"Blood Demon, do you have any idea what you’re saying?"

Xiao Mo’s eyes narrowed, looking straight into Blood Demon’s.

Xiao Mo didn’t know much about weapons; he spent most of his time cultivating.

But Xiao Mo did know about Immortal Soldiers, and he knew about Artifact Spirits!

The reason "Immortal Soldiers" were called "Immortal Soldiers" was because they were forged with all sorts of Heavenly and Earthly Treasures, bringing the weapon’s body to its peak.

But there was another reason: the existence of an Artifact Spirit!

Only with an Artifact Spirit could the full power of an Immortal Soldier be unleashed.

The Artifact Spirits of most Immortal Soldiers were born on their own.

The weapon was the Artifact Spirit’s external shell.

But that didn’t mean every Immortal Soldier was guaranteed to form an Artifact Spirit.

If the process of an Immortal Soldier’s Artifact Spirit being born failed, then the weapon could never truly be called an "Immortal Soldier."

Therefore, if a person could become an Immortal Soldier’s Artifact Spirit just by dying, then there wouldn’t be so few Immortal Soldiers with Artifact Spirits in the world.

For a Cultivator to become an Artifact Spirit, the requirements were extremely high, and the price was immense!

A Cultivator who became an Artifact Spirit had to be in the Immortal Realm. Moreover, during the fusion of their Divine Soul with the weapon, the Divine Soul would suffer torture akin to being sliced by a thousand cuts, and the chance of success was extremely low.

Even if they succeeded, once a Cultivator became an Artifact Spirit, they were bound to the Immortal Soldier for life. If the weapon was destroyed, their soul would perish, with no chance of reincarnation.

Furthermore, the Cultivator who became an Artifact Spirit would have their memories erased.

This was because the Artifact Spirit’s memories from their previous life were considered impurities to the Immortal Soldier.

The Immortal Soldier had to erase these "impurities" so that the "foreign Artifact Spirit" could become as pure as the Immortal Sword’s body itself. Only then could the two truly become one.

At that point, the Artifact Spirit was just an Artifact Spirit.

That was why Xiao Mo would never agree to it.

"What’s this? Feeling sorry for your master now?" Blood Demon smiled faintly and gently poked Xiao Mo’s forehead with her finger.

"I don’t agree, and that’s final." Xiao Mo snatched the long blade from Blood Demon’s hand. "With this blade, I can kill ’It’ all the same!"

Holding Blood Demon’s long blade, Xiao Mo strode forward.

"Stop, you brat!" Blood Demon turned, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth. "Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

Xiao Mo ignored Blood Demon. He just glanced back at her indifferently over his shoulder before continuing forward.

"I actually have a way!"

Qing Yuan spread her arms, blocking Xiao Mo’s path to stop him from marching to his death.

"What other way could you possibly have?"

Blood Demon shook her head.

’I watched this kid grow up. I know he’s ruthless and decisive, and his feelings for me are... well, they are what they are.’

’If I die, he gets an Immortal Soldier. No one would refuse that.’

’But I never expected this brat to actually refuse.’

For a moment, Blood Demon didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

"Use this."

Qing Yuan took a Yin Yang Jade Pendant from her robes.

She didn’t want Blood Demon to lose even the chance to reincarnate, nor did she want her to lose all her memories and become a cold, unfeeling Artifact Spirit.

"My master gave this to me. It’s called the Soul-Binding Jade. A person’s Divine Soul is divided into a Yin Spirit and a Yang Spirit, and this Soul-Binding Jade can split a person’s Divine Soul in two."

Qing Yuan said seriously.

"Blood Demon, use the Soul-Binding Jade to separate your Divine Soul. Then, send your Yang Spirit into Dyed Ink. That way, it can act as an Artifact Spirit."

"But, Xiao Mo."

Qing Yuan looked at Xiao Mo, her gaze heavy.

"You will only have the time it takes for one incense stick to burn. After that, Blood Demon’s Divine Soul must exit Dyed Ink. Otherwise, both her Yin Spirit and Yang Spirit will dissipate together!"

