After leaving the shop, Shen Haoran wound through the streets a few more times before finding an inn to check into. After confirming that no one was following him, he rushed into his room and hurriedly took out the broken Sacred Artifact.
Only now did Shen Haoran get a clear look at the sword's true appearance. Since the blade was broken, it was impossible to tell how long the sword had been, though he imagined it was at least three feet long. The blade was covered in rust and dust, but he could still make out engravings of many unknown Spirit Beasts. This was especially true on the hilt, where a lifelike, colossal beast was coiled, looking down upon the other Spirit Beasts like the King of Ten Thousand Beasts.
Upon seeing this Fierce Beast, Shen Haoran felt as if his very Spiritual Thought was about to be devoured. He bit the tip of his tongue to snap out of it, and a cold sweat immediately broke out on his skin.
"Elder Yan, come out quick! Take a look at this sword!" Shen Haoran hurriedly called for Elder Yan to come out and study this strange Broken Sword.
Hearing Shen Haoran's call, Elder Yan drifted out. He circled the Broken Sword, observing it carefully. When his gaze fell upon the giant beast on the hilt, his form trembled, and he cried out in shock, "The Divine Beast, Taotie!"
'The Divine Beast, Taotie?' It was the first time Shen Haoran had heard the name. He curiously glanced at the giant beast again, but immediately averted his gaze. He could feel his Spiritual Thought threatening to rip itself from his body once more.
Seeing Shen Haoran's predicament, Boss Yan roared with laughter. "Haha, that's the Divine Beast, Taotie! And you dared to stare right at it!"
"Elder Yan, stop being so mysterious. What's the deal with this giant beast?" Shen Haoran asked in confusion.
At Shen Haoran's question, Elder Yan clasped his hands behind his back and began his lesson. "As everyone knows, Spirit Beasts are divided into nine tiers, and a Tier Nine Spirit Beast is currently considered the pinnacle of their evolution. But in ancient times, there were even more powerful existences above Tier Nine! Those were the Holy Beasts, and the legendary Divine Beasts! The Taotie is one of the most exceptional among the Divine Beasts, all thanks to its Talent Skill: Devour!
Legend says that when a Taotie's Talent evolves to its absolute limit, it can devour the heavens and the earth. But the Taotie are temperamental and obstinate, and they made countless powerful enemies. In the end, the other Divine Beasts banded together to attack them, suppressing their entire clan! To think I would see a legendary Taotie here."
"See a Taotie? Isn't this just a picture?" Shen Haoran asked.
"Hmph. A mere picture wouldn't make me feel a sense of dread. The Sword Spirit of this blade was most likely born using a Taotie's Spiritual Thought Origin as a catalyst!" Elder Yan stated with conviction.
"Ah! Elder Yan, are you saying that a Taotie's Spiritual Thought is sealed within this sword?" Shen Haoran asked, his expression turning uneasy.
"Correct. I have no idea who this sword's original master was, but to use a Taotie's Spiritual Thought Origin to guide the birth of a Sword Spirit... what an incredible feat!" Elder Yan exclaimed.
Elder Yan then turned to Shen Haoran, only to find him staring at the sword with a pained expression. "Hey, you brat," he said. "You've stumbled upon a treasure like this, so why the long face?"
"Elder Yan, you just said a Taotie is sealed in this sword. That proves the Sword Spirit still exists, which means the blade already has a master, doesn't it? How can it be mine?" Shen Haoran said, his voice laced with disappointment.
"Are you an idiot? This sword must be at least five or six thousand years old. After all this time, the Taotie has long since fallen into a deep slumber, and the Sword Spirit's Spiritual Wisdom has likely eroded to almost nothing. All you need to do is form a new contract with it!" Elder Yan chided, laughing.
Hearing this, Shen Haoran's eyes lit up. "Really? But I thought Sword Spirits only recognize one master. How can I form a contract with it?" he asked.
At his words, Elder Yan pointed to the Sealing Spirit Pearl around Shen Haoran's neck. "Use this. You shouldn't underestimate this Sealing Spirit Pearl; it has many great uses! I can use it to temporarily sever the Sword Spirit's connection to its original master. Then you just have to seize the right moment and form a contract!"
"Okay, what should I do?" Shen Haoran asked eagerly, hearing there was a way to claim the Sword Spirit. 'If I really manage to subdue this Sword Spirit, it means I'll have a Sacred Artifact! Even though it's broken now, if I nourish it within my body for a while, it's bound to return to its former glory!'
