Chapter 32: The Soul-Devouring Curse

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Li Xuan’s heart gave a sudden jolt. As expected, those ten million Origin Crystals had not been an unexpected windfall for no reason.

Li Xuan looked toward Gong Mo, seeming to understand. “Your Highness, please speak.”

Gong Jinglin gave a slight nod and said solemnly, “Did I not already tell you? When no outsiders are present, call me Cousin Sister, just as Yue’er does. Surely you are not deliberately acting distant simply because you heard I wished to ask you for a favor?”

Born within the inner court, Gong Jinglin had long been familiar with such subtleties. To keep Li Xuan from feeling constrained, she had stated the matter plainly, which only made her appear more gracious and composed.

Li Xuan awkwardly scratched his head, concealing his embarrassment. “Cousin Sister, the way you put it makes me sound like a petty man judging a gentleman by his own standards.”

Now that Gong Jinglin had spoken so directly, Li Xuan naturally stopped hiding his thoughts. “Is it because of His Highness Gong Mo?”

Gong Jinglin’s limpid eyes hardened slightly. She then nodded. “Young Master Li Xuan, your insight truly is extraordinary. You see through the world while remaining above it, and even this small matter has not escaped your notice.”

Her praise instead made Li Xuan feel that the matter would not be easy to handle. Ever since learning the secret of the Origin Rune Formation, he no longer dared to take even the slightest risk with anything forbidden.

“Heh. There is no need to be nervous, Li Xuan. What I wanted to say is…”

Just as Gong Jinglin was gathering her thoughts to continue, Gong Mo, who had been playing with Jiang Qingyue nearby, suddenly clutched his throat with both hands and let out a heart-rending scream.

Gong Jinglin flew forward. Her jade fingers struck repeatedly, sealing the major acupoints throughout Gong Mo’s body. “Imperial physicians, quickly!”

The imperial physicians accompanying them rushed forward and began their examination. One rare pill after another was fed into the little prince’s mouth. After nearly an hour of frantic efforts, the young prince finally returned to normal.

With tear-filled eyes, Gong Mo looked toward Gong Jinglin and pleaded, “Sister, hold me!”

Gong Jinglin’s eyes were misty with tears as well. She gathered Gong Mo into her arms and finally managed to soothe him to sleep. When she tried to rise, however, he clung to her tightly.

Like a loving mother, Gong Jinglin gently patted Gong Mo’s shoulder, remaining at his side without the slightest thought of abandoning him.

“Ah, Uncle Liu…”

Uncle Liu immediately stepped forward and temporarily sealed Gong Mo with his powerful Origin Force. “Your Highness, the young prince is out of immediate danger.”

Only then did Gong Jinglin breathe a sigh of relief. She walked over to Li Xuan and said, “This is Mo’er’s condition. Can you…”

Li Xuan was speechless. At that moment, Jiang Qingyue also grew serious. “Li Xuan, do you have any way to help him? My cousin was born with a tragic fate, plagued by misfortune…”

Li Xuan felt utterly powerless. “I truly have no way. Judging from the young prince’s condition…”

He could not bring himself to say it aloud. According to the outline of the Nine-Yang Soul-Returning Needle Manual, the young prince had been afflicted by some immensely powerful curse. It was not something that medicine could cure.

To break the curse, Li Xuan would have to find a medium through which the resentment and curse could be transferred elsewhere. The other method was to nourish Gong Mo’s body with saintly energy and slowly draw the curse out.

But in all the world, which saint would be willing to make such a sacrifice?

“It is said that the Nine-Yang Soul-Returning Needle can seal forbidden arts. Can it seal the Soul-Eating Curse?”

Gong Jinglin’s brows drew tightly together. Her limpid eyes gazed at Li Xuan with intense hope.

Li Xuan’s expression was stern. He merely sighed. “That was a coincidence. The Nine-Yang Soul-Returning Needle is no divine art. It cannot cure every strange and difficult illness.”

At that moment, a childish voice rang out. “Sister, let us go back. This big brother is only putting on a show. He is famous for nothing.”

Though Gong Mo was very young, he carried himself like a jaded old man. His words had the domineering air of a little tyrant who ruled the household.

Li Xuan instead laughed. “Then tell me, how exactly am I putting on a show and living on a false reputation?”

Gong Mo furrowed his brows, then lifted his tender face into a childish smile. “You only went to such lengths to save Tang Ruoqian because she is beautiful. If it had been a man, would you have tried so hard?”

The implication was clear: Gong Mo was accusing Li Xuan of abandoning principle for beauty, of being nothing but an attractive shell with rotten substance within.

Li Xuan froze, then understood. He snorted. “You little brat! How dare you accuse me of losing my principles for a pretty face!”

Ignoring the presence of Gong Jinglin and Jiang Qingyue, Li Xuan grabbed Gong Mo, turned him around, and slapped him squarely on the buttocks.

