Yin Yang Soul Searcher

The moment the man put his arm into the furnace, the furnace's exterior turned like lava again, and the flames that had just calmed down inside became turbulent once more.

The flames licked his arm, but this time they didn't cause him any real harm. The temperature of the flames was still within his tolerance range.

The animal hide proved useful, and the man's face lit up with surprise.

This is an animal hide from a third-grade wild boar demon. It is resistant to both cold and heat, and the boar bristles on it are also extraordinary, as sharp as those magical artifacts! He had paid a great price to exchange it for that wild boar.

The moment the man touched the scabbard, the flames inside the furnace exploded as if hot oil had been poured on them. The flames became even more volatile, and the temperature skyrocketed.

The man's face was contorted from the burns, and sweat poured down his forehead. Despite the excruciating pain of being scorched by the flames, he gritted his teeth and grabbed the sword sheath.

Just as the man grasped the scabbard...

In the courtyard.

Bai Jueming, who had just lain back on the bed and was still in a light sleep, suddenly straightened up as if out of his own control. His back, in particular, was so straight that it didn't have the slightest curve. He looked like an ancient, lifeless corpse.

Ouch! It hurts, it hurts so much.

Bai Jueming shouted uncontrollably, beads of sweat instantly appearing on his forehead, his expression as if he were wearing a mask of pain.

It felt like someone was grabbing his spine right through his skin!

Bai Jueming really wanted to yell, "Who the hell cut my kidney?!"

However, this feeling comes and goes quickly.

Just as Bai Jueming was in so much pain that he was about to faint, the feeling of being stabbed in the back inexplicably gradually disappeared.

Bai Jueming tried to move, and his straight back gradually began to bend.

Then, Bai Jueming covered his back with one hand, panting heavily, and bent over like a shrimp.

It took Bai Jueming some time to fully recover from that state.

Bai Jueming struggled to sit up, supporting himself on the headboard, and turned to look at the rain outside the window. What on earth was going on?

Throughout the original owner's eighteen years of life, his back had never experienced any problems.

Only when he first came to this world, facing those two assassins, had his back slashed open, and almost died there. In the end, it was his spine that completely healed his wounds, allowing him to return alive.

Based on my own speculation, the spine can revive itself when it is near death.

Why did I suddenly develop these symptoms today, and why is the pain so intense I can't breathe? What went wrong?

If I were to be hit like this in a fight, would I even survive? Does this spine want me to live or to die?

In the dark room, the sound of rain pattering outside the window filled the air. Bai Jueming's face was hidden in the darkness, his gaze thoughtful, his brows furrowed deeply...

Just as the man grasped the scabbard, the flames inside the furnace seemed to be stimulated by something, and the red flames instantly turned golden.

Golden flames surged toward the man's arm like a tide. Even with the protection of the pigskin, the man could no longer bear the flames inside the furnace and had to let go and pull his arm away.

"Damn it, damn it!"

The man was breathing heavily, his face flushed red from the heat. The golden flames felt to him like magma being poured onto a mortal's skin!

The pig demon skin on his arm had been burned black, and the sharp pig hair had melted away.

It seemed he couldn't take this magical artifact with him. The man glared at the artifact inside with resentment, then kicked the alchemy furnace.

The alchemy furnace remained completely still; the powerful recoil force actually broke its leg bone...

"****"

I couldn't hear what the man said, but I saw him turn around and leave, as if he had made up his mind.

After transforming into a giant eagle, it flapped its wings and flew out of the room, except that the feathers on one wing were no longer bright and shiny, but instead resembled the downy feathers of a newborn chick.

Its eagle legs were drooping, no longer as strong and powerful as they were on the city wall.

Only after flying far away did the giant eagle let out a long cry, leaving only its silhouette in the rainy night.

Shortly after the giant eagle left, two beams of light flashed in the room where Qiao Shou was, and Qiao Shou and the deputy hall master returned to the room in a disheveled state.

Qiao Shou's face was covered in blood, but his black robes, though not tattered, were stained with blood and mud. His ever-present whisk was broken in half. Clearly, the battle had left him in a sorry state.

The deputy temple master's physical condition was even worse. He was lying on the floor, completely exhausted. His blue demon mask was mostly torn, revealing a bloody mouth.

His clothes were torn to shreds, revealing deep, bone-revealing wounds.

"Hang in there a little longer."

After saying this, Qiao Shou sat on the futon and began to meditate. The half of the whisk flew up on its own and entered the alchemy furnace. A moment later, it rolled out a pill and fed it to the deputy hall master.

The deputy hall master then regained some strength and began to slowly recover his breath.

The night rain had stopped, and it wasn't until dawn that the deputy hall master recovered some of his cultivation.

He had changed into clean clothes, and the blue demon mask on his face had been restored to its original state.

Qiao Shou had fully recovered and sat on the futon, looking at the mess in the room, and said, "Tell the Grand Preceptor about our battle."

The deputy hall master nodded without saying a word.

