Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 419 - Soul Forge Art

Liu Wuxie wore a peculiar expression upon hearing about the Spirit Clan’s soul technique. His Ghost Eye could only observe, with the soul attack diminishing gradually.

Mastering a soul technique could offer significant benefits, mainly if it allowed him to wield the Earth Binding Chains—a powerful treasure—before he could find the Spirit Clan.

“Senior, I practice an eye technique called Ghost Eye, which is a soul technique. I wonder if there will be any conflict with the Spirit Clan’s soul technique?” Liu Wuxie asked.

Soul techniques were similar to cultivation techniques. For example, Liu Wuxie practiced the Desolate Devouring Art now, and there would be a conflict if he practiced the Divine Phaseless Art.

“You don’t have to worry about that. The most significant advantage of our Spirit Clan’s techniques is harmony. It can devour everything. This means any soul technique will be assimilated and become a part of it,” the Feather Emperor dispelled Liu Wuxie’s doubts.

Furthermore, Liu Wuxie also had a firsthand experience with his soul energy being devoured, which was likely assimilated with the Feather Emperor’s soul energy.

Given that the Feather Emperor’s cultivation was at the Heaven Pry Realm—standing at the pinnacle of this continent—the soul technique he spoke of was anything but simple.

While Heaven-grade martial techniques were rare and coveted by most, they were merely the beginning for those in the True Profound Realm. Experts at that level pursued spirit-grade techniques to truly unlock their potential.

“Senior, how are you going to teach me?” Liu Wuxie asked with curiosity. Given that the Feather Emperor’s body had decayed and there were no books on him, it seemed that the only way to learn the technique was through oral transmission.

“Release your soul sea, and I will impart the Spirit Clan’s supreme technique.” The Feather Emperor’s eyes grew increasingly dim. His soul energy was severely depleted, and he had only lasted so long by absorbing Liu Wuxie’s soul energy.

Liu Wuxie released his soul sea with some hesitation. The Feather Emperor’s soul energy was fragile. Liu Wuxie had nothing to fear with the Heavenly Dao Book around, even if the Feather Emperor tried to possess his body.

The moment Liu Wuxie released his soul sea, a flow of powerful soul energy poured in, along with a large amount of memory.

The Spirit Clan had unique wordings, and Liu Wuxie would require a long time to digest the knowledge without the memories.

This process lasted five minutes before Liu Wuxie felt his soul sea swelling. The soul energy he had lost was replenished and even increased significantly.

When Liu Wuxie opened his eyes, he didn’t have time to comprehend the Spirit Clan’s cultivation technique and looked at the Feather Emperor. The Feather Emperor’s eyes were dim, a sign that his last bit of consciousness was fading away.

“Feather Emperor, are you alright?” Liu Wuxie asked in a concerned tone, taking a step forward.

“My remnant soul is about to dissipate. I’ll leave everything to you then. Please help me bring the Earth Binding Chains back; it is the symbol of our clan,” the Feather Emperor’s voice grew weaker with the light in his eyes fading.

Liu Wuxie, feeling helpless, injected his soul energy into the Feather Emperor’s soul sea, hoping to extend his remaining time.

“Feather Emperor, you haven’t told me how to leave this place,” Liu Wuxie asked urgently. Even though he had promised to help, being trapped here forever would make that promise meaningless.

“The Earth Binding Chains will guide you out once you master our Spirit Clan’s technique,” the Feather Emperor replied before closing his eyes. His body grew stiff and lifeless, and Liu Wuxie could no longer sense any sign of life.

A hint of desolation crossed Liu Wuxie’s face as he realized the Feather Emperor had completely departed from this world. He approached the corpse and, with respect, performed three kowtows.

The dead deserved respect, not to mention the Feather Emperor had also taught him his clan’s techniques. Although he hadn’t started cultivating it, he could sense the techniques given to him by the Feather Emperor were far superior compared to the Ghost Eye.

After performing the kowtows, Liu Wuxie stood up and brushed the dust off a nearby stone, using it as a seat. He took a deep breath to steady himself and then entered his soul sea to focus on comprehending the technique imparted by the Feather Emperor.

His sole hope was to master the Earth Binding Chains and find a way out. However, Liu Wuxie understood that hurrying would not be beneficial. Patience was key, and he needed to fully grasp the technique before attempting to use it.

Many of the Spirit Clan’s words appeared in Liu Wuxie’s soul sea. He had inherited some of the Feather Emperor’s memory, so he wasn’t unfamiliar with the words.

“What strange wordings. They looked like leaves arranged in sequence,” Liu Wuxie murmured. He had seen many wordings before, including ancient words. But this was his first encounter with the Spirit Clan’s words.

As Liu Wuxie continued reading what the Feather Emperor had left him, he grew increasingly shocked.

“What a powerful soul technique! This is a hundred times stronger than my Ghost Eye!” He couldn’t imagine how strong he would become if he succeeded in practicing this technique.

The Ghost Eye was an immortal technique. Even if it was simplified by Liu Wuxie countless times, its foundation remained that of an immortal technique. Could it be that the Spirit Clan’s technique had far exceeded immortal techniques?

Liu Wuxie soon shook his head because the Feather Emperor wasn’t an immortal, and he was sure of it. This suggested another possibility: the Spirit Clan’s techniques weren’t inferior to immortal techniques. But it was a pity Liu Wuxie couldn’t master it entirely with his current cultivation.

