Mastering the Self

The various scenes interwove. Rather than making him uncomfortable, they stirred a crazed urge to utterly destroy everything before him.

His breathing involuntarily grew heavier. A wisp of black qi flickered between his brows, and the aura emanating from him became increasingly dangerous and unstable, like a volcano that could erupt at any moment.

Just as this malevolent qi was about to further erode his mind and awaken deeper demonic thoughts—

"Roar—"

A low tiger's roar, carrying unquestionable majesty and soothing power, sounded from the depths of his soul.

It was his Soul Spirit, Little Black Tiger!

Though it had fallen asleep to digest the large amount of spiritual light it had absorbed, its connection to Situ Xuan's origin allowed it to sense the crisis of its host's mind nearing collapse.

This tiger's roar from the origin of his soul was not an actual sound, yet it was like a great bell, scattering the surging slaughtering illusions in Situ Xuan's mind and forcibly suppressing his escalating violent emotions.

Situ Xuan shuddered violently and awoke from that near-demonic exhilaration. His back was instantly drenched in cold sweat.

He gasped for breath, a trace of lingering fear in his eyes.

"That was close... This Black Heart Evil Palm really is sinister!"

He was secretly alarmed. The increase in power is fast, but its erosion of one's temperament is so tyrannical and fierce. Without Little Black Tiger's warning, just now, I probably...

He steadied his mind and no longer dared to fully operate the Black Heart Evil Palm. Instead, he kept it at a relatively mild pace, using it mainly to absorb the wandering malevolent qi energy in the air to replenish himself, no longer deliberately pursuing a breakthrough.

The growth of power was certainly important, but if it caused him to lose himself and become a monster that knew only slaughter, that would be putting the cart before the horse. It was absolutely not what he wanted.

After this ordeal, Situ Xuan gained a deeper understanding of these two powers.

"The Dragon-Turning Breathing Method is upright and orthodox. Its foundation is solid; it nurtures vitality and perceives opportunities ahead of time, but its progress is relatively steady and moderate. The Black Heart Evil Palm takes an unorthodox path. Its progress is swift and its destructive power terrifying, yet it can easily backlash against the mind and shake one's foundation."

"That fusion during the day was a delicate balance achieved temporarily under the pressure of life and death, when my mind was highly focused and unified, using battle intent as a bridge. Trying to pursue it deliberately would instead make it difficult to replicate because my state of mind would differ."

"To truly merge them, perhaps... I cannot force a fusion of their forms. Instead, I should seek to command their intent?"

A thought flashed through his mind like lightning.

"The Dragon-Turning Breathing Method cultivates the self—controlling oneself and perceiving external things. The Black Heart Evil Palm draws upon malevolence—commanding external power and slaughtering all beings. If I can use the 'true self will' forged by the Dragon-Turning Breathing Method as my foundation, and the insight of First of the First as my eyes, then command the violent malevolent qi of the Black Heart Evil Palm, could I wield it like an arm instead of becoming its slave?"

"With my will, I command malevolence's ferocity! This is not fusion, but... mastery!"

At that thought, Situ Xuan felt as though a new door had opened before him.

He no longer tried to forcibly knead the energies of the two attributes together within his meridians. Instead, while maintaining the basic circulation of the Dragon-Turning Breathing Method and keeping a sliver of clarity in his mind, he began dividing his attention to guide each wisp of malevolent qi absorbed into his body. Rather than merging it into the main current of Soul Power, he restrained and compressed it with his powerful will like taming wild horses, directing it toward specific peripheral branches rather than his primary meridians—even... his skin, flesh, and bones!

The process was still fraught with danger and pain. The unruliness of the malevolent qi far exceeded his imagination. Each act of restraint was like fighting a miniature war within his body, with tearing pain constantly washing over him.

Yet relying on the resilient will he had tempered in the Spirit Ascension Platform, as well as the sense of stability brought by his connection with Little Black Tiger deep within his soul, he endured it head-on.

Gradually, those wisps of malevolent qi that had been separated and restrained no longer clashed with the pale golden main current of Soul Power. Instead, like parasites clinging to bone, they occupied those peripheral areas, slowly seeping through and strengthening his body. In particular, a faint metallic black sheen appeared over his skin, radiating an indestructible yet dangerous aura.

This was not a perfect solution. It was more like a dangerous compromise and experiment.

But at least he had found a path that might work, a path that would increase his strength while reducing, as much as possible, the risk of his mind being eroded.

"Tell me how you each felt about yesterday's Spirit Ascension Platform."

Standing behind the podium, Wu Zhangkong spoke calmly to the six students in the classroom.

The five students in the front row wore varied expressions. Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi's exhaustion was written all over their faces, as if they had suffered nightmares all night.

Remembering the helplessness of being instantly defeated, Zhang Yangzi unconsciously clenched his fists. Wang Jinxi, meanwhile, still feared the Man Faced Demon Spider's cold compound eyes and vicious mandibles. The terror of being torn apart bit by bit was not something that could easily be dispelled.

Xie Xie was not doing much better. Being chased by a pack of Green Wolves until there was nowhere to flee had made the speed advantage of his Agility Attack System seem utterly laughable. His gaze now drifted somewhat, as though he were still on guard against nonexistent wolf howls.

Gu Yue, on the other hand, looked calm. From beginning to end, apart from Tang Wulin, it seemed nothing else could draw her attention...

Oh!

Situ Xuan was an exception. Whenever he beat her up, Gu Yue's expression naturally became very unpleasant.

She was not particularly annoyed about being "killed" while covering the team's retreat. Instead, she was reviewing her elemental usage and tactical choices, her eyes filled with thought.

Tang Wulin was sincerely happy because his Soul Spirit, Golden Light, had evolved. He was the only one with an excited expression and bright eyes.

Not only had he killed two hundred-year Soul Beasts, more importantly, he had felt the trust and support of his companions, as well as the growth of his own power.

Situ Xuan...

Situ Xuan was asleep with his head on the desk in the back row. His breathing was even and deep, and he appeared to be sound asleep. Yet if someone skilled in sensing auras were present, they would notice that his aura was restrained to the extreme, as though he had drawn every edge back into his body. Only a faint, lingering thread of malevolent qi remained around him—the sign that his attempt to "master" the malevolent qi the night before had not yet fully settled.

He turned a deaf ear to Teacher Wu's question, as though the experience in the Spirit Ascension Platform had been no more remarkable than drinking a cup of water yesterday.

Wu Zhangkong's ice-blue eyes swept over everyone, taking in each person's reaction. Finally, his gaze paused on Situ Xuan for a moment, but he did not reprimand him.

"Zhang Yangzi."

Wu Zhangkong called on him. "You go first."

Zhang Yangzi took a deep breath and stood up, his tone filled with unwillingness and reflection. "I... was too careless. I underestimated the danger of the Spirit Ascension Platform. I thought I could handle it with the Dark Phantom Eagle's abilities, but in the end... I was eliminated before I even saw my opponent's true strength. I understand now. Actual combat is no game. Any underestimation of an enemy can come at a price."

Wu Zhangkong nodded slightly without comment, then shifted his gaze to Wang Jinxi.

Wang Jinxi's voice was somewhat low. "I... I fell into a trap. Facing the Man Faced Demon Spider, I felt... felt so powerless. The gap in strength was too great. My Bone Dragon King martial soul seemed... seemed to have been suppressed." His words carried a trace of confusion and dejection toward his own martial soul.