpse!”
The frenzied thoughts of the soul came gushing out.
“Don’t harm the innocent…” Luo Zhu anxiously stepped forward.
Even he had nearly failed to hold on while wrestling control with the other party. Given how this plump man was only at Zongshi realm, if the other party were to really attempt a possession, the plump man’s soul would surely be completely devoured in an instant.
“It’s too late to beg with me now…”
Along with the furious howling of the soul, a powerful aura abruptly engulfed Sun Qiang, striking his consciousness, attempting to devour him altogether.
“Since I’ll die anyway, I’ll recoup my losses by dragging one or two down with me! After killing him, I’ll devour the others as well. How are you going to do about it? Do you think you can be bound down a soul? Haha… Ah? The heck! What is this? AH… SAVE ME…”
Just as the soul was gleefully trying to devour Sun Qiang whole, a frightened scream suddenly echoed.
Following which, everyone felt the aura of the incomparably arrogant and powerful soul shatter apart, as though a balloon placed atop of a pot of sizzling oil.
“This… What happened?”
Luo Zhu was dumbstruck.
Hall Master Sai and the others also widened their eyes in shock.
They had clearly felt the soul’s killing intent for themselves previously. Why did it suddenly begin to shout in agony, as though it had seen a ghost?
Did Zhang shi do something?
Everyone hurriedly turned to look at Zhang shi, only to see him dumbfounded, unable to comprehend what was going on.
Turning to look at Sun Qiang once more, his eyes were widened and he shook his hands frantically, “It wasn’t me…”
Boom!
Before he could finish his words, the aura of the plump man suddenly surged as though he had eaten some incredibly nutritious tonic. His cultivation realm soared swiftly from Zongshi realm primary stage.
“This is… Nourishment of the Oracle Soul, Leap in Cultivation?”
Luo Zhu and Hall Master Sai’s vision suddenly turned dark simultaneously.
“What does that mean?” Zhang Xuan asked.
“While ordinary cultivators cultivate their physical bodies and zhenqi, soul oracles are different in the sense that they cultivate their souls. Their entire cultivation is contained within their soul such that even if they were to possess someone, they could recover back to their original strength swiftly…”
Luo Zhu’s lips turned pale, “Now that soul oracle’s soul has been destroyed, his entire cultivation has been reduced into nourishment for your servant’s body…”
“There’s such a matter as well?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
“Indeed. The strength of soul oracles is derived purely from soul energy, and it has no attributes whatsoever. It is compatible with all cultivators, and there is no threat of a conflict at all… If I’m not mistaken, your servant’s cultivation will surely increase by leaps and bounds!”
Even until now, Luo Zhu still had a dazed look on his face as he stared at the ignorant Sun Qiang.
What kind of monsters did he meet this time?
A young man who wasn’t even twenty yet was able to expel the possessing soul of the soul oracle from him with just a silver needle. His servant turned out to be even more formidable. A soul oracle tried to devour him, only to end up being devoured himself…
“H-he… was able to devour even a soul oracle?”
Gu Mu and Jin Conghai, who was just making light of Sun Qiang a moment ago due to his mediocre battle technique, suddenly turned pale.
Soul oracle was one of the most fearsome occupations in the ancient times. Back then, even the reputation of the poison masters paled to them. There were no experts who wouldn’t tremble before them… And yet, this fellow devoured one of their members as though it was nothing at all…
Did you have to be so monstrous?
It was no wonder why you acted so arrogantly at the Poison Hall back then… it seems like you have the capability to back your actions!
“His soul cultivation is currently at an unfathomable level, make sure not to offend him in the future…”
Clenching his fists tightly, Jin Conghai hurriedly instructed his student through telepathy.
Even Luo Zhu, a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle expert, was helpless before the possession of the soul oracle, and he could only be tortured day and night by it.
Yet, this fellow, despite possessing only the cultivation of a Zongshi realm, was able to kill the other party so easily. The strength of his soul must have reached an astounding level.
“If even the servant is so formidable, how powerful must the young master be?”
Thinking so, Jin Conghai turned to look at the young man not too far away in awe.
Since even a mere servant could devour a Transcendent Mortal realm soul oracle so easily, the young master must be even more formidable than that. It was no wonder why he was adept in so many occupations and his eye of discernment was extraordinary. Perhaps, even though his cultivation seemed to be only Half-Transcension before them, his true strength might be far beyond that.
Just as he was overwhelmed by shock, Sun Qiang’s rising aura finally came to a halt.
From Zongshi realm, his cultivation surged swiftly and broke through the bottleneck of a Half-Transcension, thus successfully advancing to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan!
Even though the cultivation of a soul oracle would plummet after a possession… that fellow was devoured even before he had a chance to possess him. In other words, the energy his soul harnessed was still that of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan.
Having devoured the entire strength of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan soul, Sun Qiang’s cultivation managed to soar above Zhang Xuan’s, reaching Transcendent Mortal 1-dan intermediate stage.
However, as this energy came from an external source, Sun Qiang’s ability to drive it was still immature. As such, his fighting prowess was still far beneath Zhang Xuan.
“M-my cultivation…”
Sensing the change in his body, Sun Qiang blinked his eyes blankly.
Even until now, he hadn’t made sense of the situation yet.
Wasn’t that fellow going to devour him?
Did the other party’s compassion suddenly work up, and knowing that since he was going die, he allowed himself to be devoured instead?
“It’s… the zhenqi that young master left within me!”
Quickly turning his gaze into his body, he soon came to a realization.
Back then, when he went to Xuanyuan Kingdom Poison Hall, fearful for his safety, the young master had left a surge of zhenqi in his body.
However, he ended up not using it in the end, and gradually, he forgot about the matter.
And previously, when the soul tried to devour him, the surge of zhenqi immediately gushed forward to protect him, reducing the assailant into ashes.
In reality, his guess was spot-on. That was indeed the case.
When Zhang Xuan treated Luo Zhu previously, in order to prevent the other party from realizing the uniqueness of the Heaven’s Path zhenqi, he only infused a tinge of it in each silver needle. On the other hand, he’d left an entire surge within Sun Qiang’s body. That was a difference in quantity of nearly a thousand times… The soul of that soul oracle had already been wounded before so how could it possibly survive that onslaught!
“Thank you, young master…”
Coming to a realization, Sun Qiang was just about to run forward to thank the young master for saving his life when, unbeknownst to him, the calm young master was already standing before Luo Zhu.
“Elder Luo Zhu, is it? May I ask you where did you capture the soul oracle from? Can you get a few more here so that my students can make a breakthrough in their cultivation as well?”
“…” Luo Zhu.
“…” Hall Master Sai.
