SOUL SHIFT

Young Master Xue

Soul shift

A long forbidden spell that could help a person to cheat death, it was almost like a key to immortality.

Transferring a soul from one vessel to another was a risky process that involved owing a debt to death, most people never succeeded, their souls torn apart in the river of death by wild souls, the danger and uncertainty factor was enough to scare most people away from performing the spell.

It was a dangerous spell, yet it was the only way of survival for Rong Shen. He was lucky that he had found a book detailing the practice of soul-shifting in his master's library.

The fast-approaching sound of the feral growls was enough to inform him that he didn't have much time. He slit his palm open and blood began to trickle, and he muttered the spell, the blood began to solidify into a round form and glowed in the center of his palm, his eyes turned black and black veins began to spread all around his body.

The blood orb exploded. "Come forth, soul keeper".

The air became icy cold and everything felt stagnant as though time had stopped, the sounds of Gu Daoming's men vanished and Rong Shen couldn't even hear his breathing. Standing in front of him was a tall hooded figure surrounded by dark fog, the only thing Rong Shen could see was the red eyes that stared into his soul.

"You summoned me mortal what do you seek?". The voice was neither male nor female, it sounded like a hundred people with different voices speaking at the same time.

"Access to the realm of soul shifting is what I seek".  The hooded figure tilted its head. "We see, your time is near and you wish to cheat death, but there is a price you must pay".

"I will do anything". Rong Shen spoke, he couldn't die, not when the man who murdered his family still roamed freely and played hero to the empire.

"Very well, if you can survive the river of death, then we shall lead you to the realm of soul shifting where you will get a vessel that matches your soul, and a contract will be forged between you and death". It spoke and stretched a black-gloved hand to  Rong Shen.

As soon as he held its hand, his body felt as though it was engulfed in a burning fire, a pulling sensation as though he was being ripped apart filled his body, he screamed until it stopped and all that remained was icy cold, he was now in his soul form and stared at his body that now laid cold and lifeless on the floor.

"Let's go". It said and led Rong Shen toward a dark portal. The waters were dark and murky and felt almost smoke like, he struggled as he swam to the surface, everywhere was surrounded in darkness, but thankfully the shore wasn't too far, as he started to swim, he felt a hand grab his leg and dragged him back into the water. He trashed wildly and grabbed the creature by its hair, it let out a pained screech, and he continued to pull until its head was severed from its body, the hold weakened on him and he pulled his leg out from the grip, yet the body of the creature trashed about now headless, it could no longer see.

More wild souls appeared, their appearance was not complete, some missing half of their body, others legs, hands, or eyes, but they had sharp teethes, they stared with hungry eyes eager to devour Rong Shen. They attacked their sharp fingers tearing into him, he fought back, thankfully they weren't too strong, a firm pull was enough to rip them apart.

As his feet crushed into the face of yet another, he could see more wild souls approaching, they looked like a dark tide as they swam towards him in numbers, he gasped how was he supposed to escape this?

Just then another wild soul appeared, just when Rong Shen was prepared to attack, he stopped. Even ragged and old, he could never forget the black and red armor and the symbol of the sun that belonged to his family's soldiers.