Spirit Devouring: Purification

Storage room.

Stone platform.

The Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife lay on top.

The blade was dark red, like congealed blood. Fine cracks covered its edge, dense enough to make one's scalp tingle. It looked as though it would shatter at the slightest touch.

Quan Cangtian picked it up.

A cold, sinister aura seeped from the hilt into his palm. Cold. Slick. Alive. It was as if something were writhing inside the blade, crawling up his hand.

The dark red patterns on his arm twitched.

The Fused Beast Gene reacted to whatever was inside the carving knife.

He put it down.

"Leave it for now."

Huo Yuhao still could not control it.

All thirty-seven owners had died. This knife devoured people. It ranked ninety-ninth among the Ranked Carving Knives. A vicious blade. Every owner had died differently. Some suffered backlash, some went mad from cultivation deviation, and some died inexplicably.

Electrolux could purify it.

But it would take time.

Deep within the Consciousness Sea.

Electrolux's spiritual sense was far clearer than it had been a month ago. A golden orb floated at the center of the Consciousness Sea.

"Kid."

Electrolux's voice had steadied.

"This old man has recovered seventy percent. There's something inside that carving knife."

"I know."

"It was forged from Gold of Life. Its essence is life attribute. But it has been contaminated by resentment. Thirty-seven souls, with extremely heavy resentment."

"Can it be purified?"

"Yes. But you'll need to cooperate."

"How?"

"This old man will use Undead Magic to construct a purification array. The gathered resentment will attack. You'll use Destruction Aura to suppress it."

Quan Cangtian nodded.

"When?"

"Now."

Storage room.

Quan Cangtian sat down cross-legged.

The Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife rested before his knees.

Electrolux's spiritual sense floated out from the Consciousness Sea. The golden orb hovered above the carving knife.

"Begin."

Golden light exploded.

A complex formation took shape around the carving knife. Runes interwove, bands of light coiled around one another. Electrolux's Undead Magic was pure, precise, without the slightest waste.

The carving knife trembled.

Dark red light erupted from the blade.

Then—

Thirty-seven phantoms emerged.

Blurred humanoid figures. Twisted faces. Wide-open mouths, soundless, filled only with resentment. Pure, viscous resentment that wanted to devour everything.

They lunged at Quan Cangtian at the same time.

Quan Cangtian did not move.

Black-red Destruction Aura exploded from his body.

It was not flame. It was something more violent than flame.

The air was sucked dry.

The temperature plummeted.

The resentful phantoms crashed into the Destruction Aura as if striking a wall. They stopped. Struggled. Twisted. But they could not pass through.

Electrolux's undead spell descended from above.

Golden bands of light wrapped around the phantoms, layer by layer, binding them.

The resentment screamed.

There was no sound, but Quan Cangtian could feel it. That sharp, bone-piercing scream that seemed determined to drill into his mind.

He did not move.

The Destruction Aura continued suppressing them.

Electrolux's spell continued purifying them.

One second. Two seconds. He did not know how long passed.

The phantoms began to dissipate.

One after another.

The twisted faces faded, the blurred humanoid forms dissolved, and the resentment was swallowed, broken down, and purified by the golden bands of light.

At last, only a mass of silver-white light remained inside the carving knife.

Pure, gentle light carrying the aura of life.

Gold of Life.

Its essence.

Then—

Emerald Green light surged out from Quan Cangtian's body.

Abundance Power.

The light of Gold of Life collided with the Emerald Green light.

There was no conflict.

They intertwined, fused, and resonated.

Gold of Life possessed the life attribute. Abundance Power did as well. Both belonged to the same branch of life.

A resonance occurred.

An immense surge of life force poured from the Gold of Life into Quan Cangtian's body.

Quan Cangtian's health bar began to fluctuate.

Rising and falling erratically.

Life force poured in, but his body could not use it. With a thirtyfold recovery speed and a fluctuating health bar, this amount of life force was like pouring a cup of water into the sea.

Useless.

But the resonance continued.

Electrolux's spiritual sense watched from the side without interfering. He could sense that this was not a power he could command, unless Quan Cangtian granted him permission or allowed him to take over his body.

But he did not ask.

Quan Cangtian did not offer it either.

The resonance lasted around ten seconds.

Then it ended.

The light of the Gold of Life dimmed and withdrew into the carving knife.

The carving knife changed.

The dark red faded.

The cracks vanished.

The blade turned silver-white. Pure, gentle silver-white, carrying the aura of life.

Spirit-Devouring Silver Knife.

The purification was complete.

Quan Cangtian opened his eyes.

Electrolux's spiritual sense was still beside him.

"Kid."

"Yes."

"The Gold of Life resonated with your Abundance Power. It fed life force back to you."

"I know. But I can't use it."

"Yes. Your health bar is fluctuating, so this amount of life force is useless to you. But—"

Electrolux paused.

"The energy of the thirty-seven souls is still there. The resentment has been purified, but the energy has not dispersed. It can be given to one of your people."

