Chapter 114: The Evil Soul-Capturing Art

Master Xuan Zhe said, “During your encounters with Wei Xiaofan, how many times did you notice him suddenly speaking to himself?”

Huang Xianlin pondered briefly and replied, “Only twice. The first time was when I just started fighting him. Perhaps because a month ago I fought with his subordinate deputy general Wang Chuying, and out of a sense of righteousness, I didn’t utterly annihilate his soldiers but buried the fallen. Wei Xiaofan might have been grateful for that. At the beginning of our duel, he was reluctant to use full strength against me. But then, suddenly, his expression changed drastically; his eyes instantly turned red as if blood surged into them. He shouted loudly and attacked me with doubled power. The second time was while we were fighting and talking about how he resembled Wei Xiaofan’s junior apprentice brother. Just as he was listening intently, his face changed again; he grabbed his helmet with both hands, showing pain, shaking his head and crying out, ‘Let me hear it again! Let me hear the truth about my origin!’ Then he suddenly opened his eyes wide and rushed forward to look at the battlefield below. Perhaps seeing his soldiers surrounded and suffering heavy casualties, he said, ‘I’m going to fight now. Don’t disturb me anymore!’ Then he mounted his steed, Blackie, and flew down to the ground. At the time, I was puzzled by his sudden changes. From his ramblings and abrupt actions, it seemed as if someone was speaking to him from afar, controlling his will.”

Upon hearing Huang Xianlin recount Yang Shengtian’s words, “Let me hear it again! Let me hear the truth about my origin!” Master Xuan Zhe immediately asked, “Why did Yang Shengtian say that? Could it be that he also began to suspect he is Wei Xiaofan?”

Huang Xianlin then roughly repeated the conversation that took place during his fight with Yang Shengtian.

After hearing this, Master Xuan Zhe thought silently, “It seems Yang Shengtian’s master might be the one who abducted Wei Xiaofan all those years ago. What was his purpose in taking Wei Xiaofan? Could the soul-control practitioner be the same person as Yang Shengtian’s master? If so, why? According to what Yang Shengtian’s master said, his so-called parents were deceived by illness—his mother committed suicide and his father left because of his prolonged illness. That’s clearly a lie to Yang Shengtian!”

“Did he tell you the name of his master?”

“I didn’t ask, and I forgot to. He didn’t mention it either,” Huang Xianlin said.

Master Xuan Zhe thought, to uncover which powerful figure abducted Wei Xiaofan back then, he would have to secretly investigate in Shihui State himself.

He continued pondering: Also, when Wei Xiaoping wakes up, I must ask him what exactly he said to Wei Xiaofan, and why he sustained such severe injuries. Given Wei Xiaoping’s level of martial skill, in the Wild Continent, few can match him. Moreover, having learned six or seven tenths of the cultivation methods I taught, even on the Barbarian Continent, few dare to challenge him. Besides, this wound seems deliberately inflicted.

“Oh, Senior Uncle, I forgot to tell you something. Yang Shengtian told me that when he fought Wei Xiaoping, Wei Xiaoping deliberately allowed him three attacks without retaliating,” Huang Xianlin said.

Hearing this, Master Xuan Zhe seemed to sense why Wei Xiaoping suffered such grievous injuries.

“Did Yang Shengtian say why Wei Xiaoping deliberately let him strike three times without fighting back?”

“Yang Shengtian said it was because of me!”

“For you? Why?”

“He said it was because last month when we fought their soldiers, we killed many of his brothers. So Wei Xiaoping had to endure three blows on our behalf,” Huang Xianlin explained.

“Xiaoping isn’t foolish. Why would he allow Yang Shengtian three hits unless Wei Xiaoping also wanted something from Yang Shengtian?” Master Xuan Zhe said.

“You’re right, Senior Uncle! Could it be that Wei Xiaoping also asked Yang Shengtian for a promise?” Huang Xianlin said.

“Why did Wei Xiaoping and Yang Shengtian go to the summit of Twin Peaks? Why didn’t you follow?”

“Xiaoping told me not to go, saying he had something to discuss with Yang Shengtian. I dared not go without permission, besides, the soldiers needed my command,” Huang Xianlin answered.

“It seems Wei Xiaoping’s severe injuries resulted from deliberately letting Yang Shengtian strike three times. But even without fighting back, he could have used the Nine Heavens Divine Protection to shield himself! Could it be that he wasn’t even allowed to use that?” Master Xuan Zhe mused.

He couldn’t figure out why Wei Xiaoping allowed his body to be pierced so easily by Yang Shengtian.

It seemed the only way to know was to ask him once he woke up.

“Xianlin, nephew, I’ll go back first to check if your junior brother’s condition worsens. You all come back slowly afterward,” Master Xuan Zhe said, mounting the Demon-Slaying Divine Sword and soaring into the air.

As Master Xuan Zhe flew off, Huang Xianlin wanted to ask whether Wei Xiaoping was in the camp or the monastery but saw that Master Xuan Zhe had already gone far and decided to wait until returning to the camp to inquire.

Master Xuan Zhe, riding the sword through the sky, was still contemplating the matter of Wei Xiaofan and the soul-control practitioner he had witnessed that day.

Who was this soul-control practitioner? From which sect did he come? It was a pity he didn’t get to fight him. If he had, perhaps from the techniques or skills used, he could have discerned the sect and thus identified him.

And that invisibility technique—the kind of stealth skill, to which sect’s tradition did it belong? Why had his master, Shangheng Zhenren, never mentioned that such invisibility existed in this world?

This soul-control technique had not been practiced for several centuries, and the secret methods for cultivating it had been lost for hundreds of years. Yet now it suddenly appeared on the Barbarian Continent and was already in use.

According to what Master Shangheng Zhenren told him back then, this soul-control technique was the most sinister method on the entire Barbarian Continent, because those who mastered it could control not only humans but also beasts.

When cultivating soul-control, if the practitioner wished to control certain beasts, they only needed to gather enough blood of that beast to refine the technique. Once successful, they could imbue the soul-control onto the beast and control it with their will, commanding it to do tasks without regard for its own life or pain. The controlled beast would obey even if commanded to self-destruct, biting and tearing its own body until it could no longer move and died.

Similarly, to control humans, the practitioner also used sufficient human blood in the refinement. After success, the controlled person would be utterly submissive to the controller’s will, obeying any command—even to kill their own family or harm themselves—without hesitation.

The cultivation of soul-control was extremely complex and arduous. Any carelessness during the process could lead to demonic possession.

Once possessed, the practitioner would become like someone suffering from severe mental illness—hallucinating, rambling, failing to recognize themselves or their kin, and suspecting others wanted to kill them, causing them to kill or harm themselves irrationally.

Because soul-control was so evil and dangerous, it was condemned and attacked by all sects on the Barbarian Continent as soon as it appeared. Shortly afterward, practitioners of this art vanished without a trace and disappeared for centuries.

Unexpectedly, it has reappeared now, and my beloved disciple Xiaofan has been possessed and controlled by a soul-control practitioner!

What to do now? Master Xuan Zhe thought. To learn more about the sect from which soul-control originally emerged, and how it vanished without a trace, I will have to ask Master Shangheng Zhenren!