Enlightenment?
This thing could actually be enlightened?
And not repaired or enhanced, but undergo a second, targeted mutation!
A wild thought instantly took over his entire mind!
To anyone else, the Bloodthirsty Thorn itself was worthless trash, a dangerous thing that had to be destroyed.
But what about here, with him?
He had the Gold Touch System!
Right in front of him was a gold mine made up of Mutated Spirit Rice, able to provide an endless stream of Metal Touch Value!
If he subdued it, then used Gold Touch Value to subject it to a second mutation, a third mutation...
What kind of monster would he eventually raise?
A plant-type war machine with limitless growth potential, one that obeyed only him?
A terrifying bodyguard that could keep devouring and evolving, and knew no fear of death?
At that moment, Zhou Xuan's blood boiled over!
This was practically another Heavenly Path made just for him!
The fact that his Spirit Root aptitude was poor and his cultivation speed slow was indisputable.
Even if he gathered enough Gold Touch Value to improve his Spirit Root in the future, he would still need a great deal of time to catch up.
But if he had a pet that could be strengthened without limit, just how terrifying would the boost to his combat strength be?
That would bring far more immediate fighting power than simply improving his own cultivation!
Zhou Xuan looked at the Bloodthirsty Thorn still struggling wildly in his hand, and his expression changed in an instant.
He no longer looked at it as a piece of trash, but as a priceless treasure without equal in the world!
"From today on, you're with me."
Zhou Xuan grinned, revealing a bright yet dangerous smile.
He said, "From today on, you're with me," so casually.
It was as if he weren't speaking to a bloodthirsty monster that had just tried to take his life, but had simply picked up a stray dog by the roadside.
But the fervent flames burned in his heart only for a moment before a bucket of cold water doused them.
He looked at the Bloodthirsty Thorn, still struggling wildly and trying to pierce his palm with its barbs, and furrowed his brow slightly.
A very practical problem stood before him.
How could he subdue it?
This thing wasn't some docile pet. It was full of aggression, with nothing in its mind but chaos and bloodlust.
He couldn't just keep holding onto it day after day, could he?
The moment he let go, this thing would attack him again without hesitation.
He had to find a way to control it completely!
Zhou Xuan's thoughts raced.
He recalled the novels and legends he'd read in his previous life. They spoke of blood-bonding, Divine Soul imprints, and all kinds of contract methods.
But the problem was, he didn't know a single one!
As its name suggested, the Spirit Sword Pavilion was a sword cultivator sect. The sect's mainstream path was to cultivate sword techniques, temper Sword Heart, and pursue the Dao through strength—one sword breaking all laws.
It didn't seem to care much for such unorthodox methods.
At least at the level accessible to a Chore Disciple like him, he'd never heard of any beast-taming or plant-controlling methods being passed down.
"I've heard rumors of specialized Beast Taming Sects. They have secret arts that can forcibly plant restrictions in a demonic beast's Divine Soul, making it bow its head and obey its master's commands..."
Zhou Xuan considered the matter in silence.
"But places like that are a world away. Where am I supposed to learn those arts?"
Was he really going to be sitting on a mountain of treasure with no key to open the door?
Was this wild idea, just kindled, going to die in the cradle?
A powerful sense of unwillingness welled up in Zhou Xuan's heart.
Just as his thoughts raced and his impatience reached its peak, another change occurred!
Hum.
A faint tremor rang out, not from the outside world, but directly from the depths of his mind.
It was the Broken Ancient Scripture, formed from fragments of Green Copper!
It hovered quietly in the center of Zhou Xuan's newly opened Sea of Consciousness, still shrouded in chaos. At that moment, a faint golden halo suddenly spread across the scripture's surface.
Zhou Xuan's consciousness was drawn toward it at once.
He could clearly see that the Ancient Scripture seemed to have sensed his intense desire to control and subdue the Bloodthirsty Thorn.
On one page of the scripture, a character that had been blurred beyond recognition began to slowly grow clear and solid.
It was an extremely ancient and complex symbol, woven from countless mysterious strokes and imbued with the natural rhythm of the Dao.
Zhou Xuan didn't recognize the symbol at all, nor could he understand what it meant.
But the moment the symbol fully took shape, a sudden understanding poured directly into the depths of his Divine Soul, like a revelation from heaven.
A contract!
An overbearing master-servant contract, established on the level of the Divine Soul!
Zhou Xuan's heart gave a hard thump, and wild joy swept away all his reason!
Talk about getting what you wished for!
This mysterious Ancient Scripture could not only suppress and nourish the Divine Soul, it could also provide such an unimaginable method when he needed it!
He didn't hesitate for another second. His eyes locked onto the base of the Bloodthirsty Thorn in his hand.
That was the core of its life, and the dwelling place of its flicker of chaotic consciousness!
"Hold still!"
Zhou Xuan growled. His other hand shot out like lightning and seized the Bloodthirsty Thorn's roots, twisted together like claws.
The next instant, he closed his eyes and sank his entire mind into his Sea of Consciousness!
Divine Soul power, erupt!
Ever since he'd accidentally opened his Sea of Consciousness, Zhou Xuan's Divine Soul had already reached the threshold of the Qi Refining Realm Cultivator ahead of time.
Although he still couldn't release his spiritual sense or control objects from a distance like a true Qi Refining Cultivator, he could already muster a trace of Divine Soul power to interfere with certain things on the level of the Divine Soul!
An intangible yet supremely imposing force surged through his palm and charged into the Bloodthirsty Thorn's roots.
"Thisss!"
The Bloodthirsty Thorn seemed to have encountered its natural enemy. Its entire body trembled violently, letting out a terrified hiss.
Zhou Xuan's Divine Soul effortlessly tore through the Thorn's feeble, chaotic defenses and barged straight into its muddled Sea of Consciousness.
There was no light here, no Order, only a field of Crimson.
Frenzy, hunger, bloodlust, Destruction...
Countless primitive, negative thoughts crashed about, forming a chaotic mental world.
This was the Bloodthirsty Thorn's Sea of Consciousness: simple and primitive, yet full of savagery.
But when Zhou Xuan's Divine Soul, countless times stronger than its own, descended, that Crimson world froze in an instant.
It was like a wolf among sheep!
Under the pressure of his Divine Soul, those frenzied thoughts trembled, instinctively feeling fear and Submission.
"Now!"
Seizing his chance, Zhou Xuan gathered his Divine Soul power and began painstakingly tracing the mysterious symbol he'd grasped from the Ancient Scripture at the center of that Crimson world.
One stroke, then another.
Each stroke felt like carving into solid rock with a chisel, consuming an enormous amount of his mental strength.
Zhou Xuan's face paled at a visible speed. Fine beads of sweat emerged on his forehead, and his body began to tremble slightly.
The depletion of the Divine Soul was far more terrifying than that of the body!
It was a weakness that came from the very source of life, as if his soul were being drained away bit by bit.
But he still clenched his teeth and endured, relying on the tenacious will he'd forged across two lifetimes.
At last, the final stroke fell, and the golden symbol, imbued with a mysterious and overbearing aura, fully took shape!
Hum!
The golden contract symbol burst into dazzling light, instantly illuminating the entire Crimson Sea of Consciousness.
The frenzied, bloodthirsty thoughts vanished beneath the golden radiance.
Then the golden symbol slammed into the deepest part of that Sea of Consciousness, becoming an indelible mark!
It worked!
Before you continue