Before long, the first-generation Soul Ring Engraver, shaped like a giant mechanical spider, had finished reassembling.
At some point, an old man who did not look particularly friendly had appeared beside Mu En.
The man in black said nothing. With a casual wave of his hand, he covered an area ten miles around them with overwhelming Soul Power.
A casual gesture had blanketed such a vast area in Soul Power. What he saw before him left Chen Fu deeply impressed. Through his extraordinary Spiritual Perception, the humanoid Soul Beast gave him a sense of immense weight that completely surpassed Mu En.
If Mu En felt like an ocean of steel, then the unknown Soul Beast felt like a bottomless Abyss without end. If the continent's known powerhouses were ranked, Mu En was a level ninety-nine Near God, while this unknown Soul Beast felt like an Uncrowned God.
Was a Godhead important? Faced with an existence that looked like a black hole in his Spiritual Perception, Chen Fu believed it was not all that important.
"Xiaotao, get ready." Chen Fu reminded the girl beside him, who seemed unsure what to do, then looked toward the Soul Beast ahead.
"Honored unknown existence, we need Scarlet King's cooperation."
"Human, you may address me as Di Tian." Di Tian rarely took the initiative to reveal his name, then nodded at Scarlet King beside him.
"Lord Di Tian." Chen Fu nodded, then looked at Scarlet King. "Please stand in the designated position. Be mindful of restraining your Soul Power and strength. Soul Tools are expensive."
"Human, I shall trust you this once!" Seeing Di Tian agree, Scarlet King finally relaxed. Following Chen Fu's directions, he carefully walked before the Spider-Type Soul Tool. His more than ten-meter-tall body made even the Spider-Type Soul Tool look rather slender.
"Don't stand so close. Step back a little." Chen Fu pressed his hand against Scarlet King's massive, vicious wolf head and pushed hard, but it did not budge.
"..." After glancing at the silent Di Tian, Scarlet King snorted coldly. Reluctantly, he lay down and backed away, complying with the arrangements.
"Hold this in your mouth. There is only one, so don't bite it apart." Chen Fu tossed him a Metal Sphere covered in inscriptions.
"Xiaotao, sit in the center of the Soul Summoning Matrix and begin circulating your Soul Power."
Hearing this, Ma Xiaotao followed the instructions and sat down at the base where all the mechanical spider legs originated.
"Everyone, the stability of the outside environment is up to you." Chen Fu looked toward Mu En, Di Tian, and the old man who had appeared beside Mu En at some unknown point.
"Continue. No one, Soul Beast or otherwise, will disturb you." The three remained calm. The highest combat power of both humans and Soul Beasts was gathered here; anyone else who came would only be throwing their life away.
"Scarlet King, please relax your mind. Do not resist. You need to remain relaxed throughout the entire process and follow the sensation. Some of your Soul Power and Spiritual Power may be depleted, but don't worry. It will remain within controllable limits."
Chen Fu reminded Scarlet King again. This stage required the Soul Beast's active participation from start to finish; otherwise, existing technology could not forcibly drag out a soul.
"The Soul Severing Matrix is entering its preparation phase."
[Soul Severing Matrix activated]
Scarlet King felt the Metal Sphere in his mouth begin to vibrate faintly. At the same time, his mind grew increasingly heavy, and even the scenery in his vision began to double.
"Don't resist. Trust me." Chen Fu's voice entered his ears again, calming Scarlet King's panicked heart considerably. It was not that he trusted the human before him; he trusted Di Tian in the distance.
"The Soul Summoning Matrix is entering its preparation phase."
[Soul Summoning Matrix activated]
The densely packed mechanical spider legs, large and small, arranged in staggered layers, began to pulse in a strange rhythm.
"Xiaotao, enter breakthrough preparation state."
Could a Soul Master break through after reaching full level? Was it possible to forcefully circulate Soul Power and push upward into a breakthrough?
The answer was yes. Soul Power forcefully breaking through its restraints would attract nearby ownerless Soul Rings. Without a Soul Ring, Soul Power was like a castle in the air, lacking a foundation and dispersing away.
Chen Fu had once been puzzled by the setting of "last hits." His own experiences with the four Soul Rings on his body had given him a hypothesis.
Soul Beasts could sacrifice themselves willingly, and in that case, there was no need for a "last hit." So why could one only absorb a Soul Beast that one had personally ended?
