Lu Ren’s expression did not relax; he feigned vigilance, his tone carrying the sharp edge expected of a youth.
“That may be so, but you are residing in my Sea of Consciousness, which is ultimately a hidden danger.
If your divine sense becomes restless, interferes with my cultivation, or even disturbs my mind, how can I be at ease?”
“I cannot entrust my life and safety into the hands of an existence of unknown origin.”
He spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, maintaining his bottom line while perfectly matching the cautious temperament a lone-wolf genius youth should possess.
Of course, Lu Ren already knew Electrolux’s background, but he had to say this intentionally…
Firstly, he didn’t want the other party to realize he was familiar with all the plot information.
Secondly, it made it easier for him to initiate the upcoming deal with Electrolux and establish a Binding Vow between them.
Electrolux fell silent for a moment.
That aged consciousness vibrated slightly within the Sea of Consciousness, like an elder seriously considering how to respond to a youth’s doubts.
“Little fellow, you need not worry too much.” His voice carried a hint of helplessness, but it also radiated sincerity.
“Currently, it is I who cannot leave you, not you who cannot leave me.”
“Only the negative emotions you continuously absorb can maintain my divine sense and prevent it from dissipating; they can even make my state increasingly complete.”
“Conversely, I have lived for endless ages, traversed planes, and seen all the mysteries of heaven and earth; there is nothing I do not know.
Your power is unique and unruly; though it seems overbearing, it is actually crude and difficult to control.
I can guide you in condensing your energy and restraining your impetuousness, allowing your cultivation to achieve twice the result with half the effort.”
“We exist in mutualistic symbiosis; why not enjoy the benefits?”
Lu Ren lowered his eyes, and after a few seconds, he slowly smoothed his brow and agreed.
Seeing this, a hint of admiration entered Electrolux’s voice.
“To have such a steady and cautious temperament at such a young age, it’s no wonder you can harness such treacherous and unique power.”
“It is only human nature to be guarded and worried when an external divine sense suddenly intrudes into your Sea of Consciousness.”
“I harbor no ill will whatsoever.
From now on, I only wish to use your Sea of Consciousness as a dwelling place, relying on the emotional power you absorb to keep my remnant soul from dissipating.”
“I only hope that from now on, we can treat each other with sincerity and live in mutualistic symbiosis.
I will certainly not fail your trust.”
“You overpraise me, sir.” Lu Ren offered a humble remark before changing the subject.
“I have yet to ask, how should I address you?”
“I am named Electrolux.” The aged voice slowly uttered the name, then paused.
“But more memories…
I cannot recall them for the time being.”
Lu Ren did not press further.
Electrolux did not continue the topic either, but instead shifted the conversation to explain how to harness Cursed Energy.
Even though Electrolux didn’t understand what Cursed Energy was, in his view, it was merely energy produced by negative emotions, which wasn’t much different for him.
He was, after all, a powerhouse who had once stepped into the realm of gods.
“Your method of absorbing negative emotions is too haphazard, like using a wicker basket to scoop water—seven parts out of ten leak away. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
I will teach you a method of condensation to compress and purify the scattered energy, ensuring every shred is put to its best use.”
Lu Ren listened intently.
Electrolux’s voice echoed in his mind, every word as clear as if carved in stone.
He wasn’t speaking of profound terminology, but rather the most basic energy manipulation: how to perceive the flow of Cursed Energy, how to compress scattered energy, and how to make every wisp precisely reach its mark.
These were things Lu Ren had never systematically learned.
Itadori’s template abilities were directly infused into his body by the system; they were easy to use, but lacked foundational support.
It was like someone born with divine force who had never learned the techniques of applying power.
What Electrolux was filling in was precisely this shortcoming.
Time passed imperceptibly.
Lu Ren sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, feeling the circulation of Cursed Energy within his body.
