The art of manipulating all sentient beings

"It's good if you're full. Honestly, I was worried you wouldn't find anything to eat and might end up devouring me instead," Liu Ping joked, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

The little girl giggled, the sound light yet oddly unsettling.

Her crimson eyes gleamed as she gazed at Liu Ping, sizing him up with a predatory air. "Your zither playing is quite lovely," she said, her tone teasing. "Besides, I can't eat for free. Here, take this soul back."

With a casual flick of her wrist, a shimmering figure materialized in the void—a phantom of a woman.

Liu Ping's brows furrowed as he took a cautious step forward. "This is...?"

"The true soul of the body you encountered earlier," the little girl explained, a hint of amusement dancing in her expression. "I ate the monster that was controlling her. Consider this a gift in return."

Liu Ping stared at the soul, his breath hitching for a moment.

The translucent figure slowly stirred, her faintly glowing eyes locking onto his. There was no mistaking the desperation within her gaze—a silent plea for help.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself. Slowly, he clasped his hands together, forming a precise gesture.

"Let's see if this works," Liu Ping muttered under his breath.

A soft glow emanated from his palms, the light intensifying as it spiraled outward to envelop the wandering soul.

Just as the radiance began to stabilize, a sudden shift in the air rippled through the space—

Liu Ping watched in disbelief as the soul seemed to be pulled by an unseen force, shooting into the sky like a comet. It disappeared into the depths of the dark heavens, vanishing beyond his sight.

He stood frozen, stunned.

"You hesitated too long," the little girl said with a resigned sigh. "Her soul has been taken back."

She lifted her gaze to the night sky, her expression abruptly shifting.

"Wait..." she murmured, her voice soft but sharp with realization. "She's been sent back, but this time, no one followed her."

Her eyes narrowed as they turned toward the direction of the Western Wilderness Camp, suspicion flickering in their crimson depths.

Liu Ping, still processing what had happened, asked, "Hold on a second. I was about to use a binding spell to temporarily hold her soul, so why did it escape? Where did it go?"

The little girl's expression grew more complicated. For a moment, she seemed lost in thought, but then a sly smile curved her lips.

"Forget about her soul. Why don't I teach you a method to consume souls instead? It will help you grow stronger," she said, her tone sweet yet unsettling.

Liu Ping shook his head. "That won't be necessary. Give me a little time, and I'll find my own way to grow stronger. There's no need to eat anyone else's soul."

The little girl stared at him, her crimson gaze piercing and unblinking.

His expression remained natural and earnest, as if he were stating the most ordinary fact in the world.

The little girl tilted her head, her thoughts unreadable. After a long silence, she finally spoke.

"Did you see the Skyfall this time?"

"I did," Liu Ping replied.

"That wasn't a naturally formed Skyfall."

"Then what was it?"

"It's because of the collapse of the plot, which caused a chain reaction," the little girl said softly, her voice carrying a weight that made the air seem heavier. "Go back. This matter is far too dangerous for you to involve yourself in. We'll talk about it later."

"I want to see that Pole," Liu Ping said firmly.

Both Sequence and he needed to study that Pole—

It wasn't just any weapon. It was something that had fallen from the Upper Realm!

The little girl sighed, shaking her head. "Let me tell you something very important."

"What is it?" Liu Ping asked, his gaze steady.

"The Skyfall is completely independent of the plot," she began. "It carries immense danger, far beyond anything you've encountered. Going to the site of a Skyfall with your current strength would be nothing short of suicide."

Liu Ping tilted his head, narrowing his eyes. "What about you?"

"I..." The little girl hesitated for the first time, her blood-colored eyes flickering with an emotion Liu Ping couldn't place. "I didn't expect the collapse of the plot to trigger a skyfall of this magnitude."

Liu Ping's lips curved into a faint smile. "So that's it. The monster riot in the Dead World—it's because of this, isn't it?"

"Of course. The dead are restless," the little girl replied, her voice laced with a cryptic undertone.

Before Liu Ping could respond, lines of burning red text appeared abruptly in the air before his eyes:

[Notice]

[The pursuer has been eaten by the Crimson Lord.]

[The judge has noticed the death of the pursuer and is coming!]

[The Judge is coming!]

[This sequence recommends that you escape from the world of death immediately!]

Liu Ping said, his tone dripping with exasperation. "Didn't you hibernate?"

Another line of small, burning text appeared:

[Yes, in order to prevent detection, the sequence has been in hibernation. What you're seeing now is an automatic message from the emergency management mechanism.]

Liu Ping let out a helpless sigh.

This system had a point, but it always seemed to refuse to lift a finger when it truly mattered.

"...Forget it. Don't count on it."

The wind picked up suddenly.

In the dark of night, the cold gust howled, making the little girl's long hair whip around her face. She stirred, waking up, her gaze shifting toward the thick, leaden clouds overhead. Her eyes seemed to pierce through the sky, as if she could see what lay beyond the veil.

"Have you been targeted?" she murmured softly.

Liu Ping raised an eyebrow. "Did eating that monster cause something?"

She smiled slightly, unfazed. "It's alright. I'm just going to observe that guy's strength."

