With a deafening BOOM!!!, a terrifying wave of Spiritual Impact roared out from Mu Chen’s soul consciousness, violently sweeping through his entire Sea of Spirit.

PFFT!!

In the Outer Realm, Mu Chen’s face fell as he violently spat out a mouthful of blood. Yet, even after coughing up blood, his posture remained unchanged, his pupils still listless and unfocused.

The Soul Condensing Mirror Spirit was startled by Mu Chen’s ’sudden attack’. It shook its head. ’The soul is the foundation of the human body. When it’s heavily damaged, the body will react accordingly. After all, the soul sinking into the Sea of Souls isn’t the same as it leaving the body entirely.’ It continued to muse, ’This kid is ruthless, even to himself, using so much force on the very first try! But shattering the soul with the God-Nashing Technique isn’t that simple. Crushing one’s own soul requires perfect control over the subconscious. If he can’t completely suppress it, his subconscious will interfere, making his soul resist self-destruction. That would drastically slow his progress, and might even cause him to fail. Can you really do it, kid?’

Of course, Mu Chen heard none of what the Soul Condensing Mirror Spirit said. He was panting heavily, his face ashen. The moment the God-Smashing Hammer had crashed down, he had felt a pain unlike any he’d ever known—so intense that even his iron will wavered, and he began to see things. Staring at the crack on the chest of his Soul Body, he thought with a deathly pale expression, ’How can this be? The God-Smashing Hammer was massive, its power immense... why did my soul only get a single crack? Don’t tell me all that agony was just from one small fracture?’

Still shaken, Mu Chen looked up at the enormous God-Smashing Hammer. He took a deep breath, his expression hardening. ’Did I use too little force? Fall!’

With another command from his mind, the God-Smashing Hammer roared as it hurtled down from the sky, crashing squarely onto Mu Chen’s Soul Body. However, just as the hammer was about to land, Mu Chen noticed it pause for an instant. That single pause had reduced the force of the blow by more than half.

CRACK...

"Ugh!"

A sharp cracking sound was followed by a muffled groan from Mu Chen, and his face grew another shade paler. This time, far more cracks appeared on his Soul Body, slowly spreading outwards from his chest. But he knew this was still a long way from completely shattering his soul. As waves of searing pain ripped through his chest, his Soul Body began to tremble uncontrollably.

’Agh... It hurts so much! The Soul Condensing Mirror Spirit was right—the pain of having your soul torn apart is not something an ordinary person could possibly endure. And this is just the beginning...’ His thoughts shifted, his mind zeroing in on the moment the God-Smashing Hammer had hesitated. ’Why did it pause?’

Abandoning the thought of another strike, Mu Chen focused all his attention on the God-Smashing Hammer, which was hovering serenely above his head.

’The God-Smashing Hammer is controlled by my own consciousness. My intention was to have it fall quickly and land a heavy blow on my Soul Body, but it paused on its own. Was it some kind of interference? Or is this just how the God-Nashing Technique is designed?’

’No! That’s not it. The design of the God-Nashing Technique couldn’t possibly affect a God-Smashing Hammer formed from my own Soul Power. Something formed from my own soul...’ Mu Chen froze, his eyes widening as if he’d just grasped a crucial point. ’Wait a minute. Using a God-Smashing Hammer made from my own Soul Power to temper my own Soul Body... Could that be creating some sort of rejection? Or rather... my subconscious!!’

’Fall!’

To test his theory, Mu Chen opened his eyes wide. He circulated the God-Nashing Technique and commanded the God-Smashing Hammer to slam down on him with all its might. With a tremendous crash, another terrifying shockwave from the blow swept through the Sea of Souls.

K-CRACK...

After the sharp crack, the fissures on his chest spread even wider. But Mu Chen had seen it again; in the instant before impact, the God-Smashing Hammer had hesitated for a fraction of a second. Though brief, its effect was immense. He could feel his consciousness starting to fray from the sheer agony. He was finally, truly experiencing the pain of a soul being ripped apart.

HISS!

Sucking in a sharp breath, Mu Chen instinctively clutched his chest. His face turned from ashen white to a ghastly gray as his entire Soul Body convulsed.

’It really is my subconscious. Each blow only adds to my suffering without delivering a decisive impact. At this rate, I’ll be forced to give up before I can even shatter my soul. How am I supposed to control my own subconscious?’

Frowning deeply, Mu Chen sank into contemplation. The subconscious is a form of psychological suggestion that bypasses one’s main consciousness, something a person often cannot control on their own. For example, if a person wanted to self-harm and tried to cut off their own left arm with a blade, their right arm would use significantly less force if they couldn’t suppress their subconscious. While they could still sever the arm by steeling themselves, the pain would be many times greater than if it were done in one clean strike. This was the self-preservation instinct of the subconscious, and it was precisely the phenomenon Mu Chen was now encountering.

