The swirling clouds in the photograph were a manifestation of malevolent energy, a spell precisely designed to trap Feng Ying’s likeness within. It had to be admitted, Yu Xuanji’s clone possessed a formidable sorcery. With this single photograph, she had managed to steal the soul of Feng Ying, who was more than twenty miles away in the city, and lock it within the image. This kind of dark art was not something ordinary people could accomplish.
Cheng Xiaofan’s gaze locked onto the malevolent energy within the photograph, and he began to search for Yu Xuanji’s clone’s hiding place.
"Oh!"
"Hah!"
Two strange sounds reached Cheng Xiaofan’s ears in quick succession. Immediately, a scene too indecent to describe unfolded before his eyes. A man and a woman were locked in a desperate struggle, clawing and biting each other as if in a fight, each wishing for the other’s demise. What should have been an act of passion was instead playing out like a reunion of mortal enemies, their eyes blazing with hatred.
Cheng Xiaofan quickly withdrew his divine sense, lamenting inwardly. Legend had it that Yu Xuanji, even after becoming a nun, was notoriously passionate, her life a cycle of drinking with men, singing, and then indulging in carnal pleasures, a lifestyle so decadent it was astounding. To think that even her clone would be so unrestrained.
Putting such matters aside, Cheng Xiaofan swiftly flipped his right palm, releasing a wisp of dragon energy from his hand. The dragon energy directly enveloped the photograph. Under the filtering effect of the dragon energy, the malevolent aura on the photo instantly vanished like smoke. At this point, the iron cage designed into the photo immediately became visible. Feng Ying’s soul, trapped within, reappeared before Cheng Xiaofan. She was no longer able to struggle or cry out, her hair disheveled, curled up inside the iron cage, her entire soul weakened to the point of near death. Looking at her, she appeared to be in a semi-conscious state.
Cheng Xiaofan knew that Feng Ying’s soul had suffered severe damage and desperately needed to be nourished by spiritual energy. Otherwise, this wisp of a remnant soul would be unable to return to her original body. He rolled up the photograph and placed it directly into his spatial dimension via his backpack.
"Mr. Cheng, this is your saber!" Gao Dafu respectfully presented the demon bone saber to Cheng Xiaofan with both hands. He looked at Cheng Xiaofan with a hint of pleading in his eyes and asked, "After you leave, will that female Taoist priest come looking for me for retribution?"
Cheng Xiaofan smiled slightly and replied, "Rest assured, she will not have the chance to find you again. Live your life well from now on. Having some money doesn’t mean you should be so arrogant and overbearing; no amount of bodyguards can protect you!"
"Jeee—"
At this moment, the Sky-Breaking Eagle, sensing its master through its spiritual awareness, had arrived. With a swift movement, Cheng Xiaofan leaped into the air, arcing gracefully before landing on the Sky-Breaking Eagle, which was circling overhead.
"Heavens, this is truly a divine being!" Seeing this, Gao Dafu immediately prostrated himself on the ground. His family members, following behind him, all knelt down and repeatedly kowtowed in the direction Cheng Xiaofan had disappeared.
"Sky-Breaking Eagle, take me to a secluded spot and stop. I need to help Feng Ying’s soul break free from the iron cage!" Cheng Xiaofan instructed the eagle.
"Jeee!" The Sky-Breaking Eagle responded, "Understood, Master!" Immediately, the Sky-Breaking Eagle circled and led Cheng Xiaofan into a patch of woods. Cheng Xiaofan leaped off the eagle and, with a flash, entered the Shennong space.
Inside the space, he found that Feng Ying’s soul had already regained consciousness under the nourishment of spiritual energy.
"Ah, who are you?" Feng Ying's soul was completely naked, without any clothing. Upon seeing a young man appear before her, she let out a startled scream. She clutched her chest, huddled in a corner of the iron cage, and stared at Cheng Xiaofan warily.
Cheng Xiaofan smiled gently and said, "Feng Ying, please don't be afraid. My name is Cheng Xiaofan, and I am your father's friend. I've come to rescue you."
"You are Cheng Xiaofan?" She paused, then asked, "Are you that Cheng Xiaofan from Zhuxi Village?"
Cheng Xiaofan nodded and said, "That's right. How do you know me?"
Upon hearing this, Feng Ying exclaimed excitedly, "Ah, so you are truly that all-powerful, perfect, and handsome Cheng Xiaofan from Zhuxi Village!" She continued, "I heard about you from a girlfriend. She has a relative in Zhuxi Village. She said you are incredibly capable, that all evildoers in the world fear you; that you are a divine doctor, and there is no illness you cannot cure; and that you are a super food expert, whose dishes are not only delicious but also promote good health..."
Cheng Xiaofan felt quite embarrassed by her praise. All-powerful? Perfect? Was he really that flawless?
As she was speaking, she suddenly realized something and looked around, asking, "Handsome, where is this place?"
Cheng Xiaofan smiled and said, "This is a special space. I have already rescued you from the Gao family. Because your soul has been damaged, I had to bring you here to perfectly restore it with spiritual energy before sending you back to your original body."
"What, I am just a wisp of a soul now?" Feng Ying said, "How can I feel like a real person?"
There were some things that Cheng Xiaofan found difficult to explain to her in detail. Even if he did, Feng Ying might not understand. Therefore, Cheng Xiaofan said, "Don't overthink this. I will open the iron cage for you immediately. Only then can your soul receive more spiritual energy in this space!"
Feng Ying replied, "Alright, I’ll listen to you!"
Cheng Xiaofan reached out and grabbed the iron cage, gathering a wisp of dragon energy in his palm. With a forceful twist, the entire iron cage fell apart with a crack.
"Ah, I can get out!" Feng Ying’s entire soul floated out. She realized she could float in the air and understood that Cheng Xiaofan hadn't lied to her; she was indeed just a wisp of a soul.
As Feng Ying floated out of the iron cage, the soul that had been locked in the photograph was freed from its confinement. Cheng Xiaofan said to Feng Ying, "What you need now is peace. Rest well, don't overthink things, and don't wander around. Just lie here and have a good sleep!"
Feng Ying asked, "Can souls sleep too?"
Cheng Xiaofan replied, "Of course, they can sleep. However, I know that your soul has suffered greatly from being imprisoned in the iron cage this time, so simply telling you to sleep probably won't work." He continued, "I can hypnotize you, and when you wake up, you will have already returned to your original body!"
With that, he cast a wisp of spiritual energy over her head. Feng Ying's soul indeed lay down on the ground and fell asleep.
However! Cheng Xiaofan felt that his hypnosis skills were far inferior to Yu Xuanji’s clone. While Feng Ying's soul was asleep, Cheng Xiaofan took the photograph and directly exited the Shennong space.