But the twelve strands of sword qi that could leave General Gu and Granny Hong momentarily stunned seemed to vanish without a trace.

Clearly, it had struck its mark, yet it felt as if it hadn't.

And at this moment...

Snap!

Zhang Han's finger already touched Song Yan's forehead.

This marked the stage of "soul duel."

In an instant, their consciousness worlds seemed to erect a bridge.

Song Yan's Changwang Tiger Stripes, along with the accompanying specters of Ice Hell, surged madly toward Zhang Han.

But Zhang Han dispersed his thoughts one after another.

These thoughts, like phantoms, darted into Song Yan's divine sense space, while the Changwang Tiger Stripes only managed to capture them.

The thoughts appeared and disappeared, but after all, they were thoughts of the Purple Mansion Realm, existing atop the Profound Heart.

Once these thoughts touched the Changwang Tiger Stripes, they were captured but also occupied a space.

The Changwang Tiger Stripes soon reached saturation.

The specters, too, began to retreat as if pushed by waves.

Perhaps the Changwang Tiger Stripes and specters would play a more terrifying role once Song Yan reached the Purple Mansion Realm, but right now... it wasn't enough.

...

...

Zhang Han's divine soul stood like a sovereign at the entrance of the bridge connecting their consciousness worlds, still emitting thoughts.

"Senior, I forgot to tell you, I actually served as a Puppet Sect Leader two hundred years ago in the shadows. Otherwise, why would I be so well-acquainted with Puppet Sect's heritage grounds?

Otherwise, why is there no information from two hundred years ago in the Puppet Sect Chronicles?

By the way, I'm also familiar with the White Bone Demon Blood Gu Huangzi used to anchor the palace, and I know he left blood in the sect.

Not only that, but I also know about your secret technique to quickly digest Demon Blood, so... I've already taken your tricks into account.

If your trump card is truly this, let's not waste any more energy. Do you really want to fight until your body shatters, then use bones to strike me anew?

How awkward it would be if I blocked it.

Preserve your body if you can, tend to your wounds, you're not a child anymore, why risk everything?

When you reach the Mountain and Sea Demon Country, you'll still have a chance."

His earnest persuasion carried an air of superiority.

He had already won, but found nothing to be particularly proud of.

But just then, suddenly, Song Yan's divine soul world altered. The domain filled with specters and Changwang Tiger Stripes vanished, replaced by a gray line.

The line was like a celestial sword, cleaving through dusk and dawn.

Above was gray, below was black, stretching endlessly.

The wind picked up...

Zhang Han felt the "wind."

But it was certainly not "wind!"

For in that split second, hundreds of thoughts collapsed.

Zhang Han's calm demeanor vanished, he sprang up as if pricked by a needle, roaring in disbelief: "Sea of Suffering?!!!"

As his words fell, hundreds more thoughts crumbled.

"How did you visualize the Sea of Suffering?"

"Are you mad?"

His voice was no longer calm, but filled with urgency.

His roar sounded as if he was questioning a madman.

Though the Sea of Suffering was distant, the sea breeze was near.

In the nearby sea breeze swirled immense joy, anger, sorrow, and grief, carrying endless obsessions, making anything they touched collapse.

By now, Zhang Han could see Song Yan.

Undoubtedly, if Song Yan wanted to drag him into the Sea of Suffering, he too had to enter.

At this moment, specters around Song Yan fell rapidly, disappearing quickly.

The wind of the Sea of Suffering blew gently.

Enveloped by specters, Song Yan gazed calmly upward, as if surveying the eternally gray sky.

"Madman..."

"Madman!!"

Even if Zhang Han was steady, he no longer remained. He knew his mission had failed; he could neither deliver Song Yan to the Mountain and Sea Demon Race nor obtain anything from him!

Song Yan was indeed a complete madman, crazier, more demonic, and more unpredictable than all the Demon Cultivators Zhang Han had ever met or known!

The specters around him were rapidly dying, and soon, he would perish too!

Zhang Han swiftly began searching for an exit. Even within another person's divine soul world, he could find a way.

And indeed, after a mere breath, he found it.

He sped toward it.

He must leave immediately.

But suddenly, he froze.

Because outside, the doorway was densely blocked by specters.

Ordinarily, even with so many specters blocking the door, he could never be stopped.

But now, he needed to endure the exhaustion from the Sea of Suffering while breaking through the door.

This was utterly impossible.

"Song Yan!"

Zhang Han turned to look in the distance, roaring, "Surely, we're not at the point of mutual destruction, of soul flight dispersal, are we?!!"

However, Song Yan did not respond.

Zhang Han could only see a slight smile on his face, a very wicked and cold smile.

Then he saw Song Yan breathe out, and then... disappear.

Zhang Han: ???!!!

...

...

The function of White Bone Demon Blood is to shift the soul slightly, hiding the soul within the bone; even if the body is destroyed, the bone remains, allowing slow healing.

A soul within bones becomes a door.

A soul at the forehead is yet another door.

Song Yan opened the forehead's door, then visualized the extremely outrageous "Celestial Sword Visualization Map," dragging Zhang Han into the Sea of Suffering, and then blocked that door with specters from the Cold Ice Hell Bracelet, while he left the Sea of Suffering through the bone door.

Thus, Zhang Han's divine soul was completely trapped, achieving a balance with the Sea of Suffering and the specters of the Cold Ice Hell Bracelet.

Realizing this, Song Yan opened his eyes, now weakened to the extreme, so much so that even moving a finger would strain his body and divine soul.

But still, he gritted his teeth, fiercely kicked Zhang Han off Profound Heart, and then threw out the Paper House, seating himself atop the Profound Heart.

Without the support of the Profound Heart, Zhang Han's divine soul thoughts would weaken, disrupting the balance.

The Paper House creaked, but fortunately, it hadn't collapsed, appearing ready for no more than one additional use.

Song Yan considered taking out a paper figure or a shadow puppet to guard him.

But upon looking, he found an emptiness, everything consumed, even the twin-headed wolf shadow puppet was gone.

He couldn't help but show a bitter smile.

And at this moment...

The "crackling" sound came again.

The surface of the Cold Ice Hell Bracelet revealed cracks, and with a "boom," it shattered. Briefly, Song Yan could vaguely hear Zhang Han's voice echoing as if from the far shore.

"Song Yan, you won't die well!!!"

Song Yan lay back in the courtyard of the Paper House.

'Everything's gone, even the Cold Ice Hell Bracelet shattered.'

'I truly don't know if exchanging a body full of treasures and wounds for a Profound Heart was worth it.'

His gaze swept toward Zhang Han's remains. Though the divine soul was gone, there might still be fragments of cause and effect and wandering thoughts, allowing him to glimpse into the past of this domineering figure, to see if there were any gains to be made.

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