Although the process was fraught with peril, he ultimately succeeded in integrating several relatively weak vengeful spirits into his [Star-Magic Battle Body]. At this moment, the star patterns and demonic patterns on his body intertwined, appearing even more ferocious and profound, with a faint aura of bloodlust swirling around him.
What surprised him even more was that, with the integration of these vengeful spirits' power, his suppression of the [Netherworld Emperor Dragon Cursefire] in his back also slightly increased! Although he was still being suppressed by 90% of his strength, it was much better than before. His cultivation aura, under the life-and-death tempering of this night, did not decrease but increased, faintly touching the threshold of the Martial Master Realm Eighth Level Peak!
"Hoo..." Xiao Han exhaled a long breath of stale air, carrying a hint of blood and burnt smell. This feeling of dancing on the edge of a knife was both stimulating and gave him a morbid excitement.
Just then, the tattered ancient battlefield map in his arms suddenly emitted a faint crimson light. Xiao Han quickly took it out and was pleasantly surprised to find that after absorbing the soul energy and baleful aura that had dissipated from the battlefield overnight, the map had become much clearer, and the originally blurry lines and markings had all become visible.
One location, marked with an even deeper crimson hue, caught his attention—the "Ten Thousand Souls Pit"!
Beside the "Ten Thousand Souls Pit" marker, there was a line of small, blood-written annotation, "Remnant Trace of Imperial Blood, Sacred Ground for Curse Refining?"
The Ten Thousand Souls Pit? Remnant Trace of Imperial Blood? Sacred Ground for Cursing?
Xiao Han's breathing suddenly quickened. Compared to the ethereal and uncertain Divine Blood Altar, this "Ten Thousand Souls Pit" seemed more suitable for his current cultivation of the "Myriad Souls Blood Refining Illustrated Record," and also more suitable for refining the [Netherworld Emperor Dragon Cursefire]!
Xiao Han composed himself and sped towards the "Ten Thousand Souls Pit" following the blood-red marker on the map. The closer he got, the more biting the surrounding wind became, and the resentment permeating the air was almost tangible, making him nauseous. In the sky, countless twisted soul shadows howled and screamed, and occasionally a few exceptionally solid soul bodies could be seen, exuding terrifying pressure, their strength no less than that of the Martial Emperor Realm. Xiao Han could even sense that deep within the Ten Thousand Souls Pit, there lurked a faint yet terrifying aura that was enough to make his hair stand on end, which was probably a "Soul King" level existence comparable to the early stage of the Martial Venerable Realm.
He dared not be negligent and quietly activated the "Myriad Souls Blood Refining Illustrated Record." A thin layer of blood-red aura composed of soul-destroying energy covered his body, cleverly simulating the unique cold and violent aura of vengeful spirits. Sure enough, the lower-level vengeful spirits avoided him after sensing this aura, no longer regarding him as an outsider. Taking advantage of this, Xiao Han moved like a ghost among the soul shadows, gradually penetrating deeper into the heart of the Ten Thousand Souls Pit.
Just as he was about to reach the vicinity of the "Remnant Trace of Imperial Blood" altar marked on the map, two sinister gazes suddenly locked onto him.
"Heh heh, this little kid seems to have something good on him!" a hoarse voice rang out.
"Its aura is strange, unlike ordinary vengeful spirits; it seems more like a living person in disguise." Another voice was even shriller.
Xiao Han skipped a beat. Not far ahead, two cultivators dressed in black robes, exuding a thick aura of blood and malevolence, blocked his path. The two men had gaunt faces and fierce eyes, and their cultivation levels were both at the Peak of the Martial Emperor Realm! They were none other than the infamous evil cultivators of this ancient battlefield— the Black Wind Twin Fiends!
The leader of the Black Wind Twin Fiends, the hoarse-voiced man in black robes, stared greedily at the faintly visible [Netherworld Emperor Dragon Cursefire] mark on Xiao Han's back, and said, "Boy, hand over your treasures and that strange flame mark, and I might consider leaving you a whole corpse!"
