Chapter 863
Subduing the Supreme Treasure
The moment the question was asked, the air in the library seemed to freeze.
The spirit body of a True Monarch is worth the same as a fifth-grade spiritual material of equal weight, making it an excellent material for crafting puppets.
Although such an act of blaspheming the spirit of a strong person is despised by all righteous people, how many people could resist such temptation if it actually fell into their hands?
Song Changsheng didn't bring it with him for charity; he wanted to curry favor and find a powerful backer to protect the Song family. However, now that the whereabouts of the Soul of the Reincarnation True Monarch are unknown, his initial idea is no longer feasible. So, what to do with this spirit body is an issue that must be addressed.
Haoyang Zhenjun is, in a sense, the ancestor of Lunzhuan Zhenjun, so it is most appropriate to ask him this question.
Where is the spirit body?
As instructed, Song Changsheng took out his spiritual body and placed it in front of the lingering projection of Haoyang Zhenjun.
"The art of turning extreme yin into yang is truly a high-stakes gamble that puts one's own true spirit at stake."
A span of ten thousand years is enough for the ocean to turn into fertile fields; who can predict what will happen after that?
It's a pity that Chen's fate has truly run its course.
The other party's words left Song Changsheng somewhat confused.
Before he could ask a question, Haoyang Zhenjun reached out and touched the spirit body's brow. Points of light "ran" out from the spirit body's seven orifices and gathered in his palm, floating up and down like fireflies, full of agility.
"This is... a fragment of the True Spirit?" Song Changsheng was immediately shocked. There was actually a fragment of the True Spirit hidden in the Niwan Palace of his spiritual body. Because it was too faint, he had not noticed it beforehand.
Zombies are not within the rules of the Heavenly Dao. Therefore, these fragments of true spirits are definitely not from evil spirits. This means that this spirit body was once inhabited by a foreign true spirit, and it must have happened within the last few hundred years. Otherwise, these fragments of true spirits would not have disappeared until now.
Looking at the radiance in his hand, a touch of sadness appeared on Haoyang Zhenjun's face, and he said softly, "You don't need to continue searching. The true spirit of this junior of mine is all here."
"Does True Lord mean that this is the true spirit of True Lord of Reincarnation?" Song Changsheng's pupils suddenly contracted.
The true spirit is the foundation of a person; it is equivalent to the ticket to enter the cycle of reincarnation. Once it is broken, not only can one not be reborn a second time, but one cannot even enter the six realms of reincarnation.
So, the soul of the Reincarnation True Monarch that he had been searching for had actually been annihilated long ago, and it was even annihilated within his own spiritual body. For a moment, even Song Changsheng's mind was a little confused.
Could it be that the Reincarnation True Lord has already attempted rebirth?
Even though this spirit body has been processed by the corpse raiser for so many years, it has not yet been fully transformed into an extremely yin body. It goes without saying that when it was still in the Chen family, the evil lord's intelligence was probably not fully developed. It did not meet the basic conditions for the extreme yin to return to yang technique. At this time, what is the difference between trying to return to yang and courting death?
The art of resurrection violates the rules of the Heavenly Way, and once discovered by the Heavenly Way, it will surely bring down divine punishment to obliterate the practitioner.
The zombie with the body of extreme yin has already broken free from the operating rules of the Heavenly Dao, which is why it can become a vessel for resurrection. Before the body of extreme yin is fully formed, it cannot escape the surveillance of the Heavenly Dao.
"No wonder the Evil Lord inherited the memories of the Reincarnation True Lord. It turns out that he fused with some fragments of the True Spirit. The True Spirit of the Reincarnation True Lord was already broken when his consciousness was fully born."
Thinking of this, a guess suddenly popped into Song Changsheng's mind.
According to information obtained from multiple sources, the Chen family was resorting to any means necessary on the eve of their downfall. They not only transferred a large number of personnel stationed outside to return to the front lines, but also repeatedly reduced the quality of the resources stored outside.
Under the immense pressure of their family's imminent annihilation, would they, who possess the divine soul of the Reincarnation True Lord, choose to take a gamble?
The last straw, no matter how slim, is usually the one we hold onto the tightest.