"And this piece of paper, give it to him. It contains the information he wants to know."

After saying that, a golden piece of paper appeared in front of Qiao Shou. The paper slowly flew to the Vice Hall Master, who reached out and took it. It was still blank.

The deputy hall master didn't say much, clasped his hands in farewell, and left the room.

At this moment, his strength has not fully recovered, and he cannot fly...

In the early morning, after a night of rain, the courtyard was filled with the fragrance of flowers and plants, and the willow tree in the yard seemed to have recovered somewhat.

Bai Jueming had dark circles under his eyes, looking like he hadn't woken up properly.

It would be strange if I could sleep well. My body suddenly started cramping in the middle of the night, and I thought about it all night but still couldn't figure out why.

I got up and found that my older sister and Xiaotang had gone to work like slaves as early as ever.

After eating the breakfast prepared by his elder sister, Bai Jueming went to the Yin-Yang Palace.

Along the way, Bai Jueming carefully examined his lower back, feeling it thoroughly. There seemed to be nothing wrong; it was still as strong as steel. His spine was unchanged, so why had it been twitching so suddenly last night? How strange...

When Bai Jueming arrived at the South Gate, he found that the area around the gate had been cordoned off.

Inside the enclosure, many laborers, dressed in thin clothes, were carrying materials to build the city wall. Many soldiers in armor stood by, supervising the work.

Of course, the most beautiful sight is always those paper figures in their azure blue clothes.

At this moment, Luo Wuju rolled up his sleeves and directed the paper figures and workers to work together to repair the formation. The huge gap had already been repaired by one-third.

Bai Jueming stepped forward and greeted Luo Wuju first, then asked, "Brother Luo, what happened in the Craftsmen's Hall last night?"

I don’t know if my guess last night was right or wrong. The mastermind behind the scenes made Luo Wuju and Cheng Yanbing leave the Craftsmen’s Hall to lure them away from the mountain.

Luo Wuju dusted himself off, then asked with a puzzled look, "Why would you ask that?"

"He's someone who doesn't worry about anything..." Bai Jueming thought to himself when Luo Wuju continued, "I've been busy repairing the formation these past two days, so I haven't had time to go back."

"But I saw a teleportation light flash in the Craftsmen's Hall yesterday. Master must have gone out to take care of something. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Bai Jueming chuckled and left. It seems that to find out what happened at the Craftsmen's Hall, one can only wait for the news to spread, or go there in person.

After bidding farewell to Luo Wuju, Bai Jueming hurried towards Zhengshan Hall.

He then ran into his top lieutenant, Jia Qingshan, on the street.

He was dressed simply and eating steamed buns at a street stall, one after another, looking quite content.

It seems this rich kid is really enjoying his current status. This old servant hasn't seen the young master this happy in a long time...

"Keep eating? We're coming to collect your food!"

With a steamed bun stuffed in his mouth, Jia Qingshan turned around and saw Bai Jueming, who looked like he hadn't slept well. He quickly invited, "Brother Bai, you've come at the perfect time. Come and try these steamed buns. They're truly a delicacy!"

Steamed buns are nothing special... Bai Jueming shook his head to indicate that he had already eaten breakfast.

Jia Qingshan quickly finished breakfast and walked along the road with Bai Jueming.

Jia Qingshan remarked with some emotion, "I never expected that these street vendors could make such delicious steamed buns. They taste much better than the food cooked by the chefs at home."

They've eaten too much typical health food and never experienced anything technologically advanced or grueling. Bai Jueming is too lazy to even comment...

Just as the two were chatting, a group of people came from the direction of the imperial city at the end of their line of sight.

The white horse at the front had smooth, glossy feathers, an exquisite gold and silver bridle, and reins inlaid with dazzling gems. It looked very noble.

The leader was handsome, wearing armor and a fiery red cloak, dressed like a great general.

Behind them followed a group of well-equipped soldiers, each clad in armor, wielding spears, and with solemn expressions. Their marching formation was impeccable, clearly indicating that they were an elite force that had undergone extensive training.

The surrounding people consciously and quickly made way for them, afraid of angering the soldiers.

Some of the bolder villagers whispered, "Where is this going to be another war?"

"I haven't seen such a big event in a long time..."

"The world is in turmoil..."

Jia Qingshan squinted and looked closely, then said after recognizing the face of the leader, "It's the Third Prince."

"The Third Prince?" Bai Jueming asked in confusion, "The Third Prince is making such a grand entourage; where is he going to fight?"

"Hey, you don't know yet?" Jia Qingshan first pulled Bai Jueming to the eaves of a roadside house, watching the troop of armored soldiers carrying auspicious symbols walk past.

The third prince, who was in the lead, glanced at the eaves where the two were standing. When he saw the Yin-Yang Palace robes that Bai Jueming was wearing, he paused for a moment, nodded, and gave a friendly smile. Then he left without looking back.

After the sounds of armor clashing faded into the distance, Jia Qingshan continued, "He's going to meet the First Prince."

"To meet the Crown Prince?"