After sorting everything out, Liu Wuxie’s divine sense left his soul sea.

“The Soul Forge Art...the first form: Soul Spear, the second form: Soul Shield, the third form: Soul Fire...”

This was a soul technique. If Liu Wuxie mastered the first form, his soul would take the form of a spear and could pierce through his target’s soul sea, killing his opponent.

The Ghost Eye had a similar ability, but it was more effective to use as a form of sneak attack, condensing his soul energy into a thin thread and striking his opponent’s soul sea.

But the Ghost Eye was inferior to the Spirit Clan’s Soul Forge Art.

Ghost Eye’s attack was relatively simple, and its power would decrease with the increase in Liu Wuxie’s cultivation. Moreover, it would be useless if the opponent didn’t look at his eyes.

The Soul Forge Art was different because the soul spear could pierce his target’s soul as long as his soul was powerful enough, even if his target was fifty meters away.

Comparing the two, the Soul Forge Art was superior to Ghost Eye and more challenging to defend against. The first form, Soul Spear, mainly focused on unleashing unexpected attacks.

Paired with Liu Wuxie’s other martial techniques, he could even kill someone in the pinnacle Heavenly Dipper Realm. After all, his current soul energy was at par with the soul energy of the Heavenly Phase Realm experts.

The second form, Soul Shield, mainly focused on defending. Not only could it be used to block his opponent’s soul attack, but it could also take the form of an aura to envelop him like a layer of soul armor.

The third form, Soul Fire, was even more formidable. Unlike ordinary flames, Soul Fire could ignite anything and could not be extinguished with water or dirt. It was an ethereal blaze, invisible and formless, making it nearly impossible to contain.

Not only could the fire burn objects, but it could also burn souls. If the Soul Spear was useless against someone with a powerful soul, Soul Fire could ensure mutual destruction if he couldn’t win the fight.

From the Feather Emperor’s memories, Liu Wuxie learned that while the Earth Binding Chains had degraded over time, they could be restored to their former glory by nourishing them with soul energy.

The Spirit Clan's forging technique differed from human methods; rather than using physical materials, they employed soul energy to revitalize and enhance their artifacts.

Five days had passed since Liu Wuxie had been trapped in this dungeon. Those who had come to the cave had gradually left.

Another spot with stalactite essence was found, which had resulted in a ferocious battle. Although only a hundred drops were found, more than a hundred people had died because of it.

Liu Wuxie dedicated these five days to practicing the Soul Forge Art, the dungeon echoing with his relentless efforts. His intense focus and the resulting screams would have frightened anyone who stumbled upon him, but fortunately, he remained undisturbed in his solitude.

His hair was in disarray, and veins bulged on his face, giving him the appearance of a frenzied demon.

“It hurts!” Liu Wuxie felt his soul sea was about to explode. He didn’t expect practicing the Soul Forge Art would be so painful. His soul was constantly being torn apart, which felt worse than death.

Because Liu Wuxie wasn’t a member or had a powerful soul sea comparable to the Spirit Clan, cultivating the Soul Forge Art was thousands of times more difficult.

The Heavenly Dao Book firmly guarded his soul sea, preventing it from shattering. He felt like a flame was burning his soul. Liu Wuxie had high pain tolerance, and he wouldn’t even frown if his arm was cut off.

But the pain coming from the soul was different, and even the will of an Immortal Emperor would collapse.

Liu Wuxie gritted his teeth tightly, causing his gums to bleed. His lips had cracked, with blood dripping down from the corner of his lips.

He had no choice but to master the first form to control the Earth Binding Chains. Otherwise, he would be trapped there for eternity.

After practicing for two hours, he was forced to rest for fifteen minutes. It was the limit of his will.

This place rumbled with abyssal energy, and Liu Wuxie found the source: the Abyssal King. The Abyssal King’s abyssal energy had dissipated from his body and accumulated underground, meaning the abyssal energy rumbling from the ground was all the remnants of the Abyssal King.

Liu Wuxie’s forehead was sweaty, and his clothes were drenched.

My willpower seems to have grown stronger! Liu Wuxie thought. After cultivating the Soul Forge Art for a few days, he realized his willpower had increased several times; this meant nothing could shake his will.

When it came to cultivation, willpower was the most important factor, followed by talent. Liu Wuxie didn’t lack talent, and his willpower surpassed ordinary people's.

Liu Wuxie began circulating the Soul Forge Art to temper his soul energy when it became less painful. Trickling sounds could be heard in his golden soul sea, with his soul energy condensing from mist to liquid.

The benefits were evident, with his soul energy increasing several times. He could no longer estimate the extent of his soul energy.

“Low-level Heavenly Phase Realm? Mid-level Heavenly Phase Realm? High-level Heavenly Phase Realm?”

After several tests, Liu Wuxie knew his soul energy was sufficient to kill anyone in the Heavenly Dipper Realm even if it hadn’t reached the Heavenly Phase Realm.

Soul attacks differed from martial techniques in that they had to be lethal in a single strike, so Liu Wuxie took no chances under normal circumstances.

On the tenth day of his entrapment in the dungeon, news began to spread about Liu Wuxie’s supposed death in the Scarlet Sun Mountain Range.