A Soul's Habitation

Mu Qian still had four of the five elemental attributes left to collect: metal, wood, water, and earth.

But the remaining attributes weren't so easy to find.

Wind, lightning, light, and darkness were relatively easier. As for time, space, divinity, evil... and even the elusive power of fortune...

Every time he thought about them, his head started to ache.

Having too many attributes wasn't a problem. He possessed Twin Martial Souls and could use his Second Martial Soul to assimilate other attributes into himself.

But where was he supposed to find Spirit Beasts with rare attributes?

At one point, Mu Qian had even thought that Spirit Beasts with the attribute of time simply didn't exist!

Even if one did, he would never be able to find it.

Just imagine: if some being could master the secrets of time and vanish into the river of time whenever it pleased, who could ever discover its whereabouts?

Forget hunting it. Even seeing it would be difficult, wouldn't it?

He had no idea what would happen after all the attributes were combined, either.

Would they form the legendary attributes of Chaos or reincarnation?

Or something else entirely?

Fortunately, seeing the Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum not far away brought Mu Qian some comfort.

Wasn't there a ready-made wood attribute right here?

That would make his task a lot easier.

"Were you the one asking me for help?" Mu Qian approached the Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum.

The closer he got, the more clearly he could sense how weak she was. Her life force was nearly depleted. What good was even the most powerful Spiritual Power in that state?

As if answering Mu Qian's question, the Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum swayed gently. Her crystalline petals brushed his arm, bringing a strangely cool sensation.

"An Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum with a cultivation of over a hundred thousand years. That's truly rare. You don't look well. Can you tell me what happened?"

Mu Qian couldn't understand how two Spirit Beasts with a cultivation of thirty thousand years had broken the illusion formation protecting her life.

The gentle female voice he'd heard earlier appeared in Mu Qian's mind once more. She said little, and her condition was growing weaker by the moment.

"I endured a two-hundred-thousand-year Heavenly Tribulation. I just... failed."

"What..." Mu Qian's eyes widened. "If you failed the Heavenly Tribulation, shouldn't you have been reduced to ashes?"

"I used all my Spiritual Power to deceive the final tribulation and even fool the Heavenly Dao..."

"The final tribulation never came down, and nothing terrible happened. It seemed that, somewhere beyond my sight, that existence already knew my condition."

The Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum sounded dejected, yet there was a trace of pride in her voice.

She knew she didn't have much time left.

So she didn't mind telling her story to Mu Qian, her only listener.

She might as well say goodbye to this beautiful world one last time.

In this world, not even those beings with a million years of cultivation could do what she had done.

The Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum had every reason to be proud.

Mu Qian sighed deeply and didn't press her for more details.

As expected of someone blessed with Spiritual Power talent so remarkable that even the heavens would envy it. She'd even managed to deceive the Heavenly Dao's test.

How powerful must her Spiritual Power have been for her to accomplish that with just a few simple words?

Mu Qian couldn't help feeling fortunate, and marveling at his luck.

If the Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum hadn't suffered damage to her origin, he never would have found her.

And then he would have missed this heaven-defying opportunity.

The Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum had used the Spiritual Power she'd accumulated over her lifetime to steal a few years from the Heavenly Dao. Unexpectedly, he was the one who would benefit from it.

"If you could gain eternal life and further raise your bloodline level, and even leave the place where you've grown for over a hundred thousand years without having to reincarnate as a human, would you be willing to see this dazzling, colorful world?"

Mu Qian suddenly looked toward the boundless night sky in the distance and spoke in an enigmatic tone.

The Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum instinctively wanted to say yes, but reason told her it was impossible.

"Who wouldn't want eternal life? But for me, that's nothing more than an elusive fantasy."

Mu Qian chuckled and shook his head. "What if I told you I could make it happen?"

The Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum trembled. Of course she longed for eternal life.

For the past few years, she'd had more than enough of watching her life slip away day after day. If she had a choice, she would certainly risk everything, even give up everything she had.

She didn't believe that this handsome young man before her could help her. But at the same time, she couldn't help holding on to a glimmer of hope.

"How can you prove you can help me?"

Mu Qian turned to look at her, his gaze full of determination. "Time will prove it."

"You don't have any other options anyway. Why not give it a try?"

"I need you to offer yourself as a sacrifice. The special nature of my Martial Soul will let you continue living as a special kind of spirit."

"One day, I'll break the restrictions of this world. When that day comes, I'll fulfill my promise to you."

Mu Qian didn't know the Soul Spirit Contract method that people would supposedly use ten thousand years from now, but he did possess a Second Martial Soul.

After several years of research, he had finally figured out a few of the wonders of his Second Martial Soul, Nine Nether.

There seemed to be an independent world gestating within that mass of purplish-black energy!

He'd discovered it by chance. On a sudden whim, he'd tried touching the mass of purplish-black energy inside him with his Spiritual Power.

The instant his Spiritual Power touched it, Mu Qian found that his soul had arrived in a brand-new place...

It was a dark, chaotic expanse. Living beings couldn't enter at all, but spirits could move through it freely.

It was a habitation for souls...

Mu Qian didn't know what other uses it might have. Perhaps they would reveal themselves one by one as he added Spirit Rings.

"Of course, I'm only offering a suggestion. The choice is yours."

The Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum was tempted.

How could she not be?

For tens of thousands of years, she'd been stuck standing there, with no ability to move. All she could see was the small patch of scenery before her.

For Plant-type Soul Beasts, unless they chose to reincarnate as humans, the place where they took root was their home for the rest of their lives.

Every day, they could only struggle to survive with utmost care, spending almost all their effort fighting natural enemies that seemed incredibly weak to them.

She'd had more than enough of that life.

Besides, her life was already nearing its end.

The Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum realized that she had no choice left.

If she gave up, she would die. If she trusted Mu Qian, her future was uncertain.

She truly didn't want to choose. Given the choice, who would entrust their life to a human they'd just met?

"Can I trust you?"

Mu Qian smiled brightly. He knew she was beginning to let down her guard.

"Of course."

"This won't cost you anything, will it?"

"Instead of calmly accepting death, why not choose to believe and gamble on a future that might be bright?"