Chapter 494: What Mattered…

Chapter 494: What Mattered…

The Sanctuary Church people claimed the soul spirits wouldn’t regenerate. However, after reviewing Irene’s research materials, Zheng Yichen felt those from a more professional source made the church’s findings irrelevant. The whole point of bringing out Frostmourne from the start was to drain those soul spirits. The human forms possessed specific shapes precisely because soul spirits inhabiting the Stone Forest’s wandering figures had mixed into them.

It was like kindling meeting a flame! Soul spirits with lingering action capabilities encountering constantly spawning soul spirits!

At least the soul spirit attacks were simple, mostly pounces. Now with bodies to inhabit, these figures could unleash proper combat strength. Some even performed Combat Techniques!

Yes, Combat Techniques. It sounded bizarre, but many soul spirits retained fragmentary memories. Who knew how the Undying Witch had twisted the Stone Forest into this state? The techniques unleashed through these figures were power ed by Negative Energy, making their attacks truly threatening.

Even if a hit wasn’t instantly fatal, it caused lingering negative energy attacks to eat away at the victim. Either endure it or find a specialist to purge the lingering Negative Energy.

Zheng Yichen wasn’t too worried about getting hit himself. His main goal bringing the smaller group along was actually for Dan Marina to spot traces the Stone Forest might hold. Though Dan Marina couldn’t actively use her abilities now, her experience remained. Having her search here was way better than Zheng Yichen blindly scouring the place solo.

But he couldn’t just announce he planned to take her toward the Stone Forest’s core. Objectives like that… Sure, the Sanctuary Church might act oblivious toward Zheng Yichen currently, but if they learned he aimed to seize control of the Stone Forest’s core itself, their eyes would snap wide open immediately.

So this required a patient, subtle approach. Once his goal was achieved, even if the Sanctuary Church found out later, it’d be too late to stop him. As for arguing later, Zheng Yichen figured he’d draft excuses then. Basically promise never to use what he claimed for world-destroying purposes…

Not buying it? Fine! Sign a Contract! Nothing worked better than that.

Believe him, one Contract later, and things would settle down. Unless they uncovered his true body—unlikely, thanks to his unique ability shielding him. Powerful prophecy-based Spellcasters couldn’t track his location through Prophecy Art, regardless of the cost.

Even Witches couldn’t manage it directly, let alone standard Prophecy Art. This was his core advantage. Usually, finding someone required powerful Prophecy Art revealing traces, though it carried high costs, potentially crippling the Spellcaster. Yet against him? Waste several trying—they likely wouldn’t uncover a single reliable trace!

Therefore, for established facts, Zheng Yichen merely needed reasonable compromise. Naturally, surrendering the prize was out of the question. Soul spirits could partially substitute for Souls. Later, once better refinement methods got developed, collecting Souls wouldn’t require painstaking hunts elsewhere. How could he pass up such a prize?

What limited his Alchemical Puppet production wasn’t power sources, nor materials—it was Soul Material needed to animate them!

“Where do these…things even come from?” Garcia rapped knuckles against a frozen human form encased before him. The Frost layer sealing it was incredibly thin, like plastic wrap. Beyond the intense blue glow hinting at concentrated Ice Element, the figure inside remained clearly visible—eyes, nose, everything. Ignore the lack of vitality, and it seemed entirely human.

Yet, fundamentally, this was akin to an undead creature. Soul spirits weren’t Souls. Even carrying Soul residue, they couldn’t truly replace one.

After muttering, Garcia stared again, impressed by what Zheng Yichen managed. The Frost was unbelievably refined! Using an identical Magic Arms, Garcia knew he absolutely couldn’t achieve such delicate Frost layering. Another frozen figure he’d dealt with stood nearby. Looked decent…until this one made it seem like a cheap knockoff against the real deal.

Another blow to Garcia’s pride. Glancing backward at Zheng Yichen, he wished the guy stuck with Frostmourne. Now…best just watch quietly.

With Zheng Yichen present, the fighting barely counted. Human forms carrying Soul spirits were troublesome, yet seemed pitifully weak facing overwhelming power. Even when particularly troublesome ones occasionally leaped out…it changed little.

Anyone operating inside the Stone Forest knew this taboo—never forcibly shatter those stone pillars. Break one, and it vomits swarms of soul spirits. Later, the pillar repairs itself. But those soul spirits linger relentlessly until they kill the Destroyer.

Adding to the Stone Forest’s shifting nature, these soul spirits didn’t vanish—they lingered eternally. Those crimson danger areas marked on maps usually signaled such lingering horrors. Hence, battles within the Stone Forest tested combat skill severely.

Garcia pulled out a bag. Swinging Azure Wrath, he shattered the ice sculpture before him. As the solidly frozen figure crumbled completely, fine particles scattered out. This residue came from the destroyed soul spirit. He activated the bag—a specialized Magic Artifact for gathering this powder—sucking the particles inward. Anyone accepting relevant Quests generally received one.

Specific terms varied based on the issuer’s generosity. Some demanded nothing; stingy ones required a deposit—Magic Artifacts cost money!

“Dealing with these figures…it’s worse than facing the ‘spirits’ directly,” Green complained bitterly while gathering powder residue. Soul spirits alone vanished upon defeat. But human forms? Destroy the vessel, and the soul spirit merely slipped out, initiating phase two. Already challenging foes needing beating twice? Yeah, anyone would choose differently.

