That name—Sadistic Witch—wasn't unfamiliar. It was etched into his very soul. It belonged to a constellation, from his previous world. Sadistic Witch was the very constellation that Mira, his former companion and executioner in his previous life, drew her power from. Xiao Wei wasn't entirely certain if the Sadistic Witch, Dan Mei soul is talking about and the Sadistic Witch from his previous world were the same. But deep in his heart, he felt it. A chilling certainty.
They were one and the same.
A flicker of anger passed through his usually steady gaze. His pupils narrowed like a predator tasting the scent of an old enemy. A faint, golden-red shimmer lit his irises for a heartbeat before vanishing.
Dan Mei soul paused briefly, having noticed the sudden shift in Xiao Wei's demeanor. His clenched jaw, the flicker of rage in his eyes—it was impossible to miss. She raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Perhaps she understood that the name held a deeper meaning for him, or perhaps she simply didn't wish to interrupt the flow of her story. Either way, she calmly resumed her tale, unaware of the storm she had just awakened within Xiao Wei.
"Sadistic Witch, her power was beyond comprehension. Her Cultivation surpassed what Immortal Realm can hold and reached even higher… a god, walking among immortals. Her very presence bent the skies and twisted the laws of nature. Space itself rippled when she appeared."Dan Mei soul said, her voice heavier now, as though the very name weighed down her spirit.
"She descended in fury upon witnessing her descendant slain. Her scream split mountains, and her pressure crushed cities. Hundreds of my Soul Race warriors—Cultivators who had followed my father without hesitation—were turned to ash in moments. My father… he was one of the strongest Cultivator in the Immortal Realm, yet even he could barely withstand her wrath. She struck him down with a single blow, leaving him half dead."Dan Mei soul said as her soul dimmed visibly and her voice trembled faintly.
Xiao Wei's jaw tightened. His breathing was slow but laced with quiet tension. The hatred in his heart swelled, but he kept it caged.
"She didn't leave it at that. Amidst the destruction, she found me. Her gaze burned with contempt and grief. She said I was the reason for her descendant's death—the root cause of everything. She didn't kill me. No… she wanted me to suffer."Dan Mei soul continued, her voice dropping low.
Her form began to waver, becoming semi-transparent as she recalled the moment.
"So she placed a curse upon me."Dan Mei added and paused as her form become normal.
Xiao Wei's voice, deep and cold, cut through the silence.
"What curse was that?"Xaio Wei asked.
Dan Mei ghostly eyes filled with an ancient sorrow as she continued.
"The curse was that whenever I or any of my direct descendants gave birth to a child… that child would never surpass the Martial Ancestor Realm."Dan Mei soul said with a hollow voice.
Her words echoed through the dim chamber, heavy with sorrow and regret. Xiao Wei stood silently, but his gaze remained sharp, observing every tremor in her soul form.
"At first, I didn't notice anything wrong inside my body. Because my soul felt stable, there was no visible mark, no shift in my Cultivation. So… I assumed it was nothing more than a threat made in anger. I thought perhaps the Sadistic Witch had spared me in the end."Dan Mei soul continued.
She laughed bitterly—a hollow sound that barely reached Xiao Wei's ears.
"Years later, I married a strong Cultivator of my Soul Race. He was kind, strong, and had always admired me. We were happy. I conceived a child—our first—and we were filled with hope. But when he was born… we saw it."Dan Mei soul said, her translucent hands lifted and traced a pattern in the air.
"A strange sigil was etched on his back. A curse mark, hidden from sight unless one Cultivation is very high. We didn't understand its meaning then. But as he grew and began to Cultivate, we discovered the horror."Dan Mai soul continued.
Xiao Wei's eyes narrowed, his mind quickly connecting the dots.
"He was a prodigy. By the age of 13, he had reached the Ninth Layer of the Martial Ancestor Realm—far faster than most in our race."Dan Mei soul paused.
