Chapter 40: Chapter 40: The 9-Yin Profound Spirit Body

"Someone’s there?" From so far away, Shen Haoran could only faintly make out a human figure, but he couldn’t be sure.

"How is that possible? The inner Profound Spirit Mountain Range is a forbidden zone for humans. Who in their right mind would come all the way out here?" Elder Yan said, shaking his head.

Shen Haoran paid no mind to Elder Yan’s words. His eyes were locked on the distant figure, his brow deeply furrowed. For some unknown reason, he felt as if the silhouette was calling to him, and his body instinctively wanted to draw closer.

"No, that’s definitely a person. Elder Yan, let’s go check it out!" Shen Haoran finally lost control of his body’s impulse, calling out to Elder Yan as he started running toward it.

"Hey, kid, this is the inner Profound Spirit Mountain Range! Be careful, it could be a trap!" Seeing that something was off with Shen Haoran, Elder Yan hastily warned him. But Shen Haoran showed no sign of turning back; instead, his pace quickened!

"That kid..." Elder Yan hurriedly followed.

Shen Haoran was fast. In just a moment, he reached the small stream. When he got a clear look at the figure before him, his eyes instantly glazed over, as if he were seeing something impossible.

"Haoran, what’s wrong?" Seeing Shen Haoran’s reaction, Elder Yan, who was right behind him, thought he was under some kind of Spiritual Thought attack. Then, Elder Yan looked forward as well—and froze in place.

Lying before Shen Haoran and Elder Yan was a young woman. She was dressed in a pale green gown, its cuffs embroidered with light blue peonies. Silver threads outlined several auspicious clouds, and the hem was lined with a dense pattern of blue ocean waves and clouds, giving her an air of extreme nobility. Her translucent, jade-like skin shimmered with an ivory luminescence. The soft curves of her snow-white complexion were like a lotus blooming from the water, her exquisitely beautiful face flushed as red as fire.

Shen Haoran couldn’t find the words to describe the young woman’s beauty. ’Even a goddess descending from the heavens wouldn’t compare!’ he thought. Even Elder Yan, who had lived for a thousand years, was left breathless by the sight.

However, the young woman’s entire body was frozen solid. Under the sunlight, the ice was crystal clear, making her seem even more captivating.

Shen Haoran stared, entranced, at the young woman on the ground. His body moved toward her uncontrollably, his hand reaching out as if to touch her face.

"Stop!" Seeing Shen Haoran’s movement, Elder Yan finally snapped out of his stupor and cried out in alarm.

But he was a step too late. Shen Haoran’s palm had already touched the ice encasing the young woman. In an instant, a layer of frost spread up his arm, quickly freezing it solid and continuing to creep toward the rest of his body.

A sudden, sharp pain snapped Shen Haoran back to his senses. He looked at the ice on his arm in horror, then immediately leaped back. Focusing his mind, he drew upon the Fire Attribute Spirit Pill within him. Red Spiritual Power instantly enveloped his arm, halting the ice’s advance. However, it only stopped the spread; it didn’t melt the ice that was already there.

"Quick, take this!" Seeing that Shen Haoran had temporarily suppressed the ice, Elder Yan quickly sliced off a petal from the Red Flame Red Lotus and thrust it into Shen Haoran’s mouth.

The moment the Red Flame Red Lotus entered his mouth, it transformed into a stream of pure Fire Attribute Energy that surged toward his right arm. A loud SIZZLE erupted as the ice on his arm began to melt under the Red Lotus’s scorching heat, eventually vanishing completely.

After the ice melted, Shen Haoran rubbed his arm, which had nearly gone numb. "Elder Yan, what was that? It’s terrifying!" he said, his voice laced with lingering fear. For a moment there, he felt as if his very soul was about to freeze solid.

"Hmph! You reckless kid. If you didn’t have a Supreme Treasure like the Red Flame Red Lotus, you would have just paid the price for your foolishness," Elder Yan snorted. He then turned his gaze to the young woman on the ground and continued.

"Tsk, tsk. Incredible... truly incredible. This girl actually possesses the legendary Nine Yin Profound Spirit Body!"

"The Nine Yin Profound Spirit Body? What’s that?" Shen Haoran asked in confusion.

"The Nine Yin Profound Spirit Body is one of the Ancient Divine Bodies. If cultivated to its absolute limit, it would be no less powerful than your Chaos Divine Body. However, from Ancient Times until now, no one has ever managed to cultivate this Divine Body to its peak. In fact, very few who possess it live past the age of thirty."

"What!" Shen Haoran cried out in shock.

"It’s not that surprising. The Nine Yin Profound Spirit Body is also known as the Cursed Body. Those who have it possess Nine Nether Qi within them. Every time they achieve a breakthrough in their cultivation, they are tormented by this Nine Nether Qi. The stronger they become, the greater the harm it inflicts. You have to understand, at its most extreme, the Nine Nether Qi can freeze even an Ancient God. Even someone with the Nine Yin Profound Spirit Body can’t withstand the damage from the Nether Qi. In the end, everyone with this constitution dies by their own hand," Elder Yan explained regretfully.

"What!" Shen Haoran was in disbelief. He looked down at the beautiful young woman on the ground and thought, ’Does that mean she’s doomed to die because of this Nine Yin Profound Spirit Body?’

At the thought of her dying, a sharp, inexplicable pain lanced through Shen Haoran’s heart, as if he were losing something precious. The feeling was bizarre. This was the first time he had ever seen her, yet it felt as if they had known each other for years.

’No, I absolutely will not let you die!’ Shen Haoran cried out in his mind.

"Elder Yan, is there a way to save her?" Shen Haoran asked, his voice almost a plea.

Hearing the strange urgency in his tone, Elder Yan frowned. "Haoran, what’s gotten into you? Yes, the girl is beautiful, but this is the first time you’ve ever met. You don’t need to get involved. This is her fate. You can’t help her." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"No, Elder Yan! Something deep in my soul is telling me she’s important to me. I have to save her! You know a way, don’t you?"

"Kid, this is the Nine Yin Profound Spirit Body. There is no cure," Elder Yan said, shaking his head.

"Then how do you know so much about the Nine Yin Profound Spirit Body? If you’re so knowledgeable, there must be a way, right?" Shen Haoran pressed him.

"I just happened to read about it in the Alchemist’s legacy I inherited."

"If the Alchemist’s legacy contains records of the Nine Yin Profound Spirit Body, it must have a solution! Elder Yan, I’m begging you, please tell me!" Shen Haoran implored.

"Kid, you’re oversimplifying things. The method it describes isn’t something an ordinary person can accomplish!" Elder Yan said, his face twisting into a grimace.

"No matter how difficult it is, I have to try!" Shen Haoran said, his fists clenched and his gaze resolute.

Looking at Shen Haoran’s determined expression, Elder Yan let out a long sigh. "Ah, I don’t know what to do with you. Let’s get her back to the cave first. It’s too dangerous out here."

Overjoyed that Elder Yan was willing to help, Shen Haoran carefully lifted the young woman onto the Red Flame Red Lotus and hurried back toward the cave.

(PS: Today is the Qixi Festival! Looks like our Shen Haoran has met his fated love, hehe. What kind of story will unfold between them? Keep reading to find out! Also, I’m on my knees begging for you to add this to your library and leave a recommendation. Thank you all, muah! Happy Qixi Festival!!!)