Luo Jin stood basking in the praise of his father, Luo Zhen, and Chief Xuan. Luo Hao remained at the edge of the Primeval Spring, watching quietly. He saw the confident smirk on Luo Jin's face and thought:
"Praise is a heavier chain than ridicule."
"Ridicule forces a man to see his flaws or shatter. But praise? Praise is soft wool over the eyes. It doesn't just blind you to your weaknesses, it convinces you those weaknesses have vanished."
"Luo Jin stands on a Rank 2 platform, blinded by the very words meant to elevate him. He thinks he is done climbing. That is the true danger of applause,it makes the climber believe he has already reached the summit."
"And those who stop climbing..."
"They eventually fall."
Luo Hao's gaze turned cold, a glint of something darker stirring beneath the surface.
The Primeval Spring rippled behind him—quiet, patient, waiting.
After a short while, Chief Xuan finally turned to Luo Hao.
"All right, Luo Hao. It's your turn."
He walked over and placed his right hand on Luo Hao's shoulder. "Let us begin."
Chief Xuan wrapped his Primeval Energy around Luo Hao's body. Luo Hao felt warmth spread across his skin as the energy enveloped him like a second skin. Together, they walked slowly onto the surface of the spring.
As Luo Hao's feet touched the surface, he was surprised. Though it looked like water, it felt like solid ground beneath him.
When they reached the center, Chief Xuan spoke.
"Just relax your body. Don't fight the spring. And remember it isn't actually water, so you don't need to worry about drowning."
"I understand, Chief Xuan," Luo Hao replied.
"Good luck."
The moment Chief Xuan said those words, Luo Hao dropped into the spring. The force that had allowed him to walk on its surface vanished instantly.
The spring felt warm, like liquid energy flowing into his body. Luo Hao kept his eyes open as he sank deeper and deeper into the glowing warmth. The light from the surface slowly began to dim, fading into shadow, until only darkness remained.
As the darkness swallowed him completely, Luo Hao closed his eyes and drifted downward.
Then, a memory he had buried long ago flickered into existence.
His mother, kneeling beside him the day before she and his father left on that journey from which they never returned. She had wiped tears from his cheeks, her smile warm enough to chase away storms.
"No matter what this world takes from you... you must keep fighting, my boy. You were born to survive."
Her voice echoed in his mind, clear and unwavering.
"You will do great things, my sweet child. The heavens will tremble at the mention of your name."
Her face blurred. The darkness tried to devour her image.
Recalling that memory made Luo Hao's heart beat again not in hope, but in the last piece of emotion he had left.
Defiance.
Her words repeated over and over: The heavens will tremble at the mention of your name.
Suddenly, Luo Hao opened his eyes.
But he wasn't in the Primeval Spring.
He observed his surroundings. The ground beneath him looked like water, rippling with each step he took. The space stretched endlessly in every direction, featureless and silent.
Where am I? he thought solemnly.
Then, in a moment of clarity, he muttered aloud, "I wonder if this place is what Father referred to as the Sea of Consciousness."
He continued walking endlessly. After what felt like ten minutes, he saw something in the distance a red and black shadowy figure.
Luo Hao walked closer, his face betraying no trace of fear. His expression remained cold and emotionless.
The figure was tall, over five meters in height. He couldn't see its actual form because of the shadowy aura surrounding it. The only features that stood out were two curved horns and two glowing red eyes gleaming from within the silhouette.
Luo Hao stood before it, watching closely.
The entity did the same.
Neither moved for a long while.
After what felt like hours, the entity slowly raised its arm and pointed at Luo Hao. Its shadowy finger appeared to have a long, claw like nail.
Luo Hao was taken aback. Does it want me to touch its finger?
Seeing that standing idle wasn't helping, he raised his own arm and touched the entity's finger with his own.
The moment their fingers connected, a flood of voices poured into his mind.
Luo Hao clutched his head and screamed in pain. The agony intensified with each passing second. He began hearing words he couldn't hear properly, let alone comprehend,abstract, chaotic, maddening.
Meanwhile, in the cavern, Luo Zhen walked over to Chief Xuan.
"Chief Xuan, what is taking so long? It's been over four hours, and Luo Hao still hasn't come out." His voice was laced with frustration. "Hahaha! Could it be that he somehow drowned?" He laughed mockingly.
Seeing that Chief Xuan wasn't answering, Luo Zhen looked at his face. The Chief appeared deep in thought.
Chief Xuan stroked his beard slowly.
In all my years of performing the awakening ceremony, this is the first time someone has stayed this long. The longest anyone had ever remained in the Primeval Spring was one hour and twenty minutes and that person was Luo Wei, Luo Hao's father. He awakened a Rank 2 Sky Piercing Vine. He was a true prodigy.
His achievements shook not just Jingsing Town, but the entire Western Province of Cang Xi.
Yet his son remains below.
Four hours. And counting.
Chief Xuan's eyes remained fixed on the spring.
What kind of monster did you bring into this world, Luo Wei?
Suddenly, the entire cavern began to tremble violently.
