C17 Outer Sect Boss

Harnessing the soul power of the Heavenly Soul, Bai Yeh reconstructed his Soul Mansion, much like a caterpillar weaves its cocoon to transform into a butterfly. The Taotie Heavenly Soul, though tempestuous and seemingly reluctant, embodied Bai Yeh's will and could not defy it. In short order, it used its soul power to forge an immense Soul Mansion.

Bai Yeh's brow creased slightly, his complexion growing pale. Once the Soul Mansion was complete, the Heavenly Soul ceased its power supply, leaving his internal reserves of soul power noticeably depleted. This state persisted for a full six hours until the soul power within the Soul Mansion finally solidified.

Though reshaping the Soul Mansion was not inherently challenging, no one with an awakened Heavenly Soul would foolishly seal their own, effectively crippling their cultivation—even if only temporarily.

With his eyes reopening, Bai Yeh found himself without the Heavenly Soul once more. He picked up a book and resumed his scrutiny. The sword techniques within seemed tangible, yet they shifted and varied with a deceptive fluidity. Time became an afterthought as he absorbed the text in its entirety.

Taking a deep breath, Bai Yeh placed the book back where it belonged, sensing it was time to move on. He turned and made his way toward the ground floor.

"Someone has come down from the second floor," a voice announced as Bai Yeh's silhouette emerged at the stairwell.

"Eh? Isn't that Bai Yeh? Didn't he just ascend to the second floor five days ago? Why is he coming back up today?"

Five days ago? Had it really been five days already?

Bai Yeh paused in thought, then turned his gaze to the elder who continued to rest with closed eyes, seemingly oblivious to the world around him. Approaching, Bai Yeh offered a respectful fist-and-palm salute. "Thank you, elder."

The old man opened his eyes just enough to offer Bai Yeh a glance. His dull pupils briefly narrowed before returning to their usual state. He spoke with a detached tone, "Practice diligently. Do not disappoint the faith your sect has placed in you."

"I will spare no effort," Bai Yeh replied with a nod.

With that, he departed.

Once Bai Yeh was gone, the elder's cloudy eyes opened fully, and he rose slowly. Approaching the stone tablet, he touched it lightly, prompting it to burst forth with a rich purple glow, drawing astonished gasps from the disciples below.

He ascended the stairs to the second floor, pausing before the bookshelf. His gaze lingered on the slender sword manual resting there. After a moment of silence, he reached out, and as he touched it, a mysterious flame ignited upon the manual, swiftly reducing it to ashes.

"The sword manual you vowed to defend has at last found its inheritor. Regardless of his future accomplishments, you have fulfilled your duty."

...

Heavenly Soul Mutation wasn't simply about reforging the Soul Mansion; it required relentless tempering, much like the crafting of a sword.

Bai Yeh had been secluded in the mountains behind the sect, diligently practicing with the aid of the Indestructible Vajra to rebuild his Soul Mansion. Naturally, the essential Magic Soul Pill was a crucial part of the process.

Even as his Heavenly Soul transformed into the Soul Mansion, Bai Yeh harbored no concerns. His cultivation left him invigorated and thoroughly satisfied.

"Wuwu... Wuwuwu..."

Suddenly, the sound of weeping echoed in the distance.

Bai Yeh's brow furrowed as he opened his eyes, only to see a procession of new disciples approaching, their faces etched with sorrow and tears streaming down their cheeks. Upon noticing Bai Yeh, they fell to their knees, imploring, "Senior Brother Bai, we need your intervention!"

"You again?" Bai Yeh, not spotting Zhang Dazhuang among them, sighed, "I've told you before, find someone else to support you. Don't trouble me with this."

"But... Senior Brother, someone else doesn't see it that way."

"Who might that be?"

"Lin Zhengshu! He assumed we were your followers and targeted us. Dazhuang has been grievously wounded by his treachery. Had the elders not intervened, he would surely be beyond saving by now," a disciple lamented through tears.

