Chapter 4: The Soul from Another World

Years later, when confronted with the heart demon tribulation of the Tribulation Phase, Xie Xuan finally recalled the profound fear he once felt, dominated by the radiant light, and the humiliation of being forced to eat dirt.

Before encountering her, he had never faced such a level of humiliation.

Before coming to the Wanfo Sect, the family head had warned him that the disciples of Anger Zen were notoriously untamed and that he should treat her with the utmost respect—never to provoke her anger or tease her.

But Xie Xuan never imagined she could be this wild!

He finally understood the family head’s deeply cautious tone when discussing the Anger Zen Master.

In the world of cultivation, the human realm is divided into six major powers: four prominent sects and two powerful families. The four sects are Dayan Sect, Kunlun Sword Sect, Wanfo Sect, and Wuxiang Demon Sect. The two families are the Shengjing Wang Family and the Xie Family.

The Xie Family’s cultivation method is rather unique, requiring practitioners to be twin siblings. Among them, the most talented pair of twins is destined to lead the next generation of the Xie Family, and currently, the head of the Xie Family consists of two individuals.

The requirements of the Xie Family’s cultivation methods are exceptionally strict. The cultivation progress of the twin siblings must align perfectly, right down to the smallest increment. Even their heart demons must be of the same type, allowing their heart demon illusions to connect and intertwine.

Moreover, the affection they share must be identical; thus, every generation’s family head is either devoid of romantic entanglements or shares the same beloved. Xie Xuan has even heard tales of a certain generation where a male family head fell in love with a female counterpart.

As a direct descendant of the Xie Family, Xie Xuan has a twin brother, Xie Kun. Throughout their upbringing, they have faced identical heart demon tribulations, which suggests that even the heart demon trials of the Golden Core stage should proceed without error.

However, everything changed six months ago in the mysterious Shanggu Realm. Xie Kun suddenly experienced a pressing urgency, causing him to miss the time for entering the realm. Xie Xuan ventured in alone.

It was merely a Foundation Establishment realm, and at that time, neither Xie Xuan nor Xie Kun thought much of it. Yet, within the depths of that realm, Xie Xuan encountered his lifelong love—Liu Youyou.

He was utterly captivated; she was a breath of fresh air, genuine and unpretentious, a stark contrast to the gaudy women outside.

In the Shanggu Realm, Xie Xuan and Liu Youyou secretly vowed to spend their lives together. She even agreed to accept his brother, which delighted him.

Upon exiting the realm, Xie Xuan and Xie Kun prepared to advance to the Golden Core stage. Xie Xuan cherished his feelings for Liu Youyou, believing she wouldn’t become a part of his heart demon tribulation. Meanwhile, Xie Kun, a sword fanatic, cared only for his beloved sword, making heart demon trials seem trivial to him.

Thus, Xie Xuan chose to keep his encounter a secret. He planned to surprise his brother after they achieved their Golden Core, telling him, “I’ve found us a wife.”

Little did he know, he had overestimated his own cleverness and underestimated Xie Kun.

At the moment of their failed Golden Core advancement, Xie Xuan was stunned, Xie Kun was stunned, and everyone in the Xie Family was equally bewildered. No one had anticipated such a disastrous outcome.

Xie Xuan believed that his heart demon trial, which revolved around love, was terrifying enough. Little did he know, Xie Kun’s trial was even more shocking—a heart demon in the form of a monk!

When Xie Xuan confessed his experiences to the family head, he found himself hung from a tree and beaten for a full three days and nights, and that was just the warm-up. As for Xie Kun, the family head grasped his hand and earnestly advised him to give up, even suggesting, “You might as well indulge in an incestuous affair with Xie Xuan.”

After cursing and thrashing them both, it was finally time to consider solutions.

The family head took a few puffs of smoke, tapping the table in determination. “We’ll head to the Wanfo Sect to find He Guang of Anger Zen.”

To prevent Xie Xuan from fleeing at the last moment, the family head administered a binding talisman, while Xie Kun found a rope to tie him up, dragging him along like a pet.

