Closing his eyes, Raphael directed his awareness inwards. His consciousness traversed a vast expanse of swirling galaxies and radiant nebulae, finally arriving at his destination: the Astro Soul Orbital.
It pulsed with a gentle energy, a delicate ring orbiting a magnificent blue sun. A sight that continued to defy logic, and an exemplification of the unprecedented path he was carving.
Upon the orbital's axis, a single Soul Planet glowed with an ominous intensity. It was a deep crimson, shot through with swirling streaks of black shadow energy and sparks of golden lightning.
"A 'Shadow Blood Soul Planet'… Interesting. The Sagewood Script mentions these are rare."
He'd devoured a vast amount of information from the ancient bamboo scroll but the formation of this particular type of Soul Planet hadn't been covered in detail.
Raphael pondered. "This planet… it must be a manifestation of my Bloodline Powers, yes, that's the only plausible explanation."
His gaze lingered on the crimson orb, and with a jolt, he recognized those intermingled essences: The devouring shadows of Balphazar and potent Blood Essence from his Bloodthorne linage. It was a horrifying blend of energies, now unified.
What did this fusion signify? What new possibilities had he unlocked?
He tried to consult the Sagewood Script, hoping for answers, but the bamboo strip remained silent. It seemed this phenomenon was beyond its ancient wisdom.
This was a new path that he'd walk alone.
Raphael dove back into his Cosmic Mind Sea and delved deeper.
He then remembered what he'd read about the 'Soul Moon'.
"Hm, a condensed essence that orbits a Soul Planet? That amplifies its powers? A path for available for those at Celestial Soul Stage. I'm still far from that. However, isn't my current beasts Solar Essence at the Calamity Stage? That counts for something, right?"
An idea ignited in his mind, a reckless gamble.
"Perhaps… perhaps… I can craft a 'Soul Moon' and condense it onto my Astro Soul orbital? Surely, it is possible."
His internal questions went unanswered, but something in him, a desperate voice urged.
"I HAVE TO TRY!"
He opened his eyes. They radiated a fearsome crimson, and then, extending his massive black wings. "Kong! Appear!"
Bat General Kong emerged from the shadows. "Master?" He knelt.
"Those souls that Rai Shen Long devoured earlier. Give them to me now!"
"Of course, master. Anything for you!"
He then commanded Rai Shen Long to opened its jaw wide. And from that depth, three orbs of Solar Consciousnesses materialized.
One was pale blue, one was purple, and the other was a radiant orange. But a chilling terror still lingered.
"Hmm. It seems even in death, those serpents still command a certain level of respect."
They were remnants of Lu Kimlung, his assistant Lu Lu, and a unfortunate Sun Imperial Guard whose duty had been cut short, all thanks to Raphael.
Their appearance had him unsettled for a moment. Then, with a flick of his tail, he addressed the Sagewood Script that was still spread around him.
"Ahm… Zhu Jian? Could you tell me about Soul Moon?"
The script rustled. A visual representation of a moon orbiting a red planet came into focus. Words appeared.
"To craft a Soul Moon. Follow these steps with due diligence."
Raphael studied the instructions:
Step 1: Compression
The text explained the delicate process of extracting the souls' potent Solar Essence and merging those energies into a single cohesive unit.
Step 2: Refinement
The next step involved removing any impurities. He'd have to separate the essence from those useless remnants and lingering memories, shaping it to fit his desire.
Step 3: Absorption
He'd then draw the now-refined soul into his Cosmic Mind Sea and carefully maneuver it into a stable, preordained path that mirrored his Astro Soul Orbital's rhythm.
Step 4: Orbit
He'd guide the soul with his spirit energies, using them as an unseen force that would mold the essence into a circular pathway around his Shadow Blood Soul Planet. It would be akin to a shepherd guiding his flock.
Step 5: Condensation
The next stage was truly fascinating. He'd condense the soul's energies into a miniature orb – the Soul Moon – and then lock it in a specific orbit to amplify both those energies.
Step 6: Stabilization
And lastly, he'd create a magnetic field, a balance between the newly condensed 'Soul Moon' and the existing planet, preventing it from either collapsing into the sun or floating away.
These 6 intricate steps had him rereading several times to memorize. The instructions were daunting.
"If I mess up even a little bit…"
An image of his blue sun, cracked and oozing monstrous gold energies of the Golden Bull Thork came flashing into view as if warning him about the consequences.
A shiver went up his golden hide, it ended near his horns. He almost wanted to abandon this entire scheme, but decided to proceed.
"It's do or DIE!"
"Alright… HERE WE GO!"
Focusing, Raphael visualized the first step, 'Compression'.
He reached out with unseen spirit energies and gently gathered the three orbs before him, bringing them together, while taking care not to get splashed, for who knew what was hidden in the remnants of these souls.
"This process feels strange… and a bit brutal."
It took some time. The souls were slowly merging into a single, swirling entity as Raphael pressed and mold them. And within a heartbeat, a single orb formed possessing the color of blue, orange, and a tinge of purple.
This was soul fusion, his first step towards creating something, well creating something from the soul of those he had a hand in crushing.
He quickly moved to the next step, 'Refinement'.
Now that a base form was created, he carefully separated the potent life essences from the remaining useless clutter, shaping them.
It was like sifting gold dust from sand. This was a much slower, and tedious task because a mistake here could mean a Soul Moon of weaker quality. And as such those energies of his had to be carefully controlled with the precision of an ant carrying a sugar cube, that's how fine-tuned he was, so delicate, and precise.
And with each impurities extracted, the combined essence began to pulsate more vibrant colors. Its new form and quality grew, until finally a single, radiant orb, golden-white with flecks of emerald green within came into existence. This glow was so potent, it brightened the room. This pleased him so much.
'It's… beautiful! How dazzling!' He smiled.
He then absorbed this soul into his Cosmic Mind Sea and directed it towards his Astro Soul Orbital. It moved as if eager to embrace it. The absorption was smooth and he was feeling ecstatic, because everything was going according to Zhu Jian's lesson. He might actually pull this off without triggering a backlash.
Next came the truly challenging part.
Raphael carefully positioned the orb above his 'Shadow Blood Soul Planet' and began the delicate process of creating its new orbit. This took more effort because his very spirit energy had to wrap itself around that essence and mold it.
And as those emerald-gold swirls that radiated from him began shaping the refined essence, he felt a resistance that mirrored an opposing entity's will!
The combined soul didn't want to bend, but Shao Jin's power was potent. The ancient whispers were screaming, "Do NOT Resist me! Your existence has end, your only duty now is to serve me! That's how this is meant to be!"
His hooves flexed as if mirroring the struggle within his mind, and finally, after much persuasion from both himself and the bull's instincts within, that soul began spinning above that blood-red planet, and within those movements came a faint hum, almost melodic, that pulsed against his entire Cosmic Mind Sea.
Now that this soul was circling comfortably, it was time for condensation.
Raphael began condensing that soul's energies, shaping them further, until it was smaller, denser and more potent.
The process demanded much concentration because there is a point where squeezing any tighter meant shattering its very essence. Such was the delicate dance between destruction and creation that only those who truly sought to walk the ancient path could understand. And luckily for him, there was a manual on display in his mind as guidance.
As that final step – stabilization, was commencing, Raphael was sweating. It was hard work this soul manipulation. He formed a net of golden light that encased both 'Soul Moon' and 'Soul Planet'.
The movements in the net then slowed and within milliseconds, they settled into a calm, mesmerizing dance.