26: Chapter 26 Soul-Burning Pill

"What is this thing?"

The Vulture Demon moved away, a trace of curiosity flashing in his eyes.

No one answered him.

Visible to the naked eye.

The Physical Body of the Earth Lizard Ancestor began to shrivel rapidly.

Gray-brown scales fell off one by one, revealing the withered skin beneath; muscles atrophied, bones protruded, and it looked like a mummy weathering away; its body was shrinking.

But at the same time.

A terrifying Soul fluctuation surged from within its body.

The fluctuation was as turbulent as a tide, one wave higher than the next, climbing crazily.

Second-stage Early Stage, Second-stage Middle Stage, Second-stage Late Stage, Second-stage Peak...

It was still climbing!

Vaguely, that fluctuation had already touched the threshold of the Third Stage.

Chen Yuanshan's complexion instantly turned as pale as paper, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints, his lips trembling, his voice full of disbelief: "Impossible, how could you have such powerful Soul Power!"

"This is... a Soul fluctuation at the Half-step Golden Core level!"

"Why... can I not have it?"

The Earth Lizard Ancestor's voice squeezed out from his withered throat, carrying a condescending disdain.

"This is my original power. If it weren't for the fact that thirty years ago, I was ruined by those Cultivators from your Xuanyi Sect who destroyed my Physical Body and ruined my Foundation, I would have already achieved the status of a Third-stage Great Demon!"

As he finished speaking.

The Earth Lizard Ancestor's gaze fell upon Chen Yuanshan, a trace of greed flashing in his amber vertical pupils.

"Now, I will take your life first as interest."

"Qi Refining Ninth Level... barely enough."

Chen Yuanshan's body stiffened suddenly, and he turned to flee.

But it was already too late.

The Soul fluctuation within the Earth Lizard Ancestor suddenly condensed into a thin line, like an invisible needle, piercing straight into Chen Yuanshan's forehead!

"Ah!"

Chen Yuanshan let out a shrill scream, his body trembling violently, clutching his head with both hands, and falling to his knees.

His eyes rolled back, foam spilled from his mouth, and his Soul was being forcibly devoured by a terrifying force.

"Elder Chen!"

Zhao Heng shouted hoarsely, rushing forward desperately, but was repelled by an invisible force and thrown to the ground.

The remaining Disciples watched this scene in horror, and no one dared to step forward again.

The Vulture Demon circled in the air, his small eyes filled with fear.

He did not know what was happening, but he could feel that the Old Ancestor who had terrified him his entire life was being Reborn in a way he could not understand.

Without the slightest hesitation, the Vulture Demon turned and left.

Over here.

Chen Yuanshan knelt on the ground, clutching his head, the sharp pain from deep within his Soul making him almost lose consciousness.

The Earth Lizard Ancestor's demon Soul surged into his Sea of Consciousness like a tide, frantically devouring his Soul; he could feel his consciousness dissipating bit by bit, like a lamp about to burn out.

"No... I cannot... die here..."

Chen Yuanshan gritted his teeth, resisting with all his might, his spiritual power circulating crazily within his body, attempting to force out the invading power.

But the Earth Lizard Ancestor's Soul was too powerful; the Half-step Golden Core level Soul Power was simply not something he, a Qi Refining Ninth Level, could contend with.

His resistance was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, futile.

"Elder Chen!"

Zhao Heng's voice came from afar, carrying a hint of urgency.

In Chen Yuanshan's blurred vision, he saw Zhao Heng stagger to his feet, take out a porcelain bottle from his bosom, and pour out a gray-white Medicinal Pill.

The Medicinal Pill emitted a faint light and had an aura that calmed the mind.

"Elder Chen, I have a Soul-suppressing Pill obtained by chance; it should be able to suppress the Earth Lizard Ancestor's demon Soul!"

Zhao Heng rushed forward and held the Medicinal Pill to Chen Yuanshan's lips.

