Chapter 132: One Must Bear the Consequences of Their Own Actions

A spectral light streaked directly into his body, bypassing even the Turtle-Snake Bagua Lamp as if it were nothing. Gu Changqing felt a sudden jolt, and before he could react, his vision went black, and he lost all control over his physical form.

"Possession?" The thought crossed his mind, only to be dismissed as impossible. Possession was never this simple, nor could it be this reckless. It was a perilous endeavor, typically requiring a vast disparity in soul strength and meticulous preparation.

As he began to muster his soul consciousness, the surrounding darkness trembled. Gu Changqing felt a surge of triumph. "You're trying to scare me, you bastard?"

However, several more beams of spectral light surged into his body. No matter how violently he struggled, the darkness remained unyielding, like a prison cell from which there was no escape.

"Damn it, what is this?" Gu Changqing seethed. He calculated that since he had destroyed Daoist Mi’s physical body, the man must be attempting to possess him. He just didn't know how.

Daoist Mi was indeed attempting possession, utilizing an exceptionally wicked technique. The first beam of light was the Daoist’s own essence; while his soul was stronger than Gu Changqing’s, the gap was not insurmountable. The remaining beams, however, were refined from the souls of other cultivators whose consciousnesses had been extinguished. He had succeeded in possession before by using his own soul to bind the target, then detonating these specially refined soul-shards within the victim's sea of consciousness. No matter how powerful the target, they could not withstand such an assault. The explosions would leave the victim’s sea of consciousness riddled with holes. It was a costly technique that required long periods of recovery, and after several possessions, Daoist Mi’s own soul had become tattered beyond repair. Even if he succeeded, his cultivation would never advance again. But to him, survival was paramount—especially in his current predicament.

"They say that one may escape the calamities sent by Heaven, but one cannot escape the disasters of one's own making!" Daoist Mi’s voice echoed within Gu Changqing’s soul. A figure manifested before him—the face of Daoist Mi. Yet, this was merely one of the unconscious soul-shards he had refined. The face wore a gruesome smile, preparing to detonate.

Gu Changqing returned a mocking smile. He did not know exactly what the Daoist was planning, but he knew it couldn't be good. A crimson light ignited in the darkness, and the God of the Bone Marrow appeared, towering and immense, like a deity looming over the world. In this moment of crisis, the Blood Prison returned to his body, uncontrolled. Though Gu Changqing could not move his physical shell, he could command the God of the Bone Marrow.

As the deity emerged, Daoist Mi was struck with terror. Sensing that things had gone awry, he desperately tried to trigger the soul-shard to detonate, but it remained motionless, unresponsive to his commands.

"What have you done?" Daoist Mi shrieked in panic and rage.

"You moron!" Gu Changqing scoffed. Playing these games with him? He possessed a deity nurtured within his own body; he was the last person to fear possession. The God of the Bone Marrow had always presided over the souls trapped in the Blood Prison—anyone who dared enter his body would meet their end.

The deity, whose eyes had remained closed, suddenly opened them, his gaze cold and indifferent. With a single glance, the surrounding darkness was torn asunder, revealing Daoist Mi and the other soul-shards. Seeing the situation collapse, Daoist Mi tried to flee, but he felt as though a mountain had been placed upon him; he could not move a single finger.

The God of the Bone Marrow flicked his whisk, and the silver threads struck Daoist Mi and the soul-shards, driving them straight into a sea of blood. The moment Daoist Mi hit the blood, countless hands dragged him down into the depths.

"Damn idiot," Gu Changqing muttered. He opened his eyes, only to see the Thousand-Soul Bone Banner fleeing into the distance. Daoist Mi had split his soul long ago; the remnant that had just entered the banner, sensing that his main consciousness had been destroyed, was fleeing for its life.

"Still trying to run?" Gu Changqing commanded the Child-Mother Yin Soul Swords to intercept the banner, then swept it into the sea of blood. He had intended to keep the artifact, but he changed his mind.

Once submerged in the blood, the banner pulsed with black light, thrashing and struggling to escape. But before long, the dark aura was ground away layer by layer. The Blood Prison encased the banner, and the fierce spirits trapped within began to wail in agony. Soon, the entire banner dissolved into the Blood Prison, leaving only scraps of broken material.

The Blood Prison now contained a vast influx of new faces—ferocious, vengeful spirits that tried to break free. With the God of the Bone Marrow presiding over the prison, they were quickly suppressed. Gu Changqing beckoned, and the Blood Prison returned to him. He had been so full from consuming the previous ninth-level Qi Refinement cultivator that he felt absolutely stuffed.

"Burp!" Gu Changqing circled the area, collecting the spoils. He harvested over a dozen magical artifacts. His favorite was a bead filled with earthen-yellow dust; it was incredibly heavy, weighing thousands of jin. Had his blood energy not been so potent, he would never have been able to lift it. It was no wonder the artifact was so powerful—it had even withstood the Turtle-Snake Bagua Lamp.

Aside from that, there was a azure robe, embroidered with mystical patterns. Though it had lost its spiritual luster from being tainted by the Blood Prison, the material itself was intact. It would be useful if re-refined. It was a good haul, though Gu Changqing mused that once he reached the Foundation Establishment stage, these Qi Refinement-level toys would be of little use.

He wondered about the identity of the woman surnamed You. Given the old man's attitude, she was clearly someone of significance. When the time came, he would devour their memories to see which "divine" entity she was, and then pay her a visit to kill her.

Returning to Spirit Vulture Peak, Gu Changqing went to Daoist Mi’s residence. Finding nothing of value, he leveled the entire courtyard with a wave of his hand.

"Everyone on Spirit Vulture Peak, get out here!" Gu Changqing shouted. The cultivators in the nearby caves were startled and hurried out to investigate.

"Come up!" Hearing his voice echo from the peak, the group had their suspicions. If things were as they feared, Spirit Vulture Peak was about to be turned upside down.

They ascended the mountain with trembling hearts, only to find the courtyard and hut leveled. Gu Changqing stood there, his robes fluttering in the mountain wind, watching them with a blank expression. Seeing this, they were certain of what had happened.

"Senior Brother Gu!" they greeted him in succession.

"Daoist Mi encountered a group of fierce thugs down the mountain. I was unable to reach him in time, and he has unfortunately perished," Gu Changqing said, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

The group knew immediately that the talk of thugs and failed rescue attempts was a lie. If that were true, why would Gu Changqing have leveled the residence? Though that sounded like something he would do, the smile on his face made it clear that Daoist Mi had died at his hands.

"I will be living here from now on. Build me a new courtyard!" Gu Changqing said bluntly. "I have only one requirement: it must look good." With that, he turned and walked into his cave.

The group was left staring at one another. "Look good"—this simple requirement stumped them. Who knew what Gu Changqing’s tastes were? But they dared not disobey. It was clear that from this day forward, Spirit Vulture Peak would follow Gu Changqing’s lead. They began to brainstorm, and recalling the beautiful maidservant, Li Youling, they wondered if she might be his concubine and ran off to consult her.

As for Gu Changqing, he returned to his chambers, sealed the stone door, and began his breakthrough.