Volume 2 Chapter 30: The Appearance of the Soul Pool

  Moving along the passage, after passing through several miles, Lu Yun finally found the exit. The exit of this passage was very strange, and it was actually at the bottom of the Wu Soul River, isolated by a layer of strange seals.

  Looking at the murky black river water, Lu Yun sank into thought for a moment before deciding to leave from this place and not return. After making up his mind, Lu Yun smiled calmly as a faint silver light flashed across his body, allowing him to pass through the seal and appear at the bottom of the Soulless River. Feeling that the water in this river was similar to the Black River's water, both containing intense erosive power, Lu Yun couldn't help but smile calmly again, his body shooting straight up, quickly breaking through the surface of the river.

  Standing still in mid-air, Lu Yun glanced around and flew towards the direction of Wugu's Ghost King City. In the dark sky, a streak of light flashed across the horizon and disappeared in an instant. Returning to Wugu, Lu Yun quickly arrived at the blood pool, only to find that everyone was engaged in battle with thousands of ghost soldiers, and the situation was extremely dire. Taking a closer look, Lu Yun's eyes changed, and he couldn't believe that Jian Wucheng had already returned before him.

  He glanced at the invisible cloak on his body, and with a flicker of Lu Yun's mind, the cloak immediately disappeared from his body, extremely mysterious. At this moment, Lu Yun restored his previous appearance, and his true yuan would flash with light as soon as it moved outside his body. With a mysterious smile, Lu Yun appeared beside Ao Xue, and with one sword, he beheaded three ghostly soldiers.

  With a concerned glance at Ao Xue, Lu Yun smiled and said: "How did this happen? Did that demon king launch an attack on you after I left? Is everyone okay? Nothing happened, right?"

  Ao Xue's expression changed to one of joy upon hearing the words, her bright eyes gazing at him for a moment before she spoke in a low voice: "You're back, that's all that matters, we still don't have any pressing matters for now. Now that everyone is gathered, we can also break through and leave this place immediately." As she spoke, she controlled the divine sword to defend against the massive ghost army's attacks.

  Lu Yun glanced at her, his eyes revealing a hint of deep affection, and said softly: "Alright, let's leave here immediately and head to Xiuluo Forest. I'll go say goodbye to everyone, then we'll be off." As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Yun's body flashed and appeared beside Cang Yue, helping her defend against the large group of ghost soldiers.

  Looking at Lu Yun who suddenly appeared, Cang Yue's beautiful face suddenly showed a hint of a smile, like a snow lotus blooming, bursting out with stunning beauty. Her lips slightly parted, Cang Yue softly said: "You're back, are you okay?" Seven short words, very light and faint, yet revealing thick girlish thoughts.

  Her body trembled slightly, Lu Yun looked at her and nodded slightly. A faint glance, a thread of affection, was deeply imprinted on each other's hearts in that unintentional moment. With one sword, the ghost soldiers retreated, and Lu Yun said softly, "Thank you, I'm fine. Now we'll leave here immediately and head to Shura Forest. This time we fell for Yinshi Ghost King's trick and became his tool, being used by him." After finishing speaking, he led Cangyue towards the others.

  At this time, everyone had already discovered that Lu Yun was rushing back and couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. The Purple Sun True Person loudly shouted: "Now that everyone is here, we will immediately gather together and prepare to break through." The scattered crowd heard the words and all used their full strength to rush towards him.

  In the midst of the crowd, three divine swords divided into three directions blocked a large number of ghostly soldiers. In the inner circle, Zi Yang Zhen Ren, Liu Xing Hun, and Feng Yuan Yang formed a second line of defense against the enemy's attack. The innermost layer, Yun Feng and Xu Jie guarded the seriously injured Bi Tian and Du Li, forming a third defensive line, fighting tenaciously.

  Eleven people quickly gathered together, Lu Yun looked at everyone and said: "This time we came here, was deceived by the ghost king of Yin Corpse, and became his tool for slaughtering the soulless. Now everyone will break through immediately, first leave this place and then talk about it later. The injured person will be temporarily taken care of by Yun Feng and Wind Shixiong, while others will cover and retreat quickly." After finishing speaking, he ordered each to prepare and leave immediately.

  Among the crowd, Liu Xinghun and Jian Wucheng's faces suddenly showed extreme anger upon hearing Lu Yun's words. They never thought that this time they would be deceived, resulting in the death of Leng Jia Hao in the Ghost Domain. Letting out a loud roar, Liu Xinghun angrily said: "You are so despicable, Yinshi Guiwang! I will not let you off, I want to make you die a thousand deaths to avenge Jia Hao!" After finishing speaking, he glanced at Jian Wucheng who was filled with grief and anger, then turned around and followed Lu Yun and the others as they rushed out.

