"Elder Lin, Elder Song, are you really just giving me the Soul-Devouring Carving Knife like this?" Zhu Ziyang asked, a thoughtful look on his face. "But I'm not a soul engineer. This knife doesn't hold much meaning for me."
"You're thinking too small," Elder Lin chuckled. "You may not be a soul engineer, but your subordinates will include soul engineers in the future. This carving knife is the perfect gift to win one over. Ideally, you should purify it in their presence—only then will you earn their lasting gratitude and loyalty."
"…Alright," Zhu Ziyang nodded. "Then I'll accept it."
"That's the spirit!" Lin and Song smiled and handed over the silk pouch containing the carving knife. "The pouch is a Grade 6 soul tool. Together with the golden nanmu wood box inside, it can suppress the knife for now. When you have time, purge some of its resentment. It'll become much more obedient."
"I understand," Zhu Ziyang replied.
"Then we'll take our leave," Elder Lin said, and both elders exited the room.
Once they were gone, Zhu Ziyang gazed at the box in front of him. As he reached toward the Soul-Devouring Carving Knife, he felt a dark and icy aura crawl up his fingertips before he could even touch the blade.
"As expected of a cursed weapon," he muttered. Then, without hesitation, he let the evil energy pour into his hand and firmly grasped the hilt.
A surge of violent, malevolent killing intent erupted from the knife. But Zhu Ziyang simply smirked and let his Ultimate Light bloom across his palm. The moment that pure radiance flared, the sinister aura of the carving knife immediately recoiled, shrinking deep into the blade. The black metal grew even darker, like ink soaked in shadow.
"Coward," Ziyang scoffed. "Bullies the weak but fears the strong."
At that moment, Electrolux and Second Frost emerged from his spiritual sea. Second Frost, as always, was cheerful and curious, her gaze fixed on the carving knife. Electrolux, however, wore a complicated expression—part surprise, part disbelief.
Zhu Ziyang noticed. "Teacher, do you recognize something about this knife?"
Electrolux nodded. "Ziyang, purify it. Right now."
"Okay!" Though puzzled, Ziyang complied without hesitation.
Raising his other hand above the knife, he released a wave of radiant golden light. His eyes glowed brilliantly, and his palm turned a dazzling gold. From it, a cluster of pure white energy gathered—the purest form of Ultimate Light's evolution energy.
As that sacred light took shape, the previously dormant Soul-Devouring Knife began to tremble violently. Wisps of black mist—the embodiment of its corrupted power—poured out of the blade in protest. But it was pointless.
To someone like Zhu Ziyang, whose power stood atop the light element itself, these dark energies were as harmless as a child's tantrum. The black wisps were caught by the purifying light and burned away like frost before a rising sun, vanishing in seconds.
As the evil aura faded, the knife's appearance transformed. From a dull, pitch-black cleaver, it became a dazzling work of art—vibrant green like jade, translucent as crystal, and exquisitely carved like a treasure from heaven. Even more surprising, a wave of rich life force filled the room—emanating from the knife itself.
Zhu Ziyang gaped in astonishment. Second Frost's eyes sparkled in delight. And Electrolux broke into a rare fit of joyous laughter, though tinged with guilt.
"It really is Life Gold!" Electrolux exclaimed. "I thought I was imagining it. But no—this blade is made from Life Gold! How lucky we are! If we hadn't gotten this back, I'd be full of regret. Who would've thought this world actually contains Life Gold?"
Zhu Ziyang was baffled by Electrolux's reaction. "Teacher, what exactly is Life Gold? You're the one who's always calm… and now you've said 'actually' three times in a row!"
Electrolux sighed in awe. "Life Gold is a metal in name only. In truth, it's a crystal of pure energy—the purest condensed life force in existence. This entire carving knife was forged from a single chunk of Life Gold. Just this piece alone… would require tens of thousands of years' worth of life force from an entire world to create!"
"So… Douluo Continent may be weaker than my original world… but its foundations run incredibly deep."
Zhu Ziyang quickly grasped the significance. "So this Life Gold contains immense life energy?"
"Yes!" Electrolux's eyes gleamed. "And I know exactly how to use it. Come—let's go to the Undead Sub-plane."
"Alright." Zhu Ziyang didn't question him. He trusted Electrolux implicitly. Their goals were the same—and of everyone, Electrolux was the least likely to betray him.
Ziyang opened a gate to the Undead Sub-plane, and the two entered. Second Frost, still curious, followed close behind.
"This is the Undead Sub-plane?" Second Frost looked around, eyes wide but clearly disappointed.
The environment remained cold and eerie. The sky held a black sun with a faint golden spot at its center, like a solar flare. Though the realm now had a new master—Zhu Ziyang—it was still, at its core, a plane of undeath.
Zhu Ziyang ignored her reaction and turned to Electrolux. "What do we do?"
"It's simple," Electrolux said with a serene smile. "Bring out the plane's core. Place the Life Gold atop it, and then… drip a drop of your blood."
"Got it." Without hesitation, Zhu Ziyang summoned the plane core—a crescent-shaped gemstone—and placed the Life Gold on top. Just as he prepared to offer his blood, Electrolux stopped him.
"Once you offer your blood, the Life Gold will merge with the core. It will partially repair the plane's missing laws of life. But based on my calculations, this piece alone will only fix half of those laws. To fully complete the life system, you'll need another equal-sized chunk of Life Gold."
Zhu Ziyang's eyes narrowed. "So, once it's absorbed… the carving knife will be lost forever?"
"That's right," Electrolux nodded. "But in return, this sub-plane will evolve. With life laws partially restored, it'll become a world embryo. Not yet a full plane, but close. All creatures within will gain real life—no longer undead. And if, in the future, we gather enough elemental laws, this embryo can evolve into a true plane."
"You… planned this from the start?" Zhu Ziyang asked, wide-eyed with admiration.
"Yes," Electrolux admitted, his voice tinged with regret. "But back then, I only had one piece of Life Gold. I used it to create this sub-plane… but I could never find another."
Ziyang grinned. "Then it's decided! So what if we need one more? We'll find it. We've got time."
Without further hesitation, he let a drop of blood fall onto the Life Gold.
In an instant, the emerald-green crystal and the crescent-shaped core burst into radiant light. Life energy—so dense it felt liquid—spread around them. The jade-green liquid flowed into the gemstone.
And then, without words, a profound transformation began.
Though subtle and silent, the entire Undead Sub-plane began to change. As its master, Zhu Ziyang felt the feedback resonate through him. He sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and immersed himself in the evolving energy—sensing the first stirrings of life… in a realm of death.
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