Chapter 41: The Two Forces of Yin and Yang

Following the directions from the security guard, Jiang Xiaofei quickly found the door to Room 233 and unlocked it.

As he stepped inside, he was stunned on the spot—the room was dazzling, as if it had been prepared especially for him. The spacious living room was immaculate, the polished floor tiles gleaming under the lights. In the center stood a delicate crystal table, surrounded by four small red sofas. Against the wall to his right was an enormous television screen.

Further in was a warmly decorated bedroom, and beside it, a study filled with books. A desk occupied the space, and a brand-new computer sat atop it.

After taking in his surroundings, Jiang Xiaofei, quite satisfied, entered the bedroom. He loosened his clothes, took off his shoes, and sat cross-legged on the soft bed.

Drawing a deep breath, he closed his eyes, formed seals with his hands, and began to channel his spiritual power, aiming to dissolve the Soul Devouring Mark.

As his hand seals shifted, ghostly patterns suddenly flowed over his body—these patterns seemed almost sentient, swimming around him like tiny tadpoles, gnawing away at the ghostly markings.

Gradually, under the tadpoles' erosion, the markings began to fade. The process was slow, but it was working.

Several hours passed before the ghostly markings finally vanished.

But Jiang Xiaofei did not relax; instead, his brow furrowed. He discovered that the Soul Devouring Mark, taking advantage of his unguarded moment, had silently slipped into his sea of consciousness.

Sensing this, Jiang Xiaofei’s expression grew grave. The sea of consciousness was the most vulnerable part of a person—should the mark run amok there, it could cause a loss of consciousness.

He immediately closed his eyes again, focusing his mind inward to seek out the presence of the Soul Devouring Mark.

Fortunately, he was familiar with its nature and soon found it lurking on the outskirts of his sea of consciousness, not yet reaching its core.

Changing his hand seals, Jiang Xiaofei summoned the millennia-old ghost energy within him, shaping it into a massive Soul Eater that lunged toward the Soul Devouring Mark.

The mark, sensing danger, transformed into a hideous ghostly face that spewed torrents of ghost energy at the Soul Eater.

With a roar, those surging waves of ghost energy made the entire sea of consciousness heave and churn, as if an epic battle had erupted.

Jiang Xiaofei swept his hand, and his vast ghost energy surged forward like a mighty river, shattering the oncoming ghostly tide.

Then, shifting his seals once more, the ghost energy gathered into a colossal spectral hand, descending to suppress the ghostly face.

The ghostly face seemed to possess intelligence and transformed into a tall woman dressed in black. Her figure was elegant, her features as fine as jade, and her eyes cold as she gazed down at Jiang Xiaofei like an emperor surveying his domain.

With a flick of her sleeve, a flood of ghostly energy surged forth, clashing against the descending spectral hand.

Jiang Xiaofei frowned at the sight. Having also cultivated the Soul Devouring Mark, he realized this mark had mutated, gaining a will of its own.

This was the most terrifying aspect. Had he not discovered it in time and allowed it to reach the core of his sea of consciousness, the consequences would have been dire.

The pressure mounted. If this were an ordinary Soul Devouring Mark, he could have dispelled it with ease, but now that it possessed sentience, it was far more difficult—unless he could completely overpower it.

"Wait, the black and white energies should restrain it," he thought. Without hesitation, he summoned the black and white energies from deep within himself.

Instantly, the black and white energies appeared in his sea of consciousness, surging forward like twin dragons toward the woman.

Sensing the threat, she dissolved into a mass of ghostly mist, splitting into countless tiny ghostly faces that darted toward the depths of his sea of consciousness.

Delighted, Jiang Xiaofei quickly dispersed the black and white energies to chase down the fleeing faces.

Under their pursuit, the ghostly faces seemed to meet the sun itself and were instantly obliterated.

With the Soul Devouring Mark eradicated, Jiang Xiaofei opened his eyes, feeling a sense of relief, though uncertainty lingered.

He hadn't expected the black and white energies to truly dispel the mark, and now, gazing at the swirl of black and white in his palm, he grew ever more curious.

These energies were shrouded in mystery. Back at Mount Mao, he'd used them to send the Demon Suppressing Pagoda flying, and now, they'd vanquished the Soul Devouring Mark. He was increasingly eager to understand their nature.

Yet this puzzle remained unsolved.

But instinct told him that the presence of these energies within him was no accident—perhaps it was tied to his origins.

Thinking of his past, his thoughts drifted to his parents, who had vanished without a word after his birth.

He had once asked his grandfather where his parents had gone, but the old man had only shaken his head in silence, as if concealing some secret.

He hadn't understood back then, but now he did—although his grandfather had long since passed away, and there was no one left to ask.

Jiang Xiaofei shook his head, pushing these thoughts aside. He rose, dressed, and, glancing inadvertently at the clock, was shocked to see it was already one in the morning.

Suddenly, he remembered the promise he'd made to Lan Lianshuang on the sports field earlier that day.

"Hope I can still make it," he murmured, slipped on his shoes, and ran out of the room.

By now, the university was shrouded in darkness. In the moonlight, two figures—a man and a woman—could be seen on the field, looking around as if waiting for someone.

The man in the black suit was growing impatient. He turned to the woman in the blue dress beside him. "Let’s not wait any longer."

"Let’s give it a bit more time," Lan Lianshuang replied.

Yan Guchen snorted. "Wait for what? It’s already one o’clock. If he hasn’t come by now, he’s obviously just playing with us."

Lan Lianshuang frowned slightly. "Let’s wait a little longer. If he still doesn’t come, we’ll go back."

"I’m done waiting."

Lan Lianshuang ignored him, her concern focused on Teng Pan, who was lying on the ground. Her face was grave. Just as Jiang Xiaofei had warned, the Soul Devouring Mark in Teng Pan’s body was beginning to stir. If not for this, she wouldn’t have brought Teng Pan to the field and waited so anxiously.

Seeing her attention elsewhere, Yan Guchen said coldly, "He’s just a nobody. If he dies, so be it. Tomorrow, we’ll settle accounts with Gao Muqiu."

"The debt must be paid, but we must also save him," Lan Lianshuang replied.

"There’s no point—it’s not worth it for someone like him."

"Whether it’s worth it or not is not for you to decide," Lan Lianshuang answered coldly.

Just then, laughter rang out from a distance.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," came a cheerful voice.

Both Lan Lianshuang and Yan Guchen looked toward the field’s entrance, where Jiang Xiaofei was running over. As he ran, he apologized, "I’m really sorry—I was delayed by some matters. I hope you won’t mind."

"You—" Yan Guchen began, but Lan Lianshuang stopped him.

She turned to Jiang Xiaofei with a smile. "It’s fine. You’re here now. Please, take a look at Teng Pan."