"Crack!"
A tearing sound rang out. The Dark Night Raven's sharp talons slashed straight through the hand the Shadow Monarch had lowered over it, and a hint of mockery flashed in its blood-red eyes.
It could tear apart even a hundred-year-old Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, let alone the human Soul Master before it. It immediately prepared to attack Jiang Xiu again.
Though it had only cultivated for eight hundred years, it possessed the most supreme bloodline. It had not yet fully awakened its spirit, but it still had a certain degree of intelligence.
It knew very well that as long as it kept struggling and intimidating the human before it, this strange ritual would be canceled. It had done exactly that last time.
But just as it prepared to attack again, the hand it had torn apart a moment earlier strangely recovered as good as new.
Caught off guard, it was grabbed by the neck in an instant, and the golden runes in the hexagram array surged into its body once more.
"This Shadow Martial Soul can recover in an instant. The Body Martial Soul really is formidable."
Watching this, surprise showed in Leng Yaozhu's eyes, and she praised him softly.
Although the Body Sect had fallen into decline, there was no denying the strength of the Body Martial Soul. After all, the founder of their Spirit Pagoda had also possessed a Body Martial Soul.
"Xiao Xiu's Shadow Martial Soul is more like an external Martial Soul. Besides, as long as his main body isn't injured, how could a shadow break? He only needs to expend Soul Power to restore it."
Hearing Leng Yaozhu's praise, a trace of pride appeared on Mu Ye's face. After all, Jiang Xiu was the hope of their Body Sect's return to glory.
"Get over here!"
Controlling the Shadow Monarch, Jiang Xiu clasped both hands around the Dark Night Raven's neck and pulled it in front of him.
The Dark Night Raven struggled incessantly. As its talons slashed through the air, Soul Power with the ultimate darkness attribute burst forth, but each time it damaged the Shadow Monarch, it recovered in the blink of an eye.
The Dark Night Raven's attacks were powerful, but defense was its weak point. On top of that, during the Spirit Transmission Ritual, it had to keep resisting the golden runes entering its body.
Soon, the Dark Night Raven was dragged before Jiang Xiu, but its dark red eyes remained defiant. It looked at him without the slightest intention of yielding.
"Look me in the eye!"
Jiang Xiu showed no expression. He simply gazed at the Dark Night Raven, making it meet his Blood Pupil, and spoke each word in a low, steady voice.
"Squawk!"
The Dark Night Raven let out a shrill cry and locked eyes with Jiang Xiu. If it just held on, victory would still belong to it.
"That silly bird really is stubborn. At this rate, Xiao Xiu's Soul Power will run out first, and the Spirit Transmission Ritual will fail."
Mu Ye's expression darkened as he murmured under his breath.
"Why else would they be called Unyielding Soul Spirits? The Spirit Pagoda has ninety-nine Unyielding Soul Spirits, and only three of them have ever been successfully absorbed by Soul Masters."
Leng Yaozhu said this without the slightest surprise.
"He must have another way. My instincts can't be wrong—that special pressure..."
A gleam flashed in Na'er's eyes as she watched Jiang Xiu in the hexagram array intently.
"Do you think you can escape by doing this? Submit to me, and I'll lead you to greater heights."
Jiang Xiu watched the Dark Night Raven, but before it could answer, darkness began to surge around him. Like a drop of ink falling into the hexagram array, it spread in an instant.
"Monarch Domain! Unfold!"
At the same time, Jiang Xiu's Blood Pupil filled with authority as he gave a low shout. The instant the Monarch Domain enveloped the Dark Night Raven, an inexplicable pressure crashed down upon its soul.
Though its heart was full of defiance and arrogance, the pressure gradually broke it down. A trace of clear, foolish confusion crept into its blood-red, violent eyes, and even its constantly slashing talons slowed by half a beat.
"This is actually an innate Martial Soul Domain. His Excellency Body, it seems you've taken on an excellent disciple."
Leng Yaozhu's lovely face changed slightly, and shock flashed through her eyes. The higher one's cultivation, the more one understood what this meant.
"Not bad, not bad. Xiao Xiu's talent is only a tiny bit better than that of an ordinary Soul Master."
Mu Ye waved a hand with an air of humility. He hadn't known in advance what Jiang Xiu's innate domain did, but from the looks of it, the outcome was all but certain.
Leng Yaozhu gave a slight shake of her head. If Mu Ye hadn't been struggling to keep the corners of his mouth from turning up, she might have believed him. A glint also passed through her eyes, though no one could tell what she was thinking.
"So this is where the pressure comes from. But why can't I see through this Martial Soul?"
Watching this, Na'er felt the Silver Dragon King Bloodline within her stir restlessly. She thought it over as she suppressed it.
"Are you going to yield or not?"
As the Dark Night Raven's gaze grew clearer and its defiant spirit gradually faded, Jiang Xiu gave another low shout. Like an ancient monarch whose words were law, his voice pierced straight into the depths of the Dark Night Raven's soul.
"Caw!"
This time, the Dark Night Raven stopped struggling. It lowered its proud head and gently rested it beneath Jiang Xiu's outstretched left hand, signaling its submission.
"Since you've submitted, fuse with me at once."
A trace of satisfaction appeared in Jiang Xiu's eyes. He finally understood how the Golden Dragon King suppressed Beast Martial Soul Soul Masters. It was both simple and overbearing.
Still, using the Monarch Domain had cost him a great deal.
"Squawk!"
With a cry, the Dark Night Raven's body turned into a cloud of black mist and flowed into the Shadow Monarch. The instant its body had completely entered the Shadow Monarch, all its energy converged into Jiang Xiu, his main body.
"Buzz!"
As time passed, a yellow Soul Ring slowly rose beneath Jiang Xiu's feet. Its edges already shimmered faintly with purple, bringing it very close to a Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
A series of popping sounds came from within Jiang Xiu's body. Three successive breakthroughs sent his Soul Power directly to level thirteen.
But before Jiang Xiu could even check, he sensed a faint message from his Sea of Consciousness. It came from the shadow of his that had fallen into the Abyss Plane.
It seemed that his shadow had also broken through some kind of constraint...
"Excellent, excellent. Now that's what I call a successor to the Body Sect."
The Spirit Transmission Ritual had succeeded, and the hexagram array slowly vanished. The moment Jiang Xiu came into view, Mu Ye hurried over to inspect him, checking whether he had been injured.
"His Excellency Body, it seems your junior's spiritual power has already reached the Spirit Connection Realm. Why not have him stay at the Spirit Pagoda tonight, then enter the Spirit Ascension Platform with Na'er tomorrow and raise his Soul Ring's age to a thousand years?"
Leng Yaozhu stepped forward and smiled.
The moment Jiang Xiu had broken through just now, his spiritual power had risen as well. Though the change lasted only an instant, Leng Yaozhu had still sensed it.
What she didn't know was that Jiang Xiu hadn't just broken through to the Spirit Connection Realm. He had been born with it.
"This..."
"Of course, that's no problem. Isn't that right, junior?"
Just as Mu Ye hesitated, Han Tianyi's eyes flickered, and he agreed on the spot, giving Mu Ye a meaningful look.
"Ah... right, no problem. We were going to the Spirit Ascension Platform anyway, so this works out perfectly."
Mu Ye didn't understand why his uncle had agreed, but he trusted that his uncle wouldn't lead him astray.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow."
Seeing that Han Tianyi had agreed, Leng Yaozhu smiled again.
"See you tomorrow."
Han Tianyi gave a slight nod, then led Mu Ye and Jiang Xiu out of the Spirit Small World.
After the three left, a thoughtful look appeared in Leng Yaozhu's beautiful eyes, and she murmured to herself.
"Perhaps the Body Sect really can rise again..."
Na'er stood quietly beside Leng Yaozhu, her gaze flickering faintly. No one knew what she was thinking.
"Mu Ye, the Vice Tower Master clearly wants to build a relationship with our Body Sect. She probably did it because she saw Xiao Xiu's talent."
Han Tianyi brought Mu Ye and Jiang Xiu to his office. Once they'd sat down, he considered his words for a moment before speaking.
"Yes, Uncle. I understand."
Mu Ye nodded slightly. He'd already figured it out on the way there. Back when the Body Sect had fallen into decline, those major powers hadn't said anything to their faces, but behind their backs, they hadn't thought much of them.
Now, this could be considered their first step back to the peak.
"By the way, Xiao Xiu, what is your first Soul Skill? The Dark Night Raven has the ultimate darkness and time attributes, so the Soul Skill it gave you should be impressive, right?"
Mu Ye asked softly, and Han Tianyi's gaze shifted to Jiang Xiu as well.
Jiang Xiu nodded slightly, a glint flashing through his eyes. His voice held a hint of excitement.
"It's no weak skill. The first Soul Skill the Dark Night Raven gave me has the time attribute..."
"It's called... Time Stop!"
Before you continue