Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 254 Summoning Souls Across a Thousand Miles, Max Level Profession

The Li Hun Sect's intelligence network is extremely efficient, especially when there is a clear objective. Less than two hours later, the shadow guard reappeared in the valley.

"Your Holiness, we've found it."

"explain."

"The Holy Maiden of the Nine Nether Sect, Bai Yingluo, disguised herself as a tofu-selling girl in the south of Yunzhou City more than a month ago."

"Selling tofu?" Xia Lingshuang's lips curled into a mocking smile. "She's really quite the playful one."

"According to our informants in Yunzhou, Yuan Xiao'e had a stall at the South City Market and had contact with many people during that time. Among them, the person with whom she had the closest relationship was a man named Chen Ye."

"Chen Ye?" Xia Lingshuang repeated the name, finding it somewhat familiar.

"This man was originally a fallen nobleman from Yunzhou City. He used to be a notorious playboy, but in the last two months, for some unknown reason, his personality suddenly changed drastically, as if he had become a completely different person."

The shadow guard continued his report: "He first won first place in the royal autumn hunt and was appointed by the Empress as the inspector of the Xuanjing Division. After that, he solved many strange cases and his official rank rose all the way to Zhaowu Colonel. Bai Yingluo, disguised as Yuan Xiao'e, has taken the initiative to approach this person many times, and the two have a deep entanglement."

Upon hearing this, a flash of understanding appeared in Xia Ling Shuang's pure black eyes.

She finally understood why Bai Yingluo was dressed like that.

She disguised herself as a pure and gentle commoner to approach a young official who was just beginning to make a name for himself, using her seductive arts to manipulate him at will, in order to cultivate her despicable skills.

Hmph, another one of those manipulative tricks!
"So where is Chen Ye now?" Xia Lingshuang asked coldly.

The shadow guard paused, his voice becoming somewhat strange: "Reporting to Your Majesty, according to the latest intelligence, the imperial envoy sent by the court to Nanhe County for disaster relief is this Chen Ye, and he arrived in Pingyang City three days ago."

boom!
A chilling killing intent suddenly erupted from Xia Ling Shuang's body!
The temperature in the valley seemed to drop by more than ten degrees in an instant, and even the babbling stream was covered with a thin layer of ice.

Chen Ye!

Imperial Envoy!

Pingyang City!
All the clues came together at that moment!

That's it!

The one who shattered his own divine consciousness avatar in Pingyang City was most likely this guy named Chen Ye!
The reason Bai Yingluo suddenly came to her door was not simply to sabotage her plans.

She was protecting her prey!
She realized that her divine avatar had been destroyed and knew that he would definitely investigate. So she came to him first and used a big battle to hold him back, so that the man named Chen Ye would have enough time to gain a foothold in Pingyang City!

"Heh...hehe..."

Xia Ling Shuang suddenly chuckled softly, her laughter filled with a chilling coldness and a hint of indescribable excitement.

"Interesting...really interesting..."

She slowly stood up, her gaze fixed on the direction of Pingyang City, her pure black eyes gleaming with a dangerous yet captivating light.

"The man that Bai Yingluo, that bitch, takes so seriously, even willing to stand up to me and protect him..."

"It seems that this Chen Ye is no ordinary person!"

"Your Majesty, should I send someone to Pingyang City to capture this person...?" The shadow guard knelt on the ground and made a throat-slitting gesture.

"No need."

Kill Chen Ye?
No, that's too boring.

Killing him outright would only turn him into a slightly more powerful soul within the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

But if this man is the prey that even Bai Yingluo is attracted to, then his value is far more than just a soul.

If Bai Yingluo sets her sights on something, she'll snatch it away no matter what it is.

"You can go now," Xia Lingshuang instructed.

"Yes." The shadow guard's figure disappeared back into the shadows.

Xia Lingshuang was the only one left in the valley.

She walked to the edge of the altar, looking down at the valley below, which had been ravaged by the aftershocks of their battle. Then she raised her hand again, and a wisp of black energy condensed at her fingertips, transforming into a jet-black butterfly.

The soul butterfly fluttered its wings and flew silently out of the valley, disappearing into the night.

This time, its order was to gather all information about Chen Ye.

