Silence fell over the surroundings, and several people remained speechless.
One body, two souls. The soul of the former emperor and the soul of Mo Huai'an resided within this single vessel.
Perhaps it was because Mo Huai'an’s strength was weaker, that he had very few opportunities to control the body…
No wonder the Divine Emperor’s actions were so peculiar, his strength fluctuating intermittently…
First, he dispatched Wen Yan and Jiang Ye bound by spirit-binding spells, and then he intended to deliberately let Venerable Long Yu go… It turned out that all of this was done by the true Mo Huai'an…
“So… the one who killed Protector Huan Yan and also wanted to kill the King was the former emperor?”
Zhong Zi pondered, piecing together all the strange occurrences.
The elder nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on Mo Chengze within the formation: “Yes, that’s correct.”
“If the former emperor is killed, will the Divine Emperor gain control of the body?”
The elder nodded again: “One body, two souls. As long as one is removed, the other will return to normal.”
Tang Yi's expression was filled with extreme joy: “May I ask, Senior, do you know how to remove the former emperor’s soul?”
However, after her words, a long time passed without her receiving the desired answer.
Zhong Zi raised his eyes and saw the elder with a somber face, appearing to hesitate.
“It’s difficult… Over the past few hundred years, the souls of the two have already merged to some extent. If the former emperor is removed, Mo Huai’an might also be affected.”
If not careful, there was a high probability of harming Mo Huai’an’s soul or a part of it. At that time, who knew what consequences a damaged soul would bring…
“Let’s take him back for now. We’ll discuss this matter after the girl returns.”
…
Beside the bed, Bai Ran retracted the Nine-Bends Life-Snatching Needles and slowly wiped the fine sweat from her brow.
Long Jinhan lay on the bed, his eyes closed, and the temperature around him had returned to normal. He looked as if he were merely asleep.
Just as Bai Ran was getting up, Jing Feng’s voice sounded from outside the door.
“Miss Bai!” The palace lay in ruins, and Jing Feng’s steps were urgent, his face pale with fright.
Dongfang Wuji, standing beside him, was not much better, his robes tousled by the wind: “Your Highness!”
“They are all unharmed, there’s no need to be overly anxious,” Bai Ran turned, wiping her silver needles.
Jing Feng stumbled to the bedside. He saw that Jing Yun’s face was smeared with dried blood, and not a single piece of exposed skin was intact.
He lay there quietly, his lips purplish, his complexion frighteningly pale, as if he could stop breathing at any moment…
“Jing Yun…” Jing Feng’s palm was bleeding from being clenched, and he bit his lower lip, his long eyelashes trembling.
Dongfang Wuji strode over and stood beside Long Jinhan, his expression complex, deep worry in his eyes.
“If nothing unexpected happens, they should wake up tomorrow,” Bai Ran said, putting away her needles and looking at the two.
“Thank you…”
Hearing this, Bai Ran turned her head and saw Dongfang Wuji with his head bowed, his long hair obscuring his current expression.
If it weren’t for her, Dongfang Wuji couldn’t imagine what the demon realm would be like, nor the predicaments Jing Yun and His Highness would be in.
With Jing Yun held captive and His Highness’s illness flaring up, all the pressure would fall on Tang Yi, and the final outcome was predictable without even thinking.
The demon realm would be completely breached and fall…
At this moment, Tang Yi and the others, having finished clearing the battlefield, pushed open the door and walked in.
“Why did you spare them!” As soon as Jing Feng saw the heart demon and Mo Huai’an, intense killing intent erupted from him.
Tang Yi was startled and immediately flashed forward, blocking in front of Mo Huai’an: “Jing Feng! You cannot harm him!”
“Why! He has committed every evil deed! Not killing him would be an insult to all those who died because of him!”
He had also turned Jing Yun into this state! It was hard to quell Jing Feng’s hatred without killing him!!!
“That was all Mo Chengze’s doing! Not Mo Huai’an’s!”
Jing Feng froze on the spot, the anger in his eyes gradually turning into confusion: “Mo… Chengze? That deceased former emperor?”
“Didn’t he die long ago? What does he have to do with Mo Huai’an?”
Tang Yi pursed her lips and sighed helplessly, gesturing for the soldiers to bring Mo Chengze forward.
“Although I don’t know what method he used, Mo Chengze is indeed not dead. Not only is he not dead, but he shares a body with Mo Huai’an.”
Hearing this, Jing Yun and Dongfang Wuji were stunned. They both lowered their heads to look at the Divine Emperor. He wasn’t dead? And shared a body with Mo Huai’an? But how was that possible?
Even Bai Ran was shocked by this absurd reality and remained dazed for a long time…
Behind Tang Yi, the elder stepped forward and looked at Bai Ran, slowly asking: “Young lady, do you know about the Ten Great Forbidden Formations?”
Forbidden Formations… Bai Ran pursed her lips and nodded after a long pause: “I have read about them in ancient texts.”
The elder met her gaze, as if speaking to her, yet also as if probing Mo Chengze’s attitude.
“Among the Ten Great Forbidden Formations, the first ranked is the Soul Exchange Formation.”
The Soul Exchange Formation required the caster to shed blood daily, filling forty-nine blood pools, which would then serve as positions within the formation.
The person to be exchanged and the caster would stand together in the center of the formation. Once the soul exchange was complete, their souls would be thoroughly swapped.
“But Mo Chengze didn’t exchange bodies? He coexists with Mo Huai’an’s soul in one body,” Dongfang Wuji couldn’t help but question.
“That is because…” The elder turned and walked towards Mo Chengze.
He leaned down slightly and used his sword to slash open the clothes on Mo Chengze’s chest. A scar the size of a fist, bloody and glaring, was directly revealed before everyone’s eyes.
“What is this?” Tang Yi exclaimed. It didn't look like a sword wound, nor like an injury caused by spiritual energy.
“This is proof of a failed exchange,” the elder’s voice rang out as he looked at the fist-sized scar and shook his head.
“If the person being exchanged has a strong will and refuses to yield under any circumstances, the Soul Exchange Formation is very likely to fail.”
“Once it fails, a scar will be left on the left ventricle of the heart, a scar that can never be erased.”
As the elder’s words fell, the entire room fell silent, and everyone remained dazed for a long time.
In other words… the former emperor forced Mo Huai’an to exchange souls, but Mo Huai’an resisted with all his might, leading to the failure and this outcome?
“But… why?” Zhong Zi, who had been silent behind them, spoke up, looking at Mo Chengze: “Why would he want to exchange souls with Mo Huai’an?”
Bai Ran raised her eyes, a red glint flashing within them: “Naturally, for power.”
As long as he could usurp Mo Huai’an’s body, he could naturally approach Huan Yan and kill her personally when she was unprepared.
He could also obtain Mo Huai’an’s young and strong body, gaining an extra few hundred, or even a thousand years of lifespan.
“Most importantly, since it was a soul exchange, after Mo Chengze exchanged bodies with Mo Huai’an, his original strength would not be diminished in the slightest…”