I Bound Myself to a Destructive Witch

[Melding success - obtained Death Spirit Map!]

[A·Death Spirit Map·Superlimit]

[Description: Alpha·Superlimit Spiritual Artifact, manufactured through the fusion of Divine Mirror Platform, breaking the normal A-level Spiritual Artifact's capability limit.]

[Spirit Map: You can temporarily borrow Spiritual Artifacts from the target Spirit Master, with their consent, and store them in the Spirit Map - up to 5 Spiritual Artifacts. (In conjunction with the copying ability of the Divine Mirror Platform, consent from the target Spirit Master is not required)]

[Death Map: You can borrow Spiritual Artifacts from the target Spirit Master, seal them within the Death Map, but cannot use them. When needed, they can be swapped with Spiritual Artifacts in the Spirit Map for use - up to 5 Spiritual Artifacts.]

[Undead Knight: You need not consume any spiritual material, only spiritual power, to craft the residual soul of a deceased into an Undead Knight, retaining 80~100% of their former strength. Both the undead and you can use their former Spiritual Artifacts.]

[Knight number limit: Base of 1, currently 3 (Ascension, Entering Saint, and becoming a god can each add +2)]

[Note 1: This Spiritual Artifact can undergo Holy Release, with a copy's Holy Release progress of 60%]

[Note 2: Spiritual Artifacts stored in the Death Map have a 'sealing period', and can be taken out for exchange into the Spirit Map after 24 hours]

[....]

The information about the new Spiritual Artifact flooded into Xia Feng's mind, making him cheer internally.

He had to admit, the effect of the Melding exceeded his expectations, very good indeed.

The Spirit Map originally could only store 4 Spiritual Artifacts, but after Melding, it became 5.

The evolved new ability, Death Map, is akin to a warehouse for Spiritual Artifacts, where those not needed temporarily can be stored.

When needed, they must be retrieved 24 hours in advance to be swapped with what is currently available.

Although there is a sealing period limitation, it's still quite satisfying, easing Xia Feng's concern about a shortage of Spiritual Artifact positions even further.

And so it is.

Considering his own 6 permanent Spiritual Artifact slots, along with 5 in the Spirit Map and 5 in the Death Map, he now had 16 Spiritual Artifact slots.

Thinking for a moment, he quickly completed adjustments to his Spiritual Artifact storage.

[Currently possessed Spiritual Artifacts (6/6): A Absolute Rebirth, A Yin Yang Mirror, A Nash Saintly Armor, A Holy Hand Guanyin, A Eye of Mistakes, A Death Spirit Map]

[Spirit Map stored Spiritual Artifacts (5/5): B Vajra Ring, B Ten Dragon Demon Cannon, B Purple Cloud Divine Thunder, B Spiritual Prohibition Coin, B Vermilion Bird Demon Armor]

[Death Map stored Spiritual Artifacts (2/5): B Spirit Life Ring, B Blood Breath Mark]

[Undead Knights carrying (0/3)]

Including those carried by the Undead Knights, strictly speaking, there are actually 19 Spiritual Artifact slots, except that the Undead Knight's slots require the target to be deceased for them to be copied.

Moreover, Spirit Life Ring is a Spiritual Artifact from An Ji Saint Shepherd that can extend the existence of Residual Spirits or Heroic Spirits. Blood Breath Mark can cultivate Spiritual Fruit seeds to maturity, neither of which he would use in battle, so they are stored in the Death Map.

Thinking for a while, Xia Feng took out the Spiritual Prohibition Coin and began storing the gradually recovering spiritual quantity from his body into the coin.

The coin can store twice his spiritual quantity, but the previously stored quantity was consumed within a few hours, necessitating a reserve for emergencies.

Time flowed by.

Xia Feng sat peacefully in the center of the Array, fully focused on energy recovery.

But he soon recalled something, got up, and discreetly opened a crack in the doorway, peeking outside to confirm the mysterious feminine silhouette in the bathroom hadn't yet emerged, then shut the soundproof door of the Cultivation Room, locking it.

After facing the door in silence for a long time, Xia Feng took a deep breath.

In the quiet, soundless Cultivation Room, his swift whispered voice suddenly echoed, "Miss Mu, I like you."

As soon as he spoke, a strange sense of shame welled up inside.

[Shame Curse·Shame: 91%]

The Seven Emotions Curse is truly bothersome, needing a maintained high sense of shame daily; otherwise, the curse would corrode his consciousness, erase his Guihua Seal, and allow Mother to seize her chance and devour Yue Hongli.

"Little Li, you must know that your master has gone to great lengths for you, even disregarding dignity," Xia Feng mumbled, patting the saber at his waist.

"Master, I think it would be more efficient if you told Miss Mu face to face," Yue Hongli's earnest advice echoed in his mind.

"?"

Xia Feng smirked, "Little Li, you can just say if you want me dead."

"It's just speaking a sentence, why would it result in death?"

"...Don't ask, even if I explained you wouldn't understand."

"Oh..."

Once Yue Hongli fell silent, the room became quiet again; Xia Feng exhaled sharply and spoke at the door once more, his voice slightly louder: "Miss Mu, I like you!"

[Shame Curse·Shame: 92%]

No one knew if he would have another chance to be alone in the coming days, so to be safe, he'd bring the shame level to 100% now.

"Mu Qingtong! I like you!!"

His voice grew louder, the shame value gradually rising.

"Qingtong~ I like—"

"Knock Knock!" But suddenly, the door before him sounded with two crisp knocks from outside.

"!" Xia Feng's scalp tightened, silencing him abruptly.

Outside came Mu Qingtong's cool indifferent voice, "What are you doing in there?"

"....."

Luckily, the soundproof Array was a high-grade one from Babel Tower, letting the outside sounds in but not sending inside sounds out.

Realizing this, Xia Feng was not afraid, and suddenly found the sense of shame quite... rather refreshing.

In thought, he stood with his chest out and his hands on his hips at the door, lightly smiling, "Miss Mu, haven't you always wanted to hear this? Well, I've said it today. I, Xia Feng, like Mu Qingtong the most!"

His voice grew more confident and loud, as if afraid the black skirt woman outside couldn't hear.

[Shame Curse·Shame: 100%]

At the door, the black skirt woman's beautiful eyes lifted lightly as her knocking paused momentarily, then continued with two more knocks, frowning faintly:

"Don't stay silent, open the door quickly."

"Creak—" The latch bounced up, the high door opened, "What's the rush? I'm opening it."

Xia Feng remained composed, as if those words earlier had not been spoken by him.

Mu Qingtong lightly glanced at Xia Feng but didn't respond; her black lace slip dress lightly covered her alluring figure, and she walked barefoot toward the bed, her wet hair carrying the fresh fragrance of the bath's steam wafting past Xia Feng's lips and nose.

The Cultivation Room connecting to the bedroom surprised Xia Feng as Mu Qingtong did not strike at him, but instead settled on the big red bed, sitting cross-legged, closing her eyes to cultivate.

"?" Xia Feng puzzled, was this beautiful woman, who had just had a bath and is still in a rather sexy slip dress, only intending to sit cross-legged on the bed to cultivate?

Xia Feng stood beside the door, observing the silver-haired woman.

The right strap slipped down her fragrant shoulder, almost fully exposing the snowy skin, the sensual slip dress couldn't hide her long legs, and the glimpse of the end's intricate red hollow fabric.

Yet, for these, Miss Mu showed no intent of shy self-shielding, just calmly sitting, her curled lashes lowered, closed eyes engaging in her meditation.

Completely ignoring Xia Feng's unusual gaze tightly focused on her.