When he didn't purify his soul realm, Huang Wen would ask questions to Fengsu, Baihu and Youshe. At one time, Fengsu spoke first, before Huang Wen asked anything. Huang Wen just ended his meditation when Fengsu asked.

"Master... do you know your soul realm become smaller and smaller as you're purifying it?"

Huang Wen answered, "Yes, I know."

"Then, why do you still do it?", Fengsu asked for the second time.

Rather than gave him an answer, Huang Wen asked in return, "Is there a problem with that?"

Youshe joined in, "Since we live in your soul realm, as it get smaller and smaller, I begin to wonder will there be a place for me when you're done purifying your soul realm."

Baihu snorted, "Don't be silly."

Fengsu answered Huang Wen, "There is no problem, but you should know that you're taking the hard path among several paths you can choose to improve yourself. Would you like to hear each those possible paths for you?"

Huang Wen pondered for a while and then said, "I have chosen my path. This is my path. There is no need to know other path because I already made up my mind."

Fengsu, Baihu and Youshe bowed down, "Understood...."

"Since you already made up your mind. May I tell you the good and the bad of your chosen path?", Fengsu politely asked.

Huang Wen nodded his head without any hesitation this time, "Please, tell me."

Secretly Huang Wen was curious at the changes in how Fengsu, Baihu and Youshe treated him ever since he began to purify his soul realm. He wondered, if he would be able to find the reason, from Fengsu's explanation.

Fengsu solemnly explained, "The most common path to cultivate, is to absorb the energy around us and make it our own."

"Although I said that it's common, doesn't means it's an easy path at all. The world cultivation means the focus on improving self."

"Some seek by improving the physical and neglect the inner self. We call them external path. Some seek not only improving the physical but focused more on the inner self. We call them internal."

"Those who seek to cultivate their inner self do it in different ways. One which I already mentioned before, is by focusing on drawing or consuming the energy and enrich your own."

"There were two main paths which follow this path. The first is to absorb that energy from the universe. Second is to absorb that energy from other living being. Various techniques are develop with this purpose in mind. Alchemy, Qi Gong practice, pair cultivation and many others."

"It could be said that from a thousand way to cultivate, 990 paths will be following this path. To absorb more and more energy and made it into yours."

"Then, there are these less traveled path. The narrow path. It will be hard for you to find someone who can guide you on this path, since only a handful who are following this path. Most created a path of their own. Those who follow this path, rather than absorbing external energies and turned it into theirs. They chose to focus on molding their own soul realm."

"I wouldn't say that they didn't absorb external energies. Just as it's impossible for you humans to cultivate your soul when you neglect your body. Those who follow this path, still need to absorb external energies and make it theirs. But their focus is on their own soul. They put their effort to investigate, purifying and or transforming their soul. We could say generally they try to improve the quality rather than the quantity."

"Those who master this could defeat people who seem to have a bigger, stronger soul than them. Like a needle could pierce through a pillow. The pillow might be bigger in dimension, but the small needle have the quality to pierce it through while the pillow have no means to do anything to the needle."

Huang Wen gave it a thought and then say, "It's as if the soul are not composed of the same material."

Fengsu said, "Yes, even though naturally, basically, soul are form by the same components. These people work with their soul so much that they achieve things that seem impossible. Turning lead into gold. Turning water into wine. They turn their soul into something else."

Baihu said, "Some suggest, that these people, through their path of cultivation, even though still live in the realm of demon, fairies and humans. They already have the soul of demigod and semi devils."

Huang Wen said, "Interesting..."

He then asked, "Is there a record, someone among demon race who succeed in following this path."

Suddenly the three's solemn face turned even more solemnly expression. Baihu, Fengsu and Youshe quietly bowed deeply, not to Huang Wen but toward no where.

They stayed bow for quite a while before Baihu spoke, "There is only one. The venerable demon of the east, he had passed the realm nearly one thousand years ago. Many years had passed, many people tried to walk the path. No one could ever do, even half of what he did. He was the one who save the entire demon race when the light flooded the world."

"When the light flooded the world?", Huang Wen asked.

Fengsu explained, "It was said that nearly three thousands years ago. A man god lived on earth and somehow he did something that caused the balance of the world shifted. Many demons were weakened, low level demons threatened to perish. Then the venerable demon of the east, met the man god and pleaded, for our time hadn't came yet. That was when another realm created for us."

"How about the fairies?", Huang Wen asked.

