Chapter 57: The Temptation of Luo Cheng

The borderlands were not much different from the Three Thousand Mountains.

However, within the borders of Goguryeo, magic souls—especially those of the lower, mortal ranks—were far more abundant.

The little white snake grew in size, releasing an aura that deterred the magic souls from approaching casually.

Atop its giant head, Ye Ziyan dug her fingernails into her palms, biting her lips until they bled. The mastermind who had stirred up the former Chen Dynasty was none other than the Hall of Senluo.

Her imperial mother handing her over to Elder Chu before suddenly vanishing was also the doing of the Hall of Senluo.

All her doubts were suddenly unraveled, only for her to be plunged into an even greater vortex.

No one knew where the Hall of Senluo was located, nor did anyone know who its members were.

Everything remained unknown, like an invisible, heavy hand pressing down until it was hard to breathe.

Yet, Goguryeo's manipulation of magic souls bore the unmistakable hallmark of the Hall of Senluo.

Without Ling Xuan needing to say anything, Ye Ziyan understood clearly: finding the soul of the Dark Water Black Serpent meant finding the clues related to the Hall of Senluo.

The more he learned about the secrets of the Hall of Senluo, the more Ling Xuan felt his own strength was lacking.

Even though the little white snake wanted to pull him along quickly, Ling Xuan refused to miss a single opportunity. Instead, he practiced diligently on the side, needing to elevate his strength as rapidly as possible.

Performing the Snake-Form Shadow Escape, he closely followed the little white snake, feeling its serpentine advance while continuously adjusting his breathing.

His hands never stopped, executing the Tai Chi needle techniques in an unbroken stream, striving to fully integrate the Ten Overlord Tyrannies into them.

"Catch," Ye Ziyan unclipped the Purple Phoenix Dual Spirit Blades and tossed them over.

Catching them instinctively, Ling Xuan was slightly startled. "Are you giving them to me or just lending them?"

"You've seen that woman use the Emei piercers with both hands," Ye Ziyan brought up Yuwen Ni. "Her speed was terrifyingly fast, like a phantom."

"Is there a problem?" Ling Xuan asked, puzzled.

Even Ye Ziyan herself felt deeply perplexed. "There was an inexplicable sense of familiarity, yet I've never seen that person before, and no matter what, I couldn't probe her true background."

"Heh, we'll run into her again anyway," Ling Xuan dismissed it indifferently.

The matter of utmost importance right now was to enhance his strength, integrate the Ten Overlord Tyrannies, and simultaneously elevate his Shikigami starlight.

The Purple Phoenix and the Spirit Serpent Twisting the Moon soul imprint were mutually dependent; if the starlight of the Spirit Serpent Twisting the Moon did not advance, the Purple Phoenix's starlight would remain sealed, preventing Ye Ziyan from unleashing her full strength.

He himself had already stepped into the Qi Sea Profound Realm, yet the Spirit Serpent Twisting the Moon remained at three-star yellow starlight.

This was completely out of sync with the cultivation of the Purple Sun Realm. According to traditional cultivation, the Spirit Serpent Twisting the Moon should have reached four-star green starlight by this stage.

Yet his cultivation realm had advanced a step ahead.

This also showed that even for him, affected by the Shikigami starlight, his power could not be fully unleashed.

While this posed no major issue for Ye Ziyan, it was a massive problem for Ling Xuan.

His cultivation time was already relatively short, and he lacked deep understanding of martial arts. Failing to ignite his full strength meant he didn't even know what his true talent and potential actually were.

This boded ill for his future realm advancements; rather, it was distinctly harmful.

If he failed to spark the ultimate potential of every single realm, troubles would only multiply as he progressed further.

However, the progression of the Spirit Serpent Twisting the Moon could not rely solely on himself; it required the assistance of the little white snake.

Tapping the little white snake lightly on the head, Ling Xuan chuckled, "Little fellow, when are you going to advance to four-star green starlight?"

The little white snake almost wanted to curse. Didn't he used to worry that advancing too quickly would turn him half-human and half-demon?

Why the sudden reversal now? Why was he no longer afraid of such things?

At the Demon-Subduing Grand Camp, Prince Yue Yang Xuanggan, upon learning that Ling Xuan had already entered Goguryeo territory to investigate the Dark Water Black Serpent soul, immediately sought out the Prince of Beiping, Luo Yi.

"What? Prince Yue, did this king hear you correctly?" The Prince of Beiping, Luo Yi, wore a look of utter astonishment.

