Chapter 37 Just Friends
After meeting Ren Yi, Hong Xuzi separated half of his soul and nascent soul and went to Han Cang Peak, but he remained in the same place. After Yan Shuoyun found him, he learned about the soul contract from him.
Yan Shuoyun had some knowledge of the "Soul Contract".
After learning from Hong Xuzi that the Sword Master and Ren Yi might be related, Yan Shuoyun, while being entangled by Hong Xuzi who was trying to take him as a disciple, also went to investigate a lot of information.
Given the vast difference in time between Ren Yi and the Sword Master, Yan Shuoyun's focus naturally fell on reincarnation. The Taichu Sect's Scripture Pavilion was rich in resources, and even the outer layer open to the public contained a wealth of information. Yan Shuoyun found a considerable amount of potentially relevant content within it, including the "Divine Soul Contract."
The outer texts naturally do not record the method of forming a bond, but they do record the effects of the soul bond in detail.
That's precisely why Yan Shuoyun felt it was impossible.
He immediately retorted, "Impossible. If it were truly a soul contract, how could the person who formed the contract develop feelings for someone else?"
Hong Xuzi was currently focusing most of his energy on Han Cangfeng, dealing with his junior nephew who seemed to have slept too long and was not quite right in the head. In response to Yan Shuoyun's rebuttal, he only gave a perfunctory answer, "Who knows? Maybe he mistook me for someone else."
—If even his nephew, who had no desires, was planning to take his beloved with him and die together, what else in this world is impossible?
Yan Shuoyun could tell that Hong Xuzi's answer was perfunctory, but when he thought of the Sword Sovereign's inheritance that Xiao Hanzhou carried, he felt that this statement was surprisingly plausible.
After all, based on what he had learned about the past, A-Yi was practically under a spell, completely devoted to that Xiao family head. And based on his deduction of Xiao Hanzhou's attitude, anyone with a bit of cultivator pride wouldn't continue to pester him. But A-Yi had stubbornly brought himself back to the miserable state he had at their first meeting—and showed no remorse.
Yan Shuoyun had to admit that he had indeed been bothered by this last point for a long time. It wasn't just because he was jealous (although that was part of it), but more importantly, Ren Yi's attitude was not normal.
Anyone who suffers such an ordeal, even if they are made of clay, would be stirred to anger. The enmity that almost severed their path cannot be summed up with a simple "let go".
Even if we take a step back and assume that Ren Yi was truly so infatuated with Xiao Hanzhou that he was willing to give up his cultivation path, such feelings cannot be completely let go of with just a word.
But Ren Yi simply maintained a calm attitude, as if "everything from the past has vanished into thin air."
He did pay some attention to Xiao Hanzhou, but his special concern seemed to stem from something other than past friendship.
This situation was truly perplexing, but at this moment Yan Shuoyun actually felt that the phrase "admitting his mistake" could explain everything.
To be honest, this matter was no less shocking to Yan Shuoyun than when he first learned that the Sword Master and Ren Yi had a special relationship beyond normal inheritance. He was momentarily stunned.
As Yan Shuoyun was trying to sort out his thoughts, Hong Xuzi, who was clearly distracted, glanced in a certain direction. Yan Shuoyun didn't notice this detail, but a moment later, a person walked out from there, which made his already somewhat knotted thoughts even more complicated.
The person who arrived was none other than Xiao Hanzhou, one of the main figures in the previous conversation.
Xiao Hanzhou confirmed that he hadn't misread anything on the stage; A Yi had indeed been standing there for a while.
After he calmed down a bit, he finally remembered that Yan'er had mentioned that Ren Yi had lost his memory. The feeling of drowning and suffocation finally subsided. He asked around for Ren Yi's whereabouts and found his way here, but he was too late. Based on the traces of spiritual energy he sensed, Ren Yi had indeed been here, but had already left.
Xiao Hanzhou originally planned to follow the trail to find the place again, but he only heard the words "Soul Contract" and "admitting mistakes" from afar.
He had a premonition that this matter was related to him and A-Yi, so he did not leave immediately.
When Yan Shuoyun appeared, the instant his gaze fell upon Xiao Hanzhou confirmed his guess.
Hong Xuzi glanced at the two young men, paused briefly on Xiao Hanzhou, and asked directly, "Is he the one who was mistaken for someone else?"
