The Supreme Soul, Starting with Death

Chapter 81 Cero

"Phew, finally done. I was a little worried that if there was a sentient being among these Killian, we would definitely have a fierce fight. It seems we were lucky. Nearly two white-haired Killian, and they were all brainless ordinary Hollows."

Gu Shi finally relaxed after dropping the eleventh sharp-nosed dagger, which was now tattered and unusable as a dagger. At his feet lay a large number of Kylians who had lost the ability to resist.

It must be said that, at the level of the Kylian, fighting against its own kind, although the opponent's strength has increased, is actually less dangerous than before evolution.

After all, most Killian lack self-awareness. For a Killian with self-awareness to hunt them would be as simple as a zombie that has awakened its own self fighting zombies among a horde.

Not far from Gu Shi, Ashido was diligently finishing off the Hollows, sending them all back to the Great Cycle of Spiritual Energy, whether they were Hollows that hadn't yet died or Hollows that had been caught in the Hollow battlefield and hadn't managed to escape in time.

"True Lord, I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

On one side, Tianpeng approached somewhat shyly, her hands nervously clasped in front of her, her head lowered in embarrassment. If she weren't the 30-meter-tall Killian and her mask weren't splattered with bloodstains, this might have been a rather "shy" scene.

[Could alchemy truly have the effect of cultivating one's mind and character? When we first met, Tianpeng was a typical battle maniac, but now he's become increasingly shy.]

Gu Shi felt a slight pang of emotion and nodded with a smile.

"You said that I would do my best to help as long as it's something I can."

"Okay, okay, thank you, True Lord! I just wanted to ask if I could do some preliminary refining of these materials before digging for the stones. It would be a real shame to just throw them away like this."

As he spoke, Tianpeng glanced at the corpse of Kylian at his feet, his eyes filled with the words "thrifty and diligent in managing the household".

Whether it's a small Hollow or a large Hollow, their essence is ultimately a soul. Unlike flesh and blood, which can decay as long as they are properly preserved, a Hollow's body quickly dissipates into spirit particles after death.

The only difference is that the body of the small void has a relatively loose composition of spiritual particles, which dissipates faster, while the body of the large void has a higher density of spiritual particles, which dissipates slower.

If these high-level materials are left unattended, they will likely disintegrate into spiritual particles and merge into the atmosphere within half a day. However, if they are initially refined and transformed into spiritual energy crystals with higher density and more stable texture, that is, pills, their shelf life can be greatly extended.

It's true that the Great Void Forest is full of Void beings, so there's no shortage of materials. But Tianpeng is a thrifty person, and it really hurts her to watch so many materials go to waste.

Gu Shi was stunned for a moment, not expecting that Tianpeng had such a hidden attribute. After thinking for a while, he slowly nodded.

"Hmm, it is indeed a pity to waste them. Here's what we'll do: leave the excavation to me and Erlang, and you go and make the most of your time refining the pills. Preserve as much of these materials as you can. Oh, and call Asido along too. He should be able to help out, at least by moving some materials or something."

The processing of materials cannot be delayed, but the excavation cannot be put on hold either. After all, who knows how long it will take to dig? If the excavation takes too long, the surrounding Kyrian swarm might wander over again during the excavation, and then we'll have to clear it out again. Even if Gu Shi is a Hollow, he doesn't think he has that much stamina.

Tianpeng knew he couldn't get everyone to help him process the materials, and the whole digging was ultimately about finding materials to forge his alchemy furnace. The entire operation was for his benefit.

Therefore, although he felt that even with Asido, they still couldn't process all the materials, Tianpeng nodded with satisfaction and called Asido to start looking for a suitable place to dig a furnace.

After seeing Tianpeng off, Gu Shi looked around and saw the big rabbit.

The big rabbit had already run over after the battle and was now obediently squatting next to Gu Shi. After making eye contact with Gu Shi, it trembled violently out of fear, but still consciously pricked up its ears and began to lead the way.

"This is it! That super hard rock is right below!"

After hopping and skipping for a few steps, the big rabbit stopped next to the corpse of a Kylian, pointed at the ground beneath its feet, and shouted with a mix of excitement and fear.

Jiro also came over at this moment, casually tossing aside the troublesome Killian corpse, and looking at the piece of land that the big rabbit pointed to that didn't seem special, he slightly opened his mouth, and a blood-red sphere radiating terrifying spiritual pressure began to brew in his mouth.

Gu Shi scooped up the large rabbit that had been frightened by the spiritual pressure, clenched his fist to protect it, and then nodded to Erlang.

The next moment, the sphere shattered, and a terrifying Cero erupted instantly, striking the spot where the giant rabbit was pointing. It easily pierced through the surface soil and rock, penetrating deeper underground.

The destructive flash lasted for a full three seconds before dissipating. When the red light disappeared and vision returned, a dark and deep hole had appeared on the ground. Hot lava dripped slowly from the hole's opening, and billowing hot air surged out, slightly distorting the surrounding air.

