Chapter 126: Anomalies in the Severed Soul

"Oh dear, Fourth Brother, you really are unlucky," Qinghu said with a playful smile. "Why is it that you always run into misfortune the moment you leave my side? It seems your sister is the only one with any luck; you, on the other hand, just don't have it."

Qingzhen rolled his eyes at her, exasperated. "Little Hu'er, hurry up. I know you definitely have those Turtle Essence Pills on you. Give me a few more. Saving lives is urgent."

Qinghu pouted, but she still produced three pills she had refined herself.

"Just three?" Qingzhen was somewhat dissatisfied. Ruan Qingwu had used twenty or so, and they hadn't been very effective.

"You're getting them for free, and you're still complaining that I'm not giving enough? If Mother knew you were running a losing business and still criticizing my contribution, she would definitely give you a piece of her mind," Qinghu threatened him immediately.

Qingzhen shrank back. His sister’s temperament was exactly like their mother’s.

It was true; he was giving them away for free this time. As for those three seniors, Qingzhen felt certain they couldn't afford the medical expenses.

"But will three be enough?" he asked. "We at least need to get the seniors back on their feet, don't we?"

"Don't worry, getting them back on their feet won't be a problem," Qinghu said, smiling again.

As long as they received a little emergency care and stopped struggling on the brink of death, it would be fine. Qingzhen nodded immediately and went to deliver the medicine.

After Qingzhen administered the Turtle Essence Pills to the three seniors, they began to gain flesh at a rate visible to the naked eye. Although they still looked thin and pale, their breathing stabilized. They could even circulate the mana within their bodies normally. The skeletons wrapped in skin finally looked like living people again—though, coughing, they currently looked more like zombies. Their complexions remained pale, as if one could see the blue veins underneath.

However, with the ability to circulate mana and slowly absorb the surrounding spiritual energy, they would be able to survive.

Sure enough, his sister hadn't lied to him.

"Shen Qinghu, the effect of these Turtle Essence Pills of yours is just too good—far stronger than the ones I refine. Qinghu, how on earth do you make them?" Ruan Qingwu stared intently at the changes in the three seniors, speaking in disbelief.

Those three seniors had high cultivation levels, yet a single pill had brought them back from the brink of death, completing the transformation from skeleton to human. It was truly astonishing, even terrifying.

"It's the method you taught me," Qinghu said. "Extraction technique, that's all."

"Ah, that can't be. What age of turtle did you extract this from?" Ruan Qingwu asked in astonishment.

"Fifteen, maybe twenty years," Qinghu said. In truth, the three pills she gave her brother had been extracted from thirty-year-old turtles. There was no helping it; pills made from younger turtles likely wouldn't be effective, given that those three had gone without food or drink for so long that it had affected their lifespan and the foundation of their cultivation.

The pills Qinghu refined from thirty-year-old turtles were meant to be saved for her own body's next transformation. The fifteen and twenty-year-old pills she consumed were just right for her current needs.

"No, it definitely isn't such a low age. The turtles you extracted these from are at least thirty years old. Still, you are truly better than me. I can't refine pills from fifteen or twenty-year-old turtles, let alone thirty. Who would have thought you could extract from turtles over thirty years old? Shen Qinghu, how did you get so good at the extraction technique?" Ruan Qingwu asked, amazed.

"I found the extraction technique you taught me quite interesting; it suits me perfectly. From now on, I'll never have to worry about not having enough Turtle Essence Pills," Qinghu said.

In truth, she knew a few similar tips herself, but Ruan Qingwu's method was like opening a new window for her. Since the technique Ruan Qingwu taught her was better suited to the rules of this world, Qinghu had studied it in depth.

She discovered many unique ways to apply the rules of this world, which was extremely useful to her. The more she understood this world, the better she could refine her own knowledge and apply it to her life.

Therefore, she simply modified and refined the technique Ruan Qingwu had taught her, making it smoother and easier to use, which resulted in even more effective pills.

Finally, they had come back to life.

The three sickly individuals opened their eyes and stood up firmly.

The woman who had originally let her hair hang loose even restyled it, making herself look much more spirited. Although her complexion remained pale, it no longer carried the aura of death.

Her skin was no longer wrinkled like that of an eighty-year-old. She had recovered to the appearance of a woman in her twenties, finally revealing her delicate features. It was clear she had good underlying bone structure; it was just a pity she had gone without food or drink for so long, leaving her even more frail than Qinghu herself.

