Chapter 99: Martial Soul Instinct, Facing the Sacred Dragon
Inside the pavilion, the wine was mellow, and the moonlight was just right. The three of them spoke freely about the future, their hearts filled with ambition, as if the path to godhood was already in sight.
Tang Chen poured another bowl of strong liquor, the alcohol rising to his head, his face flushing red. He wiped his mouth, seemingly having suddenly remembered something important, reached into his chest and fumbled for a moment, then pulled out two gold-stamped bright red invitation cards, handing them respectively to Yu Yuanchen and Qian Daoliu.
"Well, almost forgot the main business." Tang Chen grinned, with a smile that was both proud and a little embarrassed, "In three months, I... cough, cough, I'm getting married! You two must come to drink the wedding wine! No declining!"
Yu Yuanchen and Qian Daoliu were both taken aback as they took the invitations. Opening them, they saw it was indeed the wedding invitation for Tang Chen, the Young Lord of the Clear Sky Sect. The bride was a woman from an affiliated Family of the Clear Sky Sect who was excellent in both talent and character; her Family background was clean, and she could be considered a match for Tang Chen.
Qian Daoliu elegantly closed the invitation and nodded slightly, revealing a rare, gentle smile: "Congratulations, Brother Tang. A match made in heaven, this is a joyous occasion. When the time comes, Qian will surely prepare a generous gift and come to disturb you."
Yu Yuanchen also smiled and cupped his hands: "Congratulations, Brother Tang! I will definitely be there to drink this wedding wine." His heart stirred slightly; Tang Chen was now over thirty, his cultivation had reached the Realm of a Titled Douluo, and it was perfectly normal for the Sect to arrange a marriage for him to stabilize his Foundation, pass on his Bloodline, and secure his Legacy.
However, this sudden wedding invitation from Tang Chen was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples in Yu Yuanchen's heart. He subconsciously thought of Ye Zhilan.
He and Zhilan had known each other for a long time, their feelings were deep, and they had long since identified each other as the one. Now that his strength was enough to look down upon his peers and the Sect was stable, it seemed... it was time to consider the matter of lifelong significance. At her age, in this World, it was indeed not small.
Once this thought arose, it quietly took root. Perhaps it was time to discuss with his grandfather and Grandpa Ye and put the marriage on the agenda.
The next day, the morning sun rose. Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen left one after another. Qian Daoliu returned to Spirit Hall, preparing to enter seclusion to digest what he had gained from this sparring session and to begin planning the dissemination of the Soul Core Method.
Tang Chen, carrying infinite longing for the future and the joy of starting a Family, hurried back to the Clear Sky Sect, preparing for the wedding while also pondering his "forging to become a god" grand plan.
After sending the two away, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect returned to its former tranquility. Yu Yuanchen also poured his focus back into his cultivation.
The self-created "Yin and Yang Five Thunders Orthodox Method" had taken initial shape, and the rest was just the grinding work of constant practice, perfection, and deepening. The Moves and Concept of his spear technique had also initially fused and needed to be tempered in actual combat. These two paths had clear directions and only required grinding.
So, where should the focus of his next training be?
Yu Yuanchen turned his gaze to his own Martial Soul True Body — the Thunder Sacred Dragon True Body.
The Martial Soul True Body was a qualitative change ability granted by a Soul Master's seventh Soul Ring, which could greatly stimulate the Origin power of the Martial Soul, incarnating as the Martial Soul itself and causing combat power to explode. His Thunder Sacred Dragon True Body was even more outstanding among them, with unparalleled power.
However, with the increase in strength and the broadening of his horizons, Yu Yuanchen gradually noticed a "flaw" in the Martial Soul True Body. When using the True Body, turning into a Thunder Sacred Dragon dozens of meters long or even larger was indeed awe-inspiring and powerful, but when facing opponents who were not of the same size (especially human Soul Masters), the huge size could sometimes become a burden. The power was too dispersed, not condensed enough, many exquisite Moves were difficult to perform, and it was more like a "brute force" approach that relied on power to suppress others.
In the past, when dealing with enemies, he had also intentionally controlled the size of the True Body, sometimes ten meters, sometimes a few meters, to seek more concentrated power. But now, contemplating carefully, he found that even so, he had failed to bring the power of the Martial Soul True Body to the limit. That huge dragon body was more of a constraint of "form."
