Mutilated and charred bodies lay sprawled across the ground, the sticky red of the blood lost among the vast lands painted in ash and decorated in bones. Wild flames danced along; the raging heat melting away all and any barriers along its byzantine path. The entire area on fire looked like arson grounds.
The red hot embers acted as the fireflies of the moonless night, their soft flickering unnoticed among the vast, bright sea of flames.
"It seems that I'm a bit too late...", a low whisper laced itself with the chilly winds of the eerie night. Though the words carried intense lament and frustration, not even a speck of emotion could be seen on the face of the man who spoke earlier.
The man surveyed the spread of the dead bodies, his unblinking phoenix eyes etching in the grievous picture onto his heart. The light from the scorching flames reflected his aged yet refined features: Sharp eyebrows, a long nose, thin lips, and a sculpted jaw. His grey hair was held in place by a jade crown and a string of beads hung around his neck— a typical immortal cultivator. The man carefully threaded his steps to avoid stepping on the dead; his long grey robes fluttered in the wind with every step he took forward.
Dead, dead, dead...
The man murmured in his heart as he examined the bodies for any faint signs of breathing, for any signs of life…
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Hiss...
Lu Qin turned around, he squinted his eyes trying to locate the source of breathing among the mass of bodies.
The breathing was very faint... like it would disappear in the next instant.
Lu Qin trained his ears and soon he caught the low cries of pain. Locating the general direction of the sound, he moved his feet in a hurried stride.
His steps came to a halt before a heap of bodies, his pupils dilated while his entire body trembled in shock. Even he who was lauded for his calmness found himself widening his eyes. Among the pile of bodies lay a burning body: a female whose features lay hidden beneath the crisscross of scars, her lower body was burnt beyond recognition and the flames were now slowly spreading to her waist. Hushed cries of pain escaped her chapped bloodless lips.
How is the lass still alive?
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Burying the questions in his heart, Lu Qin waved his hands. A gust of wind blew over from all directions putting off the flames on the girl's body.
Lu Qin crouched on the ground and placed the middle finger of his right hand on the girl's forehead between her brows—light blue flames lit up at his fingertips, and spread around the girl's head.
"Such weak soul force, it's almost impossible to survive..." Lu Qin sighed, the girl's soul was almost dispersed by the flames. In this world, physical injuries were not difficult to be cured, it is the injuries to the soul that is frightening. As of now, there was no cure to heal the damage to one's soul.
Should I kill her and end her torment?
Lu Qin contemplated for a moment before shaking the thought off. He stared at the girl who was hanging onto the last thread of her life. Any faint-hearted and weak-willed person would have given up under the bone-wrenching pain and tearing agony of the loss of soul.
The lass is clearly a fighter, he noted, he came to a quick decision in his heart: he would help her.
'Soul seal!'
Following his chant, a pentagram seal formed on the girl's forehead preventing the last trace of her soul from dispersing into the oblivion.
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Lu Qin surveyed the area below him as he continued to fly towards his destination. The unconscious girl was in his arms with her head resting against his chest. Lu Qin channeled his internal qi, the thin layer of energy enveloped the girl's tiny frame protecting her from the strong lashes of the torrential winds brushing against her frail body.
Lu Qin was now heading towards the Abyss of the Soul; also known as the Soul binding place— the home to all the wandering souls. The Abyss of Soul is home to all the souls who by some curse or by the fruits of their karma are unable to enter into heaven or the netherworld. A body with a weak soul is like a hot potato for all the souls— a medium to escape the shackles of Abyss of the Soul.
Despite knowing that most of the souls in the Abyss are evil, Lu Qin decided to leave the girl in the very lands filled with the aura of death. If a strong soul manages to enter the body of the girl, it can stabilize the girl’s weak soul, and life could be carried on. Of course, if the other soul is too strong then it might possess the body of the girl after scattering the remnants of the girl’s soul force.
Though the girl might end up preserving her soul with another’s help, chances are that she might end up losing her life. Still, Lu Qin was willing to take the risk. Since there is no medicine that could save the girl, Lu Qin chose to leave the girl’s fate in the hands of destiny.
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Lu Qin stood at the end of the cliff. He observed his surroundings which were encased in perpetual darkness, the only source of light being the blue flames on his body.
“I hope that I made the right decision…” mused Lu Qin, he slowly relaxed his grip and the girl lying in his arms fell right into the bottomless abyss.