Let's explain in detail the settings for the soul-sealing spirit gold Ling Chen is using and the Soul-Guiding Talisman (Flesh and Blood Rune) he is engraving:
soul-sealing spirit gold
International Name: soul-sealing spirit gold
Essence and Origin:
This is not a naturally formed mineral, but a special spiritual energy metal that mutated and evolved under extremely unique geomorphic energy environments and long-term immersion and catalysis by massive soul remnants and flesh and blood essence.
It usually only appears in ancient large-scale battlefield ruins, forbidden sacrificial sites, or places where top powerhouses have fallen and passed away.
Below the Linghui Academy Ruins, due to Zhuang Han's Crazy Devouring and the ancient battlefield's foundation that might have existed before he took root, coupled with the trace amounts of high-level energy that might have leaked from Zhang Liang's Martial Training Grotto-Heaven, the conditions for its formation were met, resulting in a small amount of this metal.
Ling Chen secretly collected it from the destroyed Spirit Wights' remains.
Characteristics:
Excellent Soul Affinity and Capacity: This is its most core characteristic.
Its atomic structure is extremely special, capable of extremely stably "locking" soul energy and spiritual imprints, preventing them from dissipating.
It is a top-grade material for making soul-related magical artifacts, contract scrolls, and even the cores of certain forbidden puppets.
Coexistence of Energy Inertia and High Conductivity: Normally, it exhibits "inertia" towards most spiritual energy, making it extremely difficult to activate or destroy with conventional energy. Its physical properties are extremely stable and tough. However, once driven by a specific soul imprint or primordial bloodline power, it can become an excellent energy conductor, especially adept at transmitting energy related to "soul," "life essence," and "contracts."
Memory and Malleability: Under specific conditions (such as high temperature and pressure or powerful soul force impact), it can be molded and can "remember" the energy patterns or rune structures engraved within it, with long-lasting or even eternal effects.
Concealment: When not activated, its energy fluctuations are extremely weak and difficult to detect by conventional means.
Role in the Current Plot:
Ling Chen chose it precisely because of its excellent soul-carrying and conductive properties.
He needs a medium that can perfectly carry his Soul Jade Physique's primordial imprint and resonate strongly with Zhuang Han's crystal core (a condensation of soul and life essence) from a distance.
Ordinary materials cannot withstand his power, nor can they achieve that kind of precise soul-level connection across distances.
Soul-Guiding Talisman
Essence:
This is not a "formation" in the conventional sense, driven by external spiritual energy, but an extremely ancient and sinister primordial rune from the Flesh and Blood Ascension system. It is more like a living contract or biological command code, directly acting on the most fundamental flesh and blood and soul of life.
Principle and Engraving Requirements:
Blood as Ink, Soul as Pen: Engraving this rune does not rely on tools or ordinary spiritual energy, but must use one's own primordial essence blood mixed with soul will, directly "writing" it on a medium with strong soul affinity (such as soul-sealing spirit gold).
Every stroke contains the engraver's will and life information.
Bloodline Resonance: The core principle of the rune is "attraction of the same origin." Ling Chen infused the rune with his own Soul Jade Physique's primordial aura and information from the flesh and blood sample containing Zhuang Han's life imprint (possibly collected from previous battles).
This makes the rune and Zhuang Han's crystal core like two poles of a magnet, generating a strong attraction.
Mechanism of Action: When the rune is activated (usually requiring Ling Chen to inject power at close range or meet specific conditions), it will:
Strongly Attract the Crystal Core/Soul of a Specific Target: For Zhuang Han, his crystal core will feel a kind of call from a "king" of the same lineage but higher rank and purer, generating an instinctive tendency that is difficult to resist.
Construct a Temporary Channel: Within a short distance, it may open a temporary energy channel based on flesh and blood soul resonance, facilitating Ling Chen to forcefully extract or guide the crystal core's energy.
Suppression and Contract: The will of Ling Chen contained within the rune will have a suppressive effect on the target's soul, especially for a mutant like Zhuang Han, whose rank is lower than Ling Chen's, the effect is significant.
Why it is an embodiment of the "Flesh and Blood Ascension" path:
This rune does not rely on external heaven and earth spiritual energy, nor does it use complex formation geometry, but directly uses the inherent power of life itself to influence and control other life forms.
It embodies the core concept of the Flesh and Blood Ascension path: absolute control and plunder of one's own and others' life essence.
This is a more primitive, direct, and cruel application of "laws."
Purpose in the Current Plot:
Ling Chen engraved this rune to prepare for the next step of seizing Zhuang Han's crystal core.
He needs to ensure that at the moment of killing Zhuang Han, he can completely and quickly seize his most precious crystal core, which contains all his evolutionary essence and soul origin.
This prevents it from temporarily breaking free from the bloodline slave seal and self-destructing or dissipating energy, and also avoids being taken advantage of by the military or the Holy Temple.
This "Soul-Guiding Talisman" is the foolproof "directional fishing device" and "stabilizer."
Distinction from "Formations":
Conventional Formations: More reliant on external environmental spiritual energy, elemental forces, or specific energy gems, using complex rune arrays and structures to draw upon the power of heaven and earth. Their range can be large or small, and their effects are diverse, but they usually require preparation time and can be interfered with. They are more like a kind of "engineering" or "energy programming."
Soul-Guiding Talisman (Primordial Rune): More focused on excavating and utilizing the inherent power of life, directly touching the soul and the fundamental rules of life. It is more secretive, direct, and deeply bound to the user, but usually has a smaller range of action and a specific target.
It is more like a kind of "biology" or "soul contract."
In summary, the soul-sealing spirit gold is a top-tier soul container and conductor, while the Soul-Guiding Talisman is a kind of primordial contract command under the Flesh and Blood Ascension system.
Ling Chen combines the two to create an extremely precise predatory tool specifically targeting Zhuang Han's crystal core.
This demonstrates his profound understanding and application of the fundamental power of life, far exceeding the current era's cognition, and is one of his greatest advantages as a reborn person.