Chapter 207: Spirit Absorption

"So that's how it is. I was wondering how two people with their level of strength could have reached the deepest part of the Holy Spirit Pagoda without a scratch. It turns out they were relying on the power of a Soul-Absorbing Vessel." Yang Yan thought to himself.

"But what exactly are these guys trying to do by coming here?" Yang Yan asked in his mind.

"Need you ask? They naturally intend to siphon off as much of the pure soul power in the Holy Spirit Pagoda as possible into that Soul-Absorbing Vessel they have. Even though they didn't win first place in the Alchemist Tournament and missed out on the three-year usage rights, my calculations suggest that if they stay on the seventh floor of the pagoda for five days, they will be able to absorb all of the nearly liquid, pure soul power here. Even if they don't have the official rights, they can take this vessel filled with soul power back home. As long as a master skilled in soul arts slowly releases it, it can be used to improve the soul strength of others."

"Although the Holy Spirit Pagoda has countless wronged souls beneath it providing a constant stream of pure soul power, the rate of production is extremely slow. Therefore, while the Heavenly Dragon Empire may have technically lost the rights to the pagoda on the surface, if their plan succeeds, the ones who will suffer the most will be the Alchemist Guild of the Flying Cloud Empire."

At this point, Master Yang could not help but sigh. Even he found the underhanded methods of the Heavenly Dragon Empire somewhat unexpected.

"These guys are truly shameless." Even with Yang Yan's composure, he could not help but curse out loud.

He had not expected the people of the Heavenly Dragon Empire to be this despicable. They must have had a backup plan all along. No wonder that fellow, Aoba Niu, seemed only moderately annoyed after losing the tournament; it had not reached the level of fury Yang Yan expected. After all, three years of access to the Spirit Pagoda was a significant matter, and Aoba Niu’s indifferent attitude had aroused Yang Yan's suspicions.

However, he never imagined they would be so bold, or that they would possess something as precious as a Soul-Absorbing Vessel, which even Master Yang considered rare.

"What should we do now?" Yang Yan asked, slowly suppressing the shock in his heart.

"Naturally, we take that treasure from them. Soul-Absorbing Vessels are incredibly rare and precious; if you can obtain it, it might prove very useful in the future." Master Yang's voice, sounding somewhat mischievous, echoed in Yang Yan's mind.

Yang Yan nodded. He had never claimed to be a saint, and he was quite happy to engage in killing people to seize their treasures. Besides, he already found these people from the Heavenly Dragon Empire quite detestable. Even if he couldn't kill them all, he had to get his hands on that vessel.

"Do it yourself. Based on my sensing, those two have only just stepped into the first level of the Spirit-Connecting Realm. They are currently distracted by operating the vessel to absorb the soul power, so they cannot spare much energy to fight you. If they stop using the vessel, the incredibly viscous, liquid-like soul power will surge forward instantly. With their strength, they cannot withstand that level of pressure and would be immediately expelled from the pagoda. You, however, are different. With my protection, you have nothing to fear from the pressure on this seventh floor."

Seeing Master Yang so confident, Yang Yan nodded slightly. While Ying Lingsi might be able to challenge him slightly in alchemy, Yang Yan had never feared anyone among the younger generation when it came to the cultivation of spiritual power. Naturally, he did not look twice at these two cultivators who had just entered the first level of the Spirit-Connecting Realm.

With his mind made up, Yang Yan stopped hiding. He pushed open the stone gate and strode inside.

"Who?!"

The low, muffled sound of the stone gate opening suddenly shocked Ying Lingsi and the young man from the Heavenly Dragon Empire. They jumped up from their cross-legged positions, their eyes filled with shock and wariness as they looked toward the entrance.

"It's you, Yang Yan?! How could you possibly get here!"

Upon seeing who had entered, the expressions of Ying Lingsi and the young man changed drastically. They stared at Yang Yan as if they had seen a ghost.

The only reason they could reach the seventh floor of the Holy Spirit Pagoda without obstruction was because they possessed the rare artifact known as the Soul-Absorbing Vessel. Otherwise, let alone them, even Aoba Niu would have been unable to penetrate this deep.

