Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 146 Calling the Name to Summon the Soul, Contemplating the Sun and Moon (10,000 words, seeking subscriptions)

Interior view!
That's the fourth realm among the seven realms of Qi Refining, and it's also a huge watershed.

Upon entering this realm, cultivators can open up an inner world within their bodies, resulting in a tremendous qualitative change in their strength—a completely different concept from the Sea Condensation Realm.

In Yuhuo County, Cong Bo of Ninghai Realm was already a top expert who dominated the area.

Even in a large place like Qingzhou Prefecture, a master of the Inner Realm would be considered a giant, capable of founding a sect or holding a high position such as a prefectural governor in the imperial court's Demon Slaying Division.

Therefore, the value of a pill that can help someone advance to the Inner Realm is self-evident.

"Why would Tianjian Manor sell such a precious elixir?" Chen Ye was filled with doubt.

Tianjian Manor is the largest sect in Qingzhou, renowned for its sword cultivators. It possesses immense strength and unfathomable depth.

Logically speaking, they should keep such a strategic treasure for their own use, so why would they be willing to put it up for auction?

"You don't understand," Su Yuan explained in a mature tone, "The most powerful thing about Tianjian Manor is its swordsmanship, not its alchemy. This Breakthrough Pill was probably obtained from some ancient ruins, or maybe they just killed some alchemy master and stole it."

"This kind of pill is only useful for cultivators at the peak of the Sea Condensation Realm. There are definitely not many people in the Heavenly Sword Manor who meet this condition, and even if there are, they may not be stuck at the bottleneck. So instead of letting it rot in your hands or waiting for decades to use it, it is better to take advantage of this trade fair to exchange it for a large amount of cultivation resources that can be used immediately."

"I guess they definitely want to concentrate all their resources to cultivate their so-called genius young master and help him reach a higher level."

Su Yuan's analysis was so logical that Chen Ye couldn't help but nod in approval.

Although this woman usually seems crazy, she's actually quite clear-headed when it really matters.

"Come on, let's go check out the third floor." Su Yuan pulled Chen Ye along, heading upstairs with great interest.

The third floor of the attic will be the venue for tomorrow's auction.

At this moment, the entrance to the third floor was surrounded by layers of disciples from Tianjian Manor and armored soldiers from Qingzhou Prefecture, creating a solemn and respectful atmosphere.

To enter the third floor, you must present an invitation or undergo asset verification to prove that you have the financial means to participate in the auction.

Chen Ye and Su Yuan were naturally kept outside.

"What's the big deal? If they won't let us in, we won't." Su Yuan curled her lip, looking disdainful.

But Chen Ye sensed a hint of ill intent in her darting eyes.

He had no doubt that if it weren't for the fact that they were in public, this girl would have definitely let the Gu worms sneak in to watch the show.

After returning from the inner pavilion, Chen Ye clearly felt that the atmosphere in the city had changed.

The number of cultivators on the street was several times greater than in the previous two days, and among them were many imposing figures, mostly experts at the Sea Condensation Realm, clearly there for the Breakthrough Pill.

"Looks like there's going to be a good show tomorrow."

Su Yuan sat by the window of the inn, munching on a candied hawthorn she had bought from who-knows-where, while watching the endless stream of people below. Her little face was full of excitement, as if she didn't care if there was a lot of excitement.

Chen Ye, however, did not share her enthusiasm.

The ups and downs of the outside world had nothing to do with him, a penniless man.

All he needs to do now is seize every moment to improve his skills.

Chen Ye returned to his room, closed the door, and entered a meditative state once again.

He first used the Golden Toad Swallowing Qi Method to circulate his internal energy through several cycles, adjusting his essence, energy, and spirit to their optimal state.

Then he took out the long sword that had been nurtured overnight.

The moment my hand gripped the hilt of the knife, a feeling of blood connection welled up within me.

He could clearly feel the blade trembling slightly, conveying an emotion akin to joy.

