Chapter 1593: Soul Lock
Whoosh!
Yun Xiao, who had already reached the peak of the Heavenly Realm, moved with incredible speed. In almost the blink of an eye, he was where the Half-step Holy Spirit had been dodging earlier.
Bam!
Although this Half-step Holy Spirit’s body didn’t contain the so-called Spirit Crystal, he was still thrown into disarray by Yun Xiao’s powerful kick, almost dissipating into smoke.
"Boy, no matter how powerful you are, you can’t kill me. Stop with the futile efforts!"
A moment later, the Half-step Holy Spirit, battered and torn by Yun Xiao, did not despair too much. He cast a glance at the nearby Chongxiao Stairs and roared furiously.
"Hmph, do you think that just because you have no Spirit Crystal within, I can’t do anything to you?"
Yun Xiao’s soul originated from the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud, familiar with the characteristics or rather weaknesses of countless Strange Spirits. The Half-step Holy Spirit indeed lacked a Spirit Crystal, but if his body was destroyed, as long as his Spiritual Wisdom remained intact, he could form a new Strange Spirit Body using the Chongxiao Stairs.
In other words, Yun Xiao had just destroyed the human body that the Half-step Holy Spirit had seized, and this apparent main body was not the lethal core of the Half-step Holy Spirit.
But Yun Xiao was not just anyone. Having dealt with countless Strange Spirits, how could he not have a method against this guy? Even if his Spirit Crystal or the Artifact Heart of the Chongxiao Stairs was within the Chongxiao Stairs Space.
"I wonder if I imprison your Spiritual Wisdom forever, if you’ll still be able to return to the Chongxiao Stairs?"
Yun Xiao’s next words made the Half-step Holy Spirit’s heart skip a beat.
Although he had his own understanding, believing that his Half-step Holy Spiritual Wisdom couldn’t be imprisoned by a human’s Heavenly Rank Advanced Soul, the prolonged battle had instilled a bit of apprehension toward this human.
Logically speaking, how could a human youth, who relied on Secret Techniques to advance to the peak of the Heavenly Realm, be the opponent of a Half-step Holy Spirit?
However, this human boy before him, with the Ten Thousand Sword Domain, had left the Half-step Holy Spirit defenseless, making him uneasy, so subconsciously, he held a hint of dread for the other’s words.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Yun Xiao pointed to his forehead, and invisible boundless power surged forth, seemingly forming invisible chains within the Ten Thousand Sword Domain.
These chains wove through the myriad Dragon Taming Sword Shadows without colliding, even sharing a vague connection between them, appearing exceptionally mystical.
Sensing the invisible chains formed by the Power of Soul, the Half-step Holy Spirit’s mood undeniably grew heavier because he sensed an extreme pressure through those powers.
One must know, Yun Xiao’s soul power was far superior to that of the ordinary Heavenly Rank Advanced Souls on the Tenglong Continent. This advantage came not only from his past life as the Long Xiao Battle God but also from the present life’s Ancient Dragon Taming Technique.
The miraculous Cultivation Technique, Ancient Dragon Taming, was not yet fully understood by Yun Xiao, but it significantly augmented his Meridian Qi Cultivation and Soul Power.
Thus, Yun Xiao was so confident at this moment. He believed that using his past life techniques combined with the Ancient Dragon Taming Technique, he would surely imprison the Half-step Holy Spirit’s Spiritual Wisdom once and for all.
Yun Xiao believed that the abnormal state of the Chongxiao Stairs over the past hundred years was due to this creature that fortuitously developed Spiritual Wisdom.
If he could imprison or erase this creature’s Spiritual Wisdom, the Chongxiao Stairs would instantly return to normal, allowing human cultivators within the Chongxiao Stairs Space and the future Yun Xiao to use the Space Artifact to enter the true Nine-layered Dragon Cloud.
"Soul Lock, solidify!"
As the invisible soul chains grew more numerous within the Ten Thousand Sword Domain, Yun Xiao uttered a deep command, and countless invisible soul locks surged toward the Half-step Holy Spirit’s main body.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
With the sound of invisible chains ringing, the Half-step Holy Spirit felt immense soul pressure descending upon him, making his Spiritual Wisdom seem to blur at this critical moment.
"No! You can’t imprison me!"
Finally, in the Half-step Holy Spirit’s rage-filled roar, Yun Xiao’s heart quickened, and he noticed something nearby moving slightly out of the corner of his eye.
"It’s the Chongxiao Stairs!"
At that moment, what Yun Xiao saw was the Chongxiao Stairs stirring. In an instant, the white main structure of the Chongxiao Stairs extended rapidly toward the Ten Thousand Sword Domain.
It looked somewhat like the previous technique used by the Half-step Holy Spirit, but now the aura of the Chongxiao Stairs made Yun Xiao’s expression rather grim.
Because that might be a Space Artifact’s Chongxiao Stairs, it shattered the defenses of the Ten Thousand Sword Domain in an instant, then in a swift motion, attacked the Half-step Holy Spirit’s body.
