Not only was the voice stumped, even Hall Master Sai and the others were stunned, and they nearly spurted blood.
Bring out a thousand books for you to browse through first…
Why did it feel less like a trial and more like ordering dishes in a restaurant instead?
I don’t know whether the food will be delicious or not so I’ll take a serving first…
“The Soul Guiding Formula is the foundation art of soul oracles. There is only one formula and cultivation technique manual!”
After a moment of silence, the soul oracle hiding in the darkness finally harrumphed coldly.
“It is the only one?” Zhang Xuan frowned.
“That’s right. All soul oracles cultivate via this method, there are no other alternatives!”
After which, the voice continued, “Begin cultivating now. You will only be considered to have cleared the trial if you draw out your soul within ten days!”
“Alright!”
Knowing that there should be no other traps involved since the other party was conducting a trial, the group walked out from the passageway toward the stone tablet.
Zhang Xuan had no idea who inscribed the tablet, but it had a bizarre beauty to it. Just by looking at the characters, one would feel tranquil.
“He’s probably really a 6-star soul oracle!”
This was already equivalent to a fifth level painting. Most probably, the soul oracle who inscribed the stone tablet had a deep understanding into the study of souls. There was a high chance that what Luo Zhu said was true—the fellow who was speaking to them from the dark was a 6-star soul oracle.
He lightly brushed his finger over the stone tablet.
Hu!
A corresponding book appeared in the Library of Heaven’s Path.
“Soul Guiding Formula, the foundation art of soul oracles. Created by the first soul oracle, Liu Mozi, it can separate one’s soul from one’s physical body. Flaws: …”
Written on the first page was an introduction to the Soul Guiding Formula, followed by the flaws.
“There’s only ten flaws, that’s not too bad.”
Casually flipping through it, Zhang Xuan realized that there were only ten flaws in the cultivation technique.
Most of the cultivation techniques that Zhang Xuan seen before had from a few hundred to more than a thousand flaws. This showed that throughout the course of the inheritance of the Soul Guiding Formula, it had been refined continuously and it was gradually approaching perfection.
It was no wonder that this fellow said there was only a set of foundation formula. It was already incredible that there could be such a cultivation technique like this that was so close to perfection. For a second one like this to appear was nearly impossible.
There was only a single Heaven’s Path, and the fewer mistakes there were, the closer one was to the truth. It was hard to find another one different from it.
“Let me see what flaws are there first!”
Zhang Xuan lowered his head to take a look.
“No. 1, upon successfully mastering the formula, one’s cultivation will be conjoined onto one’s soul, turning one’s physical body into an empty shell. On top of that, the compatibility between one’s soul and body will deteriorate. Even though one will look no different from a normal person, one would be actually driving the body using one’s soul…”
After reading the first flaw, Zhang Xuan’s complexion turned awful.
Going by what was said above, if he were to successfully draw his soul out, it would be equivalent to tearing his soul and body apart. Even if he were to continue driving his own body, it would be, in truth, no different from driving a puppet. Other than the soul oracle cultivation technique, he would be unable to cultivate any other normal cultivation technique.
It was just like driving a car. After mastering the Soul Guiding Technique, one’s physical body would become the car whereas one’s soul would become the driver. No matter how good one’s driving skill was… it was impossible to reach the same level of control as moving one’s own body.
In other words, once he successfully draws out his soul, it would be equivalent to giving up on his own physical body and his past cultivation.
In the future, even if he could live on for an eternity through possessing others, he would also become an unnatural being that had to live in the shadows…
Zhang Xuan was originally thinking of learning the techniques of the occupation but after reading that first flaw, he immediately lost his interest.
Browsing on.
Soon, he finished looking through all ten of the flaws and gained a perfect understanding of the Soul Guiding Formula.
