Chapter Twenty-Two: Soul Setting Nail
“Is there really no room?” the eldest miss of the Shang Family said quietly.
She looked at Wen Guanyue and Qi Siren, a black incense stick appearing suddenly in the air in front of her. The black incense did not need any flame before it formed a thread of smoke that floated up. It gave off a fragrant sweet smell that caused the other two to be momentarily dazed.
Winning this moment of time, the eldest miss of the Shang Family put her hands on her zither. No music sounded, while black flames surged. She and the old servant were wrapped up in the black flames like they were going to disappear within.
A shout sounded. Wen Guanyue immediately recovered his clarity. Black yin energy exploded from his body, a short black sword appearing in his hand, cutting through the black incense stick. The sword light kept on going, stabbing into the zither of the eldest Miss Shang. Strange echoes came from within the zither. A black piece of wood fell from the body of the zither, smoking, turning into a black mask that covered Wen Guanyue’s face.
Wen Guanyue’s expression did not change, like he had been hit with a ball of smoke. Even his hair did not go into disarray. However, his entire body shook, and he grunted heavily, blood coming out of his nose and mouth.
At this moment, the old servant behind him spat out an arrow of blood upwards. There was a cracking sound. The blood charged into the sky, countless black bamboos suddenly appearing in the air, the roots spreading like they were going to devour the pale white flames.
“Such good methods. If I am alone, I am not a match for you.”
Qi Siren lamented. Before he had spoken, a golden color came from his body, a sunny and powerful presence which was different from his own energies surging out of his energy sea.
In the darkness, holy and burning golden light appeared. It was like a golden phoenix flew out of his body, sweeping towards the black smoke in the air.
“It is….”
Disbelief appeared in the eyes of the eldest miss of the Shang Family.
There were two methods in the world that were the bane of the ghostly path. The best was the Hundred Forged Fire of the Zhao Sword Furnace, and the other was Yuanwu’s Phoenix Defeating method. This holy and burning golden light came from Yuanwu.
Without any hesitation, when she reacted, there was a light pop deep within her energy sea. It was like a small but sharp stone had broken through the ice, and then the entire surface of ice started to shatter.
She appeared weak and gentle on the surface, and even spoke gently, but in reality, she was very strong. Knowing that she could not escape, she immediately shattered her jade palace in her energy sea in order to die. Even if she died, she would not let herself be used by anyone.
It was much harder to capture a realm seven grandmaster than killing several grandmasters, especially when someone like her was seeking death before they had used up their energies. It stood to reason that this was something that a person of Qi Siren’s cultivation could not stop.
But at this moment, an item appeared in Qi Siren’s hand.
This thing was a very large nail. It did not have the light of a gem, and felt like a very large wooden nail. But there were many mottled colors on the surface, especially deep red, like blood that had dried for many years.
Qi Siren did not channel any power through his hand. All of his energy was used to force out the holy and burning golden light. But just by the power of this item alone, this thing was able to easily pierce through Miss Shang’s black zither, then stab into her energy sea and through her flesh.
Everything in the eldest Miss Shang’s body stopped. This item stopped her energy sea, sealing all movement of energy in her body, but the process was very gentle, and did not activate any resistance from her energies. Everything was so matter of fact.
Something that could stop a realm seven grandmasters’s energy was naturally an unimaginable holy item.
“Soul Setting Nail.”
Miss Shang looked at the item that had stabbed into her body and grimaced. “What benefit did Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu give the Qi emperor that he even took out his country’s treasure?”
Flame burned in the eyes of the old servant behind her, but when she stopped him, he did not move.
Qi Siren coughed, suppressing the burning pain in his body. He said emotionally, “Your Shang Family’s method came from the Qi. Then you should know, there is something else that is even more important than the Soul Setting Nail which can stop most yin methods.”
Miss Shang stilled and instantly understood. She sighed quietly, “The Twelve Shamans.”
“The Soul Setting Nail is the treasure of the imperial house, it can intimidate all sects within Qi, but it is just a seal weapon that can restrain. How can it compare to the Twelve Shamans which is the ancestor of all methods?” Qi Siren sighed. ” Eldest Miss Shang, it is good you understand. This is just a transaction. The Shang Family and our Qi have some history, I do not want you to die.”
“Really?”
The eldest miss of the Shang Family was not angry and her voice was still soft. “But you were surprised when you saw my cultivation before. You came with the Soul Setting Nail to this place. Did you prepare it to use against me?”
Qi Siren frowned but did not conceal, saying, “I will not hide from Eldest Miss Shang’s, this Soul Setting Nail was originally prepared to be used against the disciple of Yan Ying.”
“Your emperor always calls Yan Ying teacher. For the Deer Mountain Conference, Yan Ying fought to the death there. But in the end, for the Twelve Shamans, your emperor works with the enemy, fears that the disciple of Yan Ying would be trouble, and wants to eliminate him.” Miss Shang shook her head coldly and said softly, “Back then, my father frequently said to me that a sect or a dynasty is strong or not depending on their spirit. Now, in the eyes of your emperor and you, something material like the Twelve Shaman is more important than your people’s spirits. I do not know what you are thinking.”
At this moment, Qi Siren was slightly dazed. But in the next moment, his expression grew firm.
“This is an action of the country, not something that the thoughts of my ilk can affect. Also, no matter how Ba Mountain Sword Field and Yuanwu fight, in the end, it will be the world of the Qin, and not the Qi.”
Saying so, he took the black zither of Miss Shang which had fallen to the ground. Gazing into the distant sky, he had a complicated expression. He admitted that some of Miss Shang’s words had reason. But the fate of a dynasty was like this sky, no one could see clearly into the distance.