Just an hour later, a strange black bird with a wingspan of over one meter silently landed in the valley.

The strange bird had a bamboo tube tied to its foot.

Xia Lingshuang took off the bamboo tube, opened it, and saw that inside was a roll of thin silk cloth.

The silk cloth was meticulously recorded in cinnabar about Chen Ye's life, from his approximate birth year to every absurd thing he did in Yunzhou City, and his recent rise to power, leaving no detail unmentioned.

On the other side of the silk cloth is a lifelike portrait.

The young man in the painting has a handsome face, with a composure and sharpness between his brows that are beyond his years. His eyes are calm and deep, as if he can see through people's hearts.

"Is this the face...?"

Xia Lingshuang stretched out her slender fingers and gently traced the face she had painted on Chen Ye's face.

"She's quite good-looking; no wonder she could bewitch that bitch Bai Yingluo."

Her voice was very soft, with a hint of something inexplicable.

"However, even the most beautiful appearance is just an appearance. What I'm really interested in is what kind of interesting soul lies beneath that appearance."

At this point, Xia Lingshuang put away the portrait, turned around, and walked back to the center of the altar.

The enormous banner of ten thousand souls still stood there silently, and the countless faces on its surface began to stir restlessly and roar after sensing her presence.

Xia Lingshuang ignored the spirits and sat down cross-legged, spreading the silk cloth with Chen Ye's portrait on it in front of her.

Then she took out a small incense burner and lit a coil of incense.

The incense smoke didn't rise in wisps; instead, it seemed to have a life of its own, condensing into ancient and eerie runes in the air.

"In your name, I will shape you."

Xia Lingshuang's voice became ethereal and otherworldly, as if it came from the depths of the netherworld.

"Your destiny is determined by your birth date and time."

She stretched out her finger and wrote Chen Ye's name stroke by stroke on the silk cloth in front of her.

"A thousand miles away, may your soul return!"

As the last word fell, she suddenly opened her eyes!

Two deep beams of light burst forth from those pure black eyes, shooting straight at the portrait!

hum!
The entire valley suddenly trembled!
The banner of ten thousand souls on the altar trembled violently, and all the souls on the banner emitted extremely shrill screams, as if they had encountered something that terrified them.

An invisible ripple, centered on Xia Lingshuang, instantly spread outwards, crossing mountains and rivers, ignoring city walls and fortifications, and precisely enveloping Pingyang City, hundreds of miles away.

It is one of the secret techniques of the Wrathful Soul Sect—Summoning Souls from a Thousand Miles Away!
This technique is incredibly powerful. As long as you know the other party's name and detailed information, and use a portrait as a guide, you can ignore the distance and forcibly extract the other party's three souls and seven spirits from their body and summon them to your presence.

Once the soul leaves the body and falls into the hands of the spellcaster, it is like a fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of the caster.

At this moment, a look of anticipation appeared on Xia Ling Shuang's face.

She couldn't wait to see what kind of delicious sight the soul of this man, whom Bai Yingluo would protect at all costs, would be.

……

In the study of the Pingyang Prefectural Government Office, candlelight burned quietly, casting Chen Ye's lonely figure on the wall.

Wang Delin has already confessed.

He spilled everything he knew, like pouring out beans.

All he knew about the so-called Holy Envoy was that he was a big shot in the Wrathful Soul Sect named Xia Lingshuang, and that this person was incredibly powerful and unpredictable.

Wang Delin did not know Xia Lingshuang's exact hiding place.

He was merely a pawn pushed to the forefront, responsible for accumulating wealth and providing sacrifices; he had no right to access the core secrets.

Thinking of this, Chen Ye closed his eyes and rubbed his throbbing temples.

From the moment he entered Nanhe County, a series of events unfolded one after another, giving him almost no chance to catch his breath.

Slaying generals and seizing cities, sealing up government treasuries, interrogating Wang Delin, and then the collective annihilation of government officials...

Even with his resilient spirit, he felt a touch of weariness at this moment.

Chen Ye calmed his mind and slowly circulated the spiritual energy within his body, trying to relax both his mind and body.

