Spirit-Devouring Engraving Knife

As for Wu Feng's, Huo Yuhao was not particularly particular about it. He planned to make her an autonomously activated protective shield—Battle Soul Masters already had more condensed soul power than auxiliary Soul Masters, along with better reflexes and defense.

Morning light fell across the paper spread before Huo Yuhao, and the outline of a bracelet gradually took shape beneath his pen. The patterns modeled after the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda were not mere decoration. Every curve corresponded to the path Ning Tian's soul power took when she released her enhancements—when she raised her hand to summon the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, the bracelet on her wrist would sense the fluctuations in her soul power at the same time. Without requiring any additional soul power, it could deploy a translucent glazed shield within 0.3 breaths.

"These patterns..." Ning Tian lightly traced the page with her fingertip. Though she was not a Soul Engineer herself, she knew a little about Soul Tools. "Some of these are core formations for amplifying soul power, aren't they?"

"Mm." Huo Yuhao paused his pen and added a miniature energy-gathering formation at the base of the pagoda. "When you use your soul skills, it will amplify them, allowing the same amount of soul power to achieve greater results." He looked up at Ning Tian, the patterns on the paper reflected in his Spirit Eye. "Auxiliary Soul Masters fear being ambushed and having their enhancements interrupted most of all. This bracelet is like your 'second reaction.' You won't need to divide your attention to control it. It will 'remember' to protect you on its own."

Ning Tian picked up the paper and examined it against the morning light. The intricate patterns actually shimmered with a faint golden glow, remarkably like the halo of her Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda. "You even thought of that..." she said softly, unable to hide the smile in her eyes. "Thank you, Huo Yuhao."

"What are you thanking me for?" Huo Yuhao lowered his head and began drawing the design for Wu Feng's protective shield. "When you use it to block an ambush and can keep enhancing Wu Feng and me, that's when it will truly be worth it."

As he spoke, Huo Yuhao suddenly remembered something. "This Soul Tool is still quite difficult to make. When you have time, find someone to buy something for me at the Starlight Auction House. It's a Ranked Engraving Knife."

Ning Tian froze, her fingertip stopping over the blueprint. "A Ranked Engraving Knife? One of the hundred on the continent?" Born into the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, she had heard a little about the continent's rare tools. "I heard there are only a hundred Ranked Engraving Knives in total, and every one of them provides an enormous boost when making Soul Tools. They're best for engraving core patterns—Which one do you want? I'll notify the sect and have them buy it for you at any cost!"

Huo Yuhao hurriedly waved his hand. "Ordinary Ranked Engraving Knives are too expensive. One can even cost tens of millions of gold soul coins. I found out that the Starlight Auction House has the knife ranked ninety-ninth—the Spirit-Devouring Engraving Knife."

"The Spirit-Devouring Engraving Knife?!" Ning Tian abruptly rose to her feet. Anyone with even a slight understanding of it knew how terrifying its notorious reputation was. "No. There's a curse on the Spirit-Devouring Engraving Knife. Every owner it has had met a miserable end. Isn't it just money? The Nine Treasures Glazed Sect has plenty of it. You don't need to save money for me. I'll have the sect look for an ownerless engraving knife or one that's up for sale as soon as I return."

The charcoal pencil in Huo Yuhao's fingers stopped over the paper, and a blot of ink spread across it. He looked up at Ning Tian, the blue light in his Spirit Eye darkening slightly. "I know it's cursed."

"You know, and you still..." Ning Tian's voice was urgent. The Seven Treasures Glazed Sect's records had clearly documented the rumors surrounding the Spirit-Devouring Engraving Knife—ever since its first evil Soul Master owner had placed the curse upon it, every subsequent owner had either lost all their soul power or gone mad. Not one had met a good end.

Huo Yuhao smiled gently. "Don't worry. When have I ever done something I wasn't sure about? I only asked you to buy that knife because I have a way to deal with the curse. Besides, that knife holds a surprise. You'll know once you buy it."