“That is for talking nonsense!”

Li Xuan had expected Gong Mo to burst into tears and complain. Instead, the boy’s eyes filled with tears, yet he stubbornly refused to cry. He only shouted arrogantly, “You just want me to cry! I am royalty. I will never cry…”

Li Xuan’s heart softened toward the pitiful child. He reached out and tore open Gong Mo’s saintly robes.

“I am going to treat you anyway. What are you going to do about it?”

Suddenly, Li Xuan’s pupils contracted in shock.

“An Origin Rune Soul-Eating Curse!”

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Jiang Qingyue grew anxious, but Gong Jinglin stopped her.

“Hmph! I knew you were useless. The founder of the Sacred Path Academy must have passed her inheritance to the wrong person. You have disgraced her illustrious name!”

Gong Mo was young but sly, and he had no scruples whatsoever. Whatever came to mind, he said aloud.

When Li Xuan saw the ancient Origin Rune curse behind Gong Mo, he was instantly stunned. He did not know why the child had become tainted by such a curse, but he understood that Gong Mo must have lived in darkness. Despite his young age, he had endured such torment. It was truly pitiful.

Li Xuan grabbed him and turned him around. “I do have a way to treat you. How will you thank me afterward?”

Gong Mo looked at him with disdain. “You? Get lost!”

Li Xuan was about to erupt when Gong Jinglin’s voice silenced him.

“Mo’er, listen to what Brother Li Xuan has to say.”

Gong Mo looked at Gong Jinglin with a pitiful expression, then turned toward Jiang Qingyue. Pouting, he regarded Li Xuan suspiciously.

Li Xuan knew that it was impossible to extract the Origin Rune Soul-Eating Curse all at once. At best, he could delay the onset and reduce the frequency of the attacks, extending Gong Mo’s life for a little while.

He nodded solemnly.

In a childish voice, Gong Mo said, “If you can cure me, I will give my sister to you in marriage…”

Gong Jinglin’s face flushed crimson. She hurriedly covered Gong Mo’s mouth. “He is only a child, talking nonsense. I am counting on you, Li Xuan.”

Even Li Xuan, whose skin was thick, could not help blushing. He shot Gong Mo a glare and said, “Sister Yueyue, please activate the Origin Rune Formation and protect this place.”

Gong Jinglin also ordered her subordinates to extend the security perimeter several miles outward.

Origin Force surged from Li Xuan’s body. He stared at Gong Mo and said, “I am about to begin. No matter what strange phenomena you see, do not be afraid.”

Gong Mo raised his tender little face, folded his arms across his chest, and snorted as though he did not care in the slightest.

Li Xuan was risking his life to treat Gong Mo, yet the boy had the nerve to look at him with contempt. If he had been Li Xuan’s own younger brother, he would have given him a thorough lesson.

Li Xuan raised his voice. “Did you hear me?”

Gong Mo pouted and looked aggrievedly toward his sister, Gong Jinglin. Their eyes met, and he called out in his childish voice, “I know!”

The instant Li Xuan sent Origin Force into Gong Mo’s body, the power of the Soul-Eating Curse surged forth like an endless ocean. In the space of a few breaths, it swallowed Li Xuan’s Origin Force whole.

Though shocked, Li Xuan released an even greater torrent of Origin Force. Like a fish entering the sea, it charged headlong into the oceanic force of the Soul-Eating Curse.

“Ah!”

Gong Mo’s young body could not withstand such an impact. Before long, his entire body was covered in the Soul-Eating Curse, and blood seeped from his skin.

“Li Xuan, stop!”

Jiang Qingyue and Gong Jinglin realized the danger and shouted in unison, “Mo’er cannot withstand your power!”

Li Xuan acted as though he had not heard them. As he poured in his Origin Force, he casually carved out suppression runes. Mixed with Gong Mo’s blood, they were branded into the boy’s body.

At the same time, Li Xuan drove his Origin Force through Gong Mo’s body in a vast, surging current. The force transformed into countless phenomena: bolts of lightning raced everywhere, and thunder roared like a furious beast.

Yet the Soul-Eating Curse marks wound around them like gigantic serpents. In an instant, they extinguished the lightning and spread outward in ripples, soon covering Gong Mo’s entire body.

Gong Mo’s face twisted in agony. The hideous curse marks writhed within him like maggots burrowing into bone, gnawing relentlessly at his soul.

“Li Xuan, stop!”

Jiang Qingyue and Gong Jinglin struck at the same time. Two mighty streams of Origin Force surged forth, attempting to separate Li Xuan and Gong Mo, but the Soul-Eating Curse marks blasted them away.

Before the two women could recover from their shock, Gong Mo began babbling incoherently.

“Big snake… tiger… wild beasts…”

Inside Gong Mo, it was as though an ancient battlefield had appeared. Countless strange visions emerged. Though his will was strong, he could not withstand the illusions of myriad phenomena surging through him.

