Quinn pondered how to design a precise creation-dao technique, one that could heal Emperor Yiyue's wounds without harming her brain. Meanwhile, the Woodcutter ascended the Heaven-Watching Terrace at Yong River Academy, preparing to cast his spell and help the people of Lily Prefecture recover their souls. He said, "If the souls of Lily Prefecture's people remain separated from their bodies for too long, their flesh will suffer. It's better to draw their souls or Primordial Spirits back."
The First Human Emperor showed a worried expression and said, "To snatch souls from Youdu and bring the dead back to life means a loss of lifespan. Though the Celestial Master is a god and her life is endless, if she angers the Underworld Couriers, they will come for her and seize her soul. If you can't escape this calamity, you will suffer in Youdu, and if your sins are grave, you might even be eaten by Tu Bo. Even if you dodge disaster now, when you die in the future, you'll still suffer in Youdu and be devoured by Tu Bo. Lily Prefecture is so vast, with so many people—the punishment will be even heavier!"
The Woodcutter shook his head and said, "This time, I set the trap, using the lives of Lily Prefecture's people as bait to lure Lowell Yunch and the others here, and then used Quinn to draw out Prince Umbral, which led to the disaster for Lily Prefecture. The root of all this lies with me—how could I value my own life above theirs? Whatever comes, let it be settled after my death."
He was deeply versed in Netherworld Tongue and Youdu arts, so performing the Soul-Calling Rite was not difficult for him.
He began chanting in Netherworld Tongue, and gradually a portal took shape, materializing from illusion into reality.
He hadn’t cultivated the Gate of Bearing Heaven like Quinn, nor could he create slashing divine gates or anything like the Mingdu Heaven Gate. Instead, he forged a new path, constructing a portal to Youdu purely from spell-runes.
This approach resembled the original Soul-Calling Rite, and was quite different from the version Quinn had re-engineered. Quinn’s art was direct: once activated, the Gate of Bearing Heaven appeared instantly, making it easy to summon the souls of the dead from Youdu.
The Woodcutter Sage’s Soul-Calling Rite took more time and consumed more mana, but the effect was much the same.
He stood atop the Heaven-Watching Terrace, Netherworld miasma billowing behind him, darkness thickening. Although it was daytime and the sun blazed fiercely above, the sunlight could not pierce the invading miasma from Youdu.
Within the swirling darkness, a portal towered, and souls streamed out from it, flying in all directions. Each found its body and dove back inside; after a moment, the bodies’ owners began to stir and awaken.