Chapter 374: Heaven Realm

Chapter 374: Heaven Realm

After Ye Xin Lan departed, Xiao Ming gave some instructions to the maid before hurriedly entering the secret room for seclusion.

Seated on a cushion, he took out the soul orb and suspended it gently in front of him. The orb emitted a soft and pure radiance, illuminating the dim chamber.

Xiao Ming gazed at the soul orb, took a deep breath, and extended his palm to touch it. Upon contact, he could feel the immense power of soul essence permeating the orb, warming his soul at his brow.

Poof!

Xiao Ming opened his mouth and spewed out a wisp of icy-white flames, the White Glazed Heart Flame. The flames floated beneath the soul orb, instantly engulfing it.

Although it was extracted from the simulator, it was based on the soul essence of the Hall of Souls, containing negative emotions and might even possess some Hall of Souls techniques. Therefore, it needed to be purified by the Heavenly Flame.

As the high temperature gradually penetrated, the soul orb began to simmer, and faint wisps of black gas emerged, dissipating into nothingness.

Observing the black gases, Xiao Ming raised an eyebrow. He sensed extremely weak mental fluctuations from them, whether it was a method from the Hall of Souls or impurities left by the soul essence, absorbing them into his soul would pose a considerable hidden danger.

Without much thought, Xiao Ming waved his sleeve, and the flames surged again, refining all the hidden black gases within the soul orb.

As the black gas dispersed, the soul orb became increasingly transparent and crystal-clear, appearing ethereal and illusory.

This refinement process lasted for half an hour before Xiao Ming slowly dissipated the flames, finally feeling relieved as he looked at the crystal-like and translucent soul orb floating before him.

With a hand seal, the power of his soul surged from his brow, forming a humanoid figure resembling Xiao Ming himself. It sat cross-legged in front of the soul orb, its mouth slightly open, emitting a suction force.

In response, the soul orb trembled slightly, and an extraordinarily pure soul essence power spread out, entwining around Xiao Ming's soul. It flowed into its mouth, nose, and every pore on its body, continuously merging with it.

As more and more soul essences were absorbed, a faintly intoxicated expression appeared on Xiao Ming's soul-formed face. Wrapped in the soul essence, he felt as if his soul was immersed in a warm light, akin to an unborn baby in its mother's womb.

Cao Ying's eyes brightened upon hearing Xuan Kong Zi's confirmation. She had gotten to know Xiao Ming better over the past year, and she felt genuine joy for him. After all, she had witnessed firsthand the immense effort he put in to achieve his current status. Any envy she may have felt before had long been set aside.

As she anticipated their meeting again in a month, a dazzling smile that could captivate cities emerged on her lovely face.

Aside from Xuan Kong Zi and Cao Ying, the alchemists who were familiar with Xiao Ming also recognized that it was his soul undergoing a breakthrough. Envy filled their eyes one after another.

If only their souls could progress at such a rapid pace...

In reality, it was not entirely impossible. They could go try and destroy the branch halls of the Hall of Souls. However, the Hall of Souls was formidable, and not everyone could afford to provoke them. Besides, outsiders were unaware of the existence of soul essences within the Hall of Souls.

...

As time passed, the days of quiet cultivation continued. However, the soul fluctuations that had spread didn't disappear but instead gradually grew stronger, despite not expanding further.

After more than twenty days, a considerable number of alchemists had gathered in the area affected by the soul pressure.

For ordinary alchemists, there were very few methods to cultivate their souls. Under high-pressure circumstances, as the soul gradually adapted, its power would increase. Such opportunities were quite rare. That's why many alchemists gathered on the streets outside Xiao Ming's mansion to cultivate their souls.

No one interfered with these matters, and Xiao Ming remained unaware of the gathering outside while inside the secret room.

Two more days passed, and the diminishing soul pressure eventually dissipated. Many people looked disappointedly at Xiao Ming's mansion.

"It seems like it's coming to an end..." murmured someone among the disappointed crowd.

Meanwhile, inside the secret room, Xiao Ming sat in a cross-legged position, maintaining his focused state. Before him stood a figure with a translucent, crystalline appearance akin to flowing water.

"Hoo..."

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Ming's tightly sealed lips suddenly cracked open, unleashing a powerful suction force. The ethereal figure in front of him instantaneously transformed into a radiant stream of light, swiftly being drawn into his mouth.