Second Spirit Soul (2)

Shout-out to Mohamed Slt, Guilherme Massimo Fernandes Cortez, WorldMonarch.

So, this is it. Back to regular 1/day update and the occasional 2/day. Still, it was exhilarating to mass update and I might try it the next month, too. Thanks for all the support and surprisingly, we managed to enter top 20 and a million views. If I had more chaps, I'd mass update in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, I don't.

Still, enjoy~

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"What is going on? Just a few breaths ago, I felt a very oppressive feeling but it is gone the moment Ka-ul used his spirit beast enhancement," Hu Lana frowned. As an illusionist using charm, she was much more sensitive to pressure brought by mental energy.

"It's..." Ah Yin didn't know if she should reveal it or not.

"Did Bibo Dong teach you about the Three-eyed Golden Lion?" Qian Daoliu inquired.

"I have, Grandmaster," She looked at her students, urging them as Xie Xan nodded awkwardly, still not accustomed to this form of Bibi Dong.

"Ka-ul's martial soul is its variant. The world of Spirit Beasts adores a Three-eyed Golden Lion. If there is a Three-eyed Golden Lion in any terrain, it would grow unceasingly, and bountiful returns are assured in the future. In a way, the existence of the Three-eyed Golden Lion is quite unreasonable and for this reason, it is also called an Auspicious Emperor. The top spirit beasts when it comes to Auspicious nature.

Ka-ul's martial soul, the Three-eyed Silver Lion seems to share a few features with the Auspicious Emperor. At the very least, he is adored by spirit beasts. So much so...

That they will sacrifice themselves for him."

Qian Daoliu explained with half the knowledge provided. Ja Sun never revealed the full truth and didn't intend to do so. Trusting someone doesn't mean you will turn naked in front of them. It only means that you have a partner who won't question you too much and support you without knowing everything. Even lovers don't share everything and if they do, not many can stick around each other later.

While everyone reeled from shock, Ja Sun gazed in front of him. In fact, he sat down with a calm expression and released his mental energy. He didn't dare release Bright Goddess Butterfly outside but within his mental energy were also her intentions.

A three-way communication ensued instantly.

Spirit Beasts higher than 10000 years in cultivation will gain intelligence similar to humans. That doesn't mean they are capable of speech or as smart as humans. They grow and learn from nature so naturally, their instincts and observations would be different from a human. However, Ja Sun wasn't alone. Within him was also the soul of a spirit beast. Ja Sun himself looked extremely pleasing to the senses of the foggy blue fantasy beasts.

This was a truly strange beast. Its body was made of mental and spirit energy. There was no flesh at all.

In the first probe of mental energy, the Fantasy Beast curled up into a smaller ball. But slowly, once it felt the consciousness of another spirit beast excitedly calling it, displaying images of adventures, beautiful palaces, and amazing streets. A whole new world of humanity that didn't want it dead, the Fantasy Beast's defenses loosened up.

"Grandmaster..."

Bibi Dong frowned.

"What's going on?" Ah Yin only spoke now once she noted the worry in Bibi Dong's eyes.

"Nothing... Ka-ul... is being hugged by the Fantasy Beast," Qian Daoliu's lips twitched.

"Well, someone is at least giving him a hug. With that mouth of his..." Xie Xan clicked his tongue and shook his head. Instantly, Hu Lana elbowed him, making his face twist with pain as she gestured towards Ah Yin. The moment Xie Xan met Ah Yin's cold gaze, he instantly shut up.

"Grandmaster... may I call you grandmaster, too?" Liu Erlong inquired.

"Sure. It's just a title Bibi Dong regards me with," Daoliu smiled.

"What is the difference between this method of absorbing a spirit ring and our method?"

"That's why I am accompanying this time. I am equally curious," Qian Daoliu's somber tone echoed.

Minutes turned into hours.

Ja Sun's mental energy was also depleted by quite a bit however, he continued to communicate with the excited Fantasy Beast.

Right now, his entire body was covered by blue mist. Others might think that the Fantasy Beast was digesting him but it was the best way to communicate with it because only after coming into a physical contact with its body could Ja Sun understand Fantasy Beast's intentions even clearer.

'Yes, we will be together. You will get to see many new places and you won't have to hunt.'

This beast was a lazy one.

Others might think that such a spirit beast whose attributes matched Ja Sun was a godsend. A lucky opportunity.

It wasn't.

Qian Daoliu spent months finding this specimen that matched Ja Sun's demands and exceeded his current limits by a little bit.