  After the full-force attack by Lu Yun, Ao Xue, Cang Yue, Zi Yang, Jian Wu Chen and Liu Xing Hun, they quickly broke through and fled rapidly towards the city gate. After shaking off the ghost army's pursuit, they arrived at a flat small hill and stopped to rest.

  Lu Yun glanced at everyone and asked lightly, "Now that we're all gathered here, there are some things we should discuss. The purpose of our trip this time is clear to everyone in their hearts, and it's not about competing to win or lose. Therefore, in order to better complete the task, I think we should work together with one heart and mind, and help each other out. This time, I believe everyone has a number in their minds, and the enemy's strength is not something that our eleven people can overcome by force alone. Now that we're all gathered here, can't we unite as one and complete this task together?"

  Everyone fell silent, thinking back to their experiences over this period of time. Upon careful reflection, since entering the Ghost Domain, they had almost never emerged victorious, every time was a narrow escape, constantly fleeing. The number of experts in the Ghost Domain and the tyrannical nature of their cultivation were stronger than anyone could have imagined. As they recalled those perilous moments, everyone sank into silence.

  He looked up, and Zi Yang Zhen Ren gazed at Liu Xing Hun, saying in a deep voice: "Brother Liu, what do you think of Lu Yun's words? At this moment, we are isolated and weak, surrounded by strong enemies, extremely dangerous. Do you know whether you are willing to join forces together to cope with the current calamity?"

  Liu Xinghun heard the words and looked at Jian Wucheng for a moment, then fell into deep thought. After a while, he finally spoke up: "This matter is beneficial if we combine our efforts, this point everyone has in mind, but after combining, who will be in charge?" His gaze swept across the crowd, finally stopping on Zi Yang Zhenren's face, with an inquiring look in his eyes.

  A faint smile, Zi Yang Zhen Ren said: "This point depends on each other's sincerity, now is not the time for us to scheme against each other, otherwise it will not be beneficial to everyone. On our side, Lu Yun is in charge now, if you are willing, after merging, he will still be in charge. If you are not willing, we will not force you."

  Looking at Jian Wucheng, he saw that his eyes were slightly cold, and Liu Xinghun couldn't help but let out a light sigh. He turned around to face Zi Yang Zhenren and said: "At this critical moment, we don't want to debate this topic either. Anyway, no matter who is in charge, it's all for the sake of completing the task. Since that's the case, considering the safety of the Mortal Realm, we agree to form an alliance. Now, you tell us what our next step should be."

  As soon as this was said, everyone's eyes fell on Lu Yun. Looking at the crowd, Lu Yun thought for a moment and opened his mouth: "Now everyone take a rest first, we still have time. Taking advantage of this time, I have a few things to tell you all, if anyone has any suggestions after listening, they can be put forward. The first is about this Ghost Domain matter. I just found out that the Ghost Domain actually has five intervals, in addition to Heihe Interval, Yinsi Interval and Wuxin Interval, there are two more. These two intervals are the Ghost Domain's Ling Interval and the Ghost Domain's Life and Death Interval."

  Everyone's face changed color, and they couldn't believe that there were still such secrets hidden here. Yun Feng hastily asked: "Lu Yun, quickly tell us, what kind of place are these remaining two rooms? Why have we never heard of them before?"

  Having watched Jian Wucheng, Lu Yundao said calmly: "The so-called Ghostly Realm, I have never been there. It is said to be on the Ghost Island in the Ghost Sea. That Ghost Island is one of the three most forbidden places in the Ghost Domain, and it is as famous as the Soul Pool. As for the Life and Death Realm of the Ghost Domain, it is at the bottom of the evil blood pool in Wulingyuan. At that time, Brother Wucheng entered the Life Soul Realm, while I entered the Death Soul Realm. This point, I believe Brother Wucheng must have a certain understanding."

  As soon as he said this, everyone's gaze shifted to Jian Wucheng, looking at him carefully, wanting to know what he had encountered in there. Seeing that everyone was staring at him, Jian Wucheng said in a low voice: "This is indeed true, I did enter the Soul Realm. Inside, it was extremely perilous and full of crises everywhere. I spent a lot of energy and went through many dangers before finally passing through the Soul Realm and returning to the ground. Unfortunately, I didn't discover anything, and it was all in vain. I wonder if Lu Yun had any discoveries; he must have gained something significant."

