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--- Chapter 496 ---
"I choose you!" Han Yuan declared, his voice firm as he pointed straight at Number 17—the Great Evil Orca.
"M-Me?" Number 17 flinched slightly, its deep-sea eyes widening in genuine disbelief.
Neither the beast nor the surrounding elders had expected Han Yuan to select the Great Evil Orca as the long companion for his second Martial Soul.
Don't get them wrong, the Evil Spirit Orca remained one of the supreme, undisputed sovereigns of the ocean to this very day.
The oldest living member ever recorded in historical archives had reached nearly 400,000 years of cultivation, capable of contending against human Limit Douluos.
And the Great Evil Orca was the long-extinct ancestor of that Evil Spirit Orca, possessing physical and elemental capabilities far superior to its current descendants.
Its tyrannical physical frame naturally produced a vast, robust spiritual core, topped off with a rare mastery over the dual Ultimate Attributes of Water and Darkness.
"Hmm... if we look at it from another perspective..." Han Tianyi frowned in thought, but as his mind mapped the combination onto his grandson's Underworld Anchor of Heaven, his eyes gleamed.
Among the six remaining Ultimate Spirit Souls, the Great Evil Orca was indeed a terrifying fit!
What none of them realized was that Han Yuan hadn't chosen the Great Evil Orca merely for its current stats. He possessed a far grander vision, one inspired by the cultivation of Tang Wulin.
When Tang Wulin had yet to unseal the Golden Dragon King's Divine Core, he was stuck with a defective, ten-year-old Grass Snake Spirit Soul for his unawakened Blue Silver Grass.
Yet through constant exposure to the overpowering Golden Dragon King's bloodline, that weak snake was slowly nourished, mutated, and eventually evolved into a fearsome True Golden Dragon.
And don't forget that the True Golden Dragon is always the Spirit Soul to Tang Wulin's Blue Silver Emperor Spirit. Both reinforcing and evolving into a higher level of power.
Thus, a tiny, weak grass snake turning into a True Dragon through divine bloodline resonance!
Using that same blueprint, Han Yuan planned to grow and develop the Great Evil Orca with his own unique bloodline, gradually evolving this deep-sea apex predator into a World-Devouring Kunpeng!
Even if it didn't fully reach the peak of that threshold, the resulting mutant entity would still be utterly world-shattering.
As for why he didn't contract the Orca to his latent third Martial Soul, the Epoch-Devouring Kun Whale, the logic was simple. A direct exposure to such a primordial, absolute devouring origin would instantly obliterate the Orca's foundation.
Also, Han Yuan knew deep down instinctively that the Epoch-Devouring Kun Whale didn't require Spirit Souls at all. If it ever took on to contract a Spirit Soul, it would need to be a being similar to its own. Rather than that, it can condense spirit rings directly from devouring pure energy.
The Cosmos Eye Lord tilted its gaseous body toward the Great Evil Orca, its voice echoing with high-standing pride. "Number 17? Fantastic! You have gained a monumental opportunity to serve the Noble Prince of Stars alongside me!"
"Swear upon your very life and soul that you will serve him with absolute, unwavering devotion."
The Great Evil Orca drew in a sharp, deep breath, its giant form trembling in the air. "T-Thank you for this chance, my Lord... Prince of Stars! I, the Great Evil Orca, solemnly swear upon my life and soul that I will serve you with everything I possess!"
"You don't need to be quite so formal, Number 17." Han Yuan laughed out loud, stepping forward as he summoned the Underworld Anchor of Heaven.
BOOM!
Instantly, an absolute, crushing gravitational pressure descended upon the underground vault.
Whether it was the three guardian elders or the seven Ultimate Spirit Souls, everyone felt as though they had been abruptly plunged into the crushing depths of an infinite, heavy ocean.
Number 11, the Heavenly White Tiger, and Number 21, the Thundercloud Beast, gazed at the ominous shadow of the colossal iron anchor with deep reverence.
Yet, a quiet sigh escaped them both, a quick realization that they weren't destined to become one with such a God-level Martial Soul.
