Chapter 2735: A Trace of Spirit

Upon hearing the words "go back and research," the crowd of Zhun Di left one after another.

Behind them, a dense mass of people watched them depart, each with varied expressions. Some were still immersed in thoughts of the Jiu Wen Dan, lingering with unfinished excitement, unable to believe that a Jiu Wen Dan had emerged, and that Dan Sheng Ye Chen had once again created a legend. Others were pondering that monster, marveling at its audacity—it had dared to snatch the pill refined by Da Chu's tenth emperor, severely underestimating Da Chu and ending up suppressed by the Sheng Ti.

"Good show is over, everyone back to their own places."

"Do you think that Jiu Zhuan Huan Hun Dan can revive that Hong Huang great god?"

"It must be able, otherwise the Xie Shen would have died in vain."

Discussions erupted everywhere, and as people thought of the Xie Mo, many wore expressions of sorrow. She had sacrificed herself to become the spirit of the pill, all to revive her beloved. That Huan Hun Dan carried her deepest emotional wish.

Tian Xuan Men.

The group of Zhun Di had split into two factions. One group, including Jiu Dian Yan Luo, Tai Shang Lao Jun, and Yuan Shi Tian Zun, had taken that monster away for thorough research—such an outstanding specimen deserved careful study. The other group, including Dong Huang Tai Xin, Di Zun Shen Jiang, and the Da Chu emperors, remained in the small bamboo grove. The Jiu Zhuan Huan Hun Dan had been refined, and whether it could revive the dead person would be determined today.

Under the glow of the bright moonlight, Tun Tian Mo Zun gently waved his hand.

With a hum, an ancient stone bed was brought out, upon which lay an ancient body—it was Mu Liuqing, sealed in dust for countless ages, his Yuan Shen long destroyed for eternity.

Ye Chen stepped forward, took the Huan Hun Dan, and gently placed it into the body.

Then came the Hun Dun fire, enveloping Mu Liuqing's entire form and refining the medicinal power of the Huan Hun Dan. As the power dispersed, a vast surge of life force rolled forth, far surpassing ordinary Dan Qi. It was like a vast ocean, repeatedly submerging Mu Liuqing, with faint strands of divine power flowing into his limbs, organs, and meridians, overlaying his ancient body with a brilliant golden glow and scattering the dust of ages.

Ye Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, peering through the surface to the most fundamental level.

The medicinal power of the Jiu Zhuan Huan Hun Dan had spread throughout Mu Liuqing's body, integrating bit by bit. Every material used to refine the Huan Hun Dan was a rare treasure of the world, each innate immortal material carrying mysterious divine power. When these many immortal materials combined into one pill, their divine powers merged, weaving together a new force—the legendary Huan Hun divine power.

Whether it could revive him.

The Zhun Di watched intently, witnessing a Huan Hun Dan for the first time, and no one knew if revival was possible. They only knew that this Hong Huang great god's body had gained a faint trace of spirituality—whether it was the spirit of the Xie Mo or Mu Liuqing himself, it gathered at his brow and lingered without fading.

They waited like this for an entire day.

As night fell, the light on Mu Liuqing's body gradually extinguished completely. He lay quietly on the stone bed, like a carved stone statue, motionless, his ancient and desolate aura impossible to conceal.

"Is that it?"

Tian Lao and Di Lao were stunned, and the other Zhun Di frowned. They had all taken the Huan Hun Dan and were waiting for him to revive, but after waiting a full day, there was no reaction whatsoever, not even a hint of revival.

Immediately, the old folks all turned their gazes to Ye Chen.

Ye Chen remained silent, as if to say, What's the use of looking at me? You've never seen this before, and it's my first time too!

And so, another day passed hastily, with no sign of awakening.

They were waiting, and so were the people of Da Chu. Hearing the news, cultivators from all directions came in waves, with a few bold ones staying up late at night to wander outside Tian Xuan Men, eager to know if the Huan Hun Dan had revived the Hong Huang great god and what the origins of that monster were.

Unfortunately, Tian Xuan Men was under strict lockdown, allowing no one inside.