Li Xuan’s flesh and blood were connected to Gong Mo’s, so he was naturally affected as well. Sweat poured from him, and his complexion turned grim.

If Li Xuan continued, he would inevitably lose control, fall into demonic madness, and perish together with Gong Mo’s soul.

“Li Xuan!”

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“Mo’er!”

Jiang Qingyue and Gong Jinglin went pale. They wanted to approach, but they could no longer get close.

“Uncle Liu!”

Uncle Liu could only shake his graying head helplessly. “At present, Li Xuan and His Highness have become one. No external force can separate them. Unless Li Xuan can defeat the Soul-Eating Curse or temporarily suppress it…”

Jiang Qingyue and Gong Jinglin felt as though thunder had struck them. All they could do was watch helplessly as the two struggled amid the myriad visions, their hearts sinking into despair.

Suddenly, a light appeared, like a messenger of hope breaking through the darkness. As it tore through the blackness, it released a powerful force.

That force not only pierced the darkness but also illuminated Gong Mo’s body.

All at once, Gong Mo opened his little mouth and began breathing deeply. With each breath, the force flowed into him and merged with his blood.

The black aura released by the Soul-Eating Curse marks was gradually driven away, and the curse marks slowly began to recede.

At that moment, a golden radiance appeared between Li Xuan’s brows, completely enveloping Gong Mo.

The golden light utterly suppressed the Soul-Eating Curse marks and forced them to condense into a single mass.

However, the curse marks had long since merged with Gong Mo. Completely extracting them would not be possible overnight.

At last, Li Xuan tried to use Origin Rune seals to suppress the curse marks. The moment his thoughts stirred, those mysterious eyes appeared once again, staring fixedly into Li Xuan’s soul.

Terrified, Li Xuan had no choice but to use the golden radiance to suppress the Soul-Eating Curse temporarily.

At that moment, Gong Mo suddenly burst into tears. With a loud wail, he threw himself into Gong Jinglin’s arms and began sobbing bitterly.

Jiang Qingyue noticed a black lotus mark, roughly the size of a palm, on Gong Mo’s back. She exclaimed in surprise, “Cousin Sister, the Soul-Eating Curse on Mo’er has turned into a black lotus!”

Gong Jinglin, Jiang Qingyue, and Gong Mo all looked toward Li Xuan in confusion.

Li Xuan caught his breath and slowly said, “There was truly little I could do. I gave it everything I had, but that black lotus is connected to Mo’er’s bloodline and cannot be extracted. I suspect that this is the true core of the Soul-Eating Curse.”

Li Xuan spoke helplessly. “The black lotus is inherently an evil object. It requires saintly energy to nourish it. But how many saints are there in this world? Perhaps one or two might exist in the inner regions of the Radiant Star Domain. This will be difficult. Still, I will do everything in my power to help Mo’er.”

Li Xuan stroked Gong Mo’s head, but the little fellow immediately snapped, “Take your hand away!”

Gong Jinglin sternly scolded Gong Mo, then turned toward Li Xuan. “Thank you. I have always known the nature of Mo’er’s illness, and it matches what the imperial physicians told me. Now that the true form of the Soul-Eating Curse has appeared, does that signify anything?”

Li Xuan cheerfully flicked Gong Mo’s nose. “Little fellow, you are safe for now. You can go out and play.”

Gong Jinglin looked toward Uncle Liu, who promptly took Gong Mo away to play.

Gong Jinglin appeared tense, wanting to speak but hesitating.

“Your Highness, there is no need to be so anxious,” Li Xuan said. “Although the black lotus represents an evil object, the matter is not hopeless. The key lies with the lineage of the Origin Heaven Masters. If we use a sacred medicine together with an Origin Rune Formation to drive away the dark aura surrounding the black lotus and awaken the bloodline power within Mo’er, then the curse can be eradicated completely.”

Upon hearing this, Gong Jinglin knitted her brows tightly. Sacred medicine was already exceedingly difficult to find, and the successors of the Origin Heaven Masters had vanished without a trace. It seemed that Gong Mo’s illness would be impossible to cure.

Li Xuan chuckled. “Your Highness, do not worry so much. I have a technique for tempering the sinews and transforming the bones. If Mo’er practices it constantly, it may awaken his bloodline power ahead of time. That should greatly lessen his suffering.”

Gong Jinglin’s expression brightened slightly. “Thank you.”

Li Xuan waved his hand. “Winning a beauty’s smile is only a small favor. There is no need to mention it.”

Smack!

Jiang Qingyue flicked him sharply on the forehead and scolded, “Be serious!”

Gong Jinglin could not help smiling.

At that moment, Uncle Liu hurried over. His face was filled with panic.

“His Majesty is critically ill. Your Highness, please return to the palace at once!”

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