Returning Laden with Spoils

Xiao Hongchen closed his eyes slightly, ignoring the illusions.

He peeled back the layers of false auras within the mist. The illusions were woven with such exquisite precision that even the signatures were simulated perfectly; an ordinary Soul Master would have been ensnared long ago.

But spiritual power was, in the end, still spiritual power.

No matter how refined the mimicry, it had a source.

Xiao Hongchen's spiritual web slowly tightened, tracing back along the illusions like following a vine to find the melon, probing into the depths.

Found it.

Deep within the mist, a concentrated, unmoving cluster of spiritual fluctuations marked the true location of the Phantom Spirit Fox. It had hidden itself deeply, compressing its aura to the point of near-imperceptibility, yet it had left a thread-like spiritual connection while weaving the illusion.

Right there.

A strange golden light ignited on Xiao Hongchen's forehead. In that instant, it was as if the first light of dawn had suddenly broken through.

It was a golden eye. The brilliant gold was saturated with the radiance of fate, and within those strange pupils lay the dignity of heaven and earth. Under its gaze, even the air seemed to hum faintly.

"Fate, Judgment!"

A peculiar beam of light shot directly from the Eye of Fate toward the spirit fox.

The Phantom Spirit Fox shuddered uncontrollably. Immediately after, a deathly pallor spread across its head. In the next moment, this pallor peeled away to reveal the shape of its own skull, which hovered above its head. Even more terrifying was that the eyes within the pale, ghostly skull emitted a blood-red luster.

It had been judged by fate as an outcast!

Then, a condensed needle of spiritual power shot out, striking the Phantom Spirit Fox with pinpoint accuracy.

"Squeak—!"

A sharp, piercing shriek erupted from the mist. Unlike the false sounds of the illusion, this cry carried genuine agony.

The surrounding illusions shattered like broken glass, and the pale purple mist thinned significantly, revealing a silver-white figure: the Phantom Spirit Fox.

It was smaller than the illusions had suggested, only slightly larger than a common house cat. Its nine slender tails were curled tightly, and the purple crystal on its forehead was dim and lusterless. Under the Judgment of Fate, its spiritual defenses had been bypassed and subsequently wounded by the spiritual attack.

Jing Hongchen did not give it a chance to catch its breath.

The pressure of his ninety-fourth-level Soul Power descended like a physical weight, and he used an eighth-level binding Soul Tool, the Dragon-Trapping Prison, to lock the Phantom Spirit Fox firmly in place.

"Finish it."

Xiao Hongchen stepped forward and crouched before the Phantom Spirit Fox.

He condensed metal spikes on the surface of his right hand and pierced the crystal between its brows. Under the effect of the Judgment of Fate, the originally hard crystal was as fragile as tofu.

The core housing its spiritual power shattered, and the Phantom Spirit Fox's soul dissipated instantly.

Following this, Xiao Hongchen sat cross-legged. A deep black soul ring slowly rose from the Phantom Spirit Fox's body, carrying a gentle yet pure spiritual energy that gradually merged into Xiao Hongchen's body.

Unlike the excruciating pain he felt when absorbing the Quicksilver Morph Beast's soul ring, this time, Xiao Hongchen felt a surging torrent of spiritual energy.

Although the Phantom Spirit Fox's spiritual origin was wounded, it was exceptionally pure. However, it was interspersed with countless tiny fragments of illusions that constantly battered his consciousness, attempting to lure him into a brief state of disorientation.

Yet, Xiao Hongchen's spiritual power was far stronger than his physical body, so absorbing a fifty-thousand-year-old spiritual-type soul beast was not particularly difficult. His vast Sea of Consciousness steadily bore the weight of this spiritual torrent.

This time, the absorption process did not last long. In just one hour, the black soul ring had completely merged into Xiao Hongchen's body, and the Phantom Spirit Fox's body gradually turned transparent before finally dissipating into the air.

He did not stand up immediately, choosing instead to sit quietly for a moment to feel the power of his newly acquired soul skill.

Xiao Hongchen named his second soul skill Mirror Flower Water Moon.