Worse? Soul spirits inflicted little physical damage. But these figures destroyed stone pillars during fighting!

“Acceptable,” Fred grunted. Compared to fighting intangible foes like Soul spirits, he preferred hacking flesh-and-blood enemies!

“But so slow!” Green shook his bag. One soul spirit yielded tiny residue. Filling a bag required defeating maybe a hundred! Powerful ones might need fewer defeats—dozens, maybe even a handful.

Those powerful foes weren’t easy takedowns either. Compared to challenging risks, Mercenary focused on profits preferred lower threats.

“Steady,” Fred countered gruffly. Battle Qi flared across his axe blade, shattering two ice sculptures nearby. The Sanctuary Church advocated limiting tactics. But following that, how would they gather Quest materials?

Hence few truly chose limitation tactics. While Oss and team chipped away at Frost, Zheng Yichen studied the subject he aimed to master—the basics of Spatial Expansion. Hmm… First step involved placing Mental Energy in a special state feeling innumerable Nodes densely packed within surrounding space.

These Nodes worked like traces only specialized trackers saw beyond human vision. Without natural Talent, intense study could reveal them…but one rigid requirement existed: Mana!

Talent alone could brute force it with Mental Energy. Lesser powers required manipulating Mana as aid. Mana acted like dust against an invisible foe, making those Nodes ‘visible’.

So even without mastering it…perception improved somewhat. Zheng Yichen now explored the Stone Forest’s secrets using this half-understood method. Yet seeing even Dan Marina reveal nothing…Yichen felt…asking her might be wise.

Dan Marina stayed silent, her masked face revealing nothing. Only upon catching Zheng Yichen’s gaze did she lightly point aside.

He followed her gesture, puzzlement turning to widened eyes. Azure Wrath swung instinctively nearby! Frost unleashed instantly encased the area, freezing even stone pillars within range. Including the figure Dan Marina pointed out.

The commotion drew Oss’s team instantly. Upon spotting Zheng Yichen’s urgent target, they froze momentarily.

A woman. Okay, human form occupied by soul spirits showed varied genders. This wasn’t particularly strange.

Yet the vast range covered by Zheng Yichen’s sword strike… It seemed he absolutely wouldn’t let this one escape!

“Huh? This figure… actually has clothes!” Green scratched his chin, sounding surprised. Making Garcia and others stare at him. So… this is what Green Hair focused on?!

Catching their expressions, Green protested loudly, “Isn’t this significant?! Compare other figures! This… uh… wasn’t she Human?”

His voice suddenly softened. Though Adventurers killing wasn’t scandalous, mindlessly killing an innocent didn’t sit right with their morals.

“No Human!” Fred hissed gravely, eyes glued to the frozen woman. His senses screamed danger emanating from her!

Mana Threads wove instantly from Zheng Yichen’s fingertips, forming intricate Magic Rune Arrays. Layered one over another, they unleashed a mighty Sealing Magic imprint upon the figure. Intense Mana Fluctuation made Oss’s team grimace.

Seeing Zheng Yichen act with such urgency, they wordlessly backpedaled several steps. Distance felt wise.

Oss had kept eyes at stage four strength, truly sensing the terrifying power behind that Spellcaster’s magic. Under this Seal’s effect, nearby element flow grew sluggish, almost freezing into stillness.

But that woman…

Oss found himself unable to see any glow radiating from her. Unthinkable! Under focused vision, Mana or Battle Qi usually showed distinct ‘colors’. Yet her form revealed none! Meaning she was an ordinary Human?

Impossible!

The thought barely formed when her ice encasement shattered. Ignoring powerful Seal magic clinging to her body, the woman stared directly at Zheng Yichen. Utterly indifferent toward her confinement… even willing to speak.

‘The one I care about…’

Her unfinished sentence triggered violent rippling across her Seal. Yet as life fled her body, the Seal calmed abruptly. Repeating the prior scene eerily, the death’s head mask twisted into a cryptic grin—the expression of discovering priceless treasure. Gloating. Greedy. Disgustingly unsettling!

“Er… You could hear her too, right?”

Zheng Yichen glanced toward Oss’s group, simultaneously silently closing his pulled-open Personal Space channel.

“Huh?” Green questioned, utterly bewildered. Oss and others mirrored confusion, eyeing Zheng Yichen. Only Dan Marina seemed silently contemplative.

“…Forget it.” He shook his head. This strange entity appeared to track him specifically. If true, had the Stone Forest’s upheaval followed him as well?

Tch. Making him sound like a walking disaster magnet. Maybe coincidence?

Thinking this eased nothing. A gnawing unease settled deep. He had to get answers. Being watched by this unnerving being who could die and resurrect freely? Though seemingly minor threat, inheriting even one trait—especially amplified uniquely—from the Undying Witch? Carelessness invited disaster here.

“That woman… Just what was she?” Green murmured, both marveling at the Alchemical Puppet’s near-flesh realism and deeply curious about the figure provoking serious concern in usually carefree Zheng Yichen.

Definitely no Human!

“You could consider her the source point spawning Flesh Seed.”

“Huh? She appeared weak…” Greater confusion rippled through Green’s teammates.

“Weak? Well, measured by raw power… maybe.” A pointed stare met Green. “Still, believe something this ‘weak’ prompted the Sanctuary Church to create this massive Lockdown Zone?”

“…”