Chapter 1323: Poison Spirit He Ling
Yun Che's change was very subtle. He Ling could clearly perceive it, but found it difficult to describe—it was roughly a marvelous feeling of an elevation in his "existence."
He Ling was gazing at Yun Che with sparkling eyes when Yun Che's gaze fell on her as well. He said, "He Ling, do you still wish to become my Heavenly Poison Spirit?"
Yun Che's sudden words made He Ling freeze for a moment, and she could hardly believe it. Initially, he had been very resistant to this matter, and she deeply understood the reason for his resistance, so she never brought it up again before the Death-Pleading Seal on him was completely removed.
And now he actually brought it up himself, and his gaze held no resistance or complexity—only warmth and determination.
Perhaps over these ten months, he had finally convinced himself to fully accept it, or perhaps it was the soul transformation after achieving Divine King that caused an intangible change in his understanding of the world.
"Please let me become the Heavenly Poison Spirit." He Ling nodded, as serious as when she had answered Shen Xi before: "I will use everything I have to help you, and… and I will never urge you to take me to the Fan Di God Realm. No matter what the outcome in the future, I will never regret it."
Even though a seed of darkness had been planted in her heart, her nature remained incomparably pure and kind. Even if she lost her freedom, her very existence, she still did not want to give Yun Che any constraints… She only sought a sliver of hope.
"Good." Yun Che nodded. He took a few steps closer, looking He Ling in the eyes, and said sincerely: "I know how bone-deep the hatred is after losing everything. It can only be released. Forcing you to give up and let go will only make you suffer forever… So then, devote everything to revenge!"
Yun Che's words caused He Ling's beautiful eyes to ripple with emotion.
He reached out his hand to He Ling: "The Fan Di God Realm is not only your enemy, it is also my enemy. So from now on, you are not only my poison spirit, but also a companion bound together by destiny. I promise you, if in the future we have enough strength to contend with them, I will make them pay back what they owe us tenfold, a hundredfold."
Although this goal was extremely distant—no one in the entire history of the God Realm had achieved it, and no one even dared to—but… at least, this was a promise she deserved from this wood spirit girl who had been willing to destroy her own existence to take revenge.
And for He Ling, whose heart and soul had been wandering in the dark abyss, there were no words in this world more beautiful than these.
"…" She nodded vigorously, her lips trembling, wanting to speak, but before she could, tears fell in streams.
After learning that He Lin and all her closest clansmen had died, what enveloped her was not only hatred, but also a floating duckweed-like loneliness. Yun Che's words made her, immersed in the boundless dark abyss, clearly feel that she was not alone, and even… a feeling akin to reliance…
Looking at He Ling's slightly trembling body, Shen Xi smiled faintly. This was what she had always hoped to see… Yun Che's rescue of He Ling.
"In that case, let's do it now." Although the Death-Pleading Seal on his body had not yet completely dissipated, it would be at most two or three days. With his mind made up, there was no more hesitation as before. Yun Che took another step forward, his body almost touching He Ling, then paused, turned around awkwardly, and said sheepishly: "Uh… Senior Shen Xi, what should I do?"
Shen Xi came to their side, her jade-like hand gently lifting Yun Che's left hand: "Ling'er, once you become a poison spirit, it will be almost impossible to turn back. Are you… truly ready?"
Yun Che's brows twitched slightly… Shen Xi had said "almost impossible" to turn back, not "never possible."
He Ling wiped away the tears on her face and nodded without the slightest hesitation: "Ten months ago, Ling'er was already ready."
"Good." Shen Xi nodded slightly, her jade hand moving, and her finger lightly tapped Yun Che's palm: "Release the original aura of the Heavenly Poison Pearl, just a wisp."
Yun Che immediately complied. With a thought, a dim green light shimmered in his palm.
Shen Xi's jade finger moved slightly, and immediately, this wisp of Heavenly Poison light was released under her guidance, gently tapping on He Ling's brow.
"Ling'er, close your eyes, calm your heart and soul. When you feel the touch and fusion of souls, do not resist in the slightest."
He Ling obediently closed her beautiful eyes. Soon, at the spot on her brow touched by the Heavenly Poison light, a green profound formation about an inch in size appeared… At the same time, an identical green profound formation appeared on Yun Che's palm. Both formations rotated simultaneously, emitting pure and flawless dim green light.
Shen Xi's hand gesture changed again. A beam of profound light pierced Yun Che's finger, drawing a drop of blood, which splashed onto the profound formation on He Ling's brow and vanished into it instantly.
The Heavenly Poison Pearl was fused with Yun Che's body, so this was not just a spirit transformation ritual, but also a contract ritual like that with Hong'er.
And whether it was the spirit transformation ritual or the contract ritual, the initiative was neither in Yun Che's hands nor in Shen Xi's hands, but in He Ling's. Throughout the entire process, if He Ling had even a trace of regret or resistance, the ritual would be interrupted at any time.
Forcing someone into a spirit transformation was like forcibly branding a divine path profound practitioner with a slave mark—it was almost impossible… The other party had to be completely willing.
And this moment was her long-held wish; how could she resist?
