Volume 10, Chapter 698 – The Neither-Male-Nor-Female Essence Soul

This was a dense forest, a place already rarely visited by humans. Now, with malevolent forces roaming rampant, it was devoid of any trace of life. Let alone humans, not even a single living creature could be seen.

However, this was merely the surface.

Deep within the forest, hidden inside a massive abandoned mine, lay a world entirely different. Inside, lights illuminated every corner, and guards were stationed every three steps, sentries every five. Buildings of all kinds filled the space, intertwined with bustling shouts of merchants hawking their wares. People crowded shoulder to shoulder, thronging the narrow streets, like a hidden underground city.

At the deepest part of the mine, an imposing palace towered proudly. Though it was not dazzlingly ornate, the resources and manpower required to construct such a grand structure in a place like this were beyond imagination.

Inside the palace study at this moment sat a tall, broad-shouldered middle-aged man, calmly flipping through several letters. Though he merely sat quietly in his chair, the masculine energy radiating from his body was so powerful that it formed an invisible barrier, like a protective Divine Sense shield, encompassing the entire palace and preventing even a wisp of the surrounding sinister aura from seeping in.

Inside the palace, it felt like spring had come early, yet outside lay a realm of bitter frost and bone-chilling cold. It was as though two different worlds existed side by side, a testament to the terrifying strength of this man.

Before the man stood a stunning, voluptuous middle-aged woman, Ai Xing, who had undergone a Yin-Yang Eyes transplant.

“Xing, didn’t I order you to remain in Wuye City and monitor the Immortal Alliance’s upper echelons? Why have you returned?”

The middle-aged man briefly glanced at Ai Xing, his tiger-like eyes flashing sharply.

“Reporting to the Sect Master,” Ai Xing said hesitantly, “this concubine wished to serve and ease your worries, but there was a compelling reason beyond my control!”

“What reason?”

His voice remained calm, but its weight was undeniable.

“On the fifth day of last month,” she began carefully, “do you remember? You contacted me through the Thousand-Mile Communication Tube and told me that the Yin-Yang Eyes had fully recovered, instructing me to test their effectiveness.”

From her tone and deference, it was clear, this terrifying man was none other than the Sect Master of the Severed Immortal Sect.

“Speak it all at once.”

Rеаⅾ оn КatRеadіոɡСafe

The Sect Master’s brows furrowed slightly.

“Y-Yes!” Ai Xing trembled violently, gathering her courage. “I obeyed your command and began testing them immediately. At first, everything seemed fine, but not long after, my eyes started feeling sore and painfully strained. I initially thought it was just fatigue, so I continued spying on the Immortal Alliance headquarters for two more days. But the condition only worsened, and eventually, blood even started seeping from my eyes… After that, I could no longer sustain prolonged use of the Yin-Yang Eyes.”

“Oh?”

For the first time, the Sect Master’s focus shifted entirely away from the letters. After all, acquiring the corneas for the Yin-Yang Eyes had cost the Severed Immortal Sect an enormous price.

“When you say you can’t sustain prolonged use, exactly how long are we talking about?” he asked seriously.

“This concubine… now can only use the Yin-Yang Eyes for three to five breaths at most before the pain becomes unbearable.”

Ai Xing’s voice was careful and submissive.

“That’s no different from not being able to use them at all!”

Smack!

The Sect Master slammed the letters onto the desk and glared at her, his expression darkening. “If that’s the case, why are you only informing me now? Do you have any idea how important the Yin-Yang Eyes are to the Severed Immortal Sect?”

Thud!

Ai Xing immediately dropped to her knees, trembling violently as she kowtowed repeatedly. “Please forgive me, Sect Master! This concubine knows nothing of medicine and thought it was a minor injury that would heal naturally over time. You are always burdened with countless affairs, so I dared not disturb you and thought to wait a while longer…”

The Sect Master stared at her coldly for a long moment before taking a deep breath. “Stand up. Considering your past contributions to the sect, and the suffering you endured during the Yin-Yang Eyes transplant, I’ll forgive you this once.”

“Thank you, Sect Master! Thank you, Sect Master!”

Ai Xing breathed in relief and knocked her head a few more times in gratitude.

Reаd оn ΚαtRеαⅾіոɡСafe

“From your description, this sounds like the rejection reaction Divine Doctor Sun mentioned.”

“Rejection reaction?”

