Spirit Eye: First Awakening

Body Sect Stronghold.

Basement.

Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged on the floor, his face bloodless.

Within his Spiritual Sea, a pale golden eye hung at the very center.

It had been turning earlier.

Now, it had stopped.

All his spiritual power was pouring into that eye.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm huddled in a corner, not daring to move.

"Hang on, Yuhao."

Ice Empress said nothing.

Her attention was fixed entirely on that eye.

The pupil of the Spirit Eye phantom suddenly contracted.

Huo Yuhao's body jerked.

A surge of spiritual power rebounded from the eye and bored into his brain through his meridians.

It hurt.

Not the pain of flesh and blood, but as if someone were stabbing needles into his brain.

Huo Yuhao's mouth twitched as he clenched his teeth tightly.

The veins at his temples throbbed.

Du Busi stood three steps away.

One hand was raised, his palm facing Huo Yuhao, gentle Body Power ready to catch him at any moment.

Jin Peng stood guard at the door, his back to them as he watched the corridor.

Du Busi's brow was deeply furrowed.

"Something's wrong."

He took half a step forward.

"His spiritual power isn't enough."

The Spirit Eye phantom was devouring Huo Yuhao's spiritual power.

It was not fusing with it. It was eating it.

Huo Yuhao's consciousness began to blur.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm panicked.

"Yuhao!"

Ice Empress spoke.

"Don't shout."

"If you distract him, it'll be over."

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm fell silent.

But his antennae were trembling.

Inn.

Quan Cangtian sat cross-legged on the bed.

He was not cultivating.

His eyes were half-closed as his spiritual power stretched outward.

In the direction of the Body Sect stronghold, spiritual power fluctuated violently.

It was not a normal fluctuation.

It was the kind that seemed ready to explode.

Quan Cangtian opened his eyes.

Zixiao raised her head.

"What is it?"

Quan Cangtian was already on his feet.

"Something happened to Huo Yuhao."

He headed out.

Zixiao followed behind him without asking further.

When they reached the Body Sect stronghold, Jin Peng stopped them at the entrance.

"The Sect Master is protecting him."

Quan Cangtian said, "I know."

"He won't last."

Jin Peng hesitated for a second.

Zixiao's Thunder Light Sword hummed.

Jin Peng stepped aside.

In the basement, Du Busi was drenched in sweat.

Huo Yuhao's face had changed from white to a sickly gray.

His lips were purple.

The Spirit Eye phantom in his Spiritual Sea spun faster and faster, like a vortex pulling everything inward.

Huo Yuhao's spiritual power was being dragged into it.

Du Busi thrust a palm forward, pouring in Body Power.

It stabilized.

But only for an instant.

The Spirit Eye phantom swallowed a mouthful of the Body Power as well, spinning even faster.

Du Busi's expression changed.

"This thing is fighting for it."

Quan Cangtian walked behind Huo Yuhao.

He sat down cross-legged.

Electrolux's voice sounded in his Consciousness Sea.

"What are you doing?"

Quan Cangtian did not answer Electrolux.

He extended his spiritual power toward Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Sea.

The moment it touched, it was thrown back.

The Spirit Eye phantom's rejection was extremely powerful.

Electrolux said, "Use Death Qi."

Quan Cangtian paused.

"Will Death Qi work?"

Electrolux said, "The essence of spiritual power leans toward life."

"Death Qi leans toward death."

"The two forces clash, but Death Qi can harden spiritual power."

"Once it is hardened, it will not be so easily devoured."

Quan Cangtian understood.

He drew upon the lingering thread of Death Qi within the Path Rift and sent it forward along with his spiritual power.

The instant the Death Qi touched the Spirit Eye phantom—

The phantom stopped.

Only for an instant.

But that instant was enough.

Huo Yuhao's spiritual power seized the opening and abruptly pulled back.

The Spirit Eye phantom was caught.

It stopped devouring.

It began to fuse.

Huo Yuhao's body trembled.

Cold sweat dripped from his chin.

But color was returning to his face.

The sickly gray faded back to white.

The white returned to normal.

Du Busi lowered his hand.

He glanced at Quan Cangtian.

That look was complicated.

But he did not ask.

Huo Yuhao opened his eyes.

The pupils in both eyes had changed.

They were no longer pale gold.

They were deep gold.

Deep within his pupils, an extremely fine ring of patterns rotated.

His spiritual power spread outward.

Every candle flame in the basement flickered at once.

