Inside the pavilion, slightly tipsy from the wine, the moonlight was just right. The three of them spoke freely about the future, their hearts filled with grand ambitions, as if they could already see the path to godhood within their reach.
Tang Chen tilted his head back and downed another bowl of strong liquor. As the alcohol surged and his complexion flushed, he wiped his mouth, seemingly recalling something important. He reached into his robes, fumbled for a moment, and pulled out two gold-embossed crimson invitations, handing them to Yu Yuanchen and Qian Daoliu respectively.
"Here, almost forgot the main business." Tang Chen grinned, his expression a mix of pride and a hint of embarrassment. "In three months, I... ahem, I am getting married! When the time comes, you two must come to drink the wedding wine! No excuses allowed!"
Yu Yuanchen and Qian Daoliu were both taken aback as they took the invitations. Opening them, they saw it was indeed a wedding invitation for Tang Chen, the young master of the Clear Sky Sect. The bride was a woman from an affiliated family of the Clear Sky Sect, possessing both talent and beauty, with a clean background—a perfect 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, I will certainly prepare a generous gift and come to pay my respects."
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 level of a Titled Douluo, and it was only natural for the sect to arrange a marriage to stabilize his foundation and pass on his bloodline.
However, Tang Chen's sudden invitation was like a stone cast into a calm lake, sending ripples through Yu Yuanchen's heart. Subconsciously, he thought of Ye Zhilan.
He and Zhilan had known each other for a long time; their feelings were deep, and they had long since committed to one another. Now that his strength was enough to look down upon his peers and the sect was stable, it seemed... it was time to consider this lifelong matter. In this world, Zhilan's age was certainly not considered young anymore.
Once this thought emerged, it quietly took root. Perhaps it was time to discuss with his grandfather and Grandpa Ye to put the wedding on the agenda.
The next day, the morning sun rose. Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen took their leave one after another. Qian Daoliu returned to Martial Soul 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, filled with infinite longing for the future and the joy of starting a family, hurried back to the Clear Sky Sect, preparing for his grand wedding while simultaneously pondering his "forging to godhood" master plan.
After seeing them off, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan returned to its usual tranquility. Yu Yuanchen also threw himself back into his cultivation.
His self-created Yin-Yang Five Thunders Method had already taken shape; what remained was the painstaking work of constant practice, refinement, and deepening. The moves and artistic conception of his spear technique had also begun to fuse, requiring tempering through actual combat. Both paths had clear directions, needing only the slow, steady work of refinement.
So, where should the focus of his next stage of cultivation lie?
Yu Yuanchen cast his gaze toward his own Martial Soul True Body—the Thunder Sacred Dragon True Body.
The Martial Soul True Body is a qualitative change granted by a soul master's seventh soul ring, capable of greatly stimulating the Martial Soul Origin, allowing one to transform into the Martial Soul itself and exponentially increasing combat power. His Thunder Sacred Dragon True Body was the best among them, possessing unparalleled power.
However, as his strength increased and his horizons broadened, Yu Yuanchen gradually noticed a "flaw" in the Martial Soul True Body. When manifesting the True Body, transforming into a Thunder Sacred Dragon dozens of meters long or even larger was certainly awe-inspiring and possessed vast power, but when facing opponents who were not of the same size (especially human soul masters), the massive size sometimes became a burden. The power was too dispersed and not condensed enough; many exquisite techniques were difficult to execute, making it more like a "brute force" approach.
In the past, when facing enemies, he had intentionally controlled the size of his True Body, sometimes to ten meters or a few meters, in an attempt to concentrate his power. But now, upon careful introspection, he realized that even then, he had failed to bring the power of the Martial Soul True Body to its limit. That massive dragon body was more of a constraint of "form."
"Why must I maintain the form of a dragon?" A bold thought arose in Yu Yuanchen's heart. "The essence of the Martial Soul True Body is the ultimate eruption and manifestation of the Martial Soul Origin. Its core is 'power,' not 'form.' If I can control this power, why can't I maintain a human form while keeping the amplification undiminished? Why not contain the True Dragon Power within a human body?"
The human body is the Dao body, most compatible with the laws of heaven and earth, possessing natural advantages in circulating energy and executing techniques. If he could wield the True Dragon Power with a human body, it would undoubtedly push his combat power to a brand-new height—possessing both the majesty of a True Dragon and the dexterity of a human!
Thinking it, he did it. Yu Yuanchen immediately entered seclusion and began to experiment.
He channeled his soul power and invoked his seventh soul ring, but instead of letting the Martial Soul power erupt completely to change his form as usual, he attempted to forcibly constrain this power, trying to keep it within his human form while augmenting himself.
"Boom!"
The purple-gold lightning had just erupted when it instantly spiraled out of control! The terrifying thunder power surged through his body like a wild horse, frantically crashing against his meridians in an attempt to break free and reshape into the dragon form! A tearing pain shot through his meridians, and Yu Yuanchen let out a muffled groan, forced to immediately disperse his soul power as a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
The first attempt: failure!
