Storage room.
Stone platform.
The Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife lay on it.
Its blade was dark red, like congealed blood. Fine cracks covered the edge, so densely packed that they hurt just to look at. It seemed 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 Engraving Knife.
He set it down.
"Leave it for now."
Huo Yuhao still could not control it.
All thirty-seven owners had died. This knife devoured people. Ranked ninety-ninth among the Ranked Carving Knives. A vicious knife. Every owner had died differently. Some suffered backlash, some went mad from cultivation deviation, and some dropped dead without explanation.
Electrolux could purify it.
But it would take time.
Deep within the Consciousness Sea.
Electrolux's divine 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 Engraving Knife."
"I know."
"It was forged from Gold of Life. Its nature is life attribute. But it was tainted by resentment. Thirty-seven souls, carrying heavy resentment."
"Can it be purified?"
"Yes. But I need your cooperation."
"How do I cooperate?"
"This old man will use Undead Magic to construct a purification array. The aggregate of resentment will attack. You'll use Destruction Aura to suppress it."
Quan Cangtian nodded.
"When?"
"Now."
Storage room.
Quan Cangtian sat cross-legged.
The Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife rested before his knees.
Electrolux's divine sense emerged from the Consciousness Sea. The golden orb floated above the Engraving Knife.
"Begin."
Golden light erupted.
A complex formation took shape around the Engraving Knife. Runes intertwined, bands of light curled around one another. Electrolux's Undead Magic was pure and precise, without the slightest waste.
The Engraving Knife trembled.
Dark red light burst from the blade.
Then—
Thirty-seven phantoms appeared.
Blurred human forms. Twisted faces. Open mouths, soundless, filled only with resentment. Pure, dense 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 within him.
It was not flame. It was something more violent than flame.
The air was sucked dry.
The temperature plunged.
The resentful phantoms crashed into the Destruction Aura as if striking a wall. They stopped. Struggled. Twisted. But they could not get through.
Electrolux's undead spell descended from above.
Golden bands of light wrapped around the phantoms, layer upon layer, binding them tight.
The resentment screamed.
There was no sound. Yet Quan Cangtian could feel it. That shrill, bone-piercing scream trying to bore into his mind.
He did not move.
The Destruction Aura continued its suppression.
Electrolux's spell continued its purification.
One second. Two seconds. Who knew how long passed.
The phantoms began to fade.
One after another.
The twisted faces paled, the blurry human 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 Engraving Knife.
Pure, gentle light carrying the aura of life.
Gold of Life.
Its essence.
Then—
Emerald-green light surged from Quan Cangtian's body.
Abundance Power.
The light of the Gold of Life collided with the emerald-green light.
There was no conflict.
They entwined, fused, and resonated with one another.
Gold of Life possessed the life attribute. Abundance Power did as well. Both belonged to the lineage of life.
A resonance occurred.
An immense vitality surged from the Gold of Life and poured into Quan Cangtian's body.
Quan Cangtian's health bar began to fluctuate.
It rose and fell erratically.
Vitality poured in, but his body could not use it. With thirty times recovery speed and a fluctuating health bar, this amount of vitality was like pouring a cup of water into the ocean.
It was useless.
Yet the resonance continued.
Electrolux's divine sense watched from the side without intervening. He sensed that this was not a power he could invoke unless Quan Cangtian granted permission or allowed him to take control of the body.
But he did not ask.
Quan Cangtian did not offer.
The resonance lasted around ten seconds.
Then it ended.
The Gold of Life's glow dimmed and withdrew into the Engraving Knife.
The Engraving Knife had changed.
The dark red faded away.
The cracks vanished.
The blade became 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 divine sense remained beside him.
"Kid."
"Yeah."
"The Gold of Life resonated with your Abundance Power. It returned vitality to you."
"I know. But I can't use it."
"Mm. Your health bar is fluctuating, so this amount of vitality is useless to you. But—"
Electrolux paused.
"The energy of the thirty-seven souls is still there. The resentment was purified, but the energy did not disperse. It can be given to one of your people."
Quan Cangtian glanced at him.
"Huo Yuhao?"
"Mm. 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 light flowed over 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 been purified."
Quan Cangtian handed the knife to him.
"Take it."
Huo Yuhao received 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 on its own.
Pale golden light flowed through his pupils.
He could feel that this energy was searching for something. Searching for his Martial Soul. Searching for his Spiritual Sea.
Then—
It found it.
The energy poured into the Spirit Eye.
Huo Yuhao's body shuddered.
His Soul Power surged wildly.
The barrier at level fourteen was pierced like paper.
Level fifteen.
Level sixteen.
Then it stopped.
Huo Yuhao panted.
He could feel something extra within his Spirit Eye. It was 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.
Spirit-Devouring Silver Knife.
The purified Gold of Life, together with the energy of thirty-seven souls, had formed a Second Martial Soul with the knife as its vessel.
"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 this knife was connected to his Spirit Eye. They were not two separate Martial Souls, but worked in coordination.
The Spirit Eye saw through.
The silver knife severed.
One Mental Detection, one Soul Attack.
Perfect coordination.
"Thank you, Young Patriarch."
he said.
Quan Cangtian glanced at him.
"Cultivate well."
Then he turned and left.
Huo Yuhao watched his retreating back.
He knew he owed this six-year-old Young Patriarch another life. No, three lives now. Sky Dream Ice Silkworm. Abundance marrow cleansing. And now, a Second Martial Soul.
He would repay him.
He would spend his whole life repaying him.
Quan Cangtian walked out of the storehouse.
It was already dark.
Tomorrow, they would set off for Tianhun Royal Academy. Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao would accompany him. Zixiao would remain with the Quan Family to cultivate.
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. This was not the 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 purple 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 cultivate."
"Mm."
"If anything comes up, find Father."
"Mm."
She still said nothing.
But her lightning flickered around him.
It was not an attack. It was an instinctive reaction. Her lightning wanted to keep him there.
But she did not say it aloud.
Quan Cangtian glanced at her.
"What's wrong?"
Zixiao did not answer.
She crouched down.
Ten years old facing six. She crouched down until they were eye to eye.
Her deep purple eyes stared at him.
Then—
She reached out.
And pinched his cheek.
She said nothing.
But her lightning flickered around him again.
Quan Cangtian froze for a moment.
Zixiao rarely took the initiative to be close to anyone. She was aloof and quiet 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 very cool.
Faint 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 back.
Her purplish-black hair swayed behind her. Lightning patterns flickered faintly over her skin.
He smiled.
Then he turned and left.
Zixiao remained where she was.
Watching his retreating back.
Lightning patterns flickered faintly in her deep purple 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.
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