The Curse of the Spirit Devouring Engraving Knife!

As they spoke, the two had already returned to the wooden cabin. The moment he pushed open the door, Lin Yuan's gaze was drawn to something on the low table by the window—a white jade bowl filled with a pale golden liquid, with a few emerald leaves floating on top. Leaning closer, he could catch a faint, refreshing fragrance.

"This is Soul Condensing Dew that Biji sent over this morning, brewed from the Water of Life from the Lake of Life and Thousand-Year Spirit Leaves. It'll help stabilize your soul power." Gu Yue Na picked up the white jade bowl and handed it to Lin Yuan. "Drink it while it's hot; it'll lose its effect if it cools down."

Lin Yuan took the bowl and took a small sip. The warm liquid slid down his throat, carrying a hint of sweetness, and as it traveled down his esophagus, it merged with the warmth of the Golden Jade Fruit inside him, transforming into a gentler energy that slowly seeped into his dantian. His eyes lit up, and he downed the rest of the Soul Condensing Dew in two or three gulps, not even leaving the leaves at the bottom.

"Delicious!" Lin Yuan handed the empty bowl back to Gu Yue Na, licking the corner of his mouth. "It's way sweeter than the Golden Jade Fruit!"

Gu Yue Na took the bowl with a smile and set it on the low table. "If you like it, Biji will send some every day from now on. But for now, we should continue training. This morning's Pressure Resistance Training was just the beginning; this afternoon, we're working on soul power control."

Lin Yuan immediately straightened up and nodded seriously. "Sister Nana, I'm ready!"

Gu Yue Na led him to the open space outside the wooden cabin, raised her hand, and made a grasping motion at the air. The next instant, ten gleaming white Soul Crystals materialized out of nowhere, floating in front of Lin Yuan. These Soul Crystals were common materials in the Star Dou Great Forest, containing faint traces of soul power but extremely unstable—a bit too much force would shatter them.

"Watch closely, Xiao Yuan." Gu Yue Na lightly tapped the void with her finger, and one Soul Crystal slowly drifted in front of Lin Yuan. "Your task is to wrap these ten Soul Crystals with your soul power and keep them suspended in midair. Within half an hour, you can't let any of them shatter, and you can't let your soul power spill beyond the surface of the crystals. If one breaks, you add a quarter of an hour. If you stick it out, Sister Nana will give you a kiss."

Lin Yuan's eyes immediately lit up, his small face brimming with excitement, his voice even a few notes brighter than before. "Really? If I do it, Sister Nana will kiss me?"

Gu Yue Na looked at him like that, couldn't help curving her lips, and reached out to lightly tap his forehead. "Of course it's true. But don't think it's easy. Soul Crystals are fragile and sensitive. Wrap them too tight with your soul power and you'll crush them; too loose and they'll fall. The force has to be just right."

Lin Yuan nodded vigorously, his gaze fixed tightly on the ten gleaming white Soul Crystals floating before him. He took a deep breath and, following the method Gu Yue Na had taught him earlier, slowly mobilized the recovering soul power in his dantian, carefully extending a thread of colorful golden soul power toward the nearest Soul Crystal.

The moment his soul power touched the Soul Crystal, Lin Yuan held his breath. He could clearly feel the fragility of the crystal's surface, as if the slightest increase in force would produce the sound of shattering. He adjusted the intensity of his soul power bit by bit, letting the colorful golden energy gently wrap around the crystal, then slowly lifted it upward.

"Good, keep that force steady." Gu Yue Na's voice came at just the right moment, carrying encouragement. "Now try to make it move, slowly float it over to you."

Lin Yuan bit his lower lip tightly, concentrating all his focus on controlling the soul power. The wrapped Soul Crystal slowly rose into the air and drifted toward him, but just as it got close, the soul power trembled slightly, and the crystal tilted with it. His heart tightened, and he quickly steadied his mind, fine-tuning the distribution of his soul power until the crystal regained its balance.

