At once, a string of lights lit up inside the machine, casting faint halos over the Soul Spirit balls.
There were at least a hundred Soul Spirit balls inside the machine. They slowly began circling along their tracks, yet moved with astonishing speed, making them impossible to follow with the naked eye.
The exterior of the Soul Spirit balls completely concealed the Soul Spirits within. Nothing could be seen with the eyes; everything depended on fate.
Not long after pressing the green button, Situ Xuan swiftly pressed the red one.
Bang—
The spinning stopped. A pure white Soul Spirit ball dropped from the machine's outlet and rolled into the metal box beside him.
"Child, this is your Soul Spirit ball. Once you get outside, you can open it and take a look."
The Spirit Master handed the Soul Spirit ball to Situ Xuan, then led him out of the room.
Looking at the device the Spirit Master handed him, Situ Xuan paused before pressing the button without hesitation.
As the Soul Spirit ball unfolded, light slowly shone from within.
The yellow glow left the Spirit Master staring at Situ Xuan in shock. "A... a hundred-year Soul Spirit?!"
Did I really hit the jackpot?
As a Spirit Master of the Spirit Pagoda, he knew that it was technically possible to draw a hundred-year Soul Spirit at random, but the odds were incredibly low!
After serving as a Spirit Master for more than ten years, if others did not understand that, how could he not?
Situ Xuan looked at the little black tiger in his palm, the character "King" carved onto its forehead, and gave a soft chuckle. "What perfect timing."
"Thank you."
After a simple expression of thanks, Situ Xuan headed home.
Little Black Tiger was extremely lively. It had climbed out of the Soul Spirit ball long ago and stood on Situ Xuan's shoulder, constantly looking around as though it had no idea that, if it was not absorbed, it would eventually dissipate completely.
"Situ Xuan?!"
The moment he stepped outside, Situ Xuan heard someone call out.
He turned and saw a little boy with short black hair waving at him. His large eyes were sharply defined in black and white, and even many girls could not compare to his long eyelashes.
"Situ Xuan, did you come to buy a Soul Spirit too?"
Only when the little boy approached did Situ Xuan remember him. This was his classmate, and the protagonist of this era, Tang Wulin.
"Yeah."
Situ Xuan glanced at Little Black Tiger on his shoulder. "This is my Soul Spirit."
Seeing the lifelike Little Black Tiger, Tang Wulin's large eyes visibly lit up, as though he too was looking forward to something.
As fellow classmates with similarly low Innate Soul Power, Tang Wulin had always viewed Situ Xuan favorably. It was just that Situ Xuan usually ignored him.
"Wulin, is this your classmate?"
Tang Ziran looked at the boy before him, who was clearly a head taller than his own son, with some disbelief.
"Yeah, Dad. He's my friend from class, Situ Xuan."
Tang Wulin introduced him to Tang Ziran.
"Hello, Uncle."
Situ Xuan spoke politely, though there was little smile on his face. "I have something to do, so I'll be leaving first. I hope you get a good Soul Spirit."
"Ah, all right. I'll take your good wishes."
Tang Wulin scratched his head. However, knowing this "monster" from school, he understood that Situ Xuan had only said so much because his parent was nearby. He did not press the matter.
"Wulin, your classmate... he has quite a cold personality."
Tang Ziran looked at Situ Xuan and opened his mouth, unsure what to say.
"The whole class is used to it."
Tang Wulin did not think much of it. "Situ Xuan is a good person. He's just a little withdrawn."
Tang Ziran did not dwell on it either. He rubbed his son's head. "Come on! It's our turn to get a Soul Spirit!"
"Roar!"
After returning home, Situ Xuan reached out and lifted Little Black Tiger up. Seeing that the little fellow was not afraid, a smile appeared on his face.
He extended his right hand before Little Black Tiger, as though expecting something.
The instant Situ Xuan's right palm touched the little tiger's paw pad, a cold, stabbing pain shot from his palm straight into his bones. The skin between his brows tightened slightly, as if an invisible crack had silently opened. The Black Heart Evil Palm technique actually began circulating on its own within his dantian—icy Malevolent Qi surged forth like a tide, racing through his meridians before gathering in his palm.
Little Black Tiger tilted its head, its amber feline eyes reflecting Situ Xuan's face. It did not struggle or show the slightest discomfort. It simply stepped forward calmly, raised its other forepaw, and gently pressed it against Situ Xuan's wrist.
Whoosh—!
Malevolent Qi suddenly swept forward. Situ Xuan felt an invisible force pulling at his Soul Power, while Little Black Tiger's Soul Spirit body seemed to become a bottomless Abyss, madly devouring that energy tainted with Black Malice. He let out a muffled grunt. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his muscles tensed like rock as he forcibly suppressed the evil thoughts surging within him.
"No rejection?" He frowned slightly, his heart alert.
The Black Heart Evil Palm relied on Malevolent Qi for cultivation, but excessive Malevolent Qi could easily backlash against the mind. If ordinary living creatures came into contact with it, they might suffer mental disorder at best or have their soul bodies collapse at worst.
Yet this little fellow before him showed not the slightest pain. Instead, it seemed to be... enjoying it?
He focused his attention and observed carefully. Deep in Little Black Tiger's eyes, a wisp of extremely faint black qi had somehow condensed, slowly spreading like ink dripping into water. Its pupils narrowed into slits, no longer possessing the roundness of an ordinary young tiger's eyes. Instead, they carried a hint of sharpness, like the edge of a blade hidden beneath a clear sky.
"Interesting," Situ Xuan murmured, his gaze cold.
He no longer restrained the flow of Malevolent Qi, allowing the Black Heart Evil Palm technique to circulate on its own. Soul Power and Malevolent Qi intertwined, continuously pouring into the little tiger's body. A faint black mist like a tiny Ghost Shadow emerged, coiling around Situ Xuan's wrist. Yet it did not spread outward, instead being completely absorbed by Little Black Tiger.
Suddenly—!
Clang!
An extremely faint metallic tremor exploded in Situ Xuan's mind, like a sharp sword leaving its sheath or an invisible chain snapping apart. His entire body shook. The circulation of the Black Heart Evil Palm within him suddenly accelerated, forcefully breaking through an acupoint that had been blocked. Malevolent Qi flowed back, and his Soul Power abruptly surged!
"A breakthrough?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Situ Xuan's eyes. "No, I successfully absorbed the Soul Spirit..."
A pale yellow soul ring appeared around Situ Xuan, showing that he had successfully advanced from a Soul Scholar to a one-ringed Soul Master.
He had originally been stuck at the bottleneck of level ten Soul Power, but now he had directly risen to level eleven, and even... continued increasing slowly!
And all of this was because, during the absorption of the Soul Spirit, the Malevolent Qi of the Black Heart Evil Palm had resonated with the Soul Spirit somehow, greatly increasing his cultivation efficiency!
Little Black Tiger remained calm, but the Soul Power fluctuations within it had become far more solid than before. Though its form had not changed in the slightest, it gave off a... fiercer feeling.
It was as though it was no longer an ordinary Soul Spirit, but an existence tempered by Malevolent Qi.
Situ Xuan narrowed his eyes and slowly withdrew his hand.
Little Black Tiger gave a light leap and landed nimbly on his shoulder. Its tail swept gently as it affectionately rubbed against his cheek as usual.
But Situ Xuan knew that something... had become completely different.
Before you continue