Why was Spirit Impact unavoidable when absorbing a Soul Ring?
Then why did the lingering soul inside a Soul Ring attack you mentally?
Because it hated you!
In terms of cause and effect, it died because of you, so it hated you.
Why did the lingering soul not attack you during a sacrifice?
Because it loved you...
This hypothesis left Chen Fu rather emotional. This world seemed full of malice toward Soul Beasts.
A "last hit" was not the fundamental reason a Soul Ring locked onto someone. As long as a Soul Beast's subjective willingness was strong enough, it could have more than one partner.
"Little Blue, enter the operation interface."
[Spider-shaped Soul Ring Engraver control system connected]
A huge blue-light interface silently unfolded before Chen Fu.
[Soul Severing Soul Summoning Composite Matrix standing by]
"Activate. Energy level: one."
[Activating]
As Chen Fu adjusted the energy output limit of the Spider-shaped Soul Ring Engraver, the staggered large and small mechanical legs of the soul-summoning mechanism began to pulse fast and slow like breathing, growing increasingly rapid as the energy level rose.
On the other side, Scarlet King only heard a buzzing in his ears. His vision turned completely black, and a transparent little dog slowly crawled out of his head.
"Relax. Don't struggle. This degree of pulling requires your cooperation as the main body."
Watching the Spirit Body Puppy desperately cling to its physical body's forehead, trying to rub its way back inside, Chen Fu immediately explained.
"Don't worry."
Di Tian spoke up from the side to reassure him. The instant the Soul Severing Soul Summoning Composite Matrix activated, Di Tian had understood its principles with his Mental Power. He could achieve the same effect by his own methods, but not with the same gentleness and precision as this human.
Hearing his leader's voice, the Spirit Body Puppy relaxed considerably. At last, it released its grip on its own forehead and followed the pulling force toward the soul-catching net woven by dozens of mechanical legs.
As the energy level gradually increased, the properties of the soul materials within every mechanical leg were activated under the guidance of extraordinarily precise Soul Power circuits. Points became lines, lines became surfaces, gradually weaving an invisible net capable of catching souls. Smaller mechanical legs within it constantly made minute repairs to the "soul net" according to Chen Fu's control, while also maintaining the optimal curved surface of the Soul Summoning Matrix's pulling force.
At last, the Spirit Body Puppy was captured by the soul net. As the mechanical legs moved, it was drawn toward the space above Ma Xiaotao.
When the puppy landed steadily atop Ma Xiaotao's head, the Spider-shaped Soul Ring Engraver split into two functions. The section near the core continued maintaining the Soul Severing Soul Summoning Composite Matrix, while the outer section began extracting special metals to execute the second program.
As the number of mechanical legs responsible for the Soul Severing Soul Summoning Composite Matrix decreased, the Spirit Body Puppy's control over its body immediately strengthened. It could now move freely, and if it wished, it could return to its physical body at any time.
That undoubtedly put it more at ease. It simply lay quietly atop the human beneath its paws, watching to see what else this male human could do.
While the Spirit Body Puppy let its thoughts run wild, the second program inside the Spider-shaped Soul Ring Engraver had already begun.
[Soul Power absorption program activated] [Spiritual Power guidance program activated]
The outer mechanical legs moved at two different frequencies. A pulling field formed from two special metals, each attractive to Soul Power and Spiritual Power, spread outward from the Spirit Body Puppy and fully enveloped the physical body.
Souls were naturally drawn to source Soul Power and source Spiritual Power. Chen Fu did not know why, but that did not prevent him from making use of this rule.
Under normal circumstances, a soul came with armor of Spiritual Power. That was why Chen Fu repeatedly stressed that Scarlet King must not resist. The order of these steps was extremely important and seriously affected the controllability of Soul Power and Spiritual Power.
As the external Spider-shaped Soul Ring Engraver slowly amplified the attraction between the Spirit Body and the physical body, strands of Soul Power mixed with Spiritual Power were drawn bit by bit toward the Spirit Body Puppy.
At that moment, the Soul Power released by Ma Xiaotao's breakthrough, accompanied by Spiritual Power, attached itself as well.
Centered on the Spirit Body Puppy, a ring was gradually taking shape.
Brothers, I've signed a contract! Charge!
Inner version: I can't believe myself. I signed on the twenty-ninth, and I have to update ten thousand words in March, starting from the twenty-ninth! (▼皿▼#)
Before you continue