Chapter 273: Chapter 271: Purple Sun
’The first person to possess the purple mark?’
The words echoed like heavenly thunder, endlessly reverberating through Jiang Jichen’s spiritual world.
’How is this possible?’
’What is going on?’
Jiang Jichen had heard the legend of the first person to possess the purple mark.
Ten thousand years ago, the world-shaking prodigy Purple Sun entered the Exquisite Treasure Tower and became the first to obtain the purple mark.
At that time, a purple light shot into the sky, illuminating the entire Southern Continent. The two words "Purple Sun" simultaneously appeared in everyone’s mind.
That was the first time his name was remembered by all!
Afterward, because he had obtained the purple mark, Purple Sun was finally able to enter a Secret Realm within the Exquisite Treasure Tower, one second only to the Supreme Realm.
After emerging, he advanced with unstoppable momentum, sweeping through his generation in the Southern Continent as an invincible force. He even charged into other domains, forging a formidable reputation until his name was known by all.
Purple Sun of the Southern Continent was also one of the ten most powerful people in the legends of that era!
But now, this mummified corpse was telling him that *he* was the first person to possess the purple mark.
That meant he was... Purple Sun!
If this mummified corpse was Purple Sun, then who was the person with the purple mark walking around outside?
A chill ran down Jiang Jichen’s spine just thinking about it. He had already started to piece things together.
’This must be another part of the scheme!’
A dreadful, horrifying sensation coursed through his body. Jiang Jichen didn’t dare to imagine any further.
"Are you... the legendary Venerable Purple Sun of the Southern Continent?"
Jiang Jichen ventured to ask.
The mummified corpse suddenly fell silent. Its hollow eye sockets stared intently at Jiang Jichen before it spoke in a chilling tone, "That’s right, my name is Purple Sun. But I am not the Venerable you speak of. Of course, I *could* have become a Venerable, but that lowly Dark Creature stole my bloodline and my purple mark! It even sealed my soul in this desiccated corpse for ten thousand years! Ten thousand years... I refuse to accept this!"
As it spoke, the mummified corpse nearly descended into madness again.
Just then, Jiang Jichen suddenly felt a chilling killing intent emanate from the other’s soul.
"What are you planning to do?"
Jiang Jichen had a vague guess and asked uneasily.
The mummified corpse gave a sinister laugh. "What do you think I’m planning? I want to get out of here, of course! To leave this place!"
"You’re in this state, neither human nor ghost. You can’t take revenge even if you get out. Wouldn’t it be better to just rest in peace?"
Jiang Jichen said lightly. At the same time, he slowly backed away, ready to charge out of the Seventh Layer of the Earth Palace at the first sign of trouble.
He had expected his words to send the other into a furious rage, but unexpectedly, the mummified corpse remained calm.
The Sound of Purple Sun’s Soul echoed calmly in Jiang Jichen’s mind: "That lowly Dark Creature was able to become a Venerable because it devoured my bloodline and purple mark. As long as I devour *your* bloodline and purple mark, and then obtain the inheritance from the mysterious place in the Exquisite Treasure Tower, becoming a Venerable will only be a matter of time. I’ve waited ten thousand years. What’s a few more tens of thousands of years to wait for my revenge?"
At this point, Jiang Jichen fully understood Purple Sun’s true objective.
His soul had been sealed for ten thousand years, which was also the reason it hadn’t dissipated.
Back then, the Dark Creature that had been waiting here was in the same situation. Its soul could only reside within a mummified corpse, quietly waiting for time to pass, waiting for someone to fight their way to this place.
The soul of that Dark Creature waited for Purple Sun, and the soul of Purple Sun waited for Jiang Jichen!
Everything in the Exquisite Treasure Tower was bizarre beyond measure. The more one thought about it, the more terrifying it became!
A soul needed a host to survive. Without any hesitation, Purple Sun’s soul shot out of the mummified corpse and, without any warning, plunged into Jiang Jichen’s Divine Soul.
BOOM!
Despite being on high alert, Jiang Jichen had no time to react before a powerful surge of Soul Power invaded him. Then, in the space of his consciousness, he saw a young man in white robes.
He had purple hair and eyes like the morning sun. Dressed in elegant white robes, he possessed an aura that seemed to place him above all living beings.
He was... Purple Sun!
Of course, he was currently a Spirit Body—a soul at the Spirit Infant Early Stage!
According to legend, Purple Sun was only at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment Realm when he entered the Exquisite Tower, but... his soul had already reached the Spirit Infant Realm.
He was truly worthy of being called a Supreme prodigy who could overwhelm the ages, but in the end, he couldn’t escape the tragic fate of having his bloodline stolen.
"Just a mere Innate Realm soul. If you don’t resist and enter that mummified corpse yourself, you can still eke out a miserable existence. Otherwise... your only fate is to have your soul obliterated, erased from this world forever. Make your choice!"
Jiang Jichen’s Spirit Body, several sizes smaller than Purple Sun’s, also manifested in his own Sea of Consciousness. He calmly met the gaze of the man known as the Southern Continent’s number one prodigy of all time, without a trace of fear.
Instead, Jiang Jichen’s Spirit Body chuckled. "The fact that you survived back then must mean you willingly entered that mummified corpse, right? Otherwise, how could you have eked out such a pathetic existence? You don’t even have the unyielding heart of a true expert. You still want to become a Venerable? To get revenge? What a foolish pipe dream!"
Jiang Jichen’s words sent Purple Sun into a rage. His face turned purple as the terrifying aura of his Spirit Infant Realm soul erupted, transforming into a Soul Power storm that slammed into Jiang Jichen’s Sea of Consciousness.
BOOM!
Jiang Jichen’s head felt like it was about to shatter. His Spirit Body was sent flying by the Soul Power storm, almost to the point of dissipating completely.
But Jiang Jichen’s will was incredibly tenacious. He circulated his Soul Power and reformed his shape, a mocking smile on his face. "A true expert would rather fight to the death than live in humiliation. You may be a prodigy, but in my eyes, you’re not even a piece of dog shit!"
"You... You insolent brat spouting nonsense! Since you’re looking for death, there’s no need to return to the mummified corpse. I’ll just devour you directly!"
Purple Sun’s Spirit Body instantly became ferocious and menacing, baring its fangs and claws. It opened its mouth wide, sucked in Jiang Jichen’s Spirit Body, and began to chew.
And yet, at this very moment, Jiang Jichen was calm. The instant his Spirit Body was swallowed by Purple Sun, he suddenly felt as if his soul was once again drifting through the world of the Six Paths.
Chaos. Etherealness. Devoid of desire, devoid of wants.
It was like walking toward a new life, yet also like being in the process of dying...
Profound beyond profound, wondrous beyond wondrous!
’If my will is indestructible, if the Dao of my original heart is indestructible, and if my soul is indestructible, then how can heaven and earth... destroy me?’
’My body is a Seven-Colored Spirit Body, so my soul... should also be a Seven-Colored Soul, Eternal and indestructible!’
In this moment between life and death, Jiang Jichen’s mind became incredibly clear and transparent. He had a deeper enlightenment regarding the "Source Character Qi Condensing Technique."
His previous understanding only involved the Qi Sea Spiritual Vein; it had never touched upon the soul.
Therefore, while Jiang Jichen’s Qi Sea Spiritual Vein was already approaching perfection, he always felt that it was still missing something, that it wasn’t truly perfect.
It turned out to be because of... the soul!
Only when the soul was also cultivated to a Seven-Color state and completely fused with the Seven-Colored Spirit Body could one achieve true unification with the Divine Spirit!