  He nodded slightly, and Lu Yun let out a light sigh: "The Death Soul Abyss is said to be the most evil place in the Ghost Domain, and indeed, some secrets are hidden within. I was able to extract quite a bit of information from a formidable ghost creature I encountered there. Apart from what I mentioned earlier, I also found out about the fate of the Hua Soul Pool." The crowd's expressions changed as they fixed their gazes on him, waiting for his continuation.

  Ziyang Zhenren said in a deep voice, "Lu Yun, since you've found out where the Huayuan Pool is located, tell everyone. Later, we can discuss how to enter the Huayuan Pool and retrieve the Fengyuan Symbol."

  "From what I've gathered, the Soul Pool is not located within the Three Cities of the Ghost Domain, but rather at the intersection of the three domains. It's said that place is called Shura Forest, and it doesn't seem like it'll be easy to get through. We have about eight days left, which should be enough time. This time, in order to be cautious, we need to thoroughly plan ahead, gather information about the situation there, and then choose a good opportunity to make our move. We must succeed this time; if not, when the Ghost Domain's army unites to defend themselves, we'll be vastly outnumbered." After finishing speaking, Lu Yun swept his gaze across everyone's faces, carefully observing each person's expression.

  Zi Yang Zhen Ren nodded in agreement, saying: "Lu Yun's words are not wrong. These few times we have been too impulsive and often fall into a passive and dangerous situation, finally being forced to escape. This time entering that Shura Forest, we must succeed at once, otherwise the enemy's defense will be strengthened, and with our current strength, it will seem weak. This matter is important, so I hope everyone will work together and not have any thoughts of competing for merit, lest we startle the snake in the grass and ultimately end up with nothing accomplished, becoming sinners among men." He glanced at Jian Wu Chen intentionally or unintentionally, a hint of warning flashing in Zi Yang Zhen Ren's eyes.

  Liu Xing's expression turned cold, and he said in a chilly tone: "We naturally understand this point, no need for Zi Yang to remind us. Now that we know the whereabouts of the Huayuan Pool, let's discuss how to proceed." The crowd nodded upon hearing his words and began discussing and deliberating with each other.

  After a long discussion among the crowd, it was finally decided that someone would be sent to the Soul Pool to investigate the truth, while the others would go to the Shura Forest and hide outside for the time being, waiting for an opportunity. As for the personnel, after a long dispute, it was finally decided that Yun Feng and Liu Xing Hun would go together. This way, both sides have people, so that everyone can be satisfied. Before leaving, Lu Yun pulled Yun Feng aside and whispered a few words to him before seeing him off.

  After sending the two away, Lu Yun asked about Bi Tian's injuries and his expression became somewhat solemn. After glancing at everyone, Lu Yun said in a low voice: "Now everyone hurry up and rest, I'll help Bi Tian treat his wounds and see if it has any effect. Since we are currently in the Ghost Domain, if they can't move then it will have a huge impact on my actions. Therefore, before we act, we must take care of their injuries."

  Zi Yang Zhen Ren's expression changed slightly as he said, "Lu Yun, let me and Yuan Yang handle this matter. You still need to command us, it's not easy to consume too much true yuan."

  Looking at Zi Yang Zhen Ren, Lu Yun understood his implied meaning. He shook his head slightly and said calmly, "You just need to protect me with your magic, you'll do this thing, it will be twice the effort for half the result." Without explaining why, Lu Yun turned around and walked to Bi Tian's side, gently lifted up his body, sat cross-legged behind him, and began to treat his injuries.

  His lips moved slightly, but Zi Yang Zhen Ren still didn't speak again. His gaze swept across everyone, and he instructed Feng Yuan Yang to follow him, guarding Lu Yun from the front and back. On the side, Ao Xue, Cang Yue, and Xu Jie watched their surroundings, occasionally glancing at Lu Yun. Jian Wu Chen looked at Lu Yun with a hint of malice in his eyes, but quickly hid it. As he gazed at the three women, Jian Wu Chen's eyes lingered on Ao Xue and Cang Yue, with a hint of adoration in his gaze.

  "Three junior sisters, all the way here, don't know what dangers you may have encountered on the road? During this period of time, where have you all been? Now that everything is fine, it's not a bad idea to talk about it, and we can also gain a better understanding of this ghostly domain." The gentle words contained several underlying intentions.