Hearing this, Bai Yeh's frown deepened. "Lin Zhengshu? Who is he?"

"He's the sworn brother of Guan Chengfei. Rumor has it his prowess rivals that of the Tiger Dragon Ranking's finest. He seldom shows his hand, so his true level of power is unknown. But make no mistake, those who cross him never fare well. Senior Brother Bai, you must remember him from when you vanquished Guan Chengfei at the Dragon Tiger Platform?"

The man in white?

Bai Yeh's brow furrowed as he stood up to leave. "He hasn't targeted me yet, has he? His attack on Zhang Dazhuang is none of my concern. If you're seeking justice, you should turn to the sect elders, not me."

The disciples hurried over, falling to their knees before him.

"Senior Brother Bai, Lin Zhengshu is despicable! His tactics are ruthless and leave no trace. He made Dazhuang's incident look like an accident, and without evidence, appealing to the elders is futile. You're the only one who can stand up for us now," they wailed.

Bai Yeh shook his head, unmoved, and continued on his way.

It wasn't that he was heartless; Lin Zhengshu was after him, and he couldn't just walk away. Ignoring the disciples was strategic, aimed at shifting Lin Zhengshu's focus to himself. By doing so, he could better assist them. Getting involved with the disciples would only broaden Lin Zhengshu's range of targets.

Arriving at the Wooden Man Room to exchange for some pills, Bai Yeh found a figure grinning at him, seemingly having waited for his arrival.

Lin Zhengshu.

They had just been discussing him, and here he was, seeking him out sooner than expected.

"You come here every day at this time to exchange for pills. Did you know that because of you, the top ten masters on the Tiger Dragon Ranking are running short on Magic Soul Pills for their training?" Lin Zhengshu said cheerfully, his clean, innocent-looking face belying the mind of a cunning plotter.

"What I do is hardly your concern, is it?" Bai Yeh replied coolly.

"Had you not dueled with Guan Chengfei, perhaps there would be no reason for our paths to cross," Lin Zhengshu's smile waned.

"Are you seeking revenge for him?"

"If I were seeking revenge, I'd have challenged you with a sword by now. But given your formidable strength, I lack the confidence to defeat you." His smile persisted, as if it were his only expression.

Bai Yeh shook his head and made his way to the Wooden Man Room.

As he passed Lin Zhengshu, a whisper caught his ear.

"I may not confront you on the Dragon Tiger Platform, but with countless techniques at my disposal in this world, why would I need to strike openly?"

It was an unmistakable threat.

Bai Yeh halted, turning to face him.

"Planning on a sneak attack, then?"

"Sneak attack? Open attack? Does it really matter? The best move is the one that achieves the goal," Lin Zhengshu replied, his smile unwavering.

But in a flash, Lin Zhengshu doubled over from a sudden blow to the gut, tumbling backward and crashing to the ground.

Clutching his stomach, his smile turned into a grimace of pain.

Bai Yeh strode forward, seized Lin Zhengshu by the hair, and dragged him towards the Dragon Tiger Platform.

"What are you doing?" Lin Zhengshu cried out in agony. "This isn't the Dragon Tiger Platform. Your blatant attack violates the sect's rules! Aren't you scared of the elders' punishment?"

"Disciplinary action for fighting between disciples is at most a month of facing the wall. But before that, I can deal with you. If you insist on being my enemy, there's no mercy to discuss. You prefer underhanded tactics; I'll stick to the direct approach," Bai Yeh declared, his voice as cold as ice.

"You..."

Lin Zhengshu was taken aback by Bai Yeh's ferocity, his swift and ruthless action.

Other disciples glanced over, recognizing Bai Yeh, the man who had turned the Soul Finishing Sect upside down.

With a flick of his wrist, Lin Zhengshu nearly hit the ground, a chunk of his hair ripped out. He didn't yell, though; his smile returned, but his eyes were venomous as they fixed on Bai Yeh.