After the dim green profound formation rotated a dozen times on her brow, it suddenly released an extremely dense green radiance. She was bathed in the radiance, her figure gradually fading, then gradually becoming clear again… She saw a new world, a strange emerald-green space. She felt her soul gradually connect with this emerald-green world, as closely as flesh and blood…
And this feeling wasn't only on He Ling's side; Yun Che also felt He Ling's aura slowly merging into his life… just like Hong'er back then.
Whoosh—
The radiance scattered and vanished.
In the silence, He Ling slowly opened her eyes. Before her were still Yun Che and Shen Xi, around her was still the world she knew, and she was still her former self, with no change in body or clothing… But her aura, and her perception of the world, had completely changed.
Besides her own wood spirit aura, what emanated from her was a faint and pure Heavenly Poison aura. Because the Heavenly Poison Pearl's toxicity was dormant, this Heavenly Poison aura only had purifying energy.
The ritual was complete. Now she was no longer just He Ling; she was also the Heavenly Poison Spirit. And from this moment on, the Heavenly Poison Pearl finally had a poison spirit again, no longer a living-dead pearl.
The Heavenly Poison Pearl belonged to Yun Che and was fused with his body, inseparable. That meant that from now on, He Ling's will, life, and freedom would all be controlled by Yun Che.
She bent her knees and bowed to Yun Che: "Master."
Yun Che quickly reached out: "No need, no need. I said we are companions."
But He Ling stubbornly shook her head, then turned to Shen Xi and bowed again: "Master, Ling'er… can no longer be by your side from now on. Your great kindness, Ling'er will never forget in life. If there is a next life, Ling'er is willing to serve as a maidservant for ten lifetimes to repay it."
Shen Xi put down Yun Che's hand. He Ling had finally become the Heavenly Poison Spirit, and this also relieved one of her worries. This was an excellent result for both Yun Che and He Ling. Becoming a poison spirit, He Ling's future life would no longer be hopeless and barren. With He Ling, as the Heavenly Poison Pearl's toxicity awakened, Yun Che would in the shortest time gain a deterrent power that would make anyone have to be wary.
"Ling'er, following him well is the best repayment to me." Shen Xi said softly: "Now, you haven't lost yourself; instead, you have become a higher level of existence. Revenge is certainly important, but besides that, I believe your reborn self will discover many things more important than revenge."
"Yes, Ling'er will firmly remember Master's words." He Ling said in a trembling voice. She still addressed Shen Xi as "Master."
"Yun Che," Shen Xi said: "You have just entered Divine King, your profound energy is unstable and you have lost much yang energy. Don't cultivate today; rest and meditate well."
"Uh… yes." Yun Che replied with some guilt.
"Ling'er, although you have become the Heavenly Poison Spirit, you have not lost your ability as a royal wood spirit. The Heavenly Poison Pearl contains a marvelous world. The divine wood spirit flowers here can also grow in the Heavenly Poison world. In the next few days, while you adapt to your new life, also try to transplant the divine wood spirit flowers here into the Heavenly Poison world. When you leave this place in the future, you can daily refine jade pills and spirit liquids for your new master."
The spirit flowers and strange grasses of the Reincarnation Forbidden Land can only grow in extremely pure environments. And although the Heavenly Poison Pearl's strongest ability is toxicity, its Heavenly Poison space is an extremely pure world… because ultimate poison is itself an extremely pure thing.
After breaking through to the Divine King Realm, Yun Che no longer hurried in cultivation. Each day, he stabilized his new profound energy and then unhurriedly dissolved the originally terrifying Buddhist Soul Death-Pleading Seal. Soon, as Shen Xi had said, after just three short days, the Buddhist Soul Death-Pleading Seal was completely erased from Yun Che's body, leaving not a trace.
And by this time, barely less than a year had passed since he had entered the Reincarnation Forbidden Land.
Whether it was Xia Qingyue or Mu Xuanyin, those who knew Yun Che had been afflicted with the Buddhist Soul Death-Pleading Seal would never have imagined that this terrible curse had now completely vanished from Yun Che's body.
And Yun Che's heart was also much more peaceful than when he first entered the Reincarnation Forbidden Land. At least on the surface, one could not detect any anxiety, unwillingness, confusion, or gnashing hatred toward Qianye Ying'er.
Having dissolved the Buddhist Soul Death-Pleading Seal, he did not propose to Shen Xi to leave this place. He had finally escaped the nightmare, finally achieved Divine King, gained the Heavenly Poison Spirit and new hope, and had just made a promise to He Ling… If he left here in a hot-blooded rush, he would likely bury everything in hell again.
After all, even as a Divine King, before figures like Qianye, he was still a humble ant. Since she had already shown her fangs, there was absolutely no possibility of her stopping.
"Mo Li…" Yun Che leaned against a spirit tree, his thoughts churning, and softly murmured to himself. His fingers gently touched the ring on his middle finger, as if trying to convey his feelings and current situation to her, so she would no longer worry about him.
It was the wedding token that Mo Li had forced Cai Zhi to give him.
In his daze, he did not notice that as his fingers touched it, a very faint azure light flickered on the ring.