Forgotten Photo Studio

Chapter 132 Obtaining the Jade Cicada Again
"This thing can perfectly conceal the aura of the living, but it needs the power of the soul as sustenance. This is its domineering nature, and also its danger. Ordinary soul-suppressing jades do not have such characteristics. Master Zhou, since you have been with this cicada, you must know this well."

These words precisely capture the core characteristics and contradictions of the black jade cicada, with every detail pointing directly to its essence.

This is precisely the record of such secret treasures in the "Eighteen Secret Records". It would be impossible to speak so accurately and without doubt if one did not truly know its origins.

Chen Zhiwei's words were tantamount to a direct confrontation, indicating that they knew a great deal about this thing and were not people who could be easily fooled.

Zhou Wenbin's eyes flickered violently. Chen Zhiwei's words were like a key, precisely unlocking a safe in his heart.

The other party may actually know the origin of the Jade Cicada.

"Hmph, so what if you know a little bit?" Zhou Wenbin forced himself to remain calm, but his tone was not as tough as before. "Even if it originally had an owner, it's my good fortune to have it in my hands!"

"A stroke of luck?" Xu Yan picked up the conversation, his tone tinged with sarcasm. "Master Zhou, the 'Eighteen Gates Secret Records' you've been practicing is probably not the complete version, or... you simply haven't mastered the proper method, have you? Otherwise, with your aptitude and years of hard work, how could you only be able to command some insignificant wandering souls, unable to even summon a decent E-rank ghost general? You even had to resort to 'filthy ghosts,' a poisonous way to quench your thirst, to improve your Yin power, making yourself neither human nor ghost?"

These words were like poisoned needles, piercing Zhou Wenbin's sore spot!
His face instantly turned extremely ugly, which was the greatest resentment and pain in his heart!
He had never demonstrated this secret technique in public, so how did the other party know it, and even know the level at which he could summon ghosts?

"You're talking nonsense!" Zhou Wenbin roared, his body surging with uncontrollable yin energy. "What do you know?! That's because Master is biased! It's because my inheritance is incomplete!"

"Incomplete inheritance?" Xu Yan sneered, taking a step forward. His invisible aura forced Zhou Wenbin's condensed Yin energy to pause. "The true core of the 'Eighteen Gates Secret Records' lies in 'Communicating with the Netherworld' and 'Controlling the Soul.' It emphasizes using one's own spiritual thoughts as a guide to communicate with and control higher-level beings, rather than relying on external defilements! You've gone down the wrong path, misguided your cultivation, and now you blame the incomplete inheritance?"

Just then, Chen Zhiwei raised her hand at the opportune moment, holding the ancient soul-suppressing bell in her palm. She did not shake it, but simply let it naturally emanate a pure and peaceful aura, which contrasted sharply with the chaotic and turbid yin energy on Zhou Wenbin's body.

She spoke softly, yet it was as if a calming stone had been cast into the turbulent lake of Zhou Wenbin's heart:

“Master Zhou, the backlash from the ‘Evil-Eating Ghost’ has penetrated deep into your heart meridian. If it is not removed soon, the next Midnight-Noon Pain may damage the very source of your soul. My senior brother’s ‘Purifying Yin Talisman’ is a legitimate method of restraint, not an empty boast. Although the Jade Cicada is a treasure to you, it is ultimately an external object. The antidote will save your path of cultivation and your life. You should know in your heart which is more important.”

Xu Yan and Chen Zhiwei, one with sharp words, directly pointing out the fundamental errors in the path, and the other with pure aura, highlighting the life-or-death crisis.

The two worked together seamlessly, employing both soft and hard tactics, demonstrating both profound insight and providing practical solutions and ways out.

Anger, resentment, and doubt clashed violently across Zhou Wenbin's face. He stared intently at Xu Yan, then glanced at the composed Chen Zhiwei, especially at the Soul-Suppressing Bell in her hand that had slightly calmed his agitated Yin energy. Not only did she know his situation inside and out, but she had also pointed out the fundamental flaws in his cultivation—something no ordinary extortion could achieve.

But he was unwilling to hand over the jade cicada just like that!
That was not only a treasure, but also a symbol of his ten years of forbearance.

Just as he was struggling with his inner turmoil, and his Yin energy fluctuated violently between calming down and exploding, Xu Yan flicked his finger, which was hidden in his sleeve, with extreme secrecy. A subtle, almost imperceptible fluctuation of spiritual energy, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, precisely disturbed the extremely unstable Qi node in Zhou Wenbin's body, which was already being eroded by the "Filthy Ghost".

"Ugh—!"

Caught off guard, Zhou Wenbin let out a painful growl, his whole body hunched over as if struck by an invisible hammer.

He clutched his lower abdomen tightly with both hands, his face drained of color, veins bulging, and large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. A chilling pain, more intense and sharp than ever before, felt like countless icy needles stabbing wildly within his meridians and internal organs.

This is a sign that the backlash from the "filth-eating demon" has been triggered prematurely and is intensifying.

He tried to circulate his Yin energy to resist, but the filthy backlash was like a leech clinging to his bone. The more he resisted, the more violently it eroded him, making it almost impossible for him to breathe, and his vision would go black intermittently.

Xu Yan calmly watched him struggle in pain until Zhou Wenbin was almost unable to support himself and collapsed to his knees. Only then did he step forward, his fingers like swords, the pure yang energy emanating from the fragment of the "Pure Yin Talisman" swirling around his fingertips, and swiftly placed them on Zhou Wenbin's Tanzhong acupoint.

A gentle yet firm current of warmth instantly flowed in. Although it could not immediately dispel the backlash, it was like lighting a bonfire in the boundless cold night, forcibly suppressing and isolating the rampant, chilling pain.

Zhou Wenbin gasped for breath, as if he had been rescued from drowning. He slumped against the wall, his body drenched in cold sweat. His eyes were filled with shock and lingering fear as he looked at Xu Yan, along with a hint of disbelief.

Not only could the opponent see through it, but they could also so precisely trigger and temporarily control this backlash?!
“Now,” Xu Yan’s voice was calm and even, yet carried an undeniable power, “do you believe me now? I can resolve this backlash. Yu Chan, in exchange for your cultivation path and your life, is this choice still difficult to make?”

Zhou Wenbin was breathing heavily, and the last trace of struggle on his face disappeared, leaving only the weakness of surviving a disaster and the dejection of finally accepting reality.

He seemed to have lost all his strength to speak, and could only nod with difficulty and a very small gesture.

He dared not hesitate any longer, and with trembling hands, he leaned against the wall, staggered, and turned back into the house.

A moment later, he came out carrying the simple wooden box, and with almost his last bit of strength, he handed it to Xu Yan.

“Take…take it…” His voice was hoarse and dry, “Jade Cicada…for you…to save me…”

Xu Yan took the wooden box, opened it to confirm that the jet-black, thin jade cicada lay safely inside, and then neatly put it away.

He then stuffed the "Purifying Yin Talisman" into Zhou Wenbin's hand.

"This talisman will ensure your safety tonight. Tomorrow at this time, I will come to completely remove it for you." Xu Yan's tone carried a convincing certainty.

Zhou Wenbin clutched the tassel fragment tightly, as if grasping at his only lifeline.

He watched Xu Yan and Chen Zhiwei turn and leave, disappearing into the darkness of the alley, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Today's defeat was certainly humiliating, but the methods and understanding of "Tao" displayed by the opponent gave him a glimpse of the possibility of... breaking free from the quagmire and getting back on the right path.

(End of this chapter)