The Taboo of the Soul Extinguishing Technique!

Outside the Dao Treasury Hall.

"Made your choices?"

Seeing Xia Manggan emerge, Daoist Gufang, who was seated at a stone table drinking, beckoned to him. "I learned you were choosing cultivation techniques earlier, so I didn't call you over. Now that you're done, come have a few drinks."

As he spoke, he flipped his hand and produced an exquisite wine cup, then filled it from a wine pot.

"Thanks." Xia Manggan walked over and sat down.

After sharing a cup with Daoist Gufang, he handed over the four booklets in his hand.

"Four golden books? They're all top-tier." Daoist Gufang was not particularly surprised.

After all, Xia Manggan possessed seventeen thousand Black-White Pills, making him wealthier than many old disciples who had trained for over a century. Naturally, he would choose the finest cultivation techniques, divine abilities, and secret arts.

"Law of Heaven and Earth, Three Heads and Six Arms." Daoist Gufang nodded. "With these two divine abilities combined with your divine body, you'll be more than capable of crushing ordinary Wanxiang Daoists at the Purple Mansion stage. Not bad, not bad."

When he saw the Soul Bewilderment Technique, Daoist Gufang smiled. "With the level of your soul, once you master this secret art, ordinary Immortal cultivators at the Wanxiang Daoist stage will collapse in droves when they face you."

But when he saw the final book, the Soul Extinguishing Technique, his smile vanished at once.

He already had a secret art that could make a person's soul suffer as though it were being seared by flames, yet he wanted to practice another technique that directly annihilated souls?

Did he really have to be this brutal!?

"Xuanhuang, I know your Xia Mang Clan does not lack Qi Refining techniques or divine abilities." Daoist Gufang frowned. "But for this Soul Extinguishing Technique, I advise you not to exchange for it."

"Why?" Xia Manggan asked in confusion. "My soul is powerful, and Immortal cultivators, whether Fiendgod Body Refiners or Qi Refiners, generally have very few methods for protecting their souls. If I master this secret art, won't that give me another killing move?"

"You don't understand." Daoist Gufang explained, "This Soul Extinguishing Technique costs ten thousand Black-White Pills, and it also requires one's Divine Sense to be at a sufficient level before it can be cultivated. Most ordinary third-generation disciples would never exchange for it in their entire lives. Usually, only people like me, who have entered the Primordial Spirit stage, are willing to spend so many Black-White Pills on it."

"Moreover, this soul-attacking technique is really just a method of using Divine Sense and Divine Will to launch attacks. Its principles are simple, and once exposed, they can easily spread."

"That is why the taboo of the Soul Extinguishing Technique was not written in the booklet. Instead, it has been passed down orally by the hall keepers."

Daoist Gufang's tone gradually became solemn. "In truth, the Soul Extinguishing Technique is a desperate method that harms both sides. To cultivate it, you must first use a secret art to split your own soul in two, much like cultivating a Second Primordial Spirit. The difference is that a Second Primordial Spirit requires a vessel to contain the other half of the divided soul. The Soul Extinguishing Technique, however, refines that half of the soul into a 'Soul Extinguishing Awl,' as though refining a magical treasure."

"It requires splitting the soul?" Xia Manggan pondered.

"Yes." Daoist Gufang sighed. "When cultivating a Second Primordial Spirit, the separated half of the soul enters its vessel and can slowly recover through a Visualization Method. But when it is used to refine a Soul Extinguishing Awl, it would already be fortunate if no soul was lost during the refining process."

"If the process fails, not only will you suffer severe injuries, but losing half your soul may even drastically alter your personality."

"And even if you succeed, when the Soul Extinguishing Awl battles and kills an opponent's soul, it will constantly be depleted by the opponent's soul counterattacks. The stronger the opponent's soul, the greater the depletion. Once it is entirely used up, it will be gone..."

"That does not even account for the effects that splitting your soul will have on your own soul. After all, your main soul will be left with only half of itself. To recover its original strength, it will take at least several years, perhaps even decades."

Daoist Gufang shook his head. "In short, almost no one in our Black-White Academy chooses this secret art. Only those with enemies they hate as deeply as the Blood Sea, who intend to perish together with them, would consider cultivating it. That is why the Academy deliberately set such a high price in Black-White Pills—to keep disciples from exchanging for it lightly..."

"So that's how it is." Xia Manggan came to a realization.

No wonder the three soul secret arts, the Soul Shaking Technique and the Soul Bewilderment Technique, only cost two thousand and three thousand Black-White Pills.

While the Soul Extinguishing Technique alone cost a full ten thousand.

He had found the pricing rather strange at the time. It made no sense at all.

Now that he had heard Daoist Gufang's explanation, everything made sense.

"Since you understand, don't exchange for the Soul Extinguishing Technique. With those ten thousand Black-White Pills, exchanging for a few more divine abilities or other secret arts would help you improve your strength far more."

As Daoist Gufang spoke, he reached out to collect the Soul Extinguishing Technique booklet from the stone table.