With the first attempt under his belt, Lin Yuan gradually found his rhythm. He split off another thread of soul power to wrap the second Soul Crystal. This time, his movements were a bit more practiced, and though there were still a few hiccups along the way, he managed to get both crystals suspended in midair before him.

But when he tried for the third, a problem arose. Controlling two threads of soul power at once was already straining him, and as soon as the third thread extended out, it collided lightly with the existing ones. One of the Soul Crystals let out a faint click, and a tiny crack appeared on its surface.

"That's one broken." Gu Yue Na reminded him softly, her tone carrying no reproach. "According to the agreement, that adds a quarter of an hour. Xiao Yuan, don't rush. First, think about how to keep multiple threads of soul power from interfering with each other."

The excitement on Lin Yuan's face faded a little, but he didn't get discouraged. He looked at the crack on the Soul Crystal, silently noted his mistake, and readjusted his state. This time, he didn't rush to wrap more crystals. Instead, he first ran the two threads of soul power through his palm, trying to make them move like two parallel lines without touching, then slowly integrated the third thread.

Time passed bit by bit. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the open ground. Sweat beaded on Lin Yuan's forehead again, his small face taut with tension, but his focus on controlling the Soul Crystals before him never wavered. From three to five, then to eight—with each additional crystal, his breathing grew heavier, yet the determination in his eyes didn't diminish in the slightest.

Finally, when the tenth Soul Crystal was wrapped in pale purple soul power and hovered steadily in midair, Lin Yuan couldn't help letting out a soft sigh of relief. He carefully maintained the balance of his soul power and looked at Gu Yue Na, his eyes full of anticipation. "Sister Nana, I did it! None of the ten broke!"

"According to our agreement, the time only starts counting once all ten Soul Crystals are suspended in midair. Given that one broke earlier, the duration for this test begins now, with an additional quarter of an hour added." Gu Yue Na stepped forward, raised her hand, and wiped the sweat from Lin Yuan's face. "It's only just begun, so don't let your guard down. The crystals haven't been stable for half an hour yet."

Lin Yuan's shoulders, which had just relaxed, instantly tensed up again. He quickly pulled his gaze back and stared fixedly at the ten floating Soul Crystals before him. The colorful golden soul power wrapped around the gleaming white crystals, making them look like a delicate string of wind chimes suspended in the air, but he knew that the slightest distraction would shatter those "wind chimes" into dust.

Soul power flowed slowly through his meridians, each thread precisely split apart, carefully avoiding each other's paths. At first, it was fairly stable, but as time went on, the soreness in his hands grew more pronounced, and the fatigue from intense concentration began to surge. Several times, the outermost Soul Crystal suddenly dipped slightly, and he had to immediately mobilize soul power to lift it, breaking out in a cold sweat each time.

"Don't just stare at one spot. Use your peripheral vision to keep track of all the crystals' states." Gu Yue Na's voice came at the right moment, carrying a soothing calm. "Your soul power is still recovering. Don't force it. Try adjusting your rhythm with your breathing, letting the soul power rise and fall with each breath. It'll be easier."

Lin Yuan obediently adjusted his breathing. As he inhaled, the soul power also slowed its flow. As he exhaled, the soul power gently supported the crystals. Sure enough, the previously tense state gradually relaxed, and the frequency of the crystals' wobbling decreased significantly. He even managed to spare a bit of attention to observe the thickness of the soul power on each crystal's surface, evening out the uneven spots.

A quarter of an hour, half an hour... When the last second passed, Lin Yuan almost instantly let go of his strength. He withdrew his soul power, and the ten Soul Crystals landed lightly in his palm. He looked up at Gu Yue Na, beaming brightly. "Sister Nana, I made it!"

Gu Yue Na walked up slowly, gently cupped Lin Yuan's small face, and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. "Well done. You can rest now."

The soft touch on his forehead made Lin Yuan freeze instantly. His small face flushed red at a visible speed, even the tips of his ears tinged with a faint pink. His hand unconsciously tightened around the Soul Crystals, his fingers turning white, and his breathing grew a bit ragged.

