The atmosphere inside the Taoist temple grew colder and colder, as if an invisible hand was slowly tightening around everyone's throats, making even breathing difficult.
The solitary lamp on the sacrificial table no longer flickered. Instead, it remained frozen in place, with the dark blue flame motionless, as if time itself had come to a standstill. The blurred face slowly emerged from the lamp's light. Its empty, soulless eyes glowed with a strange light, staring at everyone.
Lucas tightly gripped the hilt of his sword, his gaze sharp as he locked onto the ethereal figure. His voice was low. "Is this... a soul projection in the soul lamp?"
Darlene furrowed her brows, her tone laced with confusion. "Soul projection in the soul lamp? Isn't that a long - vanished forbidden technique?"
The Taoist priest closed his eyes tightly, his expression solemn. "Soul projection in the soul lamp is not a forbidden technique. It's an abnormal phenomenon where a wandering soul, while the soul lamp is still lit, forcefully manifests in the mortal world by leveraging the obsessions of the living."
"But this method comes at a great cost. If the manifestation fails, the wandering soul will be completely annihilated, losing even the qualify to enter the Underworld..." The Taoist priest slowly opened his eyes and looked at the Soul Reaper with a pained expression. "And clearly, he doesn't care."
The Soul Reaper stood in front of the sacrificial table, allowing the ethereal figure to emerge from the lamp's light. There was no fear in his eyes, only coldness and mockery. "Senior brother, you understand the cost of this soul projection in the soul lamp better than I do."
The Taoist priest remained silent, his fists slowly clenching, his eyes filled with self - blame.
"When you killed me back then, why didn't you leave me a glimmer of hope for survival?" The Soul Reaper's voice was low and slow, but like a blade, it slowly pierced the Taoist priest's heart. "Now you're talking about reincarnation and costs... Do you still have the nerve to stand in front of me?"
Lucas narrowed his eyes. Sensing the overwhelming resentment in the Soul Reaper's heart, he couldn't help but frown slightly. "If you're determined to do this, we'll have to stop you."
The Soul Reaper slowly turned his head, his cold gaze sweeping over Lucas and Darlene. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Do you think you can stop me?"
Before he finished speaking, the blurred face in the soul lamp suddenly opened its mouth. A shrill, ear - piercing wail echoed through the Taoist temple. The entire space seemed to be frozen in ice. The candle flames went out instantly, and the surroundings were plunged into a deathly darkness.
"Form a formation!" Lucas shouted in a low voice. Instantly, he stepped forward, holding his long sword horizontally in front of his chest. A faint layer of golden light condensed on the sword's edge, protecting Darlene and the Taoist priest behind him.
Darlene reacted just as quickly. Her fingers quickly formed a hand - gesture, and a rune appeared at her fingertips. Then, she slapped it down onto the ground. The golden talisman seal spread out like ripples on water, instantly covering the entire area around the Taoist temple, enclosing the
Soul Reaper and the soul lamp within.
The Soul Reaper watched as they set up the barrier, and the smile on his face grew wider. "Do you know the true meaning of soul projection in the soul lamp?"
Lucas's gaze was cold. "No matter what its meaning is, I know that if we let you fully manifest, someone in this Taoist temple will die."
The Soul Reaper narrowed his eyes, his tone menacing. "Death isn't scary. What's scary is that even after death, the soul can't find peace."
The ethereal figure in the soul lamp slowly detached from the flames and gradually condensed into a solid form in front of the sacrificial table. Although it was still blurry, it could be seen that it was a man in a long robe, with a distorted face and empty eyes.
The Taoist priest looked at the figure, his face turning even paler. His lips trembled slightly. "This... isn't him..."
Lucas's expression turned sharp upon hearing this. "What?"
The Taoist priest pointed at the ethereal figure, his voice low. "That's not my junior brother's soul... This is..."
Before he could finish, the ethereal figure suddenly raised its head. Its pitch - black eyes opened wide, and its mouth slowly split from ear to ear, revealing a mouthful of sharp fangs.
"Hahaha—" The ear - piercing laughter echoed through the Taoist temple. The aura around the ethereal figure expanded rapidly, and the air around seemed to stagnate.
Lucas's expression changed suddenly. He shouted in a low voice, "Back off!"
But it was already too late. The ethereal figure suddenly lunged at the Taoist priest, moving as fast as lightning. Its fanged mouth was aimed directly at his neck.
In a critical moment, a silver light flashed like lightning. The long sword in Lucas's hand emitted a dazzling light, stabbing directly at the ethereal figure's chest, forcefully pushing it back.
The ethereal figure stumbled backward, letting out a shrill howl. However, it lunged at them again just a few steps back.
A fierce glint flashed in Darlene's eyes. The talisman seal in her hand suddenly turned into golden flames and was hurled at the ethereal figure. The talisman seal exploded in the air, forming a brilliant wall of fire that blocked the ethereal figure.
"Its power is growing!" Darlene looked at the Soul Reaper with a solemn expression. "The thing you released, you may not even be able to control it yourself."
The Soul Reaper stared at the struggling ethereal figure in the flames. The smile on his face gradually disappeared, and his gaze turned cold. "He never belonged to me in the first place."
Lucas said coldly, "Explain."
The Soul Reaper was silent for a moment and then said slowly, "After I died, someone took away the soul lamp I left behind."
"That person refined the soul lamp and hid it here. But they didn't expect that in the lamp's light, there was more than just my remaining soul."
Darlene's expression turned serious. "You mean, there are other wandering souls in this soul lamp?"
The Soul Reaper nodded slightly, his face gloomy. "Yes. He used the soul lamp to collect some resentful souls, using them as a source of power to refine the soul projection technique, trying to resurrect himself in a borrowed body."
Lucas tightened his grip on his long sword and said coldly, "So this isn't your soul at all, but..."
"The will of the one who cast the spell." The Soul Reaper narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with a menacing killing intent. "And I'm just a medium for his resurrection."
The Taoist priest's expression was complex. His lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something but never did.
After struggling in the flames for a while, the ethereal figure in the soul lamp suddenly stopped moving. As if sensing something, its empty eyes slowly turned towards the Soul Reaper.
"So you're here too..." The ethereal figure opened its mouth, its voice hoarse and low, carrying an indescribable chill. "Perfect. I'll devour you too."
As soon as it finished speaking, the figure of the ethereal figure suddenly swelled. A large number of black cracks appeared on its surface, as if it was about to burst at any moment.
Lucas's face changed suddenly. "This is bad. It's going to self - destruct!"
The Taoist priest suddenly woke up. He raised his hand and said urgently, "Quick! Protect the soul lamp, or the entire Taoist temple will be destroyed!"
However, just when everyone thought the soul lamp was about to explode, the Soul Reaper suddenly raised his hand. He stared coldly at the ethereal figure, his tone menacing. "You want to devour me?"
"I don't think you have the ability."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Soul Reaper gently pointed his finger. The soul lamp suddenly lit up brightly. A blinding light instantly engulfed the ethereal figure, forcefully suppressing it within the flames.