"Why must I maintain the form of a dragon?" A bold thought rose in Yu Yuanchen's heart, "The essence of the Martial Soul True Body is the ultimate outbreak and manifestation of the Martial Soul's Origin power. Its core is 'power,' not 'form.' If I can control this power, why can't I maintain a human form while keeping its amplification undiminished? Embedding the True Dragon power within the human body?"
The human body is the Dao body, which is most compatible with the Laws of heaven and earth, and has natural advantages in circulating energy and performing techniques. If he could control the True Dragon power with a human body, it would undoubtedly push his combat power to a whole new height — having both the might of a True Dragon and the dexterity of a human body!
Thinking of it, he did it. Yu Yuanchen immediately went into seclusion and began to try.
He activated his Soul Power and triggered the seventh Soul Ring, but instead of letting the Martial Soul power fully erupt and change form as usual, he tried to forcibly constrain this power, attempting to bless himself while maintaining a human form.
"Boom!"
The purple-gold thunder light had just erupted when it instantly went out of control! The terrifying thunder power was like a wild horse losing its reins, crashing crazily within his body, trying to break free from the constraints and reshape the dragon form! A tearing pain came from his Meridians, and Yu Yuanchen gave a muffled groan, having to immediately disperse his Soul Power, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
The first attempt, failed!
He didn't believe in failure and tried again. This time, he was more cautious, using powerful Spiritual Power and Soul Power to control it precisely, as if riding a fierce horse. However, whenever the power of the Martial Soul True Body was triggered to a certain extent, the "instinct" originating from the Martial Soul's Origin to transform into a True Dragon would become incomparably strong. Forcibly maintaining the human form was like wrestling with another self, which was not only huge in consumption but also half the result with twice the effort.
After several failures, Yu Yuanchen stopped, his brows locked.
"Not right... the problem is not in the control of power, but at a deeper level." He fell into deep thought, "The Martial Soul... seems to have its own 'will'? Or rather, is it an 'instinct' deeply rooted in the Bloodline and originating from the Origin?"
This discovery made his heart tremble. For a long time, Soul Masters believed that the Martial Soul was a part of themselves, to be used as easily as an arm. But perhaps, they had never truly "controlled" their Martial Souls; it was more of a "symbiosis" and "guidance." High-quality Martial Souls were especially so; they were born powerful and also carried their race's characteristics and... arrogance!
The Martial Soul is a reflection of the Soul and a material manifestation of the Rules; it possesses a certain spirituality, or "instinct," itself! Low-level Martial Souls have weak instincts and are easy to control; while high-level Martial Souls, especially top-tier Beast Spirits and Tool Spirits, have stronger instincts and even carry certain characteristics of their prototypes — such as the arrogance that comes with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, and the killing intent that comes with the Seven Kill Sword Martial Soul. The relationship between a Soul Master and a Martial Soul is more like a symbiosis and cooperation. As cultivation increases and compatibility increases, the cooperation becomes more tacit.
"Just like the dragon nature erosion in my body... that is not just the influence of dragon power, but the arrogant nature of the Thunder Sacred Dragon Martial Soul itself, assimilating my Heart-Nature during the process of Fusion with me!" Yu Yuanchen's eyes flashed, grasping the key, "To completely control the Martial Soul True Body and achieve the state of 'human-shaped True Dragon,' one must first completely 'control' the Martial Soul itself! Not simple usage, but complete understanding, Fusion, and even... mastery from the level of Life Origin!"
This was a path no one had ever thought of, and no one even thought was necessary. Because under normal circumstances, as a Soul Master's cultivation increases and they spend time with their Martial Soul, the Martial Soul will naturally and completely fuse with the Soul Master, making them indistinguishable.
A common iron sword Martial Soul, if its owner is a Genius who pours his feelings into the sword and is amazingly talented, pouring his heart and will into it for decades, this iron sword Martial Soul may also undergo a transformation in a subtle way and no longer be ordinary. Conversely, if a mediocre person obtains a top-tier Martial Soul, if their will is not firm and they cannot bear its weight, the top-tier Martial Soul may also lose its luster and spirituality. (One Ji Juechen, one Yu Xiaogang, I think they truly interpreted the Douluo famous saying "There is no useless Martial Soul, only useless people.")
