Chapter 372: The Million-Year Spirit Ring
As a massive golden spirit ring emerged from the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, the entire surrounding space seemed to freeze in place.
Simultaneously, Yang Potian's body began to radiate a golden hue, and eight blood-red spirit rings appeared around him. Drawn by a powerful force, the golden spirit ring slowly moved onto Yang Potian's body.
An immense wave of spirit energy surged through him, flooding every inch of his skin and every cell, as if it was reshaping his entire body. Yang Potian felt that his body was on the verge of breaking through a profound barrier.
The most notable transformation was with the eight spirit bones embedded in his body. Originally, each of these bones was at the hundred-thousand-year level, and now they unexpectedly manifested on his body like an armor without his summons. However, these eight bones, sourced from different spirit beasts, carried inherent repulsion, both toward each other and toward his own martial spirit.
At that moment, his spirit bones seemed to crack, as if they were being forcibly separated from his body, enduring an agonizing refinement akin to tearing flesh and breaking bones.
In the midst of this excruciating pain, Yang Potian experienced a surreal sensation as if he had entered an extraordinary state, seeing flashes of his past lives.
In this illusory space, he witnessed his birth and the joy on his parents' youthful faces when they first saw him. The next moment, he saw memories of his love for Qian Renxue and Ye Lingling—their first encounters, first meetings, and tender moments, all suffused with love and warmth.
As time flowed, past and present paraded before him like a series of vignettes, replaying his lives in succession, seemingly immersing him in these memories. The emotions amplified, and Yang Potian understood that he was undergoing a test of his deepest emotions and desires; only by overcoming this trial could he move past this final step.
Then, suddenly, two voices echoed in his mind, sounding urgent, as if calling out to him or trying to communicate something important.
After an unknown amount of time, Yang Potian's entire being began to glow, with his martial spirit and his golden core spirit beginning to form a tenth ring. Yet, due to an apparent lack of energy, the spirit rings formed only partially, appearing fragile and ready to dissipate.
The voices in his mind grew clearer: "Yang Potian, my power alone is insufficient to fully forge three million-year spirit rings. Even without a spirit bone, we require more energy."
This message jolted Yang Potian back to a sharper awareness; his soul flickered between states of reality and illusion, yet he was more than halfway past the threshold to ascension, still unable to complete the leap.
In a moment of resolve, he opened his soul device, revealing a golden orb—the divine blood he had obtained from the Star Luo Empire's royal depths. One drop had been given to Qian Renxue, leaving him with only one.
The drop of divine blood hovered above Yang Potian's head, slowly dissolving and releasing boundless energy that began infusing his body.
As the divine blood merged into his being, the two golden spirit rings solidified, fully forming at last. Yet, his ascension abruptly encountered a violent surge; the overwhelming energy coursed through him, surpassing even the divine threshold and far exceeding his body's limits, as if he were about to shatter.
Behind him, two faint phantoms appeared—one of a colossal Deep Sea Demon Whale and another of a massive eye: the souls of the Demon Whale King and the Evil Emperor. Both remained in spirit form, incapable of full materialization.
In the wake of Yang Potian's breakthrough, the souls of these two entities had undergone endless refinement, reaching the level of divine souls. Yet they looked on at Yang Potian with concern; after all, his body was now their vessel, and should he succumb to collapse, their existences would perish with him.
The Evil Emperor spoke urgently, "How is this happening? He's clearly crossed the hundredth level, so why is his body destabilizing? Didn't you also just reach the million-year level without such issues?"
The Demon Whale King pondered for a moment before answering, "There's a fundamental difference between soul beasts and humans. Yang Potian, despite reaching the hundredth level, lacks a divine position and divine artifact, akin to a vessel without a core."
"Moreover, after absorbing my spirit ring, his strength has exceeded what I ever anticipated. Ascension for him is only the beginning, far from the end."
Yang Potian also realized his predicament. With his spirit rings covering all five elemental attributes—wood, fire, earth, metal, and water—they seemed to undergo a profound transformation, breaking through a restriction that overwhelmed his body's tolerance. If he was to transcend, he would need a divine weapon to contain and channel this power.
Determined, he grasped the Asura Divine Sword, his only divine weapon.
Hovering over the Golden Ancient Tree, he allowed the immense vitality it exuded to sustain his body through this evolution.
With the Asura Divine Sword in hand, he felt a surge of slaughter intent envelop him, as though he were about to be torn apart. The Golden Ancient Tree's life force surged into him, stabilizing his body's transformation.
The overwhelming aura of slaughter consumed him; he felt as if he were merging with the Asura Divine Sword, his soul slowly descending into a whirlpool of carnage.
Far away, in the God Realm, within the Asura Shrine, the Asura God and Sea God were deep in conversation. But just moments ago, the Asura God sensed a change within himself, as though something was attempting to pull free from his connection to the God Realm.
Seeing the look on his face, Sea God inquired, "Asura God, what's happening? You seem troubled."
The Asura God ignored the Sea God's question, his eyes gleaming with boundless light as he searched across realms.
When his vision reached Douluo Star and locked onto the Asura Divine Sword, a crazed laugh erupted from him.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Franklin1