Inside a secluded room at Nine Treasures Pavilion—
"Xiao Tian, wait outside for now."
The moment Chen Junting stepped through the door and saw the Soul-Sealing Soul-Guided Device already placed on the table, he turned to Ning Tian with gentle firmness.
"Mm. Be careful," she replied, her golden eyes brimming with worry. She knew all too well how dangerous the object inside that device truly was. Yet she also knew—once her Brother Junting made up his mind, nothing could sway him.
Fortunately, this wasn't their first attempt.
And with each trial, the risks had steadily diminished. This time, she hoped, would be no different.
"I'll be right outside. Call me if anything happens."
"Understood."
Chen Junting nodded, gently brushing a strand of her golden hair aside before ushering her out. Then, composing himself, he approached the table and placed his hand on the Soul-Sealing Device—his expression grave, almost reverent.
Slowly, he opened it.
Resting within lay a carving knife—silent, ancient, and heavy with history.
This was the Soul-Devouring Carving Knife—the very same one he'd acquired at the Nine Treasures Auction House in Tian Dou City two and a half years ago. But its appearance had changed significantly since then.
Where once it had been pitch-black and ominous, streaks of fresh, verdant green now shimmered beneath its surface.
This transformation was the fruit of two and a half years of relentless effort—Chen Junting had leveraged his standing within the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect to enlist Light-attribute soul masters, tasking them with using pure Light energy to gradually purge the knife's malevolent curses and lingering evil will.
Every six months, he'd personally attempted to wield it—only to be nearly consumed by its darkness during his first try. He'd barely escaped by discarding it in time.
After that, he'd doubled down on purification efforts.
Yet progress remained agonizingly slow. True Light-attribute soul masters were rare—and even rarer were those whose Light was pure enough. As his master had once told him, there were only two ways to fully purify the Soul-Devouring Knife:
One: Seek help from Shrek Academy.
Two: Find a soul master or soul beast possessing Sacred or Ultimate Light attributes.
Chen Junting had immediately dismissed the first option. He knew full well that Shrek's Mu En or the Golden Ancient Tree likely could purify it—but handing the knife over to Shrek would be like "throwing meat to a dog." It would never come back.
So he'd focused on the second path. He recalled that this era had seen several Angel Martial Soul practitioners—one even bearing the Sacred Angel lineage.
Thus, he'd spent gold to find help.
Eventually, he located a girl named Yu Mengdi from Zhengtian Academy.
Unfortunately, her Angel Martial Soul was weak—its sacred essence nearly nonexistent—and insufficient to complete the purification.
But it wasn't all for naught.
The green hue now gracing the blade was proof enough of partial success.
And today—after all that effort—he believed the final step was within reach.
"Hm? No reaction yet?"
Chen Junting frowned slightly. He'd opened the device, felt the familiar chill of malevolent energy… yet Electrolux remained silent.
Ah—probably still too weak.
With that thought, soul power surged through his left hand.
Shhhhk—!
Five golden claws slashed through the air. The table—once holding the Soul-Sealing Device—shattered into splinters and collapsed.
Meanwhile, the device itself had already materialized in Chen Junting's right hand.
He flexed the Dark Gold Terror Claw on his left arm—a memento from his first soul ring.
"This claw really is useful," he murmured appreciatively.
Then, his full attention returned to the Soul-Devouring Knife.
Carefully, he extended the Dark Gold Terror Claw and used its five talons to grip the blade—avoiding direct skin contact.
Even so, the cursed knife trembled violently, emitting a shrill, ghostly wail that pierced the ears.
But the torment didn't stop there.
A wave of icy, malevolent energy surged up the claw, racing toward Chen Junting's soul—intent on overwhelming his spirit.
He was ready.
His blood essence roared to life, clashing against the cold invasion.
The Seven Kill Sword manifested, hovering around him, unleashing a vast, majestic killing intent that instantly enveloped the knife's evil aura.
Once again, the familiar battle of wills began.
And in that moment—
Electrolux awoke.
"So… I wasn't mistaken!"
The instant the ancient voice echoed, Chen Junting's vision darkened. When light returned, a grayish orb floated before him.
'So this is my spiritual sea?'
Prepared for this, Chen Junting remained calm. He glanced around—only to find his spiritual realm a monotonous expanse of gray. His focus snapped entirely to Electrolux.
Before the entity could speak, Chen Junting bowed slightly.
"Senior, thank you for saving my life before."
"'Senior'?" Electrolux chuckled softly. "A kind term… though hardly fitting for one like me."
He paused, as if recalling something distant. Then, curiosity colored his tone: "When did I ever save you?"
Chen Junting didn't hide the truth.
He'd always been clear on debts of gratitude—whether the act was conscious or not, direct or indirect.
A life saved was a life saved.
"Ah… I see," Electrolux said, his voice now warm. "Boy, this is your spiritual sea—but I've been borrowing it for shelter. I remember little… only that I am not of this world. A fragment of my consciousness survived death, drifted here… and was drawn to you by the aura of that knife you hold outside."
"Oh? Senior, you know this knife?"
"I do not."
"Because I cannot remember."
Electrolux's voice echoed in Chen Junting's mind.
"But I feel it holds great value for me. It can stabilize my flickering consciousness—like a candle in the wind. And fear not—I will take only what I need."
"With respect, Senior," Chen Junting replied carefully, "the remaining evil will and curses are deeply entrenched—like leeches on bone. They won't be easily removed."
"Heh."
Electrolux's tone turned dismissive.
"Mere evil will and curses? Even with my memories lost, I can still scour them clean."
"Then by all means, Senior—use what you must."
Chen Junting smiled faintly. If it meant gaining a massive chunk of Life Gold, losing a little was no great cost.
But then—a thought struck him.
As Electrolux waited patiently, floating nearby, Chen Junting fell into deep contemplation… until—
"Senior—when you cleanse it… please leave the malevolent aura behind."
He remembered how that dark energy had clashed with his Seven Kill Sword's killing intent—and an idea sparked.
'If both forces stem from the same origin… perhaps merging them could trigger an evolution in my Sword Aura.'
"Agreed," Electrolux said simply.
Darkness swallowed Chen Junting once more.
But this time, he was ready.
When his consciousness returned to the physical world, an indescribable power erupted from his body! A faint, shadowy silhouette flickered behind him—
Then, a torrent of gray spiritual energy descended.
In an instant—it transformed into pure, radiant white!
Before the Soul-Devouring Knife could react, the last remnants of blackness on its surface vaporized into swirling black mist. Amid wails of tormented spirits, the green portions flared brilliantly—growing brighter, cleaner, softer.
And in that moment—
Life Gold revealed its true form.
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