At the Alchemist Tournament earlier, while Yang Yan’s exquisite skills had caused their empire to suffer a defeat, his soul power was only roughly equivalent to theirs—perhaps slightly better, but not by much. How could he have reached the seventh floor of the pagoda on his own?

Staring at the smiling Yang Yan with deep horror, Ying Lingsi’s heart was in turmoil.

"Hand over what you have in your hands!"

Ignoring their astonishment and questioning, Yang Yan turned a deaf ear to their words. He offered a faint smile and slowly stretched out an arm, as if he already considered the Soul-Absorbing Vessel in their hands to be his own.

"Hmph! Though I don't know what tricks you used to reach the seventh floor of the Holy Spirit Pagoda unscathed just like us, you are being far too arrogant and shameless to think you can rob us. Do you really not take us seriously?"

Hearing Yang Yan’s arrogant words, Ying Lingsi did not speak first; instead, the young man beside her snorted and barked at Yang Yan.

"Heh, if we're talking about being shameless, I, Yang Yan, don't even reach one-ten-thousandth of your Heavenly Dragon Empire. Not to mention the underhanded tactics used during the Alchemist Tournament, you now have the audacity to try to siphon off the soul power from the Holy Spirit Pagoda. Such behavior is truly no different from that of common thieves!"

Yang Yan smiled faintly, but his words sent a chill through both Ying Lingsi and the young man.

"Who... who exactly are you? How could you possibly recognize a Soul-Absorbing Vessel?!"

Judging by Yang Yan’s tone, he clearly recognized the object in their hands. Such an item, which seemed to belong only to ancient legends, was not something young juniors like them should know about.

"Hand over the Soul-Absorbing Vessel, and I will let you walk out of this Holy Spirit Pagoda unscathed. Otherwise..." Yang Yan paused, but the thick threat in his words was not lost on anyone present.

"Hmph, what a truly arrogant brat! Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you won the Alchemist Tournament? Today, I, Li San, will see exactly how much your spiritual cultivation is worth!"

"Miss, you keep controlling the Soul-Absorbing Vessel; let me take care of this brat!"

After speaking to Ying Lingsi, the youth named Li San locked a cold, vicious gaze onto Yang Yan. Without a moment's hesitation, he stomped his foot against the ground, his body erupting with pale yellow spiritual power as he shot toward Yang Yan like an arrow released from a bow, his momentum quite formidable.

Seeing Li San rushing toward him, Yang Yan’s expression did not change. He made no move, simply watching the charging Li San with a faint look, as if he were a bystander.

"Brat, you're courting death!"

Seeing that Yang Yan chose to ignore him, Li San’s eyes turned bloodshot, and a raging fire of fury flared in his chest, almost completely overriding his reason. His fist, glowing with fierce, earthy-yellow spiritual light, whistled through the air as it aimed for Yang Yan’s head.

Just as Li San’s sandbag-sized fist was mere feet from Yang Yan’s face, the man who had remained motionless slowly raised his arm. He opened his palm slightly and reached out to catch Li San’s massive fist.

The casual movement didn't look like a fight at all; it was more like greeting an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time.

*Boom!*

The low sound of flesh colliding echoed through the empty hall of the seventh floor, a place no one had visited for years. Suddenly, the ferocious grin on Li San’s face froze. He discovered with horror that his punch, which contained almost all of his spiritual power, had been caught effortlessly by the somewhat slender, pale hand of the young man before him.

"How is this possible?!"

Li San’s heart was in turmoil. Although it was only one move, he was not a fool; it was clear that the strength Yang Yan displayed was far above his own. They were not even in the same league.

Thinking of this, Li San felt a chill run through his entire body. He exerted strength in his arm, trying to pull his fist from Yang Yan's grasp and retreat.

However, that small, seemingly weak hand held his fist like a sturdy iron vice. No matter how hard Li San struggled, he couldn't move an inch.

Watching Li San, whose expression had changed drastically as he struggled wildly, Yang Yan remained calm. Without hesitation, he yanked the hand holding Li San’s fist back and delivered a fierce kick directly to Li San’s abdomen.

