Cultivating in Reverse: My Sign-In System Wants Me Dead

Chapter 157: Chapter 157 - The Soul Sparks and the New Arrivals

Su Bai returned to the main hall.

The atmosphere had settled somewhat.

The newly awakened victims were no longer lying motionless like broken puppets.

Qiao Wen and Mu Qing had already begun arranging the jade slips for them.

Those whose factions had already received copies did not need to copy them again.

Those who had no representative among the original group were allowed to copy the relevant portions first.

The awakened victims held the jade slips carefully, as if they were holding both evidence and repayment.

Su Bai glanced once at the scene and nodded slightly.

’Good.’

At least this part was settled.

Before anyone could ask him what he had found in the infirmary, two faint lights suddenly flashed outside the hall.

Everyone froze.

The lights were small, almost like fireflies struggling through red mist.

But the moment they entered the hall, several people felt their souls tremble.

"Soul fragments," Mu Qing said softly.

The two sparks flew across the main hall before anyone could react.

One entered the chest of an unconscious cultivator.

The other entered another sleeping victim beside him.

Both victims trembled.

Then their breathing changed.

Their previously dull faces gained a faint trace of life.

The main hall fell silent.

Everyone stared.

Two soul fragments had returned.

That meant two false shells had been destroyed.

And they had not been destroyed by Su Bai’s group.

Chen Feng’s fingers tightened around his sword.

"Someone outside killed two of them."

No one answered immediately.

They did not have to guess for long.

A cold, irritated voice came from beyond the broken entrance.

"Those rotten things really know how to run. I almost poisoned the mist just to shut them up."

Several cultivators stiffened.

That voice was familiar.

Another voice followed, brisk and pleased.

"But they were useful. They fled in the right direction."

Then a third voice sounded, calm and cold.

"I left frost marks along the route. If the others are not too frightened by the miasma, they should be able to follow."

Su Bai’s expression shifted.

Tang Ziyan.

Lin Weiyang.

Ji Ruyue.

A moment later, the three figures emerged from the entrance.

The white lotus-light barriers around them had thinned, but they still clung to their bodies like pale second skins.

Tang Ziyan walked first.

Her dark violet robes were untouched by dust except at the hem. A faint poisonous fragrance drifted around her, making several cultivators instinctively hold their breath before they realized it was not aimed at them.

Lin Weiyang followed behind her. Several small bronze mechanisms hovered near her shoulders. Their formation lines pulsed as they recorded the surroundings.

Ji Ruyue came last.

Her expression was cold as always. Thin traces of frost remained beneath her steps.

The three entered the hall.

Then they paused.

The main hall was full of people.

Tang Ziyan looked around once.

"So we were not first."

Her tone was unpleasant.

Then her gaze landed on Su Bai.

Their eyes met.

Tang Ziyan froze for half a breath.

Then her expression changed into something between irritation and resignation.

"Of course."

She rolled her eyes.

"It had to be you."

Su Bai coughed once.

Ji Ruyue nodded toward the group, then walked directly toward Su Bai.

"Junior Brother."

Her voice was calm.

"Have you cleared this place?"

The words were simple.

But several cultivators looked at her strangely.

Cleared this place?

The Treatment-and-Containment Hall had nearly swallowed them, produced false shells, trapped victims, reversed formations, and hidden a miasma source below.

Yet Ji Ruyue asked it as if Su Bai had merely swept a courtyard.

Chen Feng stared at her.

The old resentment in his eyes stirred again.

His hand remained on his sword.

Ji Ruyue did not look at him.

That somehow made Chen Feng’s expression worse.

Su Bai smiled.

"Senior Sister Ji. We have handled the immediate danger. I also gained something for the sect."

Ji Ruyue nodded.

"Good."

Then she said nothing more.

Lin Weiyang’s eyes brightened when she saw Su Bai.

"Brother Su, since you are still here, there must be something unusual."

Su Bai’s eyes also brightened slightly.

