Chapter 41: Rank of the Soul

No sooner thought than done.

Si Chen stopped entangling himself with the maddened demons and humans. He activated Thunder Smite Flash again, his figure moving like lightning.

This time it was not merely to evade — he deliberately began circling the massive blood pool at high speed.

As he moved, he gathered the vitality of wood and grass from within his body, and every so often he would press his hand to the ground, "planting" a Spear of Thunder into the earth.

Each spear sank halfway into the ground with a crisp, bird-like crack.

This was the same formation technique he had used when he killed Lü Yan — only this time, the purpose was not to slay enemies...

Before long, the area surrounding the blood pool was bristling with Spears of Thunder.

At the same time, the vast reserves of wood-and-grass vitality accumulated through the Yimu Everspring Art had swelled to their peak, the warm and gentle emerald radiance nearly bursting through his skin.

The moment had come!

Si Chen hesitated no longer. With a flash of his figure, he leapt directly into the thick, dark-red blood pool!

Splash!

The pool water was ice-cold and bone-piercing, a stark contrast to the surging vitality within him.

Almost the instant he entered the water, the vast reserves of wood-and-grass vitality hidden deep within his flesh and blood erupted like a bursting dam!

Hum——!

With him at the center, a dense emerald radiance exploded outward, forcibly driving back the surrounding darkness.

The small patch of pool water around him began to change color at a visible rate, shifting from an unsettling dark red toward a warm red that pulsed with vitality.

Yet this action was like poking a hornet's nest.

The humans and demons with bloodshot eyes seemed to sense the presence of a natural enemy. They let out uneasy shrieks and turned as one, surging toward Si Chen in the blood pool like a tide!

At that very moment, Si Chen formed a one-handed seal and raised it upward.

"Rise!"

Crackle——!

The Spears of Thunder he had planted earlier were all triggered simultaneously. Blinding arcs of electricity burst from each spear, connecting with one another, and in an instant they formed a massive net of thunder and lightning that enveloped the entire blood pool!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The maddened creatures at the front slammed into the electric net and were immediately convulsed by the current, screaming as they were flung backward, scorched black smoke rising from their bodies.

The electric net successfully blocked most of the frenzied cultivators and Demon Beasts outside.

Yet the true threat had always been those two colossal figures.

Roar——!

Heishan let out a thunderous bellow. Its enormous bear paw, carrying the force to tear through anything, slammed down hard upon the electric net!

Bang!

The net shuddered violently, lightning scattering in all directions — and it was smashed open by sheer brute force!

On the other side, Chifeng was even more agile. Wind blades swirled around its body, whittling away at the thunder's power, and it looked as though it too would force its way through at any moment.

Si Chen's brow furrowed slightly. He was considering whether to temporarily interrupt the purification and find a way to restrain them first —

For instance, break their legs...

He could always heal them afterward.

Just as he was genuinely about to do so...

Chirp——!!

Red Bean, who had been anxiously circling above his head, let out a clear, resonant cry!

Immediately after, the little creature's body blazed with crimson feather-light, and in an instant it transformed once more into a magnificent giant bird with a wingspan of over ten meters!

Even more astonishing — roaring flames had ignited across its scarlet feathers, illuminating the entire dim hall in a wash of red!

A wave of scorching heat rolled outward, and even Heishan and Chifeng paused for a moment.

Chirp!

Red Bean cried out again, beat its wings, and countless balls of crimson fire rained down like a meteor shower upon Heishan and Chifeng!

The flames landed on the thick fur of the two demons and did not cause severe burns, but they brought wave after wave of searing, stinging pain.

This attack completely enraged the two great demons who had lost all reason.

Their attention was instantly drawn to the "annoying fire bird" in the sky above.

Roar!

Heishan reared up on its hind legs, swinging its massive paws in an attempt to swat Red Bean down.

Chifeng leapt again and again with all its might, its sharp claws trailing fierce wind blades as it swiped at the air.

However, the flight-suppression barrier of the Dragon's Fall still held. No matter how high they jumped, they could not truly threaten Red Bean as it circled nimbly in the air.

For a time, Red Bean single-handedly used the aerial advantage granted by the barrier to successfully pin down both great Demon Beasts!

Si Chen watched Red Bean in the air — majestic, wreathed in flames — and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

He had long suspected the little creature was extraordinary, but he had not expected it to unleash such power at a critical moment.

"Well done, Red Bean!"

This was his chance — he could not let it slip! Si Chen immediately steadied his mind, sank his full consciousness inward, and drove the Yimu Everspring Art even more furiously, pouring the boundless vitality into the blood pool.

