Feng Rui, without delay, moved toward the next soul. However, the scholar was gazing at the gray sky, with torn scrolls, letters, and ink scattered over his grave.
Feng Rui approached to examine the papers: war tactics, incomplete seals, sect data, and…
A familiar name.
One that had been cursed and erased from history.
Feng Rui took the papers and began to gather them more quickly.
Ding!
[You have encountered The Scholar of the King.]
[He is one of the spirits trapped in the ancestral hall. He was recognized by the king as a great strategist and thinker, earning many merits for his clan. Unfortunately, his spirit was corrupted by the excess of mental power, leading him to an obsession with control and the manipulation of minds.]
[Warning: The Scholar is currently in a frenzied state. It is advised not to provoke him.]
Perhaps because Feng Rui was too focused on studying the papers and piecing together the broken fragments, the system reminded him twice.
Perhaps it was because the Scholar was slowly regaining his self-awareness, clearing his cloudy eyes and drawing closer to his predecessor.
A horrifying figure, with a gaunt face and dilated eyes, pale and cracked skin as if about to disintegrate. The air around him emanated heavy energy, and a spiral of black smoke poured from his mouth as his long, skeletal hands reached out like claws. His madness, visible in the tremors of his body, was like a storm on the verge of unleashing. Desperate, the figure lunged toward Feng Rui, drawn by the scent of his soul.
"You!"
Feng Rui lifted his head and locked eyes with the soul. It was hard to tell who had the stronger impulse of madness.
"It was you who forced that child to destroy the world!"
The soul's eyes widened, unwilling to listen, and it lunged at Feng Rui with the intent to devour him.
"It was your fault! Because of you, Liang Ze was cornered and hated by the world."
The soul screamed, five points of regret, three of rage, and two of sorrow.
That was the greatest obsession of his heart.
His arrogance had created a monster.
He had destroyed a child for the sake of a murderer.
He was the worst.
Feng Rui's eyes reddened with fury. He had finally found a piece he had been searching for his entire life in the game. He had finally completed that endless puzzle that represented the Celestial Demon's past.
Everything finally made sense.
Without waiting any longer, Feng Rui absorbed it all. Forget the mission, forget trying to purify that bastard. Just use him as food.
The malignant and corrupt energy was too much to absorb, but Feng Rui remained still, like a predator with its fangs sunk into its prey, letting it bleed out without letting go.
The soul was locked inside his pearl, and the brightest star in that dark sky like tar was born. Almost simultaneously, it fragmented into thousands of pieces, the energy of the World Tree turned into golden roots that rushed to support the core, but more cracks appeared with every passing moment.
He had always taken fragments of souls and obsessions, never a whole soul.
The air around him seemed increasingly difficult to bear as if the world itself rejected him.
[Warning: The legacy mission will be forcibly interrupted.]
[Warning: The user will be expelled in 15… 14…]
Feng Rui crawled toward the closest ghost to him. He had the impression that the mission would never reappear for him.
He didn't want to lose the legacy of a weapon forger if he could help it.
Ding!
[You have encountered The Soul Forgemaster.]
[He is one of the spirits trapped in the ancestral hall. Master Zhang was one of the greatest artisans in the history of the clan, known for forging legendary soul weapons. However, his laziness led him to destroy one of his most prized materials, damaging a soul sword in the process…]
[Warning: The legacy is closing.]
[Impossible to continue the mission.]
[Warning…]
[Expulsion in 8… 7…]
Feng Rui and the ghost stared at each other. The forgemaster was lying down, scratching his belly, while Feng Rui struggled against the pressure of the world bearing down on him, crushing him to the ground.
Ding!
[You have encountered The Nameless Healer.]
[He is one of the spirits trapped in the ancestral hall. The Healer was famous for his greed and advanced medical knowledge, as well as his techniques for healing mortal wounds. However, the corruption of his spirit led him to develop an obsession with death, manipulating life and…]
[Warning: The legacy is closing.]
[Impossible to continue the mission.]
[Expulsion in 4… 3…]
Feng Rui felt a shadow rising above him, but he had no strength or energy to defend himself. The Soul Forger lifted his gaze with a hint of interest, as Feng Rui felt bathed in a mentholated and warm liquid.
The strength was imbued into his body again, and his pearl, now as large as a true core, solidified.
"The healing is done, quickly, pay the price and get us out of here!"
Feng Rui frowned, not understanding. Could souls talk? Also, how could he extract a conscious soul from itself? That would pose a great hidden danger to everyone, and… obviously, while Feng Rui was listing all the cons, he was doing what they told him.
He took the Soul Forger along in the process as well, just in case.
Whether good or bad, he would find out later, but at least he didn't leave any treasures behind.
[Warning…]
[Expulsion in 1… 0…]