However, just as his mind sank into his dantian, an extreme chill suddenly surged up from the depths of his soul!
It wasn't physical coldness, but a chilling sensation that felt as if even one's soul was being frozen.

Immediately afterwards, an irresistible pulling force acted on his soul.

Chen Ye suddenly opened his eyes!
He found that the world he saw was beginning to become blurry and distorted.

The desks, chairs, bookshelves, and candlelight in the study all seemed to be viewed through frosted glass, becoming indistinct.

His body was still sitting upright in the chair, but his consciousness was being gradually drawn out of his body by a strange force.

Chen Ye could even see his own hands and body, which were becoming increasingly transparent and illusory.

The feeling of being out of body!

This is a sign that the soul is about to be forcibly extracted from the body!
At the same time, a clear yet cold female voice seemed to travel across endless distances, resounding directly in the depths of his mind.

"Chen Ye..." "Come to me..."

The voice possessed an undeniable magic; each syllable was like an invisible hand, tugging at his soul.

Xia Lingshuang!
The name instantly popped into Chen Ye's mind.

is her!

This Holy Envoy of the Wrathful Soul Sect actually launched an attack against me using such an incomprehensible method!

At the same time, Chen Ye's vision began to dim, but the woman's calls became clearer and closer, as if she were breathing sweet fragrance right next to his ear.

"Give up..."

"Your struggle is pointless..."

"To become part of my collection is your greatest honor..."

Faced with such evil magic, Chen Ye was not afraid at all; instead, he felt a surge of overwhelming anger.

You think you can make me submit with such paltry tricks?
And it seems like you're the only one who knows this kind of soul-touching technique!
Thinking of this, Chen Ye immediately activated the Heartstring Master talent of the Casanova profession.

hum!
In an instant, Chen Ye's consciousness broke through a certain barrier and entered a mysterious realm.

His vision was no longer confined to the small study, but extended rapidly along the soul thread connecting him and the caster at an unimaginable speed.

The night view of Pingyang City flashed past his feet, followed by the continuous mountains, the dark river, and the barren fields...

It felt like his soul had left his body and was embarking on an incredible journey at an incredible speed.

And the woman's voice became clearer and clearer during the journey.

[Hmm? Still resisting? Pretty strong willpower.]

[It's almost here! Let me see what's so special about the soul of the man who can make Bai Yingluo so infatuated.]

Cold and arrogant, exuding an air of absolute confidence.

This was what Chen Ye heard—Xia Ling Shuang's innermost thoughts.

Sure enough it was her!

Moreover, the reason she attacked herself was actually related to that vixen Bai Yingluo!

Chen Ye's mind raced, but his consciousness continued to fly.

Finally, after flying an unknown distance, his vision suddenly sharpened, and a clear scene appeared in his mind.

It was a gloomy valley.

In the center of the valley stands a simple altar built of massive stones.

Above the altar, a huge black banner fluttered without wind, its surface shrouded in black mist, with countless distorted, pained faces appearing and disappearing within, emitting silent wails.

In front of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, a woman dressed in black palace attire and with an exceptionally beautiful face sat cross-legged.

Her eyes were closed, and her hands were forming a strange hand seal, just like the statue of the evil god.

A scroll was laid out in front of her, and the person in the painting was herself!

found it!
Chen Ye was startled.

He actually managed to trace the spell back to its source using his talent as the Lord of Heartstrings!
[Has the resistance weakened, and they finally given up?]

Xia Lingshuang's inner voice rang out again, tinged with a sense of self-righteous contempt.

With just a little more effort, his soul will be mine.

Xia Lingshuang prepared to activate the spell to complete the final soul-binding.

Chen Ye's consciousness also felt the pulling force intensify once again, as if he would be completely dragged into that terrifying Ten Thousand Soul Banner in the next second.

However, Chen Ye did not think about how to escape, but instead focused all his attention on the other ability of the Heartstring Master.

Listening is just the most basic thing.

What makes this talent truly terrifying is its implantation!

It can subtly implant one's own ideas into a woman's soul, gradually changing her memories and beliefs.

Previously, Chen Ye only used this ability at close range, in face-to-face situations.

This was the first time he had ever performed such a feat, separated by hundreds of miles, through a soul link.

