Chapter 531: They Are All Men

Under normal circumstances, when cultivating the Soul Divination Art, the soul leaves the body, and the physical body's vitality quickly wanes, becoming frail and decadent. However, the person before him was vibrant and radiant, with all acupoints resonating and spirit and body unified. Upon the soul's return, not only did he show no difference from an ordinary Fighter Realm cultivator, but his aura was even more superior, exuding a strong spiritual pressure.

With just a glance, Mo Hunsheng knew that the Soul Divination Art the other party practiced was completely different from his own. It had been thoroughly improved, circumventing the Five Decays of Soul Power and reaching an entirely new level. Legend has it that the profession of Witchcraft Soul Master was founded by the sect's patriarch, Liu Mozi, who stole knowledge about the soul from the Heavenly Dao. Because the Heavenly Dao was incomplete, the stolen knowledge was partial, leading to flaws like the Five Decays and the inability of the Yin soul to fully merge with the physical body. Subsequent Witchcraft Soul Masters had tried countless methods but failed to make any improvements. Yet, the person before him had not only made changes but succeeded with just a single glance... How could he not be shocked?

Following his shock, intense excitement welled up: "A Celestial Master Teacher, capable of improving the Soul Divination Art... This ability and insight will surely take me very far..." While his previous forced recognition as master and even the signing of the soul contract had been out of desperation, witnessing the other party's abilities and methods firsthand made him suddenly realize... perhaps this master was truly the right choice! Following such a peerless genius in the future, diligently and faithfully, he was certain to break free from his limitations and surpass his former self, as long as he received careful guidance!

"These are the Witchcraft Soul Master techniques I've learned, along with the secret methods I've researched over the years. They might be useful to you, Master!" Thinking this, Mo Hunsheng no longer hesitated. With a thought, segments of information transmitted directly from his soul. Witchcraft Soul Masters could perform direct soul transmissions, a method far more convenient than speaking or reading. Because of their contractual relationship, the transmission speed was even faster. Zhang Xuan felt a blur before his eyes, and a vast amount of new knowledge, all pertaining to Witchcraft Soul Masters, instantly appeared in his mind.

Mo Hunsheng was a six-star Witchcraft Soul Master who had survived from ancient times, when the lineage was still unbroken. His knowledge virtually covered the entire profession. "As expected of a profession feared by everyone in ancient times; it is indeed profound and extensive..." After a rough perusal, Zhang Xuan's mouth hung open, filled with awe. No wonder this profession had been passed down for countless years, feared by so many, even more terrifying than Poison Masters. It was truly not to be underestimated. The Soul Divination Art he had previously practiced was merely the most basic introduction compared to this knowledge.

"Is this Soul Splitting technique something you created?" Suddenly, seeing a specific piece of information, Zhang Xuan looked at the lotus before him. This fellow had been trapped within the Nine-Heart Lotus for tens of thousands of years, desperate to escape. He had split off a part of his soul to succeed, so this cultivation method was likely the result of his many years of research. "It's something I developed through exploration..." Mo Hunsheng nodded. "With this method, you can split off another version of yourself. Even if your main soul is destroyed in the future, you can survive through this clone!" "A clone?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Yes, this kind of soul splitting can completely replicate yourself, including memories! To put it simply, it's like forging a new soul. If you ever face danger, it's excellent for preserving your life!" Mo Hunsheng explained.

Zhang Xuan nodded, quickly reviewing the Soul Splitting technique. It had to be said, this method was truly formidable, something that could only be achieved with an ultimate mastery of the soul. It seemed that if this fellow hadn't been trapped in the Nine-Heart Lotus, unable to absorb spiritual energy for cultivation, he would have easily reached eighth, or even ninth, star, relying on tens of thousands of years of accumulation and understanding of Witchcraft Souls. Indeed, having lived for so long, trapped day in and day out, constantly researching how to escape, if his understanding of souls wasn't profound, he might as well have just bashed his head in and died.

"Let's see how many flaws there are!" His consciousness sank into his Mind Sea, and with a thought, he copied all the countless pieces of knowledge transmitted by the other party onto blank books. He casually picked up the book on Soul Splitting and opened it directly. "Soul Splitting, created by Mo Hunsheng. After cultivation, the soul can be divided into two... Flaws: ..." The pages were densely filled with content. "Only one hundred and twenty flaws, that's quite few!" After reading the content, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but praise. To create a cultivation method with only around a hundred flaws purely through personal effort, despite this Witchcraft Soul Master's unreliable background, his strength and talent were undeniable. Indeed, without such talent, how could he have reached the peak of the Fighter Realm and become a six-star Witchcraft Soul Master?

"Correct!" With a thought, various Witchcraft Soul Master books merged, regenerating the Soul Splitting secret manual. He looked through it again. This time, there were only a dozen or so flaws. "It seems I still have too few books on souls. When I go to Myriad Kingdom City, I should buy more!" He was quite intrigued by the life-saving potential of the Soul Splitting technique. No cultivator could guarantee what dangers they might encounter, and if this technique could truly be mastered, his own level of risk would undoubtedly be greatly reduced. However, this technique still had too many flaws, so for now, he wasn't overly interested. Even if he wanted to cultivate it, he would need to collect more books to thoroughly complete it first.

