"In this world full of countless beings, your arrogance will surely invite the wrath of the peak saints on the Nine Provinces Continent, even if the Sea Spirit Kingdom tolerates your selfishness."
A flicker of struggle crossed Xia Jingning's eyes.
But in the end,
Zhao Shuning's words failed to sway him.
The "evil" in his heart once again vanquished the last shred of rationality in his mind.
"I've come this far. Whether the world accepts me or not, there's no turning back."
The man's voice carried a touch of vicissitude, perhaps laced with a hint of regret.
But it no longer mattered.
The moment he made his decision and took the first step, Xia Jingning knew there was no going back.
The flames in his hand blazed fiercely.
All around, angry shouts erupted.
As Xia Jingning channeled his spiritual energy, his body underwent a subtle transformation. His hair grew thicker, and his eyes were bloodshot.
These were the after - effects of the forbidden technique. He deserved them.
Due to Xia Jingning's sudden attack, a surge of spiritual energy converged from all directions, targeting Zhao Shuning in her crimson robe.
The veil on her face was blown away by the powerful spiritual energy, revealing her visage to everyone.
Such a beautiful woman. How powerful could her spiritual energy be to prompt the young master to mobilize so many cultivators against her?
But the doubt lasted only a moment.
The next instant, they understood that the young master's actions were far from being over - cautious. It was indeed necessary.
As all the spiritual energy rushed towards Zhao Shuning, a flicker of disappointment flashed in her eyes.
Xia Jingning, you're still too impatient. You're bound to make a grave mistake.
The woman's eyes were filled with contempt. She simply raised her right hand, and a ten - meter - high wall of fiery red flames shot up. Her pupils were illuminated by the flames in her palm, giving her an air of superiority.
Just as the spiritual energy was about to hit Zhao Shuning, she smiled faintly. With a gentle clasp of her hand, a powerful shield suddenly appeared and rapidly expanded. The spiritual energy, though powerful, was all rebounded upon hitting the shield.
The tremendous impact came instantly. Before the crowd could even react, their bodies were sent flying like kites with broken strings, falling in all directions.
Of course, Xia Jingning was an exception. Although he was also affected by the backlash of the spiritual energy, he managed to dodge in time and escaped unscathed.
One by one, the people around him fell to the ground, and many even spat out fresh blood on the spot.
When they looked up at the so - called "little girl" again, their eyes were filled with awe, and their feet involuntarily took a step back.
Zhao Shuning retracted the powerful spiritual energy in her hand and took a step forward, scaring the others into panic. But Zhao Shuning had no interest in them, let alone any intention to kill.
Xia Jingning's gaze met Zhao Shuning's. His eyes were still as determined as ever.
It seemed that Xia Jingning was truly infatuated with Dongfang Yuchen. It was a pity that their fates had long since diverged.
"Who told you about the forbidden Soul - Transferring Needle technique?" Zhao Shuning asked.
Xia Jingning showed no sign of backing down. "You've already investigated everything. Why bother asking me?"
"All I've learned is just the tip of the iceberg. An Yun was indeed a powerful figure, but she's been dead for many years. And back then, Xia Qingyan hated that woman to the core. After her death, according to Xia Qingyan's personality, he would surely have destroyed all her remaining belongings. So how could the Soul - Transferring Formation you have be the one rumored to be from the witch An Yun?"
Xia Jingning's eyes flickered.
"Who is it?"
"Who on earth did you make a deal with?" Zhao Shuning fired off a series of questions.
Xia Jingning began to panic.
At this moment, he felt that the woman in front of him was no ordinary person. When she talked about An Yun and his ancestors, there was not a trace of awe in her eyes. It was as if they were from the same era.
But such a thing was unheard of. If someone from that era were still alive today, they would surely be famous throughout the world. Even if not, they would be as mysterious as the black - robed man, always hiding their true faces.
"Let me tell you now. The so - called Soul - Transferring Formation is just a ruse set up by someone with ulterior motives. That formation can never bring your beloved back to life. For all these years, you've just been a puppet in someone's hands. No matter how many alchemists you've gathered, you'll never succeed."
"You're lying!"
Zhao Shuning's words completely enraged Xia Jingning.
He had worked so hard and done so many things against his conscience just for a glimmer of hope. How could it not succeed? It must be that he had used the wrong method.
It must be.
Zhao Shuning let out a cold snort. "Despicable wretch."
"Let me make it clear to you today. In this world, perhaps only the imperial advisor Yan Ruyu from a thousand years ago could bring the dead back to life. But even he would probably exhaust a great deal of energy in such an act against the will of heaven and might not succeed."
"You're lying to me. You're lying, aren't you?" Xia Jingning's eyes widened in disbelief.
Zhao Shuning extended her right hand. "I'll show you. Are you brave enough to look?"
Xia Jingning looked at Zhao Shuning's index finger. He knew what she meant. As long as her finger touched his forehead and he relaxed completely, what she saw would be presented to him. This ability was beyond his reach. Only a powerful being like the woman in front of him could use it with ease.
"Afraid?"
Xia Jingning stood there in a daze for a while.
Finally, he slowly stepped forward.
Shouts came from behind him.
"Your Highness, beware of this enchantress. She might be deceiving you!"
"My Lord!"
Xia Jingning heard them. Although he had his doubts, he suppressed them. Given the woman's powerful spiritual energy, if she had wanted to kill them, they would have been long dead.
The woman's finger gently touched Xia Jingning's forehead. His body suddenly stiffened, and a complex mix of emotions flashed in his pupils—confusion, fear, awe, and anger.
When Zhao Shuning retracted her finger again, Xia Jingning collapsed to the ground as if all his strength had been drained.
Just now, he had learned everything, both what he should and shouldn't know.
Now, he was well aware that there was no hope for him and Yuchen.
Xia Jingning was extremely dejected. All the vitality had faded from his face.
"It's all fake. It's all a lie."
Yue Wu rushed forward from behind. "What did you do to our young master?"
The others had mostly recovered by now and stood up one by one.
Just as Zhao Shuning was about to speak, she suddenly sensed something amiss.
Behind them, an extremely powerful force was surging in their direction.