Chapter 64  : Chapter 064: Spirit Soul like the Sea

Anyone whose head sprouted a seedling would probably be scared out of their wits, let alone Yang Zhen, who was terrified of death. He panicked a bit and bent over to examine it on the ground.

Well, it looked quite appetizing!

Yang Zhen had never seen such vividly green vegetation. His wide eyes could see the veins on the leaves, and the trajectory of the flowing spirit soul energy.

The nearly transparent leaves hinted at a mysterious feeling, and upon closer investigation, Yang Zhen felt the breath of the universe surge towards him. It felt as if this seedling had existed rather than just sprouted recently.

Yang Zhen was puzzled. How could a tree sprout in his mind, out of nowhere? Luckily, it wasn’t growing out of his head. Imagine what that would look like!

Suddenly, Yang Zhen remembered the seed he had obtained from the altar. His eyes grew larger. Could it be that the seed burrowed into his brain, took root, sprouted, and turned into a small tree?

Wouldn’t this unknown thing bring some trouble?

While Yang Zhen was engrossed in his thoughts, a boundless wave of energy burst out between the heaven and the earth with a loud bang. Amidst flashes of lightning and thunder, violent anomalies of heaven and earth stirred up waves in Yang Zhen’s spiritual sea, but he wasn’t affected at all.

The terrifying thunderclap pierced through heaven and earth, and the hazy primordial aura separated and formed uneven mountains and swamps in the distance, while the sky became clear.

Yang Zhen wanted to take another look at the seedling but suddenly everything went dark. By the time he opened his eyes, he was in front of the formation.

His clothes were soaked, and he was panting heavily. Without looking, he knew his condition was disastrous. He appeared pale, weak, and was almost half-lying on the ground.

He felt as though countless women had drained his energy, and he didn’t want to move, but his spirits were high. All subtle breaths in heaven and earth were transmitted clearly to his mind and things he couldn’t sense before were now clear.

Was this the benefit of breaking through the spirit soul’s power?

Yang Zhen didn’t know to what extent his spirit soul’s power had broken through, but he did enjoy the feeling of turning negative into positive.

“Yang Zhen, are you alright?”

A concerned voice echoed nearby. Yang Zhen turned his head and responded in surprise, “How have you come out?”

Lan Fangyue glared at Yang Zhen and instead of answering his question said, “You’re too impulsive. Even I dare not cultivate the Purifying Soul Sutra. One careless mistake could lead to eternal damnation. But you seem uncaring. Aren’t you scared of death?”

“Fear!” Yang Zhen answered honestly, “Of course, I am!”

Seeing that Yang Zhen awakened, everyone was stunned. An ironic voice came from the direction of the heavenly tool not far away. “I have truly been enlightened this time. I’ve never seen anyone cultivate themselves into this state.”

“Was Yang Zhen successful?”

“Successful? Are you joking? Have you ever seen someone cultivate themselves into such a moribund state?”

“Seems like I haven’t. This is too terrifying. His body is shivering like a sifter for chaff now.”

“At least he didn’t die. Yang Zhen’s luck is extraordinary indeed.”

At the Cloud Platform, the bald-headed monk and the elegant middle-aged man exchanged disappointed glances, seeming regretful that Yang Zhen hadn’t perished. They let out a nonchalant laugh.

Hua Youyue, however, breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes flashing with concern. She then looked in the direction of the heavenly tool.

Yun Jie and Zeng Bishu truly were among the strong contenders of Dajiang Country’s younger generation. They had already stabilized themselves within the eighth layer, although immobile, their progress was startling.

Even Liang Qiushui of Wanhua Valley had stalled at the seventh layer, unable to move a step further. She glanced enviously at Yun Jie and Zeng Bishu, but when she looked back at Yang Zhen’s weakened state, her eyes filled with scorn, and she scoffed,

“Compared to Yun Jie and Zeng Bishu, Yang Zhen is worlds apart!”

Her voice was soft, but all around heard it clearly, especially Senior Sister Fei Xue, who trembled and lowered her head. She knew that these words were meant for her.