Ja Sun had already revealed a formidable reserve of mental energy and astonishing physical strength. His only limit should be his spirit energy which can leap absorb a little higher because of the pure quality of his spirit energy.

But the greatest benefit of the Spirit Souls was that they only needed higher mental energy. Everything else is provided by them to the spirit master. In essence, he doesn't need to worry about Spirit Energy or Physical Strength.

In fact, if he manages to accommodate the Fantasy Beast, his overall potential would rise greatly.

'Yes, yes, Bright Goddess cannot bully you... you both are the same. My mind is my territory and not hers.'

Ja Sun's eyelids twitched.

Unlike Bright Goddess Butterfly who was comparable to a depressed social worker ready to end it all, Fantasy Beast had more urge of living and needed greater time to persuade. But it was inching closer, Ja Sun could feel it.

When it comes to spirit beasts, some are naturally of the disposition to rebel. Even if they don't attack Ja Sun, they would only be indifferent to him. In fact, given his strength, his influence should only affect spirit beasts a little over 10000 years of cultivation.

But Fantasy Beast wasn't the kind to prey upon others actively. Its nature was held in its name. Fantasy.

To yearn for what it couldn't have.

Without a fleshy body, Fantasy Beast can only create the illusion of itself being other spirit beasts. If it wasn't for Qian Daoliu, then instead of nothingness, everyone might have seen a rare spirit beast that would be the disguised Fantasy Beast.

It was only due to instinctual fear of Qian Daoliu did it hide.

And now that Fantasy Beast was offered a chance to cultivate while experiencing everything itself, it couldn't let it go, but it also couldn't decide.

This was the first dilemma Fantasy Beast faced in its life and it didn't know how to proceed.

"His mental energy is almost depleted. We may have to come back later since his method depends on communication with the spirit beast."

Qian Daoliu whispered. They had long retreated behind a bush to not rattle the spirit beast.

Although this method was extremely time-consuming, Qian Daoliu's eyes were bright. From start to end, the Fantasy Beast didn't harm Ja Sun at all. Though covered by blue mist, he could easily see Ja Sun completely safe.

Just with this, it could be seen that with Ja Sun around, even if Spirit Beasts may not sacrifice themselves, they could be assassinated while they are subdued by Ja Sun.

'If you don't want to do this, it is quite alright. Maybe you can live more happily this way,' Ja Sun sent with a calm heart.

The blue mist around him roiled instantly and to everyone's gaze, the blue mist with five different shaded arcs of electricity-like veins was finally revealed. Ja Sun was nowhere to be seen and Hu Lana couldn't help but inquire.

"Teacher—"

"Ssh... now watch everything closely," Bibi Dong whispered. Her eyes bright. Even Ah Yin watched with bated breath and observing all this, the trio looked towards the clearing.

*Swish*

A swift gale rose followed by a large phantom of a wolf-like silver-furred beast. Though its facial feature and muzzle looked comparable to a wolf, the slightly fluffy mane around its neck, the slender back and the muscular legs morphed into talons spoke a different story.

Unlike Ja Sun, the phantom had three eyes. Emerald green, shining. Around the third eye spread gree fur in a beautiful pattern while the third eye itself looked like a gem embedded in the center of the pattern.

The phantom's third eye flashed and the body of the fantasy beast started to disappear into small blue motes of light.

Soon, the light converged into three thick balls of light giving a bright glow.

Of the three balls, one shot into the third eye of the phantom of the Three-eyed Silver Lion, and the other two flashed into Ja Sun's body. One in this forehead and the other one towards his heart.

While everyone observed this silently, their minds already unable to comprehend the mystery in front of them, Qian Daoliu's face changed as he senses a peculiar pulse.

"No—"

Ja Sun instantly vomited a mouthful of blood before his body shuddered. His veins instantly turned blue and his originally wheatish skin paled drastically.

Qian Daoliu's body flashed in front of Ja Sun and he instantly moved his hand, tapping onto a few points of his chest but his eyes revealed a furious look that also couldn't hide the hint of helplessness.

"What happened?" Ah Yin and Bibi Dong reached simultaneously. If even Qian Daoliu lost his control for a moment, then it must not be good at all.

"Fantasy Beast and Nightmare Beast are considered different spirit beasts... well, consider this mystery uncovered," Qian Daoliu stated with a cold expression.

"Master, I don't understand," Ah Yin moved to check on Ja Sun's condition.

