The soul was that of a woman.

She appeared to be around thirty years old, with ordinary features and a tear mole at the corner of her eye, giving her a gentle and graceful demeanor.

In her arms, she held the soul of a little girl, about six or seven years old.

The eyes of this woman's soul were not the dim ones characteristic of other souls; they were filled with intense despair and reluctance.

As a result, she clung tightly to the little girl's soul, which showed no response.

Suddenly.

She saw Xu Lai standing outside the tentacles, a burst of desperate hope flashing in her eyes, as she eagerly beat against the tentacles, trying to call for help.

"You can hear me," Xu Lai spoke.

The woman's soul nodded repeatedly, first pointing around her, then urgently toward the little girl in her arms, her face full of despair and pleading.

"I will try my best to save you both."

A soul having thoughts in the Samsara Sea is not something unimaginable.

Many cultivators, even when stepping onto the path of reincarnation, use secret techniques to retain some memories.

What was strange was that this woman's soul, in life, had been an ordinary person with zero spiritual roots, which piqued Xu Lai's interest.

"The Supreme Emperor, it's really impossible to save them."

Sikong Jiu was still trying to persuade Xu Lai, his anxiety clear.

"While I'm not here, figure out a way to keep it obediently staying in the Boundless Sea," said Xu Lai.

"I can't do it..."

Sikong Jiu panicked.

Back then, dealing with the ferocious jellyfish beast required the combined efforts of sixteen Emperor Realm experts; even if it wasn't at its peak, it was still beyond his capability.

Xu Lai ignored Sikong Jiu and attempted to reach out to the jellyfish's tentacles, feeling the spiritual energy within him being rapidly absorbed.

After a moment of contemplation.

Xu Lai sat down cross-legged.

A beam of light flew in from the distant Earth; it was the Emperor Artifact, Qingfeng Sword.

"Hmph!"

As soon as the Qingfeng Sword arrived, a haughty snort was heard.

"Guard my body," Xu Lai ordered.

With those words, he split off a wisp of his soul, merging it into the jellyfish's tentacles.

His mind, entrusting itself within.

"Oh dear!"

Sikong Jiu was so anxious he kept stomping his feet.

A wisp of the soul.

It could usually be lost without consequence, but in such a critical moment?

This is the era of the Emperor's Fall!

With powerful foes like Tian Gui Yuan Yin, the Nine Kings' Palace, and other Emperor Realm forces lurking either overtly or covertly.

Plus the Karmic Tribulation...

All these factors meant Xu Lai couldn't afford any injury, let alone losing a wisp of his soul, which would take hundreds of years to recuperate.

Sikong Jiu was about to approach Xu Lai's body to transmit his voice, but then the Qingfeng Sword floated over slowly, a slightly impatient female voice coming from it:

"Shut up, don't disturb him."

"Little girl, I was at least an Emperor Realm in the past, and the most important ally of the Supreme Emperor; can't you be a little more respectful—"

"Say one more word, and you'll have a new hole in you."

"... "

Sikong Jiu fell silent.

As a broad-minded elder, he decided not to quibble with a sword.

...

...

Bright.

Very bright.

A wisp of Xu Lai's soul opened its eyes, greeted by a dazzling white light.

As his soul gradually adjusted to the brightness, Xu Lai saw numerous mirrors suspended in the air.

The mirrors rapidly flashed through scenes from various lifetimes, switching quickly.

In the span of a breath, each mirror might flicker through millions of past lives.

Xu Lai didn't watch, nor did he attempt to remember them all but instead stepped forward.

He walked on, not knowing how long.

Xu Lai stepped onto a bridge.

Turning back, he saw countless mirrors still flashing life scenes behind him, with countless souls walking on the bridge ahead.

This bridge is called the Bridge of Forgetfulness.

There's a saying in the Immortal Domain: "Step onto the Bridge of Forgetfulness, drink the Reincarnation Soup. Sever past causes, and form the fruit of reincarnation."

But the Samsara Sea was already broken, leaving only a small part remaining, and no longer within the Land of Reincarnation of the Immortal Domain, so the souls on the bridge kept walking.

However, they didn't realize they would never reach their destination.

Unconscious souls, walking and walking, would suddenly float in mid-air, being absorbed into the tentacles descending from the blood-red sky.

Batch after batch of souls were devoured, and then batch after batch emerged from the Samsara Sea, in an endless cycle.

Xu Lai looked up.

He gazed toward the densely packed transparent tentacles in the sky, stepping forcefully on the tip, flying toward the central tentacle.

There.

Was a woman's soul with a tear mole at the corner of her eye, holding a little girl in her arms.

"Slash."

Xu Lai formed a sword with his fingers.

"Ding—"

The tentacle appeared soft, yet it was as hard as divine metal, making the Qingfeng Sword Intent unable to cut through.

The woman with the tear mole also saw that Xu Lai couldn't break the tentacle, and the hope that had just risen in her eyes gradually dimmed.

Xu Lai frowned, giving up the idea of attacking and choosing to be absorbed into the tentacle.

Inside the tentacle.

Through the nearly transparent body of the jellyfish ferocious beast, Xu Lai saw himself and the Qingfeng Sword; he also saw Sikong Jiu and heard his words:

"Can the Supreme Emperor hear? Withdraw quickly, it's dangerous... ah! Stop poking, ah!"

Sikong Jiu didn't wait to finish and took off running because the Qingfeng Sword kept its word, indeed poking holes in Sikong Jiu's body.

Within the body of the colossal jellyfish beast, facing countless unknown risks, Xu Lai could only shake his head helplessly.

"Sir, please, save my daughter. She's only six years old..."

Unexpectedly, the woman with the tear mole, holding the little girl's soul, came to Xu Lai's side, her eyes blurred with tears.

"Let me take you out first."

Xu Lai grabbed the woman's hand and surprisingly left the tentacle with ease,

With one hand still inside the tentacle, seeing both mother and daughter safely falling onto the Bridge of Forgetfulness, he tried to bring other souls out as well.

But.

Not a single success.

He couldn't even withdraw his own hand.

Lost in thought, he broke his left hand, then, seeing the confused expression of the woman with the tear mole, embraced her and returned to the tentacle.

This time.

He still couldn't succeed, ending up losing his entire left arm.

Xu Lai pondered, touching the little girl in the woman's arms with his right hand.

This time.

His left hand was pulled out.

Xu Lai even pulled out over a hundred souls from the tentacle, but these souls would soon be swallowed back by the tentacle.

"..."

Xu Lai remained silent, ceased his futile efforts, and landed back, standing on the Bridge of Forgetfulness with the woman clutching her daughter.

The stream of souls on the bridge was endless; none retraced their steps.

Xu Lai lifted his gaze, looking at the woman with the tear mole: "Why did you lie to me?"

The woman shook her head: "I didn't lie to you, sir."

"She is not your daughter."

Xu Lai said calmly, "The fact that she can resonate with the jellyfish beast's tentacle means she is part of it."

"She is not."

The woman hugged the little girl defensively, taking a step back, "You also want to take my child; you're a bad person too."

"She's not your child."

Xu Lai sighed, "You walk past an elder in the Celestial Venerable Realm, and this middle-aged man is a Half-Step Celestial Venerable; they are all unaware. Yet you're just an ordinary person, and you have awareness."

"Think carefully, where did you pick her up from?"

Xu Lai's words seemed to have a magical effect, making the woman's eyes gradually lose their brilliance: "I picked Nannan up by the bridge, she..."

Suddenly, the little girl's soul in the woman's arms, who had been unaware, opened her eyes, revealing a creepy smile.

"Hee hee."