Long Jiuyyao watched his Natal Dragon Soul flying through the air and understood its function. It was like a cultivation cheat: it devoured Heaven and Earth Yuan Power, then fed it back to its host, gradually and imperceptibly strengthening his Yuan Power cultivation.
Second, once the Natal Dragon Soul reached a certain level, it could transform into a clone of its true form, possessing eighty percent of its host's combat strength. Naturally, as the host grew stronger, it would improve in tandem.
Combat strength included cultivation, martial arts, battle experience, and everything else. It was essentially the host's shadow.
It could also take the host's place and withstand a deadly calamity, giving him a second life. Of course, losing his Natal Dragon Soul would leave serious aftereffects, but this was still more than enough to prove how formidable the Nine Sacred Dragon Arts were.
Long Jiuyyao was extremely satisfied with this one of the Nine Sacred Dragon Arts, the Natal Dragon Soul. It had even surpassed his expectations. Though it was terribly weak at present, it would become absolutely invincible in the future.
If Long Jiuyyao were in the Ancestral Realm, then a clone with eighty percent of his combat strength could crush peerless Reincarnation Stage experts who had survived the Triple Reincarnation Tribulation—perhaps even several of them.
Even against an enemy at the same stage as its host, the combat clone could hold its own, and might even win. Of course, nothing was certain, but it was too early to discuss such things.
Long Jiuyyao formed hand seals, and the Natal Dragon Soul appeared over his heart like a black tattoo, baring its claws and fangs like a ferocious true dragon.
When the Natal Dragon Soul attached itself to his chest, Long Jiuyyao could feel that it seemed almost alive. It was still extremely weak, but that was no problem. The story would not begin for another thirteen years, so he had plenty of time.
By the time Long Jiuyyao had finished cultivating, the sun in the sky had long since been replaced by the bright moon, and brilliant stars glittered in the night.
With a few leaps, Long Jiuyyao reached a Spirit Spring. He had not been able to take a proper bath while at Fierce Hurricane Gorge, so now that he was back at his Courtyard, he naturally wanted to wash up.
Countless Spirit Springs dotted the Dragon Domain, rich with Heaven and Earth Yuan Power. Under the moonlight, the spring before Long Jiuyyao seemed draped in a layer of sheer white silk.
Long Jiuyyao shed his black robe and leapt in, sending up a great splash. Ripples spread one after another, as if stripping the sheer white silk from the spring.
Long Jiuyyao lay in the Spirit Spring. A cool sensation swept over him, easing his fatigue. He closed his eyes in bliss.
Time passed quickly as he slept, and a new day began.
Early that morning, Long Jiuyyao arrived at the Great Elder's Courtyard. The Great Elder sat in the seat of honor. "Jiuyyao, you're a Two-Seal Symbol Master now. Take this set of Carving Knives."
The moment Long Jiuyyao stepped into the Cave Mansion, the Great Elder knew the state of his spiritual power. With the Great Elder's strength, it was effortless for him to sense Long Jiuyyao's current level.
The Great Elder swept his sleeve, and a jade box floated before Long Jiuyyao. The box was translucent all over and emanated an extraordinary aura.
Long Jiuyyao opened the Jade Box. Seven Carving Knives of different shapes lay quietly inside. Each was a different color: gold, pink, red, green, blue, black, and purple.
The gold Carving Knife was two fingers wide and three-point-four inches long, slightly curved, with intricate Secret Technique patterns along the blade. Its handle resembled a dragon's tooth, and it glowed gold all over.
The pink Carving Knife was two fingers wide and four inches long. Its blade was slender, with an upturned tip, while its handle bore exquisite phoenix-feather patterns. It glowed pink all over.
The red Carving Knife was half again as large as the other six. It was four fingers wide and six inches long, with red cracks across its blade, as though it had split apart. Its handle resembled dragon scales, and it glowed red all over.
The green Carving Knife was two fingers wide and five inches long. Its blade twisted like a long snake, while its dark green handle looked stunning and was covered in numerous patterns. It glowed green all over.
The blue Carving Knife was three fingers wide and five-point-five inches long. Pale blue patterns and cracks marked its blade, and its spine was slightly broad and thick. Several differently colored gemstones were set in its handle, and it glowed blue all over.
The black Carving Knife was two fingers wide and four-point-nine inches long. Its blade was thin as paper and marked with dark red stripes, while its handle was set with diamond-shaped gemstones. It glowed black all over.
The purple Carving Knife was the smallest of the seven. It was two fingers wide and three inches long, with a crescent-shaped curve to its blade and alluring patterns on its handle. It glowed purple all over.
Long Jiuyyao fell in love with the set of Carving Knives at first sight, delight plain in his eyes.
"Jiuyyao, give this set a name," the Great Elder said, looking at him from above.
Long Jiuyyao had already thought of a name when he first saw the set.
"Great Elder, let's call them the Seven Original Sins," Long Jiuyyao said, looking up.
"The Seven Original Sins! A fine name. What are the seven sins?" the Great Elder asked.
"Pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust—the seven primal sins of human nature," Long Jiuyyao said clearly.
Gold for pride, pink for envy, red for wrath, green for sloth, blue for greed, black for gluttony, and purple for lust.
Under the Great Elder's watchful gaze, Long Jiuyyao drew out seven drops of blood and infused them into the Seven Original Sins. Then he carved in his Spiritual Imprint. Only then did the Seven Original Sins truly belong to Long Jiuyyao.
Long Jiuyyao controlled the Seven Original Sins with his spiritual power, but only the purple Blade of Lust trembled slightly. The other six Blades of the Seven Deadly Sins remained motionless.
Long Jiuyyao could tell at a glance that the materials used to make the Seven Original Sins must be extremely precious, though he had no idea just how valuable they were.
But after forming a Spiritual Imprint with the Seven Original Sins, he also learned their grade: each was a Heaven-grade High-rank Spirit Treasure. His heart surged with shock, and he could not help marveling at the Dragon Clan's deep reserves in the Demon Domain. They had casually given him a set of Heaven-grade Carving Knife treasures.
However, his own strength was too weak to bring out the Seven Original Sins' full power. Still, each Carving Knife was extremely sharp and could be used as a dagger.
The Demon Breaking Dragon Halberd was excellent too, but using it looked rather ridiculous. It was far too large for Long Jiuyyao, making it difficult to wield smoothly.
The Demon Breaking Dragon Halberd was nearly three meters long. Long Jiuyyao was only eight years old and barely 1.6 meters tall, though that was still taller than most children his age.
The Seven Original Sins were both sharp and compact, so even Long Jiuyyao could wield them one-handed.
The Seven Original Sins were mainly controlled with spiritual power, for stealthy assassination and a single lethal strike. But Long Jiuyyao's spiritual cultivation was insufficient to support controlling them. Since they were made from exceptionally rare materials, however, their blades were as hard as refined gold. Their small, exquisite size also meant he could fight with them in hand.
Long Jiuyyao stored the other six Blades of the Seven Deadly Sins inside his body to nourish them, keeping only the Blade of Lust at his side. He gradually used his spiritual power to control it, making it hover beside him.
Long Jiuyyao noticed the floating Jade Box suddenly give off a faint glow. A moving illustrated figure, shaped like a person, appeared before him, then immediately merged into his Sea of Consciousness.
His Sea of Consciousness was a vast, white emptiness. Long Jiuyyao stared at the Shadow Figure, with the seven Blades of the Seven Deadly Sins hovering beside him as well.
Long Jiuyyao's eyes widened slightly, but the Shadow Figure paid no attention to his reaction. It continued demonstrating how to control the Seven Original Sins.
Long Jiuyyao watched every scene unfold. He realized this was a Secret Technique for practicing how to control the Seven Original Sins, as well as a cultivation method for spiritual power.
As time passed, the Shadow Figure reached the final stage. The Seven Original Sins it controlled flew faster and faster, until they moved too quickly for Long Jiuyyao's eyes to follow. He could only hear the faint sound of blades cutting through the air.
In the Shadow Figure's hands, the Seven Original Sins moved as naturally as its own limbs, graceful as butterflies and eerie as the reaper coming to claim a life.
One Blade of Original Sin after another flashed past Long Jiuyyao's eyes, the tip of his nose, his throat, and his heart. Under the Shadow Figure's control, the Seven Original Sins formed a mobile Killing Array around him, letting him experience their true killing power firsthand.
At last, the Shadow Figure withdrew the Seven Original Sins from the Killing Array and spun around at incredible speed. They came to rest silently, hovering beside it. Though its face was expressionless, the corner of its unseen mouth seemed to lift slightly before it slowly faded away.
Long Jiuyyao gathered his thoughts, and the method of cultivating with the Seven Original Sins was now imprinted in his mind.
Just as Long Jiuyyao was about to put away the Jade Box, a paper illustration drifted out of it. He stared blankly at the pictures of the seven Blades of Original Sin.
What left Long Jiuyyao stunned was not any of the Seven Original Sins, but a long blade surrounded by them—a blade that did not exist, the Eighth Blade.
Long Jiuyyao stared at the illustration, unable to hear even the Great Elder calling his name.
"Jiuyyao! Jiuyyao!" The Great Elder called to him again and again from the raised platform, but Long Jiuyyao did not respond.
The Great Elder's unfathomable aura flashed and vanished. It brought Long Jiuyyao out of his daze, and he finally came to his senses, though fear still gripped his heart.
The illustration seemed to hold a strange power, nearly swallowing Long Jiuyyao's consciousness. If the Great Elder had not called him back, he might have become trapped in it, unable to pull himself away.
"Jiuyyao, are you all right?" the Great Elder asked with concern.
Long Jiuyyao collected himself and replied calmly, "Great Elder, something's come up. I'll take my leave."
Without waiting for the Great Elder to answer, Long Jiuyyao cupped his hands and withdrew.
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