"Empty your mind. I will guide your Spiritual Thought into this sword's Sword Spirit Space. Once you find the Sword Spirit, just wait for the right moment to form the contract," Elder Yan instructed.
At these words, Shen Haoran closed his eyes and slowly emptied his mind. After a brief, disorienting moment, he opened his eyes to find himself inside a pitch-black space.
'So this is the Sword Spirit Space?' Shen Haoran thought as he looked around, beginning his search for any sign of the Sword Spirit.
But after searching for a long time, Shen Haoran found nothing. There was only darkness all around him—not even a speck of dust, let alone a Sword Spirit. He slowly began to grow agitated. A message came from Elder Yan in the outside world, warning that he couldn't hold on for much longer and urging Shen Haoran to hurry!
Just as Shen Haoran was about to give up and retreat from the Sword Spirit Space, a flash of light appeared in the distance. It was faint, but in the vast darkness, it was exceptionally brilliant.
'The Sword Spirit!' Shen Haoran's heart leaped with joy as he dashed toward the light.
Running at full tilt, Shen Haoran quickly caught up to the ball of light. Once he reached it, the light stopped. Its halo slowly dissipated, revealing an old, white-haired man standing before him.
'Is this the Sword Spirit?' Shen Haoran wondered, watching the old man curiously as he slowly approached. But after only two steps, he noticed the old man was cradling a small, furry beast. From this little creature, Shen Haoran felt a mortal threat!
'That's the Taotie!' At this thought, Shen Haoran scrambled backward. 'Elder Yan said the Sword Spirit was created using the Taotie's Spiritual Thought Origin as a catalyst, which means the Taotie and the Sword Spirit should be irreconcilable enemies. But these two are getting along so harmoniously... something is definitely wrong here!'
The instant Shen Haoran retreated, the old man's tightly shut eyes snapped open. He beamed at Shen Haoran. "Don't go, little one. Don't you want to refine me? If you refine me, you will possess a peerless Divine Artifact that can grow without limit!"
The old man's tempting words echoed in his ears, but Shen Haoran guarded his Heart Spirit, desperately calling out in his mind for Elder Yan to pull him out. He was now certain: this old man wasn't a Sword Spirit at all, but the Spiritual Thought of the Taotie!
But Shen Haoran called for Elder Yan for a long time and got no response. His connection to the outside world had been severed! 'I'm cut off!' Panic seized Shen Haoran, and cold sweat streamed down his forehead. Before him stood the legendary Divine Beast, the Taotie!
"Stop the act, Taotie. I know it's you!" But Shen Haoran quickly calmed himself. 'The Taotie used the guise of the Sword Spirit to lure me in. That must mean it isn't completely confident it can trap me here.' This gave him a glimmer of hope.
"Oh? You know of my existence!" The old man paused, stunned by Shen Haoran's words, before speaking again.
"I do. And not only that, I also know this sword's Sword Spirit was created using your Spiritual Thought Origin," Shen Haoran stated calmly.
"Don't you dare mention that undying old fool to me! I devoured him long ago! And that bastard Li Zhantian! He took advantage of my grievous injuries to forcibly strip away my Spiritual Thought Origin and forge a Sword Spirit! If he hadn't died when he did, I would have torn him limb from limb!" Shen Haoran's words had apparently struck a nerve. A sky-shattering rage erupted from the small beast, and the surrounding space began to twist and distort as if it were trembling in fear. The oppressive aura made it impossible for Shen Haoran to breathe.
Thankfully, the Taotie's rage subsided as quickly as it had appeared. The space around them soon returned to normal, but the old man had vanished, leaving only the small beast behind.
Shen Haoran watched the small beast, his heart still pounding with fear, his mind racing to find a way to escape.
"Don't waste your effort. I've already sealed this space; you can't escape," the Taotie said with a great laugh, seemingly having read Shen Haoran's mind. "You know, it's been so long since I've tasted Spiritual Thought. Let's just say I'm due for a proper meal!"
"Hmph. Go on and try. I bet you're not completely certain you can devour me. Otherwise, you wouldn't have tried to lure me in with the Sword Spirit act!" Shen Haoran retorted.
"Oh, is that right? Then by all means, try me. Don't forget, this is my domain. You think I can't handle a tiny little Spirit Tempering brat?" With that, the Taotie lunged!
'Damn it!' Feeling the sheer force of the Taotie's aura, Shen Haoran's heart sank. 'I still underestimated it!'