"You look rather perplexed."

An ethereal voice suddenly echoed in Mu Chen’s mind. His deep frown relaxed into a smile. "Is that you, Soul Condensing Mirror Spirit?"

"Hehe, of course it’s me. I’m in the Outer Realm, speaking to you through your physical body. I was reluctant to interfere, but seeing as you’re so confused—and you *are* the first to cultivate my Master’s Secret Technique—I’ve decided to offer some guidance." The Soul Condensing Mirror Spirit’s voice had finally returned to normal; that strange, mocking tone from before must have been an act.

"Guidance?" Mu Chen asked, puzzled.

"Are you running into trouble with the God-Nashing Technique? For instance, having trouble controlling your subconscious?" The Mirror Spirit inwardly mocked itself. ’Just a moment ago, I told myself to let this kid figure it out on his own, and now I can’t resist telling him the answer.’

Mu Chen was stunned. "Senior, how did you know?"

The Soul Condensing Mirror Spirit chuckled. "This God-Nashing Technique has been engraved in my soul for thirty thousand years. Even though I can’t cultivate it, I’ve seen through all its secrets. Naturally, I’m well aware of the problems that arise during its practice."

Mu Chen rubbed his nose. ’Back when my Master was sealed inside the Extreme Spirit Pearl, didn’t he also see through the entire Extreme Spirit Chaos Technique? Must be what boredom does to you.’ Still, hearing that the Soul Condensing Mirror Spirit was willing to guide him, Mu Chen humbly accepted. "Please enlighten me, Senior. I truly don’t know how to suppress something as intangible as the subconscious."

The Mirror Spirit said, "Heh, suppressing it is difficult, yes, but *controlling* it is quite easy. Let me ask you, when you operate the God-Nashing Technique, are you always thinking about when to bring that hammer down?"

Mu Chen paused. "Yes. If I don’t think about it, how can I control it?"

"That’s a fair point; you can’t control the hammer without thinking about it," the Soul Condensing Mirror Spirit said. "But if you think of *yourself* as the one wielding it, your subconscious will naturally kick in to protect you, because it knows what you’re about to do and can resist your own will. Get it?"

Mu Chen shook his head. "Not really."

The Soul Condensing Mirror Spirit chuckled. "To put it simply, if you try to stab yourself with a knife, your own mind will make you react and dodge. But what if you imagined the one in control wasn’t you, but your most beloved? Haha... Alright, a smart person gets it with a hint. If you still can’t figure it out, then you’re not suited to cultivate this God-Nashing Technique."

The moment it finished speaking, the Soul Condensing Mirror Spirit’s presence vanished completely. Mu Chen stood there, stunned for a moment, before his eyes suddenly lit up. ’Of course! I’ve been using my own will to control the God-Smashing Hammer, so my subconscious knows I’m hitting myself and puts up a defense. But what if the one controlling the hammer wasn’t me, but Xiaobai? We share a bloodline and a Spiritual Connection!’

Deciding to act immediately, and since he was already in his Sea of Souls, Mu Chen sent out a Spiritual Transmission with a single thought, "Xiaobai, come to my Sea of Souls."

As soon as the words left his mind, a brilliant ball of white light appeared beside him with a WHOOSH. The light exploded into countless specks, from which a Snow-colored Qilin emerged into the Sea of Souls with a low growl.

"Father, you called for me." The Snow Qilin’s voice was deep, carrying an ancient-sounding weight. It had been growing at an astonishing rate, advancing by leaps and bounds, especially after entering the Extreme Spirit Pearl. ’I have no idea what it’s been up to in there,’ Mu Chen thought.

Mu Chen nodded. "I need your help with something. See that giant hammer above my head?"

The Snow Qilin gazed up at the sky, its cold and impassive golden eyes reflecting the faint, white silhouette of the hammer. It nodded and asked in a low voice, "I see it. Should I destroy it?"

The corner of Mu Chen’s mouth twitched. "No. I need you to control it and bring it down on me with a heavy blow. Remember, the more power, the better. Ideally, you’ll shatter me in one hit!"

The Snow Qilin stared, stunned. "Father, are you trying to self-destruct? That’s your Soul Body. Not even I could endure the agony of having it completely shattered."

Lines of frustration appeared on Mu Chen’s forehead. "Just do as I say. Remember, use your full power for every strike. Also, pause before each hit and only strike when I give the word. Otherwise, I might actually end up self-destructing."

Although the Snow Qilin didn’t understand Mu Chen’s plan, it knew he wasn’t suicidal. With a sound of assent, it shot into the sky and instantly enveloped the giant hammer with its Spiritual Power. "Father, I’m ready whenever you are."

Mu Chen nodded, swiftly closing his eyes. The God-Nashing Technique began to circulate once more. "Smash it down!"

ROAR!!