Gazing upon his current form, Zong Shou was momentarily bewildered before a sudden realization dawned in his heart. “So my spirit essence is currently manifesting as a Thunder Luan.

No wonder I shot out of that cavern, soaring ten thousand zhang in a single bound—” With a beat of his wings, arcs of electric light flickered. The scene before him rapidly receded.

In the blink of an eye, he was traversing another ten thousand zhang. He felt utterly free, unrestrained, and supremely exhilarated.

Initially, Zong Shou was awkward, but after a few circles in the sky, he gradually grew accustomed to it. His wings moved with increasing ease, gliding through the vast emptiness.

However, moments later, the surge of joy in his ‘chest’ abruptly vanished. A chilling dread washed over his heart, leaving him feeling as though his entire being had turned icy cold.

He was still only in the Spirit Nurturing realm, at most having refined his spirit essence slightly. His only previous instances of soul projection relied on the help of sandalwood incense and the spiritual array formations.

His soul (soul thought) lacked the power of spiritual communion to command the surrounding spiritual energy and protect his divine soul. Once separated too far from his physical body, the pervasive Wind Fiends of heaven and earth alone were enough to shatter his soul.

Not to mention the fierce sunlight and Solar Essence Fire during the day; only after his spirit returned to its vessel and reached the Sun Roaming realm could he disregard them. The spectral ghosts and spirits of the world often ignited upon contact with light.

The essence of a human soul, fundamentally, was much the same. A tremor of fear struck Zong Shou, and he re-examined his surroundings.

After a moment, he finally felt a measure of relief. Though it was evening, the Solar Essence Fire was still intense.

Furthermore, the area around Corpse Demon Mountain was swept by powerful mountain winds. Yet, in his Thunder Luan form, faint wisps of violet lightning coiled around him.

For some unknown reason, not only did the sunlight and Solar Essence Fire fail to reach him, but even the mighty mountain gales could not penetrate his aura. “Is my current state due to that rune within my Sea of Consciousness?

By taking this form, I can apparently avoid the constraints of these mountain winds and sunlight!” Shaking his head slightly in confusion, Zong Shou tentatively tried to manipulate the nearby water vapor and dust motes. He could only summon a minuscule amount, the size of a grain of rice; the rest remained utterly still.

The surrounding spiritual energy showed little change either. Only faint sparks of electricity converged, making the violet lightning enveloping him denser.

With another dive, his sharp talons beneath his belly suddenly lashed out. He managed to snatch a tree branch over ten zhang long and as thick as a thigh, hauling it aloft.

His form only wobbled slightly before stabilizing, and he felt no strain. “In this Thunder Luan body, I possess a staggering force of two thousand five hundred jin!

Only slightly less potent than my physical body. If my spirit essence were outside this Luan bird form, I wonder what my strength would be?

It surely wouldn't match this current state!” Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. Zong Shou also felt a growing fatigue in his body and began contemplating a return.

Then, his heart stirred, and he remembered Gong Xinran, who had separated from him not long ago. “I wonder how things are going for Gong Xinran on her end?

That Gao Yi always gives me cause for concern. My current form is perfect for going to check things out—” When he said ‘not long ago,’ the time it took him to absorb the essence of the Thunder Luan egg and seal it within his body had actually spanned half a day.

By now, his Martial Sister must already be on the path down the mountain, whether she had found her ancestor’s relics or not. Corpse Demon Mountain was safest during the day.

But once night fell, especially around the midnight hour (Zishi), it truly became a place of death worthy of its name. With this thought, Zong Shou’s left and right wings beat again, and he suddenly charged toward the mountainside of Corpse Demon Mountain.

As soon as he drew near, he felt a powerful mental force interfering with his soul, causing his consciousness to momentarily blur, almost dissipating the Thunder Luan form. But in the next instant, Zong Shou let out a cold snort.

A fierce, deeply buried will suddenly erupted from the depths of his divine soul. It collided head-on with this mental force, driving it out of his consciousness without yielding an inch.

He knew this must be the lingering spiritual remnant of that peerless alien expert who had perished—the very thing that prevented Martial Cultivators and Spirit Masters above the Innate and Soul Projection realms from daring to approach. Zong Shou, however, hesitated not at all.

He spread his form and continued to crash into Corpse Demon Mountain. After gliding here for a few moments, he located the trail of Gong Xinran and the others.

But Zong Shou’s consciousness grew heavy. Along this path, he had seen no traces of ferocious beasts.

Yet, he had encountered streaks of blood, one after another. Dotted upon the ground, their color was a brilliant, deep red.

“This blood is still warm; it must have been spilled not long ago—” His wings beat again, and his body deftly weaved around the giant mountain. The next moment, several figures appeared before him.

And Zong Shou’s eyes, condensed from soul power, widened with profound shock at that instant! Below him, Gong Xinran, who had been vibrant and cheerful just half a day earlier, was now pinned firmly to a gorgeously blooming peach tree by a shimmering sword.

Her face was as pale as paper, with only the rise and fall of her chest remaining. Her eyes, which should have been like the gentle autumn waters, were now utterly lifeless.

Her gaze conveyed no pain, no fear, nor despair, only a look of devastating heartache and utter desolation as she stared fixedly ahead. Beside the peach tree stood several others.

They were Gao Yi and the six Secret Martial Masters. The former wore a bizarre smile, idly turning an object over in his hand.

The others watched with expressions ranging from pity, mockery, to contempt. Thunderlight exploded around Zong Shou, and spreading his wings once more, he swooped down.

Just as he approached, he saw Gao Yi suddenly wave his hand again, delivering a sharp smack to Gong Xinran’s face. Simultaneously, Gao Yi chuckled lightly, “Regretting it now?

Do you think I, Gao Yi, am heartless and unjust? Do you even know how long I spent by your side for this object—a full two years?

Two years simply to accompany you, you ugly girl, to win your favor. Do you know how exhausted I was?” Zong Shou’s eyes sharpened again.

A furious rage surged into his heart. Just as he prepared to strike, an overwhelming, profound fatigue suddenly washed over him.

The surrounding thunder light dissipated significantly, fading until it was almost indiscernible. Fortunately, by this time, the last ray of sunlight in the sky had vanished.

Though howling gales raged around him, they still could not draw near. However, Zong Shou was utterly weak and could only descend silently onto a tree branch.

Then, pouring forth all his strength, he began absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy, attempting to recover his vigor. Whether it was due to Zong Shou’s caution or the residual will of the ancient alien peerless martial cultivator in Corpse Demon Mountain, Gao Yi failed to notice him.

Gao Yi merely shook his head faintly, “If you must hate, hate yourself! Clearly knowing you are without looks or talent, why would you ever think I, Gao Yi, would genuinely like you?

And why would you presume you could marry into my Gao family and become its future matriarch?” Gong Xinran’s delicate head tilted to the side, her disheveled hair completely obscuring her pale face, making it impossible to discern her expression. Gao Yi seemed rather bored and shook his head slightly.

“Forget it. After all, you and I have been together for two years; I shouldn't be too harsh!

Now that I have obtained this secret manual of martial arts personally authored by the Three Sages, there is no need for me, Gao Yi, to make things difficult for you!” Hearing this, Zong Shou looked closely and finally realized that the object Gao Yi held in his hand was a book bound in gold-laced silk, over four fingers thick and exceedingly heavy. After a smile, Gao Yi was about to turn away, but he suddenly remembered something and halted his steps.

“I almost forgot! I once swore an oath to you that we two would be together for all eternity, never abandoning each other, even in death—”