The emerald radiance expanded outward from him as its center, purifying more and more of the blood water.

Yet just as he was pouring everything into the purification, something changed!

The violent energy within the blood pool that had been driven back seemed to be provoked. It began surging madly back into Si Chen's body!

A cold, malevolent, hatred-filled consciousness rode those energies and forced its way into his sea of consciousness!

Si Chen felt his vision blur, and the scene around him changed completely.

The blood pool, the hall, the thunder, the flames, the roaring Demon Beasts — all of it vanished.

He found himself standing in a vast, empty, grey-shrouded space.

This was... a consciousness space?

Si Chen immediately understood his situation. He had once been a star, and his comprehension of consciousness and dimensions far exceeded that of ordinary beings.

At that moment, the grey mist ahead churned violently, slowly condensing into a colossal phantom —

A single horn upon its head, scales armoring its body, pupils cold and vertical — it was the Flood Dragon that refused to die even in death!

The Flood Dragon's phantom looked down at Si Chen, its cold voice carrying a trace of bewilderment as it echoed through the space: "A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator... and yet you can resist the erosion of my Flood Dragon blood?"

It studied Si Chen carefully. Before it truly was only a Foundation Establishment Stage human — and somehow even a little... ordinary?

Si Chen raised his head and looked at the massive phantom. Recalling what Heishan had called it, he asked:

"Are you that old Flood Dragon who can't rest easy even in death?"

He meant no insult by it whatsoever — it was simply that Heishan had muttered that title in front of him so many times that he said it without thinking.

Yet to the Flood Dragon's remnant soul, those words struck like nine thunderclaps from the heavens!

Can't rest easy even in death?

Old Flood Dragon?

In life, it had roamed the world as a Flood Dragon, standing only one step away from transforming into a true dragon. When had it ever been addressed with such contempt?

And from a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, no less?

"Insolence!" The Flood Dragon's phantom erupted in fury. "A mere ant dares to speak of me so?!"

Si Chen, hearing this, seemed to realize his words had indeed been impolite. He clasped his hands respectfully and said in a sincere tone: "My apologies. I chose my words poorly."

The Flood Dragon's remnant soul was taken aback, its anger cooling slightly, assuming the human had finally come to fear it.

But before it could say anything, Si Chen raised his head again, looked at it with great seriousness, and added: "If you restore my two friends outside to their original state right now, I can refrain from killing you."

"........"

The Flood Dragon's remnant soul was stunned.

What had it just heard?

Had this Foundation Establishment cultivator just said he was going to kill it?

Several seconds passed before it snapped back to its senses.

"Ha ha... ha ha ha... HA HA HA HA!!!"

Wild, mocking laughter exploded outward, shaking the entire consciousness space.

"Refrain from killing me? You? A tiny little Foundation Establishment worm?!"

The Flood Dragon laughed so hard its entire form trembled. "When I roamed heaven and earth, your ancestors eighteen generations back had not yet been born! And you dare speak such wild words?!"

It felt this was the most absurd, most laughable thing it had heard in the thousand years since its fall — no, counting its life before that as well.

"I see now..." It seemed to lose interest, its tone carrying a lofty contempt. "I thought you were someone remarkable. Turns out you're just a fool."

It looked Si Chen over again, its tone carrying the condescension of one bestowing a verdict: "Your foundation is laid fairly solidly, I'll grant you that. But your soul's essence... is pitifully weak."

Si Chen tilted his head slightly, as if trying to understand the term: "Soul's essence?"

Seeing his bewildered expression, the Flood Dragon felt even more that he was an ant, and sneered: "You have power, yet no rank of the soul to match it — like a child swinging a divine weapon. All surface strength, hollow within."

"Too worthless to consume, too wasteful to discard... Fine. You shall become nourishment for my revival, sinking into oblivion alongside those fools outside!"

Before the words had even finished, it surged forward with boundless resentment and savagery, lunging at Si Chen's consciousness!

Faced with this terrifying sight, Si Chen simply raised his head once more and looked at the Flood Dragon's phantom — so certain it controlled everything.

Not only was there no fear in him — there was, instead... a faint smile.

It was a shallow smile, yet it sent an inexplicable chill through the Flood Dragon's heart.

"In my domain..."

"...you wish to discuss my rank of the soul?"

The instant those words fell...

The entire consciousness space shuddered violently!

As though something... had descended.

Behind Si Chen, in the depths of the endless void, a point of light appeared.

That light was infinitesimally small at first — yet in an instant it expanded, spread, and filled every corner of vision!

It was not ordinary light.

It was... a sun.