Holy Fist
Chapter 588 - 295 Breakthrough, Mid Stage Martial Fighter

Chapter 588: 295 Breakthrough, Mid Stage Martial Fighter

Bai Xiao strode forward, his gaze sweeping around him.

Following the pebble-strewn path, collapsed stone columns lined both sides, lying haphazardly on the ground. Some had fractured into several pieces, their surfaces worn by the elements, rendering the carvings indistinct. Yet still, one could discern the exquisite patterns and designs of the past, speaking of bygone splendor and glory.

"Tap, tap, tap, tap..."

He stepped steadily into the interior of the temple.

The main structure of the temple was reduced to a hollow shell, its roof long gone. Sunlight poured directly in, casting patterns of light and shadow on the dusty floor. The mural-covered walls were fragmented, with only shattered pieces giving glimpses of vague sacrificial scenes.

In the center of the temple stood a vast stone platform, undoubtedly once used for venerating deities or conducting important ceremonies. Now, devoid of any statues, it stood there solitary, bearing witness to the passage of time. The platform was covered with mysterious symbols, dizzying to behold for too long.

Bai Xiao walked slowly forward, making his way to the back of the temple. Before him lay a huge pool carved out of white jade, its surface adorned with undulating carved patterns. Looking down from above, one could see a red jade line at each diagonal corner of the square pool, the two lines intersecting at the center.

His gaze seemed to catch sight of some blurred statues around the pool.

"We’re here."

Bai Xiao finally set down Yao Qing from his shoulder.

"Bai Xiao, thank you!"

Yao Qing expressed her gratitude most earnestly, from the heart.

"Next..."

Yao Qing walked slowly forward, removing her biological armor to reveal a black battle suit. Her face was somber as she took out a red pearl the size of an eyeball from her bosom and gently placed it into the Divine Pool.

The pearl rolled and came to rest exactly at the center of the intersection.

Instantly, the red pearl emitted an intense light and hovered in mid-air. The white jade pool, covered in moss and filth, also shone brightly, as an inexplicable wave swept outwards, the carved patterns lighting up one by one.

"Hum!"

The pearl expanded rapidly, engulfing everything around like a sun.

In the blink of an eye, the light receded.

The entire fragmented, ancient temple, for a moment, became resplendent as if time had reversed thousands of years in a single instant, returning to the Eternal Sleep Sect’s era of their peak glory. Around it, figures draped in red robes materialized, their fearsome presence twisting the very space with spiritual fluctuations.

Bai Xiao’s breath hitched.

Each figure in red robes was of Dead Core Level, comparable to a sect leader in the world of Martial Arts. Should they attack him in unison, even if Bai Xiao were to activate his limit state and burn his Peak Qi-Blood, surviving would be impossible.

But soon he realized.

Those figures in red were not real; they were light and shadow, remnants from a bygone moment. They gathered around the Divine Pool, performing a ritual. Bustling about, they poured bucket after bucket of golden blood with a peculiar fragrance into the water. Then, numerous precious medicinal ingredients were thrown carelessly into the mix, making the pool water more divine and mysterious.

"This is..."

Bai Xiao furrowed his brows, looking towards Yao Qing in the middle.

With a hint of expectant smile on her face, Yao Qing clenched her fists slightly. At this moment, perhaps she felt that Bai Xiao was entirely trustworthy.

So, Yao Qing revealed everything.

"In truth, I could also be considered a part of the Eternal Sleep Sect."

"However, I was their experimental subject, one who was fortunate enough to survive and fake death to escape. That experience, which happened ten years ago, remains a nightmarish memory for me..."

Her voice paused before she continued speaking to Bai Xiao: "Since their decline, the Eternal Sleep Sect has always been conducting research on gods and Divine Arts..."

"I am an accidental product of that research."

"They called me Wanxiang, a monster that coalesced numerous hypnotized personalities into one. I don’t know how many personalities the Eternal Sleep Sect stripped away, nor how many lives they ended. In any case, through that bloody method, I was created. Initially, the Eternal Sleep Sect was quite delighted. Because Wanxiang was an exceptional tool, capable of freely devouring or altering another’s personality! And therein... to grow stronger without limit!"

"You can think of Wanxiang like a computer, with the ability to freely edit, cut, delete, or copy, even capable of transfer. In just a single day, I could turn an ordinary person into a top scientist..."

Yao Qing fully disclosed her true nature.

"However, it didn’t take long for the Eternal Sleep Sect to realize that Wanxiang was transforming. It was no longer just a tool, but becoming an entity with self-awareness. To let such a creature lose control would be a disaster. Therefore, they used the sacred artifact of the Eternal Sleep Sect, the Dream Pearl, to seal Wanxiang. They planned to completely destroy it later. But it was already too late for the Eternal Sleep Sect. Even sealed, Wanxiang had developed its consciousness..."

Bai Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly, silently observing ahead.

"So, the self-awareness of Wanxiang, is named Yao Qing?"

He remembered the abilities Yao Qing displayed in battle, and how every time they met she changed her appearance, physique, tone, and even personality, all of which corroborated her story. However, Bai Xiao sensed that there seemed to be some restriction on Yao Qing; her combat prowess was not strong, merely moderate.