But in the next moment, Poison Undying was dumbfounded.
The golden banner that once radiated holy light began to darken!
From the bottom upward, purple-black spread rapidly, soon covering more than half. In that darkness, writhing blood-red markings appeared from nowhere, clustering into strange, ancient patterns.
"No! Jiang brat's martial soul is mutating!"
Poison Undying shouted, eyes wide in shock.
Normally, martial souls never mutate—unless under the most extraordinary of circumstances. Yet before his eyes, Jiang Jue's was doing just that.
"How can this be? Did the demon beast's evil aura seep into him, forcing his martial soul to change? How did his light attribute lose so quickly?"
"His martial soul is already mutating. I cannot interrupt—he must endure it himself."
He knew full well the risks. If the mutation was disrupted, Jiang Jue's martial soul might be permanently damaged.
"Hopefully it evolves for the better, not into something monstrous."
Standing beside the pained youth, Poison Undying's face twisted with rage, his eyes filled with killing intent.
"Red King! Good! Very good indeed!"
"If Jiang brat suffers any harm, I will never forgive you! I'll see that no canine spirit beast survives in the Star Dou Forest—I'll wipe out your eighteen clans!"
As the deathly gray aura spread wider, he swept Weina away with a wave of his hand, moving her to safety so Jiang Jue would not be disturbed.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Under his gaze, the spirit ring of the demon beast suddenly shot out a blood-red light. In an instant, the banner was fully consumed in purple-black.
And then—it began to belch black smoke.
Two skulls appeared on either side of the flagpole, their hollow eyes glowing with eerie flames.
"Evil… utterly evil!"
"How can a light-attributed martial soul become this?"
Gone was the sacred warmth. The banner now exuded a venomous, snake-like chill. A complete transformation.
Yet, seeing Jiang Jue's face gradually calm, Poison Undying exhaled in relief. Still, the aura unsettled him deeply.
"This… this looks like an Evil Martial Soul."
"No—it is an Evil Martial Soul! Evil, Death, and Spirit triple attributes…"
The more he sensed, the more horrified he became.
Jiang brat's martial soul had mutated into something even stronger.
Poison Undying clasped his hands behind his back, pacing before Jiang Jue's meditating form, his expression shifting endlessly.
"Evil Martial Soul… Evil Martial Soul…"
Moonlight draped the land in silver, as a gentle breeze whispered past.
Half an incense stick's time passed.
"So what if it's an Evil Martial Soul? As long as he's one of my Body Sect, nothing else matters."
He halted, sharp light flickering in his eyes.
"The continent's definitions have nothing to do with us. I was overthinking."
He shook his head, his face relaxing.
The Body Sect's reputation was already one of ambiguity—sometimes righteous, sometimes evil, always acting as they pleased. Reputation meant nothing to them.
The opinions of the world? Worthless. They even scoffed at them.
"When did we Body Sect ever let others dictate how we act?"
As this realization settled, ripples spread through his once-still heart.
"A clever man indeed, unshackled by convention."
Within Jiang Jue's sea of spirit, Electrolux murmured, lowering his staff.
Had Poison Undying harbored even a trace of killing intent, he would already be lying dead.
But he hadn't—and so Electrolux had stayed his hand.
Before absorbing the spirit ring, Jiang Jue had planned this: if Poison Undying turned on him, Electrolux would act.
Though Jiang Jue trusted the old man, he dared not gamble his life.
Thus, he had prepared every safeguard.
"Ah, time and fate."
"This is not entirely bad. At least his martial soul has grown stronger, hasn't it?"
Poison Undying chuckled faintly.
"And part of this is my fault."
Meanwhile, Jiang Jue's absorption neared completion.
The pitch-black sixty-thousand-year ring ceased struggling at last, swallowed into the banner.
Cough, cough!
Splurt!
Jiang Jue coughed harshly, spitting blood.
"W-what's happening to me?"
He opened his eyes slowly, a glimmer of light flashing within, then stared blankly around him.
When his gaze fell on the smoking, blackened banner, his face turned pale with shock.
"This… what is this? Why has my martial soul become like this? Where is my light attribute?"
"What's happening?!"
"Easy, Jiang brat, don't panic."
Poison Undying stepped forward, patting his shoulder.
"Sect Master, why… why does my martial soul reek of evil?"
Jiang Jue summoned the banner into his hand, face pale, staring at the elder in disbelief.
Of course, it was all an act. He had chosen the role of "victim" in this play.
Though Poison Undying had already accepted the truth, Jiang Jue still had to feign confusion and despair—so that the elder would comfort him.
Yet strangely, Jiang Jue felt an odd sense of reversal deep inside, as though the stars themselves had shifted.
"Ah… Jiang brat, how should I explain this?"
Seeing his dazed state, Poison-Not-Dead hurried to speak.
"Don't worry. 'Evil Martial Soul' is merely what people call it. As long as you keep your heart true, this is simply your power."
"Remember, even our Body Sect's martial souls were once despised—until our founder developed them, proving their might. Then, no one dared laugh again."
"Now? Many even long for such martial souls."
His face lit with pride as he spoke.
"Really?"
Jiang Jue looked up, eyes full of hope.
"Listen. This world is not just black and white. Sometimes, there is also a refined gray."
"Hold fast to your heart, grow strong, and none will stand on moral high ground to scorn you."
"Words cannot subdue others—only fists can!"
He raised a fist the size of a sandbag, showing it to Jiang Jue.
"Until you grow, I will protect you!"
His tone was calm but resolute.
Jiang Jue's eyes regained their brightness, though he stayed silent, as if trying to accept it all.
Poison Undying said no more. He knew Jiang Jue needed time, but he also believed—the youth who had steadied his heart in the Dao Palace would overcome this trial.
"What now? Jiang Jue has become an Evil Spirit Master?"
Nearby, Weina had just finished absorbing her spirit ring. Hearing this, her lashes trembled, her thoughts tangled in chaos, her breathing quickening.
(End of Chapter)