"Many of the fairies perished, for they had none like the venerable from the east. But the new world was in many aspect, was kinder to them than to the demons. When the gate to our realm opened, even the fairies had the choice to follow us. But many were too proud, they chose to have their power weakened than live in a realm that was formed by a demon's request.", said Baihu.

"A man god, created a realm. So if I achieve that level, the one above the demi god, would I be a man god too?", Huang Wen asked.

Fengsu, Baihu and Youshe were looking at each other.

Fengsu then answered, "We don't know. No demon ever achieve such thing."

"How about the venerable from the east?", Huang Wen asked.

Fengsu answered, "He disappeared, no one ever saw him again. Some say that he followed that man god and became his disciple."

Huang Wen said, "Well, that's not a problem. I have chosen the path. Now, all that's left is to follow it to the end."

Baihu then quietly consulted Fengsu and Youshe before represented them, "Master, if you walk on this path then most likely, for the first few decades, people around you will grow stronger than you. We humbly request that you would put your confidence in us and let us grow stronger in order to protect you."

Fengsu added, "As the token of our loyalty, please accept the core of our souls."

Baihu, Fengsu and Youshe, produced the core of their soul. The element that made them who they were. Once Huang Wen took a hold on it, then he could destroy them at any moment. Even if the three of them grew to be hundred times stronger than him, with one thought he could crush their core and they would die. Huang Wen surprised and for some minutes, he couldn't make any decision.

Baihu, Youshe and Fengsu quietly waited for his decision. They kneeled in front of him, with their head down and their hand raised, offering the core of their soul for Huang Wen to keep.

Finally Huang Wen step forward and took the cores, "I accept it."

He had many things to say, but at the last minutes, he decided not to say it.

'Let it be a vow, I secretly kept in my heart and shown through my actions rather than my words.', thought Huang Wen.

Huang Wen's effort to purify his soul, costed him many levels in term of the changes. Fengsu gave him few more advises. First, in term of improving his soul realm, then absorbing the energy from the universe would give him much purer energy, compared to absorb it from a living being. Unlike energy from living being, the energy from the universe hadn't tainted by emotions and desires.

Second, rather than dispersed the tainted energy, Fengsu suggested that Huang Wen would allow them to absorb it instead.

And since Baihu was the strongest among them three, Fengsu suggested to let Baihu absorbed it all until he grew strong enough to leave Huang Wen's soul realm, before let him and Youshe to absorb.

When Zhang Xuan knocked Huang Wen's door, to inform him that the reinforcement from Ningde arrived few kilometers of the border of Gutian Town. Baihu already strong enough to leave Huang Wen's soul realm. At the same time, Huang Wen lost almost a third of his previous strength.

All of his skill had less effect, but at the same time he had much greater control over the result.

It was a trade of, between strength and control.

Now, he didn't have to worry about going berserk. He could turn on and off Bloodlust anytime he wanted it to.

Zhang Xuan came along with Chen Yao and Xia Yue. They brought along with them food and drinks. Even a tub filled with hot water was prepared in the next room.

Huang Wen ate and drink to his content. He let his body digested it before he went to take a bath. When he left the room, he saw Zhang Xuan waited for him with fresh and clean clothes. Zhang Xuan served him like a king. Huang Wen smiled and embraced her for a while, before he let her go and together they went to the meeting.

Huang Wen seemed still a bit pale when he entered the meeting room. His men didn't lose their faith in him though. He was going through the same close door training before and turned much stronger. Little they knew that this time he was weakened by his close door training.

"Is everyone ready to battle?", Huang Wen asked.

"Everyone is ready.", said Xia Bao.

"We just wait for your command.", said Yu Heng.

Huang Wen nodded and then said, "Let's move now."

Huang Wen led 3,000 men they marched toward Gutian Town. On the top of the small hill, they watch the battle below. The reinforcement from Ningde already fought a battle against the zombies from Fuzhou. They were trying to create a wedge, a hole, in the middle of the siege. The reinforcement from Ningde decided to focus at one point. But the zombies from other position, poured in to strengthen the defense at that point.

Meanwhile, Captain Zhao Qing tried to break through the siege on his side, using the chance that was created by the reinforcement from Ningde.

If everyone inside the town worked together, then the army from Fuzhou would be forced to divide their attention. However, no matter how many times Captain Zhao Qing requested and suggested Colonel Wen Liang to move the army, the Colonel asked him to wait.

Captain Zhao Qing finally angrily moved his own troop to break through the siege. But his force was too small to create the second prong of the attack, he wanted it to be.