"The Ling family suffered a terrible fate, certainly, but at least they can no longer harm anyone else," Xiao Li said, her voice steady and without a trace of compassion. She had seen the hollowed-out expressions of the victims within the pagoda; she knew better than anyone that the Ling family had undoubtedly harmed countless people to maintain their grip on power.
Her thoughts drifted to the victims of the Soul-Devouring Mist. In the path of cultivation, once something goes wrong with a person's Soul Power, it isn't just a temporary setback. It is a fundamental wound that can affect a person's entire life, potentially stunting their future growth or leaving their mind a fractured mess.
"They asked for it," Shen Xi, who was beside her said nonchalantly.
For a family to build their prosperity on the systematic consumption of others' souls, the total destruction of their foundation was a just, if not overdue, conclusion.
Xiao Li's attention quickly shifted, her curiosity getting the better of her. She turned toward Mu Chen, her eyes blinking with excitement as she leaned forward.
"Mu Chen, big brother, hurry up and bring out the treasure so we can see it!" she urged, her voice practically bubbling with anticipation.
She remembered the look on Elder Ling Qiu's face as they left—the sheer, exasperated desperation in his bloodshot eyes. That expression alone was a silent testimony that the item Mu Chen had taken was a valuable treasure of the highest order.
Mu Chen, looked down at Nibi. The golden cat looked back at him from his arms, her five tails swaying slowly. She seemed to understand his unspoken question and brought her small paws together, presenting the black crystal ball she had been guarding.
With a sharp flick of her tail, she nudged it toward him. Her expression was one of supreme boredom; to Nibi, a treasure was only worth her time if it was edible, and Mu Chen had asked her not to eat it.
Mu Chen took the black crystal ball from her paw, a soft, rare smile touching his lips. He stroked her golden fur, and in response, the cat purred and settled herself more comfortably against his chest.
Shen Xi and Xiao Li both moved closer, their gazes fixed on the dark sphere. Even before Mu Chen did anything, they could sense a vast, swirling ocean of pure Soul Power trapped within the depths of the crystal. Only Shen Xi, with her deeper knowledge of ancient artifacts, recognized the true nature of the prize.
"It's actually a Sacred Soul Crystal," Shen Xi whispered, letting out a long, appreciative sigh. "It's a true treasure. The Ling family must have relied on it to thrive for all these generations."
Xiao Li tilted her head to the side, a metaphorical question mark practically popping up over her head. She looked from the crystal to Shen Xi and back again.
"Ummm... big sister?" she asked, clearly lost.
Seeing that Xiao Li still didn't understand the magnitude of the find, Shen Xi began to explain. "With help of this, a cultivator doesn't even need to practice soul-forging techniques. By simply possessing it, you can continuously and passively strengthen your Soul Power. Furthermore, it serves as a powerful shield; it can protect your mind from direct Soul Power attacks."
Hearing this, Xiao Li's eyes widened. She finally understood why Shen Xi had called it a priceless treasure. It was a shortcut to mental strength and a perfect defense rolled into one.
Mu Chen, however, wasn't satisfied with its current state. He held the crystal in his palm and tapped the surface lightly with a finger. The movement was casual, but the effect was instantaneous.
A ripple of absolute purity swept through the sphere. All the dark impurities and the lingering resentment of the souls the Lings had harvested were cleared out in an instant. The murky black color dissipated, replaced by a radiant, milky white glow. Mysterious runes, ancient and complex, began to vaguely discern themselves on the surface of the crystal ball, pulsing with a gentle light.
Suddenly, a series of drops of a mysterious spiritual liquid began to condense and appear in Mu Chen's palm. The moment the liquid manifested, both Shen Xi and Xiao Li felt an intense, primal thirst emanating from the Soul Power residing in their brows. It was an instinctive craving for the essence Mu Chen held.
"The Origin of Soul Power," Shen Xi said, her eyes fixed on the liquid. She couldn't help but smile, though there was a trace of awe in her voice. "If I were the one trying to extract this, it would require a massive amount of effort."
She knew that to reach this level of purity, she would have to engrave countless complex runes over the crystal, a process that would take days if not weeks. Even then, the efficiency would be reduced by more than half, wasting much of the essence.
As they watched, the crystal ball, which had originally been the size of a human head, began to shrink and wither. It contracted until it was no larger than a baby's fist, appearing as if it had been completely emptied of its lifeblood to produce the droplets.
"A total of fifteen drops," Mu Chen said, his voice calm as he looked at the glowing liquid in his hand. "Divide it among yourselves."
Each drop was roughly the size of a marble, vibrating with a concentrated power that seemed to warp the air around it.
Xiao Li looked at the drops, then at Mu Chen, her expression one of surprise, as she asked. "What about you, big brother?"
"I don't need it," Mu Chen replied simply.
Though Xiao Li was surprised by his refusal to take a share of such a supreme treasure, she didn't push the matter or ask for a reason. She already felt that the young man sitting before her was mysterious in ways she couldn't possibly fathom.
If he said he didn't need it, he likely possessed something far better or was at a level where such things were redundant. She knew to pry into the someone's secrets is not a wise choice.
