Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Descent of the Celestial Net, Part Two

"Not necessarily? Is that all you’re capable of?" The Heavenly Soul remained calm and composed, hands clasped behind his back, arrogance and self-assurance radiating from him as he looked down on the unfolding scene. To him, this spell was riddled with flaws.

Frost stretched boundlessly, yet the Heavenly Soul seemed utterly isolated from the world, untouched by the technique—as if standing alone, a solitary plum blossom blooming quietly upon the edge of a glacial peak.

The saying goes that three feet of ice is not formed in a single day. Hao Dan had once trained alone in the frozen cell within the Illusory Spirit Realm, enduring countless failures to finally draw near the true understanding of this art. The cold was bone-deep, the pain excruciating, the emptiness endless, and the solitude agonizing. Even Bai Ling herself had spent countless days and nights worrying for him outside that ice prison.

Compared to the Heavenly Soul’s proud, violent strength and Bai Ling’s playful teasing, her warmth now seemed especially gentle and sweet.

No matter how far the snow-white ice tried to spread beneath the Heavenly Soul’s feet, it could not reach him. It was as if an invisible wall of air shielded him, keeping him untouchable by any force, no matter how fierce.

Seeing the Heavenly Soul unharmed, Hao Dan’s aura suddenly began to contract. His previously blurred vision sharpened, and this subtle change did not escape the Heavenly Soul’s keen eyes. He noticed that Hao Dan’s gaze had turned resolute—firm and piercing.

"Why do those sharp eyes seem so familiar?" For reasons unknown, a flicker of self-doubt passed through the Heavenly Soul.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a dark blue beam of light shot from Hao Dan’s brow, streaking toward the Heavenly Soul with unimaginable speed and no warning. Even the Heavenly Soul was caught off guard—no one had ever dared act so brazenly beneath his gaze before, and evading his senses and reaction was nearly impossible. Yet, in this very moment, the impossible occurred.

The dark blue shadow shimmered with a vivid azure glow. Before Hao Dan could even blink, it dove straight into the Heavenly Soul’s body and instantly fused within, vanishing without a trace.

"Heaven! It’s been a long time. You’re still as reckless as ever!" Miraculously, Hao Dan could hear this voice with perfect clarity.

"You still love meddling, don’t you, Man Soul?" The Heavenly Soul, though invaded, only laughed instead of growing angry, his tone laced with mockery. "Though you and I possess independent awareness, that does not mean we can abandon the Supreme’s absolute consciousness. We are all but parts of the same whole, coexisting within our lord’s spirit. Without any one of us, the trinity is incomplete!"

The Emperor’s Man Soul, bearing memories of his past life, had been isolated by a mysterious power ever since entering Hao Dan’s mind. A formidable barrier kept him apart, maintained by a forceful will, impossible to overcome.

"Of course, even I know this. Still, you can’t fuse with that useless wretch, so why keep serving him as your master? Are you and I not powerful enough to be rid of this waste?" The Heavenly Soul stared with utmost contempt at Hao Dan in the distance.

"The time simply hasn’t come. Without the right moment, we cannot fully merge with our lord. Do not forget why, a thousand years ago, the Supreme left the two of us divided in this world. Do not act out of turn. As the Heavenly Soul, you inherit too much of our lord’s will, instincts, and temperament. Without you, even if Man Soul and Earth Soul successfully merge, the result remains incomplete. Memory without strength is not what I wish to see!"

"Enough with your nonsense. Since you’ve delivered yourself to me, you’ve saved me a lot of trouble!" With these words, the Heavenly Soul’s aura turned menacing. He ignored the Man Soul’s warnings; though their fusion went smoothly and without obstacles, he had his own plans from the start.

Hao Dan could not comprehend what was transpiring, but he saw the Heavenly Soul suddenly step forward, flashing instantly to stand before him. If Hao Dan had been startled, he might have accidentally kissed him—such an image was so startlingly beautiful, it defied imagination.

This was his first time experiencing such close contact. Hao Dan had no time to react, only to see the Heavenly Soul’s handsome face break into a wicked, enchanting smile, the curve at his lips nearly reaching his earlobes.

Yet, just then, a new change erupted. Another figure suddenly appeared beside the Heavenly Soul. Without hesitation, this newcomer calmly seized the Heavenly Soul’s arm, intercepting his unfinished movement.

This was none other than Dongjun, the spirit of the Imperial Bell—one of the Three Great Innate Treasures. With a sly smile, he said, "It’s been a long time, both of you!"

Next, Dongjun used his other hand to lift Hao Dan, tossing him gently upward. Riding that force, Hao Dan vanished from the Emperor’s World.

"So, all of this... it was you pulling strings?" The Heavenly Soul, seeing Dongjun’s sudden appearance, instantly understood. Rare anger and unwillingness twisted his usually wickedly handsome face.

...

The truth must be told from the beginning. When Dongjun deliberately announced the Emperor’s return to the Three Realms, he set this very plan in motion. Upon learning from Hao Dan that Man Soul had entered his mind, Dongjun immediately contacted Man Soul.

Why did Dongjun smile so confidently then?

"If that’s the case, things will be much easier!" he murmured to himself in the World of Destiny. Hao Dan, submerged in his own consciousness, had no inkling of the deeper meaning.

Initially, Dongjun’s actions were experimental, but the unexpected response from Man Soul allowed them to collaborate. As long as the Heavenly Soul entered the trap, they could confine him within the Emperor’s World. Man Soul could then merge with him by surprise. Though the Heavenly Soul was difficult to subdue, he was far more manageable than leaving things to Hao Dan, that useless vessel.