Not from the wind.

They had been squeezed by spiritual power.

Huo Yuhao himself froze for a moment.

He could feel it.

Everything around him was crystal clear.

The cracks in the walls, the dust on the floor, the folds in Du Busi's clothes.

He could see it all.

Not with his eyes.

His spiritual power had touched it directly.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm bounced around inside the Spiritual Sea.

"Yuhao, you did it!"

Ice Empress said, "Which step?"

"This is only the first step."

Huo Yuhao did not reply.

He was sensing the range of his spiritual power.

Before, he could cover a radius of thirty meters.

Now—

Three hundred meters.

Ten times farther.

Du Busi crouched down until he was level with Huo Yuhao.

He waved a hand in front of Huo Yuhao's eyes.

"How many fingers?"

Huo Yuhao kept his eyes closed.

"Five."

Du Busi withdrew his hand.

"The Spirit Eye has evolved."

He stood and patted Huo Yuhao's shoulder.

"Silver Tier."

Jin Peng poked his head in from the doorway.

"Sect Master, what step does that count as?"

Du Busi said, "The first step. Visualize the Martial Soul and fuse spiritual power with the Spirit Eye. He has done it."

"The second step is to visualize oneself, allowing the body to completely merge with the Martial Soul."

"That step is harder."

Jin Peng asked, "How long will it take?"

Du Busi looked at Huo Yuhao.

"Three months. At least."

Huo Yuhao said nothing.

He flexed his fingers.

Every finger felt different now.

Sharper.

His fingertips could feel the air flowing.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was still circling in the Spiritual Sea.

Ice Empress.

"Can you be quiet for a while?"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

"I'm excited."

"Is that not allowed?"

Ice Empress fell silent.

Quan Cangtian rose from the ground.

His palms were slightly damp.

When he had guided the Death Qi in just now, even his own meridians had tensed up.

Electrolux.

"You've used up almost all of that Death Qi."

"Go back and replenish it."

Du Busi walked over to his side.

The two stood close together.

Du Busi lowered his voice.

"What did you use just now?"

Quan Cangtian.

"A little trick."

"To stabilize his spiritual power."

Du Busi stared at him for two seconds.

He did not press further.

"This kid's spiritual power is very strong."

He turned to look at Huo Yuhao.

"He could become a Titled Douluo in the future."

Quan Cangtian.

"Thank you, Sect Master."

Du Busi waved a hand.

"This is a transaction."

"No need to thank me."

He paused.

"The second step will take at least three months. You don't need to stay here the whole time."

Du Busi spoke again.

"I'll have Jin Peng keep an eye on the Dark Soul Cult."

"If they dare make a move, the Body Sect won't stand by and watch."

Quan Cangtian nodded.

Du Busi.

"But the Pontifex isn't stupid."

"If he withdrew, there must be a reason."

Quan Cangtian.

"I know."

Neither of them said anything more.

Tianhun City.

On the street.

Quan Cangtian headed toward the inn.

Zixiao followed beside him, the Thunder Light Sword strapped to her back.

Someone called out to him from ahead.

"Quan Cangtian."

Wang Dong.

She stood by the roadside, carrying a paper-wrapped parcel.

Quan Cangtian stopped.

"When did you get back?"

Wang Dong walked over.

"Yesterday."

She glanced at Quan Cangtian.

"You've been disappearing all the time lately."

Quan Cangtian.

"Cultivating."

Wang Dong did not press further.

"Xiao Xiao asked when you were going back."

Quan Cangtian.

"In a few days."

Wang Dong hummed in acknowledgment.

She turned to leave.

Quan Cangtian called after her.

"Wait."

He looked at Wang Dong.

He swept her with his spiritual power.

Very lightly.

The aura within Wang Dong's body was different from before.

The aura belonging to the second soul was moving.

It was no longer in its previous dormant state.

It was surfacing.

Quan Cangtian withdrew his spiritual power.

Electrolux spoke within the Consciousness Sea.

"That thing is waking up."

Wang Dong turned back.

"What is it?"

Quan Cangtian.

"Nothing."

"You don't look too well."

Wang Dong touched her face.

"Do I?"

She did not pay it much mind.

She left carrying the paper parcel.

Quan Cangtian watched her retreating figure.

As she walked, her right foot occasionally paused.

She had not had that habit before.

Electrolux.

"The second soul is fighting for control of the body."

"It's very weak, but it has already begun."

