Chapter 0007: Xianyin Valley

Suddenly, the gravel on the ground was scattered, and a skeleton devoid of skin, with only dried flesh, sat up from the ground. Although the cave was filled with thick smoke, Tang Yin seemed to still catch a whiff of a decaying odor

It is essential to find the crystal

Tang Yin felt that he had a long dream, in which he transformed into a dark spirit cultivator, and his name was Yan Lie

For her, he engaged in a duel with five top-tier practitioners of the Bright System in the Xianyin Valley

Neither party achieved victory, ultimately resulting in a mutually destructive outcome

When Tang Yin awoke, the stern skeleton had already vanished; it had transformed into spiritual energy, which he absorbed during his unconsciousness

The country he belongs to is called Haotian, founded by Yin Zhun, with its capital in Shangjing. Within the Haotian Empire, there are nine major vassal states: Zhen, Yu, Mo, Feng, Ning, An, Chuan, Huan, and Shenchi. Two hundred years after the establishment of the state by Yin Zhun, the central imperial authority gradually weakened, while the power of local lords significantly increased. Over time, local forces reached a point where they could stand on equal footing with the central royal family. However, during Yan Lie's time, although there were often conflicts and frictions among the vassal states, they refrained from easily engaging in conflict out of consideration for the influence of the royal family in Shangjing. Yet, the war that Tang Yin had just experienced could not be explained even by Yan Lie's memories. Two hundred years after the establishment of the state by Yin Zhun, the central imperial authority gradually weakened, while the power of local lords significantly increased. Over time, local forces reached a point where they could stand on equal footing with the central royal family. However, during Yan Lie's time, although there were often conflicts and frictions among the vassal states, they refrained from easily engaging in conflict out of consideration for the influence of the royal family in Shangjing. Yet, the war that Tang Yin had just experienced could not be explained even by Yan Lie's memories. He only knew that the soldiers in black armor were from the Feng state, which was also Yan Lie's homeland.

Thick smoke had long filled the cave; had it been an ordinary person, they would likely have fainted by now. Tang Yin was able to endure solely due to his extraordinary willpower and survival instinct.

After glancing twice, he began to doubt whether his eyes had been clouded by the thick smoke, as he could hardly believe he was witnessing such a bizarre scene. Unable to help himself, he raised his hand to rub his eyes vigorously, and upon looking again, his eyes gradually widened, and his mouth instinctively opened slowly.

Splash, splash

This should be the result of absorbing spiritual energy. Tang Yin stood still, holding his breath, quietly feeling the spiritual energy circulating within him. Although it was only one-tenth of Yan Lie's original spiritual energy, it at least laid a foundation. It is important to note that the most difficult part of cultivating dark-type spiritual martial arts is the entry level, which is also the reason why there are far fewer practitioners of dark-type spiritual martial arts compared to those of light-type.

Without any warning, a blinding light suddenly emanated from the center of the skull's brow, directly striking the center of Tang Yin's forehead. The latter only felt a buzzing in his head, and then everything went dark before him, leaving him in complete oblivion

Having a severe memory is equivalent to merging the two unrelated individuals, Tang Yin and Yan Lie, into one entity. However, this did not bring Tang Yin any relief; rather, it made his mood even heavier

It seems that I can only go find the crystal and resolve this matter... Tang Yin silently murmured to himself

In a black hole that was originally thought to be impossible for anyone to discover, an arm suddenly extended from beneath the ground. This was utterly bizarre; Tang Yin felt a chill run down his spine, and his hair nearly stood on end. If he had not covered his mouth and nose with his clothing, he would have surely screamed at that moment

Although the amount of spiritual energy obtained is not substantial, the intense memories have greatly benefited Tang Yin, as he has at least come to understand the world he inhabits

Tang Yin suddenly sat up from the ground, his mind filled with the image of Crystal. He thought to himself and shook his head vigorously, trying to shake off the image of Crystal from his thoughts, after all, Crystal was a serious issue, not a problem of his, Tang Yin. However, no matter how hard he tried, the image of Crystal's every frown and smile would inevitably surface in his mind.

These corpses are the warriors of the Wind Kingdom who died far from home. He slowly clenched his fists, biting his lip tightly. The grief and anger in his heart did not stem from Tang Yin, but from Yan Lie.

He could not see the skeleton's eyes, only two black holes that flickered with ghostly red light. When those two beams of red light fell upon Tang Yin's face, it was as if he suddenly forgot how to breathe. An invisible pressure suddenly descended upon him, as if it were going to crush and shatter his body.

Tang Yin never believed in the existence of ghosts in the world. He had killed so many people, and the number of souls lost under his blade was countless, yet not a single ghost had ever approached him. However, now he could not explain what was happening; in any case, on this day, his world had completely changed

However, the area around Xianyin Mountain does not belong to the territory of the Wind Kingdom, and it is unclear why soldiers from the Wind Kingdom would appear here

Tang Yin was unable to move, watching helplessly as the skeleton approached him, bending down, its head coming close to his. That face, devoid of flesh and blood, was so ghastly and terrifying that it almost touched his own face.

Tang Yin suddenly opened his eyes and murmured this name that was both familiar and unfamiliar to him

Is it a ghost... is it a ghost?