"I understand." Xiao Mo nodded. "Let’s do as Sister Qing Yuan says."

"No, that’s too difficult." Blood Demon shook her head.

Blood Demon knew the brat’s Realm and strength were beyond ordinary.

But after his great battle with Ding Jingyi, his body was in terrible shape.

Not to mention, ’It’ was now even slightly stronger than Ding Jingyi.

Even with Xiao Mo wielding an Immortal Soldier, Blood Demon could only guarantee that the brat would be able to escape the Wandao Sect.

But now, Xiao Mo was expected to kill ’It’ in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn...

"It’s not difficult." Xiao Mo turned, plunged Blood Demon’s long blade into the ground, and declared, "We’ll do as Sister Qing Yuan said!"

"You brat," Blood Demon said helplessly. "Exactly who is the master here, you or me?"

"Have I ever called you master?" Xiao Mo retorted. "You never managed Blood Sin Peak; I’ve always been the one in charge. That was true then, and it’s true now. You just go see your little Imperial Uncle."

"You..."

Blood Demon stared into Xiao Mo’s eyes, looking like she was about to start cursing up a storm.

But seeing Xiao Mo’s unyielding expression, Blood Demon clicked her tongue and waved her hand dismissively. "Fine, fine, you brat! Have it your way and be stubborn to the death!"

Blood Demon sat cross-legged on the ground in a huff. "Hurry up and get started! Let this brat go get himself killed!"

「A moment later.」

Qing Yuan split the Soul-Binding Jade in two. She placed the yin-fish piece above Blood Demon’s head and the yang-fish piece upon Dyed Ink.

Qing Yuan then tossed out a Jade Plate. The Array Map engraved on it peeled off and floated into the air above Dyed Ink and Blood Demon.

Qing Yuan began chanting the Magic Formulas.

The Array activated, and a thin thread connected Dyed Ink and Blood Demon.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The massive rumbles faintly penetrated the cavern, and the ground’s shaking grew more and more intense.

Xiao Mo knew that "Ding Jingyi" was breaking the array and wouldn’t take much longer.

Qing Yuan’s chanting of the Magic Formulas grew faster and faster, cold sweat beading on her forehead. After half a cup of tea’s time, Blood Demon’s Yang Spirit left her body and, guided by the Soul-Binding Jade, sank into Dyed Ink. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Dyed Ink trembled incessantly.

The iron chains binding Dyed Ink let out a CLANG! CLANG!

"Xiao Mo!" Qing Yuan shouted.

"I know."

Xiao Mo stepped onto the lava and walked step by step until he was before Dyed Ink.

Looking at the long blade before him, black as ink, Xiao Mo reached out and gripped the hilt.

WHOOSH!

Black-red Blood Qi and Sword Qi erupted from Xiao Mo’s palm, endlessly whipping his long hair and black robes.

Qing Yuan swallowed, her palms already slick with sweat.

Whether it was the choice of materials, the forging method, or the Anomalous Fire from the lava used to create it, Dyed Ink was exceedingly domineering.

Therefore, the first time Dyed Ink was drawn, it would release an incredibly domineering Sword Qi.

If Xiao Mo wanted to draw her, there was only one way: he had to use his own domineering power to suppress her domineering nature!

"Come out!"

Xiao Mo let out a low shout, and his incomparably domineering Blood Qi completely devoured Dyed Ink’s Sword Qi!

Little by little, Xiao Mo pulled Dyed Ink from the Emperor’s Heart Juice, which dripped endlessly from the blade.

Xiao Mo lifted Dyed Ink and swung it horizontally, shattering all the chains!

...

"It’s about time I killed you all."

Atop the mountain peak, "Ding Jingyi" had taken the time of two cups of tea to smash the Array to pieces.

But the instant the Array broke, a black and red streak of blade light shot up from below, slashing toward ’It’.

"Huh?"

’It’ froze for a second, then glanced to the side. Its right arm fell from the sky and slammed onto the ground.