On the third day, the more mischievous Zhun Di gathered around, circling the stone bed. Some had their hands tucked in their sleeves, others stroked their beards, and a couple of the more restless ones even reached out to pinch Mu Liuqing's body—it was stiffer than imagined.

On the fifth day, Zao Hua Shen Wang used his Zao Hua power, but to no avail.

On the sixth day, Ren Wang extracted a drop of blood from Mu Liuqing's body, suspended it in the air for a long while, and even performed a Zhou Tian evolution with it. The blood was real blood, yet it contained no trace of life.

On the seventh day, Ye Chen used his small gourd to infuse a strand of Di Yun, but it was useless.

On the eighth day, the Zhun Di had all settled down, finding seats and mostly propping their chins in their hands, waiting idly. If this couldn't revive him, it would truly be a letdown.

Night fell quietly once more, with starlight and moonlight spilling down.

"He's awake."

Fu Ya suddenly shouted, startling everyone.

No need for him to say it—the others had already seen it. Mu Liuqing's finger trembled slightly, and then he slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was vacant, his expression wooden, like a puppet lying on the stone bed, staring blankly at the vast starry sky.

Sheng Zun stepped forward and waved his hand in front of his eyes.

However, Mu Liuqing seemed blind, not even blinking, and showed no sign of breath.

"The Huan Hun Dan has only awakened a strand of his spirit," Di Ji said softly.

"Full revival won't happen overnight," Dong Huang Tai Xin said leisurely.

"It's just a matter of time now."

The Zhun Di took a deep breath, then sighed. Although Mu Liuqing had revived, the Xie Mo was dead. This pair of ill-fated lovers could no longer continue their fate.

They were like the flowers on the other shore—one a leaf, the other a flower. When she lived, he died; when she died, he lived. The flower and leaf never met, forever separated by life and death. What was the point of fulfilling the wish, leaving only regret?

For a moment, a thick sorrow enveloped the small bamboo grove.

Ye Chen suddenly turned and walked away, gradually distancing himself. Outside the small bamboo grove, he saw Qin Guang Wang sitting on a stone, his hair white and disheveled, staring blankly like a soulless corpse.

Ye Chen sighed and walked past lightly.

Not long after, Dong Huang Tai Xin and the others also emerged, leaving only Mo Yuan to guard Mu Liuqing.

In the underground palace of Tian Xuan Men, they appeared once more.

"He's been revived?"

Seeing Ye Chen arrive, Yan Luo and the others researching the monster turned their gazes toward him.

"Only a strand of spirit has been awakened."

Ye Chen replied and stood still in front of the altar, where the monster was sealed. It was no longer in its Blood Succession Boundary state and wasn't asleep; its massive eyes rolled around, already blood-red like before, and upon seeing Ye Chen, they gained an extra layer of ferocity.

"With spirit, revival is possible."

Here, Yan Luo and the others, like the Jian Shen group earlier, took a deep breath and sighed. They couldn't imagine how painful it would be for Mu Liuqing to wake up and learn the truth.

Suppressing their sighs, the Zhun Di surrounded the monster again, scrutinizing it from all angles. The monster's bloodline was a chaotic mess, and its memories were muddled, offering no clues.

Ye Chen performed a deduction, tracing back to the source, but it was a chaotic void.

"Is it really a mutated creature?"

Ren Wang furrowed his brow. He had seen nearly all bloodlines in the world, and this was his first encounter with something like the monster—its origin chaotic and disordered, possessing a Blood Succession Boundary. How had it been activated? Why did it seize the pill? What was its true background? There were far too many questions.

Stared at by the Zhun Di, the monster's smile grew even more ferocious, ignoring everyone and only looking at Ye Chen.

"Do you recognize me?"

Ye Chen asked faintly.

The monster just smiled without speaking. Yan Luo and the others were already used to this; they had studied it for nine full days, asking questions with no responses, just that laughter—who knew what it found so amusing?

"Drag it away and stew it in a pot!"

"We don't even know what it is, so it's not easy to eat—might get poisoned."

"I think roasting it would be more reliable."

A few old fellows bantered like performers, trading quips without thinking about the monster's origins, only pondering how to cook it. Such a large thing would need a big iron pot.