Although it is a guess, it is highly likely. After all, the soul of the Reincarnation True Lord has been sealed for tens of thousands of years and is already extremely weak. When he is asleep, he does not even have his own consciousness. It is impossible that he returned to his body on his own.
Haoyang Zhenjun did not answer Song Changsheng's question, but in fact, his conclusion was the same as Song Changsheng's.
This is also the main reason why he said that the Chen family's fate was sealed.
If they had done their best to preserve the soul of the Reincarnation True Lord, and had encountered Song Changsheng at this moment, the Chen family might still have had a chance to revive.
But now, all hope has been shattered.
It is already extremely difficult to pass on the last remaining bloodline of the Chen family.
“Things have changed, the world has changed, even the Chen clan has been destroyed, so there’s no point in talking about offense anymore. Let this spirit body be disposed of by you, young friend. I only hope that it can be given a dignified end,” Haoyang Zhenjun said with a sigh.
He was just a lingering remnant of his spirit, which could dissipate at any moment. There was very little he could do. Compared to so-called honor or dignity, preserving the last remaining bloodline of his family was more important than anything else.
Song Changsheng was slightly surprised by Haoyang Zhenjun's magnanimity, but this was undoubtedly the most advantageous thing for him, and he already had a preliminary idea about where to place this spiritual body.
Song Changsheng cupped his hands and said, "This junior has a divine soul clone. I originally planned to use the [Heavenly Snow Lotus] to refine a body-shaping elixir to create a physical body for him, but now I want to borrow the spirit body of the Reincarnation True Monarch."
If, in the future, the Chen family truly has someone with extraordinary talent who wishes to avenge that blood feud, my avatar, having inherited the spiritual body, will certainly not stand idly by. Is this arrangement satisfactory, True Lord?
Although the reconstructed physical body is more compatible with his divine soul avatar, the growth cycle is too long and there are many uncertainties.
If one can take possession of this spiritual body, and before these fragments of true spirit dissipate, by using the extreme yin-yang reversion technique, one can perfectly merge with it.
This method has a high lower limit and a low upper limit. The True Lord of the Cycle is a Nascent Soul True Lord who was once all-powerful. He is perfect in every aspect, so even if the upper limit is low, it can't be too low.
This might even become an opportunity for his divine soul avatar to break through to the Golden Core stage.
Haoyang Zhenjun was silent for a moment, then finally nodded and said, "Good."
Song Changsheng offered a condition that he could hardly refuse.
With a wave of his hand, the remaining fragments of true spirit in his hand surged back into the Niwan Palace of his spiritual body. Then, his body gradually dimmed and finally turned into specks of starlight and disappeared, leaving only a sigh of unwillingness.
He has done all he can; ultimately, the future of the Chen family must be determined by themselves.
"Respectfully seeing off True Lord Haoyang." Song Changsheng bowed deeply.
Although the exchange was brief, he expressed his heartfelt respect for this deceased sage.
As a lingering regret, he used the only bargaining chips he had to secure the most favorable conditions for future generations.
From top to bottom, they swept away all the scriptures and books in the Scripture Pavilion that did not overlap with the hiding place in Crescent Lake. After leaving the Scripture Pavilion, they found that in addition to Chen Tianxing and Chen Luowei, there were three unfamiliar faces: two in the early stage of Purple Mansion and one in the middle stage of Purple Mansion.
All the remaining powerful members of the Chen family are here.
"I wonder if you are satisfied, sir?" Chen Tianxing eagerly approached, his words dripping with flattery.
Song Changsheng took over all of Chen's remaining assets, an act no different from that of bandits and robbers.
It's somewhat ironic that Chen Tianxing, as the patriarch of the Chen clan, still had to go to great lengths to please him, fearing that he might be dissatisfied.
But he wasn't just enduring humiliation; it was genuine, because only by serving them well would they have a chance to be taken out by Song Changsheng.
The rules of this small world are incomplete. If he continues to stay inside, with his aptitude, he will never be able to break through to the Golden Core stage in his entire life.
The others were also affected to varying degrees. This is an inherent flaw in the small world, which cannot be remedied by resources alone.
