Chapter 822 - 320: Who Stole Their Souls_2
"Sigh—"
With a long sigh, Li Changhao walked dejectedly into the Immortal Vehicle Station, waiting for the next Immortal vehicle to take him home.
At that moment, his nose suddenly caught a pleasant scent. Immediately afterward, he heard whispers of admiration from others.
He swiftly turned his head and saw a beautiful woman dressed in a Liuxian Skirt walking in his direction.
His pupils kept trembling, and his heart beat rapidly.
He knew this young woman; her name was Wen Jinyi, an Illusion Immortal from the Illusion Immortal Tower, known by her stage name "Changyi Princess." She was the one he admired and longed for, hoping to one day become Dao companions.
Why would Changyi Princess come to such a place?
With her status, doesn’t she usually travel in a fragrant vehicle with spirit horses? Why would she come to such a public Immortal Vehicle Station that provides convenience for civilians?
Li Changhao’s heart was about to leap out of his chest, trembling, wanting to greet her, but he completely lacked the courage.
He awkwardly covered the demonic stink attached to the cuff, lowering his head, fearing that Changyi Princess would see him in such an unsightly state.
Moments later, he felt a bit disheartened, internally reprimanding himself for his superfluous actions... Changyi Princess didn’t even know him, they were from completely different worlds, to her, he was as insignificant as the wild grass by the roadside, so why bother hiding his ugly state.
"Save some energy, Li Changhao, you’re just an ordinary person..." he murmured to himself.
Until those light footsteps stopped in front of him.
At this moment, he almost forgot to breathe. Because the unbelievably beautiful Changyi Princess was smiling, looking at him.
"You are Li Changhao, right?"
Li Changhao’s mind was struck, leaving no room for thought; he nodded in a daze,
"Yes, it’s me."
Changyi Princess, with a coquettish attitude, complained,
"Why don’t you come to see me anymore?"
"Wha...what..." Li Changhao looked at her eyes, bright like colliding comets, quickly turning away.
Changyi Princess shifted her body to face him directly,
"Why are you avoiding me?"
"I...I’m...sorry." Li Changhao stammered, scratching his head incoherently.
Changyi Princess laughed and said, "Fifteen years ago, didn’t you come to see my performance? Have you forgotten?"
"No! I remember!" That day was Li Changhao’s most beautiful day, absolutely unforgettable.
Changyi Princess asked,
"Then why haven’t you come since?"
Li Changhao lowered his head and said, "I..."
He couldn’t get the words "no money" out of his mouth. That felt like a blow to his dignity.
He had no choice but to muster up the courage, awkwardly smiling and saying, "I’ve been busy with cultivation, haven’t had much time."
Changyi Princess said disappointedly, "I see."
Li Changhao was at a loss for words. Changyi Princess’s beauty made him feel strongly oppressed and suffocated.
Changyi Princess smiled sweetly,
"Do you have time now?"
"...I suppose I do." Li Changhao couldn’t discern what he was saying.
"Then... would you like to see me perform?" Changyi Princess blinked her eyes, seemingly capable of speech.
The syllables of "want" were stuck in Li Changhao’s throat, unable to come out, and the bitter taste at the corners of his mouth seemed to be able to corrode his teeth.
Changyi Princess felt disappointed seeing him not respond,
"You actually don’t like my performances, do you."
"No, no! I really like them! Your dance steps are extremely beautiful, the most beautiful I’ve ever seen!" Li Changhao desperately explained, "Especially the third part ’Startled Swan Step’ in ’Song of Qing Waters,’ definitely the best ’Startled Swan Step’ under the sky!"
Changyi Princess blushed and said, "Is it really that good?"
"Yes! Definitely yes! I swear to heaven, it’s absolutely the best!"
Changyi Princess slyly laughed, "Alright, alright, no need to swear, I understand." She looked around and then blinked and asked, "I have some time before I go to the Illusion Immortal Tower... if you have time, would you like to... come sit in my Grotto Heaven?"
At that moment, Li Changhao forgot to think.
When he regained his senses, he was already in Changyi Princess’s Grotto Heaven.
Just as he imagined, Changyi Princess’s Grotto Heaven was filled with all kinds of beautiful, fragrant Spirit Plants, the setting was as quiet as a mountain forest.
Changyi Princess served him tea and snacks, smiling,
"Don’t be shy."
Li Changhao dared not face this face directly, afraid of being perceived as uninterested, so he desperately stuffed snacks into his mouth. These high-class snacks from a premium dining establishment were so delicious they almost made him cry.
