33: Chapter 33 The Remnant Soul of a Saint

Shen Yuanshan's heart sank.

If even the Dongyou Cheming Technique could not find the source of the problem, then what exactly was wrong with Shen Chong?

Shen Chong lowered his head, his hands clenched until his knuckles turned white, his lips trembling slightly.

"Third Elder, Sixth Elder..." He looked up, his eyes rimmed with red, his voice hoarse. "Am I... crippled?"

Shen Yuanshan opened his mouth, wanting to say something comforting, but the words died on his lips.

He did not know the cause, did not know how to treat it, and could not even locate where the problem lay.

What could he say?

Shen Yuanshan remained silent for a long time.

He looked at the youth before him.

The youth's face was as pale as paper, his eyes rimmed with red, his hands clenched until his knuckles were white, his entire body trembling slightly.

A year ago, this child was the most dazzling Genius of the Shen Family.

At fourteen, he was in the Meridian Opening Realm, and his Cultivate speed was even faster than Wang Teng's; the entire Shen Family had been abuzz with excitement.

But now?

In less than half a year, his cultivation had plummeted to the second level of the Qi Condensation Realm, worse even than the children from the Shen Family's branch families who had just started.

The once proud son of heaven had now been reduced to a "useless person" that everyone avoided.

Shen Yuanshan took a deep breath, suppressing the irritation in his heart. He walked over to Shen Chong, crouched down, and looked him in the eye.

"Child, don't be afraid." His tone was gentle. "Let me take another look for you."

Shen Chong looked up, his red-rimmed eyes filled with hope, yet tinged with fear.

The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.

"Third Elder..." His voice was hoarse, his lips trembling slightly. "I... am already crippled..."

"Nonsense!" Shen Yuanshan straightened his face, his tone stern. "You are a disciple of the Shen Family. As long as you still have a breath left, there is no such thing as being 'crippled'!"

Shen Chong shuddered, and the tears in his eyes finally could not be held back any longer.

Shen Yuanshan said nothing more; he simply patted his shoulder, stood up, and walked behind him.

He looked at Shen Yuanhe, who was standing to the side. "Sixth Elder, give me the Jade Slip."

Shen Yuanhe frowned slightly. "Third Brother, you want to use the Dongyou Cheming Technique too? I just checked it three times and found nothing..."

"Then we check again." Shen Yuanshan's tone was firm.

Shen Yuanhe opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing more.

He handed over the ancient-looking Jade Slip in his hand and took a bottle of Medicinal Pill from his bosom, poured out two, and handed them to Shen Yuanshan. "Spirit-Replenishing Pill; it can restore some of your consumption. Don't force yourself."

Shen Yuanshan took the Medicinal Pill and swallowed it in one gulp. He then took the Jade Slip, projected his Divine Thought into it, and carefully studied the method of the Dongyou Cheming Technique once more.

After confirming everything was correct, he walked behind Shen Chong and placed his palm on the youth's head.

"Child, relax your mind and do not resist."

Shen Chong closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried his best to calm down.

Shen Yuanshan also closed his eyes. His Spiritual Qi surged within him, and his Divine Thought poured out like a tide. Following the method recorded in the Jade Slip, it transformed into thousands of fine threads that seeped into Shen Chong's crown.

The fine threads moved slowly down along the Meridians, passing through the Niwan Palace and crossing the Twelve-Story Pagoda, probing inch by inch.

Every Meridian, every Acupoints, and every inch of flesh and blood was meticulously combed through.

A thin layer of sweat soon broke out on Shen Yuanshan's forehead.

The consumption of this secret technique was even greater than he had imagined.

But he dared not slacken in the slightest, gritting his teeth and persisting.

Once. Twice. Three times.

There was nothing.

Shen Yuanshan's face gradually turned pale, but he did not withdraw his Divine Thought; instead, he probed even deeper.

