Bone Patterns: Engraving Knife

That Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone sat on the table.

It was dark grayish-white, its fine surface patterns flickering in and out of view beneath the candlelight.

Electrolux's voice emerged from the Consciousness Sea, slightly weaker than it had been half a month ago.

"The soul energy within the Spirit Bone isn't scattered."

Quan Cangtian.

"What does that mean?"

Electrolux.

"There are patterns."

"The soul energy flows along fixed paths, like river channels."

Quan Cangtian picked up the Spirit Bone and turned it over.

The patterns were extremely fine, nearly invisible to the naked eye.

"Can they be replicated?"

Electrolux.

"Yes."

"But the patterns are complicated. It will take at least another month to fully decipher them."

Quan Cangtian set down the Spirit Bone.

One month.

Added to the previous half month.

The three-month deadline was drawing closer.

Electrolux.

"There's a way to speed it up."

Quan Cangtian.

"What way?"

Electrolux.

"Forge an Engraving Knife."

"Use it to carve the patterns onto an Abundance Crystal, replicating the energy flow paths within the Spirit Bone."

"Once the patterns are carved, the Abundance Crystal will be able to stably carry a soul."

Quan Cangtian.

"What should I use to forge it?"

Electrolux.

"A Destruction Crystal and an Abundance Crystal."

"When the two powers collide, they can form a special energy channel."

Quan Cangtian rummaged through his Storage Soul Artifact and took out two crystals.

One was dark red, a Destruction Crystal.

The other was emerald green, an Abundance Crystal.

Electrolux.

"Go to the Path Rift."

"The energy there is more stable."

The Path Rift.

Quan Cangtian sat cross-legged on the black ground.

The two crystals lay before him.

Electrolux's Undead Magic seeped out from the Consciousness Sea, black threads winding around the two crystals.

"Begin."

The two crystals began to tremble.

Dark red Destruction Power surged outward, while emerald green Abundance Power poured forth.

The two powers collided.

Boom.

Quan Cangtian's body jerked backward, his ears ringing.

Electrolux.

"Suppress them."

Quan Cangtian pressed down with his spiritual power.

Death Qi rose from his dantian and poured into the space between the clashing powers.

The Destruction Power was suppressed.

The Abundance Power was suppressed as well.

The two powers were still colliding, but not as violently as before.

Electrolux's Undead Magic continued to coil around them, squeezing the two powers toward the center.

Dark red and emerald green twisted together.

They crackled.

Their colors changed.

Dark red became dark green.

The two powers fused.

Electrolux.

"Withdraw."

Quan Cangtian pulled back his spiritual power.

An Engraving Knife floated before him.

It was three inches long and dark green, with patterns so fine they were almost impossible to see along its blade.

Quan Cangtian reached out and gripped it.

Destruction and Abundance pulsed within the blade, beating at the same rhythm as his heart.

Electrolux.

"This Engraving Knife can carve the patterns of the Life and Death Samsara Art."

Quan Cangtian.

"How do I use it?"

Electrolux.

"Place the Engraving Knife on an Abundance Crystal."

"Use the cyclical power of the Life and Death Samsara Art to drive the knife and carve the patterns."

"Once the patterns are carved, the Abundance Crystal will be able to stably carry a soul."

Quan Cangtian.

"I'll drive it."

Electrolux.

"That's right."

"The Life and Death Samsara Art is your cultivation technique. Only you can drive it."

Quan Cangtian stored the Engraving Knife in his Storage Soul Artifact.

The Body Sect outpost.

The basement.

Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged, his forehead covered in sweat.

Du Busi stood beside him with his hands behind his back.

"The third step is the hardest."

"Release your spiritual power to form a domain. Failure will damage your consciousness."

Huo Yuhao.

"I'll try."

He closed his eyes and pushed his spiritual power outward.

Pale golden spiritual power poured from his Spirit Eye and spread in every direction.

But his control was insufficient.

The spiritual power scattered.

Pale golden light spilled outward, shapeless and boundless, nothing but a loose mass of sand.

Huo Yuhao's head suddenly throbbed with pain.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm panicked within the Spiritual Sea.

"Yuhao, don't force it!"

Ice Empress.

"Shut up. Let him think for himself."

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm fell silent.

Huo Yuhao opened his eyes and rubbed his temples.

It hurt.

That failed attempt had consumed quite a bit of his spiritual power.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

"Yuhao, try compressing my Mental Detection and Mental Sharing together."

"When two streams of spiritual power overlap, their density will increase."

Huo Yuhao thought about it.

That made sense.

He closed his eyes again.

Mental Detection spread outward, and Mental Sharing spread outward as well.

The two streams of spiritual power met in midair.

Bang.