Tang Yin had limited spiritual energy and was unable to move the massive stone blocking the cave entrance, but it was not a problem to enlarge the small dog-sized opening a bit. He crawled out of the cave and looked around. The vast valley was filled with charred and twisted corpses as far as the eye could see, and the air was thick with a nauseating stench of burning flesh

Just as Tang Yin could no longer maintain his sitting posture and his body was swaying precariously, he suddenly felt a tremor beneath him.

He can do everything for her, dedicate everything, even his own life

He is not very certain, as his consciousness is becoming increasingly blurred, and it is also possible that he is experiencing hallucinations

Not far from him, an arm unexpectedly emerged from the ground. Rather than an arm, it would be more accurate to describe it as a skeletal hand. Perhaps due to the passage of time, the bones had turned a dark brown, and between the bone seams, there was a dark, dried flesh connecting them

Firstly, he understood why he had to experience these inexplicable events; it was because, for reasons unknown, he had suddenly transitioned from the world he inhabited to this strange and magical realm. The dire situation was that he could not find a way back. Secondly, he inherited the profound sorrow and despair that Yan Lie felt before his death. He loathed the betrayal of Crystal, yet he was irresistibly and deeply in love with this woman, even though she had bestowed upon him a humiliation that he could never erase.

Call! Hooray!

The oxygen in the cave was becoming increasingly thin, and his consciousness was gradually detaching from his body. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier. He was well aware that once he closed his eyes, he might never be able to open them again. To survive, he had to remain awake.

A muffled sound suddenly emanated from the silent cave, startling Tang Yin. He struggled to lift his eyelids and looked in the direction of the sound

Sighing deeply, he steeled himself and strode out of the valley, feeling that if he stayed here for even one more second, he would go insane

Fallen leaves must return to their roots, but unfortunately, he lacks the ability to transport so many corpses back to the Wind Country, and Tu Shu also lacks the capacity to bury them on the spot, leaving them to rot in the wilderness.

In the end, he could only give up and came to understand one thing: Yan Lie's soul had completely merged with his own. The people and matters that Yan Lie cared about had also become the people and matters he cared about. In other words, he was now both Tang Yin and Yan Lie.

Bang

Five hundred years later, the brutal battle that took place in the valley of Xianyin Mountain resulted in the tragic deaths of over three thousand soldiers from the Wind Kingdom. The blood of the soldiers awakened Yan Lie, and Tang Yin, the only survivor who was so close to him, naturally became his vessel for inheritance. Unfortunately, his spiritual energy had been nearly exhausted, and Tang Yin did not inherit much spiritual energy.

He does not seek her gratitude, nor does he seek her repayment, but ironically, Crystal betrayed him, betraying the vows they once made to each other. After he had done everything for her, she cruelly brought Xuan Zhenzi to kill him, who was already gravely injured.

The desiccated skeleton slowly rose from the ground, and Tang Yin's heartbeat quickened. He heard the creaking sounds of the skeleton's bones moving and saw the skull gradually turning towards him

Yan Lie has died, but before his death, he utilized the Death Sacrifice from the dark system of spiritual martial arts. The Death Sacrifice can be considered the only sacrificial skill within the dark system of spiritual martial arts. It allows for rebirth through blood and combines with the life closest to him, enabling the other party to inherit his memories and abilities.

The skeleton, which originally had no life, now possesses life and is slowly approaching Tang Yin

In his dream, Tang Yin could clearly feel the pain of Yan Lie before his death. It was not a physical pain, but rather a suffering that originated from the heart, imprinted on the soul. The bitterness of betrayal was like sulfuric acid, burning and corroding his body layer by layer

He will never forget the wild laughter of Xuan Zhenzi before him, as well as the intimate posture he shared with the crystal

He did not notice that the fresh blood flowing from the wound on his shoulder did not disappear upon hitting the ground; instead, it seemed to be drawn by some kind of suction, flowing toward a nearby spot on the ground and vanishing. The blood that flowed in from the wound also all gathered there, then disappeared without a trace.

Tang Yin, who was close at hand, stared in astonishment. He felt an impulse to flee the place immediately, but it seemed as if his body suddenly no longer belonged to him; he could not move at all and could only sit there in a daze.

With the sound of stones cracking, cracks began to appear in the ground around the arm. Subsequently, the cracks grew larger and more numerous, as if the ground were breathing, undulating unpredictably

With a long sigh, he came back to his senses from his contemplation. It was only at this moment that he realized the fire in the valley had already been extinguished, and the thick smoke in the cave had long since dissipated. He slowly stood up, feeling unusually light, not only without any sense of injury but even stronger than before. Even the wounds on his body had healed, perfectly as before.

He deeply loves that woman, the one named Crystal

As for how to resolve the situation after finding the crystal, Tang Yin is also uncertain. At the very least, Yan Lie has a complex relationship with the crystal, feeling both deep hatred and profound love—hating it to the core, yet loving it to the point of not wanting to harm a single hair on it. Such a strong contrast in feelings towards a person is something Tang Yin has never experienced, and this sensation feels quite unfamiliar to him.

Crystal

Click, click

That battle can be regarded as a peak confrontation between the Light System Spiritual Weapons and the Dark System Spiritual Weapons