The War Bell and the Sword Spirit

The war bell, formed from an Underworld ghost horse, could devour souls to grow, and naturally, it could drag souls out.

Yet, while summoning a soul was easy, protecting it proved challenging.

Without the protection of an intact body, a soul exposed to the outside world would rapidly weaken.

Through observing the birth of ghosts, Su Mo understood that resentment, malice, and similar energies could ‘protect’ a soul from dissipating.

However, this method typically tainted the soul’s purity, transforming it into an irrational malevolent spirit or ghost.

Skinny Horse’s gaze swept over the little girl’s corpse, immediately discerning that she harbored no resentment or malice.

Before her death, she had rushed to Su Mo’s boudoir, surely seeking Su Mo’s protection?

But Su Mo hadn’t arrived, and the little girl had passed without a trace of grievance.

Even Skinny Horse shook its head and sighed, lamenting that such a pure soul would undoubtedly attract numerous malevolent spirits.

Agitated, it stomped its hooves, attempting to stop Su Mo from ringing the war bell.

“Why?” Su Mo glared at it, desperately needing an explanation.

‘If we wait too long, we might not be able to summon her soul at all!’

“Whinny, whinny…” Skinny Horse scraped its hooves on the ground, communicating through horse-speak.

Watching it, Su Mo asked in a low voice, “Are you saying that if Zhang Jingmeng’s soul is drawn out, it will attract ghosts from miles around?”

“Whinny!” Skinny Horse nodded, acknowledging Su Mo’s understanding of its horse-speak.

Clutching Zhang Jingmeng’s cold little hand, Su Mo pressed her lips together in silence, her mind tangled in a dilemma.

In the orphanage, she had been naive, adhering to the director’s words about unity and friendship, only to be sold off by a company.

Sophisticated self-interest had become her theme song. Acting purely out of sentiment, disregarding her own benefit?

She couldn’t recall doing so since then.

Now inhabiting a female body, she gradually discovered her increasing appreciation for emotions.

Details she once overlooked as trivial, the subtle emotions of others, she now abruptly understood.

“Immortal Sister…” An echo seemed to resound in her ears, stirring her heart.

She remembered the orphanage director, who, despite their poverty, had tirelessly run errands for all the little children.

“So, there comes a day when even I can be foolish?” She smiled with a sense of relief.

“Jingle, jingle, jingle!!” The war bell rang out, its sound instantly reverberating throughout the Zhang Estate.

As the echoes lingered, Skinny Horse was startled, dropping to its knees.

It stared wide-eyed at Su Mo, a look of misery in its gaze.

Patting it once, Su Mo chuckled, “Skinny Horse, we’re going into battle together today. Are you happy?”

“Whinny!” Though no ivory could emerge from its mouth, it could certainly curse one’s ancestors.

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…” A sound of rushing wind came from afar, but she disregarded it for now.

Gazing at the little girl’s soul gradually drifting from her embrace, a faint smile touched her lips.

“Immortal… Sister?” Zhang Jingmeng’s pale blue soul opened its eyes, gazing at Su Mo in disbelief.

Ignoring her burgeoning joy, Su Mo immediately pulled an item from her storage ring.

Upon closer inspection, it was the bronze short sword Xu Qingzhu had bought her—a small, unsharpened toy.

She avoided using a magic artifact, believing its power might harm Zhang Jingmeng’s fragile soul.

“Quick! Get into this short sword right now!” Su Mo shouted to Zhang Jingmeng, extending a hand to push it towards her, only for it to pass right through her soul.

“Huh?” As a “ghost” for the first time, Zhang Jingmeng stared blankly at Su Mo.

Even Skinny Horse, kneeling nearby, hadn’t expected Su Mo to operate like this!

Could an ordinary ghost possibly learn this? It was akin to teaching a primary schooler how to calculate the blast radius of an atomic bomb.

If it succeeded, it would immediately kneel and pledge allegiance to Su Mo, wholeheartedly.

“Whinny.” Skinny Horse shook its head, lamenting its own formidable strength yet its inability to find a true master.

If it could live that day in the Underworld again, it would certainly not join the commotion.

Then, it wouldn’t have been assigned to Su Mo by the higher-ups, would it?

Truly…

“Whinny??!” Skinny Horse recoiled in shock, its eyeballs nearly popping out.

Gazing at the soul gradually merging into the bronze short sword, it pointed at Su Mo, as if to ask, ‘Are you kidding me?!’

A pleased expression flashed across Su Mo’s face. Feigning nonchalance, she moved Skinny Horse’s leg aside and calmly stated, “If the horse isn’t capable, don’t blame the uneven road. Look at others, four or five years old, doing it with ease.”