Of course, it is more likely that ordinary Martial Souls limit the upper limit of a Genius, while top-tier Martial Souls raise the starting point of mediocre people. On the Douluo Continent, the importance of the Martial Soul is beyond doubt.
"My Thunder Sacred Dragon Martial Soul is of very high quality. Originally, with my current cultivation and compatibility, it should have been completely fused long ago. But..." Yu Yuanchen looked inward, feeling the vast dragon power hidden deep in his Bloodline and the Origin improvement brought by the dragon kings crown at the center of his brow.
"After absorbing the dragon power of the Ice and Fire Dragon King and the dragon kings crown, the essence of my Martial Soul has undergone another leap, becoming more powerful, but it also made the will imprint of 'Dragon' in the Martial Soul Origin deeper, stronger, and more 'ancient,' breaking the original steady growth process of Fusion. This has prolonged the process of complete Fusion."
He didn't want to wait passively for things to happen naturally. He wanted to use his own method to actively complete this final Fusion, thereby achieving true and absolute control!
"Face it, understand it, and then... master it!"
Yu Yuanchen took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and held his breath.
And to perceive the Martial Soul Origin deeply, the first priority is powerful Spiritual Power. Coincidentally, since absorbing the dragon kings crown, his Spiritual Power had skyrocketed to an unimaginable Realm, like an abyss, vast and boundless, reaching from the heavens to the Yellow Springs. According to his own estimation, it might have reached the level of the so-called "Martial Soul Abyss Realm" in his memories of later generations.
He discarded all distracting thoughts, slowly gathering his vast, sea-like Spiritual Power, no longer releasing it to perceive the World, but like the finest tentacles, exploring toward his own Bloodline Origin and the depths of his Soul. He wanted to actively "see" his own Martial Soul and communicate with its Origin consciousness, or rather... conquer it!
His consciousness sank continuously, as if crossing endless darkness and Chaos. Time lost its meaning, and after an unknown amount of time, at the end of his Spiritual perception's "field of vision," a glimmer of light appeared.
Yu Yuanchen "looked" over.
It was a magnificent scene that could not be described in words. Endless purple-gold thunder formed the background, like a boiling sea of thunder. And in the center of the thunder sea, a behemoth was coiled!
It was covered with noble purple-gold dragon scales, each scale appearing to be carved from the most perfect purple-gold divine crystal, flowing with substantial thunder light.
The dragon body was strong and graceful, full of a sense of power, winding and coiling, emitting an ancient, vast, and supreme majesty. A pair of dragon eyes were closed, but its very existence carried an arrogance that looked down on all living things and transcended all things!
It was his Martial Soul — the Thunder Sacred Dragon!
Just looking at this manifestation of the Martial Soul Origin, Yu Yuanchen could clearly feel the oppression originating from the level of Life, as well as the pride and dominance belonging to the top-tier Dragon Clan deeply rooted in its Soul. This pride was even more deeply rooted than the instinctive awe of the Silver Dragon King, because this was the manifestation of "self."
"So... this is your true face." Yu Yuanchen's Spiritual intention transmitted a calm fluctuation.
Seeming to sense his "gaze," the coiled Thunder Sacred Dragon phantom slowly opened its eyes!
"Roar —!!!"
What majestic dragon eyes! They were purely composed of purple-gold thunder, and within them, it seemed as if countless Worlds were being born and destroyed! A silent dragon roar exploded in the depths of Yu Yuanchen's Soul, carrying scrutiny, majesty, and a trace of... displeasure at being offended!
The terrifying dragon might impacted Yu Yuanchen's Martial Soul like a physical force. In the past, he might have felt uncomfortable. But at this moment, Yu Yuanchen's Spiritual Power was like a rock, unmoved. His intention remained calm, even with a hint of inquiry:
"You are me, and I am you. Why repel me?"
Responding to him was even more violent thunder and even more arrogant dragon might! The instinct of the Martial Soul resisted this "equal" communication; it seemed more accustomed to "bestowing" power from a high position rather than "fusing" with the host. It recognized Yu Yuanchen, but it also did not want to be controlled by him.
