by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
The soul power formed an incorporeal palm that crashed down at the swarm of ghostrunes like a massive mountain. It was a soul attack, and although the ghostrunes had decent soul power, they were nothing compared to Devouring Ghost. Ghostrunes dropped one after another, dying in large numbers. As Devouring Ghost unleashed his soul power, a dreadful soul pressure appeared, causing intense fear in the hearts of the ghostrunes.
"What a terrifying soul power!" the ghostrune patriarch cried out timidly.
He no longer had the same cold and indifferent expression on his face. His heart was gripped by anxiousness, and he was fearful that the newly appeared soul power would attack him as well. Ghostrunes were innately sensitive to soul power. Thus, they were completely helpless against those with stronger soul power than them.
"Hand over the soul raising stone if you don't want your race to go extinct," demanded Xiang Shaoyun coldly.
"Young master, there is no need to be courteous toward these bugs. Just let me kill all of them," said Devouring Ghost.
For any other humans in the area, these ghostrunes were extremely difficult opponents. Yet here was someone calling them bugs. If news of this spread, it would stun countless people.
"Forget it. It is bad karma to exterminate an entire race. Just focus on getting a soul raising stone," said Xiang Shaoyun with a shake of his head.
Devouring Ghost did not say anything to that. He continued putting pressure on the ghostrunes, forcing them to lie down with their face on the ground. Faced with the prospect of race extinction, the patriarch was forced to concede.
Soon, a soul raising stone was taken out. Xiang Shaoyun looked at the soul raising stone with a burning gaze. It looked like an ordinary stone with a darker shade of black. Numerous complicated markings could be seen on it, and it emanated an odd aura that gave Xiang Shaoyun's soul an intense sense of comfort. It was as if this stone had the most intimate relationship with his soul. Slowly, nourished by the aura the stone was emanating, his soul power started to grow.
The growth was substantial, giving him a feeling that if he could keep this stone for a period of time, his soul power would easily grow stronger. He impatiently took the soul raising stone into his hand. Meanwhile, a pained expression covered the ghostrune patriarch's face, as if something most precious to his race had been taken.
Xiang Shaoyun felt somewhat guilty seeing the expression, so he said, "I won't take this for free. Here, consider this soul spring water as my payment for the stone."
He then filled up a bottle with soul spring water and handed it to the ghostrune patriarch.
The patriarch cried out in alarm and said, "So much soul spring water...y-you're really giving it to us?"
"Of course. Take it," said Xiang Shaoyun with a solemn nod.
The ghostrune patriarch accepted the bottle, his expression much better now.
Just as Xiang Shaoyun was about to leave, Devouring Ghost said, "Young master, you are still too weak. Why don't you take a few ghostrune kings with you? You can have them as your guard. Although their combat prowess is weak, their soul attacks are unique. With them, nobody below the Emperor Realm can hope to touch you. And if you can help them become ghostrune emperors, they will be even more helpful to you in the future."
Xiang Shaoyun was moved by the proposition. If he could really bring a few ghostrune kings out, he would no longer need to fear the threat of King Realm cultivators.
"But I doubt others will spare them after I bring them out," said Xiang Shaoyun.
"Haha, you worry too much. Ghostrunes are the same as demonic beasts. Anyone capable of taming one will naturally be eligible to receive a tame ghostrune's help. Anyone with a problem with that is merely jealous of you," said Devouring Ghost. "If you are afraid that the ghostrunes will be a target of other humans when you take them out, you can find a place for them to stay and only summon them when you need them to do battle."
Chapter 300: Wondrous Nether Soul Domain
Xiang Shaoyun was greatly tempted by Devouring Ghost’s suggestion.
"But that doesn't seem like a good solution either? Sure, I can find a place for them to stay. But I will have to go look for them whenever I need their help. If one day I face a formidable enemy, I will probably die before I can even get to them," said Xiang Shaoyun.
"Yes, that is a valid concern. But that is only applicable to others. You are different. Wouldn't it be a waste to not utilize the Nether Soul Domain you have?" said Devouring Ghost.
