It was as if a layer of sticky rice paper had been forcefully torn apart, and only then did the fragrance trapped beneath burst forth.

He’d thought the Black Beast Tattoo on his chest would abstain this time, but he’d underestimated it; after the third sudden inhalation, the explosion of aroma instantly awakened the tattoo’s appetite.

Then, a cluster of soul differing from all before was sucked out from the floating book in midair.

Weren’t all souls supposed to be dark green? Why is this one golden, and why is it so small—only the size of a walnut—yet so dense?

This mouthful made Shen Hao acutely aware of a stark contrast with the souls he’d consumed in the past.

It was like... the difference between cheap rice wine and Wuliangye—hard to explain but unmistakable to the senses.

This golden soul is extraordinary!

Even after inhaling it, Shen Hao sensed that the Black Beast Tattoo on his chest paused for a moment, as if savoring a long-lost comfort.

Right after, the entire Cloud Sword collapsed, and Shen Hao once again appeared back at his original spot.

Recalling the scenes where the Tomb Beasts slain by Nie Yun had returned, Shen Hao naturally surmised that the soul attached to the book formed by the clouds must have been planning to follow the book back underground after the Cloud Sword dissipated, blending back somewhere in the Sword Emperor’s Tomb. Only this time, Shen Hao had snatched it away first.

"If the core of every Cloud Sword is actually this kind of golden soul..." Shen Hao glanced around at the nearby Cloud Swords, most of them larger than a fist, feeling a sudden restless urge within.

Shaking his head to clear it, Shen Hao put away his thoughts and opened the newly acquired book.

Compared to the Top-Grade Soft Armor obtained from the Dark Cloud Sword last time, this time the book inside the White Cloud Sword was much inferior, yet it was still a rare find for Shen Hao.

It was a skill book, Profound Level, Wood Attribute Thunder Technique: Palm Snake.

After flipping a few pages, Shen Hao felt pleasantly surprised; this technique could link to the Basic Thunder Skill Palm Thunder, meaning he could practice it as an Advanced Technique, lowering the threshold significantly. Combined with the tricks Li Shuyang had taught him before, he’d quickly be able to form his own combat power.

This was exactly what Shen Hao needed right now.

He put away the booklet; now was not the time to practice. Of the three Cloud Swords he’d targeted earlier, only two remained. Shen Hao planned to collect them all before evening.

If before, he’d regarded Cloud Swords as mortal enemies, now he was eager to try— their danger to him had greatly diminished.

Cloud Swords with "just one attack" could be sensed in advance by Shen Hao; he could barely react, and with his Top-Grade Treasure Armor, they no longer posed fatal threats. As long as he dodged, the Cloud Sword would dissolve.

For Cloud Swords that took on a "transformation," Shen Hao likewise found a solution—deploying the Soul Suppressing Skill and utilizing the devouring ability from the Black Beast Tattoo would make future encounters much easier with preparation.

Of course, in theory the Black Beast Tattoo should be a nemesis of souls, making Cloud Swords no threat for Shen Hao. But reality was different; unless Shen Hao managed to devour before being sucked into the sword, he’d likely not even get a chance to use devouring before being killed outright.

Better to stay cautious.

Thus he continued toward the remaining two Cloud Swords.

An hour later, after pausing for a break, Shen Hao had collected both Cloud Swords. Both were fist-sized, now much less intense for him. The earlier sense of brushing the edge between life and death had vanished.

One was a transformation, the other a newly encountered "Soul Slaughter." Shen Hao remembered Nie Yun mentioning Soul Slaughter Cloud Swords with a lingering fear; yet when faced with it, Shen Hao found it was actually the easiest one for him to handle.

The so-called Soul Slaughter involved the golden soul hidden inside the Cloud Sword directly attacking, unlike soul-type techniques—more like soul vs. soul wrestling.

At such times, the Black Beast Tattoo on Shen Hao’s chest would act up, swiftly swallowing the approaching soul whole with a slurp.

Apparently, the foundation of the Cloud Sword was this golden soul; once devoured, the sword immediately collapsed, leaving only an item behind.

The previous rewards were the Profound Level Technique Palm Snake and a Top-Grade Soft Armor; this time, he obtained a chunk of dense black iron and a red dried flower, preserved like a specimen.

The black iron was heavy—palm-sized but weighing at least thirty jin—and when it touched skin it radiated a strange burning sensation, like a fire burning inside.

The red dried flower was equally odd—though dried, its surface hadn’t wrinkled or shrunk; instead, it glistened like crystal sculpture, as lively as if it were still fresh.

Shen Hao had no idea what these two things were, but judging by their unique qualities, guessed they must be some sort of materials for Artifact Refining and Alchemy; he stored them in his Storage Bag. At the very least, their value wouldn’t be below that of the Profound Level Technique Palm Snake, right?

These two experiences built Shen Hao’s confidence; he now had strategies to handle Cloud Swords of this strength. Naturally, his gaze shifted to larger Cloud Swords.

Like those the size of watermelons, or even human heads.

No wonder Nie Yun had said this place was a hot commodity among cultivators from Gui Mountain Cultivation Institute—every entry required fierce competition for slots, and just the spoils outside the tomb were enough to stun cultivators at Perfection in the Primordial Core Realm.

Opportunities truly weren’t jokes here.

But Shen Hao noticed a problem—not only were there plenty of small Cloud Swords both inside and outside Caiyuan Village, and many huge Cloud Swords as large as houses, but those about one zhang in diameter were rare. After wandering for half a day outside, he spotted only one; inside Caiyuan Village, aside from the Dark Cloud Sword Nie Yun had already claimed, he never saw another of that size.

It seemed cultivators from Gui Mountain Cultivation Institute had steadily cleared out Cloud Swords of that size. Nie Yun had said Cloud Swords could regenerate, but treasures of the same grade were probably limited— so once that grade was gone, Cloud Swords of corresponding size wouldn’t appear again.

Afterward, Shen Hao found another human-head-sized Cloud Sword, mustered his courage, and reached out to collect it.

His luck was good this time; it was another Soul Slaughter Cloud Sword. Shen Hao swiftly devoured it, leaving behind a Metal Arm Guard.

The Arm Guard was one and a half feet long, covering the entire forearm and fitted with an all-enclosing pair of Metal Gloves. And this thing was a Top-grade Magical Artifact!

This was Shen Hao’s second Top-grade Magical Artifact. People say disaster brings fortune—he never believed it, but after being inadvertently pulled into this place he’d unexpectedly acquired benefits he’d never even imagined before.

Just as he stowed the Arm Guard in his Storage Bag, a voice sounded from behind.

"Kid, let me see what you just put away!"