"There is."

Lin Weiyang immediately became more attentive.

Su Bai continued, "There may be an area here that would interest a Divine Artificer Citadel disciple. We can speak about it after we understand the outside situation."

Lin Weiyang inhaled softly.

Her expression became serious.

And happy.

Tang Ziyan clicked her tongue.

"Useless. Since you arrived first, you probably scraped this place cleaner than a starving rat in a grain store."

Several cultivators looked at her in shock.

No one had spoken to Su Bai like that since they entered this hall.

Su Bai only smiled warmly.

"If you want, I can give you some."

The hall froze.

Tang Ziyan froze too.

Her eyes narrowed immediately.

"For what?"

Su Bai looked at her and winked.

"You know what I want."

Tang Ziyan’s ears turned red.

It was unclear whether from anger, embarrassment, or the urge to poison someone.

Perhaps all three.

"You still dare mention that?"

Su Bai remained calm.

"I only said you knew."

Tang Ziyan stared at him.

Su Bai smiled back.

The surrounding cultivators looked between them.

Tang Ziyan finally snorted.

"I should feed you to the mist."

Su Bai nodded seriously.

"That would be wonderful."

Tang Ziyan almost laughed. Because the worst part was, she knew Su Bai was not lying.

She suppressed it with visible effort and turned away.

Finally, Qiao Wen stepped forward quickly before the atmosphere could become poisonous in both literal and emotional senses.

"May we ask what happened outside? Two soul fragments just returned. Did you kill two borrowed faces?"

At those words, the hall immediately became serious.

Tang Ziyan’s expression cooled.

Lin Weiyang nodded.

"Yes. Two."

Ji Ruyue added, "Both were luring cultivators near another outpost."

The awakened victims stiffened.

Lin Weiyang walked to the center of the hall and raised one hand.

A small bronze bead floated above her palm.

Formation light unfolded into a faint image.

"We landed near another outer outpost," Lin Weiyang said. "The miasma there was not as dense as this basin, but the surroundings were confusing. A voice began calling for help outside the perimeter."

Tang Ziyan sneered.

"It chose badly."

Lin Weiyang smiled faintly.

"It chose someone who knew the voice."

Ji Ruyue said, "The voice had a face."

The hall quieted.

Lin Weiyang pointed at the image.

"Its walking pattern was wrong."

Several people looked at her.

Lin Weiyang continued calmly, "Its weight distribution did not match the terrain. Its breathing was too steady for someone begging for help in miasma. Also, when it called out, the mist around its mouth moved half a breath late."

The cultivators stared.

Tang Ziyan crossed her arms.

"In simple words, it was fake."

Lin Weiyang nodded.

"Yes. Obviously fake."

The hall fell silent.

Several people who had nearly been fooled by the borrowed faces felt deeply injured.

Obviously?

Was it obvious?

Why did it not feel obvious to them?

Su Bai nodded in appreciation.

Having someone from the Divine Artificer Citadel nearby really was useful.

Some people looked at faces.

Some looked at voices.

Lin Weiyang looked at weight distribution, breath delay, mist displacement, and tool readings.

This was the difference between ordinary cultivation and bringing half a workshop into a ruin.

Lin Weiyang continued, "I used a tracking mechanism to mark the soul disturbance around it. It reacted immediately and tried to flee."

Tang Ziyan smiled coldly.

"So I gave it something to flee from."

No one asked what the poison was.

They were afraid she would answer.

Ji Ruyue said, "I cut off its retreat."

Her voice remained calm.

"After it was destroyed, a soul fragment escaped. Lin Weiyang’s mechanism followed the trace."

Lin Weiyang nodded.

"The second borrowed face appeared while we were tracking the first soul fragment. It tried to lure another disciple in the same way. This time, Sister Tang poisoned the surrounding mist first, and Sister Ji froze its lower body."

Tang Ziyan said lightly, "Then I made sure it stopped talking."

The awakened victims lowered their heads.