Meanwhile, deep within Shen Chong's Dantian, in a corner wrapped in layers of Restriction, an illusory figure slowly emerged.

It was an old man with white hair and beard, a thin face, and wearing a worn-out gray Daoist robe, with a faint light surrounding his body.

His body was semi-transparent, like a reflection in water; clearly, it was just a wisp of a remnant soul.

But even so, the aura emanating from him was still enough to make one's heart palpitate.

It was the aura of a Saint.

The old man sat cross-legged deep within the Dantian and slowly opened his eyes, a trace of disdain flashing through them.

"Two ants in the Primal Chaos Realm, delusional enough to think they could discover this Saint?"

"The Southern Region is indeed a remote place; an Elder of a large Family is actually only at the Primal Chaos Realm cultivation."

His voice was hoarse and deep, carrying a hint of mockery.

"The Dongyou Cheming Technique? Hmph... I did not expect this technique to have spread to this remote place in the Southern Region. But wanting to find this Saint? Continue to Cultivate for another ten thousand years."

The old man withdrew his gaze and closed his eyes again.

He had been hiding in this youth's Dantian for over a year now.

For this past year, he had been quietly devouring the youth's Spiritual Qi to repair his own broken soul body.

However, in this barren land of the Southern Region, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was too thin, and the Spiritual Qi he had devoured over the past year was very limited.

Fortunately, the youth's Aptitude was indeed good; he was actually a rare Treasure Body.

His Spiritual Qi was pure, his Foundation solid, making him an excellent "vessel."

It was just a pity that the youth's body was too weak to withstand the power of his remnant soul.

He needed time.

Take it slowly, no need to rush.

Once his soul body was repaired to a certain degree, he would be able to completely take over this body and live another life.

After several probes, the Spiritual Qi within Shen Yuanshan was completely exhausted.

Seeing Shen Yuanshan's face becoming increasingly pale, Shen Yuanhe, standing to the side, hurriedly advised: "Third Brother, that's enough."

Shen Yuanshan withdrew his Divine Thought and opened his eyes, his eyes filled with exhaustion and frustration.

He shook his head, his voice hoarse: "I can't find it... I can't find anything at all."

Shen Chong kept his head lowered, his shoulders trembling slightly.

He did not cry; he simply stood there in silence, like a stone statue.

That kind of silence was more heart-wrenching than wailing.

Shen Yuanshan stood up, his footsteps a bit unsteady.

The consumption of the Dongyou Cheming Technique was too great; even with his Primal Chaos Realm cultivation, he could not quite hold up.

Shen Yuanhe quickly supported him and took a Medicinal Pill from his bosom to hand over: "Third Brother, restore yourself first."

Shen Yuanshan took the Medicinal Pill and swallowed it, taking a few deep breaths before his complexion improved slightly.

He looked at Shen Chong, his lips moving a few times, wanting to say something, but he realized that all words of comfort seemed so pale and powerless.

"Child..." Shen Yuanshan's voice was low. "You go back first; the Sixth Elder and I will think of another solution."

Shen Chong looked up, revealing a pale face.

His eyes were red, but he did not cry; he just nodded gently: "Thank you, Third Elder, Sixth Elder!"

Having said that, he turned and walked out of the courtyard.

Shen Yuanshan watched his retreating figure, feeling a tightness in his chest.

"Sixth Elder..." He suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse. "Do you think this child can still be saved?"

Shen Yuanhe was silent for a long time before slowly saying: "I don't know."

Shen Yuanshan gave a bitter smile and said nothing more.

The two just stood in the courtyard, neither speaking.

The wind blew through the bamboo, rustling, adding a touch of desolation.

Suddenly—Shen Yuanhe looked up sharply, his eyes lighting up!

"Third Brother!"

Shen Yuanshan was startled by him: "What is it?"

Shen Yuanhe grabbed his arm, his voice carrying a hint of excitement: "Little Nine! We can go find Little Nine!"