Spiritual Rain Nourishes a Remnant Spirit

The immense joy ebbed away like a receding tide, leaving behind heavy gains and deeper contemplation.

Ning Chuan stood on the cold metal platform, staring intently at the twenty-seven seemingly ordinary Top-grade Spirit Stones in the storage area!

They contained energy more than a thousand times his total Soul Power!

This fortune was enough to drive any Soul Master mad, yet it was like a mountain of gold that could not be mined, lying right before him.

"Cannot be absorbed directly... Forced attempts carry the risk of exploding..." The Station's warning still echoed in his ears.

How should he use them?

Exchange them directly for points? The Station had assessed them as extremely valuable, but how many points could they fetch? And what could he do with those points afterward? That seemed like the worst possible choice, like melting down the Imperial Jade Seal to mint copper coins—a terrible waste.

Save them for breakthroughs in the future? But he was only level twenty-five now. The realm where he would need such a massive amount of energy to break through a bottleneck was still far away.

Use them to power some powerful device or formation? He had neither blueprints nor technology. He had energy but nowhere to use it.

Thought after thought flashed through his mind, only to be rejected one by one.

Ning Chuan's brow furrowed tighter and tighter.

A treasure mountain stood before him, yet he could not find the key to unlock it. The feeling was agonizing.

His gaze swept unconsciously over the platform, over the still-silent robot wreckage, and over the scattered materials in the storage area...

In the end, something seemed to draw Ning Chuan's consciousness inward, slowly sinking into himself, into the Spiritual Sea that had become incomparably stable after the Willow Deity True Spirit took residence there and gained a trace of mysterious Dao charm.

Deep within the Spiritual Sea, that faint yet supremely exalted emerald speck still floated silently, like an eternal star that had never changed.

The Willow Deity True Spirit!

A bold idea, so daring it was nearly insane, split the fog like lightning and suddenly illuminated Ning Chuan's mind!

His Green Jade Willow Leaf Grass Martial Soul had fused with a broken branch from the Willow Deity's true body!

In a sense, it shared the same origin as the Willow Deity!

His First Soul Skill, Endless Life, came from the Tree of Life Elf and possessed the effects of nourishment, Flora Affinity, and even Life Gift!

Its essence was the highly concentrated transformation of life energy!

And Top-grade Spirit Stones contained the purest, most fundamental energy of heaven and earth!

In theory, they could be transformed into energy of any attribute, including life energy!

Then... could he use his own Martial Soul as a bridge and the First Soul Skill, Endless Life, as a converter, filtering and transforming the vast, violent energy of the Top-grade Spirit Stones into the gentlest, purest life-source energy, then... supplying it to the Willow Deity True Spirit for absorption?!

The instant that thought emerged, even Ning Chuan startled himself!

It was like using the most delicate instrument to process nuclear fuel. One tiny mistake, and his soul would be destroyed!

But...

This seemed to be the only way at present to safely use this batch of Top-grade Spirit Stones while gaining the greatest possible benefit!

What kind of existence was the Willow Deity? A supreme powerhouse beyond the Sacrificial Path!

Even if it was only a fragment of her true spirit trapped in eternal slumber, its status far exceeded imagination!

If he could nourish her, even if it only restored the tiniest trace of vitality, the return... Ning Chuan hardly dared imagine it!

The risk was immense, but the potential gain was equally immeasurable!

I'm doing it!

He took a deep breath, and his eyes became incomparably resolute.

Opportunities always coexisted with risks!

"Station!" Ning Chuan asked solemnly in his mind. "Analyze my idea: use myself as a medium to guide the energy of the Top-grade Spirit Stones through the Green Jade Willow Leaf Grass Martial Soul, then use the First Soul Skill, Endless Life, as the core to filter and transform it into gentle life-source energy, attempting to nourish the Willow Deity True Spirit within my Spiritual Sea. Is this plan feasible? What is the risk assessment?"

He laid out the entire concept and waited for the Station's judgment.

"Analyzing plan..."

"Core element detection:"

"1. Energy source: Top-grade Spirit Stone (vast and inert energy, requiring guided activation)."

"2. Conversion core: Martial Soul—Green Jade Willow Leaf Grass (has fused with a remnant branch of the Ancestral Sacrificial Spirit Willow Deity, possessing extremely high affinity for life-source energy and potential carrying capacity)."

"3. Conversion skill: First Soul Skill—Endless Life (effects: healing, Flora Affinity, Life Gift; possesses potential for energy conversion and shaping)."

"4. Target: Willow Deity True Spirit (extremely high status; state: absolute slumber; requirement: source energy of an unknown level)."

"5. Control center: Heavens Trash Recycling Station (can provide precise energy guidance and safety protection)."

"Theoretical deduction: Feasible."

"Key point: The Recycling Station must serve as the core to construct a precise energy-guidance channel, restricting Spirit Stone energy to conversion within the Martial Soul and Soul Skill system, avoiding direct impact on the Station Master's meridians and soul."

"Risk assessment: Extremely high! Although the energy will pass through the Martial Soul and Soul Skill system rather than the meridians, it will still place immense pressure on the Martial Soul's origin. There is a risk of Martial Soul damage or even collapse. If the conversion process loses control and energy leaks out, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"Estimated success rate: 65% (under the Recycling Station's precise control throughout the process)."

"Execute?"

A 65% success rate! With the Recycling Station protecting him!

A sharp gleam flashed in Ning Chuan's eyes!

That success rate was far higher than he had expected! It was worth the gamble!

"Execute! Execute immediately!" Ning Chuan did not hesitate in the slightest.

"Command confirmed. Beginning construction of the 'Spirit Source–Martial Soul–True Spirit' energy conversion channel."

"Please release your Martial Soul and guide the activation of the First Soul Skill, Endless Life."

Ning Chuan's spiritual body took a deep breath, his will concentrating to the utmost.

"Green Jade Willow Leaf Grass, appear!"

The crystalline emerald Martial Soul, its leaf veins threaded with gold, floated above his spiritual body's palm and radiated vigorous vitality.

"First Soul Skill, Endless Life!"

Beneath his feet, the emerald thousand-year Soul Ring suddenly lit up. Vast yet gentle life energy poured into the Martial Soul, making it shine brilliantly as its leaves unfurled, as though preparing to receive something.

"Channel construction complete. Beginning energy guidance..."

Within the platform's storage area, a Top-grade Spirit Stone was drawn up by an invisible force. It floated into the air and flew above Ning Chuan's spiritual body.

An incredibly fine silver beam shot from the platform and struck the Spirit Stone's surface with perfect precision.

Hum...

The Top-grade Spirit Stone, which had originally shown no energy fluctuations, seemed to awaken from the deepest sleep. The vast, ocean-like source energy compressed within it to the extreme was activated by the slightest trace!

Only a thread of energy was drawn out, yet it became a milky-white pillar of light as solid as substance. Like a heavenly river descending from the nine skies, it crashed into the Green Jade Willow Leaf Grass Martial Soul in Ning Chuan's palm with unstoppable, terrifying force!

"Urgh—!"

Though he had prepared himself and the energy was not directly striking his soul, the moment that unimaginably massive, pure energy surged into his Martial Soul, Ning Chuan still felt as if his spiritual body had been smashed by a giant hammer. It trembled violently and nearly scattered apart!

Pain! Indescribable agony!

It felt as though his entire Martial Soul would be burst apart and torn to shreds by that violent torrent of energy!

The Green Jade Willow Leaf Grass swayed frantically, its light flickering unstably. The golden motes in its veins raced wildly, as though they might snap at any moment!

"Warning! Martial Soul load excessively high!"

"Strengthening energy guidance! Activating Martial Soul protection protocol!"

"Skill Endless Life operating under overload!"

The Recycling Station's prompts became urgent.

The platform shone brightly as more silver threads poured into Ning Chuan's Martial Soul, forcibly stabilizing its structure while driving the Endless Life Soul Skill at an unprecedented output in an almost domineering manner!

Emerald life light erupted with unprecedented brilliance, tightly enveloping, pulling, and grinding down the violent milky-white torrent of energy...

Like the finest filter, and like the toughest millstone.

The violent source energy was forcibly restrained within the special system formed by the Martial Soul and Soul Skill, frantically transformed, purified, and shaped by the power of Endless Life...

The vast milky-white energy was visibly stained with a vibrant emerald hue. Its violent properties were rapidly stripped away, becoming gentle, tranquil, and filled with an aura that nourished all things.

The process was incredibly difficult, a tremendous trial for both the Martial Soul and the Soul Skill.

Ning Chuan could clearly feel the mournful cry and extreme exhaustion coming from his Martial Soul.

But he gritted his teeth and held on, focusing all his consciousness on maintaining the Martial Soul's stability and keeping the Soul Skill running.

He did not know how much time passed. It felt like only an instant, yet also like ten thousand years.

At last, the descending milky-white pillar of light was completely transformed, becoming an incomparably pure stream of emerald energy overflowing with rich life aura as it flowed gently downward.

And just then...

"Energy conversion complete. Guiding to target—Willow Deity True Spirit."

The platform guided that incomparably pure life-source energy carefully, slowly, like a stream, into the deepest part of Ning Chuan's Spiritual Sea, toward the silent emerald speck.

The instant the energy touched the speck...

That eternal, unchanging emerald speck, seemingly dead and silent forever, suddenly... lit up!

Though it was incredibly faint, it was unmistakably clear!

Like a riverbed that had been dry for hundreds of millions of years finally touching its first drop of sweet rain!

An indescribable, faint suction force emerged from the speck.

No longer was it the unconscious, passive absorption from before. It now carried the faintest trace of... initiative!

That stream of emerald life-source energy was absorbed into the speck without the slightest resistance.

The speck glimmered faintly again, as though flashing in satisfaction, then... returned to silence.

But Ning Chuan keenly sensed that the true spirit speck seemed... just a tiny bit more solid than before, and its glow seemed... just a little more stable.

No longer was it like a candle flame in the wind. It seemed to have gained the faintest foundation.

"Energy transmission complete."

"Willow Deity True Spirit activity slightly increased."

"Martial Soul burden removed. State: mildly fatigued, undamaged."

"Soul Power consumed: none (entirely supplied by Spirit Stone energy)."

"Remaining Spirit Stone energy: 99.97% (single stone)."

It had succeeded!

Ning Chuan let out a long breath. His spiritual body felt drained with exhaustion, but his heart was filled with indescribable excitement and accomplishment!

Though he had only consumed an insignificant trace of energy from a single Spirit Stone, and though the Willow Deity True Spirit had only shown the faintest reaction!

It undoubtedly proved that his idea was feasible! This path could be walked!

It also meant that he had found a way to nourish the Willow Deity True Spirit and possibly awaken her in the future!

And the source of that path was those twenty-seven stones... reserves of energy that could practically be called endless!

Ning Chuan looked at the pile of milky-white stones again, his gaze completely changed.

They were no longer unusable treasure. They were... the flame of hope that could awaken a supreme existence!