A smile appeared on Chen Ye's face. He then activated his internal energy again and began to nurture the blade according to the method of the blade nurturing technique.

With the experience from the first time, he was much more adept this time.

The internal energy, like a gentle stream, continuously seeped into the blade, cleansing away impurities and nourishing the newly born, faint blade spirit.

Under the gaze of the Asura's Eye, Chen Ye saw the energy halo inside the blade becoming brighter and purer at a visible speed.

And that glimmer of light representing the soul of the sword also grew stronger.

Cultivation takes no time.

When Chen Ye awoke from his deep cultivation once more, it was already late at night outside the window.

He let out a long breath, feeling as if his mind and the knife had been cleansed.

Although his cultivation level did not increase significantly, he felt that his combat power had indeed improved considerably.

If I were to face a puppet like the Ghost Bride again now, I definitely wouldn't be as pathetic as before.

Chen Ye was confident that, thanks to the strange connection between himself and the sword, his Needle Blade Technique would be able to unleash 120% of its power!

Just as Chen Ye was feeling pleased with his progress, a strong sense of crisis suddenly welled up from the bottom of his heart.

Chen Ye's body tensed up instantly, like a cheetah poised to pounce, with all his muscles entering their most perfect fighting state.

He suddenly opened his eyes, a terrifying blood-red light flashing in them.

Eye of Asura, activate!
The crimson vision instantly covered the entire room, and even the surrounding area of ​​dozens of meters.

However, to Chen Ye's dismay, everything appeared normal in his field of vision.

The inn rooms were empty, and there was no sound in the corridor.

Su Yuan next door was breathing steadily, seemingly fast asleep.

The fat shopkeeper and waiter downstairs had already turned off the lights and gone to bed.

The entire inn was shrouded in a deathly silence.

There were no enemies, no murderous intent, and not even the slightest abnormal energy fluctuation.

But the fatal sense of crisis in his heart did not dissipate; on the contrary, it became even stronger.

what happened?

Chen Ye's brows furrowed tightly.

He trusted his intuition, especially after changing his class to Asura Blade, where this premonition of danger had almost become an instinct.

If you sense danger, then danger must exist.

However, the enemy was approaching him in a way that he could not understand, and even the Eye of Asura could not perceive it.

Just as he was fully focused, alert to any movement around him.

A fleeting voice rang in his ear without warning.

"Chen...ye..."

The voice wasn't loud, but it possessed a magical power that penetrated the soul, clearly reaching his ears.

Chen Ye's pupils suddenly contracted, and at that moment, the sound in his ears became even louder.

"Chen...ye...Chen...ye..."

Each call was like an invisible hammer, striking his soul hard and making his brain spin.

What's even more terrifying is that, as the voice kept calling, Chen Ye felt an incredibly strong urge to answer!

It was as if just one word from him could stop the annoying noise.

As soon as he responds, he knows exactly who the other person is and what they want.

The moment this thought appeared, it was like wildly growing weeds, instantly taking over his mind.

Say yes!
Say yes!

Chen Ye clenched his teeth so tightly that they cracked, veins bulged on his forehead, and beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks as he desperately suppressed the impulse that came from the depths of his soul.

Chen Ye knew very well that once he agreed, it would be equivalent to establishing an unbreakable connection between himself and the unknown caster.

At that point, my life and death will probably truly be in the hands of the other party.

Chen Ye's spiritual power surged violently as he attempted to dispel the demonic sound that had invaded his mind.

But it didn't work.

The sound seemed invisible and intangible; although his spiritual power could temporarily resist it, it could not completely eradicate it.

Like ripples in water, they spread out but quickly gather back together.

"Chen Ye... Chen Ye... Chen Ye..."

The calls grew more urgent and louder.

At first, there was only one voice, then two, three... and finally, it seemed as if hundreds or thousands of voices, male and female, old and young, rang out in his mind at the same time, like a mountain roaring and a tsunami crashing.

The urge to speak in response had become extremely strong.

