Ye Zhilan's train of thought was like a lamp lit in the darkness, instantly illuminating the direction for the problem that had troubled her and Gu Yuena for so long. She couldn't wait to elaborate on this concept of a "Dual Form Contract" to Gu Yuena, who had just finished a brief seclusion and come over to discuss their progress.
"...So, Sister Na, the key to the problem might not be that the soul beasts' bodies are 'not strong enough,' but that their growth patterns are mismatched with the speed of cultivation improvement we are forcibly injecting into them!" Ye Zhilan spoke rapidly, her fair cheeks flushed with excitement. "If we can use the contract to temporarily 'deceive' or 'regulate' the soul beast's body, allowing them to maintain a relatively small 'Normal Form' during non-combat times—a form where energy can be meticulously controlled—the soul beast's physical growth would slow down significantly. This would focus more on the purification and compression of soul power, as well as the cultivation of energy control, similar to the way we human soul masters cultivate."
She picked up a pen and drew two diagrams on a blank scroll. "And when combat is needed, we can instantly lift this 'suppression' through the contract and guide the soul power to stimulate the body, temporarily triggering a 'Combat Form' that is closer to its natural size and strength for its corresponding age! Although this form consumes a massive amount of energy and cannot be sustained for long, it is sufficient to meet combat needs. Moreover, as time passes, even if the soul beast's cultivation level stagnates, its body will slowly and safely grow naturally under the subtle influence of the contract, eventually reaching a normal size that matches its cultivation."
Gu Yuena listened quietly. In those deep purple eyes, there was initial surprise, followed by a flash of imperceptible realization and... a faint sense of shame. She had also been troubled by this matter for a long time, even becoming paranoid enough to believe it was an invisible shackle placed on the soul beast race by the rules of the God Realm—an obstacle deliberately set by those high-and-mighty gods. She had even felt resentful about it, inwardly cursing the God Realm for being shameless.
Unexpectedly, the root of the problem was so "simple," concerning the most basic growth laws and energy compatibility of living organisms, rather than some mysterious rule restriction.
Could it be that I was the one stuck in a dead end, measuring a gentleman's heart with my own... Silver Dragon Heart? Gu Yuena felt embarrassed, but given her pride, she could never admit that she had been thinking in the wrong direction. She quickly composed herself, her face returning to its usual cold and noble expression, and thought with forced calm: Fortunately, I never spoke these speculations aloud. Since no one knows, it is as if I never thought them at all. Yes, that must be it.
She cast this small embarrassment to the back of her mind and began to seriously consider the feasibility of Ye Zhilan's concept. The more she thought about it, the brighter her purple eyes became. This line of thinking broke away from the rut of simply strengthening the physical body and started from the adaptability of life forms, cleverly combining the inherent growth patterns of soul beasts with the efficient energy cultivation methods of human soul masters. It was truly a stroke of genius!
"Dual form... accumulation and refinement in the normal state, eruption in the combat state..." Gu Yuena muttered to herself, her fingertips tapping the table unconsciously. A faint silver halo circulated around her, the result of her powerful Spiritual Power performing high-speed deductions. "Theoretically... it is feasible! The power of the contract is essentially a bridge between soul and energy. If we add 'marking' and 'switching' commands for life forms into it, supplemented by corresponding energy circulation patterns... perhaps we can draw inspiration from the innate 'Size Manipulation' or 'Combat Berserk' abilities of some high-level soul beasts..."
She looked up at Ye Zhilan, her eyes filled with approval and excitement. "Zhilan, this idea of yours is excellent! It hits the nail on the head! This might be the correct path for the symbiotic contract between soul beasts and soul masters! Our previous research direction was indeed skewed!"
Encouraged by Gu Yuena's affirmation, Ye Zhilan's confidence grew even more, and she said joyfully, "Sister Na, you think it's feasible too? That's great! Let's focus our energy on how to use the contract runes to achieve stable marking, safe switching, and seamless energy supply for these forms!"
"Mm!" Gu Yuena nodded heavily, her passion as a researcher completely ignited. "There is no time to lose. Let's immediately start organizing the existing contract models, focusing on analyzing the soul imprints and energy circuit characteristics of soul beasts with transformation talents..."
The two women immediately threw themselves into a heated discussion. All sorts of profound soul beast knowledge, energy theories, and rune configurations were exchanged rapidly between them. They were completely immersed in the world of academia, temporarily "leaving" Yu Yuanchen to the side.
Yu Yuanchen was happy to be idle. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, watching his wife and Gu Yuena discuss with a smile. Although he was not well-versed in this field, he could feel the sparks of wisdom flying from their collision of thoughts. He felt proud of Ye Zhilan and was happy to see it happen. If they succeeded, it would be a subversive change for the relationship between soul beasts and humans.
