Chapter Seventy-Nine: Divine Eyes of Golden Radiance

When the moment to act arrived, Luo Tian pressed his lips together, suddenly recalling something as he asked, “What did you do with the four of them?”

If he could revive those scapegoats now, perhaps, faced with a common enemy, they could join forces. There might still be hope to kill this Qin Tianyu.

A cultivator without a core was not much different from one at the Mai Flow Realm—at best, their body and soul were a bit stronger. With years of power loss, even among Mai Flow masters, Qin Tianyu was hardly formidable.

Luo Tian considered himself a true elite disciple of the Divine Sun Sect. Though those four were certainly inferior, they were still decent. Shoulder to shoulder, perhaps they could put up a fight.

Wait—the Divine Eye!

Without hesitation, Luo Tian’s gaze flashed gold as he looked at Qin Tianyu.

The sight startled Luo Tian. What a scene: the spiritual energy twisted and struggled along its path, suggesting that Qin Tianyu’s meridians had shriveled to the brink of annihilation; only a thread remained before they would vanish entirely. The vigorous power typical of a Core Formation cultivator was as thin as gossamer, barely circulating within him.

Perhaps he had lingered in this secret realm too long; without the flow and nourishment of spiritual energy, Qin Tianyu’s meridians were clogged with impurities, requiring considerable effort to clear.

Still, not impossible to defeat.

Catching a glimpse of Liu Longfei and the others, a flicker of hope rose in Luo Tian’s heart. Yet, by their appearance, their prospects seemed bleak.

“Still hoping to call for help?” Qin Tianyu’s face bore the mocking look of a cat toying with a mouse—a confidence born of complete control. His lips curled. “Besides mastering the true meaning of life contained within the Boundless Lifewood, I’ve also grasped the essence of venom. Right now, their consciousnesses are dormant. Unless a day passes, or their souls are attacked, they won’t awaken.”

At these words, Luo Tian’s heart sank to the depths. There truly was only one option left.

But for some reason, Qin Tianyu gave him an odd feeling. For someone like him, there was no reason to answer questions so patiently. His manner seemed as though he was sweeping away his own regrets.

“Well? Have you given up yet?” Qin Tianyu frowned impatiently, though in Luo Tian’s eyes, the expression was repugnant.

“I have one last question for you,” Luo Tian said, his gaze steady, forcing his features calm. “Why, just to survive, are you willing to kill everyone else?”

Qin Tianyu was stunned, an incredulous look flashing in his eyes as if he’d heard the world’s most foolish question. He gave a strange laugh. “I am strong, you are weak. That is the reason—understand? Once I seize your body, your consciousness will dissipate into nothingness. Your memories, soul power, and body will all be mine. If you could explore this secret realm, you must have some status in your sect. To be possessed by a Nine-Pill Core cultivator is your honor! Do you have any regrets?”

“Are you waiting for the moment my mind slips, for your chance to strike?” Luo Tian stared at Qin Tianyu, speaking slowly. His body was battered and frail; though spiritual power circulated within, his soul must be extremely fragile—barely able to withstand a fight, or even walk.

Although the Divine Eye only revealed the flow of energy inside Qin Tianyu, Luo Tian could infer much from what he saw, though he couldn’t be certain.

Qin Tianyu’s expression shifted, then he gave a hoarse, sinister laugh. “You’re not as stupid as you look! Very well, I’d hoped to conserve strength, but since you’ve seen through me, I’ll simply take you now!”

With those words, a murky gray light shot from Qin Tianyu’s head and plunged into Luo Tian’s body.

Qin Tianyu’s soul transformed into that gray light, heading straight for Luo Tian’s sea of consciousness.

This was where a cultivator’s soul resided, their awareness hidden within.

Thankfully, this secret realm had been discovered. Otherwise, in a few decades at most, Qin Tianyu feared his life would have ended here in silence.

Recalling those centuries of waiting, Qin Tianyu shuddered. Core Formation cultivators could live five hundred years, but after the battle that left him grievously wounded and fleeing into this secret realm, he found himself drained to the dregs—a foot in the grave.

Luckily, the Boundless Lifewood, a wood-elemental true spirit, had unparalleled restorative powers. Yet his injuries, inflicted by his foe’s strange arts, never fully healed. Lingering here would only mean death.

Clenching his teeth, Qin Tianyu abandoned all his spiritual power, launching his desperate plan. Over hundreds of years, he’d known despair, even contemplated ending it all, but somehow he held on.

Now, his rise was at hand!

Once he returned to the outside world, even if only a little lifespan remained, it would be enough to find a few rare herbs, craft a pill, and dominate for another few decades, even a century. The prospect alone filled Qin Tianyu with excitement.

Just one more step. One last step!

Qin Tianyu harbored suspicions about this youth’s true identity, but it was irrefutable that this fellow had also survived by seizing another’s body—and seemed not even to have touched upon true cultivation arts.

Trash—somehow lucky enough to prolong life through possession, but that didn’t matter. This body would soon be his.

There were other options, but in Qin Tianyu’s view, none so perfect as this one. They were all outsiders, but who could compare to himself?

If he possessed another, he’d need time to adapt and erase lingering traces, but with this one, there was no need.

It was as if heaven itself pitied him, delivering a great gift.

His mind raced with thoughts of rebirth, joy filling his heart. Though his soul was intangible, it hardly dulled his excitement.

Here it was—the sea of consciousness!

Now, he need only use his soul force to directly bombard the boy’s awareness, or wrestle with it until it was annihilated. Either way, he could easily obliterate the boy’s mind.

Brimming with confidence, Qin Tianyu entered Luo Tian’s sea of consciousness. But the first thing he saw was not a familiar scene, but—

A golden eyeball!

What was this?

Before Qin Tianyu could react, the golden eye radiated metallic light, blazing like a great sun in the sky, illuminating the entire sea of consciousness.

Luo Tian was fairly certain that, thanks to the unique nature of his soul, he could dispatch Qin Tianyu. Yet, unfamiliar with soul battles, he felt a trace of apprehension.

How to fight?

In a flash, the golden light flooded Luo Tian’s consciousness. Before Qin Tianyu could respond, the golden light touched his soul force.

Without a sound, Qin Tianyu’s awareness was utterly annihilated in that instant, vanishing without a trace, as if he had never existed. Only his memories, drawn by Luo Tian’s mind, drifted over on their own.

Was that all?

Luo Tian was left speechless. He’d envisioned several possible battles, but never expected that, just as he glimpsed the enemy, the Divine Eye would erase him.

It almost seemed a disservice to the audience.

Still, he had his suspicions. After all, the Divine Eye had come from another world; it would hardly allow his soul to be threatened by possession. Otherwise, what was the point of its arduous journey with him?

Even with confidence in his home turf, Luo Tian felt a twinge of regret. Battle experience was, after all, invaluable.

Qin Tianyu, nearly dead, was easily erased by the Divine Eye—but what if he encountered a stronger foe in the future?

Before Luo Tian could gather his scattered thoughts, Qin Tianyu’s memories surged toward him, overwhelming and vast.