Quan Cangtian clenched his fist.

For now, there was nothing he could do about it.

Quan Cangtian pushed open the door and entered.

Zixiao dismissed her lightning.

"How is Huo Yuhao?"

Quan Cangtian.

"It worked."

"The first step."

Zixiao.

"Silver Tier?"

Quan Cangtian glanced at her.

"How did you know?"

Zixiao.

"I guessed."

"With his talent, Black Iron would be too embarrassing."

Quan Cangtian smiled.

"What about Heavenly Strike?"

Zixiao laid the Thunder Light Sword flat.

"Seventy percent."

Quan Cangtian.

"Fast."

Zixiao.

"Not enough."

"I'm still not certain about the third transformation of Heavenly Strike."

Quan Cangtian did not respond.

He sensed that there was something more within Zixiao's lightning.

Something that had not been there before.

It was faint.

It carried a sense of oppression.

Not killing intent.

It was judgment.

Zixiao sheathed her sword.

"You have a cold smell about you."

Quan Cangtian.

"Death Qi."

Zixiao did not ask further.

She knew Quan Cangtian had all sorts of strange things on him.

Quan Cangtian went to find Quan Batian.

Quan Batian sat by a table with a map spread out before him.

Quan Cangtian glanced at it.

Star Dou Great Forest.

Quan Batian looked up.

"How is Huo Yuhao's side?"

Quan Cangtian.

"The first step succeeded. Silver Tier."

"The second step will take at least three months."

Quan Batian nodded.

"Then we'll leave first."

Quan Cangtian.

"Where to?"

Quan Batian tapped the map with a finger.

"Star Dou Great Forest."

"Zixiao needs real combat. Seventy percent of Heavenly Strike isn't enough. It needs to be tempered in actual battle."

Quan Cangtian.

"When."

Quan Batian.

"Tomorrow."

Quan Cangtian said nothing.

Quan Batian.

"Jin Peng is watching the Dark Soul Cult."

"The Body Sect won't let them act recklessly."

Quan Cangtian.

"The Pontifex has withdrawn, but I don't believe he's truly let go."

Quan Batian.

"No one does."

"But you can't stay holed up here just because you're afraid of him."

Quan Batian rolled up the map.

"The Star Dou Great Forest has Soul Beasts. There'll be enough for Zixiao to train against."

"You can also find an opportunity to cultivate the Life and Death Samsara Art."

"Two birds with one stone."

Quan Cangtian.

"What about Huo Yuhao?"

Quan Batian.

"He stays here."

"With Du Busi watching him, he'll be safer than he would be with us."

Quan Cangtian thought for a moment.

Then nodded.

Quan Cangtian sat down cross-legged.

Death Qi seeped upward from beneath his feet.

It was slightly denser than last time.

Electrolux.

"Replenish your Death Qi first."

"You used quite a bit during the day."

Quan Cangtian closed his eyes.

He guided the Death Qi in through the soles of his feet, letting it circulate once through his meridians.

When it reached his dantian, the Abundance Power met it head-on.

The two forces collided.

Quan Cangtian relaxed his spiritual power, neither pushing nor pulling.

Death Qi in front.

Life force behind.

They circled around his dantian.

One circle.

Two circles.

Three circles.

Then they dispersed.

Quan Cangtian opened his eyes.

The Dark Red Crystal in his palm lay perfectly still.

A trace of Death Qi remained in his body, and the crystal was stable.

Electrolux.

"It made two more rounds than yesterday."

"You've improved."

Quan Cangtian.

"It still dispersed."

Electrolux.

"You've only been learning for three days."

"Forcing the qi into harmony isn't something you can achieve in three days."

Quan Cangtian said nothing.

He closed his eyes and tried twice more.

The first time, it made three rounds before dispersing.

The second time, it made four rounds before dispersing.

It was unstable.

But better than yesterday.

Electrolux.

"That's enough."

"Practice again tomorrow."

Quan Cangtian left the Path Rift.

Outside the window, dawn was approaching.

Zixiao was already awake.

She was packing her things.

The Thunder Light Sword had been wiped clean and was slung diagonally across her back.

Quan Cangtian.

"Ready?"

Zixiao.

"Mm."

Quan Cangtian flexed his wrist.

The one-month countdown was ticking away.

The Dark Soul Cult was waiting.

Gene was growing.

The second soul inside Wang Dong was awakening.

But he had gained another path.

Tomorrow, the Star Dou Great Forest.