Chapter 360: Spirit Soul Enslavement

Lu Qing did not explain the reason directly. Instead, he found a secluded cave, instructed Wei Xinghe to keep watch over Wei Zihao and the disciples of Qingyun Sword Pavilion, then told Xiao Li to secretly monitor the situation from the shadows. Only after that did he bring forth the Lihuo Ding, using his spirit to enter its inner space.

“Little Master,” said Yan, appearing within the Spirit Artifact’s spatial realm, still bearing his familiar form with twin horns atop his head. “Where is the demon cultivator’s spirit soul?”

“Here,” Yan replied, waving a hand. A cage materialized in the space, within which a wisp of Hei Qi writhed and twisted—constantly shifting, occasionally revealing a face screaming in agony. There were glimpses of the disheveled figure Lu Qing had seen before, monstrous visages with fanged jaws, and other forms he’d never encountered. Yet, because the spatial cage blocked all external perception, the demon’s cries remained unheard.

“This demon cultivator is no ordinary being,” Yan murmured, eyes wide with astonishment. “Even though he hadn’t yet reached the Zhu Ji realm, his spirit essence is astonishingly refined. Even severed from his body, it hasn’t dissipated. Such power—few Golden Core cultivators could match it.”

Yan, who had lived for tens of thousands of years, had never witnessed such a phenomenon.

“Indeed, this demon has a unique origin,” Lu Qing nodded, but said no more.

Yan’s thoughts stirred. It recalled the demon’s earlier words.

“Yan Senior,” the demon’s spirit spoke, “release me for a moment.”

Yan waved his hand, dissolving the spatial cage. Instantly, the demon’s spirit tried to flee—but was instantly pinned by an overwhelming force, unable to move.

“Little demon, don’t waste your breath. In my space, you’re powerless.”

Yan spoke calmly, and the demon’s spirit froze. It realized escape was impossible and ceased struggling.

“Boy, I never thought you could control two Spirit Artifacts simultaneously. If I’m not mistaken, I’m currently inside one of them. That cloth pouch you used to contain my body—it’s also a Spirit Artifact, correct?”

The demon’s spirit pulsed with waves of energy.

“You’re right,” Lu Qing admitted without denial.

“A mere Lianqi Realm cultivator commanding two Spirit Artifacts? Your Qi Yun is so dense it would make any other cultivator envious. But as I said before, sometimes too much Qi Yun isn’t a blessing. Boy, do you know you’ve already planted deep roots of disaster? One day, you may find yourself trapped in an endless cycle of suffering—no escape.”

The demon’s voice grew increasingly chilling, even Yan felt a shiver. He remembered tales from the old masters of Lihuo Sect about the Yuan Shen Jing—how the deeper one’s karmic entanglements, the harder it was to break through. And now, hearing the demon’s warning, he felt a cold dread.

Yet Lu Qing remained calm, as if untouched by fear. He merely asked, “If you know so much, can you tell me how to resolve this?”

“Are you afraid?” The demon’s spirit sneered. “You think I’m bluffing? The more Qi Yun you gather, the deeper your ties to this world’s Heavenly Dao grow. The heavier your karmic debt becomes. Right now, you don’t feel it—but when you reach the Yuan Shen realm, you’ll find your progress halted. You’ll be stuck forever at this stage. And when you face the Yuan Shen Tribulation, those karmic burdens will manifest as heart demons, devouring your spirit. Then you’ll truly understand what it means to be chained by fate—alive, yet worse than dead.”

The demon’s words grew darker, more terrifying. Even Yan, though ancient, felt his heart tighten.

But Lu Qing showed no reaction. Only a quiet, “If you know this so well, then tell me—how can it be undone?”

“Ah, so you’re scared?” The demon’s spirit exhaled, a flicker of relief in its tone. But it masked it well. “Very well. I’ll teach you the way to avoid disaster—if you’re willing to cooperate. Don’t doubt my ability. If you know my origin, you must know my former rank. A method to cleanse karmic ties is within my reach.”

“Tian Yuan Da Shi Jie’s One Hundred and Eight Demonic Generals… yes, your lineage is formidable. But tell me—do you really believe I wouldn’t know how to erase karmic debt, if I’ve already uncovered your identity?”

Lu Qing’s voice remained calm—but the demon’s spirit flinched. The very air around it seemed to twist.

“Who… who are you?” The demon whispered, stunned. It had hidden its true identity so well, never revealing it to anyone. Even in its desperate flight through the stars, it had barely dared to hope for rebirth. It had chosen a random direction, cast the Rebirth Great Spell—knowing full well it might not survive.

Even now, after countless reincarnations, it had barely awakened from the Tai Zhong Zhi Mi. After so many lifetimes, its form, aura, and soul were unrecognizable. Even fellow generals from the same rank would struggle to recognize it.

So how had Lu Qing known?

And who was he, really?

