23: Chapter 23 Arduous Cultivation

In the days that followed, Qing Luo began her arduous cultivation.

In the early morning, mist swirled in the valley. Qing Luo sat cross-legged on a stone platform by the stream, sensing the power of the soul bead under Chi Song's guidance.

"Empty your mind and feel the connection between the soul bead and you," Chi Song instructed softly. "Don't actively guide it; let it flow naturally."

Qing Luo closed her eyes, focusing on the warm energy within her. At first, she could only feel faint fluctuations, but as time passed, the power gradually became clearer.

"I feel it," Qing Luo said softly. "It's like a river flowing within me."

Chi Song nodded in satisfaction: "Very good, that is soul power. Chu Yang's soul power and your life force are merging."

Qing Luo tried to guide this power to her fingertips. A faint green light appeared in her palm, then quickly dissipated.

"Don't rush," Chi Song said. "Mastering soul power takes time."

Meanwhile, the Demoness practiced using the 'Forget Love' Dagger at the other end of the valley. The dagger seemed to have a spirit, emitting a faint blue light as it danced in her hands, its sound cutting through the air like a low sob.

Daoist Wangchuan and Bi Luo, on the other hand, were in the wooden house studying the ancient texts provided by Chi Song, searching for more information about the Styx Return to Shore ritual.

"According to these records," Daoist Wangchuan pointed to an ancient diagram, "the Styx Return to Shore ritual needs to be performed within a specific formation and requires a large number of living souls as sacrifices."

Bi Luo frowned: "That's too cruel."

"The Dark Prison has always been unscrupulous," Daoist Wangchuan sighed. "I'm worried they've already started collecting sacrifices."

Day after day, Qing Luo's cultivation gradually showed results. She could not only control soul power to flow within her body but also condense it into tangible attacks.

"Try to inject soul power into this stone," Chi Song pointed to an ordinary pebble in front of them, "then try to perceive its 'memory'."

Qing Luo wondered: "Stones have memories too?"

Chi Song smiled: "All things have spirits, just in different forms. A stone's 'memory' is the wind, frost, rain, snow, and river erosion it has experienced."

Qing Luo placed her hand on the stone, closed her eyes, and guided her soul power into it. At first, it was a blank, but gradually, she felt the impact of water currents, the warmth of sunlight, the chill of night...

"I saw it!" Qing Luo opened her eyes in surprise. "It used to be part of a riverbed, then was washed ashore by a flood."

Chi Song nodded with satisfaction: "Very good. The essence of soul power is perception and connection, which is Chu Yang's most basic ability."

Time flew by, and half a month passed in a blink. One afternoon, the Demoness found Qing Luo practicing by the stream.

"You've made rapid progress," the Demoness commented, "but you still lack actual combat experience."

Qing Luo put down her soul power practice: "You mean..."

The Demoness drew her Forget Love Dagger: "Spar with me. Only through actual combat can you truly master the application of power."

Qing Luo hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement. The two came to an open space in the valley and stood facing each other.

"Are you ready?" the Demoness asked.

Qing Luo took a deep breath, her inner soul bead glowing faintly: "I'm ready."

The Demoness moved suddenly, her dagger tracing a blue light in the air, stabbing directly at Qing Luo's chest. Qing Luo retreated in a panic, but her movements were a bit slow, and the dagger left a shallow mark on her arm.

"Too slow," the Demoness withdrew her dagger. "Soul power is not just a means of attack, but also a tool for you to perceive danger."

Qing Luo nodded, concentrating again. This time, when the Demoness attacked again, she felt as if time had slowed down, and she could clearly see the dagger's trajectory. She dodged sideways, simultaneously guiding her soul power to form a barrier.

The dagger struck the barrier, emitting a crisp sound and scattering specks of blue light.

"Not bad," the Demoness showed a satisfied smile, "but defense is not the way to win."

She accelerated her attack rhythm, the dagger leaving trails of afterimages in the air. Qing Luo responded with increasing composure, not only defending in time but also starting to attempt counterattacks. She guided her soul power to condense at her fingertips, forming small light arrows that shot towards the Demoness.

The Demoness flexibly avoided most of the attacks, but one light arrow still grazed her shoulder.

"Very good!" the Demoness stopped attacking. "You're starting to grasp the rhythm of battle."

Qing Luo nodded, panting, but felt a strange sensation – these combat techniques didn't seem new to her; rather, some hidden memories were being awakened.

"It's Chu Yang's memories," Chi Song explained that evening. "The soul bead contains not only his power but also some of his memories and combat instincts. As your control over the soul bead deepens, these memories will gradually manifest."

Qing Luo pondered: "So my intuition in battle..."

"Partially comes from Chu Yang's experience," Chi Song nodded, "but don't rely too much on them. You are Qing Luo, after all, not a copy of Chu Yang. You need to find your own path."

Just as they were talking, Daoist Wangchuan rushed over: "We've found an important clue!"

Everyone gathered in the wooden house, listening to Daoist Wangchuan explain his discovery.

"According to ancient records, the most crucial part of the Styx Return to Shore ritual is the 'Heaven-Underworld Conjunction'," Daoist Wangchuan pointed to a star map, "which is the moment when the Underworld Star directly obscures the sun."

"An eclipse?" Qing Luo asked.

Daoist Wangchuan nodded: "Precisely. And it must be a specific solar eclipse – when the Underworld Star, sun, and moon are all simultaneously in the exact center of the sky."

Chi Song thought for a moment: "This situation is rare, occurring once in a millennium, but it will indeed happen seven days from now."

"The problem is, the ritual needs to be performed at a specific location," Bi Luo added. "That place is called the 'Source of the Styx'."

"Where is the Source of the Styx?" the Demoness asked.

Daoist Wangchuan and Chi Song exchanged glances: "It's in the Reincarnation Cave."

Everyone was shocked.

"Isn't that the place we found in the mist before?" Qing Luo recalled.

Chi Song nodded: "Deep within the Reincarnation Cave, there's a pool, said to be the entrance to the Underworld and the Source of the Styx."

"So the Lord of the Dark Prison will go to the Reincarnation Cave," the Demoness's eyes were firm. "We must intercept them."

"It won't be easy," Chi Song warned. "The Lord of the Dark Prison won't go alone. According to my intelligence, he has already summoned all the elites of the Dark Prison."

Daoist Wangchuan pondered for a moment: "We can ask other sects in the Cultivation World for help."

"There's no time," Chi Song shook his head. "And not everyone is willing to get involved in this conflict."

"Then we'll rely on ourselves," the Demoness said resolutely. "Qing Luo's abilities have greatly improved, and with the few of us, we might not be without a fighting chance."

Chi Song looked at Qing Luo: "The key is whether you can unleash the full power of the soul bead at the critical moment."

"I'll do my best," Qing Luo said seriously, "but I still have a question – who exactly is the Lord of the Dark Prison? We know nothing about our enemy."

Silence filled the room.

Chi Song sighed: "He was once Chu Yang's best friend, named Ming He."

"Friend?" Everyone was surprised.