"No need." Xia Manggan pressed down on the golden book on the table. "I'll exchange for this one."

"You really want to exchange for it?" Daoist Gufang looked at Xia Manggan in surprise. "Think it over again. Divine abilities like the Thunder and Lightning Divine Eye can cultivate your eyes, allowing you to see..."

"I won't reconsider." Xia Manggan shook his head. "Other divine abilities and secret arts are useless to me."

"..." Daoist Gufang fell silent.

If any other third-generation disciple had said that, he would have slapped the brat flying.

But Xia Manggan...

"Sigh." Daoist Gufang sighed helplessly. "Even if you exchange for it, do not cultivate it rashly. Splitting the soul is no trifling matter!"

"I know." Xia Manggan smiled and nodded.

His impression of Daoist Gufang improved even further.

"Fine." Daoist Gufang rose to his feet. "I'll get the original copies for you. Prepare the Black-White Pills and give them to me shortly."

"Mm." Xia Manggan took out the black Jade Bottle containing seventeen thousand Black-White Pills.

The Soul Extinguishing Technique cost ten thousand Black-White Pills, the Soul Bewilderment Technique cost three thousand, the first volume of Three Heads and Six Arms cost three thousand, and the first volume of Law of Heaven and Earth cost five hundred—a total of sixteen thousand five hundred.

Thus, Xia Manggan poured out five hundred Black-White Pills from the black Jade Bottle and put them away separately.

He then returned the black Jade Bottle he had only recently received to Daoist Gufang, obtaining the cultivation methods for two divine abilities and two soul secret arts.

Watching the ripples left in the void after Xia Manggan used Teleportation to depart, Daoist Gufang pondered for a while. In the end, still uneasy, he immediately transmitted his voice through Divine Sense.

"Uncle-Master Hanshan, Xuanhuang just exchanged for the Soul Extinguishing Technique from the Dao Treasury Hall."

"The Soul Extinguishing Technique?" The elderly voice was somewhat surprised as well. "Did you tell him of the taboo involved in cultivating it?"

"This disciple explained everything and advised him again. But he—"

"Then let him be."

"...Yes."

Daoist Gufang shook his head and continued drinking.

Whoosh.

Xia Manggan appeared out of thin air, then descended toward Di Ta Peak.

"Hmm?" Xia Manggan looked down. "Why is he here?"

At the entrance to the residence atop Di Ta Peak stood a figure.

It was Beishan Baiwei, who had nearly been devoured by Ah Huang two days ago.

"Greetings, Young Master Xia Mang."

When Beishan Baiwei saw Xia Manggan suddenly appear in midair, his eyelids twitched.

He was no useless dandy who merely ate and waited to die. Although his cultivation and strength were not much among the official disciples of the Black-White Academy, compared to the younger generation of top sects outside, he could still be considered outstanding.

Born into the powerful Beishan Marquis Estate, his horizons were broader than those of many official Black-White Academy disciples. Naturally, he had a discerning eye.

At a glance, he recognized that Xia Manggan had just used Void Transference.

To use Void Transference, one either had to enter the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth or thoroughly comprehend and master a Dao.

Yet no matter which it was, it should not have been something someone at the Purple Mansion stage could achieve.

But Xia Manggan had done it anyway.

This made Beishan Baiwei even more respectful when facing Xia Manggan.

"Bai Wei was rash before. After returning home and telling my father, he flew into a rage as well and ordered Bai Wei to come personally to apologize and deliver a congratulatory gift to Young Master Xia Mang."

"Come in."

Xia Manggan nodded lightly and stepped into the residence courtyard.

The moment he entered, he saw Beishan Hu sitting and talking with a long-haired man in green robes.

"Young Master," Beishan Hu rose and said, "this is your fellow disciple, Bu Ying. He came to invite you to the Dao Discussion Hall for a spar..."

As he spoke, Beishan Hu noticed Beishan Baiwei following behind Xia Manggan and could not help frowning.

If Xia Manggan had not been present, he likely would have started cursing immediately.

Yet unexpectedly, Beishan Baiwei's first words left Beishan Hu stunned.

"Cousin Hu, I came to deliver a congratulatory gift to Young Master Xia Mang."

As he spoke, Beishan Baiwei took out a black jade tray from his Storage Magical Treasure.

Upon the jade tray rested several palm-sized items.

"These magical treasures are all from my father's treasury. Every one of them is a rare Earth Rank supreme-grade treasure. In addition, there are ten thousand jin of Essence Liquid. Congratulations to Young Master Xia Mang on successfully entering the Black-White Academy."

Earth Rank supreme-grade magical treasures?

Ten thousand jin of Essence Liquid?

Bu Ying, standing beside Beishan Hu, swallowed hard.

This was not a gift...

This was clearly the entire fortune of a Primordial Spirit Daoist!

The second update is here. We'll continue tomorrow morning at 11:45. Gentlemen, please cast your votes—recommendation votes and monthly votes. And give the characters some likes as well. Xia Manggan and Ah Huang are kowtowing to you gentlemen.