Forging the Shadow Soul Stones

After Qingmu left, one demon son after another stepped into the pavilion where Xu Xian had been holed up for an entire month.

Like Qingmu, the first thing they did upon entering was to scrutinize the room thoroughly.

The room was clean, devoid of dust or anything unusual. Each visitor announced their lineage, received what they wanted, and departed.

Some offered a few polite words, while certain goddesses even attempted to seduce the youth. However, the youth remained unmoved, earning himself a reputation for being completely insensitive to charm.

When it was Chi Ji's turn, she acted more casually and appeared far more excited. She paced around the room, asking Xu Xian if he didn't find it stifling to be cooped up inside all day and why he didn't go out for a walk.

Speechless, Xu Xian handed her the fire-attribute primordial demon art her father wanted translated. He couldn't help but retort, "Do you think I have nothing better to do? Thirteen arts, thirteen different ancestral demon scripts—do you think I don't need time for that?"

Chi Ji pursed her lips. Remembering how she had spent an entire day just transcribing the Nether Fire Secret Art, she fell silent out of a guilty conscience.

It was true. It took her a whole day just to copy it, yet Bai Mang had to translate them, and there were thirteen in total. One month—thirty days—was actually a very reasonable timeframe. She muttered to herself that it was those other people's fault for misleading her into thinking Xu Xian was up to no good in here.

"Alright, you should head back."

They had barely spoken for a few minutes before Xu Xian issued a guest dismissal. Chi Ji felt a bit slighted; she had waited an entire month for him, so what was wrong with chatting a bit longer?

However... considering Bai Mang's current situation, she decided not to add to his troubles. There would always be opportunities in the future. As long as her father verified the authenticity of this primordial demon art, she was confident she could persuade him and the High Priest to protect Bai Mang's life.

"Oh!" But as she was leaving, she asked playfully, "Bai Mang, tell me, you didn't add anything extra in there, did you?"

Xu Xian's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes widened. Good heavens, had this foolish girl actually figured it out? Seeing his reaction, Chi Ji squinted and laughed. "Just teasing. I'm going."

Once Chi Ji left, Xu Xian secretly felt relieved. He thought to himself, 'That was close. That silly girl almost guessed correctly.'

Lastly, it was Huang Xiao's turn. Huang Xiao was extremely arrogant and was the only one who didn't pay any attention to the room after entering. His gaze never left Xu Xian for a moment, his eyes bulging like a bull's. He looked as if he wanted to stare Xu Xian to death.

Xu Xian didn't bother with him. After handing over the item, he sent him packing.

After the various demon sons left, the residence felt significantly more deserted and quiet. The formation left by the High Priest remained, and the people spying from afar hadn't left either. The Little Book spirit drooped its head, dejected. "This sword immortal can finally rest for a bit. Watching over this place for a month has exhausted me..."

However, the moment it ducked back into Xu Xian's mind, Xu Xian plucked it out again.

"Rest, my foot. Go keep watch. I need to see if this nether fire can melt these Shadow Soul Stones."

The Little Book spirit protested, "I can't even have a moment's rest? Is there no such thing as human rights anymore?"

Xu Xian said flatly, "You aren't human to begin with."

"Well, which of us is less of a human?"

Xu Xian shook his head and said, "Why sleep long while alive? Once I am dead, you shall have an eternity of slumber."

Though the Little Book spirit grumbled, it obediently ran out and perched outside the pavilion to monitor the surroundings.

Xu Xian reactivated the formations, but his heart bled at the cost. Like the little spirit, he also muttered to himself, "Seriously, opening and closing these things is just burning money."

Eight golden talismans cost eight hundred thousand spirit stones and could only be used three times. On average, each activation cost over two hundred thousand—it was all pure money, yet he couldn't afford not to use them. Fortunately, he had been cautious before leaving and prepared over twenty more. It should be enough, provided people didn't visit too frequently.

Alternatively, he could walk out and actively greet guests, but to dispel their suspicions, it was necessary to show them the room. He needed this to lull his opponents into a false sense of security.

He circulated the Nether Fire Secret Art and channeled his demon qi. The entire room soon mirrored the scene from two days prior—ice flowers appeared, the temperature plummeted, and a blue flame flickered from his palm. The flame wavered without smoke, yet it froze the air into ice crystals. Since he was near the Nether Pool and it was the rainy season, the air was exceptionally humid, making the visual effect quite striking.

Xu Xian possessed an acquired sword body and had previously consumed a hundred-thousand-year-old ice-attribute immortal plant, so he did not fear the cold. Moreover, since this fire was condensed by him, it was under his complete control.

He impatiently took out a Shadow Soul Stone and attempted to smelt it.

When the Shadow Soul Stone was placed above the blue nether fire, Xu Xian felt the stone lose all weight, just as if it had fallen into nether water. It floated quietly within the flames without needing telekinesis to stabilize it.

"Interesting."

Furthermore, under the continuous heating of the blue flame, it didn't freeze. Instead, the originally dark and deep stone gradually emitted a blue glow. As Xu Xian intensified the fire, it reacted like other metals or stones, gradually softening.

Xu Xian's heart leaped with joy, and he raised his eyebrows. "It works!"

With this, his plan was indeed feasible. Xu Xian retracted the fire and waved his sleeve. The forging table slammed onto the floor, occupying most of the room. With a flick of his right hand, the Star-Forging Hammer appeared in his grip.

"Then let's get to work."

He swung the hammer down with precise force. The Shadow Soul Stone deformed slightly. Strike after strike followed as fire was conjured again and again. In that freezing space, he forged the Shadow Soul Stones with the blue flame.

Thanks to the reinforcement of the Heaven-Sealing Trapping Formation and other stabilizing formations, not a single sound of the commotion leaked out.

The Little Book spirit sat on the roof, glancing back occasionally. It rested its chin on its small hands, gazing longingly at the Nether Pool through the rain. It murmured to itself, "He really is a monster of cultivation. Setting aside his personality, my luck is pretty good to have picked such a master. Hehe!"

While Xu Xian was forging the Shadow Soul Stones, the twelve demon gods in the Demon Abyss had also received what they wanted. They were all meticulously studying the translated primordial demon arts. Their expressions shifted from frowning to twitching their noses, from joy to shock.

"Brilliant! Truly profound. As expected of a primordial demon art."

"Excellent! What a magnificent Landscape Art..."

"It seems this Bai Mang really knows his stuff!"

If they had lingering doubts before, the moment they looked at the primordial demon arts in their hands, all skepticism toward Bai Mang vanished. They didn't believe Bai Mang could fabricate primordial demon arts comparable to immortal arts out of thin air in just one month—especially not thirteen of them.

Therefore... there was only one truth. Everything Bai Mang said was true. He was indeed chosen by the ancestral demons, and he truly understood the ancient scripts.

After the Wind Demon finished reading, his expression was one of intense excitement. He gripped the corner of the book tightly, his eyes filled with unprecedented shock.

Huang Xiao asked weakly, "Father, is something wrong?"

The Wind Demon looked at his son and said, "Go. Go back immediately and guard Bai Mang well."

Huang Xiao was dazed. "Huh?"

The Wind Demon emphasized, "Remember, you must establish a good relationship with him. Do you understand?"

Huang Xiao exclaimed, "What?!"