At this moment, Yun Xiao’s soul lock is restraining the body of that Half-step Holy Spirit. Once the soul lock solidifies, the battle will be completely over.
Unexpectedly, a sudden change occurred. No one knows what method that Half-step Holy Spirit used, but it actually aroused the Chongxiao Stairs’ true form, causing Yun Xiao’s Ten Thousand Sword Domain to collapse instantly.
No matter how strong Yun Xiao’s soul chains are, they rely on the Ten Thousand Sword Domain to force the movements of the Half-step Holy Spirit. Without it, how could a powerful Half-step Holy Spirit meekly stay there and let its soul be bound by the enemy?
Even if Yun Xiao’s soul chains had begun to restrain the Half-step Holy Spirit, at the moment the Chongxiao Stairs broke the Ten Thousand Sword Domain, he knew that trouble was brewing.
Sure enough, under Yun Xiao’s slightly grim face, the Chongxiao Stairs did not hesitate at all, but rather in a speed as quick as lightning, directly struck the body of the Half-step Holy Spirit.
Ultimately, the chains formed by the Power of Soul, no matter how formidable, are still intangible, unable to withstand these physical attacks. As such, Yun Xiao had no better way to leverage at the moment.
"Human kid, you better never set foot into the Chongxiao Stairs, otherwise I will ensure you pay tenfold for today’s affair!"
Yun Xiao suddenly heard a hateful voice in his ear, followed by a white light flash, and the body of the Half-step Holy Spirit instantly disappeared.
Swoosh!
Immediately, the true form of the Chongxiao Stairs also swiftly retracted, and moments later, it was as if nothing had ever happened, except Yun Xiao was the only person left in this area.
"That guy should have returned to the true form of the Chongxiao Stairs!"
Yun Xiao turned his gaze to the Chongxiao Stairs, which still emitted a faint white light, whispering his speculation, yet not daring to directly chase into the space of the Chongxiao Stairs.
Because Yun Xiao knows, the Chongxiao Stairs is the true form of the Half-step Holy Spirit, and this type of Strange Spirit cultivated from Space Artifact, inside its true form, is where its Domain resides.
Of course, the most important reason is that at this moment, Yun Xiao has been using the power of Golden Snake Worm Xiao Wu for long enough, facing such unknown danger, he doesn’t know how long he can persist.
In fact, if that Holy Grade Heavenly Spirit had persisted longer, perhaps he wouldn’t even need to act, and Yun Xiao would have entered an extreme weakness due to the disappearance of Xiao Wu’s power.
Only Yun Xiao himself knew all this. The Half-step Holy Spirit was already frightened by his previous means and surely wouldn’t dare to take this risk.
The situation just before really was such; if the Half-step Holy Spirit hadn’t manipulated the true form of the Chongxiao Stairs to suddenly attack and break the defenses of the Ten Thousand Sword Domain, Yun Xiao’s intangible soul lock could have permanently restrained its Spiritual Wisdom.
Only Yun Xiao knows the cause and effect among this, feeling the bouts of weakness from within himself, he realizes he cannot stay here any longer.
The Half-step Holy Spirit may have fled in fright, but with the true form of the Chongxiao Stairs right here, it surely can see the situation outside.
Once Yun Xiao succumbs to a special state of weakness due to the disappearance of Golden Snake Worm Xiao Wu’s power, the Half-step Holy Spirit would likely emerge from the Chongxiao Stairs immediately to take advantage.
Since Yun Xiao cannot deal with the Half-step Holy Spirit, he must leave the riverbank before the period of weakness arrives, surely believing that fellow is a special Strange Spirit and is unlikely to leave this region.
"Next time we meet, you won’t have such luck again!"
Yun Xiao murmured towards the Chongxiao Stairs and, without waiting for a response, directly turned and swiftly dashed towards the misty region nearby.
"Let all illusions break!"
As Yun Xiao darted out, he suddenly issued this deep voice, and then the things that had been transformed by the Half-step Holy Spirit using some method a moment ago shattered swiftly.
If these Illusion Realms were encountered when Yun Xiao was at the Heavenly Realm Early Stage or even Middle Stage, perhaps he would have been helpless, but the current situation is undoubtedly very different.
Firstly, Yun Xiao reached the Heavenly Realm Peak cultivation level by leveraging the power of Golden Snake Worm Xiao Wu; secondly, the Half-step Holy Spirit returned to the Chongxiao Stairs, naturally no longer able to control such illusions outside, easily broken by him.
"Hold on a moment longer!"
Just as Yun Xiao flew over the Chongxiao River, a wave of weakness struck him, almost causing him to fall directly and drown in the river, making him grit his teeth again.
Fortunately, although Chongxiao River is wide, with extreme flying, Yun Xiao quickly saw the shadowy figures on the shore he came from, revealing a faint pale smile on his face.
A silhouette in coarse clothing staggered toward the Stepping Heavenly Stone, seemingly on the verge of falling, and this scene naturally drew astonished and puzzled gazes from those on the opposite shore.