It felt as though the cave was about to collapse. Rocks and debris fell from the ceiling. One nearly struck Luo Jin, but he summoned his Razor Grass Vine to create a shield above his head.
"Chief Xuan, what is happening?!" Luo Zhen yelled.
Chief Xuan's eyes remained fixed on the Primeval Spring.
"Luo Hao's awakening is causing this trembling," he said calmly. "It seems he is going to awaken a high rank Spirit Soul. Probably a Rank 3."
Luo Zhen couldn't believe what he'd just heard.
"That walking corpse awakening a Rank 3 Spirit Soul? Impossible."
But he couldn't shake the possibility. His worry increased with each tremor.
Luo Hao still clutched his head in pain, lying coiled on the ground. The voices became more intense, more abstract, layering over one another in a cacophony of madness.
After a short while, some of the voices began to sound almost like words. But one specific word kept repeating.
Malice. Malice. Malice.
The more the word appeared, the less the pain became.
Luo Hao, still on the ground, began to whisper it aloud.
"Malice... Malice... Malice..."
The more he said it, the more the pain receded.
Suddenly, the pain stopped,as abruptly as it had come.
Luo Hao staggered to his feet, his face stained with the remnants of agony. He looked at the entity and spoke.
"Your name is Malice. And you are my Spirit Soul."
The moment he said those words, Malice surged forward and engulfed him, entering his soul.
The instant Malice fused with Luo Hao's body, the Sea of Consciousness began to crack like brittle glass breaking apart piece by piece.
Seeing his Sea of Consciousness shattering, Luo Hao immediately realized something was wrong.
Chief Xuan's words echoed in his mind: "But if the human vessel is weak, the power of the Spirit Soul will crush the body, leading to death."
Malice's power must be too great for my body to contain, Luo Hao thought as more cracks spread across his inner world.
I can't die now. Not yet. Not ever.
What can I do?
Meanwhile, Chief Xuan observed the Primeval Spring. Its currents had become violent,like a storm raging beneath the surface.
Suddenly, Luo Hao's body burst out of the spring.
He floated in midair as waves of Primeval Energy surged into his body. The blue glow coiled around him like serpents of pure energy.
Chief Xuan couldn't believe his eyes.
"Such an unbelievable amount of Primeval Energy... This boy is truly a monster. Just like his father maybe even more".
Then, Luo Hao began to scream.
Luo Zhen ran to the Chief. "Chief Xuan, why is he screaming?!"
"I don't know," Chief Xuan replied gravely. "But my guess is that Luo Hao's body is too weak for his Spirit Soul and for the amount of Primeval Energy currently flowing into him. If he doesn't control the flow, he will die. And his soul will be shattered."
As Chief Xuan said this, Luo Zhen's expression shifted into a pleased smile.
The trembling in the cave intensified. The Primeval Energy surrounding Luo Hao's body grew rapidly. Even the Primeval Spring itself began to float upward toward him, surrounding his body in a glowing cocoon.
Chief Xuan stared in awe.
"In all my years, I have never seen the spring react like this."
He muttered aloud, "This is truly unprecedented."
Meanwhile, in Luo Hao's Sea of Consciousness, the cracks deepened. His inner world was falling apart right before his eyes, and he couldn't do anything to stop it.
The same thought repeated endlessly.
I can't die yet. I can't die yet.
He clutched his head and knelt down, the thought of death closing in.
But then, he remembered his mother's words.
"You were born to survive."
Remembering those words, Luo Hao regained his composure.
He stood.
His dark eyes burned with determination and an unshakeable will to live.
He closed his eyes as Primeval Energy surrounded him. He began to float. As more energy built up around him, he whispered:
"Malice."
His Spirit Soul manifested before him, staring at him with its glowing red eyes.
Luo Hao stared back intensely. He flew closer and placed his palm on its head.
"I am sorry for what I am about to do," he said quietly. "But to survive... is to understand that power is only useful if you are alive to wield it."
"You are a Rank 3,possibly even a Rank 4 Spirit Soul. You are mighty. You are the perfect furnace, a divine engine of pure, uncompromising will."
"But look at your vessel! It is a grave! This body cannot hold your power. It is dust that you will scatter in an instant."
"They say a true genius accepts the highest path. They say potential is sacred."
"They are fools."
"Potential is useless if it kills you. It is a luxury I cannot afford. I do not have years to temper this flesh to your demands. I have seconds before we are annihilated."
"I will not die for a short glimpse of glory. I will not die for praise. I will not die for potential."
"Therefore, I make a choice that no genius would."
"I sacrifice the greater path for the necessary one."
"I am forcing you to shrink. I am forcing you to dim. I am forcing you to be the smallest, most sustainable vessel of power you can be."
"You will become Rank 1. We will be weak. We will be ridiculed. But we will be stable. You will give me time."
"I do not ask for your strength,I demand your obedience. You are my Spirit Soul, born from my conviction. You will serve my primary goal. You will be suppressed, sealed, and caged because to be free is not to be the most powerful, but to be the one who makes the rules of his own existence."
"And my only rule is: I will not die."
"Be grateful for this humiliation, Malice. Because this act of self mutilation is the first step on the only path that leads to immortality."