"You'll regret this."

"First, you'll need to confront the reality," Bai Yeh retorted, drawing his sword token and tossing it to the ground. "I challenge you to a life-and-death duel on the Dragon Tiger Platform."

"I refuse," Lin Zhengshu replied instantly.

"The whole sect will hear of this soon enough."

"I know. Sure, I'll be humiliated, but you'll be facing a month in solitary. Looks like we're even," Lin Zhengshu said with a grin.

He was aware that if he accepted the sword token, Bai Yeh would undoubtedly defeat him in the arena. Unlike Guan Chengfei, who acted on impulse, he preferred to bear the disgrace than to senselessly throw away his life.

"I figured you'd turn it down, and I knew I'd be facing a month of confinement."

"So what's your next move?" Lin Zhengshu asked, still smiling.

"Do I even need to spell it out?"

Without another word, Bai Yeh's fist flew through the air.

Lin Zhengshu was caught off guard and scrambled to block the blows. But Bai Yeh's assault was too swift, leaving him no time to dodge. Blow after blow landed, leaving him reeling and disoriented.

Bai Yeh showed no mercy, pummeling Lin Zhengshu until he couldn't rise from the ground.

The onlookers were taken aback. Recognizing Bai Yeh, no one dared intervene. It wasn't until the Disciplinary Disciples arrived that the two were separated.

As expected, Bai Yeh was sentenced to a month of introspection under the Reflection Waterfall and received a stern warning. Lin Zhengshu fared no better, with over a dozen broken bones. He spent a month bedridden, unable to recover. By the time Bai Yeh strolled out from the waterfall, Lin Zhengshu was still hobbling on crutches.

Lin Zhengshu wasn't a concern for Bai Yeh. He knew that someone with Lin's temperament wouldn't let the matter rest, but he was prepared. If Lin Zhengshu was determined to persist, Bai Yeh would be ready to strike first.

Now that Lin was injured, he likely wouldn't make any hasty moves, giving Bai Yeh some precious time to prepare.

After a month of stillness before the Reflection Waterfall, there was still no activity within his Soul Mansion.

It appeared that the mutation of the Heavenly Soul and its awakening were just as challenging. Despite the stagnation in his cultivation due to the reconstruction of his Soul Mansion, Bai Yeh was surprised to find that he could still perfectly assimilate the Magic Soul Pill. It seemed as though his Soul Mansion was still drawing on the pill's power.

During this time, Bai Yeh's daily routine on the back mountain was limited to practicing the Swan Shocking Step Arts and the Flashing Sword Spell, or visiting the Wooden Man Room to trade for Magic Soul Pills.

It wasn't long before an odd rumor began to circulate. Due to the reconstruction of his Soul Mansion, Bai Yeh had been left without a trace of soul power. Yet, some disciples misinterpreted this as a sign that Bai Yeh's cultivation had surged, believing he had ascended to the eighth level of the Power Soul Realm, capable of concealing his aura. In truth, he was merely at the sixth level.

Unconcerned with the idle chatter, Bai Yeh maintained his usual routine: traversing between the back mountain, his dwelling, and the Wooden Man Room. He also made it a point to attend lectures given by the elders.

The Nine-soul Sword Spell was off-limits until the mutation of the Heavenly Soul was complete. In the meantime, Bai Yeh focused on the Indestructible Vajra and other cultivation practices.

Bai Yeh's influence had inadvertently elevated the status of the sect's newest disciples, granting them the freedom to come and go from the Wooden Man Room as they pleased, effectively upending its longstanding rules.

These fresh faces were deeply appreciative of Bai Yeh. Despite his reluctance to accept the title, they had already embraced him as their leader.

Cultivation was a monotonous affair, but soon, a thrilling piece of news rippled through the Soul Finishing Sect, invigorating every disciple.