Chapter 702: Extra Chapter 2: Battle Soul

Battle Soul?

At first I could still follow their thoughts, but here I am completely confused.

I asked: "What is a Battle Soul? What do they want it for?"

"Battle Soul is a cohesive force." A Cheng explained, "Simply put, when General Zhao cultivates to a certain level, just by standing on the battlefield, doing nothing, he can make troops retreat a thousand li without anger; as the commander of the Yin soldiers, when he reaches a certain level of power, the three realms and six paths will fall into chaos."

I shook my head: "A Cheng, you must be mistaken; Zhao Zixun isn't that formidable—he has lost battles before. If he truly were that powerful, he wouldn't have fallen to his current state, right?"

A Cheng didn't rush to refute me, but said: "This is just our speculation; we can't be completely certain, so we need Miss Fu's help. First, I need General Zhao's birth date and time."

I immediately recited Zhao Zixun's birth date and time.

Then I watched A Cheng's fingers constantly calculating; he then took out a tortoise shell for divination, his brows furrowing tighter and tighter, until later his hands even trembled slightly.

My whole body tensed up as well.

Several times I wanted to speak up and ask, but I dared not interrupt A Cheng.

Beads of sweat the size of beans slid down A Cheng's temples; with a crack, the tortoise shell shattered.

A Cheng's two hands remained suspended in midair, and he froze outright.

Tang Xun urged: "A Cheng, how is it?"

A Cheng shook his head: "It's very chaotic; I can't deduce anything from General Zhao's birth date and time—I always feel a thin mist obscures it."

He paused, then said thoughtfully: "Miss Fu, do you have any personal belongings of General Zhao on you? The more important they are to him, the better."

Zhao Zixun and I have been dead for over a hundred years; those personal items of ours from back then are long gone… but wait!

I took out the silver ring I always carried, handed it to A Cheng, and said: "This silver ring was a love token Zhao Zixun gave me back then; it's also been stained with our blood. Can it be used?"

"Of course."

A Cheng took the silver ring and began another round of calculations.

His whole body tensed, sweat covered his head and face, and his lips turned pale.

Until the silver ring hovering in midair suddenly dropped onto the table, A Cheng collapsed into his chair, gasping for breath.

Tang Xun gently patted A Cheng's back to help him breathe, then poured him some warm water to let him recover.

A Cheng cupped the cup in both hands, his voice hoarse: "No wonder… no wonder…"

Tang Xun said solemnly: "A Cheng, what did you figure out?"

"General Zhao's fate is far nobler than we imagined!" A Cheng extended a finger and poked upward, saying, "He likely came down from above, but his Battle Soul had already shattered before his previous life; the General Zhao from a hundred years ago is a reincarnation of a Battle Soul fragment, yet even that fragment is already so formidable—it's hard to imagine how mighty he originally was."

My voice also trembled: "In other words, did Zhao Zixun originally have an incomplete soul?"

Tang Xun corrected: "Miss Fu, you've misunderstood—it's a Battle Soul fragment, not an incomplete soul."

I silently digested it, then suddenly understood.

The soul is the soul, while the Battle Soul is what his fate carries.

When Zhao Zixun was reincarnated, his soul was whole, but his Battle Soul was shattered, no longer sufficient to support his Immortal Clan status.

"He came down from above, so he must be undergoing a tribulation, right?" A Cheng said. "Given the current situation, his tribulation failed; to return to the heavenly realm, he must first fully recondense his Battle Soul, then pass the tribulation, gaining merit, before he has a chance to restore his status."

Tang Xun sighed: "Reaching that level is incredibly difficult. Right now he's being controlled by someone—have they already seized his other lost Battle Soul fragments? If he becomes a combat puppet wielding a Battle Soul, it would be a catastrophe for us, and even for the Nether Realm."

My palms were slick with sweat: "Impossible—Zhao Zixun still retains his reason…"

The moment I said that, I instantly fell into despair.

The last time we parted, he indeed still had his reason.

But now he probably doesn't; otherwise he wouldn't have suddenly vanished from Wufu Town.

He was taken away under control.

I jumped up in a panic: "I'll go look for him—maybe there's still time."

Tang Xun reached out to stop me, advising: "Miss Fu, this matter is of great importance; we will consult with Xiao Jiu, Seventh Lord, and the Seven Halls Yama side to work out a concrete plan. At the crucial moment, only you might be able to awaken General Zhao's reason—you are very important."

I was left in the Feng Clan, protected by the Snow Phoenix tribe.

That very night, Xiao Jiu and the others came over.

Xiao Jiu also brought my spirit tablet over: "Wanwan, don't think about anything—first return to your spirit tablet to rest and recuperate; we'll inform you immediately of any news."

I obediently returned to my spirit tablet, striving to calm myself, and continued ghost cultivation.

I well know that once we have a clue and actually fight, only with sufficient strength can I protect myself, and only then can I talk about joining the battle.

I trust in Xiao Jiu and the others' abilities.

If even they cannot find any clues, then with my single wisp of a fierce spirit, I am nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

I soon entered deep concentration, immersed in ghost cultivation.

When all my energy had focused and settled, I felt as if an invisible force were tugging at me, trying to drag me into an abyss.

And at the bottom of that abyss, specks of fire flickered everywhere, like myriad ghost flames leaping about, constantly summoning me.

"Wanwan… Wanwan…"

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the depths of that abyss.

Zhao Zixun!

But that calling was weak and faint; just as I wanted to respond and catch it, it vanished again.

It even made me feel that I had just hallucinated.

My thoughts were jumbled; after I calmed my mind and re-entered concentration not long later, that call sounded again: "Wanwan… Wanwan…"

After several repetitions, I could no longer enter concentration; I could only leave my spirit tablet, sit beside it in a daze, and collect my thoughts.

Just then, a five‑colored little phoenix landed on my shoulder, and Shan Shan's soft, milky voice chimed: "Ayi is feeling quite annoyed, isn't she?"

I reached up and stroked the little phoenix's head, saying: "Yeah, I can't settle my mind."

The little head rubbed against my palm.

The three true phoenix feathers atop the little phoenix's head emitted strands of golden light that raced along my palm and quickly spread through my whole body; I instantly felt my soul body brimming.

Shan Shan said: "Ayi, don't panic, also don't be afraid, Shan Shan will protect you, okay? But Ayi also needs to work hard, we together will chase away the Big Bad Guy..."