The white-robed lady seemed to be reluctant to leave, but Zhang Xuan knew that this wasn't the time to explain.
Putong!
The two of them dived into the lake, and upon seeing them, the Snow Fox swam over as well.
"Let's go, or else we'll lose our lives!"
Grabbing the Snow Fox in his hand, Zhang Xuan shouted anxiously. With his other hand, he pulled the white-robed lady along and swam toward the depths of the lake.
Of the spirit beasts that had encircled them earlier, there weren't many that were adept at fighting in the water. Once they entered the lake, they would be much safer.
Furthermore, he had noticed that the lake was connected to a wide river. Perhaps, they might be able to make use of this opportunity to escape.
Hula!
As soon as they dived into the depths of the lake, they heard a series of violent tremors from above, and it seemed like quite a few spirit beasts had leaped into the lake as well.
Knowing that there was no time to lose, Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi and swam in the direction of the river according to his memory.
It was indeed much safer in the water. Initially, there were spirit beasts that chased after them, but after Zhang Xuan fended them off, the number of them gradually decreased. After swimming for nearly two hours, there were no more spirit beasts chasing after them. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan swam toward the surface.
Holding one's breath for two hours was nothing to someone with his current strength. Zhang Xuan turned to look at the white-robed lady, and she seemed to be fine as well.
To be able to force so many spirit beasts to attack her so cautiously, it was unlikely that she would be weaker than him.
Given how strong her zhenqi was, how could she possibly be unable to withstand two hours of holding her breath?
Hu!
The two humans and the beast popped their heads out of the water and surveyed their surroundings. Only after confirming that there was no danger did they heave a sigh of relief.
"We're safe now!"
Pulling the white-robed lady along, Zhang Xuan leaped to the shore.
After swimming for two hours, they were already a long distance away from the waterfall. The waterway was complicated, and even if the spirit beasts wanted to find them, it would be difficult for them to do so.
However, they still had to be careful. The other party had aerial spirit beasts, so it would be much easier for them to search for them from the sky.
"Let's find a place to get some food and dry my clothes!"
Seeing the disheveled state the two humans and the beast were in, Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly.
The woman in white knew that he was trying to save her, so her attitude became much friendlier. She smiled and nodded in agreement.
There were many caves dug out by spirit beasts in Verdant Mountain, and they were very spacious. After finding a place where there were no spirit beasts, the two of them walked in.
He found some dry branches and started a bonfire. Only then did he feel much warmer.
Although the two of them were not weak, it was still winter. After swimming underwater for two hours, they still felt the bone-chilling cold.
"My name is Zhang Xuan. May I know who you are?"
After drying his clothes, Zhang Xuan took out some dried meat from his storage ring and handed it over. After which, he reverted back to his original appearance and clasped his fist with a smile.
For some reason, he felt as if he had known this young lady for a very long time. Otherwise, he wouldn't have risked his life to save her.
The girl shook her head and didn't say anything. Instead, she smiled and took the dried meat. She tore it open and ate a bit in an elegant manner.
"You … can't talk?"
Zhang Xuan was taken aback when he saw her smile instead of saying anything.
Ever since he had met her, he had not spoken a single word to her. At most, he would just smile at her, giving off a feeling that he was as calm as water.
The young lady shook her head.
"Do you have some kind of chronic illness or … do you need me to treat you? I'm a formidable physician! "Zhang Xuan said.
Some people would lose their voice due to injuries or mistakes in their cultivation technique. However, as long as one could find the right treatment, it should be possible to resolve it.
Zhang Xuan had read quite a few books on the Way of Medicine, so he had a deep understanding of it. On top of that, he had the support of the Library of Heaven's Path, so it shouldn't be too difficult for him to treat her.
The white-robed lady waved her hands.
"Are you worried that I won't be able to treat you?" Zhang Xuan asked with a frown.
The young lady waved her hands nonchalantly. It seemed like she was already used to such a state, and she didn't want anyone to treat her.
"Since you don't want to … forget it then!"
Seeing that the other party was unwilling, Zhang Xuan decided not to force the other party.
For some reason, he felt extremely tranquil when he was with the young lady. It felt as if he was far away from the world.
"Hmm?"
Zhang Xuan was just about to find something to say when his face suddenly warped. His body stiffened, and his body began trembling uncontrollably.
"This is bad …"
Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly.
Even though his physical body had improved significantly after being tempered by the earth flame and the Cleansing Lake, it was still insufficient for him to adapt to his massive soul. Under normal circumstances, he should have continued cultivating his physical body, and it would be best if he didn't use too much strength.
Yet, upon seeing that the white-robed lady was in danger, he couldn't hold himself back any longer and made a move. He didn't think much of the situation previously, but now that he was out of danger, he immediately felt a piercing pain in his soul, and his vision began to spin.
Using the units of measurement from his previous life, his soul was a size 45 while his physical body was a size 42. Even though he could still fit through it if he exerted a little more strength, he would still experience excruciating pain if he walked too much.
That was the current situation.
Even after forcefully entering his physical body, he still wasn't able to reach the most compatible state. It was one thing if he didn't utilize his strength, but as soon as he did, his zhenqi, physical body, and soul would feel as if they were being separated from his body, and his soul would suffer excruciating pain.