The others first offered their thanks to everyone, then specifically thanked Shen Qingzhen.

If not for Shen Qingzhen, Shen Qinghu would never have saved them.

"Many thanks, Miss Shen. This life-saving grace will certainly be repaid in the future," the delicate woman said, finally bowing to Shen Qinghu. In truth, among those present, she had the highest cultivation, even though little of it remained. She had assets stored elsewhere, and once she returned, she could quickly restore her cultivation.

Therefore, she didn't actually fear these people.

In this group, the only one who made her feel wary and threatened was the young girl she had just thanked.

Shen Qinghu!!

For some reason, she had a persistent feeling that Shen Qinghu could easily kill her.

In fact, when she first met Shen Qingzhen, she had been so hungry that she had considered tearing him apart to satisfy her cravings. Unfortunately, whenever she truly made contact with him, the sense of danger that flickered around him warned her that if she dared to bite, the consequences would be dire.

Thus, she had let this piece of "large meat" go, even allowing him to call her "senior." And, of course, she had gained the opportunity to be saved.

When she saw Shen Qinghu with her own eyes, she knew where that sense of danger came from.

This little girl made her skin crawl with just a glance.

Seeing her bow, Shen Qinghu accepted it gracefully. Shouldn't a single Turtle Essence Pill be worth a bow? Hmph.

Aside from the delicate woman, the other two had also regained basic mobility and speech. Their skin was no longer cracked and wrinkled like dead tree bark, and their appearance had returned to their prime.

The two men had recovered even better than the woman, looking like young men in their early twenties.

The woman, although she looked like she was in her twenties, still had faint lines around the corners of her eyes, making her look slightly older.

One of the men was square-jawed and heroic, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a high nose. Though his gaze was weary, he seemed prone to smiling. The other was a young man with a long face, a proud demeanor, and a cold temperament.

"Thank you so much, Miss Shen. You have truly saved us twice. Not just here in the Xuantian Tower, but even outside, if you ever need anything, just give me a word, and I will be there," the heroic man said, handing a small black token to Shen Qinghu.

"Your name is..." Qinghu asked, looking at the pattern and surname on the token, feeling a bit strange.

"My name is Helan Che. I am of the human race, and I see you are as well. If you have any matters in the future, feel free to call on me," Helan Che said.

It was actually a human; that was a bit unexpected for Qinghu.

"My name is She Qi, from the Rattlesnake Tribe. If you need help in the future, Miss Shen, you can contact the members of the Rattlesnake Tribe; they will pass the message to me as soon as possible. I have no token left, as I ate anything with spiritual energy to survive, but the name 'She Qi' alone will ensure my clansmen do not slight you, and the message will surely reach me," She Qi said. His face held an arrogance similar to She Shiyi's, but his words were sincere and pleasant.

"Do you know She Shiyi?" Qinghu asked.

"I do. He is my younger clansman." Bearing the surname She and having a number—in the vicinity of Wuding City, only their Rattlesnake Tribe existed. Other snake clans dared not use the surname She without the Rattlesnake bloodline; to do so would invite retaliation, as it would be a provocation. (If we, the Rattlesnake Tribe, all have the surname She, and you dare to use it while being a snake? That is not taking us seriously. Then come, and we shall wipe out your entire tribe. Afterward, other snake clans will learn their lesson and not provoke us again.)

There were many snake clans around, but only those of the Rattlesnake Tribe truly used the surname She.

"We have an agreement with She Shiyi to meet up with them in two days. Do you want to come? If so, you can travel with us for now," Qinghu said.

She Qi thought for a moment and asked, "Are you planning to gather manpower to kill that thing in the underground palace?"

"Oh, so it's in the underground palace?" Qinghu said with interest.

"That's right, that thing is in the underground palace. The entire underground world of this spiritual cave contains a vast palace complex. However, it's very dilapidated. That creature has been entrenched there for a long time and has cultivated a large number of corpse beetles. It’s very difficult for us to even get close to it."

"At first, there were many of us, and we wanted to kill it, but we failed several times. Firstly, the corpse beetles are too difficult to deal with. Secondly, that thing seems very familiar with the palace and has even mastered some of its controls. We were almost killed by the traps it manipulated several times," She Qi said. "We lost a lot of people, and we were chased by corpse beetles until we scattered. I don't know how many people actually made it out."

