In terms of pure Spiritual Thought strength, Shen Haoran, a Peak Fifth Grade Alchemist, was at least as powerful as a Martial Cultivator at the Peak of the Spirit Realm. He could even contend with a Spirit Emperor Powerhouse. And now that the Taotie Beast Soul had exhausted its power in the previous confrontation, it would be much simpler for Shen Haoran to handle it!

Gazing at the imposing Shen Haoran, a rare hint of panic flickered in the Taotie Beast Soul’s eyes. Even as the Taotie, leader of the Ten Great Fierce Beasts, it too feared death. And now, it sensed a lethal threat emanating from Shen Haoran.

"ROAR..." The Taotie Beast Soul let out a weak roar, unable to muster even a shred of strength. The fruits of Shen Haoran’s victory, won by depleting his own Sea of Consciousness, were proving to be very effective.

"Don’t bother struggling. It’s useless," Shen Haoran said flatly, his gaze fixed on the Taotie Beast Soul. An invisible pressure from his Spiritual Thought descended upon the beast.

Sensing the pressure of Shen Haoran’s Spiritual Thought, a look of grim determination flashed in the Taotie Beast Soul’s crimson eyes. As a Beast King, it had its own pride and dignity. It would absolutely not allow itself to be refined by a weak human—not even if it meant its soul would be scattered to the winds!

At this thought, the Taotie Beast Soul’s body began to swell as a frenzied power erupted from within. It was going to self-destruct, intending to take Shen Haoran down with it!

’Damn it!’ Shen Haoran cursed inwardly. He wrung out the last dregs of Spiritual Thought from his Sea of Consciousness, frantically trying to envelop the Taotie Beast Soul. He had to suppress it before it could self-destruct.

However, as Shen Haoran’s Spiritual Thought poured in, the Taotie Beast Soul’s body didn’t stop swelling. In fact, it swelled even faster, reaching a critical point in just a few moments!

"Stop!" Shen Haoran bellowed, forcing out a drop of his Essence Blood and infusing it into the torrent of his Spiritual Thought. Empowered by his blood, the transparent energy instantly turned crimson and frantically wrapped itself around the Taotie Beast Soul.

Strangely, the moment the crimson threads of Spiritual Thought coiled around the Taotie Beast Soul, the crazed look in its eyes vanished. Astonishment filled its gaze, and the rampaging energy within its body came to an abrupt halt.

’Why does this kid’s Essence Blood carry the aura of my main body?’ The Taotie Beast Soul’s eyes filled with confusion. Then, a stream of information flooded its mind.

’A Life and Death Contract... It’s a Life and Death Contract!’ After deciphering the information, the ferocity in the Taotie Beast Soul vanished completely, replaced by utter shock.

’A Life and Death Contract binds two lives together. If one party dies, the other dies with them. But this contract... it’s one-sided. If Shen Haoran dies, my main body will immediately perish. But if my main body perishes, Shen Haoran will only suffer minor injuries. And my main body actually initiated such a one-sided contract? This kid... he has that kind of relationship with my main body?’

It was said that Beast Souls lacked their own consciousness, but that was only true for others. Upon sensing the aura of its main body, a Beast Soul’s intelligence was no less than that of the original.

’If that’s the case, does that make this kid one of my own?’ A look of resignation appeared in the Taotie Beast Soul’s eyes. The raging power within it slowly dissipated, and its entire form grew listless. It lay there quietly, as if it would let Shen Haoran do as he pleased.

Shen Haoran was completely baffled by the Taotie Beast Soul’s transformation. ’A moment ago, it was aggressively trying to take me down with it, but now it’s become so docile, letting me do as I please. This Taotie Beast Soul’s mind is simply impossible to fathom.’

Shen Haoran cautiously reached out with his Spiritual Thought to touch the Taotie Beast Soul, but it didn’t react in the slightest. It seemed it had truly given up all resistance!

Shen Haoran finally understood. ’The aura of familiarity coming from the Taotie Beast Soul... this creature must have sensed Changmao’s aura within me. That’s why it’s willing to let me perform the Refinement.’

At this thought, Shen Haoran didn’t hesitate. This was only a Beast Soul; refining it wouldn’t cause any real harm to the Taotie itself. He immediately activated the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian within him, quickly enveloping the Taotie Beast Soul and beginning the frenzied Refinement.

...

This time, the Taotie Beast Soul was surprisingly cooperative. After only a few days, the soul, enveloped by the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian, slowly dissipated. It transformed into a stream of jet-black light and imprinted itself between Shen Haoran’s eyebrows. A small, black beast tattoo appeared on his brow—a miniature version of the Taotie. But even in miniature, it looked remarkably lifelike and imposing.

As the last wisp of the Taotie Beast Soul merged into Shen Haoran’s Spiritual Thought, his tightly shut eyes snapped open. Two tangible beams of black light shot from his eyes, piercing straight through the soul space.

"ROAR..."

A moment later, a heaven-shattering roar erupted from within Shen Haoran’s body. The aura it carried was identical to the one the Taotie Beast Soul had unleashed earlier. A powerful sound wave instantly spread throughout the entire soul space.

’Success!’

A moment later, the sound wave finally dissipated. Shen Haoran touched the small black beast on his forehead, his eyes filled with elation. The first step of the Broken Soul technique was complete. It had been perilous, but he had succeeded!

Shen Haoran then withdrew from his Sea of Consciousness, his awareness returning to his body. When he opened his eyes, a primordial aura erupted from him—the very same kind of aura that Changmao radiated.

"Boss, you succeeded?" Changmao asked, his voice full of pleasant surprise as he sensed the new aura.

"Yes, and it’s all thanks to you," Shen Haoran said, nodding at Changmao. If Changmao hadn’t provided his Essence Blood, and if his aura hadn’t intervened at the critical moment, the Taotie Beast Soul would have surely taken him down with it. Completing the first step of the Broken Soul technique would have been impossible.

’Next, I need to train how to use the fused Beast Soul to execute the Broken Soul technique,’ Shen Haoran mused. ’I definitely can’t do that within the Sect. If anyone discovered the Cultivation Technique I’m practicing, they’d undoubtedly be overcome with greed.’ Shen Haoran understood the principle all too well: an innocent man’s only crime is the treasure he carries.

’Looks like I need to ask Ling Feng for a good Cultivation Field,’ Shen Haoran thought. He was about to get up and leave Hua yuan, but just as he prepared to go find Ling Feng, he saw the man himself sprinting toward him from the distance.

"Junior Shen, this is bad! You’re in huge trouble...!"