Ning Tian looked at the certainty in Huo Yuhao's eyes. The fingers clutching her skirt loosened slightly, but she remained standing instead of sitting down. "What method? You have to explain it clearly. The Seven Treasures Glazed Sect's records say that even a Titled Douluo's purification soul skill cannot block that curse, yet you're only a three-ring Soul Master..."

As she spoke, Ning Tian reached out and grabbed Huo Yuhao's hand.

"You don't have to make a Soul Tool for me. I don't want you taking risks for my sake."

A faint chill came from the wrist Huo Yuhao held. Her grip was not strong, but it carried an unmistakable stubbornness. He lowered his head to look at Ning Tian's tense profile. The string of glazed beads on her wrist swayed lightly, making the worry in her eyes glitter like shattered light.

At that moment, Ning Tian before him seemed to merge with Wang Qiu'er from his memories, also clutching his hand and telling him not to take risks.

Huo Yuhao's fingertips paused lightly against the back of Ning Tian's hand, as though touching fragile glaze. He suddenly recalled Wang Qiu'er's sacrifice, the final look in the eyes of that Golden Lion-Tiger figure before it faded away amid the light of the soul ring—it had been the same. Worry wrapped around an unquestionable resolve, as if saying, You have to live well.

"There used to be someone who always stopped me like this." His voice was as soft as morning mist, and a layer of moisture spread through the blue light in his Spirit Eye. "She was much fiercer than you. She would drag me back directly and say, 'Huo Yuhao, just try dying.'"

Ning Tian's fingers moved slightly, but she did not withdraw her hand. She merely asked softly, "Was she... someone very important?"

"Mm." Huo Yuhao nodded, and his fingertips seemed to grow warmer. "Important enough to... leave her chance to live to me." He did not elaborate on the sacrifice. Those memories were too heavy, like the snow of the Far North Icefield. Besides, it had not happened yet; it was better buried in his heart. "So afterward, I learned to calculate every possible way out before taking a risk. I would never let down someone else's concern."

He looked up at Ning Tian, his Spirit Eye bright as though it had melted starlight into it. "So I won't take risks."

Ning Tian looked into his eyes. There was not the slightest impulsiveness in them, only certainty tempered by experience, like the solid ice beneath the Far North Icefield—steady enough to put one at ease. At last, her fingers completely relaxed. The string of glazed beads slipped back against her wrist bone with a faint series of clicks, like a tightly drawn string finally loosening.

"Fine." She answered softly, a trace of hoarseness still lingering in her voice. "But I have conditions."

Huo Yuhao smiled, and the blue glow in his Spirit Eye softened. "Go ahead."

"I'll have powerful people guard you. If anything happens, you must call out immediately." Ning Tian held up one finger, her tone serious.

She paused, then raised a second finger. "I'll arrange for the sect to send over Spirit-Cleansing Stones. You are not allowed to try anything before they arrive."

Finally, she looked at Huo Yuhao, her eyes full of stubborn resolve. "After the knife is delivered, have a light-element Soul Master use purification soul skills on it for three days first, suppressing the resentful aura on its surface to the lowest possible level—you cannot touch the untreated blade."

All three conditions were meant to protect him completely. Warmth filled Huo Yuhao's heart, like ice warmed through by the morning sun, gradually melting into gentle rivulets. "I'll agree to all of them."

The corners of Ning Tian's lips curved upward, and most of her earlier solemnity faded. There was now an added measure of trust in her gaze toward Huo Yuhao. "Then I'll arrange for someone to deliver the engraving knife right away."

"Go on." Huo Yuhao waved the charcoal pencil in his hand. "I'll finish drawing the last few patterns on the Glazed Ring first. Once the knife arrives, we can begin work."

Ning Tian walked out of the dormitory building, the smile on her lips nearly impossible to suppress. Wu Feng stood beside her, completely baffled. "Young Mistress, why are you suddenly so happy? No matter how good Huo Yuhao's Soul Tool is, it shouldn't compare to something the sect bought at great expense, should it?"

Ning Tian did not answer. She merely turned back and glanced toward Huo Yuhao's dormitory.

Today's greatest gain was not any Soul Tool, but simply that she and Huo Yuhao had grown a little closer. Nothing more.