"Yes, this rabbit wasn't lying; there really was something underneath blocking my Cero."

Erlang first stated his conclusion, then rubbed his mouth and frowned uncomfortably.

The feeling of spraying phasing is not pleasant, especially continuous phasing. The sensation in your mouth is like a rhinitis patient spending the night in the dry north, only to wake up to find that they have been breathing through their mouth all night, and their mouth is so dry that it feels like a layer of skin could peel off.

Gu Shi nodded in satisfaction. If it could withstand the continuous bombardment of a Hollow's Cero, its toughness was definitely not a problem. So he let go of the big rabbit and put it down, gently patting its head.

"Good, the information you provided is accurate, and it's time to deliver on the promised reward. You can pick and choose from these Kylian corpses around here; just eat whichever one you like."

As they were talking, Gu Shi suddenly paused, realizing that there might be something wrong with his arrangements, and quickly shook his head.

“It was my oversight. You little guy probably can’t handle a Hollow. Here’s what we’ll do: go find Tianpeng and ask her to help you dismantle them. Pick some softer pieces of meat from these corpses and make it the amount of meat for a Killian.”

Jiro had been dissecting a lot of Killian creatures lately, and upon hearing this, he chimed in with a comment.

"The softest parts of Killian's body are her face under the mask and the area about a claw's width below the Hollow hole. Just tell her you want those two pieces of flesh."

The giant rabbit was terrified by Jiro's sudden use of Cero, and now only wanted to get away from this dangerous Hollow as quickly as possible. Upon hearing this, it nodded repeatedly, loudly expressing its gratitude, and fled towards Tianpeng at top speed.

"This little guy is quite impatient. Alright, let's get started."

Gu Shi watched the big rabbit's retreating figure, shook his head with a smile, rubbed his paws together, and prepared to start digging.

Cero consumes too much spiritual energy. It's fine for prospecting, but if you want to use Cero instead of digging, and directly blow away the soil layer that is probably more than 50 meters thick on the rock, Gu Shi and Jiro would probably have to use Cero until they are exhausted. If they encounter enemies then, they can only lie on the ground and wait to die.

So, we still have to use our claws.

Chapter 82 Evolution

"A golden carp is no ordinary fish; it will transform into a dragon once it encounters wind and rain. Haha, it seems that little guy is finally about to begin his evolution."

Sensing the sudden surge of spiritual pressure not far away, Erlang raised his head from the pit, quickly put his paws behind his back, and recited the poem he had just learned a few days ago. At the same time, he gracefully looked up at the sky, instantly exuding the demeanor of a senior master.

Gu Shi shook the dirt off his paws, looked at the large rabbit that was beginning to evolve into a Great Void not far away, thought for a moment, and couldn't help but laugh a few times.

"Ha, this is really interesting. I never thought I would be fooled so easily."

"Did the rabbit lie to us?"

Erlang's expression changed instantly, his superior demeanor vanished, and a fierce aura surged onto his face. His mouth opened slightly, and a scarlet sphere began to accumulate inside.

"Stop, stop, stop. Don't get so worked up. It's nothing serious. There's no need to shout about fighting."

Seeing that Erlang was about to launch a Cero at the slightest provocation, Gu Shi quickly called a halt. The rabbit Cero was evolving next to Tianpeng, and if this Cero went over, it might blow up Tianpeng as well.

If it's just a minor injury that hits Tianpeng, it won't matter. Tianpeng won't care about such a small matter. After all, he can recover from that injury with a pill to replenish his spiritual energy. But if he accidentally blows up the alchemy furnace under Tianpeng's feet, then Tianpeng will probably have to fight Erlang in a real battle.

Jiro obediently withdrew the Cero he was about to unleash, blinked, and then scratched his head in confusion.

"Wait a minute, what did that little guy lie to us about? I don't see it coming."

"...You haven't even figured this out yet, and you're already going to take action?"

Gu Shi chuckled and patted Erlang's head before bending down to continue digging.

"Alright, stop just standing there chatting, let's talk while we dig."

Erlang scratched his head, quickly bent down and started digging in the dirt, but didn't forget to make a few excuses for himself.

"Gu Shi, you said you were deceived by her, so she must be the enemy. If she's the enemy, there's nothing wrong with killing her, right?"

"Your idea is not wrong, but Erlang, don't you think about it? What if I'm wrong, and they weren't actually lying to me?"

Gu Shi had no intention of "correcting" Jiro's thinking. In a place like Hueco Mundo, if you've confirmed that the other party is an enemy, killing them quickly will definitely make them live longer than "being compassionate and believing that the lives of the Great Men are also lives".

"Huh? Gu Shi, could you be wrong?"

Erlang, who was digging in the soil, looked up in shock, his face full of disbelief, as if someone had told him that dogs could actually infiltrate wolf packs and become wolf kings. His exaggerated reaction made Gu Shi burst out laughing.

"Erlang, what you said is quite amusing. I'm not a saint; how can I never make a mistake?"