As they made their way to the Wanfo Sect, Xie Xuan spat out a mouthful of dirt, his cheeks aching with indignation. What kind of situation was this?

Suddenly, a beam of sword light shot down from above, revealing a young man in dark robes. He had striking features—sharp eyebrows and starry eyes, fresh and handsome, with a resemblance to Xie Xuan that was about seventy percent alike. He carried a dark iron sword, its blade wrapped in gray cloth.

“Master He Guang…?”

Xie Xuan turned to the newcomer and extended his hand, shouting, “Kun Kun, save me!”

He Guang raised an eyebrow, recognizing the connection between the two at a glance. However, both of them were only in the Foundation Establishment stage, their energies unstable and their steps unsteady—a clear sign of failure in their Golden Core advancement. These two little chickens couldn’t possibly pose a threat to her, even with all their struggles.

Xie Kun’s face was filled with anxiety as he hurried forward, his expression serious. “Master, did my elder brother offend you in any way? I—”

Before Xie Kun could finish his sentence, Xie Xuan interrupted him.

“Xie Kun, are you blind? I’m the one being pressed into the ground here! Shouldn’t you be concerned about me first?”

He Guang let out a soft huff, forming a hand gesture as if to throw the two of them off the Anger Peak.

Xie Xuan quickly shouted, “We’re here to seek help!”

Unfazed, He Guang continued her movements. “If you want help, go to the reception hall and register. No cutting in line.”

Xie Xuan patted the ground beneath him. “Kun Kun, hurry and bring out that thing!”

Xie Kun fished out a string of prayer beads and presented them to her with a mixture of hope and trepidation.

He Guang accepted the beads, examining them thoughtfully in the palm of her hand.

At the Wanfo Sect, there were two pathways to seek assistance. One involved going through the reception hall, where you paid to have your heart demon exorcised. The other was to specify a particular Buddhist practitioner, which was reserved for esteemed clients. Instead of money, they offered gifts that would please the practitioner.

He Guang was clearly pleased with the beads in front of her.

Not one to be coy, she slipped them onto her wrist without hesitation.

As Xie Xuan saw her slip on the prayer beads, he understood that she had agreed to help him. He quickly launched into a detailed account of his failed Golden Core advancement. He recounted everything: the strict requirements of the Xie Family’s cultivation methods, the nature of his heart demon, his experiences in the Shanggu Realm, and the content of the heart demon trial. He laid it all out, leaving no detail unshared.

Once he finished, he noticed her brow furrowed deeply, a wave of anxiety washed over him. Could it be that there was no hope for him?

“Hey, can you actually help? You can’t just return the Bi Xi and Haiblan beads,” Xie Xuan exclaimed, brushing off the dirt from his clothes. “And let’s not forget, I still owe you for this unwarranted beating!”

“Xie Xuan, show some respect when speaking to the Master,” Xie Kun admonished him, his brow knitting together in concern. Ever since their return from the Shanggu Realm, Xie Xuan had been acting increasingly strange, suddenly infatuated with a female cultivator and insisting that he would marry no one else. His behavior was starting to resemble that of the arrogant scions of wealthy families.

He Guang murmured a few names under her breath.

Xie Kun raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. “Master, is there something wrong?”

As He Guang turned the prayer beads over in her hands, a name struck a chord—“Liu Youyou. Why does that name sound so familiar?”

She fixed her gaze on Xie Xuan. “Is she the Liu Youyou from Dayan Sect?”

Xie Xuan nodded eagerly.

A strange thought flickered through He Guang’s mind, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that Xie Xuan was wearing a metaphorical green hat, signifying betrayal.

Love is a light, and it was a green glow that made her uneasy.

He Guang hesitated before speaking. “Have you heard the rumors about Ji Chanzi? He and Liu Youyou…”

Xie Xuan waved his hand dismissively. “Youyou and I are perfectly in sync; there’s no chance that guy can interfere. Besides, it’s only natural for someone as remarkable as Youyou to have admirers, right?”

He Guang frowned thoughtfully. “I feel like I’ve heard this somewhere before…”

Xie Kun couldn’t help but shake his head in disbelief. “That’s just foolishness—so absurd it’s painful to watch.”

