31: Chapter 31 Why Me?

Bi Luo looked at Chu Yang and said thoughtfully, "I'm afraid Master wouldn't agree to this approach."

The battle beside the stone platform grew increasingly fierce. The Witch's blue flame was like a rainbow, yet she was still forced back a few steps by the Men in Black. Beads of sweat appeared on Daoist Wangchuan's forehead, and his breathing was slightly unsteady.

"We have to find a way to help them!" Qing Luo watched the battle anxiously.

Bi Luo forced herself to stand up. "I've recovered a bit of strength; perhaps I can offer some support."

The Leader of the Men in Black suddenly shouted, "Attack together!" The three of them simultaneously unleashed their magical artifacts, forming a black light array that enveloped the Witch and Daoist Wangchuan.

As the light array descended, the Witch and Daoist Wangchuan were forced to retreat, their expressions solemn.

"The Heart-Shaking Array," Daoist Wangchuan whispered. "Be careful not to let your mind be disturbed."

The Leader of the Men in Black sneered, "Just surrender!"

Seeing the situation turn critical, Qing Luo suddenly felt the soul bead on her chest grow hot. A voice echoed in her mind: "Use the heart as a guide, use the soul as a lead, awaken the stone platform."

Without thinking, she pressed her hand onto the stone platform and whispered a plea, "Please help us!"

The stone platform suddenly vibrated, and the Bagua pattern lit up with golden light, shooting toward the black light array. The golden light was like a blade, tearing the array apart. The three Men in Black retreated in shock.

"How is this possible?" The Leader of the Men in Black said in disbelief. "How could the Yin Yang Platform obey your command?"

Qing Luo herself was equally astonished, but she didn't stop. The soul bead within her guided her as her hands traced strange paths on the stone platform. Countless golden threads emerged around the platform, weaving into a massive net.

"Go!" Qing Luo shouted.

The golden net instantly swept toward the three Men in Black. They tried to break free, only to find that the net was absorbing their power, tightening the more they struggled.

The Witch seized the opportunity, her blue flame like a dragon as it struck the Leader of the Men in Black directly. He barely managed to raise the soul mirror to block, but was sent flying, crashing into the edge of the stone platform.

Seeing things go south, the other two Men in Black roared together, "Give it our all!" They burned their own soul power, and an explosion of black energy actually tore open the golden net.

"Watch out!" Daoist Wangchuan shouted.

The two Men in Black rushed toward Qing Luo recklessly, murderous intent clear in their eyes. Qing Luo retreated in terror, only to see Bi Luo suddenly block her path, her hands forming a seal.

"Soul-Extinguishing Seal!"

A flash of light passed, and the two Men in Black screamed as their souls vibrated violently and their bodies swayed. Bi Luo had used all her strength to perform this move and collapsed to the ground in exhaustion once more.

The Leader of the Men in Black scrambled to his feet, looked at the state of the battle, and gritted his teeth, "Retreat!" He threw a black bead, which instantly exploded into a thick mist. The three of them took the opportunity to escape.

By the time the mist cleared, the Men in Black were gone without a trace.

"They got away," the Witch said with some regret.

Daoist Wangchuan helped Bi Luo up. "Are you alright?"

Bi Luo nodded. "I used some of my stored power; I'll be fine after a little rest."

Qing Luo was still standing by the stone platform, looking somewhat dazed. "What just happened? How did I know how to use the stone platform?"

The Witch looked at Daoist Wangchuan. "It seems Chu Yang indeed has some kind of connection with her."

Daoist Wangchuan nodded. "The soul bead chose her for a reason." He looked at Qing Luo. "The voice you heard in your dreams must have been Chu Yang calling out to you."

"But why me?" Qing Luo was utterly confused. "I've never even met him."

Daoist Wangchuan shook his head. "I'm afraid only Chu Yang himself can answer that question."