Yu Yuanchen understood. Complete Fusion was not just a simple blending of power, but a contest of will, a collision and unification of the "human" will and the "dragon" nature!
He did not hesitate, his heart moved, and the liquefied Thunder Soul Core in his Dantian spun crazily at an unprecedented speed. The pure and vast Thunder True Essence, like a bursting flood, rushed fiercely into the space where the Martial Soul Origin was manifested along a mysterious connection!
At the same time, the dragon kings crown at the center of his brow heated up slightly, and a trace of more ancient, more supreme Thunder Dragon King aura permeated out. Although weak, it carried an absolute suppression in terms of status! But Yu Yuanchen did not use it; he wanted to use his own power to conquer his own Martial Soul fair and square.
"Today, I will use my will and my power to help you... and also help myself, to complete this final Fusion!"
Yu Yuanchen's Thunder True Essence turned into an invisible, intangible, yet incredibly firm "bridge," forcibly connecting to the proudly standing Thunder Sacred Dragon phantom!
"Rumble —!"
Within the Martial Soul space, it was as if the heaven and earth were being created! The purple-gold thunder sea boiled completely, the Thunder Sacred Dragon phantom let out an angry roar, its dragon body swayed, and endless thunder bombarded Yu Yuanchen's will! This was its instinctive resistance, a counterattack of a top-tier Martial Soul's dignity!
Yu Yuanchen's will was like a lone boat in a stormy sea, yet as stable as Mount Tai. He displayed his understanding of the Thunder Law, his control over the changes of Yin and Yang, and even that trace of transcendent Concept he obtained from the Thunder God's Legacy, without reservation, like the most magnificent painting, displayed before the Martial Soul Origin.
He was proving to his own Martial Soul that he, Yu Yuanchen, was qualified to be its true master and had the ability to lead it to a future far more brilliant than the present!
This was not destruction, but Fusion! It was forcibly breaking that last barrier, allowing the "human" heart and the "dragon" power to completely blend, indistinguishable from each other!
The process was painful and long; every collision of will was like his Soul being torn apart and reassembled. But Yu Yuanchen's Dao Heart was indestructible, and his desire to control power and his pursuit of transcending limits supported him through this ordeal that was unimaginable to ordinary people.
Gradually, in the roar of the Thunder Sacred Dragon phantom, the anger faded, replaced by a trace of confusion, and then a trace of recognition... That arrogant dragon head slowly, slowly, lowered toward the "bridge" formed by Yu Yuanchen's will.
The moment the dragon head touched the bridge of will —
"Hum!"
Yu Yuanchen felt his entire Soul tremble! A sense of unprecedented harmony and clarity flooded his whole body! It was as if some innate shackle had been broken! Between him and the Thunder Sacred Dragon Martial Soul, there was no longer any barrier, truly reaching the perfect compatibility state of "I am the Martial Soul, the Martial Soul is me"!
In the quiet room of seclusion, Yu Yuanchen opened his eyes abruptly!
In his eyes, purple-gold electric light flashed and disappeared, not as domineering and outward as before, but deep and restrained, as if containing the entire thunder Universe. His heart stirred, and without activating his Soul Ring, the Soul Power flowing naturally around his body carried a trace of the pure Thunder Sacred Dragon Origin aura that only appeared when the Martial Soul True Body was activated! Majestic, noble, powerful!
He tried to trigger the power of the seventh Soul Ring again. This time, the vast power was no longer trying to change his form, but was obediently and perfectly integrated into his limbs and bones, filling his Meridians, flesh, and bones! His size did not change at all, still in human form, but under the skin, faint purple-gold dragon scale patterns emerged and faded, and the pressure emitted from his body was even more condensed and terrifying than when he transformed into a giant dragon in the past!
Human-shaped True Dragon, the first signs appeared!
"It worked..." Yu Yuanchen felt the terrifying power in his body that he could use as easily as an arm and was condensed into one, and a satisfied arc hooked at the corner of his mouth.
Want To Read More Chapters? Check Out 80+Advanced Chapters At PA Treon
patreon.com/SloppyGuy