  She withdrew her gaze, and gave Jian Wucheng a faint glance. Ao Xue's voice was cold and detached as she said, "Nothing has happened, at least we're all still safe for now." The two short sentences were spoken in a flat tone, without any fluctuation in her voice. Cang Yue glanced at Ao Xue, her eyes sweeping over Jian Wucheng's handsome face, with a hint of cold light flashing in her eyes. Without saying a word, Cang Yue lightly turned around, looking towards Lu Yun who was not far away.

  Xu Jie looked at Ao Xue and Cang Yue, understanding that both of them had a crush on Lu Yun, so she felt a bit repelled by Jian Wu Chen. Seeing Jian Wu Chen's expression change slightly, Xu Jie spoke up to help him save face: "Actually, we also encountered many dangers this time, but in the end, they all turned out to be harmless, so it was quite an adventure. Brother Jian and the others, what about you? Did you encounter any thrilling dangers?"

  Jian Wuchen glanced at Xu Jie, his expression slightly better, and slowly began to tell the story of what happened to him and his companions on the Ghost Sea. Xu Jie saw that Jian Wuchen was being ignored by their shifu's sister, so she occasionally asked a question or two, just to humor Jian Wuchen.

  On this side, Lu Yun hastened to help Bi Tian recover as soon as possible, so while treating his injuries, he secretly used the Confucian "Hao Ran Tian Gang" technique. As a result, progress was indeed rapid, and soon all the blocked meridians in Bi Tian's body were cleared, and the broken meridians inside him were repaired. About an hour later, Bi Tian, who had been unconscious, began to wake up. Feeling that someone was treating his injuries, Bi Tian hurriedly cooperated with all his might, actively mobilizing the remaining true yuan throughout his body, rapidly circulating it through his meridians.

  Gently withdrawing his hand, Lu Yun wiped the sweat from his forehead and immediately helped Du Li up to begin treating his injuries. Time slowly passed, and two hours later, when Yun Feng and Liu Xing Hun rushed back, Lu Yun had just withdrawn his hand, panting heavily as he sat on the ground to rest. Meanwhile, Bi Tian and Du Li were both radiating a brilliant red glow, their bodies rapidly recovering.

  Lu Yun had just finished resting, and it so happened that Bi Tian and Du Li both woke up. Looking at the crowd in front of him, a hint of joy flashed across Bi Tian's eyes, and he secretly glanced at Ao Xue. His gaze shifted, and Bi Tian asked: "I don't know who helped me heal my wounds just now, I'm really grateful."

  Yun Feng laughed and said: "Alright, so fast? Hehe, Lu Yun really has a way, just now I spent a lot of effort but couldn't wake you up. Who would have thought that he could revive the two of you so quickly? Hehe, impressive!" Bi Tian heard this and his eyes revealed a hint of strangeness, lightly glancing at Lu Yun. Turning back, he looked at Du Li and found that his eyes had the same expression, Bi Tian vaguely sensed something.

  "Thank you, Lu Yun. We will remember this kindness and return it to you in the future." Bi Tian and Du Li walked up to Lu Yun's side at the same time, tightly grasping his hand with gratitude on their faces. Gently holding onto both of their hands, Lu Yun smiled: "Since we came together, we should go back together too. We are all fellow disciples, no need to put it in your heart. Although you two have recovered a bit now, you are still very weak. Especially Bi Tian, since you destroyed your yuan Shen, for this life, you will never be able to cultivate a third yuan Shen again. And Du Li, reversing the true yuan is also a taboo of cultivation, which will hinder your future cultivation. You need to adjust and calm down well."

  "Alright, let's not say more about this. We have important matters to attend to. Let's hear their news first." With a calm smile, Lu Yun pulled the two of them over and they sat down together with everyone else on the ground, carefully listening to Yun Feng recount the details of their investigation.

  Looking at everyone, Yun Feng's expression was somewhat excited as he said: "The news that Lu Yun said is very accurate. We indeed found the Soul Pool in that Shura Forest. At the same time, outside the Soul Pool, we also discovered several powerful ghost domain experts and a green figure filled with demonic energy guarding it. Moreover, that Shura Forest is very strange. From above, it's only about one mile in circumference. But after entering inside, even after walking for a long time, you can't reach the edge of the Soul Pool, and I don't know what the reason is."

  "Moreover, the Shura Forest cannot be entered from mid-air, as it is surrounded by a mysterious and invisible boundary that isolates it from the outside world. Inside the forest, many strange ghostly shadows flicker from time to time, but unfortunately, upon closer inspection, nothing can be found. Finally, the Soul Transformation Pool is very mysterious, with an eerie pattern surrounding it, resembling countless flower patterns that spread out around the pool's edges, forming a bizarre array."