"That underground palace still has functioning traps?" Qinghu asked, surprised.

"It is strange to say. It is a ruined palace. By rights, with nothing but broken walls left, it shouldn't be dangerous. But in reality, everyone underestimated that palace; it still has many traps that work. Not only that, we discovered—though we don't know if it's because of that creature or the palace itself—that it is slowly and constantly repairing itself," Helan Che added.

"We entered with six or seven people, and except for me, everyone else was captured by that thing," Helan Che continued. "I suspect that someone in our group was possessed by it from the start. Otherwise, how could it always find our hiding spots? And whenever we tried to counterattack, it could always block us in advance, making it hard for us to succeed. If I hadn't fallen into the vertical shaft, I would likely have been captured too."

Helan Che's voice was full of resentment. This was normal; anyone trapped here for years would be mentally unstable if they didn't harbor some bitterness.

Of the three, two had revealed their identities. The last woman remained silent about who she was. Only after the other two had finished did she say, "I feel my body is recovered, so I will take my leave. We shall surely meet again someday."

After bowing, the woman walked away unsteadily.

Qinghu made no move to keep her, and neither did the little dog or the little lion. Qingzhen wanted to speak but ultimately stayed silent. Ruan Qingwu didn't care whether the senior stayed or left. Back in the shaft, she had only called her "senior" to get more information. To be honest, the way that senior looked at people was bone-chilling.

She looked at her and Qingzhen as if they were a plate of meat. Don't ask why she understood that look; Shen Qinghu often looked at others that way, especially those of other races.

Not just her, but even the three white sheep were unwilling to get close to that woman. Only Shen Qingzhen was silly enough to not care at all. If he were eaten, Ruan Qingwu would have applauded; that guy was just fated to be food. Yet for some reason, that woman hadn't taken a bite!

This wasn't Ruan Qingwu's first time leaving home for training, and she had no patience for people who insisted on being mysterious. Mystery represented trouble, hostility, and wariness.

The White Sheep trio also said nothing. They preferred to follow the crowd. More importantly, they had a more intuitive sense of danger, and that woman was not safe at all. When they were trapped in the shaft, the three of them had stayed together, giving her no chance to ambush them.

However, Helan Che and She Qi hadn't asked her to stay, which was interesting. Shen Qingzhen was clearly stunned. It was obvious that neither Helan Che nor She Qi had a good relationship with her.

"Fourth Brother, are these the seniors you said you shared hardships with for five years?" Qinghu teased, leaning in with a smile.

Qingzhen was instantly embarrassed. Had he guessed wrong?

"We were trapped together for five years. In that shaft, no one could get out, and we had to worry about the corpse beetles finding us at any moment. The days were unbearable. We slept with one eye open to prevent being eaten by the others. But we all held on without food or drink. In a sense, it could be considered sharing hardships," Helan Che explained immediately.

Shen Qingzhen thought: *Why does this sound more problematic the more I hear it?*

"That's because you're stupid," She Qi sneered. "I suggested joining forces to kill that bird from the start. You refused to agree. If we had eaten her at the beginning, we wouldn't have needed to join forces later just to fight her to a draw."

Helan Che curled his lip in disdain. "Who is the stupid one? Yes, in the end, I needed to join forces with you to avoid being suppressed and killed by her. But if I had joined you to kill her at the start, how could I know the next reserve of food wouldn't be me?"

"Your snake tribe eats even their parents, siblings, and children to survive; how much more would you do to me?"

"That makes sense," Qingzhen said. Having reached this point, he understood that he had misunderstood their relationship. There was no friendship of shared hardships between these three. The idea of "sharing hardships" was likely just his own wishful thinking.

*Sigh!* Qingzhen felt depressed. Qinghu nodded at this moment as well.

She Qi snorted coldly, not bothering to protest. Obviously, that had been his intention all along. To live a few more years, what was eating a bird or a person?

"Of the three of you, was that bird the one with the highest cultivation?" Qinghu asked.

"Yes, that's her. Her cultivation was already infinitely close to the Golden Core stage," She Qi said.

"No wonder she was so powerful," Qinghu said.

"Powerful at what?" Qingzhen asked.

"She ate someone else's soul fragment that was trying to possess her," Qinghu said. "She probably used some soul technique. I'd say she’s only a little bit away from completely digesting it."

