As dawn unfurled, marking the day of the ritual, Kai found himself at the heart of the unfolding spectacle. Having settled Relay, and formulated a plan for bringing him to Long Yuan, Kai focused on the soulforging he would do today. The initial phase demanded the extraction of souls from an array of handpicked spirit beasts, a task where the Iceheart clan had truly exceeded expectations.

Among the chosen were a regal white bear, an unblemished snow fox, a swift-footed hare, a colossal walrus, pairs of seals of differing breeds, a trio of birds – the standout being a pristine white owl, a behemoth shrouded in a tattered white fur that dangled in strips, and finally, a small blue rodent armed with crystal-clear ice incisors that could gnaw through anything, demanding incapacitation to maintain containment.

In compliance with the terms agreed with the Iceheart clan, the ritual was to be conducted in privacy, save for the presence of two observers nominated by the patriarch. Anticipating the patriarch's watchful gaze, Kai was surprised to find two strangers, a married couple, in his stead. Introducing themselves as Vin Lia and Vin Xian, they were independent consultants engaged by the patriarch to observe the proceedings.

In the wake of formal introductions and the obligatory pleasantries, Kai asked, "So tell me, Vin Lia, Vin Xian, what knowledge do you have of the art of soulforging?"

Xian was the first to respond, "I am primarily a scholar from Luaxian Academy, so my understanding leans towards the theoretical. However, my wife has hands-on experience as a soulforger, providing me the practical lens to evaluate your approach."

A pair of round crystal spectacles sat atop Xian's narrow, pale face, a first in Kai's experience with Long Yuan. He was intelligent, his meticulous answers instantly instilling a sense of trust despite his limited cultivation level.

Next to Xian, Vin Lia stood with an air of regal fierceness, her sharp eyes radiating power, her straight posture a testament to her formidable cultivation. Her beauty was not delicate or gentle like the painted ladies of the court but raw and untamed, like a storm over the sea.

Her long, black hair was neatly parted, braided, and pinned atop her head. Strands cascaded down one side, leading the eye to her striking jawline and graceful neck. "Your words are too kind, dear husband. And you do yourself a disservice. I have a little knowledge rooted in hands-on experience and lessons from the finest academies across the thousand isles," she responded with a serene smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Kai frowned slightly. "I must admit, I am not well-versed with the soulforging practices of the thousand isles. If I state the obvious, I beg your pardon." The ritual should have been straightforward, but their scrutiny complicated it. With another frown, he acknowledged his role in this predicament; he hadn't explicitly barred the Iceheart clan from involving outside expertise in their agreement.

"Today's objective is to transplant the soul of one of these spirit beasts," Kai gestured towards the shadowy cages and crates housing the beasts, punctuated by intermittent growls and scratching, "into the Iceheart clan's future leader. The ritual begins at mid-day, leaving us precious little time to analyze, refine, and pair the perfect soul for today’s ritual."

"As per our agreement, you may observe the soulforging," Kai's smile added a touch of warmth to his words. "Witnessing the process might not offer a comprehensive understanding of my techniques. So, before we begin, are you merely spectators, or are you here with hopes of learning?"

At Kai's question, Vin Lia's shoulders grew rigid, her knuckles turning white as she clutched the hem of her robe. Beside her, Vin Xian relaxed into a soft smile, his fingers dancing excitedly over the pages of his notebook.

"I am here to learn. I always seek knowledge," he confidently announced, holding a notebook and a mechanical pen with a cleverly integrated inkwell. A crease formed on Kai's brow, and his eyes narrowed as he studied Vin Lia and Vin Xian. 'Just observers, or is there more to it?' he wondered, reading their faces for any hint of a hidden agenda.

"My husband means to say that we are privileged to observe and are keen to understand the practices of a soulforger from a different region. We are unfamiliar with your lineage and techniques. Hence we are expecting quite a few revelations today," Vin Lia said, her words overflowing with admiration, but again her smile felt false to Kai.

Kai gave no response and instead shifted the discussion forward.

"Our initial step is identifying which spirit beasts align with the cultivator's core. I should clarify that I wasn't contracted to reshape his core, and thus, I won't be doing that." Kai ventured deeper into the room, trailed by the observing couple.

"And what approach do you usually adopt to confirm this alignment?" Kai queried, pivoting towards Xian.

"Typically, we let the cultivator spend ample time in proximity to the beast, thus enabling the beast to employ their energy and let the cultivator ascertain if they sync well. After all, who else is more acquainted with their energy than the cultivator?"

"That method seems redundant and prone to inaccuracies. The key to discerning compatibility lies in spectrographic analysis. We strive for a precise correlation; anything short of that could eventually derail the cultivator from their path of cultivation. This isn't just a matter of the future leader gaining strength. The wrong match could lead to a serious backlash, potentially leaving him in a state worse than death."

Kai approached the first crate housing a snow-white owl that calmly met his gaze. He observed the beast, invoking his spiritual energy vision. After a minute, he proceeded to the next crate and repeated the examination.

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"Spectrographic analysis, that's a term I haven't come across before," Xian admitted, his pen hastily dancing across his notepad.

"A meticulous analysis of the energy's hue is what we do. Each spiritual energy exudes a unique color, and we can identify the differences between them by measuring the wavelengths of the assorted lights that constitute it."

He switched to the next beast and commenced his scan. "One needs to comprehend the physics of light as a waveform, and then you can fashion a spectral analyzer within your soul space."