As He Guang mulled over the names—Liu Yiyi, Ji Chanzi, and now Xie Xuan—it struck her how hauntingly persistent Liu Youyou was, like an unshakable ghost.

How breathtaking must she be to become the heart demon of three individuals? Even Ji Chanzi, who encountered the Forgetting Zen Master daily, had fallen under her spell. Was it possible she had some sort of enchantment over them?

Suddenly, a thought flashed through He Guang’s mind.

“Have you ever heard of the phenomenon known as ‘souls from another world’?”

Xie Xuan’s face paled, and he shouted, “That’s impossible! Don’t spout nonsense!”

Xie Kun’s heart raced, and he began to consider the implications of her words.

The concept of souls from another world was one of the secrets of the cultivation realm, known only to its most influential figures. As core disciples of a major sect and heirs of prominent families, the three of them had naturally heard whispers of it.

Souls from another world, as the name suggests, refer to spirits that come from another dimension. What this other world is, where it exists, and the nature of these souls remains a mystery to everyone.

The first recorded instance of souls from another world appeared five thousand years ago during the heir succession ceremony of the Wuxiang Demon Sect. A certain individual had spent a millennium cultivating within the sect, eventually ascending to the Mahayana stage. After the previous sect leader passed away, this person was chosen as the successor.

During the heir succession ceremony, the chosen one walked through the Mirror of Past Lives, stepping into its depths. As he did, dark clouds gathered ominously, and thunder rumbled like an approaching storm.

The elders of the Wuxiang Demon Sect were struck with alarm; the world within the mirror was not the Kunyu Realm. They immediately halted the ceremony, apprehended the individual, and proceeded to probe his soul. After thorough investigation, they discovered that this was a form of soul snatching.

However, souls from another world were distinct from ordinary soul snatching. They were not bound by the Heavenly Dao of the Kunyu Realm, which made them incredibly powerful, capable of subtly siphoning off the fortunes of others.

The emergence of these souls from another world posed a grave threat, and even more alarming was the fact that they began appearing one after another, making their mark in the cultivation realm. There was no effective or efficient method to detect their presence.

In response to this growing concern, the powerful figures of the cultivation world convened an urgent meeting, deciding to classify the situation as a closely guarded secret.

Each sect encountered different types of souls from another world, but they all agreed on a common course of action.

The protocol was straightforward: after probing the soul and extracting all necessary information, the individual must be executed immediately.

The consensus among the leaders was clear: it was better to err on the side of caution by killing the wrong person than to risk letting one escape.

The potential harm these souls could cause was too great; the Kunyu Realm could not afford to bear such a risk. Moreover, if a soul from another world were to become a core disciple and gain real power, acquiring knowledge of this secret could lead to unimaginable consequences.

The potential danger posed by these souls from another world was far too great; the Kunyu Realm simply could not bear the risk. Moreover, if a soul from another world were to become a core disciple and gain real authority, acquiring knowledge of this secret could lead to catastrophic consequences.

It was feared that these souls might unite like strands of rope, banding together to challenge the entire Kunyu Realm.

Xie Xuan glared fiercely at He Guang, his voice rising in outrage. “Stop joking around! How could Youyou be a soul from another world? Are you jealous or something?”

His voice grew louder, words spilling out with increasing recklessness. In response, He Guang swiftly formed a seal, binding him tightly and hoisting him back up into the branches of the tree.

With a mocking tone, He Guang said, “Is this the quality we expect from the heir of the Xie Family? You should be ashamed to bring such disgrace upon your family.”

Xie Xuan’s face flushed with anger, the corners of his eyes turning red. His gaze was sharp, like a blade, as he glared at He Guang with venomous intensity.

Xie Kun, his expression a mix of concern and frustration, struck his brother with a swift chop to the neck, knocking him out cold. “He wasn’t like this before. He only changed after returning from the Ancient Secret Realm; that’s when he became so reckless.”

The two brothers exchanged a knowing look, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. The crux of the problem lay squarely with Liu Youyou.

They would have to seek her out.