Chapter 344 Unfathomable

The Yasha Clan, a legendary warrior tribe.

As the heir of the Yasha Clan, Hei Wukai had heard many legends about the Yasha since childhood, and the most frequently heard phrase was "The ancestors of the Yasha emerged from the Asura Purgatory, treading over mountains of corpses and seas of blood..."

What exactly was this 'Asura Purgatory'? What did it look like... Why did the ancestors in the legend walk out instead of fighting their way out? These questions had long puzzled young Hei Wukai, but now, he finally had the answers.

The sky above was blood-red, cloudless but crisscrossed with vein-like streaks of blood. Occasionally, a massive eye, glowing like a dark red sun, would flash across the heavens, and in that fleeting glimpse, the entire land was in chaos—mountains crumbled, and stars shifted in the sky.

The surroundings were a desolate plain, a blood-stained wasteland, filled with a stench so foul that even Hei Wukai struggled to endure it.

Buzz buzz, rustle rustle, rustle rustle...

Green-headed flies and red-eyed rats feasted on the endless corpses littering the barren plain.

The stench of decay and blood hung heavy in the air, stoking rage; the wails and howls, like a chilling wind, swept over him relentlessly, assaulting his soul, making it easy to feel restless and uneasy; even more terrifying was an element akin to soul power permeating the air, probably the intoxicating essence of this Asura Purgatory, inducing an uncontrollable, violent sense of disintegration in those who inhaled it.

In the endless darkness, surrounded by mountains of corpses and seas of blood, before Hei Wukai stretched the Asura Path, reaching endlessly before him.

Darkness, oppression, despair, and irritation—negative emotions saturated every corner of this realm, making one want to vent. Even the feeble creatures gnawing on the corpses bore a fierce, irritable glare, as if ready to pounce on anyone at any moment.

Yet, Hei Wukai remained unaffected, walking forward calmly down the Asura Path without end.

The Ghost Yasha, despite being divinely gifted, was excessively bloodthirsty, easily falling into demonic ways and ultimately destroying itself. The Yasha Clan had always been particularly cautious about this. However, Hei Wukai was also an anomaly; though of the Ghost Yasha constitution, his restraint in killing surpassed that of most.

Willpower?

Perhaps, but more so it was his personality. While he pursued martial arts, he found women far more appealing than killing, achieving in an intangible way a certain balance of yin and yang.

Whoosh!

A shadowy figure darted in from the left, with blood-red eyes, a ferocious expression, and sharp teeth, all clearly visible in the darkness.

Thwack!

With a horizontal swing of his scabbard, he sent it flying.

Hei Wukai chose not to draw his sword, though he knew it would have been wiser. He had already figured out this place—it intrigued him—uncovering the entity's weaknesses and exploiting them, luring, but also the best opportunity for tempering.

Inner demons?

Hei Wukai's lips curled into a roguish smile, shaking his head. No wonder they say experience trumps knowledge.

The oppressive environment around him, the various creatures constantly provoking and attacking him, even the irritability in the air, all influenced and tempted him, but also continuously tempered his soul. Each time he suppressed a murderous impulse, his soul grew purer, but if he failed to resist, he might forever sink into the illusion of the Asura Purgatory, becoming a mindless killing machine until his energy was completely drained!

Hei Wukai closed his eyes, slightly grinning, suppressing the murderous intent that had just flashed in his heart.

He was not as relaxed as he appeared; the evil thoughts in one's heart are the hardest to control, especially for a powerful individual with strength. Choosing to kill is far simpler for them than choosing not to.

Speaking of which... Hei Wukai couldn't help but think: Did the ancestor from the Yasha Clan legend, who emerged from the Asura Purgatory's mountains of corpses and seas of blood, experience what he is going through now? It seems... not as difficult as imagined.

Just as this thought crossed his mind.

Boom!

A crimson light flashed across the sky, and the dense clouds abruptly split apart. The giant eye Hei Wukai had seen before opened again, its disdainful gaze sweeping over the area like radar, looking down on all living things as if they were mere grass.

Under the red light, a force hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of times stronger than the intoxicating essence previously scattered in the air of the Asura Purgatory suddenly spread across the entire land.

Thump! Thump!

Hei Wukai's heart suddenly skipped a beat, followed by an uncontrollable acceleration of his heartbeat. His blood boiled in his veins, igniting an unbearable heat, and it felt like his brain was flooding with excitement-inducing chemicals, causing his scalp to tingle.

Enduring was agony; suppressing his nature felt like holding his breath indefinitely.

Hei Wukai's steps had already halted. He frowned, wrestling fiercely with the manic urges surging within him. His left hand, clutching the Yecha Wolf Fang Sword, quivered faintly, and even the corner of his mouth twitched unnaturally.

The red light from the giant eye in the sky ignored Hei Wukai entirely. As it swept across like radar, the sky had transformed into a crimson ocean.

And on the ground... the scattered corpses, the small animals feasting on them, and the hidden stalkers and hunters all froze in place.

Pairs of red eyes burst open, blooming like sinister flowers across the ground, blanketing the land in an instant.