It allowed him to perfectly mimic the appearance, aura, and Soul Power fluctuations of any living creature he had seen. It was not just visual deception; it was a holographic replication capable of fooling spiritual perception. Changing the color and number of his soul rings was a mere trifle.

The advanced application involved splitting a portion of his spiritual power to create a clone on the spot. The clone moved according to his will; although it lacked a physical form, it was identical to the original in appearance. This allowed the main body to hide or mimic tiny creatures like ants to ambush enemies.

Of course, it remained an auxiliary soul skill.

It could not directly increase attack power, and the clone only possessed a fraction of the original's strength, making it easy to defeat and expose.

But for a turret-style mage, ensuring that enemies could never find the real him was more useful than an extra soul cannon blast.

With a slight shift of his spiritual power, his figure changed quietly, shifting from the likeness of Jing Hongchen to that of the Phantom Spirit Fox.

"Not bad. Even better than expected. I couldn't even spot a flaw from right here."

Jing Hongchen walked over, his eyes filled with approval.

Xiao Hongchen stretched, his Soul Power having risen to the fifty-fourth level. Having dual Martial Souls was truly satisfying; absorbing soul rings to increase Soul Power was incredibly fast.

If he continued to absorb three more soul rings, he might even touch the threshold of a Soul Emperor.

In the original work, Vina had reached the Soul Emperor level before the second Soul Master Tournament after helping her Brain Martial Soul absorb six black soul rings. One had to remember that less than five years ago, she had only been at the thirtieth level.

However, Xiao Hongchen would not do such a thing. If not for the need for concealment, he would not have attached soul rings at this stage at all.

"This soul skill is interesting, though. I suppose I can call myself a master of illusions now."

The two did not linger in the Jingyang Mountain Range and soon flew back to the Ming Capital.

Hongchen Duke Mansion.

"I'm back."

Hearing his voice, Meng Hongchen rushed into Xiao Hongchen's arms, her long silver hair brushing across his face.

"Why did this soul-hunting trip take so long? I couldn't stand a single day without my brother by my side."

As she spoke, she winked at Ye Guyi, who stood nearby.

Ye Guyi stood under the veranda, pretending not to see.

"Ugh, don't even mention it."

Xiao Hongchen stretched his stiff shoulders.

"Mental-type soul beasts are truly hard to find. We camped out in the Jingyang Mountain Range for four nights; it's still most comfortable at home."

Meng Hongchen pulled away from his embrace, folded her hands in front of her, and bowed slightly.

She cleared her throat:

"Young Master, please enjoy your bath. The water temperature is just right, and the petals have been added—all your favorites. Would you like this servant to scrub your back?"

Xiao Hongchen looked at her, expressionless.

"Where did you learn that?"

"From a novel." Meng Hongchen straightened up, returning to her usual grinning self. "Well? How was it? Was it convincing?"

"Not at all."

"What was missing?"

"You aren't wearing a maid outfit. That's the most essential part."

Meng Hongchen blinked.

"That's an extra service. It costs extra."

Xiao Hongchen ignored her and walked toward the bathhouse, nodding at Ye Guyi as he passed.

He was truly exhausted.

"Xiao, remember to attend the final assessment next Friday. It's one I've specified personally, so prepare yourself mentally."

Jing Hongchen's voice came from behind him.

"Understood."

Xiao Hongchen didn't stop, merely waving his hand to show he had heard.

He walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

A final assessment?

Previous assessments had been nothing more than competitions in Soul Tool crafting and arena combat against his peers.

Crafting? He could take first place with his eyes closed. Arena combat? Even Ji Juechen had been defeated by him; who else in his grade could withstand a serious punch from him? He only hoped his grandfather would be reasonable and not make it too difficult.

After lying blissfully in the bath for half an hour, Xiao Hongchen felt satisfied. He changed his clothes and stretched, his joints popping with a faint crackle, before strolling slowly into the main hall.

There wasn't much time left in the day, and he had no intention of cultivating or crafting Soul Tools. He planned to have a long-overdue, proper relaxation.