Song Changsheng did not answer him, but instead looked at a pretty woman on the far left with great interest.
Although she kept her head down and adopted a respectful posture, he could clearly sense that her mindset was different from the others. She harbored resentment and humiliation, but the difference in strength forced her to endure it.
Chen Tianxing and his group were different; their backbones had long been broken, and all they sought was freedom and a life of mere survival.
These are people from two completely different worlds.
The Chen family has a population of one million here, and there may be many others like her, but she is the only one in the management team.
Chen Tianxing, observing Song Changsheng's expression, mistakenly thought that Song Changsheng had ulterior motives towards him, and quickly introduced him, saying, "Please allow this old man to introduce you to the True Man."
These three are elders of the Chen family: Chen Tianfang, Chen Luoyun, and Chen Lingxiu.
Lingxiu is currently the youngest Purple Mansion cultivator in our clan, possessing a six-inch Ice Spirit Root. She is unmarried. I wonder if you, Master, require a servant?
Upon hearing this, Chen Lingxiu's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Chen Tianxing. The clan leader had actually given her away as a gift.
Chen Tianxing avoided her gaze, only looking at Song Changsheng with flattery. Although the expressions of the others were somewhat unnatural, none of them stepped forward.
Seeing this, Chen Lingxiu felt a sense of despair, but she also knew that if she disobeyed Song Changsheng at this time, everyone would be implicated.
She bit her red lips as she stepped out of the group and said in a hoarse voice, "If you, sir, do not despise me, I am willing to serve you personally."
Song Changsheng couldn't help but frown slightly. This Chen Tianxing really had no shame; he could actually say such things so brazenly.
In this light, it seems that Haoyang Zhenjun's statement that the Chen family's fate was sealed was quite accurate. The management was so corrupt that it was a case of "if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too."
"Chen Tianxing, do you know who I just saw in the Scripture Pavilion?"
"This... I don't know." Chen Tianxing's heart skipped a beat for no reason.
"I saw a wisp of Haoyang Zhenjun's remnant spirit on the top floor. He used the three great martial arts of the Chen family as bargaining chips to secure a pretty good deal for you here." Song Changsheng took out a recording stone and showed them the first half of their conversation.
Song Changsheng showed this photo to make Chen Tianxing and the others realize the difference in their values. However, they seemed even more at ease with themselves, which left him speechless. Talking to them about morality and shame was like casting pearls before swine.
He put away the recording stone and said calmly, "What will you choose? Will you accept my protection or earn your own living?"
"Regardless of your choice, this medicinal garden will belong to me; this is my reward."
"We are willing to follow the sect leader." Chen Tianxing and the others hurriedly bowed deeply to Song Changsheng and immediately changed their address.
Although Chen Lingxiu felt somewhat ashamed, after seeing the photograph, she was no longer as resistant as before. After hesitating for a moment, she also knelt down, though she was still a little nervous, afraid that Song Changsheng would really want her to serve him. "Since that's the case, you will all have to follow my arrangements from now on."
Now the entire Eastern Heaven cultivation world is under the rule of the Eastern Heaven Alliance. I have found a place for you to settle down elsewhere, but since you number in the millions, it is not easy to move. Mortals will live here for the time being.
Clan Chief Chen, along with the rest of you, select the clan's elite to leave with me. As for the herb garden in the small world, it will be managed by the Grand Elder and the remaining cultivators. I will come to collect it every now and then. Those who are loyal and dutiful during this period will be rewarded.
Conversely, if there are any people with ill intentions, I will deal with them without mercy.
"I will leave my spirit sword here to supervise, so don't say I didn't warn you." Song Changsheng's words were filled with a chilling killing intent, causing everyone to tense up.
Chen Tian felt only joy in his heart. After hundreds of years, he could finally escape this hellish place, and he also saw hope of breaking through to the Golden Core stage.
"These are all the classics of your Chen clan. Make a copy and put it in the library. I will give you half a month to arrange all the tasks within the clan. Then gather all the cultivators under the age of twenty in the clan. I will review them one by one."
"If he truly has the qualifications, I will fulfill my agreement with True Lord Haoyang, accept him as my disciple, and guide his growth," Song Changsheng said calmly.