Chen Yuanshan was already delirious from the torture, and upon hearing the words "Soul-suppressing Pill," he felt as if he had grasped a last straw of hope; without the slightest hesitation, he opened his mouth and swallowed the Medicinal Pill.

The Medicinal Pill entered his stomach.

A gentle yet powerful force surged from within his body, spreading outwards like ripples.

"Hum~"

Wherever that force passed, the Earth Lizard Ancestor's demon Soul seemed to be suppressed by something, its frantic devouring speed slowing down suddenly, and it even began to retreat.

Chen Yuanshan's pain was greatly reduced; he gasped for air, his body soaked in cold sweat.

He could feel that the power of the Earth Lizard Ancestor's demon Soul seemed to have disappeared.

"Hoo... hoo..."

Chen Yuanshan raised his head, looked at Zhao Heng, and a trace of gratitude flashed in his eyes.

But soon, that gratitude turned into doubt.

He stared at Zhao Heng, his brows locked tightly.

"A Soul-suppressing Pill capable of suppressing a near-Third-stage demon Soul—this item is extremely precious; where did you get it from?"

Zhao Heng did not answer.

He just stood there, looking down at Chen Yuanshan, a faint smile hanging on the corner of his mouth; the smile was neither cold nor warm, just revealing a faint eeriness.

"Why aren't you speaking!"

Chen Yuanshan's heart began to sink.

Zhao Heng finally spoke, his voice unhurried: "Elder Chen also said it—this item is extremely precious; as a small Qi Refining Disciple, where would I have such a thing?"

Chen Yuanshan's pupils shrank suddenly.

The next second.

An abnormal Soul fluctuation exploded from within his body!

"Roar!!"

"Hahaha!"

"Heaven helps me!!!"

The Earth Lizard Ancestor did not know what had happened.

But the previously suppressed Earth Lizard Ancestor's demon Soul, like a flame doused in oil, surged violently, even directly breaking through the shackles to reach a true Golden Core demon Soul!

That power was more violent and crazier than before, like a beast completely enraged, rampaging through Chen Yuanshan's Sea of Consciousness.

"Ah!"

Chen Yuanshan let out an even shriller scream, his whole body suddenly half-kneeling on the ground, his hands clutching his head tightly, nails digging into his scalp, blood streaming down his forehead.

His eyes were bloodshot, his pupils unfocused, and his Soul was being devoured at a speed several times faster than before.

"This... this is not... a Soul-suppressing Pill..."

Chen Yuanshan's voice trembled, every word seeming to use up his last bit of strength.

Zhao Heng took a few steps back, his hands behind his back, tilting his head to look at Chen Yuanshan, with no guilt or fear in his eyes, only a kind of almost indifferent calmness.

"Ah, sorry, Elder Chen."

Zhao Heng's voice was airy, as if he were apologizing, or as if he were stating an unimportant fact.

"I took the wrong one; that was not a Soul-suppressing Pill."

Zhao Heng paused, and the smile on the corner of his mouth finally became clear.

"It is a soul-exploding pill, a Medicinal Pill that can greatly increase Soul Power."

"You!!"

Chen Yuanshan's eyes widened, staring fixedly at Zhao Heng, the gratitude in his eyes long gone, replaced by anger and confusion!

"Why..."

He wanted to ask, but the Earth Lizard Ancestor's demon Soul was already completely out of control; his consciousness began to blur, his voice becoming smaller and smaller, weaker and weaker.

Zhao Heng did not answer.

He just stood there, quietly watching Chen Yuanshan.

The Vulture Demon circled in the air, his small eyes filled with confusion.

He could not understand what was happening, but he could feel that the aura that had terrified him his entire life was becoming stronger and stronger.

In the distance.

The pupils of Wu Li on the dead tree shrank suddenly.

"soul-exploding pill... increases Soul Power..."

Wu Li muttered in a low voice, his bean-sized black pupils staring fixedly at Zhao Heng.