Just then, Chen Ye abruptly closed his eyes, letting the devastating, death-defying chanting echo in his mind, while his spirit sank into an endless darkness.

The hundreds and thousands of voices calling his name transformed into distorted, hideous ghost faces, pressing in from all directions to completely devour and assimilate him.

"Chen Ye...promise us...."

"Chen Ye...become one of us..."

"Chen Ye... stop resisting..."

The enchanting voice pierced his ears, tempting him, pulling him, and dragging him into an endless abyss.

Chen Ye's consciousness was trembling violently, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

Just then, Chen Ye began to visualize something.

sun!

That's right, it's the magnificent sun that he faces every morning and absorbs the first wisp of purple energy from every day!
As he visualized, a faint point of light suddenly appeared in this dark space of consciousness. The point of light was initially only the size of a pinhead, its light faint, as if it would be swallowed up by the surrounding darkness at any moment.

But Chen Ye poured all his mind and will into this point of light.

He recalled the sun's heat, its light, and its supreme majesty that illuminated all things and dispelled all evil!

Gradually, the spot of light began to grow larger.

From the tip of a needle, to a grain of rice, to the size of a fist...

Its light grew brighter and hotter!

The hideous ghost faces that had been frantically squeezing him back screamed as soon as they came into contact with the light, as if they had encountered their nemesis. They retreated with expressions of fear on their faces.

it works!

Chen Ye felt a surge of excitement and was greatly encouraged.

He focused even more intently on observing the sun.

He seemed to transform into the sun, hanging high in the sky, scorching the rolling darkness below with his endless light and heat.

boom!
Finally, when the visualized sun expanded to its limit, it suddenly burst open, turning into billions of golden rays that swept across the entire space of consciousness!

"what--!"

Those ghostly faces formed from sounds melted away like snow meeting hot water under the magnificent golden light, turning into ashes with screams.

The entire space of consciousness was dyed a brilliant gold.

The voices calling his name instantly decreased by more than 90%.

However, the darkness that was dispelled did not completely disappear.

They retreated to a corner of the consciousness space, re-coalesced, and transformed into a deeper, more viscous darkness.

The remaining voices became even more resentful and insane.

"The sun...we hate the sun..."

“Kill him… extinguish that light…”

Clearly, while pure Yang energy can suppress them, it cannot completely eradicate them.

Just as sunlight can dispel darkness, darkness will never disappear as long as shadows exist.

How to do?
Chen Ye's brows furrowed tightly.

Therefore, yang alone is not enough; yin must be present to harmonize it.

The balance of Yin and Yang is the true path!
A thought flashed through his mind like lightning.

Chen Ye recalled the description in the Golden Toad Swallowing Qi Technique: "Swallowing the moon's essence at night, and eating the purple clouds in the morning."

If there is a sun, there must also be a moon.

With a thought, Chen Ye began to meditate again.

This time, he visualized the clear, bright moon hanging high in the night sky!

He recalled the coolness of the moonlight, the tranquility of the moonlight, and the mysterious power of the moonlight to wash away the dust and illuminate the darkness.

Soon, in this golden space of consciousness, a silver crescent moon slowly emerged.

The moonlight, like water, gently spilled down.

Although the light was not as intense as sunlight, it carried a strange power that could purify people's hearts.

The darkness lurking in those corners, upon being illuminated by the moonlight, began to thin and purify at a visible speed.

The venomous roars gradually subsided, turning into sighs of relief.

it works!

Chen Ye was overjoyed.

He immediately divided his attention half to maintain the blazing sun and the other half to focus on the bright moon.

Thus, a peculiar scene appeared in Chen Ye's consciousness space.

A golden sun and a silver moon hung high in the sky at the same time.

The sun and the moon shine together!

The golden sunlight, representing the most powerful and yang force to ward off evil, forcibly scorched those ghostly faces formed from resentment into ashes.

The silvery moonlight represents the purest and gentlest purifying power, slowly washing away the roots of those curses.

