Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Mm?

Qin Yu opened his eyes. At the same time his heart contracted and started to throb, making his soul scream out instinctively.

Curse aura!

Qin Yu wasn't a stranger to this kind of strength. But the curse he felt this time was more terrifying than ever before.

It seemed that this blood red rune was communicating with a terrifying world. It was a door; once opened, it would release a terrifying strength that would drag him into the endless abyss.

"Not good!" Qin Yu cried out inwardly. He raised a hand and placed it between his eyebrows. His fingertips curled into a hook as he was about to dig out his flesh and blood and take this rune out.

But at this time his body froze, as if the temperature in the air had fallen by tens of thousands of degrees, freezing everything.

"Hehehehe…hahaha…hehehe….cute little prey, since I have already arrived do you still think you can run away? There is no chance. Accept your destiny and obediently become food in my belly."

"Mm…when I say that, I feel even hungrier. Let me smell you…hss, your soul is so pure and powerful, it couldn't be more perfect."

As the voice inhaled, Qin Yu's body tensed up. He could feel his consciousness being pulled out by some invisible force.

In the next moment, the feeling of absolute horror struck his heart, as if something cold and slimy had attached itself to his back!

Only Qin Yu was in the room, but he could clearly sense that there was also something else here, something that was invisible. Not only was his back cold and wet but he could also hear this other party's voice, one filled with greed and hunger.

A curse life form!

As pure and powerful cure power slowly accumulated over the long years, strange life forms were gradually born. Although they had no tangible body, they possessed a horrifying ability that gave them a near immunity to the physical. The only thing that could restrain and kill it was the power of the soul.

And what curse life forms targeted and what they loved to eat the most were the souls of living beings.

Memories sudden gushed out in Qin Yu's memories, his eyes turning deep and dark. Since he had been locked onto by a curse life form, then he had no other choice but to kill it.

Suddenly, the cold and wet feeling on his back began to spread out. It was like a venomous snake crawling out from its nest, entwining around Qin Yu.

He could clearly feel the curse life form's movements but when he looked down there was nothing there. Even if he were to reach out his hand he wouldn't touch anything.

It was because of this that curse life forms had a near immunity to physical damage. This was because in the strictest sense they didn't exist in the same dimension as living beings.

They lived in something similar to folded space. But, the curse life form had the ability to cross this barrier to kill.

Cold and wet snakes drilled into his eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Qin Yu could hear excited screams in his mind. "I can feel your fear. This is the most exquisite seasoning. Do not worry, I will slowly shred your soul apart and taste it!"

Let alone Qin Yu's current boundary, even if a true Divine Dao being was invaded by a curse life form then that meant almost certain death.

But this didn't mean Qin Yu didn't have the ability to resist. His eyes were ice cold as faint traces of dark golden light surged within them.

"Hiss…this deliciousness of this soul is simply inconceivable. Once I swallow you I am confident I can break through my imprisonment and evolve once again."

"I cannot hold back, I want to eat you…ah, what is this…damn, you actually want to suppress me, that is just a dream…"

"No! No! This is impossible! What is this, how can you control this power…I have to leave…I must leave…"

With a sharp scream, the curse life form seemed to have discovered something extremely terrifying. It struggled as it tried to flee.

Dark golden light burst out in Qin Yu's eyes. "Humph! It's too late for you to escape now. Since you've delivered yourself to me, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Hum -

Within Qin Yu's soul space, the phantom of a black altar appeared. Although it was thin and shallow as if it would be blown by a guest of wind, it exuded an unfathomably ancient aura.

The invisible and intangible curse life form was now imprisoned within the black altar. It's true form was slowly revealed.

Seven mucus-covered tentacles wrapped around each other, their ends fusing into a mass of wriggling meat. In shape it resembled a squid. At this time, an eye opened up on the ball of meat, filled with shocked anger and fear.

Even though it had no mouth it was still able to roar out loud, "I am the direct descendent of the Cursed Eye and I obtained its blessing from the day I was born. If you dare to kill me then you will be marked by the Cursed Eye. At that time, as long as you trigger any curse strength again the Cursed Eye will arrive and harvest your soul. You will forever be enveloped in fear and despair, never to be freed!"

Qin Yu's soul opened its eyes. He looked at the curse life form and sneered, "You came to the material world to kill me and I should stretch out my neck and let you? You tried to kill me and you are now going to be killed by me; these are the rules."

The squid's eye flew open. "You do not fear the Cursed Eye?"

Qin Yu's soul was expressionless. "If it comes then it comes."

Bang -

The black altar began to shake. Faint traces of black energy rose up, weaving in the air above to form a black skull.

Crimson soul flames flickered in empty eye sockets. A cold, dreary, and formidable aura immediately appeared, covering the entire soul space in a layer of black ice.

