The night was as black as ink, enshrouding the mountains. Inside the Taoist temple, the lights flickered faintly, casting an eerie glow on several taut and solemn faces.
The Soul Reaper slowly walked up to the soul lamp. His gaze was as cold and still as water, as if he was engaged in a silent confrontation with the hidden entity within the lamp. Darlene and Lucas stood behind him, the tips of their swords quivering slightly, ready to strike at any moment. The Taoist priest's forehead was covered in cold sweat. His hands were constantly forming seals, and soul - suppressing talismans whirled like shooting stars, tracing a complex and ancient formation on the ground.
"For the soul projection in the soul lamp and the birth of the nightmare soul, this formation requires blood as a catalyst," the Taoist priest withdrew his hand seals, his face looking rather pale. "Only in this way can we draw him out completely."
Upon hearing this, Lucas furrowed his brows slightly, a hint of unease flashing across his eyes. "Soul Reaper, have you really thought this through?"
The Soul Reaper smiled faintly, his voice low. "There's no turning back now."
After saying that, he flipped his right hand, and a slender dagger appeared in his palm, glinting with a cold light. Without hesitation, the Soul Reaper slashed a deep gash across his palm. The dark red blood dripped onto the soul lamp and instantly seeped into the lamp, disappearing as if a drop of water had merged into the ocean.
The soul lamp trembled slightly, and its flames flickered erratically, as if an invisible hand was fiddling with the wick.
"It's starting," the Soul Reaper slowly closed his eyes. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, yet he never flinched.
Lucas and Darlene exchanged a glance and both stepped back a few paces, standing at the edge of the formation. They stabbed their swords into the ground, and a sharp sword qi sliced a circle on the ground, sealing off the entire Taoist temple.
At this moment, it seemed as if the Taoist temple was cut off from the outside world. All that remained between heaven and earth was the flickering light of the soul lamp.
However, just as the light grew dimmer, a low sneer echoed from within the soul lamp, as if someone was lurking deep within the flames, spying on this world.
"Junior brother, you've finally come."
The Soul Reaper's body trembled slightly. He suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze as cold and sharp as a knife. "Senior brother, it's time to end all of this."
"End it?" The voice from the soul lamp echoed faintly, laced with mockery and disdain. "I've never truly died. Soul Reaper, how can you end me?"
Before the words faded, the flames of the soul lamp shot up three feet high. The light changed from green to red, instantly tinting the air in the entire Taoist temple a deep shade of red.
Lucas quickly raised his sword, and the sword qi pierced through the air, slashing towards the soul
lamp. However, the moment the sword qi touched the flames, it dissipated instantly, as if it had fallen into a void, leaving no trace.
Darlene furrowed her brows. She formed her fingers into a sword shape, and a talisman shot out from her fingertips, sticking to the soul lamp. But as soon as the talisman made contact, it turned to ashes.
"It's useless," the Soul Reaper said calmly, yet there was a tinge of sadness in his voice. "His soul has long merged with the soul lamp. Ordinary spells can't harm him at all."
The Taoist priest raised his hand and formed a seal, chanting in a low voice, "Soul - suppressing incantation, break the evil soul. May the gods above command!"
In an instant, a dazzling array of talisman lights filled the Taoist temple. A huge rune formation hung in the air, suppressing the soul lamp, as if it was using the power of pure yang to quell the commotion within the lamp.
The flames of the soul lamp trembled violently, as if resisting with all its might. Under the pressure of the formation's talisman lights, the flames gradually dimmed.
However, at this moment, a black aura spread out from within the soul lamp. Like an invisible demonic claw, it touched the formation and, in an instant, corroded the talisman lights, turning them into billowing black smoke.
The Taoist priest's face turned deathly pale. He stumbled back a step, and a trickle of blood oozed from the corner of his mouth. "This is... the resentment of the dead souls?"
The Soul Reaper slowly looked up, his gaze as calm as still water. "No, senior brother is no longer a dead soul. He's... a nightmare spirit."
"Nightmare spirit?" Darlene's expression changed slightly. "The kind in the legends of your Taoist sect, the one that uses the dead souls as a medium, devours all living spirits, and ultimately achieves an immortal and indestructible body?"
The Soul Reaper nodded, his face turning even more solemn. "He's been residing in the soul lamp for years and has gradually transformed into a nightmare spirit. If we let him break free from the lamp, I'm afraid the entire Taoist temple and even the area within a hundred - li radius will become his soul food."
Lucas's eyes turned cold. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly with both hands. "If it really comes to that, we'll have to destroy the soul lamp completely."
"You can't destroy it," the Soul Reaper said coldly, his eyes fixed firmly on the soul lamp. A complex emotion flickered in his eyes. "Once the soul lamp takes shape, it can't be destroyed unless it's severed with blood of the same origin. Otherwise, the lamp will last forever."
Darlene immediately understood what the Soul Reaper meant. "Blood of the same origin... That means only you can kill him?"
The Soul Reaper was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "That's right."
The air once again fell into a deathly silence. The flames of the soul lamp cast a glow on the Soul Reaper's determined face, as if an inevitable destiny had arrived.
Just then, the flames within the soul lamp suddenly surged. A pitch - black shadow slowly emerged, forming a distorted yet familiar face. It was the Soul Reaper's senior brother—Soul Nightmare.
"Junior brother, your bloodline shares the same origin as mine..." Soul Nightmare's voice was cold and piercing, like a thousand - year - old block of ice. "Since that's the case, why not sacrifice your soul and let us merge completely?"
The Soul Reaper sneered. He raised his right hand again. The dagger still had traces of uncoagulated blood on it. His gaze was unwavering. "Senior brother, I've never forgotten the moment you strayed onto the wrong path. Today, I'll send you back to where you belong with my own hands."
As soon as the words were spoken, the Soul Reaper suddenly stabbed the dagger into his chest. Blood gushed out like a fountain, splashing all over the soul lamp. The soul lamp shook violently, and its flames blazed brightly. Soul Nightmare's figure instantly distorted, and he let out a painful howl.
"How dare you..." Soul Nightmare roared in anger, struggling desperately. However, the blood had seeped deep into the lamp, binding his soul like chains, preventing him from escaping.
Darlene was shocked. She shouted urgently, "Stop! You'll die!"
Lucas also stepped forward, trying to stop him. But the Soul Reaper waved his hand. His face was pale, yet as calm as still water. "This is the only thing I can do. Since the soul lamp was created, only my life can atone for it."
After saying that, he suddenly pulled out the dagger. Blood sprayed onto the soul lamp, and the flames burned fiercely. Soul Nightmare's figure gradually dissipated into nothingness in the firelight, finally disappearing completely.
The Taoist temple was plunged into a deathly silence. The flames of the soul lamp slowly went out, turning into a wisp of green smoke that drifted away with the wind.
The Soul Reaper stumbled back a step and finally slumped to the ground, his breathing faint.
The Taoist priest stepped forward and supported him, his voice trembling. "You..."
The Soul Reaper chuckled softly. His gaze was fixed on the sky as he murmured, "I survived. It seems the soul lamp is finally extinguished."