"But no matter what methods he tried… he could not break through. Pills, secret techniques, ancient inheritances—we used everything we had. Years passed. Decades. He remained stuck. Eventually, he gave up and married, hoping his children would carry forward the hope he'd lost."Dan Mei said, her voice dropped lower, heavy with the weight of centuries.
"But when his child was born, the same curse mark was there—burning faintly on the child's back like a brand from the heavens. And the cycle began again."Dan Mei soul added.
Xiao Wei said nothing, but the flicker of fury in his eyes grew. This wasn't just a curse. It was generational damnation.
"For few hundred thousand years, I have watched my bloodline wither. Sons, daughters, grandsons, great-granddaughters—hundreds of descendants born with brilliant talent… all of them doomed to stop at the peak of Martial Ancestor Realm. One by one, they grew old and died before my eyes. They called me immortal, eternal… but in truth, I was a prisoner. A mother unable to save her children."Dan Mei soul said as she clenched her ghostly hands.
"Eventually, my clan tried to negotiate with the Witch Clan, the descendants of the Sadistic Witch. We humbled ourselves. We begged them to lift the curse. But they… they demanded a price."Dan Mai soul said in anger.
"What price?"Xiao Wei asked quietly.
"They wanted our female members as slaves. Soul-bound, stripped of identity, turned into tools of pleasure and breeding for their dark rituals."Dan Mei soul said anger visible in her face.
Disgust twisted across Xiao Wei's face.
"Of course, our clan refused. We may have been desperate, but we had not fallen so low as to sell our dignity. But the cost of that pride was steep. My father, once the leader of the clan and one of the greatest Cultivators of our age, realized that I could no longer bear the next generation's future. So… he cast me aside."Dan Mei soul said bitterly, her eyes dimmed, her voice becoming softer.
"He began to create new bloodlines, taking concubines and fathering dozens of children, hoping to create a new heir untainted by the curse. I… I was no longer a princess. Just a normal Soul Race member."Dan Mei soul added.
She grew quiet for a moment, lost in memories of loneliness and betrayal. Then, something brightened in her tone.
"But then… hope returned for my clan. My fifth little sister was borned. Pure, radiant, and possessing the same Heaven's Soul Spiritual Body as me."Dan Mei soul said.
"During that time, my husband and I… were watching another generation suffer. Our own children had long perished. Our last hope was to break the curse before more of my descendants perish."Dan Mei soul said.
"So we made a choice. A desperate one. We infiltrated the Witch Clan's territory in secret. After months of planning, we captured one of their elders—a Cultivator with deep knowledge of curses."Dan Mei continued.
"At first, we tried to bargain. We offered treasures, techniques, and even his freedom. But he laughed at us. Said the curse was divine in origin. Said it was irreversible. But I refused to accept that."Dan Mei soul said firmly as she took a deep breath.
"So I used a Forbidden Technique called Soul Searching Technique. A technique that ripped open his memories and laid them bare. I broke open his sea of consciousness and forced the knowledge from him. The moment I did it, the Witch Clan sensed it. They sent assassins. Dozens of them."Dan Mei soul said, her voice trembled.
"We ran. My husband held them back while I fled. He fought to the last breath… and died buying me time. I escaped, but the technique backlashed. My soul was damaged, and my body was destroyed."Dan Mei soul added.
"Now, this… is all that remains."Dan Mei soul said.
There was silence between them, filled only by the low hum of soul energy in the air.
Xiao Wei broke the silence.
"So, did you find the method to break the curse?"Xiao Wei asked.
*****
[Author's Note]
Dear Readers,
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my novel. Your support means the world to me and plays a huge role in motivating me to keep writing and improving.
If you're enjoying the story, I kindly ask you to consider leaving a comment or showing your support through rewards. Every bit of encouragement helps me stay inspired and makes it possible for me to continue updating regularly.
With enough support, I'll be able to upload two chapters daily to keep the story progressing at a steady pace for all of you to enjoy.
Thank you again for being part of this journey with me. Your encouragement keeps this story alive!