Deep within Xie Zhaolin's sea of consciousness, five faint yet unyielding lights suddenly flared to life!
Each light shimmered in a different color—crimson, icy blue, pale cyan, dark yellow, and purple-gold—subtly corresponding to the five core spirit threads she was struggling to control. The lights flickered and vanished in an instant, merging seamlessly into the strands of her divine sense that were on the verge of collapse. Then, a familiar and comforting consciousness flowed through her divine sense link.
It was them!
Her five beast souls!
At this life-or-death moment, sensing their master in dire straits, the five beast souls—linked with her Primordial Soul and sharing her joys and sorrows—instinctively ignited their own soul power, surging forth without hesitation!
They didn't confront the frenzied spirit threads directly—that would have been like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. Instead, they did something far more clever, fusing their soul power traits with Xie Zhaolin's divine sense, becoming an extension of her consciousness. In an instant, she felt her five threads of divine sense shift in a miraculous way!
Shuang Ling dove into the fire thread, her body wreathed in pale-white flames, guiding the frenzied fire energy.
Dian Diao transformed into a streak of electricity, merging with the thunder thread, gradually bringing the lightning under control.
Bing Jing roared and plunged into the ice thread, using its innate yinsha frost energy to dominate the chaotic cold streams.
Xue Xiao screeched, diving into the wind thread, her form blurred in the currents as she skillfully guided the chaotic wind blades into order.
Finally, Teng She sank into the earth thread, seemingly merging with the ground itself, slowly absorbing and stabilizing the terrifying weight into a manageable force.
Each beast soul displayed its unique power!
They didn't forcibly suppress the threads, but became temporary "cores" of each spirit thread, taking on most of the backlash and strain that Xie Zhaolin would have otherwise endured. In an instant, the five threads on the verge of complete chaos froze, their conflicts abruptly easing by more than half. Though still restless and brimming with energy, they had become forces that could be guided.
Xie Zhaolin felt her pressure drop dramatically!
She was equal parts shocked and elated, a warm current surging through her chest. These little guys, they were truly reliable when it mattered!
"Good partners!" she murmured in her heart, spirits soaring.
With the beast souls' affinity and control bolstering her own, she gritted her teeth through the searing pain of her Primordial Soul and the weakness of her body, steadily reestablishing her link to the five spirit threads. This time, she wasn't just defending and untangling—they flowed with her guidance, resonating in harmony. No longer objects to control, the threads became living energy with distinct personalities and traits.
"Shuang Ling, temper the fire threefold!"
"Dian Diao, guide the thunder to the left!"
"Bing Jing, stabilize the frost intensity!"
"Teng She, reinforce the earth's gravity!"
"Xue Xiao, accelerate the wind by half!"
Her commands shot through the divine sense link, reaching the beast souls instantly.
They responded without hesitation!
Under the internal adjustments of the beast souls and her external guidance, the five wild threads finally began flowing forward in sync with her will. Though slow, and though the beast souls continued burning their energy, the threat of collapse was finally under control.
Time ticked by.
The incense had burned more than halfway.
Xie Zhaolin focused entirely on coordinating the threads, her bond with the beast souls reaching an unprecedented level.
Meanwhile, the thousand-trap maze ahead began to react. The barrier, composed of countless tiny energy whirlpools, was completely chaotic, constantly attempting to sever, reflect, or disrupt the threads.
Previously, she would've been overwhelmed, scrambling helplessly.
Now, things were different.
She had partners!
Her commands flowed clearly and swiftly through the link. The five beast souls responded immediately, attuned to her thoughts, anticipating her next instructions. Several times, sudden changes in the barrier nearly caused the threads to collide or deviate, but the beast souls barely managed to pull them back in time.
Time raced under this intense focus.
The incense had only a quarter left.
Finally!
The five threads emerged completely intact from the thousand-trap maze, converging in front of the core spirit node. Xie Zhaolin finally exhaled, the tension in her chest completely released.
The last step!
"Unite!"
Xie Zhaolin and her five beast souls exerted all their strength at once.
Hum—
The five-colored radiance erupted, the spirit node quivered violently, then fully stabilized.
Success!
Almost at the moment of victory, the beast souls exhausted themselves, their lights dimming instantly as they weakly disengaged from the threads, turning into faint glimmers and retreating into the depths of Xie Zhaolin's sea of consciousness, falling into a deep sleep.
They'd burned immense soul power to help her, perhaps even harming their own core.
Xie Zhaolin felt a pang of pain, gratitude, and guilt. At the same moment, the last wisp of the incense in the void vanished as smoke, marking the exact end of the time limit.
"Third Trial, Control the Mind… cleared."
The old voice echoed again, this time tinged not just with surprise, but with an indescribable depth of emotion.
"Soul contract merged, attributes resonating… using the soul as extension, turning obstruction into aid… attribute resonance… you actually broke the stalemate this way…
Not only by your own skill, but with the help of companions. This path… also aligns with my puppetry control thoughts. Puppets aren't tools, they're arms, they're comrades."
A pause followed, full of quiet admiration:
"This trial, you didn't pass alone, but together. You no longer need to control the heart; now you can govern the Dao. Good."
Xie Zhaolin finally slumped in exhaustion, gasping. Her body soaked in sweat, face pale as paper, her Primordial Soul weak and tingling. The five sleeping beast souls left a hollow emptiness in her sea of consciousness.
"Don't worry, I'll find the finest spiritual treasures in the world, to restore you and make you even stronger!" she silently vowed.
Through this trial, her bond with the five beast souls had transcended simple master-servant ties; they were now comrades in life and death. After roughly an incense stick's worth of rest, forcing down weakness and soul pain, Xie Zhaolin stood, eyes firm, gazing at the glowing door ahead.
Two trials remained—Spirit Infusion and Mastery.
Now, she was determined to claim the inheritance of the Youji Shàngrén.
This wasn't just about puppet control—the deep understanding of energy, life, and collaboration it contained was the true priceless treasure!
She stepped through the glowing door.