The energy that had previously been scattered throughout his meridians was gathered, compressed, and smoothed out bit by bit, like reweaving a tangled mess of hemp into silk.
In the future, his operational precision in using Cursed Techniques would be elevated by more than just one level.
When Lu Ren opened his eyes, he found that the sky outside the window was already pale with the first light of dawn.
He had actually been learning for an entire night.
“Sir?” he called out in his heart.
There was no response.
Lu Ren called out again, but the other party remained silent.
Just as Lu Ren thought he had fallen asleep, the aged voice finally rang out, though it was much weaker than before.
“I was only awakened by the stimulation of your Cursed Energy; the time I can maintain consciousness is not long.”
“If you can share some with me when you absorb Cursed Energy, my state of wakefulness can be maintained more completely, and I can teach you more things.”
Lu Ren did not agree immediately.
He calculated quickly in his mind.
Sharing a portion of his Cursed Energy with Electrolux meant his own cultivation speed would slow down.
But in exchange, he gained the guidance of a teacher who had lived for endless ages and traversed planes.
No matter how he calculated it, this was not a losing deal.
Moreover, his next goal required a sufficiently powerful helper.
And Electrolux was the person who met all the conditions.
“I can do that,” he said, his tone decisive.
“Sharing some Cursed Energy with you is no problem, but there is one prerequisite.”
“Speak.”
“You must help me with all your strength.”
Electrolux was silent for a moment, then let out a burst of aged laughter, which carried a sense of joy.
“That is only natural. Get faster updates on g.com.
I reside within your body and am nourished by your energy; helping you is my duty.
Between us, there is no need to talk of conditions.”
Lu Ren nodded.
“It seems we have reached a cooperation.”
Electrolux’s laughter gradually faded, and that aged consciousness sank into the depths of the Sea of Consciousness, falling into a slumber.
Quiet returned to the dormitory.
Lu Ren sat on the bed, feeling the grey bead in his Sea of Consciousness reconsolidate and become still.
He couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
He had made a huge profit.
Electrolux, the Holy Necromancer, one of Huo Yuhao’s greatest opportunities in the original work, was now in his hands.
He would sustain Electrolux’s life with Cursed Energy, and Electrolux would teach him how to cultivate.
With this person’s help, he wouldn’t have to worry about his next spirit ring.
Lu Ren stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open.
The cool morning breeze poured in, carrying the metallic scent unique to Ming City.
In the distance, a low rumbling could be heard from the direction of the spirit tool testing grounds; a new day had begun.
“I need to absorb more Cursed Energy to keep Electrolux sustained,” Lu Ren muttered to himself.
His current speed of absorbing Cursed Energy was still too slow; it was barely enough to keep Electrolux awake.
He had to find a way to increase the output of negative emotions.
Lu Ren turned and left the dormitory.
Early-rising students were already moving about in the hallway; when they saw him, everyone instinctively stepped aside, their gazes full of awe.
Someone whispered something, but was sharply pulled by the sleeve by a companion and immediately shut up.
With a record of seventy-eight consecutive victories, no one dared to be presumptuous in front of him.
Lu Ren walked past without looking left or right, but in his mind, he was calculating another matter.
On Shrek’s side, Elder Xuan was likely searching the whole World for him right now.
It wouldn’t be long before he probably chased him all the way to the Sun Moon Empire.
The spirit tool Hall Master Jing Hongchen had given him was still tucked in his robe, but Lu Ren didn’t plan to use it so soon.
If Elder Xuan wanted to search, let him; the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy was no pushover, and Hall Master Jing Hongchen even less so.
He only needed to cultivate in peace, wait for Electrolux to gather enough strength and make full preparations, and then go to the Far North to snatch the Ice Empress from Huo Yuhao.
By making the Ice Empress choose him, he wouldn’t have to worry about his subsequent spirit rings.
There were still about six months before Huo Yuhao would head to the Far North.
Lu Ren did a simple calculation.
Six months was enough.