C6 The Soul Power Lock

As the Spectre of the old lady crumbled to pieces, Su Wei found that he could move once more, and he was immensely relieved. Su Wei, who had believed his life was on the brink of ending, lay sprawled on the ground, gasping for air, his complexion ghostly pale. The look of despair and frustration lingered on his face for a long time.

This wasn't how the story was supposed to go. Aren't all transmigrated individuals fated to be the protagonists? It seems my trusty blade is more of a trap than a tool.

Even now, he was scanning his surroundings with residual fear, anxious that another Level 1 Spectre might emerge. He doubted his luck would hold if he had to face another escape.

"Why? A mere Spectre has reduced you to this state? You weren't like this when you were slaying those Spectres earlier."

The soulful voice of the blade irked Su Wei, prompting a sharp retort:

"Mr. Blade, you could've intervened sooner. Why didn't you take down the Spectre earlier? What if I had met my end just now? That seems a bit underhanded!"

A chuckling voice responded:

"My apologies. I'm getting on in years, and sometimes my reactions are not as quick as they used to be. It's mainly because I haven't been in action for quite some time."

Su Wei was left speechless, grumbling to himself:

"Who was the one clamoring and urging me to charge forward a moment ago? It's like a man's eagerness at the sight of a beautiful woman undressed. That kind of longing... it was chilling."

While Su Wei was lost in his thoughts, his eyes caught sight of the Level 1 Shadow Orb left by the Spectre, and his spirits soared. The previous despair, unwillingness, and solitude vanished from his face.

"I can't believe I forgot – the Spectre I just defeated had a Shadow Orb. This is a windfall!"

Picking up the orb, Su Wei eagerly inquired:

"Elder, I've heard that this Shadow Orb might contain a skill. How do I imprint it onto my soul mark?"

A voice resonated with the wisdom of the soul:

"You've got quite the fortune, young man. This Shadow Orb is imbued with a soulcraft. To use it, simply channel your Soul Power through your own Horcrux, and the soulcraft will be imprinted onto your soul mark."

To master soulcraft, there are two key points to remember. First, the higher the soul mark, the better the soulcraft you'll obtain. Second, once the first soulcraft is imprinted, it cannot be changed. Make the choice yourself! I won't offer any suggestions."

"By the way, I forgot to mention that if you encounter another Spectre like this one, I won't be able to save you again; my Soul Power is depleted."

Su Wei noticed that the bloodlines on the kitchen knife had vanished, confirming Mr. Blade's words.

After a brief internal debate, Su Wei concluded that survival was paramount and resolutely channeled his Soul Power into the knife.

A subtle current of energy began to emanate from Su Wei, gently infusing the kitchen knife.

As he swung the knife down, the red Shadow Orb shattered. Suddenly, a red glow enveloped the knife's handle and blade, converging on the first soul mark in an instant, making the red symbol strikingly noticeable.

A message appeared in Su Wei's mind:

"Level 1 Spectre Soul Skill, Soul Power Lock. It uses minimal Soul Power and can trap a Level 1 Spectre for as long as an incense stick burns, with no time limit on the Spectre."

"A control skill!"

In his past life, Su Wei had played his fair share of RPGs online and understood the significance of control skills. When used correctly, they could yield surprising outcomes.

"Haha, a stroke of luck! Not bad at all."

With that, Su Wei addressed the kitchen knife:

"Mr. Blade, today you'll feast to your fill."

Holding the knife, Su Wei was eager to test out his new ability.

Suddenly, a ghastly Spectre with a mouth full of fangs appeared before him.

Su Wei felt an icy chill down his spine and involuntarily shuddered.

The Spectre exuded a fearsome presence, and it seemed to manifest a tangible aura of the Spectre, giving one the sensation of ice piercing to the bone.

"This isn't good. This isn't just a fledgling Spectre; it has lethal power and might transform into a Demon Spirit."

Despite his concern, Su Wei reminded himself that it was, after all, just a Spectre.

Su Wei gripped the kitchen knife, channeling a wisp of Soul Power into the blade, and slashed at the Spectre while chanting:

"Feel the force of my first soul mark, Soul Power Lock!"

Instantly, a whirlwind encircled the Spectre, rendering it completely immobilized.

The Spectre, nearly as powerful as a Demon Spirit, showed a look of sheer terror that, when paired with its ghastly appearance, was utterly revolting.

Seeing the Spectre ensnared, Su Wei's face lit up with triumph. With a swift motion, he dispatched the Spectre, and the evil soul fragments scattered on the ground.

Thus, Su Wei relentlessly reaped Spectres using his first soul mark.

Witnessing Su Wei's fearsome strength, the wiser Spectres began to scatter in terror.

They even warned each other that a man with a knife had lost his humanity and to flee on sight.

As he continued his hunt, Su Wei amassed a staggering number of evil soul fragments, nearly filling his specially designed waist pouch.

Sensing the absence of Spectres in the vicinity, he quickly made his way to the eastern reaches of the Shadowfell.

Upon reaching a swamp, the sky abruptly darkened, and the air filled with mournful screams. The Spectres, once hidden, now fled in panic.

While Su Wei took in the shifting skies, he failed to notice the knife's blade slowly turning red.

A familiar voice echoed from deep within the swamp.

"Shiya, what do we do? We're going to die here."

"Brother Sanjin, are we trapped? I want to go back and see my mother."

"Look at the lot of you, scared of death. If we're going to die, so be it. Where's your spine?"

"Su Wei, I hope you don't come... take care of..."

Hearing this, Su Wei's expression turned grave.

"Four Eyes, Soong Sanjin, Liu Shiya—how did they end up together?"

He wondered, a hint of concern in his thoughts.

"They might have run into a Spectre, possibly a second-level one, given the intensity of its presence, which seems far stronger than any I've faced before."

Glancing at the now-red kitchen knife, Su Wei sensed Mr. Blade's Soul Power had been restored. His earlier hesitation vanished, replaced by newfound confidence. After all, one must enter the tiger's den to capture its cubs!

Su Wei leapt into the depths of the swamp, slicing through the low-level Spectres that scurried around him as he ran.

The deeper Su Wei ventured, the more the foul stench of the swamp overwhelmed him, and the clamor of battle echoed continuously.

"Ah, I'm going to kill you. Even if it costs me my life here today, I swear I'll tear you into a thousand pieces!"

"Soong Sanjin, what are you doing? You actually..."

At last, Su Wei arrived at the heart of the swamp.

By then, his clothes were in shreds, and blood streamed incessantly from his wounds. These were not inflicted by the Spectres, but rather by the overabundance of thorny bushes along the path.

Su Wei hastily cleared away the bushes for a better view. As the scene before him unfolded, he inhaled sharply.