Qing Luo was silent for a moment before suddenly remembering something. "The words that appeared on the stone platform just now—'Yin and Yang return to one, the soul returns to the source'—what do they mean?"

The Witch mused, "Is Chu Yang trying to recover his soul?"

"Not just his soul," Daoist Wangchuan said, "but to reclaim his complete self." Seeing everyone's puzzled looks, he explained, "When Chu Yang practiced the Dao of Yin and Yang back then, he once split his own Yin and Yang energies and stored them in different objects."

"So he's trying to reclaim those powers now?" the Witch asked.

Daoist Wangchuan nodded. "Most likely."

Qing Luo touched her chest. "Then the soul bead inside me..."

"It should be the vessel for the Yang energy portion of him," Daoist Wangchuan said. "And the reason you are able to carry it likely has to do with your constitution."

Bi Luo spoke weakly, "Master, why did Chu Yang split his Yin and Yang energies back then?"

Daoist Wangchuan sighed. "To cultivate a more profound technique of samsara. At that time, he was already the Yin Yang Loose Cultivator, yet he was ambitious and wanted to explore the mysteries of life and death."

The mist seemed to thicken again, and the surroundings gradually grew dark.

"We have to leave this place," the Witch said, looking around warily. "The people from the Dark Prison will definitely return."

Daoist Wangchuan picked up Bi Luo. "Qing Luo, you lead the way. With the soul bead, you should be able to sense the exit."

Qing Luo closed her eyes and felt the guidance of the soul bead within her. "This way." She pointed toward the northwest.

The four of them quickly left the stone platform and followed the direction Qing Luo indicated. The mist waxed and waned, making the journey exceptionally difficult.

After walking for about an hour, the mist suddenly dispersed, and an ancient stone gate appeared ahead.

"An exit!" The Witch breathed a sigh of relief.

The stone gate was covered in complex runes, with a groove in the center that perfectly matched the shape of the soul bead.

Qing Luo understood intuitively and pressed her hand into the groove. The power of the soul bead within her flowed through her arm and into the stone gate. The runes lit up with golden light, and the stone gate slowly opened.

The four of them stepped through the stone gate quickly. When they looked back, the gate had vanished, leaving only an ordinary bamboo forest.

"To think we'd return here," Daoist Wangchuan said, looking around in surprise.

The Witch was puzzled. "What's wrong?"

"This is the back of Liu Mountain," Daoist Wangchuan explained. "The entrance to the Dark Prison's secret realm should be in Ghost Valley, a thousand miles away."

"Perhaps the soul bead led us through a spatial shortcut," Bi Luo guessed. "After all, this is where Chu Yang once lived."

Qing Luo looked around and said strangely, "This place... I feel like I've been here before."

"You've been to Liu Mountain?" the Witch asked in surprise.

Qing Luo shook her head. "Not physically, but in my dreams." She pointed to a simple wooden house in the distance. "There—I often saw that wooden house in my dreams."

A flash of shock crossed Daoist Wangchuan's eyes. "That was Chu Yang's residence!"

The four arrived at the wooden house. It appeared to have been abandoned for many years, with its doors and windows tightly shut and vines crawling all over the exterior walls.

Qing Luo stepped forward and gently pushed the door open. Dust had accumulated thickly inside, but the furnishings were intact, as if the owner had only stepped out for a moment. An open book still lay on the desk, with brush and ink both present.

"After all these years, not a single thing in the room is damaged," the Witch said in wonder. "Someone cast a protective spell."

Daoist Wangchuan nodded. "Chu Yang was indeed proficient in such arts."

Driven by a strange sense of familiarity, Qing Luo walked toward the desk. The open book caught her attention.

"‘Yin Yang Samsara Technique,’" she read the title aloud, then realized with surprise that she could actually understand the difficult runes within. "Strange, I've never learned this script before."

"Those are Ancient Runes," Daoist Wangchuan approached. "Ordinary people can't understand them at all. The fact that you can read them is likely due to the soul bead."