“If I cultivate according to this formula and succeed, I’ll become a monster. But if I don’t, there’s a high chance I might be killed by that fellow…”
Zhang Xuan frowned
Previously, as he didn’t understand soul oracles, he didn’t think much of them. However, after knowing that the cultivation method was filled with such fatal flaws, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Putting aside how his Heaven’s Path Divine Art was paralleled and he would stand the top of the world as long as he cultivates accordingly, just the fact that his soul and body would be separate entities, making him no different from a monster, was already something he wished not.
Besides, he was afflicted with the Innate Fetal Poison. As long as he didn’t reach the level of a 9-star master teacher by thirty, even if he were to become just a soul, he would still die.
The Innate Fetal Poison was something that even Kong shi was unable to find a solution for. If becoming a soul oracle could really fix that problem, the latter wouldn’t have had to go to the extent of diving into the deep oceans, stepping onto the treacherous plains, and entering into underground chambers, putting himself in so much danger just to raise his cultivation swiftly.
“This technique shouldn’t be cultivated, but I don’t have a choice right now…”
The person hiding in the dark was at least a 6-star soul oracle, a being far beyond their means. Besides… Even if they had sufficient strength to deal with him, the other party could still easily kill them via the mechanical traps installed all around the hall.
If he cultivated the Soul Guiding Formula, it would be impossible for him to remain as a master teacher and by thirty-year-old, the Innate Fetal Poison would take effect and he would die.
But if he didn’t cultivate, he would be killed by the other party.
It was certain doom regardless of whether he did it or not.
He felt so frustrated that his head was aching.
“Hm? If I find a way to improve the Soul Guiding Formula so that the soul and body and separate and fuse back perfectly together, won’t the problem be solved?”
After contemplating for a moment, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up and a thought popped into his head.
There were flaws in this Soul Guiding Art but as long as he filled up the gaps and created a perfect Heaven’s Path cultivation technique, wouldn’t he be able to cultivate it without incurring such problems?
Heaven’s Path cultivation techniques were perfect. As long as he could compile one out, he wouldn’t face the problem of an incompatibility between his soul and body after drawing his soul out.
“But where can I find additional soul oracle cultivation techniques to make up for those flaws?”
Zhang Xuan frowned.
Soul oracle cultivation techniques were mainly centered around ‘will’ and ‘soul’. The cultivation technique manuals that Zhang Xuan had collected before were all revolving around ‘physical body’ and ‘zhenqi’. They were both very different things, and he wouldn’t be able to form a Heaven’s Path cultivation technique even if he were to put it together.
Only by finding more soul oracle cultivation techniques would he be able to perfect the Soul Guiding Formula.
But… the lineage of the soul oracles had already disappeared for innumerable years, and the fellow hiding in the dark didn’t have any more of such manuals.
Just as Zhang Xuan was in dilemma, a thought suddenly struck him and he slapped his forehead.
“Hm? Why do I have to look for soul oracle cultivation techniques? Actually, wouldn’t cultivation techniques that are beneficial to the soul work as well?”
He had been going down the wrong path previously.
In the end, soul oracles were just individuals who learned a unique soul-related cultivation technique. Their aim was to gain the ability to transfuse their soul into another individual and possess their body to achieve the goal of ‘immortality’. Even though Zhang Xuan was unable to find any soul oracle cultivation techniques, he had a bunch of soul cultivation techniques in his arsenal.
In his journey from Tianxuan Kingdom, all the libraries that he visited would have several books concerning the psyche and the soul.
Even though they were foundation manuals, and there wasn’t much benefit from cultivating them… he had a huge mountain of them!
These manuals were useless to him previously, but if he were to compile them along with this Soul Guiding Art, what would happen?
With fiery eyes, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly as he willed.
“Soul cultivation technique and psyche cultivation technique manuals!”
Huala!
All of the related books immediately appeared before Zhang Xuan. There was a huge quantity of them, and placed side by side, they could easily fill up ten of the humongous bookshelves within the Library of Heaven’s Path. Making a rough estimation, there were at least a few dozen thousand of them.
