"We did it! Hahaha! Perfect! Absolutely perfect!" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice carried both weakness and barely contained excitement. "How do you feel, kid? Like you've been reborn, so powerful you're afraid of yourself? The four spiritual skills I gave you—Spiritual Detection, Spiritual Sharing, Simulation, and Soul Shock—and all the relevant information and techniques for using them have already been imprinted deep in your soul. With a little practice, you'll master them! As for the foundation of your Second Martial Soul's potential, that's been successfully planted too!"
Su Chen opened his eyes. A flash of golden light flickered in his pupils and vanished. Feeling the surging power within him, he unconsciously spread the six wings behind his back.
"Thank you, Tian Meng." Su Chen offered his heartfelt thanks.
"Heh, what are you thanking me for?" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice rang out in his mind. "But I've used up a lot of energy, so I'll need to rest in your Sea of Consciousness for a while. By the way, Su Chen, about your Second Martial Soul..."
It paused, its tone turning a little more serious. "For now, I've only planted the foundation of an ice-attribute potential within you. To truly awaken it and grant it a complete form and power, we'll need some special conditions. Once your Soul Power reaches level thirty, I'll take you somewhere to obtain your Second Martial Soul."
Su Chen had a vague idea what it meant—the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, one of the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North! But he didn't say it aloud. He simply replied, "Understood."
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It really did plan to have Ice Empress sacrifice herself to Su Chen in the future. At that point, Ice Empress wouldn't just be the First Soul Ring of Su Chen's Second Martial Soul; she could even become the body of that ice-attribute Martial Soul!
Just then, a sudden change occurred!
A barely perceptible stream of gray air silently drifted over from deep within the forest. It seemed faint, yet radiated an abstruse aura of primeval antiquity and vicissitude, transcending the cycle of life and death. The gray wisp circled Su Chen twice, then plunged into the space between his brows!
"What is that?" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm cried out, trying to erect a barrier with its spiritual power. But the gray wisp was bizarre beyond belief. It pierced straight through the spiritual barrier and slipped into Su Chen's brow!
Su Chen shuddered all over as he felt a third force enter his body. It wasn't as vast as Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's, but it was even more profound and abstruse.
"This is... the Scourge of the Undead, Electrolux!" Su Chen was stunned.
The remnant soul of this Holy Necromancer had chosen him instead of Huo Yuhao!
"Little one, do not be alarmed." An aged yet gentle voice sounded in Su Chen's Sea of Consciousness. It was completely different from Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's spiritual fluctuations. The voice seemed to have weathered countless ages, calm yet filled with great wisdom.
The gray wisp gathered within the Sea of Consciousness, forming the phantom of an old man in gray robes. His beard and hair were pure white, his face kind, and his eyes deep as the starry sky.
"This old man's wisp of a remnant soul has drifted for far too long. Today, I sensed an aura that combined the sacred with the spiritual. Curiosity got the better of me, so I came without an invitation." Electrolux's remnant soul spoke slowly, his voice gentle. "If you don't mind, I'll stay here for a while."
Su Chen suppressed his excitement and said respectfully, "It would be my honor to have you stay, senior."
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had also recovered from its surprise by now. It warily eyed the gray phantom. "What are you? How did you get in here?"
Electrolux smiled faintly, unoffended. "A little bug. Don't worry, I mean you no harm. I was simply curious after seeing the extraordinary talent of this young friend."
"Who are you calling a little bug?" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm grumbled. "I'm a million-year Soul Beast! A peerless heavenly talent!"
"Yes, yes, a peerless heavenly talent." Electrolux chuckled and shook his head, then floated quietly to a corner of the Sea of Consciousness and fell asleep.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm snorted and said to Su Chen, "That old fellow doesn't seem simple... But since he's asleep, we can leave him alone for now. Su Chen, get used to your new power."
Su Chen nodded and returned his consciousness to the real world. He looked at the two Soul Rings on his body—one deep yellow, almost purple, and the other a brilliant gold. The astonishing combination sent his heart surging.
He glanced at the unconscious Huo Yuhao on the ground, then lingered no longer. His six wings spread in a sudden sweep, and golden holy light bloomed once more.
At the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, in a clearing surrounded by a stream.
Su Chen sat cross-legged atop a massive boulder, eyes closed, a faint golden glow flowing around him. The light was sacred and gentle, like the first rays of morning sun, making him seem like a god descended to earth.
"Whoosh—"
Su Chen slowly breathed out a mouthful of stale air. Faint golden specks shimmered in his breath as it drifted away. He opened his eyes, and a flash of gold passed through them.
"I'm at the peak of level twenty-seven." Feeling the surging Soul Power within him, Su Chen's lips curled slightly. "Only three levels away from level thirty. At this rate, I'll break through in a month at most."
A day earlier, after leaving the area where he'd encountered Huo Yuhao, he'd found this relatively safe clearing beside the stream.
"Kid, someone's coming." Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's lazy voice sounded in his Sea of Consciousness, tinged with amusement. "Two little ones, and they're not looking too good."
As soon as it finished speaking, the dense thicket ahead shook violently, accompanied by ragged panting and the sound of branches snapping.
"Rustle!"
Two rather bedraggled figures burst out of the bushes.
The one in front was a boy, about fourteen or fifteen. His blue outfit was torn in several places, revealing the solid muscles underneath. He had short, deep blue hair, handsome features, and sharp brows and bright eyes. At that moment, his brow was furrowed with worry. Most striking was his right arm: blue-violet scales covered it from shoulder to fingertips, and his hand had transformed into a dragon claw. Five razor-sharp talons gleamed like knives, while fine blue-violet arcs of lightning coiled around them with a crackling hiss.
He was in the midst of transforming under the influence of his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul! Although the transformation was slowly fading, the pressure of a top-tier Beast Martial Soul still lingered.
Right behind him was a girl. She seemed a little younger than the boy, around thirteen or fourteen, with a petite, delicate build. Her light-purple dress was coated with dust and bits of grass, and torn in several places. Her long, deep-purple hair was slightly disheveled. Her finely shaped, oval face was pale as paper, and beads of sweat dotted her brow. Despite her disheveled state, she still had a lively beauty about her. Her purple eyes in particular remained bright despite her exhaustion.
The fluctuations in the girl's Soul Power were clearly unstable, wavering between level thirty-one and level thirty-two. She had evidently only recently broken through to Soul Elder and hadn't yet consolidated her cultivation.
"Bei Bei... I—I can't run anymore..." the girl panted, her voice weak.
"Xiao Ya, hang on a little longer! We should've shaken off that Red-Winged Dragon for now!" The boy called Bei Bei supported the girl and warily scanned their surroundings. He hadn't fully withdrawn his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, ready to respond to any sudden danger.
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