  Everyone was shocked to hear this, but it was also within their expectations. After all, the Soul Pool was one of the three most forbidden places in the Ghost Domain, and it wasn't a place that could be compared to ordinary locations. In the silence, Xu Jie spoke up and asked: "How far away from the Soul Pool were you when you observed this? Did you alert those powerful experts in the Ghost Domain? How big is the Soul Pool, and what color is it?"

  Yun Feng looked at her, smiling: "At that time, I was ten feet away from the Soul Pool, and I shouldn't have disturbed those ghostly creatures. The Soul Pool is not big, only about three feet in diameter, one foot above the ground, with a cluster of black air, about three feet in size, jumping up and down from time to time, looking mysterious and eerie." Everyone was shocked by his words, seemingly shaken by the strange scene he described.

  Jian Wuchen asked in a low voice, "How many powerful guards are there at the edge of Huayuan Pool? With our current strength, is it possible to break through by force? Also, did you find any signs of large numbers of ghost soldiers besieging that place along the way? Is it true that except for those few powerful people, there is no one else guarding?"

  Liu Xing Hun glanced at him and said in a low voice, "We've all noticed the point you asked about, but what's strange is that we haven't seen a single ghost soldier. By the Soul Pool, there were seven masters, except for one who was a demon from the Demon Realm, the other six were all masters from the Ghost Realm. Among these six ghostly creatures, even the weakest had strength above that of Gui Mie. And the strongest... their strength might not be below that of the Ghost King. It's just that among these ghostly creatures, except for one who was Yin Lishi, the Ghost General Yin Lie, I haven't seen any of the others before."

  Lu Yun listened and said, "In that case, it's not easy for us to force our way in. It would require a huge price to pay. But if we want to lure them away, they probably won't fall for it either. For now, we can only wait for the right moment, and when the opportunity arises, we'll strike with all our might."

  "Opportunity, I'm afraid, is not something that can be easily waited for. If we continue to wait like this and still don't get an opportunity, are we just going to give up on taking action? Opportunity is created by people, so I think even if we don't actively engage in a fierce battle with the opponent, we should at least try to create chaos to distract their attention. We don't have much time now, and we need to consider that if we fail the first time, we still have a second and third chance. But if we continue to wait like this, wasting our time, and when it comes down to the final blow, what if something unexpected happens and we're not successful? Time waits for no one, once missed, it's gone forever."

  He glanced at him and Lu Yun said in a low voice, "What you said is reasonable, but there's one thing you shouldn't forget. Although we can create chaos, that would also expose our purpose and startle the snake in the grass. Not to mention, even if I divert their attention and completely lure them away, who dares to guarantee that we can enter the Soul Refining Pool? The Soul Refining Pool is one of the three most treacherous places in the Ghost Domain, with the power to refine souls and destroy spirits. Who dares to go down and retrieve the Soul Sealing Symbol without understanding it first? Since this place can refine away the Soul Sealing Symbol, it can naturally refine away ordinary humans as well."

  Jian Wuchen coldly hummed, "No matter what, our first step is to approach the Huayuan Pool. Only then can we talk about the second step. What you're saying now is a complete waste of time."

  Lu Yun's face turned cold, and he said in a deep voice: "Is that so? You think exploring the secrets of the Soul Pool doesn't require time? Can't we first find out how to crack the code of the Soul Pool before approaching it? That way, when we launch our attack, we can take effect immediately. As long as we get close to the Soul Pool, we can immediately go down and retrieve the Soul Seal. But if we do as you say, approach the Soul Pool first and then think of a way to explore its secrets, I'm afraid that by the time all the ghosts in the Ghost Domain gather, we may not have come up with a solution yet. At that time, even if we retrieve the Soul Seal, it will be useless if we don't have our lives to return with."

  He gazed coldly at Swordless, his face stern. Seeing that he didn't speak, Yun's eyes swept across the crowd and said in a cold voice: "Who else has any objections? If you do, please raise them now. If not, then follow my instructions. Anyone who doesn't want to listen can leave voluntarily. When something happens later on, it will have nothing to do with me." At this moment, Yun's entire body suddenly burst forth with an aura of authority, his powerful presence startling everyone present.

  He glanced at Jian Wucheng, and Liu Xinghun signaled him not to speak up. This was not the time for a showdown. If they left now, it would be absolutely impossible for the two of them to retrieve the Soul-Sealing Symbol. So even if they wanted to leave, they had to wait until they got what they came for before leaving. Jian Wucheng looked at Lu Yun with a deep-seated hatred in his heart.