With her goal firmly set, life settled into a simple rhythm.
Lin lan roamed the Skeleton Wasteland, hunting undead without mercy. Each fallen creature fed her growth as she harvested their soul flames, steadily strengthening her own. When the repetition began to wear on her, she would pull out the Emerald Spirit Mirror to peek at the outside world—or activate the Piercing Void Divine Ring and wander freely between realms.
By now, she knew exactly what Liang Wan had done.
The video was out.
And it had exploded.
Lin lan adjusted her behavior accordingly. She stopped drawing attention, adopting the role of a low-profile skeleton. No unnecessary fights. No public appearances. When she ventured into the human world, it was only under the cover of night—and only to quietly search for clues about the Golden Blood Pool.
Those trips never lasted long.
Her soul flame had fully stabilized into a dark white hue, saturated with death energy—enough to finally unlock the second portion of the Soul Refining Manual.
That manual was divided into two sections.
The first laid the foundation: the Eight Desolations Soul-Refining Technique.
The second… was something else entirely.
It contained a collection of battle spells—dark, vicious, and terrifyingly practical.
For a long time, Lin lan had only been able to flip through those pages with envy. Reading them had felt like standing outside a feast while starving—everything visible, nothing attainable.
Now, that barrier was gone.
When she opened the manual again, silver-lit characters shimmered across the page, alive with power. Her gaze swept across them before settling on a spell that perfectly matched her current level.
Binding Soul and Restraining Spirit.
"As the name suggests," Shen Daolun said lazily from the side, "it targets the soul—or the spirit, depending on which culture you ask. Same thing, really. Both are condensed forms of spiritual energy."
He leaned closer, eyes gleaming.
"This spell directly attacks the soul itself. Against undead, it's devastating. In the Nine Nether Immortal Realm, the soul flame is everything. Bind it, and even the strongest undead becomes a sitting duck."
"And mortals?" Lin lan asked without looking up.
"Even worse for them," Shen Daolun replied. "They protect their bodies obsessively, but their souls? Barely guarded. Soul-targeting techniques are extremely rare. Most people never see one coming."
Lin lan studied the spell description carefully, comparing the manual's cryptic instructions with Shen Daolun's explanations. Even with guidance, it wasn't easy—the spell was dense, intricate, and unforgiving.
Understanding the theory took time.
Executing it was another matter entirely.
Binding Soul and Restraining Spirit demanded absurdly precise control over death energy. The stronger the target, the greater the strain on the caster's spiritual control.
Following the manual's instructions, Lin lan gathered spiritual energy at her fingertips.
Five thin wisps of black mist rose, coiling gently in the air.
She narrowed her focus and forced them together.
The mist twisted, strands weaving into one another, slowly shaping themselves into an ancient character meaning "bind."
Just as the character neared completion, her fingers trembled.
The moment her concentration slipped, the symbol collapsed—dispersing into nothing.
Lin lan exhaled sharply.
She had hit her limit.
Until now, she'd relied on brute force—dumping spiritual energy wherever needed, without finesse. This spell demanded restraint, precision, and absolute control. It pushed her in a way nothing else had.
She paused, analyzed the failure, then tried again.
And again.
And again.
After tens of thousands of attempts, the character finally held its shape—barely.
Still not enough.
"At this level, you couldn't even bind a skeleton rat," Shen Daolun said cheerfully. "But overall? You're doing quite well."
Lin lan shot him a flat look.
"Was that supposed to be encouragement?"
"Absolutely!" Shen Daolun grinned. "These spells are notoriously difficult. Progress like this is impressive—especially with my expert guidance."
He leaned in conspiratorially.
"Just remember to share more soul flames next time."
Lin lan flipped him off and went back to work.
Once she cleared her mind and shut out distractions, her control sharpened. Each attempt felt smoother. Stronger.
Spiritual energy surged.
Dark mist spiraled around her fingers.
This time, the ancient character formed instantly—sharp, stable, and complete.
"Binding Soul and Restraining Spirit."
She flicked her hand.
The symbol shot forward, trailing black vapor as it slammed into a nearby skeleton archer.
The mist seeped straight into its skull.
The archer shrieked.
Its soul flame thrashed violently, flickering as if caught in an invisible net. The more it struggled, the tighter the binding became—wrapping around the soul itself.
Then… silence.
The soul flame froze.
Bound completely.
Lin lan stepped forward and cleaved the immobilized skeleton apart with a single strike, absorbing its soul flame without resistance.
Her eyes burned with satisfaction.
"Perfect," she said. "This spell is made for one-on-one fights. Timed right, it could decide an entire battle."
She imagined unleashing it against a powerful enemy at the critical moment.
Physical restraints could be shattered.
Soul restraints were another story.
Even if an opponent broke free, the delay alone would be fatal. Among the strong, a single heartbeat was all it took to lose everything.
Shen Daolun puffed up proudly.
"Of course it's good. The Soul Refining Manual is a third-grade divine-grade treasure. People with terrifying cultivation levels died over this thing. You didn't expect mediocrity, did you?"
He chuckled.
"Honestly, using it on a skeleton archer is overkill. It'll be terrifying against real opponents."
"Even better," Lin lan said, fingers brushing the Piercing Void Divine Ring.
A pale blue portal unfolded before her, revealing a staircase descending into darkness.
She had trained long enough.
Now, it was time to leave the Nine Nether Immortal Realm and resume her search.
The Golden Blood Pool was out there.
And she intended to find it.