Some looked relieved.

Some looked afraid.

Ji Ruyue looked toward Su Bai.

"I left frost marks with the footwork you gave me. The others should be able to follow if they remain calm."

Su Bai nodded.

"Dance of the Winter Fairy?"

Ji Ruyue nodded.

"It is useful."

That was all.

But for Ji Ruyue, that was already high praise.

Chen Feng’s expression became worse.

He stared at Ji Ruyue.

"A movement technique can leave frost marks?"

Ji Ruyue finally looked at him.

"Yes."

Chen Feng waited.

Ji Ruyue did not continue.

His jaw tightened.

"Is that all you are going to say?"

Ji Ruyue blinked once.

"Yes."

A strange silence filled the hall.

Tang Ziyan looked at Chen Feng as if he were a bug that had voluntarily entered poison smoke.

"You asked a question. She answered. What else do you want, a funeral song?"

Several cultivators coughed.

Chen Feng’s face darkened.

Su Bai silently looked away.

Managing this group was becoming harder.

Qiao Wen quickly changed the topic.

"How many people are following behind you?"

Lin Weiyang answered, "Our temporary group has several more cultivators. Some were injured, so we did not bring everyone forward immediately. If they have enough courage, they will arrive."

Tang Ziyan snorted.

"If they do not, they can stay outside and argue with the mist."

Mu Qing hesitated.

"The miasma here is dense. Their Lotus-Heart barriers may not last long."

Ji Ruyue nodded.

"That is why we moved first."

Su Bai glanced toward the two sleeping victims who had received soul fragments.

Their breathing had stabilized.

"They should wake soon."

Qiao Wen nodded.

"We will watch them."

Su Bai then looked at Lin Weiyang.

"Sister Lin."

Lin Weiyang’s eyes brightened again.

"Yes?"

"There is an underground chamber below this hall. A Root Formation Chamber. It is connected to the altar outside and to the false bodies."

Lin Weiyang became completely still.

Even her hovering mechanisms paused.

Then all of them lit up at once.

"Root Formation Chamber?"

Su Bai nodded.

"The formation seemed to have been reversed or corrupted. Originally, this place may have been used to treat and contain corruption. Later, the formation drew out soul fragments and helped create false shells."

Lin Weiyang’s breathing changed.

That was not fear.

That was excitement.

Dangerous excitement.

The kind artificers developed when someone told them there was an ancient broken mechanism that had almost killed everyone nearby.

"Where?"

Su Bai pointed toward the underground entrance.

"There."

Lin Weiyang immediately turned.

Su Bai added, "Be careful. The miasma source below has been stopped, but the formation may still have residual reactions."

"I know."

She was already walking.

Su Bai looked at her back.

"Also, do not touch the central formation core directly."

Lin Weiyang paused.

Then said, "I know."

Her tone was slightly less convincing this time.

Lin Weiyang had already disappeared down the passage.

Su Bai watched her go.

Passionate people were all like this.

Liu Meng was like this with pills.

Lin Weiyang was like this with mechanisms.

Hou Yan was like this with profit.

Soon, the new arrivals settled into the hall.

Or rather, they attempted to.

Ji Ruyue stood near the side with her sword, saying nothing unless spoken to.

Tang Ziyan sat down with her arms crossed, radiating the aura of someone who wanted everyone to know she was not friendly.

Chen Feng sat opposite Ji Ruyue and pretended not to stare at her.

He failed.

The awakened victims kept glancing at Tang Ziyan, likely because her poison aura was unsettling and oddly reassuring at the same time.

Qiao Wen looked between everyone and seemed to realize that the hall had become more complicated.

Mu Qing quietly helped the two newly affected victims stabilize.

Zhao Heng guarded the entrance with even more seriousness.

Su Bai stood in the center of the hall.

For a moment, he felt an old, familiar pressure.

Team management.

His expression remained calm.

Inside, he sighed.

The group had become stronger.

But also harder to manage.