Chapter Seventy-Six: Mastery Achieved

But Miao Shihai was far from comfortable. At this moment, though his consciousness was scattered, his body’s instincts alone allowed him to feel the intense agony. His face twisted between grimaces and tightly furrowed brows, revealing an expression filled with strangeness.

At the same time, faint moans escaped his lips—purely a reaction drawn from the depths of his body, as if, even in a state of muddled unconsciousness, the pain that ripped through his soul could not be ignored. The horror of such torment was self-evident.

After Xuan Yangzi’s sword fell, he swiftly returned the cluster of dark light to Miao Shihai’s brow, then hastily performed a series of incantations to stabilize his soul.

His actions, fluid and precise, seemed almost effortless.

Only after all was done did Xuan Yangzi exhale deeply, relieved that everything had gone as planned, without mishap.

Yet Miao Shihai was not so fortunate. As his soul re-entered his body, his awareness slowly began to return. His mind was utterly blank, as if filled with nothing but air.

It took him a long while to recover even a sliver of consciousness; his first thought was not to wonder about Xuan Yangzi’s spell, but to contend with the piercing pain radiating from the depths of his soul, overwhelming him in an instant.

This pain was not physical—it was a sensation beyond words, as if it reached from within straight to the heart, a swelling from the soul that he could not dispel. Whether his eyes were open or closed, he could not block out this feeling.

To him, every moment was a trial.

It was a harsh test of his willpower.

Miao Shihai did his best to divert his attention, avoiding any thoughts of his soul. He silently recited the scriptures, attempting to numb himself.

For the first time, he found the scriptures profoundly moving—each word and sentence seemed to imprint itself upon his soul, the sensation wondrous and mysterious.

Meanwhile, Xuan Yangzi moved with urgency. He had no time to concern himself with Miao Shihai’s suffering, and continued to focus on his spell, using the man’s memories as a medium to cast his divine incantation.

That cluster of memories had been split from Miao Shihai himself, inaccessible to outsiders. Even Xuan Yangzi, as the caster, could not peer into their contents, but this did not hinder the incantation.

After a long while, Xuan Yangzi finally performed the last incantation, signifying the completion of the divine spell.

All that remained was to continue chanting, and he was certain the demon would pay a price.

Unfortunately, although the memories were linked to the demon, they could not compare to something truly intimate. Xuan Yangzi estimated that if the effect reached even half of what a genuine close object could achieve, it would already be remarkable.

Yet even so, it would be enough to torment the demon, to ensure her mind was unsettled and driven mad. So long as he continued his chanting unceasingly, he believed she would soon reveal herself.

“Relax your mind, don’t be nervous. Next, I will return the missing piece of your memory to you,” Xuan Yangzi instructed Miao Shihai.

He then guided the tiny glow swiftly into Miao Shihai’s brow, seeking its rightful place.

After all was done, Xuan Yangzi, exhausted, collapsed heavily to the ground. His robes were soaked with sweat—a testament to the immense challenge he had just faced. Such a harrowing ordeal was, even for him, a first attempt.

The method of extracting a spell’s medium from someone’s memories had always been a daring conjecture of his. Strictly speaking, the idea was still only an embryo. Now, with this successful experiment, Xuan Yangzi could not deny a surge of excitement within him. The ingenious application of two spells together gave rise to an indescribable sense of accomplishment.

“Thank you, Master, for laboring so tirelessly on my behalf,” Miao Shihai said, noticing the weary look in Xuan Yangzi’s eyes, his own gratitude deepening.

“It’s nothing. Thankfully, all went smoothly and no mishaps occurred. Now, we need only wait for the demon to walk into our trap,” Xuan Yangzi replied with a smile, waving his hand. He was not truly a saint, but in his heart, there was a measure—a scale to weigh good and evil. He cared little for others’ opinions, but so long as his own conscience was clear, he followed his genuine intent. If something displeased him, no matter how much others insisted, he would not spare it a second glance.

For instance, Miao Shihai, standing before him, gave a favorable impression; at the very least, Xuan Yangzi was willing to help him. Even if there was no reward, as long as he felt at ease, that was reward enough.

Once, a wealthy merchant from a neighboring city sought him out at Jade Void Temple, requesting his aid. Upon meeting, the merchant offered bribes and spoke in a lofty tone.

From the very first encounter, Xuan Yangzi’s impression was abysmal. Observing the merchant’s mean and cunning demeanor, he immediately chose to shut the doors and decline, indicating he was powerless.

At the time, he had no desire even to learn about the merchant’s troubles.

Even if there were truly a demon at work, Xuan Yangzi preferred to believe it was a matter of cause and effect, a demon’s retribution for the merchant’s ruthless conduct—a fitting consequence for his deeds.

A few days later, the merchant climbed the mountain once more. It turned out he traded in animal pelts, mainly fox skins. Unable to meet demand relying solely on hunters, he recruited a group specifically to hunt foxes in the mountains. After just one week, the results were apparent.

Daily supply of pelts increased at least fivefold, and the trend continued upward.

Just as the merchant planned to expand further, recruiting more hunters and searching for more forests, disaster quietly arrived. On the first day, his wife and children were suddenly struck by serious illness. At first, the merchant did not suspect anything unusual; he called in more than ten doctors from all over the city, but without exception, they were all at a loss, unable to pinpoint the cause.

Still, the merchant failed to grasp the gravity of the situation. Not only did he not restrain himself, but he intensified his efforts. In less than a week, he recruited dozens more hunters, advancing at a pace visible to the naked eye. Countless living creatures died tragically. This time, it was not just foxes—the hunters spared not even birds or beasts of the mountains. They stripped the land bare, committing grievous harm against nature.