The curse made me wish for death.
My three souls and seven spirits felt as if they were being compressed, constantly squeezed tighter and tighter...
I felt unable to breathe, suffering, as if I were being strangled.
The pain was unlike anything I had ever experienced, ten, even a hundred times worse than being cut with a knife or pricked with a needle.
However, as the red mist from the Soul Stone enveloped me.
Those wisps of red aura, like a clear spring, began to bathe my entire body, little by little.
They permeated my skin, entering my very soul.
My previously compressed and crowded three souls and seven spirits began to feel noticeably soothed...
On the periphery, everyone stared at us with wide eyes.
They watched us, shrouded in the red light beneath the Soul Stone.
All of them hoped that we would emerge unharmed.
Qing Dai, who sat before me, then spoke, "Qin Ze, follow my lead.
For the soul curse, we both need to form seals simultaneously, with no distracting thoughts.
I have now activated the Soul Stone using the Five Elements Grand Array.
All we need to do now is guide it with our hand seals, silently absorbing the energy of the Soul Stone.
This will cleanse both our souls.
Only by doing this can the soul curse be eradicated from our respective souls."
Upon hearing this, I immediately nodded and replied, "Alright! I'll follow your lead."
Qing Dai hummed in acknowledgment and prepared herself.
Taking a deep breath, Qing Dai brought her hands together, forming hand seals.
She began to chant softly, "The Great Dao is formless, giving birth to heaven and earth.
The Great Dao is heartless, operating the sun and moon.
The Great Dao is nameless, nurturing all things.
There is clarity and turbidity, motion and stillness..."
As I learned and followed Qing Dai's chanting.
With these words, I felt a sense of emptiness and clarity.
Though I didn't realize it at the time.
What Qing Dai taught me to chant was a complete Taoist scripture for calming the mind.
It was more effective and superior to the Taoist esoteric heart-calming mantras circulating today.
As my hand seals shifted, I chanted each word along with Qing Dai.
Unknowingly, the pain in my body lessened significantly.
I wasn't sure if it was the effect of the Soul Stone or the efficacy of the heart-calming scripture.
After chanting for a while, I entered a strange state of hazy consciousness.
My inner energy stabilized, and my body gradually relaxed.
In that state, I felt completely released and liberated.
It was incredibly comfortable...
My three souls and seven spirits also began to unfurl.
The earlier feeling of being crowded and constricted vanished.
Time ticked by second by second.
I opened my eyes and, amidst the red radiance, saw Qing Dai in white.
She stood quietly not far away, her hair flowing slightly.
With her hands behind her back, she looked at me with a smile.
"Qing Dai! Where is this?"
I called out, finding the surroundings incredibly strange.
Within the flowing red light, it felt like another dimension.
Qing Dai looked at me with a smile, "You could say it's our shared spiritual world!"
"Spiritual world?"
I was astonished, examining the surroundings.
Qing Dai continued to explain, "To cast the soul curse, my soul needs to nourish yours.
In a sense, our fates are intertwined.
Now that the soul curse is about to be lifted, we have arrived here together.
Qin Ze, I am truly fortunate to have met you in this life.
Once the soul curse is broken, you and I will both be free.
We will no longer suffer the torment and anguish of the soul curse..."
Qing Dai spoke these words with a seemingly calm smile.
However, her words caused waves of pain within me.
This was because casting the soul curse not only required Qing Dai's soul to nourish mine.
The prerequisite was that she had to sacrifice her own life.
And she had to endure all the pain alone, waiting for my reincarnation.
But Qing Dai had not mentioned this until now.
I looked at her, my eyes betraying an unutterable fluctuation of emotions.
Though I had no memories of my past life, the thought of it...
...that such a woman was willing to sacrifice herself.
To use her soul to nourish mine, preventing my soul from scattering.
And then to send me into reincarnation, to find me across ten lifetimes in the vast mortal world.
Everything she had done for me, the time elapsed, and the unknown hardships and pain were unimaginable.
Thinking of this, my heart felt a pang of sadness:
"Qing Dai, I am sorry. You've done so much for me.
Yet, I have forgotten everything..."
I didn't know what else to say, my voice choked with emotion.
But Qing Dai waved her hand, "Why say sorry? This was all my choice.
Moreover, ten lifetimes have passed.
I also understand.
He was him, and you are you.
Once the soul curse is lifted, there will be no more entanglement of fate between us.
You have now become an Yin Messenger, while I am wanted by the Underworld.
After this, you will continue to be a Taoist, and I will continue my path as a ghost cultivator.
Let us part ways here and forget each other!"
Qing Dai spoke very calmly, as if two thousand years of waiting had become a light and fleeting affair.
But I could tell that her emotions wavered slightly when she uttered the last few words.
What she said sounded so jarring and ironic to my ears!
Now, she was a ghost, and I was a human.
The paths of humans and ghosts diverge; humans and ghosts are destined for no happy ending, only tragedy.
Qing Dai said those words simply to prevent us from incurring more karmic debt between us.
Carrying two thousand years of feelings alone, bearing them all on her own.
What kind of woman was she?
To go this far for love?
But she had sacrificed so much for me, waiting for two thousand years.
She had even sacrificed herself to preserve my soul, allowing me to reincarnate.
And to live to this day.
She was still wanted by the Underworld and had been injured by the Black and White Impermanence before.
She also bore the fate of an empire, struggling for a millennium against remnants of a new dynasty seeking to rise again.
She had no place to stand in this world.
She could only hide in the shadows like a rat.
Fighting enemies, evading the Underworld's pursuit, and yet I was to abandon her...
If I truly did as she said and we forgot each other.
I would be worse than an animal.
Even if I had lost all my memories, lost all emotions from my past life.
I wasn't a block of wood.
I was deeply moved by Qing Dai and all that she had done.
My heart ached with sadness and gratitude.
Infinite guilt and thankfulness told me that I could not agree to her terms.
My expression turned serious, and I spoke very earnestly, "No, I will never forget you, Qing Dai.
You will always be in my heart.
Though I have forgotten everything from my past life.
I remember everything that has happened in this life.
Now that we have met again.
This is fate's arrangement.
And I have said before.
I will help you fulfill your destiny and eradicate the remnants of the new dynasty.
Even if it means relinquishing my identity as a White Sect Taoist, risking my life against the Underworld.
I would do it without hesitation to ensure your safety.
And help you achieve your long-cherished wish..."