Chapter 117: Shadow Spirit Flower

"Soul blood." A flicker of surprise crossed Yin Tianfang’s eyes as he saw the droplet of bright red blood emerge from the center of the Sky-Winged Demon Tiger’s brow. Once the soul blood was offered, the tiger’s aura immediately withered, its spiritual energy fluctuated violently, and its cultivation base showed signs of slipping.

For both cultivators and demon beasts, soul blood is a treasure that grows more precious with one's cultivation level. Once offered, the donor’s entire cultivation is inevitably damaged; the higher the level, the greater the loss. The Sky-Winged Demon Tiger had reached the peak of the early Golden Core stage. After sacrificing this soul blood, its aura nearly plummeted to the Foundation Establishment realm.

The soul blood, radiating a soft, gentle light, floated before Yin Tianfang. The surprise in his eyes vanished as quickly as it had appeared. With a calm expression, he cast a glance at the tiger and beckoned with his right hand, drawing the blood into his palm. After a brief inspection, he swallowed it without hesitation. The soul blood entered his sea of consciousness, instantly shrouded by his divine sense. Now, a single thought from him would be enough to end the tiger’s life. Conversely, if Yin Tianfang were to die, the tiger would perish as well.

Soul blood is essentially no different from a restriction, though it is more direct and effective. However, while the human sea of consciousness appears sturdy, it is actually incredibly fragile. Swallowing too much soul blood can easily cause chaos in the sea of consciousness, leading to unimaginable and dire consequences. Thus, soul blood is usually only a temporary restriction and is generally disliked by most cultivators; there are at least a thousand types of standard restrictions that can achieve the same effect. Furthermore, the soul blood must be offered willingly; unless one possesses extraordinary divine abilities, it is impossible to force it out through external means.

The Sky-Winged Demon Tiger was forced into this by necessity. It could sense the unwavering determination in Yin Tianfang’s murderous intent. Had it not offered the blood, Yin Tianfang would certainly not have spared it. By sacrificing the soul blood, it gained a glimmer of hope. It was gambling, and as it saw Yin Tianfang accept the blood, it knew it had won the bet.

In truth, Yin Tianfang was also acting out of necessity, as he did not know any restriction techniques. He had originally intended to bind the tiger and subdue it with sheer force, but the beast’s voluntary offering had saved him a great deal of trouble.

"Get up," Yin Tianfang said. The Sky-Winged Demon Tiger stood up trembling, looking at Yin Tianfang, who held a crimson longsword, with terror in its heart.

How many lives must one have taken to condense such powerful killing intent and aura of slaughter? The person before it was surely a star of destruction; it must never offend him. With this thought, the tiger lowered its head, walked over to Yin Tianfang, and crouched on the ground. Yin Tianfang glanced at it once, then turned and walked deep into the forest to find a secluded spot to recover his cultivation.

The Sky-Winged Demon Tiger lay not far from Yin Tianfang, watching him enter a state of meditation. Its eyes flickered with light, which eventually faded into utter helplessness.

Several hours later, Yin Tianfang opened his eyes, stood up, and signaled the tiger, which immediately hurried to his side. Yin Tianfang leaped onto its back, and with a spread of its wings, the tiger soared into the high sky, carrying him away.

"Descend!" Yin Tianfang suddenly commanded. The tiger landed immediately. Having sacrificed its soul blood, its life was now entirely in Yin Tianfang’s hands, dependent on his every whim. It dared not disobey him in the slightest.

Once the tiger touched down, Yin Tianfang dismounted and surveyed his surroundings. This place was distinct from the others, and the temperature here was significantly lower.

"A land of Yin-Shat." A thought stirred in Yin Tianfang’s mind. The medicinal herb he sought, known as the Yin Spirit Flower, grew only in such places. It was also called the Flower of the Departed. The so-called Yin spirits were formed from the souls of the deceased; the higher the cultivation one possessed in life, the longer the resulting Yin spirit would persist. These spirits generally lacked consciousness, drifting aimlessly between heaven and earth. A land of Yin-Shat allowed them to exist for longer periods, thus attracting them. The Yin Spirit Flower, however, thrived by devouring these spirits as sustenance.

Once a Yin Spirit Flower matured, it could lure a cultivator’s soul out of their body and consume it. Legend had it that some Yin Spirit Flowers had even gained sentience and cultivated into demons, possessing such eerie methods that even those with powerful primordial spirits could be devoured to nourish the flower.

"Wait for me here," Yin Tianfang said after a moment of contemplation, before walking toward the area where the cold was most intense. Although this was a land of Yin-Shat, he was not certain if a Yin Spirit Flower had actually manifested. Leaving the tiger behind was a precaution. The flower’s ability to devour human souls stemmed from a special energy that induced hallucinations, destabilizing the soul so that it would flee the body and be consumed.

Yin Tianfang held the tiger’s soul blood, so the beast would naturally not watch him die. If any mishap occurred, the tiger would be his lifeline. As he ventured deeper, the temperature plummeted, and Yin Tianfang’s expression grew grave. After walking for a distance, he signaled for the tiger to move closer, continuing his advance while ensuring he remained within the beast's sight.

Before long, a cold pool appeared, its perimeter coated in white frost. A bizarre red flower stood out sharply against the frost. As its red petals swayed gently, a fragrant scent wafted out. As the scent entered his nose, Yin Tianfang’s body stiffened, and a trace of disorientation clouded his eyes.

In the distance, the Sky-Winged Demon Tiger spotted the red flower, its eyes filled with terror. It knew of the Yin Spirit Flower, though it had never seen one; it had only heard of its horrors. It could never have imagined that Yin Tianfang would dare to covet it. Even Nascent Soul cultivators would avoid such a flower like the plague.

"Is this brat trying to get himself killed?" The tiger’s heart shattered; if anything happened to Yin Tianfang, it would surely be buried alongside him.

"Roar!" The tiger let out a thunderous cry. Under the impact of the sound waves, clarity returned to Yin Tianfang’s eyes. His expression grew even more solemn, but he was determined to claim the flower. Taking a sharp breath, he stepped forward once more. Suddenly, the scene before him shifted drastically.