Refusing to accept defeat, he tried again. This time, he was even more cautious, using his powerful spiritual power and soul power to control it precisely, as if taming a fiery steed. However, whenever the power of the Martial Soul True Body was invoked to a certain degree, the "instinct" originating from the Martial Soul Origin to transform into a True Dragon became incredibly strong. Forcibly maintaining the human form was like wrestling with another version of himself; it was not only a massive consumption but also yielded half the result with twice the effort.
After several failures, Yu Yuanchen stopped, his brows furrowed.
"That's not it... the problem isn't the control of the power, but something deeper." He fell into deep thought. "Does the Martial Soul... seem to have its own 'will'? Or rather, is it an 'instinct' deeply rooted in the bloodline and originating from the source?"
This discovery sent a chill through his heart. All this time, soul masters had 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." This was especially true for high-quality Martial Souls; they were born powerful and naturally carried the characteristics and... pride of their species!
A Martial Soul is a reflection of the soul and a materialization of the rules; it possesses a certain spirituality, or "instinct," of its own! Low-tier Martial Souls have weak instincts and are easy to control; while high-tier Martial Souls, especially top-tier beast and weapon souls, have stronger instincts and even carry certain characteristics of their prototypes—such as the inherent pride of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon or the killing intent of the Seven Kill Sword. The relationship between a soul master and their Martial Soul is more like symbiosis and cooperation. As cultivation levels rise and compatibility increases, the cooperation becomes more tacit.
"Just like the dragon nature eroding me... that is not just the influence of dragon power, but the arrogant nature of the Thunder Sacred Dragon Martial Soul itself, assimilating my temperament during the fusion process!" A gleam of light flashed in Yu Yuanchen's eyes as he grasped the key. "To completely control the Martial Soul True Body and achieve the 'humanoid True Dragon' state, I must first completely 'control' the Martial Soul itself! Not just simple usage, but complete understanding, fusion, and even... mastery from the level of the life origin!"
This was a path no one had ever thought of, or even considered necessary. Because under normal circumstances, as a soul master's cultivation level rises and they spend every day with their Martial Soul, the Martial Soul naturally fuses completely with the soul master, becoming indistinguishable.
If the owner of an ordinary iron sword Martial Soul is a genius who pours their heart into the sword and possesses peerless talent, spending decades pouring their heart and will into it, that iron sword Martial Soul might also undergo a transformation through subtle influence and no longer be ordinary. Conversely, if a mediocre person obtains a top-tier Martial Soul but lacks the strength of will to bear its weight, the top-tier Martial Soul might also become a pearl covered in dust, its spirituality gradually fading. (Between Ji Juechen and Yu Xiaogang, I believe they truly interpreted that famous Douluo saying: "There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless people.")
Of course, it is more likely that ordinary Martial Souls limit a genius's ceiling, while top-tier Martial Souls raise a mediocre person's starting point. On the Douluo Continent, the importance of a Martial Soul is beyond doubt.
"My Thunder Sacred Dragon Martial Soul is of extremely high quality. 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 enhancement brought by the Dragon King's Crown at the center of his brow.
"After absorbing the dragon power of the Ice Fire Dragon King and the Dragon King's Crown, the essence of my Martial Soul has undergone another leap, becoming even more powerful. However, this has also made the 'dragon' will imprint within the Martial Soul Origin deeper, stronger, and more 'ancient,' breaking the original steady fusion process. This has extended the process of complete fusion."
He did not want to passively wait for things to take their course. He wanted to use his own method to actively complete this final fusion, thereby achieving true, absolute control!
"Face it, understand it, and then... master it!"
Yu Yuanchen took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and calmed his mind.
To deeply perceive the Martial Soul Origin, the first requirement is powerful spiritual power. As it happened, since absorbing the Dragon King's Crown, his spiritual power had surged to an unfathomable realm, vast and boundless, reaching the heavens and the depths of the earth. According to his own estimation, it might have reached the level of what he remembered from later generations as the "Spirit Abyss Realm."
He cast aside all distracting thoughts, slowly gathering his vast, sea-like spiritual power. He no longer projected it outward to perceive the world, but instead, like the most meticulous tentacles, he reached toward his own bloodline origin and the depths of his soul. He wanted to actively "see" his Martial Soul and communicate with its origin consciousness, or rather... conquer it!
His consciousness sank continuously, as if traveling through endless darkness and chaos. Time lost its meaning, and after an unknown amount of time, a faint light appeared at the edge of his spiritual perception's "vision."
Yu Yuanchen "looked" over.
It was a magnificent scene that could not be described in words. Endless purple-gold lightning formed the background, like a boiling sea of thunder. And in the center of the sea of thunder, a colossal creature was coiled!
Its entire body was covered in noble purple-gold dragon scales, each one appearing as if carved from the most perfect purple-gold divine crystal, flowing with tangible lightning.
The dragon body was lithe and graceful, filled with a sense of power. As it coiled and spiraled, it radiated an ancient, vast, and supreme majesty. Its dragon eyes were closed, but its very existence carried an arrogance that looked down on all beings and stood above all things!
It was his Martial Soul—the Thunder Sacred Dragon!