"Uh... Gu Shi's behavior when he makes a mistake? I can't imagine it at all. Never mind, let's not talk about this. How exactly did that little guy lie to us? Gu Shi, tell us in detail."

Erlang frowned and thought for a long time before finally choosing to skip this difficult topic for the dog and continue digging in the dirt, while also asking the big rabbit what was going on with the lie.

Gu Shi didn't intend to continue the previous topic, and followed up on Erlang's question with a smile, offering an explanation.

"It's very simple. We've only been digging here for a few minutes, and they're already evolving over there. In such a short time, how much meat do you think that rabbit can eat? At most, it's about the amount of meat from one of Killian's legs, right?"

"To be able to evolve after eating so little, it's clear that she must have already accumulated a considerable foundation before this, at least more than we did before our evolution. She must have devoured at least fifty, if not eighty, small Void creatures, right?"

"To be able to devour so many of her own kind, unless she has incredible luck and can pick up more than fifty dead or dying little Void creatures in a row, she must have hunted and fought a lot on a daily basis. How could her personality be as timid and cowardly as she appears?"

"The pretense of her personality is only one aspect; what I find most interesting is the reason she approached us."

"With her profound foundation, even if she continues to hunt Hollows on her own, she would probably accumulate enough spiritual energy for evolution in no time. There is no need for her to take the initiative to appear in front of us three Hollows and risk being killed by us for breaking our agreement, to bring us to find the stone."

After Gu Shi pointed it out, Erlang finally realized that there were indeed many incongruous things about this big rabbit. He straightened up and looked again at the big rabbit, which was still evolving and growing taller.

"Gu Shi, how about I just kill her?"

In martial arts stories, nine out of ten people who approach a great hero with ulterior motives and a belly full of schemes are bad guys. They are definitely hiding a lot of conspiracies behind the scenes. In the end, they will either poison him or take the hero's family hostage.

Whenever Erlang heard Gu Shi tell stories of the martial arts world, he would get so angry at the appearance of such characters that he wished he could kill them with a Cero. He never expected that such a character would actually appear in his life. Erlang gritted his teeth, feeling that his Cero was itching to unleash his full power.

Gu Shi slapped Erlang on the head again, shattering his restless heart and knocking him to the ground with the force of his slap.

"I told you not to get so agitated. Whatever she's thinking, at least she didn't lie about leading us to find the stone. Why kill her?"

"Besides, if we really want to know what she's up to, wouldn't it be better to just ask her after she's evolved? The three of us Killian and one Death God, what are we afraid of from a newly evolved Killian trying to pull off?"

Rubbing his head, Erlang got up from the ground, abandoned his murderous intent, and reluctantly muttered to himself.

"Alright, if I don't want to kill her, then I won't. Anyway, even if I don't do anything, after she finishes evolving, she will most likely just become an ordinary Killian without any self-awareness. Then I can have Tianpeng put her into the alchemy furnace to make use of her."

Gu Shi could only roll his eyes helplessly at Erlang's petty nature towards those outside his companions, secretly wondering if the guy had some golden retriever blood in his previous life, but he didn't say anything to refute it.

Because the process of evolving into a Killian is indeed dangerous and mysterious. Just by looking at the mindless Killians that are everywhere in the Great Hollow Forest, you can tell how difficult it is to retain self-awareness during evolution. No one can say for sure whether the Great Rabbit can retain its self after evolving.

Just as Gu Shi was thinking this, the surging chaotic spiritual pressure not far away suddenly subsided, followed by joyful shouts.

"I did it! I'm a Killian now! I've evolved into a Hollow!"

Gu Shi didn't say anything, but just gave Erlang a smiling look. Erlang grunted, then suddenly stood up straight and roared.

"What are you yelling about? Once you're done evolving, hurry up and help dig. Can't you see we're already overwhelmed?"

Chapter 83 Becoming an Apprentice?

"I'm coming!"

After evolving into Hollow, perhaps because of its cheerful mood, the giant rabbit seemed to have become a little bolder. It was not afraid when it heard Jiro's roar, but happily responded and quickly ran over with its newly evolved fifteen-meter-long legs.

When she reached the edge of the pit that Erlang and the others had dug, she gracefully leaped into the pit, not forgetting to boast a few words.

"I'm incredibly good at digging. When I encountered enemies before, I would just burrow underground and dig a hole faster than anyone could run on the surface. Nobody could catch me!"

The big rabbit was excitedly showing off when she ran into Erlang's fierce eyes, which looked like he wanted to eat her. She instinctively covered her head and squatted down. No one knows how long she had practiced this move. Despite being over 30 meters tall, she was less than 15 meters tall when she squatted down.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong! I was too arrogant! I'm so sorry! Please don't eat me!"

Although describing the Hollow as "a tiny ball" is not quite appropriate, seeing the rabbit squatting down with its head in its hands and quickly admitting its mistake, Gu Shi and Erlang actually had the illusion that this Hollow was still a "little guy".

Erlang couldn't help but cast a questioning glance at Gu Shi. Was her cowardice really just an act, given how skillfully she admitted defeat?