Chapter 117: The Origins of the Plain of Wandering Souls

Lu Han did not know how much time had passed when the massive Nether Crow transformed into a speck of light and surged into his mind, bringing with it an endless influx of information.

As the data transfer concluded, Lu Han opened his eyes. He remained seated upon the Nether Crow Throne, with the Great Sage Nether Crow and Old Man Ling staring at him.

"Little one, how are you feeling now?" the Great Sage asked with a warm smile.

Having received the inheritance, Lu Han was privy to a wealth of knowledge. The "Nether Crow Soul Canon" was a soul-cultivation technique that did not conflict with his existing practices. However, it had been the tradition since ancient times for masters to be wary of their disciples retaining their previous techniques. Lu Han felt a prickle of anxiety; if the Great Sage were to forcefully purge his original cultivation, he would be powerless to stop it.

"Senior Ming Tian, I..." Lu Han began, but was promptly interrupted.

"Little one, are you still unwilling to call me Master?" the Great Sage asked.

Lu Han gritted his teeth. "I have grasped the essence of the 'Nether Crow Soul Canon.' It does not conflict with my current cultivation, and I am unwilling to abandon my previous path. If you find this unacceptable, Senior, you may reclaim the inheritance."

The Great Sage paused, then burst into hearty laughter.

"Ha! Little one, rest assured. I am not such a pedantic old man. It is rare to see someone cultivate both soul and martial arts; your future achievements will be boundless. I am only too pleased."

The Great Sage’s expression suddenly turned solemn. "I have no specific demands of you. I can see you possess a pure heart. My only worry is Little Xie; I hope you will take him out of my pocket dimension."

At these words, the Evil Wind Beast beside them let out a mournful whine, as if it sensed what was coming.

"The Evil Wind Beast?" Lu Han asked, puzzled.

"Yes. I cannot keep him here forever; it would be unfair to him. I previously kept him here because I feared for his safety—his origins are far too sensitive. But he has grown so weak; if he does not leave now, even with the Blood of Ten Thousand Years of Everlasting Green, he will not survive another decade," the Great Sage explained. "Furthermore, now that the inheritance is complete, the suppression within this pocket dimension will vanish. I fear that powerful individuals will soon come to investigate, making it even more dangerous for Little Xie."

"A pocket dimension?" Lu Han asked.

"Upon reaching the level of a Sage, one shatters space to carve out their own pocket dimension. The 'secret realms' left behind in the world are simply the pocket dimensions of fallen Sages, offered up for the cultivation of future generations. What you call the Soul-Chaos Plains is, in fact, my pocket dimension," the Great Sage replied.

"A secret realm? That sounds similar to what is commonly known, yet there are differences. It seems special methods are required to open a Sage's pocket dimension," Old Man Ling interjected.

"Back then, I fought the Great Sage Qiong Qi. Though I barely won, I suffered fatal wounds, and my pocket dimension was fractured. Knowing my time was short, I cast out the 'Nether Crow Soul Canon' and let it fall here, waiting for a successor. I never imagined the wait would be so long," the Great Sage lamented.

"No wonder one can enter and leave the Soul-Chaos land at will; it turns out the pocket dimension was broken," Old Man Ling murmured.

"I originally used the Nether Crow Throne to trigger the Netherworld Gate to suppress this place to protect Little Xie. Unless someone's cultivation exceeds what mine was at my peak, everyone inside is suppressed to the third level of the Innate Realm," the Great Sage added.

Lu Han finally understood. "So that is the origin of the Soul-Chaos Plains."

The Great Sage glanced at the Evil Wind Beast, his lips moving silently.

"ROAR!" The Evil Wind Beast let out a sudden, sorrowful cry, its massive body thrashing against the ground and sending ancient bones flying in every direction.

"Little Xie, will you not listen to me?" the Great Sage asked in a deep voice. The beast had been raised by the Great Sage since it was tiny; in its eyes, the Great Sage was both father and mother. At his command, it quieted down, its massive frame slowly shrinking until it was just over a meter long.

Suddenly, the beast flicked its long tail and lunged at Lu Han. Before Lu Han could react, the creature bit down on his arm. Lu Han instinctively tried to push it away.

"Little one, do not resist," the Great Sage’s voice echoed in his ears.

"Hiss!"

The Evil Wind Beast pierced Lu Han’s skin with its sharp fangs. A mysterious circular sigil appeared on Lu Han’s arm. As the beast released its grip, the sigil embedded itself into the skin where the bite had been. The wound healed at a visible rate, leaving behind a snake-like mark.

The Great Sage nodded in satisfaction, his figure beginning to fade.

"Little one, are you still unwilling to call me Master?"

Lu Han snapped out of his daze and hurriedly knelt. With sincerity, he said, "Disciple Lu Han pays respects to Master!"

"Lu Han? Good! Ha... Little Xie, do not be sad. I have actually been gone for a long time; this is merely a remnant of my consciousness. You have lived for so long, but you have always been within my pocket dimension—your heart remains innocent. Lu Han, I leave Little Xie in your care."

The Great Sage’s figure vanished, his laughter lingering in the void as the Evil Wind Beast let out continuous, mournful whimpers. Lu Han looked at the dissipating light and sighed.

He bowed his head to the ground. "Disciple bids farewell to Master!"

As he rose, a sense of loss washed over him—perhaps his first experience with such a departure.

"Master, are you alright?" Lu Han suddenly noticed that Old Man Ling’s soul, which had been on the verge of collapse, was now much more stable than before.

Old Man Ling smiled. "This is all thanks to Senior Ming Tian. I have even received a soul-cultivation technique from him. Before long, not only will I recover, but I may even be able to reshape my physical body."

The thought of regaining a physical form filled Old Man Ling with excitement. He had expected to simply wait for the end, but this technique offered a glimmer of hope for rebirth. In a way, he owed this stroke of luck to Lu Han.

"Kid, it seems I won't need to give you this new scroll. I need to enter a period of deep sleep to study the 'Soul-Refining Wonder Scroll.' You must cultivate diligently. Take this martial arts scroll; do not slack off while I am gone. A martial artist who does not advance will inevitably retreat. You must be brave and forge ahead with determination."

Old Man Ling produced two scrolls, crushed one in his hand, and handed the other to Lu Han. He then transformed into a streak of light, vanishing into the azure ring on Lu Han’s finger, and fell silent.

"Am I left all alone now?" Lu Han shrugged. He looked at the meter-long Evil Wind Beast on the ground. "Little Xie, is it? How do we get out of here?"

Suddenly, a stiff, robotic voice echoed in his mind. "The Nether Crow Throne will send us out shortly."

"Who’s there?" Lu Han scanned his surroundings, finding no one.

"It’s me, it’s me! I’m right here!"

Lu Han turned to look, his expression turning strange. The Evil Wind Beast was hopping up and down on the ground, standing on its hind legs.