Shaking her head, she glanced at Skinny Horse again, then sighed.

“…” Skinny Horse was speechless.

In reality, Zhang Jingmeng’s ability to merge into the bronze short sword stemmed from her unique physique.

At the Zhang family banquet, it was a physique that even Xiao Yao had coveted. Could it possibly be ordinary?

Before long, Zhang Jingmeng had fully integrated into the bronze short sword, transforming the mere toy into something evolving into a weapon.

The sword body began to lengthen, reaching one and a half meters—a true longsword.

The blade shimmered with a cold light, and the casual flash of its icy gleam stung the eyes.

Emerald green and perfectly seamless, it resembled a divine sword born of nature.

Hovering in the air, azure particles encircled its form, seemingly capable of controlling and generating bronze.

“Biu~” A miniature version of Zhang Jingmeng emerged from the bronze sword, adorably cute and innocent, like a cloth doll.

She climbed onto Su Mo’s shoulder, her Q-version hands tugging at Su Mo’s hair to steady herself.

“Immortal Sister! It’s much more comfortable out here; that sword was too cold,” Zhang Jingmeng chirped, giggling playfully.

“This… is a sword spirit?” Su Mo looked uncertainly at Skinny Horse.

Immediately, Skinny Horse stomped its hoof, then turned its head, whinnying with a hint of complaint.

“No, Skinny Horse, I’ve never doubted you!” Su Mo said innocently, patting its head.

Unable to withstand Su Mo’s brazenness, Skinny Horse began to explain.

Zhang Jingmeng had indeed evolved into a sword spirit, and in the process, she had reshaped the sword body—a miracle of ‘supernatural craftsmanship.’

As for why the sword had changed in such a way, Skinny Horse indicated that Su Mo should ask Zhang Jingmeng herself.

“Zhang Jingmeng?” Su Mo extended a finger, as long as the Q-version Zhang Jingmeng’s entire arm, placing it before her as if playfully teasing a cat.

Jumping up to hug Su Mo’s finger, Zhang Jingmeng dangled in the air, swinging her little feet and laughing, “I think dying is so scary and cold, so I don’t want Immortal Sister to try it! From now on, Zhang Jingmeng will protect Sister~”

“…” Su Mo lowered her gaze, offering no reply.

“Whinny!” Skinny Horse neighed, stomping its hooves anxiously, kicking up dust.

“Roar, roar…” The roars of ghosts grew ever closer, a critical moment now upon them.

“Buzz.” Drawing her Yin Thunder Bow, Su Mo reached out with one hand, gripping the bronze sword.

In that instant, a pure, pristine power surged through her, blossoming in every part of her body.

Her aura soared, her breath stirring up a whirlwind, and her dark hair billowed.

“Foundation Establishment? No, a temporary trial card…” Su Mo muttered.

Grabbing her flowing long hair and casually tying it with a hair tie, she shouted, “Skinny Horse! Get ready to run!”

“Whinny!” Skinny Horse hadn’t devoured all those souls for nothing. It shuddered, and its entire body began to swell.

Muscles rippled into prominence, its flowing horsehair turned pitch black, seemingly devouring all light.

Its black skin was like a killing intent in the night; with its sturdy hooves, it could chase the wind.

“Boom…” Eerie blue ghost fire abruptly appeared, its pupils transforming into fiercely burning, emotionless azure flames.

Ghost fire rose from its four hooves, leaving a trail of eerie blue flames with every step.

“Clip-clop…” Having fully unleashed its power, Skinny Horse finally exuded the aura of an Underworld warhorse.

“Skinny Horse, you’re truly something!” With a swift leap, Su Mo mounted it, excitedly patting its neck.

It felt incredibly sturdy, providing an immense sense of security!

“Whinny!” Skinny Horse let out a furious neigh. Su Mo just couldn’t let go of the ‘Skinny’ part, could she?

“Whoosh—!” As they galloped, the wind whipped at her tied hair. Su Mo clutched at the strands near her face, finding it difficult to open her eyes in the rushing gale.

She was unaccustomed to it at first; Skinny Horse was simply too fast.

“Bang!” Crashing through a window, Skinny Horse took a shortcut, leaping out of the Zhang Estate in a single bound.

Mid-air, Su Mo glanced down, instantly spotting a horde of grotesque ghosts with severed limbs and dismembered bodies, all looking up at them.

“Buzz!” With a swing of the bronze sword, she and Skinny Horse charged downwards, without a moment’s hesitation.