80: Chapter 80 Spirit Origin Realm Corpse Puppet, Soul Master west Ye of the Ghostly Soul Cult!

Inside the eighth floor of the Bone Tower, as the three Mirror Guards completely dissipated, the eerie and deadly drum sound vanished as if it had never appeared, leaving only deathly silence permeating the air.

The three exchanged glances, their expressions extremely solemn.

They knew well that the drum sound was definitely not an illusion; it must have been a tactic of the black mist face consciousness to disturb their minds and assist the Mirror Guards in killing them.

Although the drum sound had stopped, it was more like the calm before a storm, signaling that the challenge on the final floor would be anything but simple.

After a brief period of adjustment, restoring their condition as much as possible, the three took steady and cautious steps, ascending the stairs to the last floor of the Bone Tower — the ninth floor.

As soon as they stepped onto the ninth-floor platform, the expected more dangerous Formations or a tide of enemies did not appear.

Instead, the space on this floor was unusually vast. The bones on the tower walls glowed with a dark golden luster, and the Death Qi was so dense it almost materialized, yet it flowed strangely smoothly.

In the center of the floor, only one figure stood silently.

It was not a mirror image covered in bone armor, but a Corpse Puppet that looked older and more unique.

Its figure was tall, its bones displayed a dark, metallic luster, and instead of eerie green Soul flames, two deep, abyss-like, slowly rotating black vortices burned in its eye sockets.

A terrifying pressure, far exceeding all previous enemies and causing their Souls to tremble, slowly emanated from this Corpse Puppet.

Lingyuan Realm!

Moreover, it was definitely not the fluctuation of someone who had just entered the Lingyuan Realm; its aura was as deep as the sea, profound and unfathomable!

However, what made the three even more disheartened was that they could clearly feel a familiar, cold, and malicious will attached to this Corpse Puppet!

It was that black mist face consciousness; it had actually found such a powerful host!

Just as the three were on full alert, preparing for a fierce battle, the dark golden Corpse Puppet did not immediately attack.

The black vortices in its eye sockets rotated slightly, and a hoarse, deep, yet strangely magnetic voice slowly echoed throughout the tower floor:

"Hehe! Finally... finally, this moment has arrived!"

The voice actually carried a hint of emotion and relief?

Li Siwen and the other two frowned, not responding, still maintaining maximum vigilance.

The voice continued, as if talking to itself, yet also as if speaking to them:

"How many years has it been... this wisp of my sub-Soul has been trapped in this tower, muddled and confused, instinctively operating the grand Formation, devouring Remnant Souls, refining Puppet soldiers, almost merging with this tower, unable to find freedom."

It paused, and a clear emotional fluctuation, a kind of resentment and longing suppressed for countless years, entered its voice.

"Until you broke in, especially you!" The dark gaze seemed to fall on Li Siwen, and it slowly said, "To be able to see through illusions, find the nodes, and destroy the Restrictions within the tower all the way... Hehe, you've done me a great favor."

"If you hadn't broken the core Restriction of this 'Puppet Sand Bone Tower,' this sub-Soul of mine would probably have continued this eternal, unconscious imprisonment. Now, the shackles are gone, and consciousness has returned to clarity! I am free!"

Free?

Li Siwen and Xiao Xiner exchanged glances, their surprise and doubt growing even deeper.

This strange existence was actually Sealed within this tower by someone?

"I am Xi Ye!"

The voice took on a hint of arrogance, saying, "I was once one of the seventy-two Earthly Fiend Soul Masters of the Ghost Soul Sect, but unfortunately, I was ambushed, and my main body was Sealed somewhere."

"Before the Seal, I tried my best to separate this wisp of sub-Soul, intending to keep it as a contingency, waiting for an opportunity to unseal my main body... However, something went wrong in the process, and I was instead imprisoned in this tower, my consciousness clouded, until today."

Ghost Soul Sect Soul Lord?! Earthly Fiend Soul Master?!

Xiao Xiner's pupils suddenly contracted!

The Ghost Soul Sect was a notorious Evil Path behemoth with cruel methods.

Its seventy-two Earthly Fiend Soul Masters were all Devil Heads with fearsome reputations and heaven-reaching cultivation!

This consciousness before them was actually a sub-Soul of one of them?!

Xi Ye seemed very satisfied with Xiao Xiner's reaction and continued, "Although it's just a sub-Soul, controlling this Lingyuan Realm 'mount Puppet' is barely enough."

He changed the subject, his dark gaze sweeping over the three.

"I acknowledge that you helped me escape, which means you have some affinity with me. I now offer you an opportunity: submit to me, help me find the location of my main body's Seal, and together we can unseal it."

"When I return to the world, fame, status, resources, Cultivation Techniques... everything you desire will be within your grasp!"

The terrifying Lingyuan Realm pressure slowly intensified with his words, pressing down on the three like a giant mountain, carrying an undeniable sense of coercion!

However—

"Heretics and Evil Dao, wishful thinking!" Xiao Xiner shouted clearly, stepping forward without fear, her yuehua longsword pointing directly at Xi Ye, her beautiful eyes filled with coldness and determination, "Good and evil cannot coexist! We, Xuanjian Sect Disciples, would rather die than surrender!"

She stared intently at the dark golden Corpse Puppet, and the more she looked, the more familiar the skeletal outline and residual aura of the Corpse Puppet seemed, and a terrifying conjecture arose in her mind.

She sharply questioned, "You Devil Head! Where did you get this Corpse Puppet Physical Body?! I observe its residual aura, and it is clearly that of a Xuanjian Sect Senior! Why did he perish here and get refined into this state by you?!"

Upon hearing this, Xi Ye let out an indifferent sneer, as if speaking of a trivial matter:

"My consciousness has been unclear these years, living in a muddled state. Any corpse thrown into or dying in this realm would be automatically absorbed and refined by the Bone Tower's grand Formation, becoming part of the Puppet soldiers."

"As for this Physical Body... Heh, it seems like he, like you, was 'sent' in and died from exhaustion, right? His strength is quite good, just suitable for me to temporarily reside in!"

Thrown into this realm? Sent in?

A flash of lightning seemed to strike Li Siwen and Xiao Xiner's minds, and they instantly linked it to how they were drawn into this place.

Chu Youcai used that strange black jade pendant to forcibly tear space and throw them in!

The Chu family!

The two almost instantly locked onto the answer!

The Chu family actually secretly controlled the entrance to this Secret Realm?

They had been throwing corpses and even living people in here?! What was their purpose?!

Just as a storm raged in their hearts, Yue Li, who had been standing silently beside Li Siwen and had been unusually quiet since entering the ninth floor, suddenly looked up.

Her exquisite face showed a rare trace of confusion and bewilderment, her clear eyes staring unblinkingly at the dark golden Corpse Puppet, or rather, at Xi Ye's sub-Soul attached to it.

She tilted her head slightly, as if trying hard to recall something, her red lips parted, and her ethereal voice, tinged with uncertainty, murmured softly:

"Xi Ye...?"

"This name... I seem to have... heard it somewhere..."

"Your aura... Soul fluctuations... there's a sense of familiarity!"

Her voice was light, yet it was like a thunderclap on flat ground, instantly drawing everyone's attention!

Li Siwen and Xiao Xiner abruptly turned to look at Yue Li, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief!

Yue Li, knows this Ghost Soul Sect Soul Lord?!

Xi Ye's always composed voice also suddenly paused, and the black vortex attached to the Corpse Puppet fluctuated violently, showing the extreme turmoil in his heart.

He intensely "stared" at Yue Li, and his hoarse voice for the first time carried clear surprise and scrutiny.

"You... who are you?!"