Changyi Princess held her cheek and chuckled,
"Actually, when I first saw you, I was quite mindful and always wanted to have a good conversation with you. Unfortunately, I didn’t see you afterward. So, I’m very happy to meet you today."
Li Changhao choked, coughing desperately.
Changyi Princess handed him water. In accepting it, he accidentally touched her hand, startled and failing to catch the cup, which fell to the ground.
"I’m sorry, I’m sorry..." He turned pale, quickly apologizing.
"It’s fine." Changyi Princess smiled, her fingers twirling, causing the spilled tea on the floor to gather back, spotless, perfectly returning to the cup.
Li Changhao was stunned.
As a cultivator, he knew that to manipulate Qi to such a degree required being at least in the mid-stage Fetal Movement Realm, or even in the Integration Realm.
While he was merely at the Late Stage of Nascent Soul.
He stared blankly at Changyi Princess, unable to utter a word.
Changyi Princess smiled and said, "You seem to be in a bad mood. Would you like... me to dance for you?"
Li Changhao nodded like a puppet.
Changyi Princess gracefully stood up, and the scene within the Grotto Heaven changed with her movements. Soon, it transformed into a splendid stage. And Li Changhao, sitting in the center of the front row in the audience, was in the best spot.
Changyi Princess began dancing the "Qingshui Play" from their first meeting.
The graceful dance steps tread on Li Changhao’s heart.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
His heartbeat was loud, like thunder.
"So beautiful..." he murmured.
In the third segment of "Qingshui Play," Changyi Princess’s dance steps changed from being gentle to incredibly magnificent and proud.
This was his favorite Startled Swan Step.
At the moment the Startled Swan Step settled,
his emotions reached their peak, an unprecedented sense of joy enveloped him.
At this moment, he felt like the happiest person in the world. He felt he had reached the ultimate goal pursued by every seeker of the Dao.
With the end of the dance,
Changyi Princess stood on the stage, smiling as she said to him,
"From now on, I’ll only dance for you, okay?"
Li Changhao smiled and replied,
"Okay."
This was the beautiful life he wanted.
How could one refuse happiness placed right in front of them?
He stepped onto the stage and danced with Changyi Princess, heading towards the culmination of desire.
...
"Bang!"
The loud collision startled the passengers waiting at the Immortal Vehicle Station.
They turned their heads towards the direction of the sound, only to see someone had fallen.
The station’s staff quickly rushed over,
"Hey! Fellow Daoist, are you okay? Fellow Daoist, can you hear me?"
"No, his soul is shattered, the foundation has collapsed!"
"Heart failure... irretrievable..."
"Fellow Daoist..."
The voices around him grew fainter.
Li Changhao’s vision fell into darkness, and the darkness returned to nothingness.
"He’s dead."
"However, he looked quite happy!"
Li Changhao’s face was filled with a blissful smile.
The next moment,
his body suddenly jerked, emitting creaking sounds.
The others were startled, quickly stepping back.
They saw Li Changhao suddenly stand up, opening his eyes. He still smiled, and even his eyes shimmered with a strange light. But, there was no sign of life in him, and one couldn’t sense any movement of his soul.
What sustained his activity was a bizarre aura.
"Wha... what’s happening here?"
Someone nearby recognized the aura around Li Changhao, their face suddenly paled, and they shouted,
"It’s Demonic Qi, Demonic Qi! He’s a Demon Cultivator, everyone, disperse immediately!"
The Immortal Vehicle Station descended into chaos, the officials responsible for security hurried to maintain order, attempting to control Li Changhao.
But soon, a second person fell, quickly becoming just like Li Changhao, with a blissful smile on their face, eyes filled with an attacking gaze, surrounded by eerie Demonic Qi, moving like a zombie.
Then the third,
The fourth,
The fifth...
More and more, even including the court officials.
The order of the entire Immortal Vehicle Station was utterly shattered, becoming a chaotic demonic ground.
Such terrifying events were not only happening at this Immortal Vehicle Station, but were springing up wildly and uncontrollably throughout the entire Changning City and its surrounding counties, like mushrooms after rain.
Streams of Demonic Qi, like dark clouds, swiftly obscured the night sky over Changning City.
Numerous brilliant lanterns trembled violently, swaying on the verge of collapse.
On a certain street,
Du Changge squeezed through the panicked crowd, murmuring,
"More than I expected... bodies burned by desire without souls... Who stole their souls?"