Mu Chen then looked down at Nibi. The golden cat thought for a moment, looking at the liquid with a discerning eye. She waved two of her tails lazily, her meaning clear to those who knew her: I, the almighty, do not truly depend on such things, but since I was the one who actually found it this time, I will take my commission.
Nibi didn't wait for a formal distribution. Two drops of the soul origin floated into the air, drawn by her intent, and she gulped them down straightly, as if they were nothing more than treats.
Mu Chen and Shen Xi were left momentarily speechless by the cat's reaction. Sensing their stares, Nibi simply closed her eyes and tucked her nose into her paws, refusing to acknowledge their expression.
Xiao Li looked at the cat with a terrified, shocked expression. She couldn't believe her eyes. What was that? Doesn't she require to refine it?
To her, Nibi had just drank immense soul power liquid as if it were normal water. Seeing how Mu Chen and Shen Xi quickly regained their calm as if this were nothing new, Xiao Li could only offer a wry, helpless smile.
"Big sister," Xiao Li said, turning to Shen Xi. "I will take three drops. You take the remaining ten. Anyway, I didn't really do anything much during the fight."
Hearing this, Shen Xi smiled gently. She waved her hand, and the droplets began to move. "It's okay. Here you go."
She distributed five drops to Xiao Li before the girl could even protest. Shen Xi caught her eye and shook her head. "It's okay... take it. You've earned it by staying with us."
Xiao Li's face brightened, her previous hesitation vanishing. "Thanks, big sister!" she said happily.
With the essence distributed, both girls sat cross-legged on the soft grass, closed their eyes, and began the process of refining the power.
...
As Shen Xi sank into the depths of her meditation, the world of the forest faded away, replaced by the familiar, swirling fog of her dormant memories. This time, the vision was clearer than ever before.
She saw the silver-haired man from the Void Seal, standing on a battlefield of broken stars. But behind him, she could finally see the face of the mysterious woman who fought at his side.
This woman was different from the one in the red dress who appeared in her other dreams. This silhouette was a breathtaking harmony of black and white, her presence blending the two together as if she were the living embodiment of Yin and Yang.
The woman in the vision seemed aware that she was being observed. She turned her head, her eyes piercing through the layers of time to look directly into Shen Xi's soul.
"Nine..." the woman whispered, her voice echoing with an urgent, haunting tone. "You don't have much time left... He will recover soon."
This time, Shen Xi felt no pain from the influx of memory. Instead, a strange resonance took hold. Her refining speed of the soul drops increased, the liquid being absorbed into her sea of consciousness with terrifying efficiency.
After a few moments, a visible burst of Soul Power radiated from her center, moving outward like a raging storm that bent the nearby grass and rustled the trees. It was a powerful, staggering wave of energy, yet it was not infused with the intent of harming anyone.
Shen Xi felt her perception sharpen to a frightening degree. Everything in the world became incredibly clear; she could feel the heartbeat of the forest, the flow of the stream, and the microscopic vibrations of the air. The world appeared in her vision in a more fundamental, structural way.
Opening her eyes, Shen Xi let out a breath of pure white mist. She smiled, her aura feeling far more profound than before. "My soul has reached the Middle Spirit Realm," she announced.
In the world of cultivation, Soul Power was divided into four major stages: the Mortal Realm, the Spirit Realm, the Earthly Realm, and the Heavenly Realm.
The Spirit Realm was generally considered equivalent to the Nascent Soul realm in terms of spiritual cultivation. Now that she had reached the middle stage of the Spirit Realm, her divine sense was nearly five times stronger than it had been at early stage.
Being the owner of a Heavenly Seal already provided her with a naturally strong soul, and this breakthrough had pushed her far beyond her peers.
"Mn," Mu Chen nodded in approval. He held up the now-shrunken baby-fist-sized Sacred Soul Crystal and tossed it toward her. "Shen Xi, this Sacred Soul Crystal is for you."
Shen Xi caught the crystal and nodded, her fingers tracing the runes on its surface. "It's good," she said. "With this, even if I don't actively practice, my soul power will continue to increase, though it would be slow. It's a good foundation to have."
She knew it would also serve as a final line of defense against soul attacks. However, her mind was still lingering on the vision. Who was the woman in black and white? Was she also a previous holder of a Heavenly Seal? And when she said, "He will recover soon," was she referring to the Demon Emperor?
A high-pitched, excited voice disrupted her grim thoughts.
"Heheh! Thank you, big brother and big sister! I've reached the peak of the Mortal Realm!" Xiao Li exclaimed, jumping up from her spot on the grass.
Xiao Li's Beast Heart Technique required significant mental power to communicate with spiritual beasts, so her soul power had always been stronger than that of normal cultivators. This breakthrough was a massive leap for her future potential.
Mu Chen said calmly. "No need to be polite, you had your share."
Shen Xi smiled and nodded. "Mu Chen is right," she said, her voice soft and full of a strange, destined certainty.
"The fact that we met and found this together... it was our destiny."
She chose to dismiss the troubling memories for now. She knew that as she grew stronger, the fog would eventually clear, and the truth would reveal itself in its own time.
Nibi, sensing the conversation was ending, let out a sharp meow. She looked at the two girls and then at Mu Chen, her tails flicking impatiently as if demanding: Where is my thank you? I was the one who found the crystal in the first place!