C22 The Change of the Sword Soul(2)

The sword quivered autonomously, and as it did, a rich beam of sword light burst forth and enveloped the carcass of the beast. From within the remains, the soul of the Sword-toothed Pig emerged. Once the soul materialized, the sword light flickered and spiraled into a vortex, devouring the soul in an instant.

"Whoosh!"

The sword light was absorbed into the great sword, and with it, the soul of the Demonic Beast. The once radiant great sword now lay dim and lifeless. Yet, inside Qin Fei's dantian, the ephemeral Sword Soul experienced a violent transformation, radiating a thick sword light that now made it exponentially more powerful than before.

"Incredible..."

Qin Fei was astounded. "After consuming the soul of the Sword-toothed Pig, the sword light from the Sword Soul has more than doubled in strength, and it's still growing. This is..."

Under normal circumstances, the soul of a human far surpasses that of a Demonic Beast. The soul signifies wisdom and consciousness, and due to the strength of the human soul, our intellect is vastly superior to that of Demonic Beasts. However, Demonic Beasts, with their weaker souls, possess bodies that are several times more powerful than those of humans. Typically, the soul of a human could be equated to that of about five Demonic Beasts of the same level.

But now, having slain the Sword-toothed Pig and absorbed its soul, the power I've gained is at least tenfold stronger than that of a Second Grade Demonic Beast's soul.

"No... Something's off with the soul of this Sword-toothed Pig... How could it have such formidable soul power?"

Qin Fei's expression shifted with concern. The soul power, once consumed by the Sword Soul, soared like a balloon being inflated.

"Could it be... Could it be that the Sword-toothed Pig accidentally ingested Soul Gathering Grass, which caused a rapid increase in its soul power? Is that why it launched such a furious attack on me?"

Qin Fei quickly pieced together a theory. It seemed implausible for the Sword-toothed Pig's soul to naturally be that potent. The only explanation was that some external force had caused a dramatic surge in the soul power of the Sword-toothed Pig.

Something capable of significantly enhancing the soul of either a Demonic Beast or a human existed only in the Flame Mountain Range: the Soul Gathering Grass. This mystical herb was renowned for its unique medicinal properties that could, in a brief span of time, dramatically strengthen one's soul. For seasoned experts facing critical junctures, consuming this herb could bolster their soul's power, giving them a solid chance to advance to the next level.

"Damn it, the Soul Gathering Grass possesses potent soul-amplifying power. In just a short period, it can enhance the soul of a person or Demonic Beast by more than tenfold. Such intense growth is incredibly distressing for both humans and beasts. It's no surprise that the cursed Sword-toothed Pig attacked me. Now that the Sword Soul has consumed its soul, could it be assimilating the grass's power too?" Qin Fei's complexion turned ashen. The Sword Soul had only recently come into existence, and facing such a shock, it was difficult to predict the outcome.

A resonant hum echoed from his dantian as a tide of sword light began to rise and drift around him. Centered on Qin Fei's dantian, a formidable sword light permeated the air. At that moment, Qin Fei resembled a cracked egg, radiating an incredibly potent sword light from within. The intense sword light penetrated his muscles, skin, clothing, and more.

"How is this happening? Ah..." Qin Fei cried out as if thousands of blades were slicing through him, yet he felt no cuts, no flesh—because the agony originated from deep within his soul. "Buzz!"

"Swish..." Qin Fei's body seemed on the brink of bursting as waves of sword light cascaded outwards, felling the surrounding trees. In an instant, every tree within a mile radius lay shattered by the sword light.

With a final "Puchi," the sword light began to fade, and the last stream of sword energy flowed into Qin Fei's dantian. Blood spurted from his mouth. Though it appeared to last less than ten seconds, the torment Qin Fei endured was more harrowing than a decade of pain. The soul, being the most vulnerable part of a person, suffers immeasurably more under such severe stimulation than the physical body ever could.

"Damn it..."

Qin Fei braced himself with his hands on the ground, forcefully spitting out a mouthful of blood.

He felt an overwhelming sense of weakness, not so much in his body, but deep within his soul.

"Thank goodness, the Sword Soul is unharmed..."

Taking a deep breath, Qin Fei probed his dantian with his mind and found the Sword Soul still serenely floating there.

Yet, it had undergone a transformation. Previously, the Sword Soul was nothing more than an ethereal sword form, indistinct and composed solely of sword light. Now, it had taken on a distinct shape.

This new form shimmered like water, its transparency revealing subtle, layered traces.

From within these traces, rich beams of sword light radiated out, exuding an incredibly potent sword aura.

It seemed as though this condensed sword aura was the very essence formed by the convergence of all sword lights.

"Could it be that the Sword Soul has leveraged the power of the Soul Gathering Grass from the Sword-toothed Pig's soul to achieve a breakthrough?" Qin Fei wondered, startled by the possibility. The Sword Soul, the very spirit of a sword, could cultivate and grow stronger just like a human. By devouring another soul, it could amplify its might.

The recent overwhelming soul impact led Qin Fei to surmise that the Sword Soul might have used that power to ascend to a higher realm. This realization instantly invigorated him.

He swiftly sat down cross-legged, his mind's eye keenly observing the dantian's transformation.

Indeed, the Sword Soul's sword light was now exponentially more powerful than before.

It had grown at least a dozen times stronger, shedding its former frailty. No longer just a blade of light, it now resembled a cohesive body of water. "To think that misfortune has turned into a stroke of luck. Far from being damaged, the Sword Soul has, in fact, evolved after devouring that soul, entering a new phase of transformation?"

Qin Fei's excitement surged.

With the Sword Soul's transformation, the might of its true form had increased more than tenfold.

What was once a mere vapor had now become a tangible substance, much like how a dense fog, when gathered sufficiently, transforms into water.

In essence, the Sword Soul operates on the same principle. Once the Sword Soul's blade radiance intensifies to a specific threshold, it transforms into a tangible, liquid form.