Xiao Han sensed something was wrong. Although the cursed fire was suppressed, its essence was extraordinary, and these two old ghosts had still managed to detect it. He sneered, "Want it? Come and take it yourself!"
"You're courting death!" The Black Wind Twin Fiends sneered, transforming into two streaks of bloody wind as they pounced from the left and right. Their sharp claws tore through the air, carrying a dense, corrosive aura that sealed off all of Xiao Han's escape routes.
Xiao Han fought two opponents alone, his Star-Magic Battle Body gleaming. He used the exquisite footwork of "A Step to the Ends of the Earth at Hand, Far Away" to maneuver against them. However, his strength was suppressed too much by the Cursed Fire, and the Black Wind Twin Fiends's coordinated and vicious attacks put him in grave danger. He was nearly eroded by their evil aura several times.
"Hey kid, still putting up a stubborn fight?" the second brother sneered, a jet-black soul rope coiling towards Xiao Han like a venomous snake.
A cold glint flashed in Xiao Han's eyes, but a strange smile curled at the corner of his lips. "How about you two try this?" He gritted his teeth and actively guided the suppressed power of the [Netherworld Emperor Dragon Cursefire] within his body, causing some of its power to erupt through his meridians!
"Roar!" A faint yet supremely majestic dragon roar emanated from Xiao Han's back. A fragment of an extremely condensed Emperor Lord's will, along with the eruption of the cursed fire, surged towards the Black Wind Twin Fiends who were right next to him like a bursting dam!
The Black Wind Twin Fiends never expected Xiao Han to have such a trump card. Caught off guard, they felt a vast and terrifying will crash into their sea of consciousness! "Ah!" The two of them let out a shrill scream. Their souls felt as if they had been hit by a giant hammer. They were instantly in excruciating pain, their vision blurred, and their attack came to an abrupt halt. Their bodies froze for a moment.
"A golden opportunity!" Xiao Han seized this once-in-a-lifetime chance, and the nascent [Chaos Starflame Seed] within his body began to operate wildly. His left hand swayed with a green lotus, while his right hand unleashed the [Annihilation Divine Fist] without reservation!
"Thousand Lotus-Shadow Illusions!"
"Annihilation - Starfall!"
The azure lotus shadow intertwined with the blazing fist energy, striking precisely at the chest of the Black Wind Twin Fiends, who were in a daze.
"Pfft!" The two were struck as if by a heavy blow, spitting out blood, their black robes shattering inch by inch, their bodies flying backward and crashing heavily into the pile of bones, their auras instantly weakening.
Xiao Han, seizing the advantage, took a step forward and rang out in a cold voice. "Sending you on your way!" He unleashed a series of punches, completely extinguishing their chances of survival.
Only after confirming that the Black Wind Twin Fiends were truly dead did Xiao Han breathe a sigh of relief. He quickly looted the spoils of war and was pleasantly surprised to find several "Soul-Nourishing Pearls" the size of pigeon eggs and imbued with pure soul power in their storage rings, as well as a book made of human skin titled "Essentials of Soul Gathering and Evil Refining Spirits." This secret manual was more complete than the fragment of the "Myriad Souls Blood Refining Illustrated Record" he had previously obtained, and it contained detailed records on condensing soul evil power and refining the vengeful spirits of magical treasures.
"This is truly a godsend!" Xiao Han was overjoyed.
Without further delay, following the map's guidance, he finally arrived at the deepest part of the Ten Thousand Souls Pit. A colossal altar, composed of countless pale skeletons, stood prominently at the bottom of the pit. The altar was hundreds of feet tall, exuding a chilling, eerie, and deathly aura. At the center of the altar was a vast, long-dried-up pool of blood, its bottom displaying eerie, dark red patterns, faintly emanating a weak yet extremely pure Emperor-level pressure—the very "Remnant Trace of Imperial Blood" indicated on the map!