stjorthotic Chapter 38: Salvation
Chapter 38: Salvation
The expulsion of the Soul-Locking Needle caused thick black liquid to flow from Emily's chest, and the spider phantom behind her lost half of its legs, like a kite with a broken string, ready to drift away at any moment.
The man in the secret room was also affected by the backlash from the hand he was holding, which was now bleeding.
His face was grim, and he forced a smile despite the pain.
"The Big Dipper...that's interesting. But how long can your magic last?"
Immediately afterwards, the man took out a small knife, cut open his palm, and let a large amount of spiritual blood spill onto his dried palm.
In the storage room, the spider phantom reattached itself to Emily's back.
Instead of controlling her attacks, it changed tactics, undermining her resistance from within.
Its remaining four spider legs tightened suddenly, gripping the most vulnerable part of her soul.
"Kill me, kill me! Please kill me!!!"
Emily wore a pained expression, and two streams of black tears slid down her cheeks.
"My beautiful lady, I almost forgot to ask, what's your full name?"
Seeing Emily's cooperation, Li Xuan wanted to ease her pain and changed the subject.
While asking the question, he made a hand seal, channeling the power of the Seven Stars into the peach wood sword.
Emily paused for a moment, then her tears flowed even faster.
"My name is Emily Rodriguez."
Her voice was trembling, but she enunciated each word clearly.
"I'm sixteen years old. I like to draw and listen to music. I don't want to... I don't want to stay here anymore."
In that underground chamber, the man felt himself gradually losing control.
He frowned and increased his magical output, attempting to overwhelm Emily's will.
Li Xuan infused the sword with magical power through his left arm. The true energy in his dantian was almost depleted, and he could feel himself being drained dry.
If it weren't for the help of the Seven Stars' power, he would probably have been drained dry by now.
"Damn it, if I can hold on, I'm definitely going to cultivate diligently! I'm going to find ten women to help me cultivate!!!"
Li Xuan roared and raised the peach wood sword. The sword hummed, and starlight enveloped the blade, condensing into a thin blade of light that pierced Emily's body along the tip.
laugh!!!!
The spider phantom behind Emily was instantly annihilated, and her soul was also severed from her remains.
"Ah!!! Oh!!! Yeah!!!"
Emily first let out a scream, then felt her soul tremble with pleasure.
This intense, tingling sensation from the depths of her soul made her unable to resist letting out a tingling moan.
He was imprisoned for many years and his consciousness was erased.
The seven stars possess spirits, but Li Xuan's cultivation level is not yet sufficient to control them. Following his instincts, he only slays demons and evil spirits.
Emily was manipulated and committed evil unconsciously, making her a victim in essence.
The real villain is the guy hiding behind Emily who's manipulating her.
This is why Li Xuan didn't use the Ghost-Suppressing Talisman from the beginning.
If Emily were to aid and abet evil, he wouldn't care; he would simply kill her without hesitation.
If the intention is evil, then it is still evil.
But Emily was different; she never intentionally did anything wrong.
They were bullied while alive, and controlled after death.
They were pitiful in life, and trapped in misery after death.
If he were to execute her after all this, it would be completely contrary to Li Xuan's character.
In other words, this shattered Li Xuan's Dao heart.
Li Xuan was the kind of person who would kill anyone who committed evil deeds after death, regardless of whether they had been persecuted in life or not.
Of course, if he had been persecuted in his lifetime, he wouldn't mind helping the other party take revenge if it was convenient.
The premise is that the person is still at large, and it has to be something that happened conveniently.
boom!!!
As the spider phantom dissipated, the teaching building trembled twice, and black slime seeped from the ground.
The moment Emily was freed from her captivity, all seven lights on Li Xuan's left arm went out. He staggered backward, his back slammed against the wall, and he slid to the ground, panting heavily.
"Phew... Damn it... I'm so tired..."
"Am I... free?"
Emily's voice was like the babbling of a little girl just waking up; she had never felt so relaxed.
Li Xuan sat cross-legged against the wall and circulated his cultivation technique. Several minutes later, a faint trace of spiritual energy re-gathered in his dantian.
The remaining backlash from the Seven Stars Power in my left arm was still there, but it was much better than the pain I had felt earlier.
He stood up, using the peach wood sword as support, and walked up to Emily.
At this moment, Emily was so transparent that only her outline remained.
Her soul could be extinguished at any moment, so we must send her into reincarnation as soon as possible.
Her spirit, having broken free of the remains and no longer bound by the Soul-Locking Needle, dissipated even faster.
Her soul had been imprisoned and devoured for far too long, its foundation as thin as a piece of paper that had been repeatedly wiped.
"I'm going to send you to reincarnation. Are you scared?" Li Xuan asked.
Emily shook her head. Her translucent lips moved, but no sound came out, though Li Xuan could understand it.
Li Xuan took a deep breath and sheathed the peach wood sword back on his back.
He took out three talismans from his pocket and rolled them into the shape of incense sticks.
There was no incense burner at the scene, so he used his hands to scoop up the mud from the pit, piled up a small mound, and inserted the paper incense sticks into it.
After doing all this, Li Xuan sat cross-legged on the ground, closed his eyes, and began chanting scriptures.
He was reciting the "Supreme Venerable of the Cavernous Mystery and Spiritual Treasure Speaks the Wondrous Scripture of Salvation from Suffering".
This is one of the most commonly used Taoist scriptures for the salvation of souls, used to remove the sins of the deceased and send them back into the cycle of reincarnation.
His voice wasn't loud, and he spoke slowly, enunciating each word clearly.
The magic and the scriptures resonated, creating a faint golden ripple in the storage room.
Emily closed her eyes and felt herself enveloped by a warm power.
Her soul flames stopped drifting and instead gradually solidified into a ring.
The power of the scriptures flowed into her broken soul, peeling away the remaining resentment from her body layer by layer.
With each layer she peeled away, she became a little lighter.
Li Xuan finished reciting the scripture one last time and opened his eyes.
His eyes were a little sore, but he was in good spirits.
Emily before me had changed back to how she looked in life: long brown hair, a clean school uniform skirt, and no hatred or resentment on her face, only a look of bewilderment.
"I saw a door."
Emily said with a smile, her voice ethereal.
"Go in," Li Xuan replied with a smile.
Emily looked at him, then suddenly bent down and bowed to him.
The girl bent over very deeply and it took her a long time to straighten up.
"I have no money to give you as compensation, and my family doesn't love me."
She smiled and continued, "Thank you so much, I'm really grateful. If there is an afterlife, I will definitely repay you."
"Go, may you be reborn into a good family in your next life."
Li Xuan smiled and waved his hand, saying...
Emily nodded and walked toward the door that only she could see.
When she reached the door, she stopped again and looked down at her hands.
"Master Li, in my next life, will I still be able to paint?"
"Yes. It's definitely possible."
Emily smiled, then stepped through the door and disappeared into the morning light.
Li Xuan stood there in silence for a long time. He sneezed and rubbed the tip of his nose.
Damn, there's so much dust in the air.