Now, as long as the Heavenly Soul remained in the Emperor’s World, he could not erode the Earth Soul’s absolute consciousness. Should Hao Dan face mortal danger in the outside world, the Heavenly Soul would not abandon him. Only when Dongjun appeared did the Heavenly Soul finally realize his proud, solitary temperament had once again been outmaneuvered.

A thousand years ago, the Emperor Taiyi had been ensnared by the ancestral shamans precisely because of this temperament and inherent instincts. Despite holding the advantage, his excessive pride and a certain unpredictable variable led to his unexpected downfall. Though he had managed to seal away the ten greatest shamans, ultimately, he perished with ten of the twelve primal shamans. This is the interpretation of later generations. The truth, however, is known only to Man Soul, who cannot tell Hao Dan directly. Only by merging with Hao Dan—indeed, only by the trinity’s complete fusion—can Hao Dan truly awaken all the memories and instincts of his past life.

"Indeed," Dongjun replied, his form fading slightly.

"You won’t escape!" The Heavenly Soul, burning with fury, unleashed his power. Two enormous, wicked red eyes appeared above Dongjun, forcing him into a corner. This was the shared inner world of Dongjun and the Emperor Taiyi—outsiders could never enter at will, not even Hao Dan, the current master.

"Farewell," Dongjun replied with unruffled poise, a subtle smile on his confident face. He ignored the red eyes’ oppressive gaze, bowed gracefully, and took his leave.

"Damn you! Argh!" Now alone in the Emperor’s World, the Heavenly Soul erupted in a fit of rage, a wild, invisible aura radiating outward. The frost left by Hao Dan withered; the void fractured. Even the sealed ancestral shamans seemed about to suffer disaster.

Within the altar of seals, the ancestral shamans cried out in terror, "You… you… don’t come any closer! Ahhhh!"

Shrieks of panic echoed throughout the Emperor’s World.

When Hao Dan returned to the World of Destiny, he immediately sensed several powerful energies rushing toward his location. He stood out starkly upon the boundless glacier.

Within a few breaths, several figures appeared one after another. To his own surprise, Hao Dan did not flee. Instead, he waited. Having just survived that previous battle, his understanding had deepened. Whether facing Grand Marshal Yan Lietian or the Heavenly Soul a moment ago, such adversaries were far beyond his current strength. Even imagining resistance was mere fantasy—one must eventually face reality.

With a new sense of self, he did not belittle himself, but grew ever more resolute. If he always relied on Dongjun’s power, he would never truly temper or grow. Only by brushing close to death could he grasp the mysteries of divine power and even awaken his inherent abilities.

"Well, well! My dear boy! Young man, you must have been waiting a long time!" A woman's voice rang out over the glacier.

There were four newcomers in total—the four Celestial Immortals who had previously descended upon the Yellow Sand Desert, ranked among the lower five of the Nine Heavens Ten Lords.

"Who are you, and why have you come?" Hao Dan paid little heed to White Immortal Qian’s provocative words. Although he sensed hostility, he needed to understand his reason for fighting.

"We are Celestial Immortals of the Intercepting Sect, sent here by order of Grand Marshal Yan Lietian to kill you!" The speaker was Willow Immortal Qiansi, her tone as cold as ice.

"Just the likes of you?" Hao Dan mimicked the Heavenly Soul’s arrogance, adopting a look of careless disdain—so convincing it was almost genuine.

"Insolent brat! How dare you look down on us? Prepare to die!" Grey Immortal Momao’s face was twisted with anger. To be mocked by a mere mortal—such contempt was truly unbearable!

Before the words had faded, a flash of silvery light streaked forth. Hao Dan did not hesitate, moving with Phantom Steps—a basic footwork, far inferior to the grey-silver light.

Boom!

The silver light streaked forth at incredible speed. In an instant, Hao Dan was struck, his afterimage sent flying through the air. Yet, even as he crashed into the mountainside, he maintained his composure, bracing himself against the glacier. When his foot struck the ice, a deep pit appeared, trapping his right leg so he could not pull it free. Had the enemy pressed the attack, he would have been in dire straits.

"Hard to believe this boy was responsible for what happened before," mused Golden Fox Immortal Miao Qianxun, who had watched the fight in silence. From the outset, she had observed Hao Dan’s every move, and from the recent battle, she was certain those giant pits and corpses on the desert could not have been his doing.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

At that moment, Hao Dan’s Supreme Body erupted in silence. A silver light and armor spread from within, unfolding across his body until he was clad in silver mail. A vortex of energy began to swirl around him, rising rapidly toward the four Celestial Immortals above.

"Be careful!" Miao Qianxun’s voice was calm as she warned her companions.

Before she had finished speaking, another vortex of energy exploded violently from Hao Dan’s body.

"Ten Thousand Severings—A Thousand Blades!" Each word was drawn out, spoken with gritted teeth.

Suddenly, a golden blade appeared in Hao Dan’s hand, its surface etched with countless strange runes, each one shining brilliantly.

After returning to his true form, Dongjun’s white hair had quietly returned to black, his Daoist robe shifting from white to blue. Now, Hao Dan’s blue robe fluttered without wind, the golden blade slanting by his side, his black ponytail unraveling in the vortex, loose hair lending him a colder, sterner air. His handsome, resolute face was filled with unwavering determination—he was almost unrecognizable from before.

This golden blade was the Imperial Bell transformed into sword form. After extensive training, Hao Dan had chosen ‘Ten Thousand Severings—A Thousand Blades’ from among four innate techniques.

What will happen next? All will be revealed in the next chapter!