"Let's look at the Nine-Heart Lotus!" After studying the transmitted knowledge for a while, realizing he couldn't master it in a day or two, Zhang Xuan wasn't in a hurry. He opened his eyes and focused on the black lotus before him. This item was reputed to be a divine artifact, and he wanted to know its true functions. Touching it with his finger, he mentally called out "flaws". A book appeared before his eyes. "Nine Heavens Lotus Embryo, fallen from beyond the heavens, acquired by Mo Hunsheng. Requires the purest energy for nourishment. Once fully mature, it can be refined into a perfect physical body. Flaws: 1. Not yet mature. When fully mature, it will be entirely white..." "So it's not called the Nine-Heart Lotus, but the Nine Heavens Lotus Embryo! Refining a physical body is correct!" After reading the first page, Zhang Xuan nodded. He had genuinely thought it was called the Nine-Heart Lotus. Now it seemed that even after being trapped for tens of thousands of years, Mo Hunsheng hadn't recognized it. Nine Heavens Lotus Embryo... Although the book didn't specify its exact level, it seemed it wouldn't be low.

"Only five flaws!" Turning to the second page, just as he was about to continue reading, Zhang Xuan suddenly froze. The flaws recorded spanned only two pages, totaling five. Such a treasure with so few flaws was absolutely the first he had ever seen since acquiring the Library. "Truly a divine artifact..." His eyes gleamed, and suddenly a thought emerged: "If I learn Soul Splitting, create a clone, and then refine this into a physical body, wouldn't that mean an extra life?" The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. This was a divine artifact with only five flaws. Refining it into a clone would undoubtedly make it incredibly powerful.

"It's just a pity... I probably won't live long enough for this thing to mature..." The first flaw recorded in the book was that this Nine Heavens Lotus Embryo was not yet mature. A fully mature Nine Heavens Lotus Embryo would be entirely white, not the current dark appearance. It had consumed all of Mo Hunsheng's possessions and lived for tens of thousands of years, yet it was still in this state. With his lifespan of only a few hundred years, he certainly wouldn't live to see it mature. If it wasn't mature, it couldn't be refined. Forcing the process might lead to him being trapped within it, just like Mo Hunsheng, unable to die even if he wanted to.

"Hmm? This thing needs the purest energy to mature. My Heaven's Path True Qi is incredibly pure; could it serve as nourishment?" A thought sparked in his mind. The first description of this Nine Heavens Lotus Embryo stated it required the purest energy for nourishment. He currently couldn't find enough spirit stones, but his Heaven's Path True Qi was exceptionally pure, so perhaps he could try it. He pinched the lotus embryo's stem and channeled a stream of True Qi into it. "Ah..." As soon as the True Qi entered, he heard a pig-like shriek. "I've told you everything I know, don't kill me..." Mo Hunsheng was going mad. He had just transmitted all the Witchcraft Soul Master knowledge, and then the other party started channeling True Qi into him. Anyone in his position would assume the other party intended to kill him. "Uh..." Zhang Xuan quickly stopped. He had only been thinking about nourishing it with True Qi, forgetting that this fellow was still inside. Witchcraft Souls had a natural fear of Heaven's Path True Qi, and this fellow had already been beaten half to death by the Dragon Scale Amulet. How could he withstand the True Qi's attack? It was already good fortune that he hadn't been directly annihilated.

Stopping the True Qi infusion, Zhang Xuan was about to put the lotus into his storage ring for later study, when he suddenly noticed that the stem he had just infused with True Qi had turned white. "It turned white? Could Heaven's Path True Qi really be useful?" His eyes lit up. Disbelieving, he picked up another stem and infused another stream of True Qi into it. "Ah..." Immediately, another bloodcurdling scream echoed from within the lotus. A moment later, he picked up the lotus. "It really turned white again! Heaven's Path True Qi can indeed make this thing mature faster..." Seeing another stem turn white, Zhang Xuan was filled with excitement and couldn't help but offer comfort: "I'm not trying to kill you, I'm just trying something with this Nine-Heart Lotus. Don't be nervous, I'll just try one more time, just one more time..." "No, ah..." Mo Hunsheng cried. *Can't I just be obedient from now on? If you try a few more times, you probably won't even need to get me out; I'll just die prematurely...*

Outside the cave.

"What happened? Should we go in and check?"

"It sounds like Mo Hunsheng's pained screams. Master Zhang isn't in trouble, is he?"

Hearing the screams, everyone who was eating stood up.

"Master Zhang just said he had something to research, and it's best not to disturb him. I think it would be better to... first listen to what's going on before deciding!" Zhao Feiwu, being more composed, advised the others.

"Understood!"

Everyone nodded, perking up their ears and listening towards the cave. Soon, faint sounds drifted out.

"...don't be nervous, I'll just try one more time, just one more time..."

"No, ah..."

"Try one more time? Just one more time? And don't be nervous?" The group exchanged glances, their eyes wide.

Zhao Feiwu's face turned red, and after a long pause, he finally managed to speak: "Both of them... are men, you know..."