Zhang Xuan was hoping to leave a valiant image in the other party's heart when he saved her. Yet, such a situation occurred. Zhang Xuan felt stifled.
"Suppress!"
With a thought, Zhang Xuan forcefully suppressed his soul so that it could adapt to his physical body. Yet, who could have known that the more he tried to suppress it, the greater the backlash he suffered. It was as if the aftereffects of forcefully stuffing his soul into his physical body were acting up at this moment.
"AHHH!"
Unable to hold on any longer, Zhang Xuan's soul burst out from his glabella.
It was still the same problem from before. His soul was too strong, and his physical body was too weak. Even though he had forcefully stuffed his soul into his body previously, he still wasn't able to achieve a perfect fusion.
"It's over …"
Feeling his soul leaving his body, Zhang Xuan's heart turned cold.
It was true that releasing his soul would lessen the pain, but … if his soul were to leave his body, it would be equivalent to announcing to the other party that he was a soul oracle … Even if he wanted to explain it to her, it would be difficult for him to do so.
Even though soul oracles were one of the unique occupations, their heritage had been lost for innumerable years, and they had been eradicated by the orthodox Mingshi Tang School. As a result, they were inextricably associated with treachery and darkness in the hearts of most people.
If the other party were to learn that he had such a bizarre occupation … Most likely, the gratitude he had for saving her would vanish in an instant.
What in the world was this? Of all times, of all times …
What would the other party think of him? Would the other party think that he was up to something?
Just as Zhang Xuan was conflicted over what he should do, the white-robed lady suddenly stood up and clapped her hands lightly.
Hula!
His soul, which had just escaped from his body, was immediately suppressed and returned back into his physical body.
At the same time, a unique surge of energy flowed through his body, alleviating the excruciating pain he was feeling a moment ago.
"This …"
Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock.
Even he was unable to control his soul, and yet, the other party was able to resolve it with a light clap. What was going on?
Could it be that … the white-robed lady's cultivation was even higher than that of the Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Ye Wentian?
One must know that even Ye Wentian was powerless to stop the soul from leaving his body. Otherwise, he wouldn't have thrown him onto the stone table and waited patiently to save him.
Perplexed, Zhang Xuan was just about to ask the other party about it when he suddenly felt a wave of fatigue wash over him, and he fainted.
Amidst his unconsciousness, he felt his soul harmonizing with his physical body once more, and the shackles from before disappeared …
Some time later, Zhang Xuan finally regained consciousness.
"Hmm?"
Rubbing his eyes, Zhang Xuan sat up, and as expected, the conflict between his soul and physical body had disappeared.
"My physical body hasn't grown stronger, but my soul seems to have been refined once more, becoming purer. It's much easier for it to enter my body now!"
Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.
His physical body was still the same as before, but his soul had become purer. Even though it was still a colossus that was nearly ten meters tall, it was much more pliable than before. As soon as it entered his body, it no longer felt as difficult to control as before.
"Let me give it a try!"
Closing his eyes, Zhang Xuan used his soul to comb through his entire body. In an instant, he felt that every single muscle and cell in his body was under his control. His soul had gained a perfect grasp over his physical body.
He had never felt such a sensation before.
"This is … Perfect Fusion of Soul and Body?"
Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly, and his body trembled in excitement.
At Transcendent Mortal 5-dan, one would be able to achieve Fusion of Soul and Body. However, the so-called fusion only granted one greater control over their strength, allowing them to surpass ordinary cultivators.
Legend had it that upon reaching Perfect Fusion, one would be able to observe the changes in one's physical body and repair the damaged areas.
Upon reaching Perfect Fusion, one's body would be as flawless as white jade. Even a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert would be incapable of such a feat. Only a Saint would be able to achieve such a feat … And yet, a soul oracle like him actually managed to achieve it!
"But … since my soul and body have completely fused together, does it mean that my soul won't be able to leave my body anymore?"
At the same time that Zhang Xuan was excited, he suddenly froze.
The Perfect Fusion of Soul and Body was something that only cultivators were capable of. He had never heard of a soul oracle before … Could it be that his soul had completely fused with his physical body while he was unconscious, resulting in the disappearance of his soul?
If that was the case, there was nothing for him to be happy about even if his soul was able to control his physical body.
Even among the ancient occupations, the means of soul oracles were considered one of the more powerful ones. Taking the absorption of spiritual energy from the Cleansing Lake for example, it was impossible for any other occupation to achieve such a feat.
Zhang Xuan hurriedly drove his soul cultivation technique to test it out, and he realized that his soul was still able to leave his physical body.
Only then did he heave a sigh of relief.
Returning his soul back to his physical body, Zhang Xuan stood up, scanned his surroundings, and frowned.
The cavern was abnormally quiet. The bonfire had long been extinguished, and there wasn't a single person in sight. The white-robed lady whom he had saved previously had disappeared without a trace.
"Miss?"
Zhang Xuan couldn't help but call out. Just as he was about to head out to look for her, a line of elegant words suddenly appeared on the stone wall not too far away.
'You saved me once, and I've saved you once. We don't owe each other anything. Let's meet again in the future!'
"Let's meet again in the future?"
Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "You're leaving?"
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