Qin Yu's thoughts stirred and the black ice surrounding his soul shattered apart. He walked forward and looked at the black skull, saying, "This is the sacrificial offering."

"Jejeje….it's been many, many years, but you've finally contacted me again. However, your aura seems to have become much weaker…" The black skull moved. It turned down to look at Qin Yu, the red flames in its eyes shining even brighter.

Qin Yu's heart shook. Beneath the black skull's gaze he instinctively felt a great fear, as if his thoughts itself would freeze. He knew that the black skull was in truth the projection of some terrifying existence from far away. Even though it was just a thought it still possessed an extremely horrifying strength…at the very least, swallowing him would be a simple matter.

His expression didn't change. He coldly said, "We material life forms are not the same as you. We live within evolution and samsara. What you sense now might not be reality….what, oh great Lord of the Black Skull, are you going to tear apart the contract between us?"

The black skull was silent for a moment. It stared tightly at Qin Yu as if determining whether or not he was lying. After several breaths of time it chuckled and said, "You and I have signed a contract so that makes us close partners. And as the great Lord of the Black Skull within the Black Bone World, I certainly wouldn't do something like tear apart a contract…jejeje, then let's complete this transaction."

It looked down at the squid imprisoned in the altar. "Curse life form, what wonderful material. Although it is weak, it is incomparably pure…mm, I smell a familiar scent on its body. It is the aura of the Cursed Eye…"

The black skull cackled once again. "You creatures of the material world are inherently weak to the power of curses. Are you sure you want to sacrifice this curse life form? You must know that the Cursed Eye is an existence that bears a grudge…moreover, if it arrives, even though I am the great Lord of the Black Skill, I still am not willing to come into conflict with such a formidable curse life form."

Qin Yu coldly said, "The living beings of the material world might be weak when facing curse life forms, but that doesn't mean we don't have the means to deal with them. Otherwise the material plane would have long since been seized by the curse life forms. If the Cursed Eye really does come then…I believe that we will make another transaction before long."

"Jejeje, I like your choice. That is the point of view a genuine powerhouse should have!" The black skull laughed. "Then, I will accept your offering!"

The squid screamed in horror, "No!"

The inside of the black altar collapsed inwards. This wasn't Qin Yu's soul space any longer. Rather, it had become a dimensional channel leading to an unknown space.

Whoosh -

The furiously struggling squid was sucked in!

The Lord of the Black Skull looked over. "Mm…the flavor isn't bad at all. Then, my contract partner, what is it that you would like?"

Qin Yu said, "Soul force, the purest power of the soul."

The Lord of the Black Skull laughed, "You remain as sharp as always. Power of the soul refined by the great Lord of the Black Skill is something everyone needs…then, my intimate contract partner, allow me to satisfy your request."

The black skull chortled and then opened its mouth wide. A mass of black flames appeared. Although they flickered and beat, no heat came from them. Rather, they felt warm like flowing water.

Qin Yu's soul instinctively desired it, wanting to swallow the flames whole. This was because these flames were refined from pure soul force. Even though it was only a tiny amount, if one needed to refine this soul force using the souls of ordinary people, it would require at least 10 million lives.

"This is good. The transaction is complete." Qin Yu reached out a hand to receive the soul flames.

The Lord of the Black Skull was silent for a moment. It suddenly said, "You don't plan to use it yourself? My close contract partner."

Qin Yu shook his head, "This has nothing to do with you."

"Jejeje…although you are correct, I feel a marvelous aura within your soul space." The Lord of the Black Skull locked its eyes on Qin Yu. "If you want to awaken it then I can provide you help this time. For free of course."

"No need." Qin Yu coldly said.

The Lord of the Black Skull no longer pretended. "I, the great Lord of the Black Skull, am interested in this little thing within your soul space. If you are willing to trade, I can give you up to ten times this amount of soul force."

"I refuse to trade."

"Perhaps 20 times can change your mind."

Qin Yu said without expression, "Lord of the Black Skull, it's time for you to go back."

"Jejeje…very well, it seems that you don't want to exchange with me. But, my offer remains. If you ever change your mind, summon me at any time." The Lord of the Black Skull laughed. The black altar shook, as if it would vanish at any time.

But at this time, some black energy overflowed and soared straight at Qin Yu.

"Humph!" With a cold sneer, Qin Yu grasped forward and the black energy collapsed.

At this time, Qin Yu's soul erupted with a formidable power, one that shook the heart.

"Spanning space and time leaves me unable to fully control my own strength. As an apology, take the soul force contained within that wisp of divine sense as an extra gift….jejeje, I look forward to the next time you summon me!"

Pa -

The altar phantom faded away but the black skull remained. The only difference was that the soul flames in its eyes had been thoroughly extinguished.