I've also recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! Douluo: Seven Kill Shock the World
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That night, the team stayed at an inn near Tian Ding Starry Sky Academy.
After dinner, Bai Yuan went alone to the rooftop and gazed up at the star-filled sky.
The night sky above Tian Ding City was exceptionally clear, with the galaxy stretching across the heavens like a shimmering ribbon.
"I knew I'd find you here."
Bai Yuan didn't turn around; he recognized Gu La's footsteps. The latter leapt lightly onto the roof and sat down beside him.
"What's going on with your martial soul? I remember the seed I invested in was a two-headed man-eating flower. The emergence of abyssal bloodline was already an impossible miracle born from minuscule odds. Could there be more to it? Or was there something wrong with the soul master who provided the soul power?"
This was the first time Gu La realized he hadn't fully grasped Bai Yuan's fourth soul ring.
Bai Yuan shook his head. "You don't know, and neither do I. But I have a theory. That hunger which completely overwhelms rationality—even someone at the Sword Soul realm can't resist it—might be connected to the true Abyss Plane."
"...I suspect that the Abyssal Maw is merely the surface manifestation of your martial soul. It might actually be an unconscious aggregation of shadows left behind by some long-dead existence."
Bai Yuan voiced his thoughts. "That's why it craves to devour starlight—it actually wants to consume the stars that emit the light, as well as the life planes near those stars... Isn't that just like the Abyss?"
Gu La furrowed his brows. Bai Yuan's conjecture was astonishing but not without merit. His avatar was born from a twisted timeline, possessing god-tier potential just like him. His martial soul couldn't possibly be a common abyssal creature.
Unable to find an answer through deep thought, Gu La still couldn't see into the future several years ahead unless he personally traveled there. But as someone who controlled time-space traversal, he knew the future was unpredictable. Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn't risk venturing into the future.
"For now, let's leave it at that. No matter what, cultivation won't lead us astray. Your martial soul advances the fastest. Once you break through to the Soul Sage realm, it should reveal its true form."
"Mm." Bai Yuan nodded. Even if he were to die, it wouldn't matter much. Gu La could revive him after spending some time, though the duration would depend on his current cultivation level.
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The following night, the Shrek group returned to Tian Ding Starry Sky Academy.
The observatory's dome was fully open under the night sky, revealing a brilliant expanse of stars.
Gu La looked up, seeing the stars stretch across the heavens like a cascading waterfall of light. Countless stars shone several times brighter than usual, as if they were within reach.
"This is the once-in-a-millennium stellar tide…"
Xu Xiaoyan murmured softly, her pale blue eyes reflecting the galaxy. Her slender fingers unconsciously tightened on the hem of her clothes.
As the only member of the team with an astrological/stellar martial soul, she could clearly feel the surging stellar energy in the air. Each breath made her martial soul tremble slightly, as if it wanted to manifest spontaneously.
Gu La stood in the center of the observatory, his emerald-gold short hair gleaming like gold under the starlight.
He closed his eyes, feeling the torrent of soul power coursing through his body—Level 49 peak, just one step away. His twin martial souls were unusually active under the stimulation of the stellar tide, like volcanoes on the verge of eruption.
"Are you ready?"
Bai Yuan looked at the two of them, his black hair blending into the starlit night like a profound universe. As the member who mastered the essence of devouring, he would assist in guiding the energy of the stellar tide.
Gu La opened his eyes, flames seemingly burning in his golden pupils.
"Let's begin."
Xu Xiaoyan took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm… I'm ready."
Li Zhilong hadn't expected to encounter this once-in-a-millennium stellar tide. Having accepted the benefits provided by the Spirit Pagoda, it was too late to back out now. He could only have his students cultivate nearby the observatory, hoping to gain some advantages.
He activated the observatory. The soul-guided devices and special structure of the dome began to channel the starlight, turning the observatory, which had been bright as day, into a golden ocean.
Bai Yuan leaned against a stone pillar at the edge of the observatory, his black coat blending seamlessly with the night. Though he appeared relaxed, his entire body was tense. His Devouring Domain was active, but instead of consuming the starlight, he redirected it toward Gu La and Xu Xiaoyan.
The energy fluctuations brought by the stellar tide stirred his devouring instincts. Na'er, with her sharp perception, noticed his abnormality and quietly approached. "Can you hold on?"
"Don't worry about me." Bai Yuan forced a smile, though his voice was hoarser than usual. "Just watch the show."
Wu Sido stood on the other side, her dark eyes fixed on the center of the field. Then she sat down cross-legged to meditate and cultivate.
Gu Yue clasped her hands together, forming a seal. A silver aura spread from her body, forming a precise light array that enveloped the entire observatory.
"The Stellar Guidance Array is complete. The tidal peak will arrive in three minutes, and the stellar energy will reach its apex in five minutes."
Xu Xiaoyan moved to her designated position, releasing her Starwheel Ice Staff martial soul. Three soul rings rose from beneath her feet—two yellow and one purple, a standard configuration.
The Starwheel Ice Staff floated in her palm, its tip resembling a miniature moon. As the starlight intensified, it grew brighter and brighter. The ice attribute gradually dissolved, transforming into pure astrological energy.
Gu La stood at the central node of the observatory, fully unleashing his Groudon martial soul. Four black soul rings shimmered brilliantly under the starlight. He raised his hands parallel to the ground, as if embracing the entire starry sky.
"It's here!" Gu Yue suddenly looked up.
Above the firmament, the galaxy abruptly brightened several times over. Countless streams of starlight cascaded down like a waterfall, pouring directly into the observatory. The entire area was instantly bathed in a dreamlike silvery-blue and golden hue. The stellar energy in the air was so dense it nearly liquefied.
Xu Xiaoyan had reached a critical moment. The overwhelming influx of starlight caused her Starwheel martial soul to deform. The spokes of the wheel fractured and reformed one by one, while the icy crystal gem at its center continued to expand. The intense pain made her bite her lip until it bled, yet she didn't utter a single sound.
Xu Xiaoyan's delicate body trembled. The Starwheel Ice Staff slipped uncontrollably from her grasp, hovering above her head and spinning wildly, greedily absorbing the cascading starlight. Her martial soul had never been so ravenous, like a desert parched for years suddenly encountering a torrential downpour.
"Steady your mind!" Gu Yue's voice pierced through the starlight. "Guide it, understand it, and take control of your martial soul!"
At the peak of the stellar tide, Gu La felt the soul power within him boiling like molten lava. The bottleneck at Level 49, under the impact of such immense stellar energy, had become as fragile as paper.
But he didn't rush to break through. Years of cultivation instinct told him this was the perfect moment to condense his first soul core.
"Not enough…" Gu La muttered through gritted teeth. Behind him, his Groudon martial soul manifested as a radiant sun-like phantom, while his Celebi martial soul took the form of a primeval forest, greedily absorbing the cascading starlight.
Streams of gold and silver energy surged through his meridians, causing a tearing pain.
Gu Yue was the first to notice the anomaly. "Is he fusing with the starlight?!" A flash of shock crossed her violet eyes. "Can his two martial souls really still be compatible with stellar energy?"
At the edge of the observatory, Bai Yuan abruptly straightened up. His devouring instincts allowed him to perceive the changes in energy flow more clearly than anyone else.
At this moment, Gu La was like a human vortex, madly devouring the most refined essence of the stellar tide.
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