Evil Venerable of the Sword Dao
Chapter 331 - 196: Nine Palace Heavenly Phenomenon

Chapter 331: Chapter 196: Nine Palace Heavenly Phenomenon

Zhou Yan couldn’t help but think carefully.

However, recalling everything he had experienced and his master’s experiences, he couldn’t find any memories about Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain.

And if the owner named Li of White Fox was his "True Self," he certainly couldn’t have appeared before because Zhou Yan existed and had absorbed the essence blood of his True Self; his True Self must have already died.

That is to say, this was another person.

Zhou Yan looked at the Thunderflame Soul Crystals piled up like a mountain in front of him, falling into deep thought. His past memories were slowly dredged up, along with his master’s inheritance, which Zhou Yan also picked up again.

But he couldn’t find the answer.

Yet from this matter, coupled with the reminder given by those eyes in the Soul Sea, Zhou Yan finally started taking his own inheritance seriously.

After all... what secret was his master keeping from him?

Or... would everything have to wait until he reached that Earth for him to unravel the doubts in his heart?

Zhou Yan wanted to further explore the answer, but he remembered the words Ni Chang had said before, "...The specific details aren’t meant for you to know now, just to protect you, understand?"

"Don’t blindly pursue the truth. With the Heavenly Destiny plan, you keep probing the game, but what will you ultimately gain? Even if you win, if no one had helped you, you would have lost—lost your wife and children, your family destroyed."

"So, don’t seek to know what you shouldn’t."

Ni Chang’s words resounded in his ears, like a voice rising in his heart when Zhou Yan still wanted to further pursue the answer.

Suddenly, Zhou Yan felt that perhaps, they had a reason for doing this.

Regardless of the relation between these three people named Li, one thing could be certain; they wouldn’t harm him.

Because Zhou Yan, even though he was now considered a figure of importance, still wasn’t eligible to be plotted against by them.

After a long time, Zhou Yan reined in his desire to uncover the truth, swung his hand to collect all these Thunderflame Soul Crystals into the Extreme Jade Cold Light Ring, and then transferred them into the Purple Flame Void.

This time, these Thunderflame Soul Crystals didn’t disappear but rather appeared on an open area in the Purple Flame Void.

Having collected these soul crystals, Zhou Yan continued onward.

White Fox Bai Ying accompanied Zhou Yan by his side; when he fell into contemplative silence, she also remained quiet without disturbing him.

As Zhou Yan advanced, besides soul crystals, this secret land also contained some ingredients for refining Elixirs and some materials for Artifact Refining.

Zhou Yan simply collected these items as well—until he arrived at a location with an array.

The array was shaped like a musical note, somewhat eerie.

Yet within this array, it was like a channel that allowed for transmission.

Above the musical note array, a golden short sword, thin as cicada’s wing, floated, rather marvelous.

This short sword possessed a vast Void Power, seemingly a genuine flying sword that could traverse the void.

Above it, the energy of the Void pulsed.

Around the musical note, nine Heavenly Dao Soul Stones were embedded, forming a Nine Palaces-like pattern.

"This is the Nine Palace Heavenly Phenomenon, a special kind of Transmission Array. It seems that within Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain, there exists a corresponding world."

Zhou Yan stared at the musical note for a long time and came to such a conclusion.

This conclusion was even very surprising to him.

"The world of my True Self within Thunder Flame Breaking Path Mountain... I’ve heard the previous owner mention it vaguely, but the memory is very fuzzy. However, if there are multiple Heavenly Dao Soul Stones, you can gather them to sense the residual souls of Heaven and Earth with these, and then, you can find the person you are looking for."

White Fox Bai Ying’s eyebrows furrowed as she pondered for a moment, then her eyes suddenly lit up with an idea, and she excitedly said.

"Hmm? If that’s the case, then it’s much more manageable."

Zhou Yan was moved, and immediately began carving runes to decipher this Ancient Array.

This scene left Zi Chen nearby, once again astounded, almost staring in disbelief.

Not only did Zhou Yan have absurd combat power, but he also understood ancient runes, this, where did such an incredible genius come from...

Zi Chen was quite shocked, so much so that when she thought of herself as a top True Spirit Level genius in the Chaotic Domain, she felt a bit embarrassed... The gap between her and Zhou Yan was not just huge; it was utterly incomparable.

If she herself was considered a genius, then Zhou Yan... wasn’t he monstrously prodigious!

In Zi Chen’s heart, there was even a sense of disgrace from being intensely overwhelmed.

However, she thought as Zhou Yan cracked part of the array, he then began refining artifacts.

And the method of refining was simply profound and unimaginable.

Zi Chen gaped, speechless for a long while; Zhou Yan’s terrifying talent had genuinely... rendered her stunned.

...

After deciphering the runes and creating similar artifacts and short swords to support them, ensuring that the ancient array wouldn’t collapse, Zhou Yan directly collected the nine great Heavenly Dao Soul Stones.

Nine Heavenly Dao Soul Stones merged in an instant to form a true Heavenly Dao Soul Stone.

This Soul Stone, like an Immortal Stone with Nine Orifices Exquisite, gave Zhou Yan a magical feeling of enhanced sensing power as soon as he held it.