He made no attempt at politeness or tact; these two young men were not worth his time.
The cultivation world can be cruel like this. If they were outside the illusion, even if Hong Xuzi took their lives on the spot, neither the Xuanqing Sect nor the Xiao Clan would have a choice but to accept it and would even have to apologize for offending such a powerful figure.
Since Xiao Hanzhou was unaware of the context of the conversation, he had no way of answering Hong Xuzi's question.
After a brief silence, Yan Shuoyun, who was standing to the side, spoke with a complicated tone, "...Yes."
Xiao Hanzhou was stunned.
Admitting fault? Who...admitted fault?
On this side of Hancang Peak.
Ren Yi was certainly not crazy. Given the relationship between his main account and his alternate account, there was no question of one of them dragging the other into a state of utter destruction.
After all, although he can wear two identities at the same time in a small world, it doesn't mean that he can do this kind of operation across worlds (even in the Transmigration Bureau, there are only a handful of big shots who can do this). When he leaves the world, he will definitely destroy both identities together.
Although Ren Yi felt that Hong Xuzi's gaze was a bit strange at the moment, the reason given by the other party, "soul contract," was a suitable one that Ren Yi had not expected.
Although the system's database is lost, its basic information gathering capabilities remain.
This illusion is a one-to-one replica of the original Taichu Sect, with an immense collection in its scripture pavilion. The system, using its alternate account privileges, readily copied everything. The moment Hongxuzi mentioned the Soul Contract, it immediately transmitted all relevant information to the host, from the method of formation to its effects, from the conditions for formation to possible consequences, and from the spell's functions to its common applications—it was incredibly thoughtful.
Ren Yi quickly sorted through the information sent by the system and soon realized that this soul contract was practically tailor-made for him.
Not only did it perfectly explain the problem of his soul resemblance caused by his clumsy sealing, but it also eliminated the need for an excuse to leave the world later!
With his superb acting skills, Ren Yi successfully concealed the joy of being hit by the sudden surprise. When Hong Xuzi tentatively suggested a way to break the soul contract, he immediately rejected it, saying, "No need."
Hong attempted to subtly save his misguided junior disciple, Xu Zi, from the state of "..."
Ren Yi: "..."
When Ren Yi was met with a strange look from Hong Xuzi, he realized that it was somewhat inappropriate for the Sword Master's alt account to insist on the soul contract, since he was the one who was "about to die." He hadn't thought it through in his emotional state.
However, Ren Yi quickly regained his composure and salvaged his image by saying, "He's willing."
Ren Yi then recalled his earlier conversation with Hong Xuzi while using his original account.
Although I didn't understand it at the time, now that I know the situation, and after sorting out the meaning of that big sentence, it does indeed mean "willing".
That makes perfect sense.
Both parties reached a consensus after consultation, and it is definitely not a matter of size.
Hongxuzi "..."
"No problem what?! This is the difference between one person going crazy and two people going crazy together!!"
Thinking about this, Hongxuzi suddenly realized that something was wrong.
Back then, Qingran set up the seal without implicating the other party, clearly wanting to avoid her affairs affecting them and severing all contact. There's no reason for her to awaken after so many years of slumber and suddenly make a complete 180-degree turn, choosing choices diametrically opposed to her previous ones…
Moreover, Qingran's soul, as the core of the formation, has been in a dormant state for many years in order to maintain the seal for as long as possible. Why did she suddenly wake up this time?
Hong Xuzi initially thought that his soul contract partner had disturbed him by entering the illusion, but if the latter had indeed been pulled into the illusion by Qing Ran, then Qing Ran must have woken up long before that.
In fact, according to the initial divination results, this secret realm is still far from being revealed.
However, Qingran's soul had been shaken earlier, causing a crack in the seal. Although it was quickly restored to its original state, the aftershocks of the shock had a significant impact. The leaked turbid energy caused many of the surrounding sea beasts to become demonized. However, as they fought and devoured each other, even those that survived would quickly weaken due to the lack of turbid energy to replenish them. This was not a major issue.
More importantly, the shockwaves from the seal caused the secret realm to appear ahead of schedule, and this illusionary realm also welcomed those who were about to undergo trials.
If it was indeed Qingran who pulled people into the illusion, then it would have started back then.