"Please rest assured, Master, I will bring the person to you as quickly as possible."
Chen Tianxing fully supports this decision. As far as he is concerned, the relationship between the Chen family and Song Changsheng is not secure at present. If a few people are placed around him, things will be different. Therefore, he not only needs to cooperate with Song Changsheng's decision to take on disciples, but also needs to do his best to facilitate it.
Even so, he still felt a little uneasy. He rolled his eyes and looked at Chen Lingxiu beside him, saying, "Go and prepare a guest room for the Master. During this period, you will personally take care of the Master's daily life. If there is a shortage of people, you can call upon them at will."
This is a major event concerning the family, so you must not be negligent, and even more so, do not offend the Master. I will arrange for your family to be properly taken care of.
He had watched Chen Lingxiu grow up, so he naturally knew her temperament. In order to better control her, he didn't hesitate to use her sense of responsibility to her family and relatives to threaten her. Not to mention Chen Lingxiu, even Song Changsheng felt a deep sense of disgust.
Such a person can be kept as a dog, but you must always prevent them from turning around and biting you.
This kind of person has absolutely no bottom line.
Chen Lingxiu bit her red lips until they bled, wishing she could devour Chen Tianxing alive, but she had no choice but to accept her fate. She was not Chen Tianxing; she could not abandon her family, much less her own family members.
"This humble servant will guide the immortal." Chen Lingxiu bowed deeply in reverence, and as her beautiful eyes opened and closed, two streams of clear tears involuntarily flowed from the corners of her eyes, soaking the soil in front of her...
"The environment is simple, please bear with us."
Song Changsheng casually glanced at it, then nodded and said, "That's right. I will be in seclusion for a while to refine magical artifacts, and I must not let anyone disturb me."
After saying that, he went directly to the backyard, found a relatively spacious place, and took out the [Hundred Fiends Qiongqi Cauldron].
The main reason he stayed here for half a month was that if he took away the [Night-Shining Divine Bird] from the sky, this small world would be as if it had lost its sun and moon, which would definitely affect the survival of mortals.
Therefore, he planned to forge a substitute before leaving to take the place of the Night-Shining Divine Bird.
To be precise, he planned to refine a container, as long as it could hold some of the Daoist principles of the [Night-Shining Divine Bird]. After all, half a month was simply not enough time for him to refine a decent magical artifact.
Let's wait until we return to our clan before refining it, and then replace it when we come back next time.
He took out the spiritual materials and found Chen Lingxiu standing at the door like a statue. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Don't you have anything to arrange or explain? What are you doing here?"
His words rekindled a glimmer of hope in Chen Lingxiu, but the thought of Chen Tianxing's true colors dimmed her eyes again, and she mechanically replied, "I am serving the True Man on the orders of the Clan Chief and dare not leave lightly."
Upon hearing this, Song Changsheng sighed inwardly and shook his head slightly, saying, "I already have a lifelong partner, why would I need you to serve me? What happened just now was merely Chen Tianxing's wishful thinking."
At this point, a smile appeared on his lips. "Besides, I've squandered all of your Chen family's inheritance. If I had the chance, you'd probably stab me in the heart. If you stay, I won't be able to sleep soundly."
Chen Lingxiu was startled. She never expected that despite her best efforts to hide it, Song Changsheng would still see through her. A layer of cold sweat immediately appeared on her forehead.
Seeing this, Song Changsheng chuckled and said, "No need to be nervous. Since I have accepted the benefits, I will naturally not go back on my word."
I don't care what you think, just don't do anything stupid, or I won't hold back.
After saying that, he stood up, walked up to her and said, "Actually, I would prefer that you save your strength to deal with the Eastern Heaven Alliance. Using it on me is putting the cart before the horse."
Haoyang Zhenjun still has high hopes for you, otherwise he wouldn't have asked me to take you as his disciples. If you still have any fighting spirit or desire for revenge, then don't let his efforts go to waste.
"You may leave now. Say your goodbyes to your families; you will be leaving soon."
