Soul Emperor Martial God

Chapter 2263: Chapter 2259: Corrupted

”Hmm?”

Xiao Yi looked at the smile that flashed across the Ice Venerable’s Spiritual Consciousness lips, and his body trembled instantly.

But in an instant, he didn’t feel the slightest discomfort or, perhaps... the slightest fear from this smile.

”Senior, you...” Xiao Yi frowned.

This feeling was too different.

Compared to his life-threatening experience in the extreme cold danger of the Eastern Domain years ago, and the feeling when he encountered that Spiritual Consciousness, the difference was too great.

The Ice Venerable’s Spiritual Consciousness smiled, ”Although I am merely a Spiritual Sense, I am not a fool.”

”To enter the Ice Venerate Hall here, besides unraveling the secret of the Ice Palace Fourth Floor, you also need the Palace Token—that token hanging by your waist.”

”Obtaining this token proves you have met the real body outside.”

”Real body?” Xiao Yi asked in confusion.

”Yes.” The Ice Venerable’s Spiritual Consciousness nodded, ”To be precise, the one you encountered outside is the real Ice Venerable.”

”And I am merely a Spiritual Consciousness forcibly separated by the Ice Venerable over ten million years ago.”

”I possess all the memories of the Ice Venerable, with identical character and thoughts, so to speak a part of him, but I have no cultivation, I am just a Hall Spirit guarding the Ice Venerate Hall.”

”Perhaps the only difference is that I am purer than the real body.”

Xiao Yi listened carefully, his mind cautious on one side and contemplating on the other, without interrupting.

The Ice Venerable’s Spiritual Consciousness continued, ”The moment you entered the Ice Venerate Hall and saw me, your face was instantly panicked, as if you had seen some Evil Ghost.”

”Proof.” The Ice Venerable’s Spiritual Consciousness suddenly emphasized, a hint of sorrow appeared between his brows.

After pausing, he continued, ”Proof that you must have met the real body outside.”

”And the real body has changed, even definitely had a life-and-death confrontation with you.”

”Since you obtained the Palace Token, it proves you killed the real body, although I do not know how you did it.”

”And the moment you entered the Ice Venerate Hall, your mind must have been panicking, thinking that my Spiritual Consciousness is not dead and is waiting here to take your life.”

Xiao Yi’s face was shocked, but also somewhat enlightened.

He finally understood what this Spiritual Consciousness in front of him was.

But from this Spiritual Consciousness’s mere words and explanations, the Ice Venerable of old was surely a meticulous individual.

Before, he didn’t have much conversation with this Spiritual Consciousness.

But this Spiritual Consciousness, from the first simple meeting, had already guessed all of this, even inferred his thoughts at that time.

And this Spiritual Consciousness has the exact same character and thoughts as the real Ice Venerable.

The Ice Venerable of old was likely a figure even more astute than Senior Luoo.

”Changed?” Xiao Yi then expressed a puzzled sentence.

”Yes.” The Ice Venerable’s Spiritual Consciousness nodded, ”At the time when the real body separated me, he was actually nearing his end.”

”To be precise, it was not truly on the verge of doom; but this heaven indeed seemed almost ready to collapse.”

”The real body left me here, firstly to guard this Ice Venerate Hall, secondly to leave behind someone possessing all his memories and identical thoughts as safeguard.”

”And the real body went to seek a solution.”

With that, the Ice Venerable’s Spiritual Consciousness smiled, ”But today, since you appear here, it proves not only did the real body not find a solution, but instead perished.”

”Tell me about your encounter with the real body.”

Xiao Yi was stunned by these words but still recounted the events he encountered under the extreme cold danger years ago.

These matters, there wasn’t much to hide.

”I see.” The Ice Venerable’s Spiritual Consciousness nodded.

Xiao Yi spoke earnestly, ”A long time ago, I had some doubts.”

”Back then, my impression of Senior Ice Venerable was that of evil and shadowy, a man with monstrous methods.”

”But after reaching the Central Region, especially entering the real Central Region area, stepping into Star Swapping City, and before arriving at Fangcun City, I began hearing remarkable stories about the Flame Dragon Six Venerable Masters.”

”Among them, Senior Ice Venerable had the most renowned reputation.”

”And the tales I heard, even though so many years have passed, still seemed as if ancient legends, esteemed by all, with great word-of-mouth.”

”The three words ’Ice Venerable’ resembled more of a legendary master, a senior high in morals.”

”At that time, I wondered, could Ice Venerable truly have such deep shrewdness to deceive countless beings and countless experts in the Central Region, with nobody discovering his true nature even after millions of years?”

”Hahaha.” The Ice Venerable’s Spiritual Consciousness laughed a few times, ”You young lad truly dare to say anything.”

”The real body of old indeed had a decent reputation, but it wasn’t that everyone admired him.”

”In this Central Region, although filled with killings and coldness, the words ’Martial Artist’ still have to be preceded by ’Human.’”

”People have a trace of humanity in the end, no matter how awe-inspiring or solitary they become; some matters have to be managed.”

”Some matters? What matters?” Xiao Yi asked.

The Ice Venerable’s Spiritual Consciousness shook his head, ”You are not qualified to know now.”

”Once you walk through the Wind Snow Netherworld Road, I might consider telling you.”

Xiao Yi nodded, then asked, ”That... the matter of me killing you back then...”

The Ice Venerable’s Spiritual Consciousness twitched his face, ”You didn’t kill me, you killed the real body.”

”I said that the real body has changed.”

”Sigh.” The Ice Venerable’s Spiritual Consciousness sighed, ”According to your previous words, the real body must have gone through quite an unbearable age.”

”He couldn’t find a solution back then, dying in the Eastern Domain, unable to return to the Central Region with just Spirit Stones, trapped in the depths of the perilous icy land.”

”Thousands of years passed, watching his body decay bit by bit, powerless, watching his skeleton form without being able to stop it.”

”The taste of this, is probably indescribable.”

”Millions of years of solitude, enduring cold winds and snow, eternal darkness and chill, even someone as strong-willed as the real body’s Dao Heart probably couldn’t withstand it.”

”Thus turning into something akin to an Evil Ghost.”

”Young lad.” The Ice Venerable’s Spiritual Consciousness looked seriously at Xiao Yi, ”If the real body hadn’t changed, he wouldn’t blame you for this.”

”Killing it is good, to avoid further disaster.”

”Now that everything’s been said clearly, is there any dust left in your Sword Heart?”

”How should I put it.” Xiao Yi smiled awkwardly, ”Originally, after killing you, I didn’t feel much guilt, so it wasn’t like my Sword Heart was tainted.”

Seeing the Ice Venerable’s Spiritual Consciousness’s darkened face, Xiao Yi corrected, ”Oh no, I mean after killing your real body.”

”However, entering this place, if I don’t speak honestly while awaiting your opportunity and gift, my heart feels uneasy, my Sword Heart dimmed a bit.”

”Now that it’s explained, and since senior doesn’t hold it against me, I naturally won’t think much of it.”

”Yes.” The Ice Venerable’s Spiritual Consciousness nodded, ”Though I have mastered many paths, in outsiders’ eyes, my methods are unpredictable.”

”But ultimately, I am still a Sword Cultivator.”

”I can sense the absolute clarity of your Sword Heart resonance within.”

”Let’s begin, walk along the Wind Snow Netherworld Road.”

”Okay.” Xiao Yi nodded, his eyes suddenly turning cold and stern.

...

First Chapter.