Something must have happened back then!
Time flows differently inside and outside the illusion. After quickly calculating the time difference in his mind, Hong Xuzi suddenly spoke to Yan Xiao and the other person on the other side, "What happened three years ago? That kid... Ren Yi, did something happen to him? Did he pass through the Endless Sea?!"
This particular moment brought back memories for both Yan Shuoyun and Xiao Hanzhou, and their expressions turned sour.
Seeing this, Hongxuzi knew that his guess was correct.
With a stern face, he first turned his gaze to Yan Shuoyun and said calmly, "You speak."
Yan Shuoyun took a deep breath. Back then, he and Ren Yisu were complete strangers, and upon seeing such injuries, he could only offer a few words of lament. But now, recalling it, his feelings were entirely different. He lowered his eyes, concealing the emotions within them, and stated objectively in as calm a tone as possible, "My younger sister did indeed encounter him near the Endless Sea. However, when she was found, his spiritual root had been removed, his meridians were completely destroyed, his body was soaked in blood, and he was barely clinging to life."
Hongxuzi's brow twitched upon hearing this, and the muscles on his cheeks also twitched slightly.
He felt like he had found the reason. Anyone who had slept for tens of thousands of years and woke up to find that the soul bond they had painstakingly protected had become like that would go crazy!
Hong Xuzi actually felt that Qing Ran was quite calm at this moment.
He didn't break the seal and rush out on the spot; he waited for three whole years, or even three years of the outer world's flow.
The "younger sister" Yan Shuoyun mentioned must be the little girl that Qingran sent to Fuling Peak, right? No wonder Qingran took such good care of her, after all, she saved her life.
...
Yan Shuoyun's words helped Hong Xuzi understand, to some extent, the reason for his junior disciple's change, but... waited three years just to die with someone? This is definitely not something a normal person could do!
Hong Xuzi was worried about his junior apprentice's mental state, but Xiao Hanzhou had no time to think about anything else. After Yan Shuoyun's words, his face turned pale and he even stopped breathing.
Xiao Hanzhou already knew that A Yi had suffered a very serious injury, but hearing such a blunt and cruel description still made his heart ache, as if a rusty, dull knife was cutting back and forth on the already bleeding wound, causing his limbs to spasm in pain.
Yan Shuoyun seemed oblivious, continuing in that overly calm yet somewhat eerie tone, "Later, during his treatment, based on the weapon marks on his wounds, it was deduced that at least six people attacked him. However, his meridians were destroyed from within by the sword energy. It's likely that his spiritual root was destroyed and his cultivation was gone when he was attacked, so he had no choice but to forcefully wield the sword energy with his mortal body. His meridians couldn't withstand it, which is why he ended up like that."
These words made Xiao Hanzhou's already pale face lose another layer of color, and it even showed a faint ashen look.
Three years ago, when A-Yi had just left the Xiao family.
Xiao Hanzhou initially thought that Ren Yi's injuries were sustained during his travels, but he never expected that the other party would suffer such a calamity so soon after leaving the Xiao family.
After learning about the misunderstanding regarding the jade pendant, Xiao Hanzhou had to admit that he was the one who... drove A-Yi away...
Because of him, A-Yi suffered those things.
only--
Xiao Hanzhou's lips trembled slightly. He opened and closed his mouth several times before he heard his own weak and trembling voice.
He asked in a trembling voice, "What does it mean that my cultivation is gone?"
He knew about spiritual roots.
But Ah Yi has the bearing of a Taoist.
Although taking his spiritual root would indeed hinder his cultivation, it wouldn't cause him to lose all his cultivation and become a mortal.
Unless, unless...
A terrifying thought surfaced in Xiao Hanzhou's mind, and before he could deny it in his heart, Yan Shuoyun beside him chuckled softly.
Yan Shuoyun looked up at him. Although he was smiling, his eyes were extremely cold. He slowed his voice, like a dull knife pulling back and forth in Xiao Hanzhou's heart, and said slowly, "I thought... that the Xiao family head should be the one who knows the most about this matter."
Yan Shuoyun let out a muffled laugh, almost like a breath, and then, as if genuinely puzzled, asked Xiao Hanzhou, who was almost unable to stand, for the second time, "Isn't that right?"
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