Chapter 3242: Ripping A Soul

The air still shimmered with the aftershocks of the Mountain Collapsing Fist.

The faint hum of annihilated matter hung in the air, a vibration that seemed to echo from deep beneath the ice-forged mountain. Lin Mu lowered his arm slowly, the pinkish red glow fading from his knuckles as the temperature around him began to plummet once more.

The molten rocks under his feet hissed as the Magma Asura form dissipated, steam rising in twisting tendrils into the cold.

Before him lay what was left of the Ephemera Sect’s spatial cultivator... an unrecognizable ruin of flesh and shredded black robes.

The man’s chest was a crater, his organs reduced to paste, his Nascent Soul and Dantian both annihilated beyond repair. There was no coming back from this. Lin Mu stood still for a few seconds, making sure the man’s body truly had no trace of life.

Only when his immortal sense confirmed complete cessation of vitality did he release a slow breath.

He had used only three percent of his total strength, but even that much, when focused, was devastating. Any higher and the hatchery would have been reduced to dust along with the Ice Drake eggs within it.

He turned slightly, scanning the area with his immortal sense once more.

The eggs were unharmed, though several cracks had appeared in the ice walls. With a wave of his hand, he channeled his Qi through the surrounding arrays, stabilizing the structure and sealing the cracks with condensed essence of frost flowing in the array’s reserves.

But there was no relief in his eyes.

The fight had been clean and swift, yet something dark boiled within him.

He knew now the true goal of the Ephemera Sect. They had not been here for conquest or resources, but for theft... stealing the bloodline and future of the Ice Drakes. The thought of their arrogance, their cold manipulation, their disregard for the sanctity of life, made his teeth clench.

Without hesitation, Lin Mu dispelled the Longgui Bulwark armor and closed his eyes.

Then, in the dim icy chamber, he whispered the devilish chant that had once shaken the Bridge Plane and all those within it.

"Reap the souls of all creations, take their providence as yours and bring forth Hell upon the Myriad Heavens."

His voice deepened, vibrating with dark resonance. From within his chest, a wave of purple light burst outward, staining the frost-covered walls in hues of amethyst and shadow.

The Murdering Heart Sutra awakened!

The hidden armor of the dead cultivator cracked slightly under the sheer pressure pouring from him. Dark purple tendrils of energy coiled around his arms and neck, feeding from his qi. His eyes turned a chilling violet, reflecting the cold cruelty that came with the Sutra’s awakening.

He extended his right hand toward the corpse. Immediately, the air twisted.

SHA

The dead cultivator’s body convulsed, the remaining fragments of soul within it trembling in terror. A faint, translucent silhouette began to emerge, screaming without sound as the Sutra’s will bound it in chains of violet light.

Lin Mu’s expression was cold and detached. "You were bold enough to strike at the young," he muttered. "Then you should have been ready to pay the price."

The soul tried to escape, its fragmented essence scattering, but Lin Mu’s grip was merciless.

The dark energy coalesced into a spiral above his palm, and with one sharp pull, he ripped the entire soul out from the corpse, tearing it free before it could slip into the cycle of reincarnation.

The scream that followed was silent, but it reverberated within the spiritual plane... a final cry of despair swallowed by the void.

Lin Mu opened his mouth slightly, and the violet energy flowed into him like liquid smoke. His aura surged, then stabilized as the Sutra completed its task.

It was an abhorrent act by the standards of any orthodox sect.

To devour a soul was a sin that even the great immortals feared to speak of. But Lin Mu had long accepted that sometimes righteousness demanded one to wade through darkness. The stakes were too high, and the enemy too cunning, to show restraint.

Within moments, the stream of soul energy faded, leaving behind silence once more. Lin Mu’s aura flared briefly before settling.

Inside his mindscape, the scenery shifted into the familiar space of swirling black mist and reflective waters.

SHUA

Out of the shadows emerged Lin Mo, the other self born of his cultivation path... a devilish persona with violet eyes and a calm, sardonic smile that carried a devilish charm.

"Excellent," Lin Mo said, his tone dripping with amusement. "Executed with precision. Brutal, efficient, and clean. I almost shed a tear."

Lin Mu turned toward him, his expression unreadable. "This is not the time for your remarks. Sort through the memories. I need everything that man knew."

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow, then gave a mocking bow. "As you wish, oh righteous butcher."

He placed a hand upon his chest, and from the swirling mist, fragments of light began to emerge, thousands of tiny shards of memory from the devoured soul. They floated in circles around him, flickering with faint echoes of sound and color.

Even Lin Mo’s playful attitude dimmed as he took them in. "Hmm... there is much here," he murmured. "Plans, formations, communications, even coded messages. This one was not a common elder. You were right. He was a high-ranking operative, perhaps even one of the Twelve High Priests of the Ephemera."

"Then find everything you can about their base, their hierarchy, and any other collaborators," Lin Mu ordered.

His voice was sharp, demanding no argument. "We cannot afford surprises."

Lin Mo nodded. "Understood. Leave it to me. I’ll peel his memories layer by layer and see what secrets rot inside."

Satisfied, Lin Mu withdrew from his mindscape. His violet eyes faded back to their natural brown as the energy of the Murdering Heart Sutra dispersed.

The silence of the hatchery pressed down around him. The place was at peace once more.

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