However, this was indeed a good opportunity, because at this moment Xia Ling Shuang's mind was completely immersed in the pleasure of casting spells and the control of her prey. Therefore, in Chen Ye's perception, her soul was like an undefended city!
So Chen Ye gathered his mental energy and sent a thought into the unsuspecting depths of Xia Ling Shuang's soul.

At this moment, Xia Lingshuang's lips curled into a cold smile of absolute confidence.

She could clearly sense that Chen Ye's soul was putting so little resistance that it was negligible.

In ten breaths at most, she will be able to bring this complete soul, brimming with vitality, before her.

She would then have a good taste of what this soul, which had earned Bai Yingluo's respect, was like.

She had even figured out how to prepare this soul.

First, use the Soul Searching Technique to uncover all his secrets, and then use the secret methods of the Wrathful Soul Sect to refine his soul into his own soul slave, making him his most loyal servant.

She wanted Bai Yingluo to see with her own eyes how her long-desired prey would kneel at her feet, wagging its tail and begging for mercy.

The thought of Bai Yingluo's face, twisted with anger and jealousy, filled Xia Lingshuang with a morbid pleasure.

She increased her magical output, preparing to deliver the final, fatal blow.

But at this moment.

A faint thought suddenly surfaced from the depths of her mind.

This man's spirit feels so familiar...

[It reminds me of that older brother who saved my life when I was a child, but then disappeared...]

The idea came so abruptly, yet so naturally.

Xia Ling Shuang's body trembled violently, and her rapidly circulating magical power experienced a slight, almost imperceptible, stagnation due to this momentary lapse in concentration.

In a contest between masters, a slight difference can lead to a huge error.

Not to mention the secret technique of summoning a soul from afar, which requires the ultimate control of the mind!

The originally stable and domineering pulling force suddenly loosened due to this momentary stagnation!
puff!
Xia Lingshuang felt a powerful force rebounding from the invisible soul threads, her chest tightened, and she spat out a mouthful of blood.

The thread connecting her soul and Chen Ye was also severed!

"what happened?!"

For the first time, Xia Lingshuang's face showed a look of shock and bewilderment.

She had absolutely no idea what had just happened.

Why did that thought pop into my head at the most crucial moment?
You should know that Xia Ling Shuang has abandoned the seven emotions and six desires since she started cultivating, and regards the feelings between men and women as the most boring bondage in the world, so how could she possibly have such a ridiculous idea?
Could it be an inner demon?
Or was it because he was affected by Bai Yingluo's damned charm technique when they fought before?

Xia Ling Shuang immediately calmed down and carefully examined her soul.

Once, twice, three times...

Her soul was perfectly clear, and apart from some shocks caused by the backlash of the secret technique, there was no trace of external intrusion.

So that thought just now really came from me?
Xia Lingshuang frowned deeply, her eyes filled with complex emotions as she looked at the silk cloth in front of her bearing Chen Ye's portrait.

……

Pingyang City, the study of the government office.

The moment Xia Ling's secret technique failed and her soul threads broke, Chen Ye suddenly sat up straight in his chair!

"Huh...huh...huh..."

Chen Ye was panting heavily, his forehead covered in a fine layer of cold sweat.

Although the brief exchange just now did not involve actual swordplay, its danger far surpassed any life-or-death battle.

Because it is a battle on a spiritual level, one wrong step will lead to utter ruin.

Fortunately, Chen Ye succeeded.

He not only saved his life through Xia Lingshuang's soul-summoning technique, but also planted a potentially fatal seed deep within her soul.

It makes Xia Lingshuang feel a strange and inexplicable sense of destiny towards herself.

Moreover, the more she tries to deny it, the stronger this feeling becomes.

Ultimately, this seed will grow into a towering tree, completely distorting her perception and overturning her Dao heart.

At that time, this high and mighty Holy Maiden of the Wrathful Soul Sect will probably do things that even she herself cannot imagine.

Chen Ye let out a long breath and was about to get up to drink some water to calm his nerves when suddenly lines of golden text appeared before his eyes.

[The Casanova's professional level has been upgraded to LV5 (maximum level)]

[Your current job level is maxed out. Would you like to change jobs?]

(End of this chapter)