"The path of absolute freedom."
As he finished speaking, Malice began to compress.
Slowly, the once almighty Spirit Soul formed into a red glowing orb in Luo Hao's hands.
Holding the orb, Luo Hao turned to his Sea of Consciousness. The cracks had stopped spreading, but it was still badly damaged.
If I wake up now, my mind will be fragmented. I will be mentally disabled. I have to find a way to repair the cracks.
Then, a thought came to him.
He looked at the red orb.
What if I use Malice's sealed power,the power I suppressed to repair my Sea of Consciousness?
It could work. But if I use the suppressed power, cultivating Malice back to its full might will be far harder. I would have to start from scratch.
After a moment of contemplation, he thought
Then so be it.
He extended his hands forward as the red orb began to float upward.
"Release."
A blast of force surged outward. With his will, he channeled the force toward the cracks and the voids that had appeared.
Slowly, his Sea of Consciousness began to heal. The pieces that had broken off moved back into place. The voids that had begun to form repaired themselves.
Not only did it repair his Sea of Consciousness,it even improved it.
Where there had once been emptiness, there was now a dazzling night sky filled with countless stars.
Luo Hao took a long breath, watching his inner world return better than before.
He turned to the red orb as it flew back into his hands. He descended and placed the orb back on the rippling water.
As he did, the Primeval Energy in the space slowly engulfed the orb. Malice's form began to return, reforming gradually.
When it was done, Luo Hao noticed that Malice's form had become smaller from five meters to three meters.
This must be the consequence of forcibly suppressing it and using the suppressed power to repair my Sea of Consciousness.
Turning toward the vast expanse of his restored consciousness, Luo Hao thought:
It's time to wake up.
Meanwhile, in the cavern, the trembling had stopped. The overwhelming Primeval Energy began to subside. The Primeval Spring returned to normal, gently lowering Luo Hao's body back to the ground.
Chief Xuan and Luo Zhen walked toward him.
"What just happened?" Luo Zhen asked.
Chief Xuan replied, his voice a mix of amazement and disbelief. "He managed to stabilize his Spirit Soul."
Luo Zhen's expression shifted into silent annoyance. "So when will he wake up?"
Chief Xuan closed his eyes. "Any time now."
The moment he said it, Luo Hao jolted awake.
He was breathing rapidly,hyperventilating. Chief Xuan, seeing his state, wrapped him in his Primeval Energy and calmed his body.
After two minutes, Luo Hao finally settled. He stood and bowed his head.
"Thank you, Chief Xuan."
"No need to mention it," the Chief replied.
Luo Hao raised his head.
"So, what is your Spirit Soul's rank?" a voice came from behind Chief Xuan.
It was Luo Zhen.
Luo Hao gave a weak smile. "My Spirit Soul is just a Rank 1 Entity type Spirit Soul."
A burst of laughter erupted from Luo Zhen and luo jin
"You mean after all that trembling, you awakened a Rank 1 Spirit Soul? And it isn't even a plant-type Spirit Soul? Disgraceful!"
Luo Hao didn't pay any mind to Luo Zhen's words. Ignoring him, he turned and observed the cavern. The walls had cracks, and there was a large amount of debris scattered on the ground.
It seems what happened in my Sea of Consciousness also affected the outside world.
He turned to Chief Xuan and bowed. "Chief Xuan, I am sorry for the damage to the cave."
Chief Xuan raised him up. "Don't worry. The cave will repair itself."
Meanwhile, in Chief Xuan's thoughts:
It doesn't make sense. I was absolutely sure he was going to awaken at least a Rank 3 Spirit Soul.
He stared at Luo Hao intently.
Could he have suppressed his own Spirit Soul's power? This child is truly talented... and terrifying.
After a while, Chief Xuan returned them all to the Luo family estate. They sat in the courtyard as wind blew cherry blossom petals around them.
After enjoying some tea and sweets, Chief Xuan spoke, turning to Luo Zhen.
"I would like both boys to enroll in the town academy for young cultivators. I know the Luo family has its own methods for training newly awakened members, but these two boys possess immense potential."
Luo Zhen tried to look thoughtful. "I understand enrolling Luo Jin, but Luo Hao? What potential does he have?"
Chief Xuan replied calmly, "Though Luo Hao awakened a Rank 1 Spirit Soul, the amount of Primeval Energy he possesses is four times greater than Luo Jin's. If I'm not mistaken, he possesses more Primeval Energy than even young cultivators who have reached Spirit Core Stage Level 3 and he hasn't even formed his Spirit Core yet. So you see, he also possesses potential."
Luo Zhen looked at the two boys. "Do you want to study at the academy?"
Luo Jin nodded his head.
Luo Hao thought:It will give me more freedom to move around. Fewer eyes watching me.
He nodded as well.
"Great!" Chief Xuan said energetically. Then his voice lowered. "The academy only allows those who have formed their Spirit Core. So both of you need to form your Spirit Core within one month,because that is when the next entrance exam is. Try your best to form your Spirit Core by then."
Luo Hao thought:
So I have one month.
Hopefully, that will be enough time.