*Boom!*

A low, muffled sound of impact rang out, and Li San’s body flew backward like a kite with a broken string. He slammed into the wall of the hall, his face turning deathly pale. With a *wah*, he couldn't help but cough up a mouthful of blood, his aura instantly wilting to the extreme. It was clear that he had lost all capacity to fight.

By now, Li San was filled with deep shock and fear. The strength Yang Yan had displayed was simply too terrifying; it far exceeded that of any peer he had ever known.

"Who exactly are you?"

The situation here naturally caught the attention of Ying Lingsi, who was controlling the Soul-Absorbing Vessel. Her pretty face, hidden beneath a black veil, was filled with shock and horror! She couldn't help but ask.

"Hand over the Soul-Absorbing Vessel, and I won't make things difficult for you!"

Ignoring Ying Lingsi’s question, Yang Yan maintained his calm demeanor, slowly extending a palm toward her.

Ying Lingsi’s face behind the veil changed. After hesitating for a moment, she seemed to come to a decision. She held the conch-like Soul-Absorbing Vessel in her hands and walked slowly toward Yang Yan.

Seeing this, Yang Yan felt a slight relief. Although he didn't have much affection for these people from the Heavenly Dragon Empire, he always felt a bit awkward about forcibly striking a woman. If she were this sensible, it would save him a lot of trouble.

The woman in the black robe moved with light steps, approaching Yang Yan step by step.

"Miss, you can't give that thing to him!"

Not far away, Li San, who had been kicked and was now slumped on the ground, struggled to crawl up as he spoke.

However, Ying Lingsi turned a deaf ear to his words. Her pace did not falter as she approached Yang Yan at a slow but steady speed.

Finally, the woman stopped a short distance in front of Yang Yan. She held the Soul-Absorbing Vessel with both hands, her eyes filled with deep unwillingness, and extended her arms to offer it to Yang Yan.

Seeing this, Yang Yan relaxed slightly. But just as he reached out to take the vessel, a cold glint flashed at the wrist hidden beneath the woman's black veil. In the next moment, a small, extremely sharp dagger appeared in Ying Lingsi’s hand. Her left hand snatched the vessel back, while her right hand, holding the dagger, increased in speed, stabbing toward Yang Yan’s chest in a tricky and vicious manner.

However, facing the woman’s sudden attack, Yang Yan, who should have been caught off guard, showed no change in expression, as if he had anticipated this moment all along.

Looking at the dagger thrusting toward his chest, Yang Yan sneered, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. This woman had truly exhausted the last of his patience.

Swaying slightly to the side, Yang Yan dodged the lethal attack as if he had teleported.

He had never underestimated this woman. Judging by the tricks she had played at the Alchemist Tournament, she could not be treated as an ordinary woman. Moreover, the item he was asking for was not something trivial, but the Soul-Absorbing Vessel that even Master Yang considered precious.

He didn't believe for a second that such a cunning woman would hand over such a valuable item so easily. Therefore, he had been on guard and ready to deal with any unexpected events.

Under such circumstances, a sneak attack by Ying Lingsi, whose strength was only at the first level of the Spirit-Connecting Realm, was never going to succeed.

Seeing that her final attempt had been seen through, a pale look flashed across Ying Lingsi’s face. Without hesitation, she tapped her toes on the ground, abandoning any further attacks, and lunged toward the open stone gate. Clearly, she intended to rush out of the Holy Spirit Pagoda; once she was outside, with Aoba Niu to back her up, she figured Yang Yan wouldn't dare to continue trying to rob them.

However, just as she had taken a few steps, a whistling sound erupted behind her. Turning her head slightly, she saw a green, gloomy face in her vision that kept getting larger—it was Yang Yan.

Yang Yan had fully utilized his "Cloud-Walking" footwork. Even if Ying Lingsi were a fourth-level Spirit-Connecting cultivator, it would be rare for anyone to outpace Yang Yan in speed.

With a few flickers of his figure, Yang Yan appeared in front of the fleeing Ying Lingsi as if he had teleported. This time, he didn't waste any words; he reached out with his left hand to grab the Soul-Absorbing Vessel, and with his right hand, he turned his fist into a palm and slapped it against her shoulder.

Yang Yan no longer had any intentions of being gentle with the fairer sex.