"Don't interfere. This is the realm you and I are unaware of. What I mean is, Nightmare Beast is often considered a different spirit beast. Fantasy Beast is born from the special convergence of the sky. A beast birthed by a natural array. But nobody has seen the birth of a Nightmare Beast... Only now I found that the moment the Fantasy Beast disappeared, a nightmare beast of similar strength was birthed instantly.

Both of them are two sides of the same coin. And... Ka-ul has absorbed both of them..."

Hu Lana and others also arrived to hear this. Their expressions instantly turned extremely fearful. Just 50000 years of cultivation is enough. But... two of it?

"Step back," Daoliu whispered and a golden light flashed from his body, instantly surrounding everyone before it disappeared instantly.

"Not only his body, but also his mental and spirit scape is poisoned. Nightmare Beasts as said to be curse beasts who will aggressively destroy their prey, making them go mad from poisoned consciousness. And Ka-ul is also absorbing it."

His face naturally didn't look good. He specifically opted for the Fantasy Beast because of its passive nature. If everything Ja Sun said was true, then the best outcome should be Ja Sun attaining a black spirit ring and the worst outcome would be him achieving the same with slight injuries.

But he wasn't a god and couldn't make plans for every situation. Such as this. Even he only found out that Nightmare Beasts are offspring of Fantasy Beasts themselves. Left after the Fantasy Beast is no longer in the world. The energy signature of sacrifice would communicate with nature and promptly 'create' a beast filled with negativity and of exactly the same cultivation.

Hence, literally two sides to the same coin.

Internally, the moment Ja Sun absorbed the Fantasy Beast, he was the first to notice a strange reaction that entered his bloodstream. Poison. But the energy from the Fantasy Beast still enveloped him. His body's quality was soon divided with his blood and his spirit energy started to rumble. His mental scape was in the process of completely settling the mist-like fantasy beast. It did bring him pressure, but not enough to split his head open like the moment the Nightmare Beast's phantom also flashes in his mental scape.

Another source of energy filled his body, mind, and spirit. It was too much.

So much that even his body couldn't accept it instantly.

A crisis, Ja Sun realized instantly.

With the appearance of the dark red mist, Ja Sun found his mental scape instantly turning extremely poisonous. It eas a strange sensation to sense poison in one's consciousness. However, what Qian Daoliu considered to be an extremely dangerous and malicious act was simply an unconscious act.

Born by nature and the death of Fantasy Beast, the Nightmare Beasts curse those with the spirit ring of its positive counterpart. But Fantasy Beasts willingly sacrificed, pulling the Nightmare beast alongside. In fact, how would a fantasy beast know that it will leave an offspring after its death? It happens after its death, after all.

However, the red mist coiled around blue with extreme familiarity.

Ja Sun's mind trembled and his skin split open. Dark purple blood oozed out of his wounds and within the mental scape, Ja Sun found the contract of mutual life extending to the nightmare beast as the two beasts continued to move around each other.

His spirit energy barely within control urged to break through. But the moment it leaves his control, it will ravage his body. Even the Bright Goddess Butterfly continuously dodged the movements of the thick tendrils of mist slowly merging together while the red and blue mist poisoning Ja Sun's mental scape continued to pressurize him.

No matter the benefits, if he cannot even survive this possible fusion of the two beasts, he would end up dying anyway, or worse, turning into a vegetable.

'I'm a little away from completing the sixth level of Mental Acupuncture Technique... if I can't find a way normally, stimulating my consciousness is the only option I have but... I will still die due to continuous puncture of mental needles.'

Ja Sun couldn't even open his eyes at the moment. In the real world, nerves protruded out of his eyelids and his lips were tilted in a grotesque smile.

Suddenly, his shoulders trembled and purple blood burst out from the middle of his forehead where the tattoo of the green eye was formed.

Ah Yin's eyelids trembled and she clenched her fist.

More and more blood began to pour out but they didn't dare take any action hastily.

Suddenly, Ah Yin blinked. Her worries melted momentarily and she seemed to be recalling a similar bloody situation with a strong and impressionable depraved smile as Ja Sun gave now.

"Master, what is going on with his mental energy?" Ah Yin inquired suddenly.

Qian Daoliu who kept a close eye on Ja Sun's situation instantly replied, "It is being stimulated and forcefully increased while absorbing his corrupted spirit energy."

Without waiting any longer, Ah Yin's spirit rings emerged. The first one instantly made thick strands of Blue Silver King carpet the region.