"Huh? What does the Nether Soul Domain have anything to do with this?" asked Xiang Shaoyun in confusion.
"No way, are you completely clueless about the Nether Soul Domain?" asked Devouring Ghost in astonishment.
"If I knew, why would I be asking you?" said Xiang Shaoyun with a helpless tone.
He only knew a tiny bit about the Nether Soul Domain and had not been able to find out more of its secrets.
"Haha, no wonder.... Fine, I'll tell you what I know. Like the astral cosmos sea, the Nether Soul Domain can be used to store things, but it can only store things that resonate with it. An example would be your Nether Dragon Soul Headband. The ghostrunes are living beings, and they have a natural preference for environments with thick soul power. Soul power is for them what astral energy is for us humans. Your Nether Soul Domain is a space formed of soul power, and entering your Nether Soul Domain will only be beneficial to them," said Devouring Ghost.
Xiang Shaoyun was pleasantly surprised. "Is that true?"
He had not expected that the Nether Soul Domain would have such a wondrous function. If that was the case, it wouldn't be a problem for him to take a few ghostrune kings with him.
"Of course. But they will be cultivating by absorbing soul power. So if you want them to grow, you have to grow yourself as well. They can then grow through you," said Devouring Ghost.
"I see. So what do I need to do to get them in my Nether Soul Domain, then?" Xiang Shaoyun asked.
"Well, I don't know. It's not like I have a Nether Soul Domain of my own," replied Devouring Ghost.
Xiang Shaoyun sank into a short silence before he tried summoning the Nether Soul Domain out. The Nether Soul Domain was a piece of black space that innately existed within his head. With his soul at the center, the Nether Soul Domain filled the space within his head, causing his senses to be far more sensitive than others. That was how he had come to possess the gift of instincts and visualization.
Xiang Shaoyun had never known about the Nether Soul Domain's function before Devouring Ghost told him, and that also explained why it had "Domain" as part of its name.
He willed for the Nether Soul Domain to come out with his mind. An indescribable force started spreading all around him, and the Nether Soul Domain seemed to come alive. All the ghostrunes in the area suddenly froze. Their eyes lit up brightly as they started scanning the area, searching for the source of the sudden sense of comfort they were experiencing.
"W-what comfortable sensation! This is soul power! What wondrously pure soul power!" the ghostrune patriarch cried out in alarm.
Finally, their gazes landed on Xiang Shaoyun. They could see a piece of dark space around him, and that was the same space emanating an aura that resonated with them. Without even thinking about it, they started flying toward Xiang Shaoyun.
Xiang Shaoyun flinched at the sight of the massive number of ghostrunes flying toward him.
"Hmph. Stay where you are!" Devouring Ghost snorted coldly and sent a wave of terrifying soul power out, suppressing all the ghostrunes and forcing them to stop.
Xiang Shaoyun took the chance to quickly pull back his Nether Soul Domain. He was now sure that Devouring Ghost was right. His Nether Soul Domain could really store the ghostrunes.
He stepped forward and said to the ghostrune patriarch, "Did you feel the aura earlier?"
"Yes, that is the feeling we love most. Why is it gone?" asked the ghostrune patriarch in agitation.
"Haha, glad to hear you actually like it. That is my personal
domain. Any kings among you willing to become my follower may stay inside that domain. In fact, there is a good chance those joining me can become emperors in the future," said Xiang Shaoyun with a hearty laugh.
"Is that true?" asked the ghostrune patriarch. For him, it was a very tempting offer.
"Of course. But by becoming my follower, you will need to leave this place and follow my commands from now on. If you can agree, I will allow you to enter my domain," Xiang Shaoyun laid out his terms.
"Yes, if you can bring our entire race into your domain and take all of us out of here, we can agree to anything," said the ghostrune patriarch in excitement.
"Hold on, I did not say I'm taking everyone out. I only need a few of your kings," Xiang Shaoyun quickly clarified. He could not begin to imagine having his head filled with ghostrunes. What was he to do if they decided to empty all his soul power?
That caused the ghostrune patriarch to hesitate. "Can't you take all of us away?"
