Following the instructions in the "Essentials of Soul Gathering and Evil Refining," Xiao Han threw all the "Soul-Nourishing Pearls" he had obtained from the Black Wind Twin Fiends into the dried-up blood pool.
Buzz!
After absorbing the immense soul energy of the Soul-Nourishing Pearls, the dark red "Remnant Trace of Imperial Blood" in the Blood Pool seemed to come alive, suddenly bursting forth with an eerie red light! An invisible suction force spread out from the center of the altar, and within the entire Ten Thousand Souls Pit, countless vengeful souls and the evil energy accumulated over thousands of years, like a guided tide, emitted deafening screams and frantically converged towards the altar!
Xiao Han took a deep breath, sat cross-legged in the center of the altar, and used himself as the array's core. He simultaneously activated the "Myriad Souls Blood Refining Illustrated Record" and the "Essentials of Soul Gathering and Evil Refining," opening his mind and guiding the endless vengeful spirits and evil energy into his body like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea! At the same time, he fully activated the nascent [Chaos Starflame Seed] in his dantian, preparing to forcibly refine the [Netherworld Emperor Dragon Cursefire] in his heart!
The refining process was far more dangerous than Xiao Han had imagined. Endless negative energy assaulted his meridians and sea of consciousness, attempting to completely devour him. The [Netherworld Emperor Dragon Cursefire] in his back sensed the threat and launched a frenzied backlash!
Just as the refining process reached its most crucial moment, within the cursed fire, the will of the Netherworld Emperor once again coalesced, clearer and more powerful than ever before! It transformed into a ferocious miniature black dragon, roaring as it charged towards Xiao Han's sea of consciousness, intending to utterly crush his soul and usurp his place!
At this moment, Xiao Han's soul felt like a small boat adrift in a raging storm, in danger of capsizing at any moment!
"Don't even think about it!" Xiao Han's will was as firm as iron.
At this critical moment between life and death, the illusory World Tree deep within his sea of consciousness, which had been silently absorbing external energy, suddenly shone brightly! Countless emerald green divine chains appeared out of thin air, carrying the majesty of suppressing eternity, and fiercely lashed at the mini black dragon, forcibly suppressing its momentum!
At the same time, the Chaos Green Lotus Martial Soul also erupted with an unprecedentedly brilliant azure light, and holy purifying power surged out like a tide, constantly eroding the violent will and mixed energy in the cursed fire.
Under the intense tug-of-war and tempering of these multiple forces, after an unknown period of time, the indomitable [Netherworld Emperor Dragon Cursefire] finally began to crumble inch by inch, its core essence being slowly devoured and fused by the [Chaos Starflame Seed].
Boom!
As the last trace of the cursed fire was completely refined, a brand new, more powerful, and more restrained flame blazed fiercely within Xiao Han's dantian! This flame was half deep, dark purple and half chaotic, star-blue. The two completely different powers merged perfectly, radiating an aura that was both domineering and mysterious—[Netherworld Chaos Dragon Flame]!
With the birth of the new flame, Xiao Han's aura surged wildly like a volcanic eruption! The once invincible bottleneck of the Eighth Level of the Martial Master Realm shattered under the impact of this immense power! His cultivation broke through the shackles in one fell swoop, officially stepping into the Martial Master Realm Ninth Level!
Moreover, during the refining of the cursed fire, he absorbed a massive amount of vengeful spirits and malevolent energy. This energy, tempered within his body by the * Myriad Souls Blood Refining Illustrated Record *, deeply fused with his original [Star-Magic Battle Body], causing an astonishing transformation in his physical form. More ferocious and profound blood-red demonic runes intertwined with star patterns, giving rise to a powerful aura emanating from the depths of his soul—the [Myriad Souls Battle Body Prototype] had been initially successfully formed!
Xiao Han felt that he was filled with unprecedented power. With every move he made, he could draw upon the power of the Soul Fiend. His physical strength and soul power had both undergone a qualitative leap.
Just as he closed his eyes to consolidate his rapidly increasing cultivation, the "Remnant Trace of Imperial Blood" altar beneath his feet suddenly trembled violently without warning! Immediately afterward, an extremely faint yet ancient and weathered call, seemingly transcending endless time and space, accompanied by a strange fluctuation, drifted from the deepest part of the altar.
The call was intermittent, filled with endless loneliness and longing, as if summoning something.
Xiao Han suddenly opened his eyes, his expression filled with surprise and uncertainty. The next moment, his expression changed drastically, because he was horrified to discover that this strange fluctuation was resonating with the Eternal Night King Martial Soul within his body! It was as if they were connected by blood and came from the same root!
The calls grew clearer and more urgent.
Click--click--
To Xiao Han's astonishment, countless cracks suddenly appeared on the once indestructible cliff behind the altar. Then, accompanied by a teeth-grinding scraping sound, a hidden stone door, sealed by thick dust and restrictions for countless years, slowly... opened!
Beyond the stone gate lay a bottomless, incredibly dark passage. An extremely dense aura of Primordial Shadow surged forth from the passage like a tidal wave, instantly filling the entire Ten Thousand Souls Pit.
The other end of that passage seemed to lead to... a world-shaking secret that could shake the ages!
Xiao Han forcibly suppressed the surging waves in his heart. The desire originating from the Eternal Night King Martial Soul was like an invisible hand, pushing and urging him on. He took a deep breath, no longer hesitating, and resolutely stepped into the ancient stone door that slowly opened, leading to the unknown.
Upon entering, an extremely dense aura of Primordial Shadow energy rushed towards him, pure and ancient, carrying the unique vicissitudes and deathly stillness of the ancient times. This aura was incomparably domineering, almost completely robbing him of his breath, far exceeding any shadow energy he had ever encountered before.
Beyond the stone gate lay a deep, dark passage, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, as if it connected to some hidden corner of the ancient wilderness. Xiao Han's [Void-Piercing Divine Eyes] was suppressed like never before here; its golden light dimmed, and he could only barely make out the outlines of a few feet around him, while the scenery further away was completely hidden in the thick, inky darkness.
"Hehehe..." "Hiss..." Countless fragmented, resentful, and malicious whispers surged in from all directions like a tidal wave, trying to penetrate Xiao Han's sea of consciousness and erode his mind. Within Xiao Han's sea of consciousness, the Eternal Night King Martial Soul suddenly emitted a profound and mysterious light, like a lonely moon hanging in the eternal night. Its cold and arrogant aura spread out, blocking all these mental attacks that attempted to penetrate.
Xiao Han's expression was solemn as he walked step by step deeper into the passage. After traveling no more than a hundred feet, the surrounding darkness suddenly twisted. Several ferocious demonic shadows, formed from pure Primordial Shadows, silently emerged from the darkness. They varied in shape; some resembled twisted ghostly claws, others roaring beast heads. They had no physical form, yet exuded a chilling and malevolent aura. The moment these demonic shadows appeared, they transformed into streaks of black light, directly attacking Xiao Han's soul essence. Each strike was comparable in power to a full-force attack from the Martial Emperor Realm expert!
"Hmph!" Xiao Han remained calm under pressure, and for the first time in actual combat, the [Netherworld Chaos Dragon Flame] within his body was pushed to its limit! The flames, interwoven with dark purple and star-blue, burst forth with dazzling light in his palm like an angry dragon breaking free from its restraints. The flames roared out, heading towards the Primordial Shadow.