When the hundred-thousand-year soul ring entered Lin Xiao's body, its violent power instantly flooded his dantian and meridians. His entire body seemed to swell, with veins bulging beneath his skin. The overwhelming soul power coursed through him, causing the wounds on his body to continuously ooze faint traces of blood.
Zhang Lexuan, standing nearby, watched Lin Xiao with a sense of helplessness. She glanced around; the commotion from the battle had driven all nearby soul beasts to flee, leaving the forest eerily silent, with no sign of anyone else.
Wanting to seek help but afraid to leave Lin Xiao in danger, she also didn't dare move his body carelessly at such a moment. Left with no choice, she gently raised her hand to wipe the bloodstains from his body.
As time ticked by, Lin Xiao's furrowed brows showed no sign of relaxing. The violent soul power continued to rampage through his body, occasionally causing a trickle of blood to spill from the corner of his mouth.
However, Zhang Lexuan, who had been watching him closely, gradually calmed. Though the power from the badger beast's soul ring surged through Lin Xiao's meridians, wreaking havoc on his body, another force was steadily sustaining his life.
Even as Zhang Lexuan wiped away his blood, she could see with her own eyes the flesh in Lin Xiao's wounds wriggling, repairing his body.
The vibrant life force was so potent that even Zhang Lexuan, standing beside him, felt a warm sensation enveloping her.
Destruction and restoration… Lin Xiao's body seemed to be locked in a constant cycle of these two processes. Each time new flesh grew, it was tougher than before, slowing the destructive force of the soul ring's power.
Until, in a certain moment, the soul power within Lin Xiao's body trembled violently. The bottleneck of the seventy-level mark ceased to exist, and his soul power began to rise steadily.
Within his sea of consciousness, Lin Xiao's mind had entered a deep meditative state. Though the figure before him came from a different world, some things remained universal. As someone who had nearly become a Death God, his understanding of death far surpassed Lin Xiao's.
Behind Lin Xiao stretched a sea of flowers. Just as his body was repeatedly destroyed and restored, his consciousness hovered on the edge of life and death. Countless thoughts surged in his mind, and his mental power churned relentlessly.
His martial soul, body, mind, and will were gradually merging. His entire sea of consciousness seemed to transform into a tangible world. The river symbolizing his mental power grew wider, yet the distance between its banks shrank, as if truly bridging the boundary between life and death.
After an unknown amount of time, Lin Xiao slowly opened his eyes. The scenery on the opposite bank was vividly etched in his vision. It was still his sea of consciousness, yet it felt like an entirely separate world. The gray power permeated it, yet it didn't weaken his mental strength in the slightest—instead, it deepened his understanding of death.
With a slight stir of his mind, the entire sea of flowers rippled gently, as if brushed by a breeze, stirring soft waves. Lin Xiao could sense many changes within himself, too numerous to fully comprehend in that moment.
"How do you feel?"
An aged voice sounded from the opposite bank, and Lin Xiao slightly raised his head.
"Who are you?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.
"If you're asking for a name, I can't quite recall it myself. I only remember others seemed to call me 'Electrolux.' You may address me as such."
Electrolux. The familiar name now truly stood before him, and for a moment, Lin Xiao didn't know what to say.
"Rest assured, I bear you no ill will. I'm someone who has already died once, merely a remnant soul that drifted to you, lingering briefly in your sea of consciousness."
"Though it's somewhat unexpected, I no longer have the strength to continue drifting. If you allow me to rest here for a while, I will naturally offer you something in return."
"You should have already noticed that your sea of consciousness and body have undergone some changes. This is not a bad thing for you, and it's also my token of gratitude. I can sense that your power shares some similarities with mine. In the future, when you have time, you should come here often to reflect and comprehend."
Though he gave a brief introduction, Lin Xiao could sense that Electrolux was still holding back. Understandably so—Lin Xiao wasn't like Huo Yuhao, a blank slate of a child. Most people wouldn't allow a stranger to linger in their sea of consciousness upon first meeting.
Electrolux didn't know that Lin Xiao was aware of his origins, so he naturally assumed Lin Xiao would feel some resistance.
But Lin Xiao hoped he would stay longer. If this was merely a token of gratitude, the changes he had already experienced were more than enough.
"Alright," Lin Xiao nodded.
"Good, thank you. And rest assured, though I reside in your sea of consciousness, I have no ability to pry into your privacy," Electrolux said, seemingly chuckling. "Alas, this remnant soul is far too weak. Even with the aid of the Gold of Life, speaking a few words has left me so exhausted. I need to slumber for a while. You should take the time to process the changes in your body."
As his voice faded, the gray orb of light in Lin Xiao's sea of consciousness flickered a few times before falling completely still, leaving only the gray mist lingering on the opposite bank.
Lin Xiao looked up at the gray orb, his eyes glinting faintly.
Though the process had been somewhat fortuitous, he had succeeded in keeping Electrolux here. From Electrolux's earlier words, Lin Xiao had pieced together that what truly drew him wasn't the Gold of Life but his ability to manipulate souls.
As Electrolux had said, such power could be used for good or evil. If wielded by the wicked, it could cause great chaos. Electrolux's initial reason for approaching him wasn't just to find a place to rest but also to ensure that the power to manipulate souls wouldn't fall into the hands of someone with ill intentions.
It was only after Lin Xiao acted to save Zhang Lexuan that Electrolux deemed him not to be a villain, choosing to reveal himself in his sea of consciousness.
Lin Xiao let out a soft chuckle in his heart. Growing up in the Holy Spirit Cult, he had heard plenty of others' judgments about him, but this was the first time someone had called him a "good person." Perhaps there really was something in him that only a "good person" would have, something that kept him from fully integrating into the Holy Spirit Cult even now.
Letting out a long breath, Lin Xiao's consciousness gradually faded from his sea of consciousness. Before he opened his eyes, a faint fragrance wafted into his nose, somewhat like the scent of his martial soul but much softer.
There was no pain in his body, only a rich life force coursing through him, bringing a sense of comfort. His soul power surged through his meridians, and before he could fully process it, Lin Xiao realized his soul power level was now far beyond seventy.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are the chapters for today (づ￣3￣)づ╭～
"Don't forget there are 40 early chapters available on Patreo
[email protected]/facficmax10