"Then... I'll go rest!" Lin Yuan suddenly took half a step back, turning his face away, unable to meet Gu Yue Na's eyes. After saying that, he turned and ran toward the wooden cabin.

Gu Yue Na watched Lin Yuan's fleeing back and couldn't help letting out a soft laugh. She followed slowly behind him, and just as she reached the cabin door, she saw Lin Yuan lying by the window, his profile still carrying the lingering blush.

Hearing her footsteps, Lin Yuan's body stiffened abruptly, but he didn't dare turn around. He could only pretend to stare blankly at the Lake of Life outside the window. It wasn't until Gu Yue Na's skirt brushed lightly against his ankle that he muttered quietly, "Sister Nana, why did you come in too?"

"This is my residence too. Am I not allowed to come in? Or is it that our Xiao Yuan is shy?" Gu Yue Na sat down next to Lin Yuan, chuckling softly.

Lin Yuan's ears reddened even more, and he buried his face lower, his voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "No, it's not that... It's just that the kiss on the forehead felt different from before."

"Different how?" Gu Yue Na teased him deliberately, reaching out to turn his small face toward her, looking into his evasive purple eyes. "Is Sister's lips not soft enough, or not sweet enough?"

"Neither!" Lin Yuan hurriedly defended himself, grabbing Gu Yue Na's hand in his fluster. "It's... my heart is beating too fast, even faster than when I was training under pressure. It feels like it's about to jump out." As he spoke, he pressed Gu Yue Na's hand against his chest, letting her feel the rapid rhythm.

The pulse beneath her palm was fast and strong, and Gu Yue Na's heart softened in response. She leaned closer to Lin Yuan, her warm breath brushing against his ear. "That's because Xiao Yuan likes Sister Nana, doesn't he?"

Lin Yuan's cheeks instantly turned so red they could drip blood, but he didn't deny it anymore. He just nodded heavily, burying his small head in the crook of her neck, and mumbled, "Mm, I like Sister Nana. I want to stay with Sister Nana forever."

After all, he was still in a child's body. Even propped up by the Dragon God Bloodline and the Golden Jade Fruit, the high-intensity training combined with emotional ups and downs soon brought drowsiness surging in. Lin Yuan rubbed his face against Gu Yue Na's neck, his voice gradually growing slurred. "Sister Nana... I'm a little sleepy... I want to lean on you and sleep for a bit..."

Gu Yue Na gently patted his back and said softly, "Sleep. Sister will hold you." With that, she carefully scooped Lin Yuan up horizontally and walked slowly toward the bed. When she bent down to lay him on the soft beast-skin bedding, she deliberately adjusted his position, letting him lie on his side, with a small part of his body leaning toward where she would soon lie down.

After doing all this, Gu Yue Na slipped off her outer robe, slowly lay down beside Lin Yuan, and carefully pulled him closer to her, letting his back press against her chest, while one hand rested lightly on his waist and abdomen.

Some time later, Biji's gentle voice came from outside the wooden cabin. "My lord, Di Tian has returned, and he's brought the Spirit Devouring Engraving Knife that Xiao Yuan requested."

Gu Yue Na withdrew her hand with the utmost care, afraid of waking Lin Yuan. She slowly rose, tucked the blanket around him, and then walked lightly to the door, speaking in a low voice. "Have him wait outside. Don't disturb Xiao Yuan."

"Yes." Biji's voice quickly faded away.

Gu Yue Na turned back to the bedside. Seeing that Lin Yuan was still sleeping soundly, she quietly closed the door and headed toward the Lake of Life.

By the lake, Di Tian stood holding a pitch-black engraving knife. The knife changed from wide to narrow from bottom to top, with a very sharp tip at the very top and a sharp blade about half an inch wide below. The overall body of the knife was ancient and dark, with faint patterns engraved on it, exuding a simple, archaic aura mixed with a touch of gloom.

"You got the knife?" Gu Yue Na walked up, her gaze falling on the Spirit Devouring Engraving Knife.

