Chapter 47: Soul Seizure

Unable to hold their breath any longer, a few people gave in and gasped for air. Their gasps were completely drowned out by the fierce wind. However, hundreds of vengeful spirits swirling in the air suddenly paused, all turning to look in their direction.

These unlucky individuals hadn't even managed two full breaths before the vengeful spirits charged at them, slamming directly into their minds. With a soft sound, the three life-flames on their bodies instantly flickered out. In such a situation, no one dared to intervene.

To the onlookers, after the vengeful spirits burrowed into their ears and noses, these individuals froze for a brief two or three seconds. Then they clutched their heads, screaming incessantly. Their eyes were bloodshot and saliva drooled from their mouths, making them appear rabid. However, unlike puppets possessed by Three Corpse Worms, they didn't attack nearby humans. Instead, they darted about aimlessly, rolling on the ground, or crashing into walls.

Dozens of vengeful spirits squabbling, tugging, and attacking each other within the same mind—the sensation was like having dozens of firecrackers exploding simultaneously inside one's head. Who could endure such a thing? In little more than ten seconds, these individuals collapsed, bleeding from all seven orifices, and died.

Everyone watched, their hearts pounding in fear. The problem was that the faster their hearts beat, the shorter they could hold their breath. Most people were now struggling to hold on, their faces swollen and purple, yet the vengeful spirits continued to gush forth. When would this nightmare end? It was a choice between suffocating to death or dying from a vengeful spirit piercing their mind. Just seconds later, another five or six people were forced to choose the former.

He Lingchuan and Nian Songyu were relatively fine, as martial artists inherently possess powerful lung capacity. However, He Chunhua's face had turned a deep purple from holding his breath, and he appeared to be on the verge of collapsing. He Lingchuan cast aside all other concerns, grabbing Sun Fuping's sleeve and mouthing, "Find a way!" As a martial artist, his skills were useless against the vengeful spirits.

Perhaps Sun Fuping also sensed that the time was right. With a flick of his sleeve, he shrugged off He Lingchuan's hand, then strode into the midst of the soldiers and raised his staff. He inserted something into the monster's mouth, then held his staff aloft and thrust it into the ground! Centered around the beast head, a shimmering yellow barrier materialized, perfectly enclosing everyone.

A barrier!

"You can breathe now!" Sun Fuping announced loudly. Everyone reacted as if granted a great reprieve, some bending at the waist, others coughing uncontrollably from inhaling too fiercely.

This time, even He Chunhua was visibly annoyed. "Why did the Imperial Preceptor wait until now to act?" he demanded. If he had acted mere seconds earlier, those five or six individuals wouldn't have died.

Sun Fuping's expression was grim. "My Illusory Barrier lasts for a very short time, and its effect isn't as potent as the life-flames. I only use it as a last resort. Can you predict how much longer the vengeful spirits will continue to surge forth?"

No one could.

He Chunhua had no reply. The soldiers' gazes toward Sun Fuping, however, were impossible to describe. But he paid them no mind.

"Saving the lives of the majority is what matters most," Nian Songyu said, "What do we do now?"

"We continue to wait," Sun Fuping replied, his gaze fixed on the surface of the pool. "We can only take the next step once no more vengeful spirits emerge."

Only after their initial shock subsided did the group have a chance to observe the vengeful spirits swirling through the air.

"Oh?" Situ Han exclaimed. "The most numerous vengeful spirits appearing now are humanoid, and there are large numbers of armored ones on horseback." These specters galloped wildly, brandishing their blades and roaring furiously, as if still caught in an endless battle.

"The fallen soldiers from the battlefield are the most numerous, and their resentment is the strongest," He Lingchuan said, startled. "Look at this!" The vengeful spirits emerging from the pool evolved from their initial bizarre forms, to predominantly human souls, and now, to an astonishing size. Although vengeful spirits possess no weight, the one He Lingchuan observed appeared to be a combination of seven or eight spirits. It had multiple limbs and pairs of eyes on its chest and shoulders. Regular vengeful spirits standing before it were like ordinary people standing beside an ancient banyan tree; their sizes were simply incomparable. The oppressive feeling it exerted on the living was also vastly different.

Upon seeing the monster, Sun Fuping, surprisingly, seemed to relax. "Just as I expected," he murmured.

"Like what?" He Lingchuan asked, a slight exasperation in his voice. "You always leave things half-said."

"After a prolonged period within the 'pot,' some vengeful spirits begin to devour and merge with one another, forming new, powerful entities, much like cultivating Gu worms," Sun Fuping explained, pointing at the monstrous spirit. "It seems the vengeful spirits emerge in order from weakest to strongest. This means our endurance will soon reach its limit."

This multi-limbed monster had crawled out and was initially moving upward with the main group. However, just as Sun Fuping finished speaking, it suddenly turned its head, its sixteen eyes blinking in unison, and stared directly at the barrier!

He Lingchuan felt a shiver run down his spine under its gaze. "Its eyes are far more terrifying than Nian Songyu's," he muttered. "Can it see us?"

"Shh!" Sun Fuping quickly cut him off.

But it was too late. The sixteen-eyed monster clearly made a sniffing motion, then moved out of the pool and began crawling toward the barrier. The sixteen-eyed monster's movements were comical, its limbs uncoordinated, and it stumbled slightly. But Sun Fuping knew this was merely because it had just entered the human realm and hadn't fully adapted.

The Illusory Barrier possessed no true defensive power—nor could it, as that would provoke the vengeful spirits' aggression. Instead, it merely concealed the characteristics of living beings, preventing the specters from detecting the scent of flesh and blood. However, among the countless bizarre vengeful spirits, there would always be a few with unique abilities, not easily misled. Judging by the actions of this sixteen-eyed monster, it hadn't fully seen through the Illusory Barrier, but it had grown suspicious and was determined to investigate. To its perception, there was no living aura within the Illusory Barrier's radius, yet it could vaguely sense a faint flicker of vitality, like sparse fireflies occasionally glowing in the night. But when it tried to focus, the sensation blurred again. This undoubtedly piqued its curiosity, drawing it closer for a detailed examination.

As it was about to collide with the barrier, Sun Fuping barked, "Baishan, Qingshui! Deploy the Soul-Stabilizing Banner!" Behind him, two attendants sprinted to the very front of the formation, positioning themselves at the barrier's edge. From seemingly nowhere, they produced a massive white cloth banner and began waving it vigorously at the sixteen-eyed monster. The banner was covered in dense black and red runes. As the white cloth fluttered against the wind, the runes seemed to lift from the fabric, slowly revolving, and faint, ethereal chants resonated in the air.

Though the banner appeared to be nothing more than an ironwood pole and a piece of white cloth, swaying lightly, the attendants struggled to wield it, requiring two people and four hands just to hold it aloft. The way they waved the white banner resembled drawing an '∞' symbol in the air, steadily and repeatedly.

Simultaneously, Sun Fuping stepped forward, gesturing for everyone to close their eyes. However, the command came a little too late. The moment the white banner appeared, everyone's gaze naturally followed its movement. After it swayed just twice, several individuals' eyes glazed over, and as if drawn by a magnet, they began walking toward it. One person walked past He Lingchuan, who promptly pressed down on their shoulder, gently closing their eyelids. The person struggled briefly, then became still. Others quickly followed suit, restraining their entranced companions.