Xuan Zi's Visit

Jiang Wenzhou's spirits lifted. He closed his eyes and channeled Soul Power into the mother bell.

For the next half hour, Jiang Wenzhou neither opened his eyes nor said a word. Relying solely on the faint sensations from the mother bell, he led Gu Mingyuan through the alleyways.

At last, Jiang Wenzhou stopped at a crossroads.

"Why did you stop?" Gu Mingyuan asked.

"The child bell is still moving." Jiang Wenzhou opened his eyes, doubt creeping into his expression.

"But... Cao Jinxuan's Soul Power signature has vanished completely."

Gu Mingyuan did not rush him. He motioned for him to keep following the bell. They pursued it for another half a street before finding the child bell tied to the axle beneath a cargo cart rolling slowly around a corner.

Cao Jinxuan himself had clearly removed the bell long ago and taken a roundabout route back to the courtyard.

Jiang Wenzhou stared at the empty bell bouncing with the cart's wheels. His face fell. "Gu, I failed."

"No, you did well."

Gu Mingyuan stepped forward, pulled the child bell free, and tossed it into his arms.

"Not being able to find someone after he takes off the bell is a limitation of your Martial Soul," Gu Mingyuan said, looking at him.

"But finding the empty bell is exactly what makes you valuable."

Over the course of their pursuit, Gu Mingyuan had come to understand the Heartbound Bell's abilities.

For now, it could not share vision or convey complete sentences. It could only sense a wearer's approximate direction and Soul Power condition, and transmit simple vibrations at prearranged frequencies. Thick metal, underground structures, or interference from mental-type Soul Skills would drastically reduce its range.

But Jiang Wenzhou was only level nineteen. All those varied effects were merely different applications of his first Soul Skill through the mother and child bells.

In a three-person arena match, where the entire field was visible at a glance, this Martial Soul truly was useless. But for scouting a city, covert surveillance, retreating through complex terrain, or coordinating a group, the Heartbound Bell was irreplaceable.

"The Heartbound Bell can do more than this. Work on your instincts against interference." Gu Mingyuan turned to Lin Yan.

Lin Yan understood. He stepped forward and handed Jiang Wenzhou a wooden token engraved with the character "Tang."

Jiang Wenzhou froze for a moment, then gripped the token, his eyes reddening.

That night, on the western shore of Sea God Lake.

Gu Mingyuan sat cross-legged on the grass by the lake, letting the cool moonlight gathering over the water flow with each breath and slowly sink into the space between his brows.

Cultivating the Purple Emperor Eyes was not limited to the dawn.

Drawing moonlight into his eyes at night tempered the fierce nature of Purple Qi and nourished his Sea of Spirit. As the moonlight settled within him, a deep violet-gold hue gradually appeared in Gu Mingyuan's eyes.

The world grew clearer in his sight. He could make out the faint tremble of leaves a hundred meters away, the path traced by a fish's tail half a foot beneath the lake's surface, even the tiniest motes of dust drifting through the air.

Just as he exhaled stale air and prepared to end his cultivation, a voice sounded behind him.

"Gathering Purple Qi at dawn and drawing in moonlight at night. You're even greedier than the Tang Sect's original Purple Demon Eyes, kid."

The voice was somewhat aged, its tone casual.

Gu Mingyuan's heart jolted, and every muscle in his body went taut. With his current perception, he had not sensed anyone approaching from behind.

He turned at once.

A scruffy old man with hair like a bird's nest and a greasy wine gourd in his hand stood less than three steps away, studying him with interest.

Xuan Zi.

This elder of Shrek Academy's Sea God Pavilion had clearly not happened by chance to pass by. Ever since the freshman assessment ended, he had wanted to examine Gu Mingyuan's Martial Soul for himself. Tonight, he had found his opportunity.

"No need to be nervous." Xuan Zi took a swig of wine. "Activate your Golden Jade Body. Let me have a look."

Gu Mingyuan circulated his Soul Power. A jade-like sheen instantly covered his body, and fine golden patterns appeared beneath his skin.

Xuan Zi reached out and seized Gu Mingyuan's wrist.

"Don't resist."

Deep within the Sea of Spirit, Electrolux's aged voice rang out.

The Nether God Grass had restored him somewhat. His gray divine consciousness stirred slightly, quietly releasing a trace of hidden power to conceal the skull brand left by the Holy Spirit Cult near Gu Mingyuan's heart.

Xuan Zi was only testing the strength of his body and the source of his Martial Soul. He did not force his way into the Sea of Spirit, so he naturally failed to notice Electrolux lurking deep within it.

A gentle yet concentrated stream of Soul Power flowed from Gu Mingyuan's wrist into his meridians, sweeping inch by inch across his bones, muscles, and organs.

Provoked by this foreign Soul Power, the Golden Jade Body instinctively flared brighter and resisted the intrusion.

"Impressive toughness." Appreciation flashed through Xuan Zi's eyes as he prepared to withdraw his Soul Power.

Yet the instant his Soul Power receded, the disturbance rippled deep into Gu Mingyuan's left palm.

It drew out the source of another Martial Soul, one entirely different from the Golden Jade Body.

The dark violet mark of the Demon's Contract on Gu Mingyuan's left palm flickered beyond his control.

Xuan Zi's once-clouded eyes widened. His piercing gaze fixed on Gu Mingyuan's left hand.

"Wait."

Xuan Zi's fingers tightened slightly around Gu Mingyuan's wrist, and his voice suddenly deepened.

"You have Twin Martial Souls!"

Gu Mingyuan fell silent for a moment. Trying to hide it from Xuan Zi now would only make matters worse. He relaxed, opened his left hand, and revealed the mark of the Demon's Contract, though he did not summon the Sin-Cleaving Scythe.

"I do have Twin Martial Souls." Gu Mingyuan looked at the dark violet markings on his palm as he explained.

"But all I can tell so far is that it has some kind of contract and summoning ability. Its aura leans toward darkness, and I haven't attached any Soul Rings to it. I was afraid it would cause trouble, so I didn't dare report it to the academy."

Xuan Zi said nothing. He pressed a finger to the dark violet mark and examined it carefully.

The mark did radiate pure darkness. Yet however thoroughly Xuan Zi probed it, he found no stench of blood, no twisted resentment, and none of the soul-devouring or life-corroding traits that marked an Evil Soul Master. On the contrary, within that profound darkness, he faintly sensed a hint of judgment.

Xuan Zi released his grip and reached a tentative conclusion: this was an unknown contract-summoning second Martial Soul, not an evil Martial Soul that grew through slaughter and cruelty.

Gu Mingyuan looked at him and suddenly asked, "What if it really is an evil Martial Soul?"

Xuan Zi gave him a level glance.

"Darkness doesn't mean evil, and unfamiliarity doesn't mean danger." Xuan Zi hooked the wine gourd back onto his belt.

"Whether a Martial Soul is righteous or evil depends on how it grows—and even more on what you intend to do with it."