With a muffled groan, Ying Lingsi’s delicate figure was sent flying by Yang Yan’s palm. She slid dozens of meters across the floor before coming to a stop. Her face turned pale, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.

"Miss!"

Seeing Ying Lingsi sent flying by Yang Yan’s palm, Li San, who had been struggling to crawl up not far away, cast a vicious, poisonous glare toward Yang Yan.

"Brat, I’m going to kill you!"

Li San’s eyes were now completely bloodshot. He roared like a wild beast, ignoring the injuries in his body as he charged toward Yang Yan once more.

However, facing the maddened Li San, Yang Yan ignored him entirely. He glanced coldly at the slumped Ying Lingsi, then channeled a wisp of soul power from his mind through his fingers and into the Soul-Absorbing Vessel in his hand.

As Yang Yan did this, the vessel, which had been constantly absorbing soul power from the pagoda, suddenly stopped its operation as if it had received a command.

Seeing this, the expressions of both Ying Lingsi and Li San changed drastically. They understood Yang Yan’s intent: he wanted to use the pressure of the soul power within the Holy Spirit Pagoda to forcibly drive them out of the tower.

Although they wanted to stop Yang Yan, they were already heavily injured by his attacks. They couldn't muster any spiritual power, and even their soul power had withered.

As the vessel stopped, the磅礴 (vast) soul power began to surge once again from the floor of the seventh level, and that soul-piercing pressure returned.

However, just as Yang Yan felt his own body about to buckle under the immense pressure, a faint white light suddenly surged from the surface of his body, enveloping him completely. The massive soul pressure that threatened to explode his head instantly dissipated.

With Master Yang’s protection, Yang Yan had no need to fear being expelled from the pagoda by the immense repelling force. Conversely, Ying Lingsi and Li San had no means of resistance. Without the protection of the vessel, they couldn't possibly penetrate deep into the seventh floor—or even the fourth floor.

Under that immense pressure, the figures of Ying Lingsi and Li San began to fade, finally disappearing like mist.

Outside the Holy Spirit Pagoda, in the desolate wilderness, two figures sat cross-legged: Frank and Aoba Niu.

*Boom! Boom!*

Two low thuds rang out in the quiet, desolate wilderness, which was particularly noticeable in such an uninhabited place. Both men opened their eyes simultaneously. When they saw the two figures tossed onto the grass nearby, Aoba Niu’s entire face changed.

"Ying Lingsi! Li San!"

Aoba Niu scrambled to his feet, rushed over to them, and kept calling their names. He quickly placed his palms against their backs, continuously injecting his spiritual power into their bodies.

However, the injection of spiritual power continued for nearly ten minutes, yet there was no sign of them waking up.

This situation made Aoba Niu’s expression grow completely grave. He closed his eyes, and a vast, towering soul power surged from his mind into their bodies to investigate their condition.

After about three to five minutes, Aoba Niu opened his eyes, his face looking extremely ugly. He could feel that the reason the two had fallen into a coma was not due to physical injuries, but because their souls had been damaged.

The damage did not seem light; he feared it would take at least a month or two for them to wake up.

"If you don't have the strength, don't push yourself. Because you couldn't withstand the soul pressure inside the Holy Spirit Pagoda, not only were you forcibly expelled, but you also suffered significant damage. Was it really worth it?" Frank, standing nearby, remarked as he watched the unconscious pair and the grim-faced Aoba Niu.

"Frank, you should know the identity of Ying Lingsi in our Heavenly Dragon Empire. If anything happens to her, your Flying Cloud Empire can wait for our war!"

Hearing this, Aoba Niu fixed a cold, venomous glare on Frank. After saying this, he didn't stay any longer, picking up the two unconscious people and walking away into the wilderness...

Although Frank didn't know exactly what had happened inside, Aoba Niu knew all too well.

Ying Lingsi and Li San had a world-defying treasure like the Soul-Absorbing Vessel in their hands; under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for them to suffer such heavy soul damage. Moreover, he noticed that the vessel was missing from them. With that, there was only one conclusion: someone inside the pagoda had defeated them and stolen the Soul-Absorbing Vessel!