The combined forces of Yin and Yang, and the balance of strength and gentleness, form a perfect cycle.

Under this radiant light of the sun and moon, the final darkness and demonic sounds have nowhere to hide.

They let out a final, unwilling howl before being completely purified, decomposed, and vanished without a trace.

The entire space of consciousness finally regained its clarity.

Yuelai Inn, Room 2, No. 2 (B)

"Huff... huff... huff..."

Chen Ye was panting heavily, his whole body drenched in cold sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of the water.

Although the dangerous battle that had just taken place at the level of consciousness did not involve bloodshed, it was more dangerous than any battle he had ever experienced.

The slightest mistake could lead to annihilation and eternal damnation.

However, risks and rewards go hand in hand.

Although the process was perilous, the rewards were equally enormous.

Chen Ye could clearly feel that his spiritual power had grown significantly stronger after the extreme tempering and life-or-death test he had just endured!
What was originally just an invisible gas has now condensed into liquid, becoming more resilient and more refined.

Moreover, the method of visualizing the sun and moon that he created on the spot seemed to have become a spiritual cultivation method, deeply imprinted in his mind.

This was definitely a pleasant surprise.

He struggled to his feet, his eyes flashing with a cold light.

"No matter who you are..."

"You dare to use such underhanded tactics to plot against me? You better not let me find out about you."

At the same time, mental exhaustion surged like a tide, making Chen Ye feel as if his eyelids weighed a ton, and he just wanted to lie down immediately and sleep for three days and three nights.

But he knew it wasn't time to rest yet.

The enemy lurking in the shadows had just launched a deadly attack. Although he had narrowly escaped it, no one could say for sure whether the enemy would launch a second or third attack.

We must find this guy as soon as possible!

He forced himself to walk to the table, poured himself a cup of cold tea, and drank it all in one gulp. The icy tea flowed down his throat, clearing his chaotic thoughts slightly.

He began to analyze the situation calmly.

This kind of name-calling curse, which directly affects the soul, must have extremely limited limitations when cast.

First, the other party must know my real name.

Secondly, the other party may need their personal belongings, such as hair or blood, as a medium for casting the spell.

Finally, this kind of evil magic is extremely vicious and cannot be mastered by ordinary cultivators. The caster must be an evil cultivator or sorcerer who is proficient in this kind of magic.

However, with so few clues, Chen Ye didn't know who had done it, so he took a deep breath and knocked on the door next door.

Beneath, bee, bee.

The knocking sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

Soon, Su Yuan's sleepy voice came from inside the room.

"What are you doing... staying up so late at night..."

"Something's happened, open the door." Chen Ye's voice was a little hoarse, but it carried an undeniable gravity.

Su Yuan next door seemed to have noticed something was wrong as well. There was a rustling sound of her dressing, and a moment later, her door was opened a crack.

Su Yuan poked her little head out, looking at Chen Ye with sleepy eyes.

But when she saw Chen Ye's pale face, she instantly sobered up.

"What happened to you? Are you hurt?" She stepped forward, her round face full of surprise. "Who did this?"

"Let's talk inside." Chen Ye didn't say anything more and turned to go back to his room.

Su Yuan quickly followed her inside and closed the door behind her.

"What's going on? I didn't hear a thing!"

With her abilities, even a mosquito flying past the door wouldn't escape her perception.

Chen Ye had clearly been through a fierce battle, but she was completely unaware of it, which made her realize the seriousness of the situation.

Chen Ye did not hide anything and briefly recounted what had just happened, including the experience of being cursed by name.

Of course, he omitted the details of how he visualized the sun and moon to break the curse, only saying that he relied on his strong soul to get through it.

After listening to Chen Ye's account, Su Yuan's expression gradually changed from surprise to seriousness.

"Tsk tsk, the technique of calling the name to summon the soul, what a clever method!"

　I had some drafts saved up before, and then I went on a two-day trip. As a result, I caught a cold, and I wrote these two chapters while running a fever. There may be omissions, please forgive me!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)