C12 Devouring the Soul

As Qin Yu walked, he took in the ice cave around him. It was no larger than a small chamber, but his attention was quickly drawn to the far end where a transparent ice coffin lay in state. Through the frosty exterior, he could just make out the figure of someone asleep inside.

A flicker of surprise crossed Qin Yu's face, followed by a surge of curiosity. The existence of an ice cave beneath the mountain was unexpected enough, but the presence of a crystal coffin was downright astonishing. If the coffin held a past Sect Master of the Clear Essence Sect, his luck would be incredible. The cultivation techniques interred with the Sect Masters were of the highest caliber, and the spirit medicines that accompanied them were invaluable. Consuming those medicines could potentially restore his own pulse to normal. With a superior cultivation technique in hand, he could practice it and, once mastered, the Clear Essence Sect wouldn't be after him – they'd likely be extending an invitation!

With growing excitement, Qin Yu approached the coffin and strained to lift the crystal lid. But as he peered inside, he was rooted to the spot in shock. The occupant of the coffin was a woman dressed in simple attire.

"What's going on here?" Qin Yu murmured, perplexed. He had never heard of a female Sect Master in the Clear Essence Sect. Could it be that this wasn't the resting place of a Sect Master after all?

Disappointment washed over him, and he sighed deeply. After a cursory examination revealed nothing of value, he decided to replace the lid. It was only right to let the deceased rest undisturbed. As he began to close the coffin, his eyes lingered on the woman's face, drawn by an inexplicable allure.

Then, abruptly, Qin Yu paused, his hands stilling on the coffin lid. He scrutinized the woman before him: her slender form, her exquisite features enhanced by a hint of blush, her beauty captivating. Were it not for her repose in the coffin, who could imagine that this enchanting figure was but a lifeless body?

Qin Yu's heart raced with an unfamiliar sensation, distinct from the flutter of nerves. It was an odd emotion, as though his heart was truly pounding with life, despite its focus being a lifeless body. Indeed, at that moment, his young heart trembled before the motionless form.

He found himself swallowing hard, his mind torn with indecision. It was as if two voices were vying for attention within him. One urged him to draw nearer, while the other insisted on the sanctity of the dead and the need to close the coffin. These conflicting thoughts reverberated in his head, giving him a headache.

Despite his internal struggle, Qin Yu's gaze remained fixed on the woman's face. He couldn't tell if it was an illusion, but she seemed to grow more alluring by the moment. An invisible force seemed to coil around his neck, drawing his head inch by inch toward her visage.

The closer he got to the woman's face, the faster his heart thumped, almost as if it would leap from his throat. He could even catch the subtle scent emanating from her.

"Am I beautiful?" Amidst the haze, Qin Yu thought he heard a woman's voice, soft and seductive.

His vision blurred, he nodded subconsciously and continued to lean in. The voice persisted, weaving through his thoughts, "Then come, merge with me."

Qin Yu was utterly transfixed, unable to react. He inched closer to the woman's face and, gazing at her slightly pink lips, he tenderly pressed his own against them.

The moment their lips touched, a white aura surged from the woman's body, rushing up through Qin Yu's lips like a bursting spring, flooding into him. This continued until the white aura had completely transferred into Qin Yu. He abruptly released the woman's lips and staggered back, his complexion ashen.

"Hahaha, who would have thought? After centuries, I would be reborn into this world! Hahaha!" A woman's manic laughter echoed from within Qin Yu.

Startled, Qin Yu felt an overwhelming power surging within him, a force that was gradually consuming his own strength.

"Hahaha, kid, your body may be a bit frail, but it'll serve as a temporary vessel for me. I owe you my thanks today. Without your arrival, who knows how long I would've been trapped in this forsaken place. As a token of my gratitude, I will consume your soul and merge it with my own. Consider it a tremendous honor!"

As the voice dissipated, the formidable power within Qin Yu grew more ferocious, draining his strength at an alarming rate. Qin Yu could feel a sensation of being torn apart, as if the force was literally ripping through his soul!

Collapsed on the icy ground, Qin Yu's forehead was beaded with sweat despite the chill. The relentless force inside him continued to ravage his soul, punctuated by bursts of maniacal laughter.

Qin Yu's hands were clenched tightly. Suddenly, he felt a new surge of energy from within. As this power emerged, the crimson pupils on his forehead reappeared, now a deep, blood-red, with the surrounding scarlet aura intensified several-fold.

"What's happening? The Demonic Eye? Impossible!" The woman's voice inside Qin Yu echoed once more, now tinged with a hint of panic.

Qin Yu's body was covered in bulging veins. Soon after, he unleashed a low growl, like a beast mustering all its strength for a desperate final stand.

"What in the world is happening? Why is the Demonic Eye manifesting here?" Alongside Qin Yu's growl, the woman's voice grew increasingly frantic, laced with fear.