The demon couldn’t comprehend it. But Lu Qing gave no explanation. He simply said, “Don’t waste your breath, little demon. Your tricks don’t fool me. I came here for one purpose. Release the seals on those Qingyun Jian Ge disciples—and I might grant you a swift end. Refuse… and I’ll consume your spirit essence. Your True Spirit will be erased, and you’ll have no chance of rebirth.”

“Wait—just for those insects?” The demon’s spirit paused, surprised. It hadn’t expected such a trivial reason.

But then hope stirred. Perhaps this was its chance.

“Fine,” Lu Qing said. “Will you do it?”

“Of course,” the demon replied. “But only if you swear a Spirit Soul Vow—promise to release me. Then I’ll comply.”

The space fell silent.

Lu Qing stared at the demon’s spirit, unmoving.

Only when the demon felt the pressure of his gaze, like ice creeping into its core, did Lu Qing speak slowly.

“Let me be clear. If you release the seals, I’ll spare your True Spirit—give you a chance at reincarnation. Refuse… and I’ll destroy both your spirit and True Spirit. No second chances.”

“That’s impossible!” The demon shrieked. “If your spirit is gone, even if your True Spirit remains, what good is it? And even if you’re reborn, you won’t be you. Boy, if you won’t give me a path, then we’ll both die. But know this—if I die, those disciples will die with me. I’ll take them to the grave.”

Before the demon could finish, flames erupted from all around it—fierce, unrelenting.

And Lu Qing’s voice cut through the roar: “What gave you the illusion that you could bargain with me? Or do you truly believe I’d let you threaten me over a few insects? Since you refuse… die.”

The flames surged forward.

As they touched the demon’s spirit, threads of Hei Qi began to rise from its core—burning away, consumed.

“AAAAAHHHHH!!!” The demon screamed in horror. It felt its very essence being stripped away. It knew—once all its core essence was gone, it would be truly extinguished.

“Master, please!” The demon cried out, desperation in its voice. “Even if you destroy me, you gain nothing! You’re here for Wei Zihao—he’s your friend’s son. If he dies, you’ll never be able to face your friend. Let’s compromise. If you spare my spirit, I’ll willingly submit, become your servant!”

Faced with annihilation, the demon had no choice. Even servitude was better than total oblivion.

“Good,” Lu Qing said coldly. “Now open your spirit completely. Let me imprint the Spirit Soul Mark.”

No hesitation. The demon’s spirit, desperate to survive, laid bare its soul—no secrets, no barriers.

In that instant, a Spirit Soul Mark descended from above, striking the core of its True Spirit.

At the same time, the flames vanished—like they’d never existed.

But the demon knew it wasn’t a hallucination. Those few breaths of torment had already stripped away two-thirds of its essence. One more breath, and it would be gone.

“Bow to your master!” The demon cried out, bowing instantly despite its shattered state.

The mark was sealed. It was now utterly enslaved—no longer free, no longer capable of defiance.

“Good,” Lu Qing said. “Now release the seals on Wei Zihao and the others.”

The demon trembled, but obeyed. “Master… I’m sorry, but my spirit is too weak. I’ve lost my body. I can’t perform the incantations right now. I can’t release the seals.”

“So you were lying all along?” Lu Qing’s voice was ice.

“No! I didn’t mean to deceive!” The demon pleaded. “I was desperate. But once my spirit power recovers, I’ll release them immediately!”

“And how do you plan to recover?” Lu Qing asked.

The demon hesitated. “If I could absorb some Primordial Demon Qi… I could recover quickly.”

“Leave that for now,” Lu Qing said. “I’ll decide later. Is there no other way? Can the seals be paused? Or at least stop draining their life force?”

The demon knew the answer. The only way to stop the seals was through its own demon body—its true form.

But Lu Qing wasn’t willing to let it return to that body yet. This demon was no ordinary being—its origin traced back to the mysterious Tian Yuan Da Shi Jie. Though now enslaved, who knew what hidden techniques it might still possess? No one could be certain. Until he had absolute control, Lu Qing would not risk complications.

“Master is right,” the demon said, bowing deeply. “But if you only wish to stop the seals—without removing them entirely—it’s simple. I can teach you the control incantation.”

It sent a pulse of thought through the Spirit Soul Mark—transmitting the knowledge directly to Lu Qing.

The Spirit Soul Enslavement mark was a two-way link—bonding master and slave. But it was one-sided. The slave could only send thoughts in submission. The master could read every thought, feel every emotion, and even force the slave to self-destruct with a single thought.

And if the master died, the slave died with him. But if the slave died, the master remained untouched.

This was the true horror of Spirit Soul Enslavement.

No cultivator would willingly accept it—unless there was no other choice.

【Heritage Detected. Download Simulation?】

As Lu Qing received the demon’s mental transmission, a message appeared in his mind.

He didn’t hesitate. He selected Simulation Download.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end