Huo Yuhao's head felt as if it had exploded. The pain nearly made him cry out.

But the two streams of spiritual power really were overlapping.

The pale gold of detection and the light blue of sharing twisted together, winding tighter and tighter.

Huo Yuhao gritted his teeth as sweat dripped from his forehead.

The two streams of spiritual power compressed to their limit.

They formed a faint spiritual force field.

Its radius was five meters.

It was pale gold and spherical, its edges extremely blurred.

Du Busi's eyes lit up.

"This kid has a knack for it."

Ice Empress.

"Compressing detection and sharing?"

"No one has ever taken that path before."

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm jumped up.

"Yuhao, you're a genius!"

Du Busi walked over to Huo Yuhao and crouched before him.

"It's the rudiment of a domain."

"But it's too small. Five meters isn't enough."

Huo Yuhao opened his eyes, circles of red around them.

"I can expand it."

Du Busi.

"Take it slow."

"If you rush, you'll damage your consciousness."

Huo Yuhao nodded.

The spiritual force field was still there, but it was weak and could disperse at any moment.

He had to stabilize it.

Tianhun City.

Twenty li beyond the outskirts.

A stretch of wasteland.

A Titled Douluo stood on the ground, one hand pressed against a Soul Tool.

The Soul Tool glowed with faint red light, which seeped into the earth.

Patterns could vaguely be seen spreading across the surrounding ground.

A Soul Guidance Formation.

It could seal off space and prevent the target from escaping.

Another Soul Tool on the table lit up.

The Pontifex's voice came through.

"Has the formation been set up?"

Titled Douluo.

"Another half month."

Pontifex.

"Speed it up."

"The Child of Nature will not remain in Tianhun City forever."

Titled Douluo.

"Yes."

Pontifex.

"Also, send someone to the Star Dou Great Forest to keep an eye on Di Tian."

The Titled Douluo froze for a moment.

"Di Tian?"

Pontifex.

"The Child of Nature has an appointment with Di Tian."

"Di Tian will come in three months."

"I want to know Di Tian's movements."

Titled Douluo.

"Understood."

The Soul Tool dimmed.

The Titled Douluo continued pressing the formation as pale red light seeped underground.

Inn.

Quan Cangtian pushed open the door and stepped outside.

After taking only three steps, his palm suddenly throbbed three times.

Three times in succession.

One after another.

He did not turn around and kept walking.

Electrolux's voice emerged from his Consciousness Sea.

"The crystal is pulsing more frequently than before."

Quan Cangtian.

"What is the Dark Soul Cult doing?"

Electrolux.

"I don't know."

"But they are preparing."

Quan Cangtian.

"They are not waiting. They are laying out their plans."

Electrolux.

"That's right."

"The Pontifex will not wait foolishly."

Quan Cangtian clenched his fist, and the crystal stopped pulsing.

He turned and returned to the inn.

Quan Batian was in the room, with a map spread across the table.

Quan Cangtian told him what had just happened.

After hearing it, Quan Batian rolled up the map.

"They are setting up a Soul Guidance Formation outside the city."

Quan Cangtian.

"Most likely."

"The crystal has been pulsing too frequently."

Quan Batian.

"The Pontifex is preparing to surround and kill you."

Quan Cangtian.

"That's right."

"He will not wait foolishly for three months."

Quan Batian.

"What about the Soul Spirit?"

Quan Cangtian.

"Electrolux forged an Engraving Knife."

"It can carve the patterns of the Life and Death Samsara Art."

Quan Batian.

"Will it work?"

Quan Cangtian.

"It is still being tested."

Quan Batian stood and walked to the window, looking outside.

Night was approaching.

"Speed it up."

"Once the Dark Soul Cult finishes setting up its formation, you will not be able to leave."

Quan Cangtian nodded.

Path Rift.

Quan Cangtian sat cross-legged.

An Abundance Crystal lay before him.

It was emerald green and the size of a thumbnail.

He held the Engraving Knife in his hand, its dark green blade covered in patterns.

Electrolux.

"Begin."

Quan Cangtian placed the Engraving Knife on the Abundance Crystal.

The tip pressed against the crystal's surface.

The Life and Death Samsara Art began to circulate.

Death Qi came first, vitality followed after.

They revolved around his dantian.

The Engraving Knife began to move.

Its tip traced across the Abundance Crystal, leaving behind a fine line.

The pattern was crooked.

The Abundance Crystal cracked.

Crack.

It shattered.

Electrolux.

"Your control is insufficient."

"The circulation of the Life and Death Samsara Art needs to be more stable."

Quan Cangtian looked at the fragments on the ground.

He said nothing.

He took out a second Abundance Crystal from his Storage Soul Artifact.

He placed the Engraving Knife on it again.

"Again."