Qian Daoliu's words were stuck in his throat as he felt a pulse of energy move out of Ah Yin's body. There was nothing visible and the energy signature was so faint that even Bibi Dong didn't find it. Only Qian Daoliu could feel it.

With equally dangerous eyes and an unconscious smile filled with helplessness touched Ah Yin's lips and the blue silver kings and other blades of blue silver grass present almost 2 kilometers around them instantly let out a stream of light that moved according to Ah Yin's will.

"A... domain," Bibi Dong understood, too.

"Grandmaster, stop her," Bibi Dong looked at Qian Daoliu but his own eyes were dazed. He suddenly felt Ja Sun's mental recovery and spirit recovery taking a turn for the better. His corrupted mental energy was used for stimulation of his consciousness and the purer spirit energy alighted his situation.

"Ah Yin, don't stop it at all," Qian Daoliu stated. He may have said that he won't interfere in a crisis that doesn't originate from Titled Douluo but what about a crisis that even he couldn't have expected?

Inside Ja Sun's mental scape, he suddenly felt his ruptured consciousness healing at a great pace. It was similar to when he held the Blue Silver Emperor's Core.

'Ah Yin, I love you!' Ja Sun screamed internally. This support was simply the best. After her martial soul evolved, the recovery of consciousness, as in, the healing of injuries of mind that Ja Sun originally used the core for, even Ah Yin could produce the same effects and of a much higher quality.

Ja Sun focused on the two tendrils of mist and realized that both of their consciousness was eroding and entering his own mental scape that would poison his consciousness. So, he had to hold out. He cannot clear it until the two of them stop.

With that in mind, Ja Sun started stabbing his consciousness with pins and Bright Goddess Butterfly took it as an obstacle course, flying around his mental scape beautifully.

---

"Teacher, Erlong, how can you two eat and sit calmly?" Hu Lana inquired while hugging Xie Xan. She looked towards Ja Sun with a worried gaze. They had become too great of a friend that she couldn't take it easy.

"Ah Yin can help him, and is helping him. It is a wonder why it isn't affecting his absorption of the spirit ring but it is already good. Meanwhile, Grandmaster is also there. What the two of them can achieve now, I cannot do it myself. I don't want to distract them. And I am hungry. That's why I can eat and stay calm. As for Liu Erlong..."

Bibi Dong and others looked at Erlong sitting a little away, stuffing her doll-like face until her cheeks inflated.

"I think this is called stress eating."

Right now, Ja Sun's originally silver fur was violet with greasy poison oozing out of his pores. His body was barely stabilized by Ah Yin.

Previously, she couldn't achieve different tasks at the same time but now she could. Three streams of pure recovery energy stabilized his body, mind, and spirit. After her martial soul evolved into Blue Silver Goddess, her domain's capabilities evolved simultaneously.

But her own exhaustion was growing bit by bit.

"How long can you continue this for?" Qian Daoliu sighed sadly. He was losing a little hope himself.

Ja Sun's mental energy had barely reached the level of a Spirit Sage due to strange stimulation.

"As long as he wants," Ah Yin exhaled. She was already sitting on the ground and her dull blue eyes revealed her tiredness.

Within Ja Sun's mental scape, vast mental energy continued to push back a thick cover of purple mist. Within this loose mist, a single strand of purple surrounding with extremely light blue and red glow continued to expel more poisonous mist. Meanwhile, the Bright Goddess Butterfly was within this dome of pure mental energy that fluctuated.

Now that his mental energy had reached the breaking point, Ja Sun didn't continue to stimulate it further. But finally decided to use the technique he wanted to master for a long, long time.

Within a few seconds, the entirety of his mental energy began to rotate. The loose mist-like mental energy brutally tore through the original vortex of mental energy and finally, Ja Sun's facial orifices squirted blood for the umpteenth time.

But it was different this time.

Qian Daoliu felt it and so did Ah Yin. The support she was pushing in was rejected by a thick pulse of undulating mental energy.

Within Ja Sun's mind, he finally allowed himself to go wild. Poisonous mist and torrential mental energy mixed together. Even Bright Goddess Butterfly wasn't unaffected anymore and it continued to give off a bright light in panic, trying to stabilize the situation until she felt Ja Sun's intent stopping her.

Instantly, the area around the butterfly was void of currents of poison and energy.

The pressure from the two beasts merging together was lifted instantly.

Mental Poison and mental energy contracted as tears appeared in Ja Sun's mental scape. This was true damage that would need a long time to heal ordinarily but bearing the pain of head-splitting open, Ja Sun allowed it.

***

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