The reason for his earnest advice was primarily because he valued Chen Lingxiu's talent. Judging from her bone age, she should be under 100 years old. Her ability to break through to the Purple Mansion stage demonstrates her talent, and she is indeed worth nurturing.
He didn't bring the Chen family under his wing so they could just laze around and do nothing; they had to be made to play their due role.
Chen Lingxiu remained silent for a long time before bowing and saying, "This junior obeys."
This was the first time she had ever sincerely bowed to Song Changsheng.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Song Changsheng had already finished refining the container and flew into the air, directly blocking the path of the [Night-Shining Divine Bird].
"Zhaoye, submit to me, and I will lead you to a wider world."
"A mere Golden Core cultivator dares to utter such arrogant words."
A figure dressed in a black and white robe, enveloped in flames and golden light, appeared, looking at Song Changsheng with disdain.
It was once the natal magic weapon of a Nascent Soul True Monarch, accompanying him in his campaigns across the country. Having witnessed countless trials and tribulations, it naturally looked down upon a Golden Core cultivator. Even if this Golden Core cultivator was extraordinary, the pride in his heart would not allow it to easily bow its head.
"It seems we still need to have a battle first." As soon as Song Changsheng finished speaking, endless sword energy burst forth with a flick of his finger.
"How brave!"
"Wow—"
With a tremor of its arms, the spirit of the artifact manifested a three-legged golden crow engulfed in flames behind it. In an instant, all the sword energy shattered, and the remaining force continued to pounce on Song Changsheng.
"break!"
He uttered a single word, and an invisible blade of space materialized before him, severing the three-legged golden crow in two.
Seeing that it could not easily defeat Song Changsheng, the [Night-Shining Divine Bird] flashed with light and flipped to the other side.
In an instant, the entire small world was shrouded in darkness.
A black raven appeared behind the spirit, emanating a sinister aura.
Without it making any move, countless black crows surged from all directions, like a tidal wave rushing forward, seemingly intent on tearing Song Changsheng apart.
These black crows are formed from pure yin energy and have no physical form. Once a wound is caused by them, they will directly burrow into the body, disrupting the yin-yang balance and ultimately causing the body's foundation to collapse.
To counter such tactics, one must apply the most yang fire.
"【Purple Void Divine Fire】!"
Song Changsheng opened his mouth and spat out a flame, sweeping away the black crows that filled the sky.
Then, a phantom seal materialized in his palm.
"Great Divine Power [Heaven-Turning Seal]"
"boom……"
The spirit was blasted away, and when it regained its footing, its body appeared somewhat ethereal.
In recent years, it has been able to absorb spiritual energy to sustain itself, and its power has greatly diminished. It was defeated in just a few rounds.
In fact, it witnessed the entire process of Song Changsheng and Tu Ling's battle from the sky. At that time, it knew that with its current strength, it was definitely no match for Song Changsheng.
However, it was unwilling to submit to a Golden Core cultivator, as that would be a desecration of its past glory!
A resolute glint appeared in its eyes as it re-entered its original form. The disc began to spin violently, eventually transforming into a lifelike three-legged golden crow, bursting forth with dazzling light and astonishing heat.
"[Shining in all directions]!"
The space itself was distorted by the terrifying heat. Song Changsheng dared not be careless and immediately took out the [Hundred Fiends Qiongqi Cauldron], frantically pouring his magical power into it.
"【Refining Heaven and Earth】"
In an instant, endless bloodthirsty energy surged out from the cauldron, as if it were about to encompass the heavens and earth.
The two sides were locked in a stalemate for a full half hour. Finally, the Night-Shining Divine Bird was suppressed by the Hundred Fiends Qiongqi Cauldron due to insufficient power. It took three days and three nights for Song Changsheng to subdue it and imprint his divine soul on it.
He then took out a pre-refined container, infused it with a trace of Daoist principles, and temporarily replaced it.
Chen Lingxiu watched this scene with a complicated expression. A low-grade law treasure had been subdued so easily.
Chen Tianxing eagerly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "All the cultivators of the Chen family who meet your requirements are here. Please take a look, Master."
……
P.S.: This is a 6,000-word chapter; I still need 4,000 words. (End of Chapter)