Chapter 25: Fortune's Terrifying Soul
Chapter 25: Fortune's Terrifying Soul
The erupting Treasure Light surged like a cataclysmic wave, instantly shredding the formation woven by Qingchen Immortaless before engulfing Lv Yang, Liu Xin, and Chen Xinan.
Liu Xin screamed first. Having exhausted half his spiritual energy summoning banner spirits to confront Lv Yang and later invoking Chen Xinan, he now lacked the strength to resist the explosion. His body ignited in an instant, crumbling to ash as the Ten-Thousand Spirit Banner in his grasp plummeted limply through the air.
"Not bad for a Holy Sect disciple", Liu Xin sneered even as he perished.
Though Chen Xinan still retained some power, he could no longer sustain his existence. With a resigned sigh, his form dissolved into the wind.
As for Lv Yang, the Treasure Light swallowed him whole, leaving nothing behind.
After an eternity, the raging light finally subsided, revealing Xiao Shiye’s trembling figure, his face twisted in manic exhilaration.
"I won!"
Xiao Shiye laughed wildly. Self-detonating his spirit treasure was his ultimate trump card, but it had severe limitations—it was easy for enemies to evade. Success required confining the battlefield to ensure a direct hit. Worse, the explosion’s power scattered widely rather than concentrating, meaning enemies had to be weakened significantly beforehand. And most critically, spirit treasures possessed self-awareness, often resisting self-destruction.
"Good thing luck’s still on my side!"
Since joining the Primordial Sacred Sect, Xiao Shiye felt blessed beyond measure. Every endeavor succeeded effortlessly—whether selling a Soul-Stealing Yin Puppet at its peak price for hundreds of thousands of Contribution Points, stumbling upon ancient treasures during a mundane trip to the mortal realm, or encountering Lv Yang as a convenient shield against pursuers. No matter the crisis, fate always spared him unscathed, leaving him the sole beneficiary of every twist of fortune.
"A magnificent Ten-Thousand Spirit Banner—mine at last!"
As Xiao Shiye reached for the banner, a blood-cloaked figure materialized beside him, seizing the artifact simultaneously. Xiao Shiye froze, his body trembling violently.
"Brother Xiao also desires this treasure?" The blood shadow rippled, revealing Lv Yang’s face. His grin stretched unnaturally wide, sending a chill down Xiao Shiye’s spine.
Is he alive or a ghost?
Xiao Shiye paled, recalling how Lv Yang’s Blood Transformation Ray had drained countless victims into desiccated husks. He immediately withdrew his hand, bowing deeply.
"Congratulations, Senior Brother! I’ve safeguarded the Ten-Thousand Spirit Banner for you—please accept it back!"
"Thoughtful of you", Lv Yang replied, accepting the Primordial Qi-infused banner with a smile. Channeling his spiritual energy into it, he extracted two storage bags—Liu Xin’s and Qingchen Immortaless’s. Inside lay a Primordial Dao Treatise and a Formation Treasure Manual, the latter clearly belonging to Qingchen.
"Treasures indeed", Lv Yang mused, memorizing their contents before turning to Xiao Shiye, who edged backward cautiously.
Truthfully, Xiao Shiye’s lethal move had been unexpected. Spirit Treasure Self-Detonation could obliterate even Refining Qi adepts at their peak. Yet Lv Yang was an anomaly—he’d cultivated the Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Ray, his true spirit anchored to his Sword Core forged from Gold Essence and Jade Marrow. While his blood shadow form was merely a vessel, his survival hinged on that indomitable core. Though damaged, it endured, allowing him to reform post-explosion and claim victory.
Xiao Shiye’s ingenuity impressed him—without the younger cultivator’s gambit, these spoils would’ve been unattainable.
"Many thanks, Xiao Shiye", Lv Yang said warmly. "To repay you, let me send you off."
With a flick of his wrist, a blood beam struck Xiao Shiye, draining him into a shriveled corpse.
Too dangerous to leave alive. Such uncanny luck—if spared, Xiao Shiye might rise again to retaliate. Better to eradicate all threats.
"Odd", Lv Yang muttered, eyeing the corpse. "I expected a miracle. Where’s his fabled fortune now?"
He activated a spiritual scanning art. Previously, Xiao Shiye radiated celestial blessings, but now his aura lay barren.
His fortune’s truly run dry.
A sigh echoed. Lv Yang looked up, his expression freezing mid-thought.
Before Xiao Shiye’s corpse stood a new figure—clad in a crane-feather robe, fanning himself lazily. At first glance, he resembled a scholarly wanderer, yet his presence eclipsed all else, as though heaven itself funneled its blessings into one man.
"Is this all you’ve gathered?" the stranger asked, summoning the Primordial Dao Treatise and Ten-Thousand Spirit Banner from Lv Yang’s storage.
A voice resonated: "Fortune, you’ve emerged from seclusion?"
The man—Fortune Immortal—tilted his head. "Regrettably, my chosen vessel perished unexpectedly."
The voice sharpened. "Dead? How could your chosen one die?"
"Variables", Fortune sighed. "I endowed him with fortune to fish the Gongde Pool’s rainbow-scaled koi, but unforeseen factors drained his luck prematurely. Without fortune, death follows."
He examined the Primordial Dao Treatise, shaking his head before pocketing it. Turning to Lv Yang, his smile widened.
"This one intrigues me."
With a calculating gesture, Fortune traced Lv Yang’s origins. "A whirlwind of variables—this Soul-Stealing Yin Puppet chaos likely stems from him. His background appears clean, yet how did a mortal enter cultivation at Refining Qi Fourth Layer? Concealed cultivation? Perhaps a rogue disciple… Wait—Divine Thunder Sword Art mastered pre-discipleship? Could he be a Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion spy?"
The more he deduced, the keener his interest grew. Every secret unraveled—except the Ten Thousand Lives Scroll.
"…Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Ray?" Fortune’s face soured. "A blood shadow cultivator? His celestial path is severed. Not worth my effort—certainly no Chosen One."
He sighed, gazing at the empty Gongde Pool. "The koi slipped away. Next time, perhaps."
With that, Fortune vanished, leaving Lv Yang drenched in cold sweat.
(End of Chapter)
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