Just as Xiang Shaoyun was about to reject, Devouring Ghost's voice rang out, "It is even better to take all of them. You can resettle them when you leave this place. In the future, you will have a powerful ghostrune army for yourself, an army capable of striking fear in the hearts of all your enemies."
His words tempted Xiang Shaoyun, who had never thought that far ahead before.
"But I'm afraid that they will eat up the entirety of my Nether Soul Domain," said Xiang Shaoyun.
"You are underestimating the Nether Soul Domain. It is not that weak. Just take all of them with you. You still have the pool of soul spring you can use to nourish them as well, so you have nothing to worry for now," said Devouring Ghost. "Of course, it will be even better for them if you can grow rapidly."
Xiang Shaoyun finally made up his mind and said, "Fine, I'll accept all of them!"
He then said to the ghostrune patriarch, "I can take all of you with me, but after leaving, I will resettle all of you somewhere else. My domain will only be reserved for the strongest among you."
"Ok. We can agree with anything so long as we can leave this place," said the ghostrune patriarch, brimming with excitement.
"Good. Gather everyone. I will bring everyone out of this place," said Xiang Shaoyun.
The ghostrune patriarch started commanding all the ghostrunes to gather.
Odd screams of the ghostrunes started reverberating everywhere as they communicated among themselves, greatly frightening the humans who had no idea what the ghostrunes were up to. In their fear, the humans hid anywhere they could and decided not to do anything before they knew what was going on.
Chapter 301: Fusing With the Soul Raising Stone
"All the ghostrunes seem to have gone missing? Did something happen?"
"Well, this will be the best time to go look for soul springs. We might be able to reap a great harvest with the disappearance of the ghostrunes."
"It has been two days since any soul spring was seen. Has something happened to cause both the soul springs and ghostrunes to go missing?"
"I don't care. The period of one month is almost up. I need to get at least one strand of soul spring before then."
...
Peace came suddenly to the Land of Soul Springs, and many people had a hard time adapting to it. Little did they know, both the soul spring and the ghostrunes had been completely harvested by one person. If news of what Xiang Shaoyun did spread, many would be in deep shock. Not only had he harvested the soul spring, he had even harvested the ghostrunes?
There were tens of thousands of ghostrunes, and a massive space would be required to store them all. Surprisingly, Xiang Shaoyun's Nether Soul Domain had enough space to fit them all. He even wondered if he was dreaming.
Only now did he realize that the Nether Soul Domain was the same as the astral cosmos sea. Both were essentially storage spaces in his body, with him being the master of both spaces.
As Xiang Shaoyun's soul power was equivalent to an eighth-stage Skysoar Realm expert's, he had a large space within his Nether Soul Domain. Even so, his Nether Soul Domain was still not big enough to keep all the ghostrunes. How then, had he taken all of them in?
It was thanks to the soul raising stone he was keeping in his Nether Soul Domain. Half a day ago, Xiang Shaoyun had agreed to bring all the ghostrunes with him. But after all the ghostrunes convened, he released his Nether Soul Domain only to find he did not have enough space for all of them. There were about 50,000 or 60,000 ghostrunes in total, and his Nether Soul Domain was not big enough for them.
While he hesitated, Devouring Ghost had said, "You have two methods to expand your Nether Soul Domain. First is by swallowing the ghostbloom, and the second is by fusing the soul raising stone with your Nether Soul Domain. I personally suggest the second method. If you can fuse the soul raising stone with your Nether Soul Domain, it will bring you great benefits now and in the future when you enter the Soul Foundation Realm."
It was a hard decision for Xiang Shaoyun to make. After all, he had promised Hua Cheng to bring her the soul raising stone. What should he tell her if he ended up using the stone for himself instead? Although he did not view himself as some upright gentleman, he was still someone who upheld his promises. Since he had promised Hua Cheng, he would not break it.
As Xiang Shaoyun hesitated, the ghostrune patriarch suddenly handed him an even larger soul raising stone.
"Master, I have another soul raising stone here."
Xiang Shaoyun had never imagined that the ghostrunes would actually have two soul raising stones, and the one being offered to him was more than double the size of the first soul raising stone they had given him.
