Batian Martial Soul

Those simple truths that we thought we already knew have been given a new and more profound brilliance under the guidance of thirteen ancient sages.

Lingxiao felt as if he had been parched for a long time and had received timely rain. His sea of ​​consciousness surged with a tremendous spiritual tide, frantically absorbing the inherited wisdom from the origin of the Evil Insect Path, completely forgetting the passage of time in the outside world.

Outside the hall, in the desolate courtyard behind the ancient hall.

The woman in white did not go far. She walked slowly along the dust-covered stone path to a solitary bamboo house on the edge of the cliff.

The bamboo house was simple and dilapidated, with its door ajar and covered with the marks of time. Inside, there was only a stone table covered with a thousand years of dust, and nothing else.

She stood quietly outside the bamboo house, gazing at the floating starry sky and the rain of stellar debris in the distance, her figure ethereal, and remained silent for a long time.

Starlight flowed around her in a hazy glow, creating a mesmerizing halo that made her figure appear even more unreal, as if she would merge into the sea of ​​stars and vanish without a trace at any moment.

After a long while, a very soft whisper dissipated with the wind, carrying an indescribable sense of melancholy and persistence, as if afraid to disturb the sleeping years within the bamboo house.

"By reversing time and shattering the cycle of reincarnation... can we truly find the lost stars again...?"

Below the cliff, only the eternal star wind howls, as if in response, or perhaps in sigh.

She stood silently for a moment, then with a gentle flick of her white robe, she turned and left. Her slender figure slowly blended into the enormous shadow cast by the ancient hall, disappearing without a trace, as if she had never been there.

Inside the hall, one is unaware of the rotation of the sun and moon; only the faint starlight seeping through the ceiling etches the passage of time onto the ground.

Ling Xiao's seated figure resembled an ancient stone sculpture, but the demonic aura surrounding him was quietly transforming. Initially, it was as chaotic as tangled hemp, shimmering with dazzling, mixed light; gradually, it condensed into a solid, silvery-gray airflow, coiling around his body like a dragon; finally, it all receded, transforming into a layer of lustrous, black jade-like luster, flowing close to his skin, unassuming yet exuding unfathomable depth.

Around him, the thirteen illusory demonic forces had faded to the level of morning mist, almost merging with the faint light flowing through the hall. Only the demonic radiance at the core continued to flicker stubbornly, as if witnessing the completion of the inheritance.

On this day, Ling Xiao suddenly opened his tightly closed eyes!

Two beams of pure demonic light flashed from his eyes, like stars breaking through the night, instantly illuminating the dust in the corner of the hall.

There was no longer any confusion in his eyes, only a clear, mirror-like clarity. Deep within his eyes, a spark of demonic intent lay dormant like a star, still yet undying—a sign that the "Demon Soul" was beginning to take shape.

He slowly rose, his bones crackling with a crisp sound. Each step he took resonated perfectly with the demonic energy flowing within him, shattering the silent air in the hall.

Facing the thirteen almost invisible phantom figures ahead, he solemnly bowed deeply to the ground, his voice filled with heartfelt respect.

"Junior Ling Xiao thanks all the seniors for their kindness in saving me!"

The white-haired old man's silhouette had faded to just a faint outline, but his voice carried a sense of satisfaction that transcended the years, like the gentle tolling of an ancient bell.

How are you feeling now?

Ling Xiao felt the completely different demonic intent within his body. It was no longer stagnant or weak, but flowed smoothly as if it were his own arm or fingers. Every strand of it carried the purity that came from his heart. He said in a deep voice.

"Like the sun breaking through the clouds, the true face of the demonic path is revealed."

"I believe that... everything that has happened in the past is just the beginning, and everything is just starting."

"it is good!"

"What a wonderful 'just beginning'!"

The old man laughed heartily, filled with boundless relief and anticipation for the inheritance; even the phantom trembled slightly with excitement.

"My Evil Insect Path has finally found a successor!"

Ling Xiao bowed again, his forehead touching the ground.

"I will never forget the kindness of my senior in imparting knowledge and resolving my doubts. I will definitely carry forward the Evil Insect Path in the future!"

"There is no need for thanks."

The old man's voice gradually lowered, but his tone was exceptionally gentle, carrying a sense of intimacy that transcended time and space.

"We're... family..."

"My family?"

Ling Xiao suddenly looked up, a strong look of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Senior, what do you mean by this?"

"This junior has no prior connection with the Evil Insect Path!"

The old man's illusory figure paused slightly, then turned to look at the blue-skirted woman's illusory figure beside him, which was also about to dissipate, his gaze carrying a hint of inquiry.

The woman's illusory figure chuckled softly, her voice gentle yet concealing a hidden meaning.

"He seems... to be completely unaware of his own origins."

"Please enlighten me, senior!"

Ling Xiao stepped forward, eagerly pressing for answers, his mind churning with countless speculations. Could it be that his background was intricately connected to the Evil Insect Path?
The old man's illusory figure remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head, his voice as faint as a candle flickering in the wind.

"Some things are better left undone if the time is not right."

"When the time comes, the truth will come out."

"Now that your path is clear, you only need to remember your original aspiration and forge ahead."

"Remember, as long as the light in your heart remains extinguished, the demonic path will endure forever."

As soon as he finished speaking, the thirteen illusory figures transformed into countless tiny specks of light, swirling and dancing in the hall like fireflies. As they passed over Ling Xiao, they carried a warm, inherited power. Finally, two or three of the brightest specks merged into his brow, forming a barely perceptible insect-shaped mark, before quietly disappearing as if they had never existed.

The original aspiration remains, the demonic path endures forever...

Ling Xiao stood alone in the empty hall, his fingertips lightly tracing the hidden mark between his brows, repeatedly pondering the eight characters. After a long while, he exhaled a deep breath, his eyes shining with determination, and turned to walk out of the hall.

Starlight fell on my shoulders again, carrying the coolness of the night dew.

The woman in white stood beneath the black-clad statue in front of the hall, her robes fluttering gently, as if she had remained motionless there ever since he entered the hall.

"how?"

She asked, her gaze behind the thin light seemingly able to penetrate the surface and reach the transformation deep within his demonic soul.

"I have benefited immensely and have undergone a complete transformation."

Ling Xiao responded truthfully, his eyes filled with an unprecedented clarity and certainty.

"I have now firmly grasped the threshold of 'Demon Soul'. My ability to control demonic intent and power is far beyond what I used to be."

"Indeed, I have not let down the legacy of my thirteen old friends."

The woman in white nodded, her tone unusually tinged with approval.

"Well then, it's time to go to the next place."

"where?"

Ling Xiao pressed for more information, his heart already filled with anticipation.

The woman in white smiled slightly, the curve of which appeared even more mysterious and unpredictable in the dim light. She raised her hand and pointed to the depths of the dense forest, where there was absolute darkness that even starlight could not penetrate, like the mouth of a giant beast that devoured everything. A low roar could be faintly heard from the depths of the darkness, exuding a chilling and ferocious aura.

"A trial ground created specifically for the demonic path."

Her voice drifted on the starlight breeze, carrying a hint of cold allure.

"The strong see it as a furnace for tempering their magical foundation and breaking through their shackles, while the weak... will only become food for the monsters within, buried in the wilderness."

She paused, her gaze falling on Ling Xiao's eyes, as if testing his courage.

"That place is called 'The Abyss of Demons'."

Throughout history, countless brilliant demonic cultivators have perished in that darkness.

"Do you dare to go?" (End of Chapter)