"I did." Di Tian nodded and handed the knife over, a hint of confusion in his tone. "No one bid against me at the auction. In the end, this knife only cost one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins. I really can't see anything special about it that would make Xiao Yuan value it so much. And according to the auctioneer's introduction, this is a cursed knife that will backlash against its wielder..."

Gu Yue Na took the Spirit Devouring Engraving Knife. The moment she touched the blade, she felt a faint but sinister energy surge up through the point of contact, carrying a malevolent intent to devour. She frowned slightly, and a layer of pale silver light bloomed in her palm, instantly crushing that sinister energy.

"This knife is quite remarkable. It was forged from Living Being Gold." Gu Yue Na gently traced the ancient patterns on the blade, a look of understanding dawning in her eyes.

"Living Being Gold? Isn't that the green metal imbued with pure life force that forms around the core spring of the Lake of Life?" Di Tian's pupils contracted slightly, his tone full of surprise. "But this knife is pitch black all over, without even a trace of life aura. Instead, it's wrapped in a sinister backlash force. It doesn't look anything like Living Being Gold."

Gu Yue Na reached out and gently traced her fingers across the blade, channeling her divine power into it to temporarily suppress the layer of chilling, sinister aura. A faint green gleam deep within the blade surfaced in response. "Infusing Living Being Gold with malice and curses—this person certainly had an imagination. It seems he only sensed the vast energy within the Living Being Gold but had no idea how to make it reveal its true wonders."

On the other side, Lin Yuan stirred slightly in the wooden cabin. The crisp, clean fragrance of Gu Yue Na still lingered at the tip of his nose, but the empty sensation in his arms made him groggily open his eyes.

He rubbed his drowsy purple eyes and looked around. The bedside was empty, the cabin door left ajar, allowing the faint rustle of wind through leaves to drift in from outside. He propped himself up and sat upright. The moment his little feet touched the soft beast-hide rug, something suddenly came to mind, and his eyes brightened instantly, most of his drowsiness dissipating.

"Uncle Di Tian should have brought the engraving knife back by now, right?" he muttered softly, quickly pulling on a soft robe. Without even bothering with shoes, he ran barefoot toward the door.

Just as he pushed the door open a crack, he spotted the figure by the Lake of Life. Gu Yue Na stood with her back to him, holding something in her hand, while Di Tian and Bi Ji waited quietly nearby. Lin Yuan lightened his steps, sneaked around behind Gu Yue Na, and stood on his tiptoes to get a look at what she was holding.

As if she had anticipated it all along, Gu Yue Na turned around and opened her arms, catching Lin Yuan securely as he pounced into her embrace. Seeing his bare little feet, a hint of helpless amusement flickered in her eyes. She shifted him upward, letting him nestle snugly in the crook of her arm, and raised the pitch-black engraving knife in her other hand. "I guessed you'd come looking for it as soon as you woke up. Di Tian just brought it back. Let Sister Nana see how you plan to use this engraving knife."

Lin Yuan stared at the knife, his purple eyes blazing with startling intensity. His small body leaned forward slightly in her arms as he reached out impatiently. "Sister Nana, give it to me!"

"Careful—this engraving knife carries a curse." Gu Yue Na gently handed the knife to him, the lingering coolness from suppressing the sinister aura still faint on her hand. "I just examined it. A curse condensed from malice is hidden within the blade. If an ordinary soul master touches it, their soul power will be slowly devoured, and in severe cases, their mind could be corrupted."

Lin Yuan, however, paid it no mind. His small hand gripped the handle of the knife firmly. In the next instant, his spiritual power surged over the Spirit Devouring Engraving Knife. He wasn't afraid of the knife's backlash at all. While his physical constitution wasn't top-tier, it was still countless times stronger than geniuses of the same level. Moreover, he possessed the Dragon God Martial Soul, the Dragon God Bloodline, the Dragon God Core, and the Quasi-Supreme Artifact, the Nine-Colored Dragon God Spear. A bit of malice and a curse like this were nothing to him—easily extinguished with a flick of his hand.