The Great Evil Orca trembled as it stared into the shadowy depths of the Underworld Anchor, sensing a terrifying, latent authority of absolute destruction and abyssal weight sleeping within it.
Deep down, the ocean beast was silently screaming in joy, thanking its ancestors a thousand times over.
Perhaps all the suffering and tragedy its species had endured across the years had existed solely to pave the way for this single, glorious moment of ascension.
"Grandpa... We can start the contract," Han Yuan suddenly said to Han Tianyi, while subtly utilizing his secret Soul Contract Formula to weave a deeper, spiritual bond with both the Great Evil Orca and the Cosmos Eye Lord.
The two Ultimate Spirit Souls sensed the profound spiritual bridge forming between themselves and Han Yuan, instinctively keeping quiet and cooperative.
"This... Kid, are you sure you don't want to think this through first?" Mu Ye couldn't help but advise. "Contracting a Spirit Soul is a life-defining choice for any Soul Master."
Zhen Hua quickly added, "Indeed, Xiao Yuan. We don't want you to carry any regrets later in life."
The two elders felt a faint bitterness in their chests, recalling their regrets of missing out on such Ultimate Spirit Souls. So, they wanted Han Yuan to walk with caution so he wouldn't look back with the same regret.
As for Han Tianyi, he didn't offer a single word of doubt. In his eyes, if his grandson chose this path, he would move the world to support it.
If the Great Evil Orca and Cosmos Eye Lord ever proved insufficient down the road, he would personally hunt down the Forbidden Spirit Souls that the Federation had kept secret for thousands of years.
Any resource, technique, or legacy, as long as it was useful for Han Yuan's growth—Han Tianyi would seize it for him.
"Regret... I won't regret a single thing at all!" Han Yuan declared aloud, his young voice echoing through the chamber with strong conviction.
"Grandpa Zhen, you told me as the Divine Craftsman that every hammer strike landed on heated metal must never stray, that it must be filled with determination and spirit to forge a masterpiece."
"That is why I won't hesitate... I will walk this path of cultivation with unyielding determination!"
"And Granduncle Mu, you said that every meal one consumes should be enjoyed to the fullest, not just to satisfy hunger and restore vigor, but to nourish the spirit!"
"I will relish this path to the fullest!"
"Because I am going to become the strongest!" His declaration caused both Zhen Hua and Mu Ye to shudder in quiet amazement, while Han Tianyi's eyes welled up with faint tears of pride.
'Juanyang... your son is truly just like you,' Han Tianyi thought, letting out a soft, emotional sigh from the depths of his heart.
The other Ultimate Spirit Souls couldn't help but cast envious gazes at Number 17 and Number 67 for being chosen by such an extraordinary genius.
Initially, they were merely envious because twin God-level Martial Souls meant this silver-haired boy possessed the potential to reach godhood.
Yet now, upon hearing his conviction, they truly believed he could achieve it even without their help, which only made them all the more envious of the two lucky fellows.
"You brat... fine. Just do it," Mu Ye grumbled, a helpless yet proud smile breaking across his face. "Zhen Hua, look at us... we just got lectured on cultivation by a kid."
Zhen Hua chuckled warmly, "Haha, yeah. But it certainly didn't feel bad."
"In fact... I think I finally understand why my forging has felt stagnant all these years..." A subtle, deep tremor resonated within Zhen Hua's mind, and though faint, he could feel a bottleneck in his Divine Craftsman path beginning to loosen.
"Hah, the same goes for me," Mu Ye replied casually, feeling the stubborn wall that had blocked his breakthrough for years suddenly give way.
Han Tianyi gazed at his grandson, his smile softening with warmth. "Very well... Xiao Yuan, Grandpa will support your choice completely. Now, sit on the floor and calm your mind. Let me handle the rest."
"Mm." Han Yuan immediately sat cross-legged, closing his eyes and entering a deep state of meditation.
"Let us begin!" Han Tianyi called out, turning his focus to the Great Evil Orca and the Cosmos Eye Lord.
"Yes!" The two Ultimate Spirit Souls echoed, pulsing with excitement as the contractual light began to swirl around them.