Xiao Han's heart skipped a beat, and the will to survive made him forcefully suppress his injuries. He suddenly opened his [Void-Piercing Divine Eyes], and under his True Sight, the attack trajectory of the Bone War Wolf, the flow of energy, and even the weak points of its soul core were clearly visible.
He discovered that these vengeful spirits transformed into demonic beasts were both restrained by the faint purifying aura emanating from his [Chaos Starflame Seed], showing instinctive disgust and retreat, yet they were even more unable to resist the fatal temptation of the [Netherworld Emperor Dragon Cursefire], like moths drawn to a flame.
"I'll risk it all!" Xiao Han no longer hesitated. He staggered out with his [Close at Hand, A Step to the Ends of the Earth] footwork, relying on the prediction of [Void-Piercing Divine Eyes], and narrowly escaped from the wolf's claws. He dared not fight head-on, so he could only fight and retreat, following the vague guidance transmitted by the coordinate fragments, and break through to the northwest.
After fleeing for an unknown amount of time, a scene of broken walls and ruins came into view. It was the ruins of an ancient temple, half-collapsed, with faint murals still visible on the remaining beams and pillars. A faint yet pure sacred aura emanated from the ruins. When the pursuing Bone War Wolves approached within a hundred meters of the temple, they all stopped in unison, letting out low growls of unwillingness, hesitating to move forward, seemingly extremely wary of that sacred aura.
Seeing this, Xiao Han felt a little more at ease and plunged into the ruins of the temple.
The interior of the temple was even more dilapidated, covered with cobwebs, and the altar was crumbling. Beneath a hideous statue that was broken in half, Xiao Han keenly sensed a faint spatial fluctuation. He moved the statue's remains aside, and a dark tunnel entrance, barely wide enough for one person to pass through, suddenly appeared.
The tunnel wasn't deep, ending at a simple secret chamber. In the center of the chamber, a long-decayed human skeleton sat upright, its withered finger bones tightly clutching a storage ring that shimmered with a faint light and an ancient scroll made of unknown animal hide.
Xiao Han's heart raced slightly as he carefully removed the storage ring and the animal hide scroll.
He first unfurled the animal hide scroll, and a line of ferocious, ancient, blood-red characters came into view: "The Myriad Souls Blood Refining Illustrated Record"!
This is actually an incomplete demonic cultivation technique! Its core principle is to draw in all negative energies such as countless vengeful spirits, malevolent energy, and curses into the body, and then refine and temper oneself using special methods, using poison to fight poison, and even turning the power of curses into one's own!
Xiao Han's pupils suddenly contracted. This demonic technique... it was practically tailor-made for him! Although the [Netherworld Emperor Dragon Cursefire] was domineering and vicious, if he could refine it, he would definitely ascend to the heavens in one step!
He suppressed the pounding in his heart and probed his storage ring with his divine sense. The space inside the ring was not large, containing only a few items: three healing pills that emitted a rich fragrance, a fist-sized, emerald-green crystal containing a powerful life force—[Small Life Source Crystal) ], and a tattered map drawn with a special material. Some place names were vaguely marked on the map, one of which, marked with blood-red cinnabar, was "Divine Blood Altar," its location roughly matching the coordinates indicated by the previous fragment.
[God-Level Choice System Activated!]
[Option 1: Proceed step by step. Take the healing pill and head to the "Divine Blood Altar" to purify the "Netherworld Emperor Dragon Cursefire" with the altar's power. This method is relatively safe, but it takes a long time and may cause you to miss other opportunities deep within the ancient battlefield.]
[Reward: Increases the purity of Cursed Flame by 30%, and grants 1 random Battlefield Blessing (Beginner)]
[Option Two: Take the Risk. Cultivate the incomplete "Myriad Souls Blood Refining Illustrated Record," actively absorbing the vengeful spirits and malevolent energy of the battlefield, attempting to gradually devour and refine the "Netherworld Emperor Dragon Cursefire" using the "Blood Refining Method." This method is extremely dangerous, with a near-certain death rate. Success will bring unimaginable benefits, but failure will lead to utter annihilation and the destruction of one's soul!]
[Rewards: Complete Mastery of the Netherworld Emperor Dragon Cursefire (Beginner Level), Myriad Souls Battle Body (Prototype), Forbidden Demonic Art Comprehension (Fragment)]
"Fortune favors the bold!" A mad glint flashed in Xiao Han's eyes. Following the rules? That wasn't his style! This [Netherworld Emperor Dragon Cursefire] was cast by the Netherworld Emperor; how could it be easily purified by an ordinary altar? Rather than passively enduring it, he would take the initiative and turn this curse into his own power!
"I choose number two!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Xiao Han swallowed a healing elixir. The pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth, transforming into a warm current that nourished his injured meridians. He sat cross-legged and began to carefully study the incomplete "Myriad Souls Blood Refining Illustrated Record". This demonic art was bizarre and vicious, and the cultivation process was extremely dangerous; the slightest carelessness would result in the annihilation of both body and soul.
After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Han suddenly opened his eyes, a resolute glint in them.
He stepped out of the temple and, following the rudimentary method recorded in the "Myriad Souls Blood Refining Illustrated Record," set up a small Soul-Gathering Formation using rubble and his own blood on the outskirts of the ruins. The moment the array was completed, an invisible suction force spread out, and the vengeful spirits lingering outside the temple were immediately attracted, letting out shrieks as they rushed toward the Soul-Gathering Formation.
Xiao Han took a deep breath, sat cross-legged in the center of the Soul-Gathering Formation, and voluntarily opened up part of his mind.
"Bring it on!"
The first wisp of vengeful spirit power was drawn into his body, and instantly, an excruciating pain, as if his soul were being pierced by thousands of steel needles, swept over his entire body! The vengeful spirit power was cold and violent, frantically assaulting his meridians and sea of consciousness.
Xiao Han guarded his spiritual platform with unwavering clarity, using the nascent [Chaos Starflame Seed] as the core, and painstakingly circulated the [Star-Magic Battle Body], using it as a furnace to begin refining this first wisp of resentful soul power.
"Roar!"
Just then, the [Netherworld Emperor Dragon Cursefire] in his back sensed the erosion of the external negative energy and suddenly erupted with an even stronger backlash! A condensed fragment of the Emperor Lord's will, along with the curse fire, rushed straight into Xiao Han's sea of consciousness, attempting to crush his soul and will directly!
"Get out of here!" In Xiao Han's sea of consciousness, the [Soul Origin Treasure Jade] shone brightly, and the two Martial Souls, the Eternal Night Void Emperor and the Chaos Green Lotus, appeared simultaneously, engaging in an extremely fierce battle of wills with the fragment of the Emperor Lord's will.
Puff!
Xiao Han suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face ashen white. Under the combined attack from within and without, both his body and soul were on the verge of collapse.
"Life Source Crystal!"
In the critical moment, Xiao Han did not hesitate to take out the [Small Life Source Crystal) ] and crush it! A pure and powerful life force surged into his parched body like sweet rain, quickly repairing the wounds and temporarily stabilizing his shattered body and soul, giving him a precious chance to breathe.
Time passed slowly, and outside the temple ruins, the howls of vengeful spirits mingled with Xiao Han's suppressed groans.
A night of thrilling and perilous refining.
As the sky began to lighten and the first rays of dawn pierced the darkness, illuminating this ancient battlefield, the power of the vengeful spirits within the Soul-Gathering Formation had already thinned. Xiao Han slowly opened his eyes, which were bloodshot but gleamed with a chilling light.
He succeeded!