Xie Zhaolin sat cross-legged deep inside the hive, her fingertips brushing over the jade slip that held the Netherwater Art. Her expression was calm, but her eyes carried a sharp glint.
She'd thought the jade slip only recorded the method of harvesting the Rebirth Flower and the path to the depths of Blackwater Abyss. But when she truly delved into it, she realized its contents were far richer than she'd imagined. Not only did it describe the Rebirth Flower's environment and timing in detail, it also listed several rare yin-aspected spiritual plants that grew at the bottom of the abyss—Bone-Eroding Grass, Nether Soul Flower, Yinsha Vine…
These strange plants, born only in places of extreme yin, were coveted by demon cultivators and evil cultivators. Even in the Hehuan Sect's records, there was little mention of them. In her previous life, even when she was a Nascent Soul cultivator, her understanding of such things was limited to hearsay. Now, these records were exactly what she needed most.
"Bone-Eroding Grass, born in the utmost yin, its stalks resemble white bone, leaves veined with blood. Can be refined into Bone-Eroding Pills that break protective qi barriers…
Nether Soul Flower, blossoms shaped like ghostly faces, its stamens infused with pure Yinsha essence. Can nourish the Primordial Soul or be refined into Nether Soul Incense to cloud the mind…"
Her eyes gleamed. If she used these spiritual plants properly, not only could she resist the erosion of Yinsha within Blackwater Abyss, she might even turn them into a trump card against the gray-robed man.
Just then, the mark in her sea of consciousness throbbed with stabbing pain.
She gritted her teeth as a muffled groan escaped her. The mark didn't just threaten to devour her Primordial Soul, it seemed to track her state and position. That gray-robed man was probably watching her even now.
"I need to find a way to block it…"
Pressing her lips tight, she flipped through the jade slip at a faster pace until her eyes caught the records of the Netherwater Art.
Although it was incomplete, it held unique methods of handling Yinsha qi. The opening preface was still intact—
"Netherwater is the essence of Yinsha. It corrodes all things, yet suppresses all evils…"
Her heart trembled.
This was a rare Yinsha cultivation method. Not only could it absorb Yinsha qi and make it one's own, it could use yin to restrain yin, countering ghost arts and soul techniques!
She quickly studied the listed spells. When her gaze landed on Yinsha Soul-Locking Chains, her heart skipped a beat.
Yinsha Soul Locking Chains—condense chains of Yinsha qi to bind soul restrictions, suppressing their activity…
If she mastered this art, she could suppress the Soul-Chasing Mark in her consciousness, maybe even disrupt the gray-robed man's ability to sense her!
The other two techniques would let her move more freely at the abyss bottom, avoiding countless dangers.
"This Netherwater Art really is a heaven-sent fortune!"
Her lips curved faintly, mockery flashing in her eyes.
That gray-robed man probably never imagined the very technique he handed her would become the key to breaking his control. Of course, he might've known the truth, but ordinary qi-refining cultivators couldn't possibly practice such a high-grade method. That's why he'd been so confident.
Too bad for him…
Her soul wasn't the original owner's.
Without further hesitation, she activated the art. Her fingers wove seals. Dark qi seeped from her meridians, forming a thin mist that wrapped around her body. It flowed along her channels, condensing into a hair-thin chain in her palm.
"Bind!"
Her low shout cracked like a whip. The chain snapped straight, piercing into her consciousness sea and rushing straight for the mark.
A sizzle echoed.
The mark flared with ghostly light, writhing violently!
She grunted, sweat beading on her forehead, but she clenched her teeth and forced the chain to wrap tighter and tighter. Where chain met mark, there was the sound of corrosion, black qi devouring ghostly light in a vicious struggle. Bit by bit, the mark's glow dimmed, its pulsing slowing down.
"It's working!"
Joy flickered through her, but she quickly reined it in.
The mark was planted by a high-level cultivator. With her current strength, completely erasing it was nearly impossible. But if she could keep it bound, she could delay its backlash and cut off the man's ability to track her. Besides, she'd only faced a Golden Core clone. His Primordial Spirit was nowhere near his true body's level.
Her eyes narrowed as she kept the technique flowing. The chain cinched tighter and tighter, until the mark's glow finally dimmed like a beast falling asleep. She exhaled long and slow, withdrawing her consciousness. The mark was still there, but for now, it posed no threat.
The downside was obvious. This suppression wouldn't last long and consumed massive spiritual power. To fully sever the connection, she'd need something stronger.
Just then, the Queen Bee, fresh from cultivation, buzzed frantically. She caught its message at once—thirty li southeast, spiritual power was erupting. At least Golden Core level combat.
"Finally." Her lips curved in satisfaction. That was exactly where her first blood crow had flown. She'd smeared its feathers with a special beast-attracting powder.
Even a Golden Core cultivator would be swarmed by beasts for hours. If she was lucky, maybe an even stronger beast would be lured over…
It might even kill him for her.
Then the mark in her mind would vanish with him.
Once she confirmed the surroundings were quiet, she began cultivating another spell: Nether Breathing.
Dark qi flowed from her body, wrapping her like a veil. Her aura merged seamlessly with the Yinsha miasma around her.
The Queen Bee vibrated in surprise. In its perception, her presence was indistinguishable from the abyss itself. If not for their bond, it might've thought its senses were broken.
Half an hour later.
Her eyes opened, gleaming with a faintly dark sheen. Her aura was perfectly hidden in the Yinsha-soaked air. By then, she'd also mastered the third technique, Yinsha Body Protection Art.
The deeper she went, the more she realized the three arts weren't separate at all. They followed a secret pattern, an extremely subtle law of circulation. If she hadn't been someone who'd studied countless arts in her past life, and if her Primordial Spirit wasn't so sharp, she never would've noticed.
"If I get the chance…" Her grip on the jade slip tightened. "I'll gather the complete Netherwater Art no matter what."
A powerful intuition surged within her. If she completed it, she might open a brand-new path of cultivation.
"One month left…" she murmured, her gaze turning toward the depths of Blackwater Abyss.
It was short, but enough for preparations.
The Queen Bee circled close, waiting for her orders.
She thought for a moment, then sent her will through their bond: send out scouts, watch especially for signs of the gray-robed man.
"Next stop," she whispered, "the stone forest."