She Qi’s expression turned solemn. Helan Che gasped. "We were all so weak, and she still had the ability to反噬 (counter-possess) the soul fragment? That entity must have been blind to choose her as a target."

"That bird has excellent natural talent; even my Fourth Brother can't compare. Only my eldest brother's aptitude could rival hers. If she fully digests that soul fragment, none of you will be able to escape; your bodies and souls will be her meal. I suspect she ran so fast because she sensed danger and worried about becoming my meal," Qinghu said candidly.

*Pfft.* Qingzhen laughed out loud. He rubbed his sister's head, not believing a word. "What are you saying? She's at the limit of Foundation Establishment, a half-step to Golden Core, and she could become your meal? I think you've gone crazy dreaming of roast chicken."

"And you say that! If you hadn't insisted on giving her a Turtle Essence Pill, she would be my roast chicken right now," Qinghu retorted.

She Qi felt uneasy upon hearing this. He had been wondering why he kept feeling danger. So, it was coming from this little girl. Had she been planning to put him in the pot to have a "Dragon and Phoenix fight" with that bird?

Come to think of it, the possibility was high. That bird was from the East Phoenix Tribe, naturally carrying phoenix blood. As for him, although he was from the Rattlesnake Tribe, his lineage carried a faint trace of dragon blood. *Aow-aow*, he would remember this ferocious girl.

She Qi looked at Shen Qinghu with a feeling of dread; the more he looked, the more terrified he felt.

"I have to say, this Turtle Essence Pill is truly miraculous. I've eaten pills from the Eight Scenery Mountain before, but why do they feel nothing like this one?" Helan Che asked. Back in the shaft, he had eaten several pills given by Ruan Qingwu.

Ruan Qingwu was immediately offended. "How can they be the same? One is refined from turtles over thirty years old, the other from ten-year-old ones."

"Oh, I see," Helan Che said thoughtfully. "But aren't you a direct disciple of the Eight Scenery Mountain? Why are the pills refined by others better than yours? Is the Eight Scenery Mountain failing? Even its direct disciples are declining."

"Do you know how to speak? It's not that Shen Qinghu's refining is better; she just uses the extraction technique directly. That technique is a complete extreme in her hands compared to mine. One is excellent, one is terrible. The key is that I taught her the technique! It’s a total loss of face for me. But regardless, that's not alchemy; there is no comparison between us."

Helan Che burst into laughter. Shen Qinghu glanced at him again.

"What are you laughing at? Did I say something wrong?" Ruan Qingwu asked indignantly.

"I just think you're right," Helan Che continued to laugh.

"So, what do we do now?" Qingzhen asked, moving closer to his sister.

"What else? Rest a bit, then continue our journey. We have to sweep through the surrounding mountains to see if there's anyone else we can find to use," Qinghu said.

"Are you planning to recruit slave labor?" Qingzhen asked.

"Not slave labor, just temporary help. We need more people to counterattack the underground palace, don't we? Otherwise, can you kill all those corpse beetles yourself?" Qinghu retorted.

"I can't. Those beetles have given me psychological trauma; there are just too many of them." Qingzhen thought for a moment and nodded. "Give me a few more Turtle Essence Pills; I need to recover. I've used up a lot of energy these past few days."

"We haven't been in here for many days total," Qinghu noted.

"It's been five days since we came in. I was going to have a breakdown in that shaft. Aside from a small crack, there were no openings to the outside. The only trapdoor leading out was heavy, and there was always the rustling sound of bugs crawling. It was terrifying. To prevent the bugs from discovering us and crawling down to eat us, I didn't even dare to breathe. Isn't that suffocating?"

"Fourth Brother, you've really had it hard. Later, when we catch that thing, I'll let you beat it up," Qinghu said.

"Forget it. Who knows what kind of thing we'll see," Qingzhen said.

"Hmm? Why do you say that?"

"The eldest brother of the Bai family told me that they have also seen those soul fragments. They seem a bit off. They don't look like normal living soul fragments," Qingzhen said. "He also said that the thing might be an evil god or some kind of demon. In any case, it's not normal."

The exposure of the Bai family's eldest brother drew everyone's attention, making him feel awkward. "You know, we come from the Three-Eyed White Illusion Sheep Tribe. Our tribe practices an ancient pupil technique. Among those who explored with us, some were possessed. After they died, the soul fragment left their body. Just before it vanished, I saw that red-glowing soul fragment. It was bloated, as if it had been distended by something sinister."