Liang Qiushui sneered at Senior Sister Fei Xue before closing her eyes, intending to resist the spirit soul’s suppression wholeheartedly.

Princess Changyang and Lu Xueqing were also on the seventh level, in the same position as where Shi Feixue was, a bit further out than Liang Qiushui.

Hearing Liang Qiushui’s words, Princess Changyang and Lu Xueqing looked at each other, both frowning slightly.

Both of them turned their heads to look at Yang Zhen in unison, apparently puzzled. Given the character and strength Yang Zhen had previously exhibited, he shouldn’t be failing at every level. Could it be that he had truly never encountered anything to do with the Spirit Souls before?

As everyone was mulling over their thoughts, Yang Zhen suddenly stood up and stretched out his body in a hearty and relaxed manner.

The cultivators who had been constantly observing Yang Zhen gasped together, though most wore expressions of schadenfreude.

“Does he now finally realize the vast gap between himself and a true genius?”

“It seems Yang Zhen has failed in his cultivation. Under these circumstances, he will surely leave here humiliated. It’s better for him to save face than stay here and be a disgrace.”

“It’s a pity, actually. Yang Zhen is quite impressive in certain respects.”

“This reveals the gap between the disciples of small sects and true geniuses. Geniuses like Yun Jie and Zeng Bishu are outstanding in every way, unlike Yang Zhen, who only excels in certain areas but falls short in all others.”

“Wow, he is still not giving up. He wants to try again?”

Seeing Yang Zhen moving step by step towards the array, everyone drew in a sharp breath.

Lan Fangyue tugged at Yang Zhen’s clothes, looking slightly worried as she said, “Yang Zhen, don’t push yourself.”

As Yang Zhen was about to speak, a clear voice came through, “Yang Zhen… don’t force yourself.”

Hearing this, everyone drew in a sharp breath, staring in surprise at Hua Youyue. This clear voice belonged to none other than Hua Youyue herself.

The level of attention Hua Youyue showed towards Yang Zhen was truly puzzling for everyone.

Yang Zhen looked deeply at Hua Youyue, laughed heartily as he turned around and strode towards the array amidst the stunned onlookers.

“The one virtue I do possess among my numerous failings is self-awareness, but in life, one should aim to be an extraordinary man alive and a formidable ghost in death. If these bastards belittle me and I swallow my anger, wouldn’t my existence in this world be in vain?”

Upon uttering these words, a wave of energy burst from Yang Zhen, surrounding his body.

“Spirit Soul Force, how is this possible?”

“Impossible, such a terrifying Spirit Soul Force, how… how did he do it?”

Staring at Yang Zhen dumbfoundedly and with her mouth agape, Lan Fangyue was shocked. The terrifying Soul Force emanating from Yang Zhen was even stronger than Yun Jie and Zeng Bishu. No, it was much stronger.

If the Spirit Soul Force emanated by Yun Jie and Zeng Bishu—who could both access the eighth level—was akin to a gentle breeze, then the Spirit Soul Force radiating from Yang Zhen was like a violent storm.

On the Cloud Platform, Hua Youyue, her face flashing with shock, stood up instantly and watched Yang Zhen in disbelief.

The old monk and the middle-aged gentleman’s mouths hung open, their eyes likewise reflecting incredulity. They wanted to say something, yet no words came out.

Taking one step, then two, Yang Zhen moved lightly, appearing unbothered by the array’s suppression. He quickly reached the fifth level, causing everyone to exclaim in surprise.

“Oh, I’m in. Ah, I’m out.”

A lazy voice came out. Yang Zhen was in front of the cultivator who had said touching his clothes would force him out of the array. He alternated between touching the front and back of his garment.

“Eh, how come you’ve only gotten this far? Can’t move anymore?” Yang Zhen circled the cultivator twice, clicking his tongue in wonder. “You need more exercise in the future. Look at you, even a snail moves faster. Still stuck at the fifth level, isn’t it shameful?”

“Oh, I touched the clothes. Eh? I touched the clothes again. Now I’m touching the left side, now the right, are you satisfied now? If not, I’ll keep touching.” Splat!

The cultivator’s face turned beet red, and he spat out blood..