Yang Xuanggan shook his head. "The Divine Emperor is about to arrive. If we lack understanding of Goguryeo's interior, troubles will undoubtedly mount endlessly once the main army mobilizes."

"Prince Yue, what kind of elite team do you plan to assemble for this mission?" The Prince of Beiping, Luo Yi, hurriedly inquired.

Yang Xuanggan twirled his jade thumb ring. "I hear the young prince possesses exceptional talent and has deeply inherited the Prince's true teachings. Why not dispatch the young prince?"

"Cheng'er?"

The Prince of Beiping, Luo Yi, never expected that Prince Yue Yang Xuanggan would set his sights on his own son.

"Precisely, the young prince."

Yang Xuanggan nodded. "Of the Yanyun Eighteen Riders, only the young prince and the Prince himself can command them. Since this operation is styled as a decapitation strike requiring covert action, they are the most suitable candidates."

"Cheng'er is still too young; I fear he is unequal to such a heavy responsibility," the Prince of Beiping, Luo Yi, still attempted to refuse.

Yang Xuanggan chuckled softly. "If the young prince goes, I can take it upon myself to temporarily lend him the Five-Hook Divine Flying Bright Silver Spear."

"What?"

The Prince of Beiping, Luo Yi, was deeply shocked. How could such a divine weapon be lent out so casually?

To borrow such a divine weapon from the Imperial Heavenly Workshop required nothing less than an imperial decree from the Divine Emperor.

Since Yang Xuanggan spoke thus, could it be that the Divine Emperor had issued a secret decree?

"Father, I'll go," said Luo Cheng, the heir of the Prince of Beiping, stepping out from behind the folding screen and bowing deeply. "I thank Prince Yue for your high regard, but might I exchange it for a different divine weapon?"

"What divine weapon do you wish to borrow?" Yang Xuanggan asked with great interest.

"The Phoenix-Winged Gilded Trident," Luo Cheng stood tall and upright, his eyes filled with stubborn persistence.

"The Phoenix-Winged Gilded Trident has already been lent out," Yang Xuanggan shook his head.

Luo Cheng could hardly believe his ears. The divine weapon he had long coveted had actually been snatched away by someone else, and a fierce anger gripped his heart. "Who dares to contend with this prince?"

"By imperial decree of the Divine Emperor, it has already been lent to Yuwen Chengdu to escort the carriage at the Demon-Suppressing Abyss," Yang Xuanggan explained. "The waters of the Demon-Suppressing Abyss have surged once again, and demons are wreaking havoc, obstructing the advance of the Golden Dragon Divine Boat."

"What about the Prairie Fire Phoenix Spear?" Luo Cheng retreated to his second choice.

"Lent out as well," Yang Xuanggan chuckled. "Borrowed by the heir of the Prince of Changping."

"Him? A mere good-for-nothing, and he's allowed to wield such a divine weapon?" Luo Cheng wondered if his own brain had water in it, or if Yang Xuanggan's had.

What was Ling Xuan's cultivation level anyway, that he was actually permitted to borrow a divine weapon like the Prairie Fire Phoenix Spear? Weren't they afraid it would never be returned?

"The reason you are leading the Yanyun Eighteen Riders there is precisely to cooperate with the heir of the Prince of Changping in slaying the Dark Water Black Serpent soul," Yang Xuanggan elaborated further.

"That good-for-nothing has the guts to seek out the Dark Water Black Serpent soul?" Not only Luo Cheng, but even the Prince of Beiping, Luo Yi, was baffled. "Can he find it?"

"Aside from him, no one can find the true body of the Dark Water Black Serpent soul," Yang Xuanggan said with absolute certainty. "Just as no one in the Luo River discovered that wispy split soul."

A split soul? The true body?

Luo Cheng seemed to grasp something, and the Prince of Beiping, Luo Yi, seemed to understand. Exchanging a glance, they instantly grasped the underlying meaning.

The heir of the Prince of Changping had discovered that wispy split soul and ruined the grand plans of the Dark Water Black Serpent soul, so he would undoubtedly be marked with a deep grudge.

This trip by the heir of the Prince of Changping was nothing more than serving as bait to lure out the true body of the Dark Water Black Serpent soul.

However, the ones who would truly slay this Dark Water Black Serpent soul would be themselves and the Yanyun Eighteen Riders.

Given that good-for-nothing's abilities, he would surely die.

And perhaps by then, they might even acquire the Prairie Fire Phoenix Spear. A wave of great joy instantly surged in Luo Cheng's heart. "Prince Yue, when should I depart?"