The psyche and the soul were also important to a cultivator, and as such, there were quite a lot of cultivation techniques on them as well.
However, they were much cruder compared to the Soul Guiding Formula.
Most of them were about putting one through hardship so as to build one’s mental fortitude.
“Compile!” Zhang Xuan muttered.
Hula!
The several dozen thousand books immediately fused together to form a single book.
Zhang Xuan hurriedly grabbed it and opened it up.
“The soul of a human is incomparably profound and mystical. It can be cultivated along with one’s body, and it can also be drawn out individually. The body and the soul are two separate entities, and yet, they form a single whole…”
A new cultivation method was detailed in the book.
Swiftly looking through it, Zhang Xuan’s breathing hastened and his eyes gleamed in excitement.
As expected… There were no flaws!
A Heaven’s Path cultivation technique!
Compiling the soul oracle’s Soul Guiding Formula along with the psyche and soul cultivation techniques of ordinary cultivators would actually create a perfect cultivation technique!
The issue of incompatibility between one’s soul and body would become non-existent!
In other words, cultivating this technique, one could become a soul oracle. However, one wouldn’t be bound by the limitations of soul oracles. One’s soul would still be able to fuse perfectly with one’s body, and one would still be able to cultivate like an ordinary cultivator.
All of the flaws from before had been perfectly solved!
“Great! Time to cultivate!”
Even though it sounded complicated, all of this only happened in a few breaths. After swiftly memorizing the Soul Guiding Formula, Zhang Xuan gathered his concentration and started to cultivate.
The energy in his body flurried as he gradually drew his soul out from his body.
Heaven’s Path Soul Art was just a technique to draw one’s soul out from one’s body. There was no need to absorb spiritual energy or utilize external tools such as spirit stones or that sort. As such, its cultivation was exceedingly easy.
Geji! Geji!
It felt as though he was forcing something out from his body, and yet at the same time, it felt as though he was leaping off a tall cliff. For a moment, he seemed to have lost control of himself.
Weng!
The world before him immediately changed. When Zhang Xuan finally regained his composure, he saw another him standing quietly before him. On the other hand, he was floating lightly in the air.
His soul had successfully left his body!
As expected of a Heaven’s Path cultivation technique. It didn’t take him too long to successfully cultivate the Heaven’s Path Soul Art.
Looking around the surroundings, Zhang Xuan tried to see if he could sense the soul oracle’s presence but to no avail.
It seemed like that fellow was hiding in a secure location. Otherwise, it was impossible for even the Eye of Insight to be unable to detect him.
Hu!
He returned to his body.
His vision suddenly turned dark and he staggered.
Even though his soul didn’t leave his body for too long, he still felt extreme fatigue.
Only after circulating his Heaven’s Path zhenqi around his body did he recover slightly.
Opening his eyes once more, he saw Zhao Ya and the others gathering around him with worried eyes.
“Teacher, are you alright…”
They had just barely finished reading through the Soul Guiding Formula, and before they had the time to fully comprehend the essence of it, they saw their teacher stumble so they immediately rushed forward worriedly.
“I’m fine!”
Zhang Xuan chuckled. However, a doubt suddenly rose in his mind.
When his soul left his body previously, that soul oracle should have noticed something. If so, why wasn’t he reacting?
Could it be that… a soul drawn using the Heaven’s Path Soul Art was different from that of a soul oracle’s, that’s why he didn’t notice anything?
“Let me give it a try!”
Zhang Xuan’s eyes gleamed and the edges of his lips curled up. Facing the crowd, he waved his hands.
“Everyone, don’t cultivate the technique first. I’ve looked through the formula and I realized that it’s impossible for one to successfully draw out one’s soul using this. I think he’s trying to dupe us by giving us a bogus cultivation technique!”
“Bogus cultivation technique? Ridiculous!”
Hearing those words, a cold voice boomed across the hall.