Especially, it was extremely precise in sensing residual souls because it was connected to soul consciousness; Zhou Yan immediately discovered that Zi Chen indeed had only a trace of ghost remaining in her ruined body.

She seemed normal, but that flesh body must have been condensed by White Fox Bai Ying; otherwise, there wouldn’t even be a place for the residual soul to reside, which would have been very tragic.

Holding this Heavenly Dao Soul Stone, Zhou Yan felt it carefully for a long time, then suddenly turned his head and looked towards Zi Chen.

Seeing Zhou Yan turn around, Zi Chen was also startled, and some doubts arose in her heart.

However, being a personage herself, though shocked by Zhou Yan’s methods, she did not appear flustered.

"Zhou Lingzhe, what guidance do you have?"

Zi Chen, quite uneasy inside, still asked calmly.

"Your condition is not good. As I said before, if I receive the inheritance, I would save your life. Now, this Heavenly Dao Soul Stone is for you."

Zhou Yan said, and then tossed another Heavenly Dao Soul Stone, which he had received from Bing Rong, directly toward Zi Chen.

Zi Chen was slightly moved, her eyes brightened slightly, she looked deeply at Zhou Yan, trying to gauge if Zhou Yan really intended to help her.

"The Nine-in-One Heavenly Dao Soul Stone I have here works better, but I intend to keep it for my beloved. You should recover your strength sooner so that we can look out for each other along the way. You don’t need to suspect anything; if I wanted to kill you, I would need no schemes, just a single word and you would be dead."

Zhou Yan stated very directly.

Zi Chen’s heart stirred, and she grew somewhat fond of Zhou Yan, immediately bowing respectfully and saying, "Thank you, Zhou Lingzhe, for granting me life."

"You directly integrate the Heavenly Dao Soul Stone, and I will give you a force of recovery energy so that you can fully recover immediately!"

Zhou Yan spoke directly.

"This... even with the Heavenly Dao Soul Stone, it’s extremely difficult to recover from a residual soul state, you... alright, I believe you."

Zi Chen initially doubted this possibility, but seeing Zhou Yan appear slightly impatient, her heart tightened, and considering his terrifying capabilities, she quickly changed her statement to make the wisest decision.

Zi Chen closed her eyes, sat upright on the ground, and directly integrated the Heavenly Dao Soul Stone.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yan activated a Fist Intent, refining it into eleven portions of pure Origin Energy, using one portion to perform the Undying Rebirth Technique, helping Zi Chen refine the Heavenly Dao Soul Stone while completely restoring her injuries to peak condition.

Zhou Yan did this, first to confirm that this method could heal, to prepare for eventually healing Gu Xi. Besides, he needed Zi Chen’s help to more conveniently search for where Gu Xi was located.

The healing of Zi Chen went much more smoothly than Zhou Yan had expected, and it only took a moment.

After recovery, Zi Chen’s face visibly showed her touch; however, she controlled her emotions well and did not display them.

But Zhou Yan knew, having undergone the baptism and healing of Origin Power, Zi Chen would naturally remember this favor.

And Zhou Yan had his reasons for doing so.

"Zhou Lingzhe, I have recovered to peak condition, to the peak of Triple Realm Sword Soul."

Zi Chen was somewhat excited, deeply bowing to Zhou Yan.

"There’s no need, if you feel grateful, just help me with one thing; I won’t let you suffer any loss. If not, considering Bai Ying’s face, you may leave now."

Zhou Yan reached out, took the Short Sword from the Sound Symbol Ancient Array, gently played with it, then calmly spoke to Zi Chen.

"Zhou Lingzhe... I, Wan Zichen, am neither heartless nor ungrateful; whatever you ask, if I can do it, even if it’s very... very excessive, I will agree."

Wan Zichen looked at Zhou Yan, hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and spoke.

She meant, even if Zhou Yan wanted her to be a Ding Furnace or had improper intentions toward her, she would resign herself to her fate.

Zhou Yan looked deeply at Wan Zichen, nodded, and said, "You need to manifest your soul; I need to slash it with a sword, then use it as a carrier for a residual soul guide. This process is extremely painful, but it will not injure you; after I slash your soul with a sword, I will restore you to peak condition again.

Because my own soul is too strong, I can’t slash it myself; otherwise, I wouldn’t need you, I would have done it to myself."

Zhou Yan spoke earnestly.

Wan Zichen was stunned; she was somewhat incredulous as she looked at Zhou Yan.

She hadn’t expected Zhou Yan to make such a sacrifice for one person, a woman.

"Is she your Daoist couple? Is she also... also trapped in this place?"

Wan Zichen suddenly understood and thus asked softly.

Zhou Yan nodded, sighed, and said, "Her name is ’Gu Xi.’ Now, I finally have a way to find her, but I need a strand of your soul as the carrier... You and she are both human, both yin souls, so I can only ask you, are you willing?"

"I am willing, go ahead."

Because Wan Zichen saw the momentary sorrow and self-reproach in Zhou Yan’s eyes.

When Zhou Yan mentioned ’Gu Xi,’ that kind of look, capable of melting the ice and snow, was indescribably tender.

That moment, Zhou Yan’s gaze also melted Wan Zichen’s heart, she had already been without hesitation, now she agreed immediately.