"I see," Xian was fervently documenting this information.

"I'd suggest that strategy for beginners. With time and experience, one develops an innate understanding of energies, making them sense compatibility intuitively."

He then approached the massive white bear. It was bound in chains, with links digging into its flesh, causing bloody wounds.

"You suggesting you can simply look at a beast and ascertain its compatibility? With absolute certainty?" Vin Lia found it hard to suppress her skepticism.

"Yes," Kai redirected his attention to the final set of cages to perform his scan. "Among this group, three are precise matches. The bear, the owl, and the hare. The others don't align with this specific cultivator."

Kai stepped back towards the room's center. The pair shadowed him, though Kai noticed Vin Lia was absorbed in an attempt to perceive something about the spirit beasts, her face etched with deep concentration.

"The subsequent stage involves delving into each soul in detail to determine the most suitable match," Kai glanced at Vin Lia, "You'd benefit from activating your soul sight for this part."

Vin Lia swiveled back towards him – irritation etched across her visage. "It's not as if I haven't witnessed the reaping of souls before," she flashed a thin smile, "there's nothing particularly remarkable about that."

"As you wish," Kai echoed her smile, liberating his soul light. As Kai released his soul light, the room transformed. The austere stone walls glowed with a soft gold, each shadow erased by the radiance. The air itself seemed to hum, vibrant with a pulsing, ancient energy that made the hair on their arms stand on end.

The couple instinctively raised their hands, shielding their eyes from the potent brightness, but Kai paid them no heed. He commanded his soul crown to materialize. An ethereal band of deep purple, visible only under the soul light, appeared and hovered above his head.

Resembling a thick circlet, it flared at the center, just above his forehead, spreading into a point that swelled upwards. Within the crown nestled seven purple gems, each pulsating with a mysterious purple light.

Kai turned inward, focusing on the tether that linked his physical form to his spiritual essence. With a silent command, he severed the connection. His body stood as if frozen in time, while his ethereal self, unshackled from the constraints of the physical world, began to move freely. His spiritual form radiated with the same primordial energy as his heart core, a captivating, prismatic gold that danced into a kaleidoscope of colors with each movement.

Luminescent and aglow, each of his radiant cores shone brilliantly through his golden skin, the wide and symmetrical meridians visible as they pulsed with the golden light. He drifted over to the massive white bear and gently extracted its soul. With its spirit gone, the bear's body collapsed, devoid of life and struggle.

Kai gently guided the soul into his soul space, securely housing it within the containment vessel before labeling it for clarity. He then prepared to repeat the process, releasing his spiritual form from his physical shell. He drifted towards the serene owl when a sudden noise broke his focus.

He pivoted to find Vin Lia sprawled on the floor, skittering backward in terror. Her face was an open canvas of shock, her eyes radiating a vivid orange hue of her soul light.

"Vin Lia," Kai's voice resonated through the room, eerily ethereal in his spirit form. He floated towards her in an attempt to offer comfort.

Her husband was already scrambling towards his fallen wife. "Lia, what's happening? Talk to me!" As she bumped against the wall, trapped with nowhere else to retreat, her hands flew up, shielding her face.

"I can see him..." she whimpered, "he’s an unbound! He's there..." Her hand quavered, a shaking finger aimed at the levitating form of Kai as he inched closer. "He's there, right behind you. Be still."

At her words, Vin Xian's face paled, his body freezing in stunned stillness. Vin Lia's eyes darted back to Kai, her gaze a wild animal cornered. She risked a look through her trembling fingers for a moment as if catching a glimpse of something monstrous. Then, with a shudder that racked her body, she shut out the world, sinking to her knees and folding in on herself.

Kai's interest waned as Vin Lia continued her strange, unresponsive behavior. Refocusing his attention on the task at hand, he turned to the owl and hare. Each soul was carefully extracted and secured. The hare was a bolt of lightning in a cage, a blur of frantic movement. It shot from corner to corner, turning on a dime. Kai inhaled deeply, focusing his energy inward. Time seemed to dilate, the hare's movements appearing less frantic and more a slow dance of evasion. Carefully, he reached out, his hand moving in time with the creature until he finally grasped it.

With the souls now collected, he re-entered his physical body. Vin Lia remained in her odd state, back pressed against the wall, body rocking rhythmically. Kai contained his soul light once again and cleared his throat to draw attention.

"I'll now conduct the analysis in my soul space," he began, his voice echoing in the silent room. "There, I'll refine the harvested souls into the necessary parts for fusion with the cultivator, scrutinizing each one. After the refinement, I'll select the most suitable and prepare them for the soulforging process."

Kai moved closer to the couple. Vin Xian had joined his wife on the floor, silently scribbling notes while she continued her seemingly trance-like state, humming and rocking. He could not decipher her reaction, given their brief acquaintance.

“I apologize. I didn’t expect this to be as impactful as it has been.” The reaction before him was far beyond anything he'd anticipated. He'd expected curiosity, maybe even fear, but the raw terror etched on Vin Lia's face had him second-guessing. His actions, seemingly routine to him, had rattled her to the core.

She had said he was as unbound. Kai wasn’t familiar with that term, but it frightened the poor woman. Even still, she rocked back and forth.

"I anticipate that my preparations will take roughly an hour," Kai explained, striding towards the exit. "I'll rejoin you at the commencement of the forging ceremony.