She paused for a moment, a distant look in her eyes. Then she added, "By the way... I believe I mentioned showing you the truth of this world."

"Yes, you did," Liu Ping replied, frowning.

" The fight will be far too dangerous," she said, her voice turning serious. "Don't stay here. Go back to the camp and take a look—there's something you might find interesting."

Without waiting for his response, the little girl reached out, her fingers tapping lightly between his eyebrows. Then, with a swift motion, she cut a hole in the Defense formation behind him.

Inside the camp, Liu Ping stood silently at the edge of the formation for a moment.

Liu Ping "...."!

With a pitiful look, she kept saying she couldn't enter the human camp. Yet, in the blink of an eye, she had cut a hole in the large formation and pushed him through.

Thinking back on what had just happened, Liu Ping's anger flared. He turned around and walked away, picking up speed as he stormed through the market.

But then, his pace slowed.

In the void, lines of burning texts appeared before him:

[Attention, the other party has cast an unknown spell on you.]

[You have been affected by the spell.]

[—Your pupils are receiving the spell.]

[We are about to see the effect of this technique. Countdown begins:]

[Three]

[Two]

[One!]

Originally, Liu Ping stood still among the crowd, a look of caution on his face. But suddenly—

He showed a slightly surprised expression.

After a few seconds, Liu Ping's eyes grew more confused.

He stepped forward, walking through the crowd, observing the practitioners around him with a blank stare.

"Did you want me to see this?" he murmured softly.

In his eyes, the world was no longer as it had been before.

Each practitioner now had a long thread behind them, glowing with a faint halo.

Everyone had such a thread!

The thread was connected to the top of their back spine, with the other end rising high into the depths of the dark sky, seemingly without end.

But none of the practitioners seemed to notice it.

They appeared to be in some sort of dream, following the tasks laid out for them by an invisible script, unaware of why they were so busy.

Liu Ping couldn't help but glance behind him.

No.

He didn't have this thread.

He walked towards one person, passing behind them, and stretched his back, still lost in thought.

The arm passed through the thin thread without disturbing it in any way.

Not sure what had prompted it, Liu Ping quickened his pace, heading toward the sect's tents.

He moved through the tents and eventually arrived at his destination.

Resonance Pavilion's tent!

"Fellow Daoist, what brings you here?" a male cultivator asked as he stood at the entrance.

"I'm looking for Fellow Daoist Lian Yu," Liu Ping replied.

The male cultivator glanced at him, his gaze lingering for a moment before he noticed the badge at Liu Ping's waist—Profundity Palace.

He nodded slightly, opened the curtain, and called inside, "Junior Sister Lian Yu, someone is looking for you."

A voice echoed from within, "Who is it?"

As Liu Ping waited, a woman slowly stepped out of the tent, her face filled with uncertainty.

It was Lian Yu.

"Fellow Daoist, I don't believe we've met before," Lian Yu hesitated, her eyes narrowing in curiosity.

Liu Ping simply stared at her, speechless.

Behind Lian Yu, there was also a long thread extending from her back, reaching into the dark sky.

She had regained her form and was back in life.

Liu Ping's gaze lingered above her head.

A line of fine print appeared in front of him:

[Golden Core Realm.]

—There was no mention of the word "monster" anymore.

So what the little girl had eaten earlier was actually that creature?

The little girl's name was the Crimson Lord.

"An existence with that title feeds on all evil creatures and controls all poisons in the world."

...That monster was indeed Rvil creatures.

"It's true I haven't seen it before. I was outside listening to your music, and it impressed me. That's why I came here to appreciate it," Liu Ping said, clasping his hands together in respect.

Lian Yu was momentarily taken aback before smiling a little awkwardly.

A lot of people had approached her recently, even this—

Wait.

Upon closer inspection, Liu Ping was much more handsome than the others.

And he was a disciple of profundity Palace.

Young...

He fits the type I like.

"If you want to hear music, you can come to me anytime. I won't charge you any spirit stones," Lian Yu said with a smile, offering him a communication talisman.

"Thank you, I'll definitely take you up on that offer next time," Liu Ping replied.

They exchanged a few pleasantries before Liu Ping took his leave, heading out.

Along the way, he noticed that everyone around him had the thread connected to their backs.

Countless lines interwove across the night sky, stretching deep into the clouds, leaving their destination hidden from view.

Liu Ping stared upward for a long while, his expression filled with complexity.

What lies beyond these threads?

One way or another...

The practitioners were merely playing out their prescribed roles. Even if they died, their souls would be taken and revived, reentering the grand cycle of deduction, unaware of the truth behind it all.

"It's truly frustrating... These are people devoted to transcending life and death, yet they end up in a fate worse than death itself."

Liu Ping narrowed his eyes and slowly clenched his fists.

After a while, the effect of the technique on Liu Ping's pupils gradually faded, and the lines slowly vanished from his vision.

Lines of burning texts quietly appeared

[You have witnessed an unprecedented manipulation of sentient beings.]

[It is an extraordinarily rare secret.]

[Your role points have increased slightly.]

[Current progress: 7/10.]

[When your role points reaches 10, you will gain new mysterious abilities.]

[Please continue your efforts.]