"Looks like you haven't been completely honest with me," Xiang Shaoyun remarked with a gleeful laugh.
With this soul raising stone, he no longer had any worries. He directly placed a soul raising stone in his Nether Soul Domain. The moment the soul raising stone entered, the Nether Soul Domain started undergoing an astonishing transformation.
More than half of the soul raising stone's power was instantly absorbed by the Nether Soul Domain. The domain grew and expanded, the soul raising stone much more effective than Xiang Shaoyun had expected. Toward the end of the process, the soul raising stone's size had been reduced four or five times in size.
If previously Xiang Shaoyun's Nether Soul Domain was akin to a massive courtyard capable of holding 10,000 people, then his current Nether Soul Domain was akin to a massive village capable of easily holding all the ghostrunes.
The growth of the Nether Soul Domain also signified that Xiang Shaoyun himself had grown. His soul power soared, reaching a level equivalent to a peak Skysoar Realm expert's. The growth of soul gave him an extremely wondrous sensation, as if his very soul was floating up into the sky. In fact, he had a feeling his soul could grow even more if it wasn't for the limitation of his low cultivation level.
Xiang Shaoyun was pleased as he lamented inwardly, Fortunately I have Devouring Ghost with me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known how helpful the soul raising stone would be to me.
He had just entered ninth-stage Transformation Realm, and with the growth of his soul power thanks to the soul raising stone, his new cultivation level had completely stabilized. Additionally, his eyes and ears had become sharper than before, and his senses had become much more sensitive. His detection range had also increased greatly. From now onward, ambushing him would be even harder.
At present, all the ghostrunes were already inside the Nether Soul Domain. Xiang Shaoyun could sense that they were extremely content and comfortable there. If it wasn't for the ghostrune patriarch restricting them, they would have started a wild celebration.
Some of the ghostrunes had even directly broken through into the King Realm the moment they entered the Nether Soul Domain, which was completely outside of Xiang Shaoyun's expectations.
"The Nether Soul Domain is indeed a wondrous thing. If you can create an army of Nether Soul Puppets in the future, you will be able to dominate the world. Hahaha,
" said Devouring Ghost.
"Huh? I can even make Nether Soul Puppets?" Xiang Shaoyun was confused.
"Of course you can. But I don't really know that much about it. You are still too weak now. When you grow stronger and learn more, you will understand what it is all about," said Devouring Ghost. "Alright, let's leave this shitty place. I can't stand this place anymore."
"Ok, let's leave," Xiang Shaoyun agreed.
And thus, he started his journey out of the Land of Soul Springs.
There was about a week left before the one month period was over, and some of those who had gotten a soul spring for themselves had long departed. As for those who had not found any soul springs, they were planning to make a final attempt to get one. Unfortunately, it had been a few days since any strands of soul spring were seen, and the people were becoming anxious as the one month deadline approached.
More and more people decided to throw caution to the wind and enter deep into the territory of the ghostrunes in hope of getting a soul spring. But even after going deep inside the territory, not a single ghostrune or soul spring was in sight, which caused the humans to become even more curious, and they continued exploring. One such group of people had stumbled upon Xiang Shaoyun who was on his way out.
Xiang Shaoyun was able to sense them hiding nearby waiting for him, but he did not care and continued treading ahead. With his strength, nobody here could stop him. When he approached them, the ambushers all came out of hiding. There were about a dozen of them; none were weaker than eighth-stage Transformation Realm.
"Haha, so it's the renowned Xiang Shaoyun? Let me pay him my respects," a crisp voice rang out in the air.
Xiang Shaoyun indifferently looked at the voice's owner and said, "I am Xiang Shaoyun. What do you want? Are you here to rob me of my soul spring?"
Chapter 302: You Think I Don't Dare to Kill You?
The group of people blocking Xiang Shaoyun's path were the members of Thousand Forest Academy. They were led by a young man of about 20 years old with a charming smile on his handsome face. Dressed gorgeously with a folding fan in his hand, his entire person emanated grace and elegance.