Just by looking at this manifestation of his Martial Soul Origin, Yu Yuanchen could clearly feel the pressure originating from the level of life itself, as well as the pride and dominance of a top-tier dragon race deeply rooted in its soul. This pride was even more deeply ingrained than the instinctive awe toward the Silver Dragon King, because this was the manifestation of "self."
"So... this is your true face." Yu Yuanchen's spiritual thought transmitted a calm ripple.
Seemingly sensing his "gaze," the coiled Thunder Sacred Dragon phantom slowly opened its eyes!
"Roar--!!!"
What majestic Dragon Eyes those were! Composed entirely of purple-gold thunder, they seemed to contain countless worlds in cycles of life and death! A silent Dragon Roar exploded deep within the soul of Yu Yuanchen, carrying scrutiny, majesty, and a hint of... displeasure at being offended!
The terrifying Dragon Might was like a physical substance, slamming against the Spiritual Power of Yu Yuanchen. In the past, he might have felt discomfort. But at this moment, his Spiritual Power was like a boulder, standing unmoved. His thought remained calm, even carrying a trace of inquiry:
"You are me, and I am you. Why resist?"
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 on high rather than "fusing" with its host. It acknowledged Yu Yuanchen, yet it did not want to be controlled by him.
Yu Yuanchen understood. A complete Fusion was not merely a simple blending of power, but a contest of wills—a collision and unification between the will of the "human" and the nature of the "dragon"!
He no longer hesitated. With a shift of his thought, the liquefied Thunder True Essence in his Dantian spun frantically at an unprecedented speed. Pure and vast Thunder True Essence, like a burst dam, surged along a mysterious connection and slammed into the space manifested by the Martial Soul Origin!
At the same time, the Dragon King's Crown at the center of his brow grew slightly hot. A trace of an even more ancient, even more supreme aura of the Thunder Dragon King permeated the space; though faint, it carried an absolute suppression in terms of status! Yet, Yu Yuanchen did not use it. He wanted to conquer his Martial Soul fair and square using his own power.
"Today, I shall use my will and my power to help you... and in doing so, help myself, to complete this final Fusion!"
The Thunder True Essence of Yu Yuanchen transformed into an intangible, yet incredibly firm "bridge," forcibly connecting to the proudly standing phantom of the Thunder Sacred Dragon!
"Rumble--!"
Within the Martial Soul space, it felt as if the world were being split open! The purple-gold Sea of Thunder boiled completely. The Thunder Sacred Dragon phantom let out a roar of fury, its Dragon Body swaying as endless thunder bombarded the will of Yu Yuanchen! This was its instinctive resistance, the counterattack of a top-tier Martial Soul's dignity!
The will of Yu Yuanchen was like a lone boat in the Raging Waves, yet it remained as steady as a mountain. He displayed his comprehension of the Thunder Law, his control over the Yin-Yang changes, and even that trace of transcendent Artistic Conception gained from the Thunder God Inheritance without reservation, presenting them like the most magnificent Scroll Painting 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 toward a future far more glorious than the present!
This was not Destruction, but Fusion! It was the act of forcibly breaking that final barrier, allowing the heart of the "human" and the power of the "dragon" to blend completely like water and milk, becoming indistinguishable!
The process was painful and long. Every collision of wills felt as if his soul were being torn apart and reconstructed. But the Dao heart of Yu Yuanchen was indestructible; his desire for control over power and his pursuit of transcending limits supported him through this agony that was unimaginable to ordinary people.
Gradually, the roar of the Thunder Sacred Dragon phantom faded in its fury, replaced by a hint of bewilderment, followed by a trace of recognition... That arrogant dragon head slowly, slowly lowered toward the "bridge" formed by the will of Yu Yuanchen.
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 surged through his entire body! It was as if some innate shackle had been broken! There was no longer the slightest barrier between him and the Thunder Sacred Dragon Martial Soul; he had truly reached the perfect state of "I am the Martial Soul, and the Martial Soul is me"!
In the quiet meditation room, Yu Yuanchen suddenly opened his eyes!
In his pupils, purple-gold electric light flashed and vanished. It was not the overbearing, outward display of the past, but deep and restrained, as if containing an entire thunderous universe. He moved his thought, not even manifesting a Soul Ring, yet the Soul Power naturally flowing around him carried a trace of the pure Thunder Sacred Dragon origin aura that only appeared when activating the Martial Soul True Body! Majestic, noble, and powerful!
He attempted to trigger the power of his seventh Soul Ring once more. This time, that vast power did not attempt to change his form; instead, it docilely and perfectly merged into his limbs and bones, filling his Meridians, flesh, and skeleton! His physique did not change in the slightest; he remained in human form, but beneath his skin, faint purple-gold Scale Pattern markings appeared and vanished. The pressure radiating from his body, however, was more condensed and terrifying than when he had transformed into a giant dragon in the past!
The Humanoid True Dragon had begun to emerge!
"Success..." Yu Yuanchen felt the terrifying power within his body, which was as responsive as his own arm and condensed into one, and a satisfied arc curled at the corner of his mouth.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan