Testing

The Symbiotic Blood Lotus warned anxiously.

"Master, be careful. None of the darkest evil creatures can be trusted. They are best at using false bargaining chips to deceive others into trusting them. I know this all too well."

At this moment, the Symbiotic Blood Lotus and Meng Xuanji were one. If Meng Xuanji died, it would follow him to the grave, so it naturally had to consider his interests.

"I'm not lying to you. Save me, get me out of this hellhole, and I can sacrifice myself to you as well."

"Please, I've truly had enough of this place. This is practically my hell. It has made me wish I were dead."

The Ice Soul Ghost Shadow let out a miserable wail, as though it had left behind countless painful memories here.

"Blood Lotus, I can sense the aura of a living person on you. You must have gotten out, right? Since you can leave, why not take me with you? I can swear loyalty to you as well."

Meng Xuanji did not agree to the Ice Soul Ghost Shadow's request right away.

They were no longer children. Verbal promises like that meant absolutely nothing.

Giving up greater freedom and placing himself under another's control just for the freedom to leave this place was a losing deal Meng Xuanji would never make.

However, if he refused the other party outright, Meng Xuanji had a feeling he would not be leaving this place alive today.

"I need to think it over. Can you take me to your true body first?"

"Of course."

As it spoke, the ghost flame before him transformed into a cyan-blue arrow that flew before Meng Xuanji and pointed the way.

"Follow the arrow. I'll lead you to me."

"Master, you must stay calm! That is not a power you can control at your current level!"

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

After soothing the Symbiotic Blood Lotus, Meng Xuanji set off to find the Ice Soul Ghost Shadow's true body.

One man and one flame walked through the shadowy forbidden-book section. Meng Xuanji could clearly sense greedy gazes coming from the corners.

Perhaps because of the Ice Soul Ghost Shadow, those strange entities had no intention of attacking Meng Xuanji.

And that only deepened Meng Xuanji's wariness of the Ice Soul Ghost Shadow.

"It seems he hasn't lost much of his power. If I try to subdue him, I wonder who will truly end up controlling whom."

Meng Xuanji did not dare gamble, nor would he.

Before finding the Ice Soul Ghost Shadow's weakness, he would never rashly agree to its terms.

"We're here."

The arrow led Meng Xuanji to a long crystal mirror. Its frame was forged from millennium-old ice and radiated bone-piercing cold.

Meng Xuanji looked closely and saw what seemed to be a faint black shadow lurking silently amid a strange, freezing mist on the mirror's surface.

"Is that shadow your true body?"

"Yes. As long as you stand before the mirror, I will sacrifice both my soul ring and soul bone to you. I can see that heart of yours yearning for power. You must want my power too, right? Come, stand before the mirror. I will grant you what you desire."

"I refuse."

"What?!"

The Ice Soul Ghost Shadow froze for a moment, then layer after layer of thick frost instantly formed throughout the surroundings.

A biting wind capable of freezing souls descended without warning.

"You're playing me!"

The ghost flame transformed into a five-meter-tall giant of ghostfire, looking down on Meng Xuanji as though inspecting a tiny insect.

"You already know where I'm hiding. Do you think you can still leave this place alive?"

Just as the Ice Soul Ghost Shadow was about to force Meng Xuanji into the mirror, Meng Xuanji took out the Angel Gold Key from his chest.

The holy radiance of a great angel scorched the giant's soul like blazing laser beams, and the Ice Soul Ghost Shadow immediately let out a pained howl.

"No! Take it away! Don't let me see that thing!"

Meng Xuanji stood where he was and quietly watched the Ice Soul Ghost Shadow.

"You seem a little too impatient, sir."

"My refusal was not a rejection of your power. It's simply that I truly cannot agree to it right now."

As he spoke, Meng Xuanji released his soul power and revealed his level.

"As you can see, I'm only level 18. I haven't yet reached the requirement for obtaining my second soul ring. No matter how anxious you are, it's useless."

"That's fine. I know there are many treasures here that can raise cultivation in a short time! It's only two levels. I can raise you up in the blink of an eye."

"Hehe, no, no, no. I think you misunderstood what I meant. I only wanted to tell you that I have no interest in your power right now. Even if you want to forcefully sacrifice yourself to me, it would be pointless."

Meng Xuanji revealed a sly old fox's smile.

Even the Ice Soul Ghost Shadow could not understand why this child was not only unafraid upon encountering a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, but could actually become excited.

Where did your courage come from?

"What do you mean, then?"

The Ice Soul Ghost Shadow retreated beyond the reach of the holy light and eyed Meng Xuanji warily.

"Tell me where your research reports are."

"You want to know my weakness? Hmph, dream on. Do you think I'm a pig?"

"Oh? Looks like you don't want to cooperate properly."

As he spoke, Meng Xuanji raised the Angel Sacred Key and slowly approached the mirror.

"Tell me, after I shatter the mirror, will you come out? Or will you die?"

As the holy light drew ever closer, the Ice Soul Ghost Shadow truly panicked.

"Wait! We can talk this out!"

Meng Xuanji stopped.

"I'll give you two minutes. Bring me every last report. If you dare try any tricks, I don't mind taking you down with me."

Seeing the resolve to die in Meng Xuanji's eyes, the Ice Soul Ghost Shadow did not gamble.

"Fine. I'll be right back."

The ghostfire giant reverted to ghost flame and headed deeper into the forbidden-book section.

A few breaths later, stack after stack of thick experimental reports appeared before Meng Xuanji, forming a pile as large as half a small mountain.

"They're all here. I guarantee I haven't hidden anything. If you don't believe me, check them yourself."

Meng Xuanji approached the pile of materials with the sacred key in hand. Just as the Ice Soul Ghost Shadow thought he was about to reach out and touch the reports, Meng Xuanji's hand suddenly stopped in midair.

"What is the meaning of this? You suspect me?"

Meng Xuanji rubbed his chin. "How should I put it? More accurately, I never intended to trust you in the first place. You didn't really think I was some clueless rookie, did you?"

Meng Xuanji cast the Angel Sacred Key's holy radiance over the reports. Strands of frigid yin energy instantly seeped from the pages, resembling miserable ghostly faces.

The Ice Soul Ghost Shadow felt both embarrassed and troubled.

Was this little brat really not some old monster who had taken over his body? He was too hard to deal with!

After the cold energy fully dissipated, Meng Xuanji even tested the reports with the Dark Blue Silver Emperor. Only after confirming that they were completely harmless did he pick them up.

The only thing worth being glad about was that the Ice Soul Ghost Shadow had not lied. These truly were experimental reports related to it. As for whether they were all of them, Meng Xuanji did not care.

After all, these were already enough to keep him busy researching for quite some time.

Next, Meng Xuanji sat at a table and chair woven from Blue Silver Emperor vines, carefully reading the ancient parchment scrolls in his hands by the light of the angelic radiance.

In this already gloomy forbidden-book section, the sight was somewhat absurd.

"You're studying my weaknesses right in front of me. Don't you think that's rather rude?"

"Oh, sorry. I forgot."

Snap!

Meng Xuanji snapped his fingers, and the Dark Blue Silver Emperor casually lifted the mirror and turned it around by 180 degrees.

"Thanks for the reminder. Now I don't have to worry about suddenly appearing inside the mirror."

The Ice Soul Ghost Shadow's expression darkened.

"You really... hmph! You bastard!"