A rustling sound filled the air...

The corpses shuddered and staggered to their feet, limping grotesquely.

A whooshing sound echoed...

The aimlessly drifting spirits around also had their eyes turn crimson. Their wandering speed increased, darting and flitting through the air like a swarm of locusts.

A deafening roar erupted!

And even more formidable, deep within the surrounding darkness, terrifying soul power erupted, demons bellowed, and powerful beings cackled and cheered with abandon.

Slaughter! Slaughter! Slaughter!

The oppressive darkness instantly morphed into a nightmarish battlefield of carnage. Around Hei Wukai, countless corpses, spirits, and monsters pounced towards him.

This was no mere carrion rat to be brushed aside with a sword sheath. The resurrected corpses were at least Tiger-level, with some even reaching the pinnacle of Tiger Peak.

Hei Wukai could handle them all. If he drew his sword, he could live!

This was a powerful, ingrained instinct.

Hei Wukai's breathing became heavy. His right hand rested on the hilt of his sword, yet he did not draw it. He darted left and right, evading deadly blows, but the onslaught was relentless; escape seemed impossible.

Injuries mounted, his soul power dwindled, and his resolve faltered.

The boiling blood and encircling dangers chipped away at his endurance. His right hand, resting on the hilt, began to tremble faintly.

Unsheathe the sword! Unsheathe the sword!

It seemed as though the whole world was shouting, but even though his hand was trembling, Hei Wukai still did not move. Sweat the size of pebbles rolled down Hei Wukai's brow. He was desperately restraining himself, but something even more intense came.

The bloody red light in the sky seemed to have finished scanning the entire land. It returned to the center of the sky, and the half-closed eye suddenly widened. A powerful, tangible aura of terror swept across the land like a hurricane.

Hei Wukai was also swept by the terrifying bloody aura. He was astonished to feel that this red light was an incredibly powerful, utilizable force, generously and unsparingly shared with the entire world by the giant eye in the sky!

The power of frenzy instantly swept through Hei Wukai's soul sea. He felt his soul sea boiling under the red light, reaching the brink of breaking his limits in just a moment!

The terrifying power of frenzy, the terrifying gift, the terrifying Yecha King!

All the corpses, spirits, monsters, and powerful beings in the world fell into an extreme frenzy at this moment.

Slaughter! Slaughter! Slaughter!

The world is ruled by the demonic blade!

However, at this moment, under extreme excitement, Hei Wukai smiled—not a domineering smile, but one of mockery and disdain.

Hei Wukai put down the Yecha Wolf Fang Sword, sat on the ground, and closed his eyes.

The Yecha clan can die in battle, but there has never been a Yecha who was deceived or controlled!

Neither physical pain nor mental anguish could make Hei Wukai budge even slightly.

At this moment, a pure black flame rose from the Yecha Wolf Fang Sword, casting the entire blade in darkness. The flames surged, and the black flame-formed blade buzzed and vibrated, with the flame extending half a meter beyond the tip of the sword!

Clang~~~

The Yecha Wolf Fang Sword, embedded in the ground, unsheathed itself with a resonant clang, followed by a black flame shooting into the sky. Almost simultaneously, Hei Wukai opened his eyes, realizing that everything was an illusion, and that the soul was the true essence.

A glint of light flashed in Hei Wukai's eyes, and with the completion of his mental state, his Soul Power also ascended to a higher level, becoming more refined and robust, as if it were an extension of his arm.

Everything unfolded so naturally and inevitably.

Hei Wukai smiled. His style was freedom; he was never one to be swayed by any emotion. Only in this way could he truly master the Ghost Yecha!

At this moment, his eyes were clear and transparent, no longer filled with confusion or hesitation, nor with uncontrollable bloodlust. What remained was only the determination to push through to the end of this Asura purgatory, no matter the cost.

Kill...

Long Feixue's world was far more monotonous than Hei Wukai's.

She was in a void—no light, no objects, no sound, not even space. Nothing existed here except for one person and one sword.

This was a loneliness that could drive one to madness, as there were no reference points to observe. You wouldn't even know how much time had passed. Long Feixue felt as if an eternity had passed—not days, but years. One year? Two? It even felt like decades. Anyone else would have gone insane by now, but Long Feixue simply waited quietly, neither anxious nor restless.

Like Hei Wukai, she was a master of the sword, having achieved the state of unity between man and sword. Yet, their essences were completely different, even polar opposites.

Hei Wukai followed the path of humanity and the heart, immersing himself in the mortal world to refine his sword.

But Long Feixue followed the path of the heart-sword, transcending the mundane, untainted by the six senses, with her heart and sword as one. Her heart was the sword, and the sword was her heart—inseparable! She didn't need the mortal world to temper her, because in her world, there was nothing but her and her sword.

The sword was her faith, her everything, and it complemented her life.

Thus, she could endure loneliness. Even in the terrifying decades of this void, to her, it was merely a fleeting moment. There was no sense of boredom, because she had her sword. For Long Feixue, this was already owning the entire world.

Long Feixue sat quietly, motionless.