Ai Xing looked confused.

“The Yin-Yang Eyes were never yours to begin with. Forcibly transplanting them would naturally cause rejection. Most likely, your eyes never fully healed in the first place.”

“I understand now!”

Realization dawned on Ai Xing’s face.

“And because you were unaware, using them excessively only caused further damage,” the Sect Master concluded.

“What should I do then? My life doesn’t matter, but the Yin-Yang Eyes concern the very future of the Severed Immortal Sect. We can’t lose them!”

Tears welled in her eyes as she spoke.

“There’s no other solution but to seek further treatment from Divine Doctor Sun.”

The Sect Master shook his head and called out toward the doorway: “Someone! Bring Divine Doctor Sun here immediately!”

“Yes!”

A guard outside quickly acknowledged the order.

Only then did the Sect Master turn back to Ai Xing. Sighing, he said, “Come, sit in my lap. We haven’t spent any time together in quite a while.”

Rеαⅾ oո KαtRеαⅾіոɡСαfе

“Yes!”

Joy spread across Ai Xing’s face. She swayed her hips as she walked forward and gracefully seated herself in his lap, wrapping her delicate arms around his sturdy neck.

The Sect Master’s large hand slid around her soft waist, and he spoke earnestly: “My beloved, do not blame me for losing my temper earlier. You must understand, without rules, nothing can be accomplished. As long as I remain the Sect Master, you will remain my beloved consort, and in the future, you may even become the Sect Master’s wife.”

“This concubine understands,” Ai Xing replied softly and obediently.

“Besides, you should know… if it were anyone else in your place, I would not have been so forgiving.”

In truth, it wasn’t that he doted on her excessively, but rather because the Yin-Yang Eyes were far too precious. A second transplant would be dangerous and uncertain, so maintaining goodwill was necessary.

“The Sect Master’s kindness… this Ai Xing doesn’t know how to repay you.”

Overcome with emotion, Ai Xing leaned in and kissed him tenderly.

After a brief moment of intimacy, Ai Xing suddenly recalled something she had been struggling to forget. “Sect Master, last time when I spied on the Immortal Alliance headquarters, I not only discovered their plot of abducting people to use as bait, but I also came across a very strange little girl among the captives!”

“Oh? Strange how?”

The Sect Master asked casually, his hand still wandering along her waist.

“That little girl… she actually had two Spiritual Wisdom Souls. How is that even possible?”

Ai Xing’s breathing grew slightly unsteady.

“What?”

The Sect Master’s entire body jolted, his hand freezing mid-motion. “Are you certain?”

Reαԁ οո KatRеαdiոgСafе

Ai Xing’s expression dimmed slightly, but she still explained: “From what I saw, one of her Spiritual Wisdom Souls seemed to have committed some kind of offense and was imprisoned within her Sea of Consciousness, while the other had been cultivated into a doppelgänger and released.”

“That’s impossible! Humans have three ethereal souls and seven corporeal souls. This is basic knowledge on the cultivation continent, even a three-year-old child knows this! How could someone possess two Spiritual Wisdom Souls?”

The Sect Master frowned deeply, pausing before asking again: “Are you absolutely certain both belonged to her?”

“Absolutely certain,” Ai Xing said firmly. “And what’s even stranger, the doppelgänger she released… within its Sea of Consciousness, it also had its own three souls and seven souls.”

“What?”

This time, the Sect Master looked completely unconvinced. “You must have seen wrong. A doppelgänger is merely an extension of the main body’s Spiritual Wisdom Soul, it shouldn’t even count as a complete person. How could it possibly have its own complete set of souls?”

“I… I don’t know. My Yin-Yang Eyes were already in excruciating pain at the time, so maybe I was mistaken…”

For the first time, Ai Xing began to doubt herself, hesitating whether to share the rest of what she had seen.

“Forget it. Regardless of how many souls she has, or how many subordinate souls exist within each soul’s Sea of Consciousness, that’s a matter for cultivators. It has nothing to do with us.”

The Sect Master waved his hand dismissively.

“But… but I discovered something else. In that doppelgänger’s Sea of Consciousness, its Essence Soul… was neither male nor female. Outwardly, it looked like a woman, but… beneath, it possessed something only a man should have.”

Ai Xing hesitated but finally revealed it.

“What did you say?”

The Sect Master shot up from his chair in shock.