Quan Cangtian glanced at him.

"Huo Yuhao?"

"Yes. His Spirit Eye can bear this power."

Quan Cangtian stood.

He picked up the Spirit-Devouring Silver Knife.

The blade was light. Lighter than expected. Silver-white radiance flowed across its edge, gentle and not dazzling.

"Bring him here."

Huo Yuhao entered the storage room.

He saw the knife in Quan Cangtian's hand.

Silver-white.

Not dark red.

"Young Patriarch, this knife—"

"It's purified."

Quan Cangtian handed the knife to him.

"Take it."

Huo Yuhao accepted it.

The hilt touched his palm.

A gentle energy surged from the blade, crawled up his arm, and poured into his body.

His Spirit Eye opened automatically.

Pale golden light flowed through his pupils.

He could feel the energy searching for something. Searching for his Martial Soul. Searching for his Spiritual Sea.

Then—

It found it.

The energy poured into his Spirit Eye.

Huo Yuhao's body jolted.

His Soul Power surged.

The barrier at Level 14 was pierced as easily as paper.

Level 15.

Level 16.

Then it stopped.

Huo Yuhao panted.

He could feel something extra inside his Spirit Eye. Not a Soul Ring. It was—

A knife.

A silver-white knife.

It floated within his Spiritual Sea.

"This is—"

He looked at Quan Cangtian.

"Your Second Martial Soul."

Huo Yuhao froze.

Second Martial Soul.

He had never imagined that he could possess a Second Martial Soul. The Spirit Eye was a Body Martial Soul, a top-tier spiritual attribute. He had thought that was all he had.

But now—

A silver-white knife floated within his Spiritual Sea.

The Spirit-Devouring Silver Knife.

The purified Gold of Life, combined with the energy of thirty-seven souls, had used the knife as a vessel to form his Second Martial Soul.

"Young Patriarch, this—"

"Keep it safe."

Quan Cangtian said.

"This knife's abilities are Soul Severing, spiritual suppression, and purifying resentment. It will be useful to you."

Huo Yuhao tightened his grip on the hilt.

He could feel that the knife was connected to his Spirit Eye. They were not two independent Martial Souls, but ones that complemented each other.

The Spirit Eye saw through.

The silver knife severed.

One Mental Detection, one Soul Attack.

A perfect combination.

"Thank you, Young Patriarch."

He said.

Quan Cangtian glanced at him.

"Train hard."

Then he turned and left.

Huo Yuhao watched his retreating figure.

He knew he owed this six-year-old Young Patriarch another life. No, three lives. Sky Dream Ice Silkworm. Abundance marrow cleansing. And now, the Second Martial Soul.

He would repay him.

He would spend his whole life repaying him.

Quan Cangtian left the storeroom.

Night had already fallen.

Tomorrow, they would depart for Tianhun Royal Academy. Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao would accompany him. Zixiao would remain with the Quan Family to train.

Quan Zhenshan had instructed him: keep a low profile and observe the movements of the Heaven Dou Empire.

He understood.

The Quan Family was on the border, and the Heaven Dou Empire's attitude was extremely important. It was not yet time to draw attention.

He walked to the entrance.

Zixiao stood there.

Ten years old. Level 34. Her purplish-black hair was tied high in a ponytail. Faint lightning patterns flickered within her deep violet eyes.

She looked at him.

She said nothing.

Quan Cangtian walked over.

"I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Mm."

"You'll stay with the Quan Family and train."

"Mm."

"If anything happens, find Father."

"Mm."

She still said nothing.

But her lightning crackled around him once.

It was not an attack. It was an instinctive reaction. Her lightning wanted to keep him.

But she did not say it aloud.

Quan Cangtian glanced at her.

"What is it?"

Zixiao did not answer.

She crouched down.

Ten years old facing six. She crouched until they were eye level.

Her deep violet eyes stared at him.

Then—

She reached out.

And pinched his cheek.

She said nothing.

But her lightning crackled around him again.

Quan Cangtian froze for a moment.

Zixiao rarely took the initiative to get close to anyone. She was cold and taciturn toward outsiders, never explaining herself or wasting words. She seemed cold toward Quan Cangtian, but in truth, she protected him. Still, she rarely did something like this—

Pinch his cheek.

Her hand was cool.

Weak arcs of lightning danced at her fingertips.

Quan Cangtian did not dodge.

Zixiao withdrew her hand.

She stood up.

"I'm leaving."

She said.

Then she turned and left.

Quan Cangtian watched her retreating figure.

Her purplish-black hair swayed behind her. Lightning patterns faintly appeared and disappeared across her skin.

He smiled.

Then he turned and left.

Zixiao remained where she was.

Watching his retreating figure.

Faint lightning patterns flickered in her deep violet eyes.

She lowered her head and looked at her hand.

When she had pinched his cheek just now, she had felt it.

The warmth of his face.

It was very warm.