It was unclear how long she had been sitting, but the sword resting across her knees suddenly trembled lightly, followed by a rustling sound...

The Heavenly Sword began to curve gradually, as if morphing into a white snake, gently slithering past her waist and slowly coiling around her.

Long Feixue remained motionless. She didn't even open her eyes.

Hiss, hiss, hiss...

The white snake flicked its crimson tongue, licking Long Feixue's neck. Its slippery body continuously produced a tingling friction against her skin. In the next instant, it transformed into a naked, breathtaking beauty, entwining herself around the equally naked Long Feixue, rubbing against her with all her might.

Long Feixue remained unmoved.

In the next instant, a searing pain erupted from her neck as the white snake bit down, beginning to gnaw at her body, tearing off bloody chunks of flesh. Yet, Long Feixue remained motionless, not even blinking.

She felt no pain. Instead, her mind was filled with an unparalleled clarity at this very moment.

All of this was just an illusion, even though it had persisted for enough time for a person to live a full life, it could not confuse his perception.

The sword of the heart leaves no mark, nothing can shake his trust in the sword.

Pain cannot, illusions cannot, time cannot!

A faint white light shimmered over his body, Long Feixue's face was calm, steady as a mountain!

Under the statue, Cang Jue, Mapeier, and Old Wang had waited for quite some time.

Mapeier was no longer clinging to Old Wang, the Heavenly Soul Pearl's soul-nurturing effect had long since repaired her injured soul. The soul is the vessel of soul power, and after being tempered, her soul had recovered from exhaustion, making Mapeier feel a continuous surge of soul power, and she could even sense her soul's terrifying potential, making her feel that with just a bit more cultivation, her Tiger Peak limit could be surpassed at any moment.

She had already asked Wang Feng; her soul tempering took about twenty minutes, but Hei Wukai and Long Feixue, who were in front of her, had already spent an extra half hour beyond that.

The facial expressions of the two also began to show various changes, from initial calmness, to later frowning, and then gradually breaking into a cold sweat, and now, both had even begun breathing rapidly, their bodies trembling slightly.

To be honest, Old Wang hesitated a bit. On one hand, he could clearly feel that both Long Feixue and Hei Wukai had reached their soul's endurance limit and could snap at any moment; but on the other hand, judging from the time, it seemed that both had already reached the end of their respective heart demon trials, and if he were to pull them out now, it was hard to tell if he was helping or harming them.

In the end, Old Wang gave up. Any strong individual hates outside interference.

Life and death are fated, wealth and honor are in heaven.

A powerful burst of soul power erupted from the two motionless figures, both broke free from the illusion simultaneously, and then both simultaneously knelt down on one knee.

Huff, huff, huff!

Both were gasping for breath. In the previous illusion, Hei Wukai had been fighting a bloody battle for ten days and nights, nearly exhausting his last ounce of strength to defeat the last enemy of the Asura's Purgatory; while Long Feixue's entire body was convulsing, in the illusion he had been completely devoured by the long snake transformed from the Heavenly Sword, leaving only bare bones, the pain was no less than being sliced a thousand times or subjected to a slow, torturous death, but he endured it.

The increasingly refined state of mind from the ordeal took only a second or two to emerge from the residual consciousness of the illusion and return to normal. Both immediately noticed each other gasping, and at this moment, they looked at each other, wanting to laugh, but soon, this smile was quickly replaced by something that surprised Long Feixue.

They saw Wang Feng, Cang Jue, and Mapeier standing casually to the side, smiling as they watched them.

Old Hei grinned, but Long Feixue was truly surprised.

Even he had gone through such a grueling soul tempering, how could these three have passed through it so easily?

No...

Long Feixue looked at Wang Feng. This person had predicted that this layer involved soul tempering back on the second layer, and now he could stand here so calmly and ordinarily, it seems that everyone had underestimated him before, ranked last among the Holy Sanctuary disciples, and...

Just having experienced a perfect tempering, his soul was at its most sensitive state, Long Feixue had a fleeting illusion that Wang Feng had indeed become somewhat unfathomable.

"Don't worry, I'm not the type to take advantage of others' misfortune." Old Wang seemed to have noticed Long Feixue's doubts.

Long Feixue neither agreed nor disagreed, his face still carried an aloof calmness. Was he the type to feel fear? But he still sensed an inexplicable goodwill from the other party, not a pretense, because there was no need.

"How do we handle the next layer?" Even someone like Hei Wukai felt they had reached the end. Even if they had some strength left, what would they face in the next layer?

Just like on the second layer, right below the statue, a stone slab suddenly began to slowly sink, revealing a dark hole.

And around this space, the mountain walls and the ground began to collapse and dissipate once again.

The opening of the next layer came too quickly. Hei Wukai and Long Feixue hadn't even caught their breath yet, had just barely stood up straight, and hadn't had time to speak, when suddenly, a black figure flashed, appearing in front of everyone.

Who?

This person was clearly not a monster from the illusion, but a living person, wearing an unremarkable War Academy uniform, with an ordinary appearance, the type that you wouldn't recognize if thrown into any crowd.

Only the five of them had entered the third layer.