At this moment, Gu Yuena seemed to finally pull herself away from the intense discussion and cast her gaze toward the quietly observing Yu Yuanchen. Deep in her eyes, a trace of extremely subtle gravity and scrutiny flashed by.
Long before Yu Yuanchen stepped into the research institute, Gu Yuena's keen perception as the Silver Dragon King had already detected the changes in him. Now, sensing him carefully, she was secretly shocked. Yu Yuanchen's aura was as deep as the sea, restrained to the extreme, but the pressure of his life level could not be faked. His strength had definitely stepped into the absolute peak level below the god level; perhaps... it was already no less than that of Beast God Di Tian, who had guarded the Core Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest for countless years!
Perhaps in terms of total soul power, the depth of his understanding of the laws of heaven and earth, and the foundation accumulated over long years, Yu Yuanchen was still not yet a match for Di Tian, but in terms of combat power alone, he was definitely standing on the same level! What shocked Gu Yuena even more was that the Dragon Bloodline within Yu Yuanchen seemed to have undergone some kind of qualitative change along with his breakthrough in cultivation, becoming more pure and noble, faintly... approaching the level of a true Dragon King! This meant that with Yu Yuanchen's talent, he likely had the potential to achieve the God King Level in the future!
Although the dragon race had the Nine Great Dragon Kings at its peak, all at the God King Level, a large part of the reason the Nine Great Dragon Kings had that strength was thanks to the Dragon God, the Supreme God King. Otherwise, a normal Dragon King's strength would at most be at the peak of a First-level God.
Currently, the Golden Dragon King of the soul beast race was sealed in the God Realm, and only she, the severely injured Silver Dragon King, was holding the fort. The remaining Fierce Beasts were limited and couldn't even reach the god level; it was truly a lonely struggle. Having an ally with the potential of a God King was simply too important.
Gu Yuena's thoughts raced. It seems that the strategy for dealing with humans, especially this person and his associated forces, needs to be more cautious. Perhaps... cooperation is far more beneficial than confrontation. I might even need to use some means.
Several thoughts flashed through her mind, but her face revealed nothing. Instead, she showed a perfectly measured, slightly distant yet polite smile and took the initiative to speak, her voice as clear as jade clashing. "Young Master Yu, long time no see. Congratulations on your great improvement in cultivation. Are you planning to stay in the sect for a long time after returning this time?"
Hearing this, Yu Yuanchen stood up calmly, met Gu Yuena's gaze, smiled slightly, and returned the salute. "Miss Gu Yue, it has been a long time. Thank you for your concern. I will indeed be staying for a while this time to accompany Zhilan and handle some Sect Affairs."
His attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, calm and composed. With his strength elevated to the half-step god level, facing Gu Yuena, the Master of Soul Beasts and avatar of the Silver Dragon King, Yu Yuanchen no longer felt much trepidation. He knew that as long as he did not actively touch the core interests of the Star Dou Great Forest (such as hunting top-tier Fierce Beasts or destroying the Lake of Life), with the consistently steady (or even "cautious") style of Fierce Beasts like Di Tian and Bi Ji, they would never easily start a life-and-death battle with a powerhouse like him. After all, a mutual destruction would benefit no one.
Moreover, Yu Yuanchen still held an unrevealed trump card—the attention of the God Realm. Judging from how Tang Chen inexplicably obtained the inheritance of the God of Strength, the gaze of the God Realm had likely already turned toward the Douluo Continent. If he were truly pushed to a dead end, he wouldn't mind finding a way to "remind" the God Realm that there was a "wild" Thunder God successor with amazing potential being "bullied" by a soul beast bigwig... He believed that the God of Destruction, who valued "talent" highly, would be very happy to intervene.
Of course, these were all worst-case scenarios. For now, cooperating with Gu Yuena and Ye Zhilan to research the Way of Beast Taming for mutual benefit was the optimal solution that served everyone's interests.
Gu Yuena was no ordinary person; she could naturally feel the composure and confidence that stemmed from Yu Yuanchen's strength. She sighed inwardly, realizing that this young man had truly come into his own. He was no longer a "potential stock" that needed to be treated with caution, but an "Overlord" worthy of equal dialogue, or even one that needed to be taken seriously.
Her smile remained unchanged as she followed the topic. "With the Young Master here, Sister Zhi Lan's research can proceed with more peace of mind. If this 'Dual Form Contract' succeeds, it will be a blessing for both soul beasts and human soul masters. My Star Dou Great Forest is also willing to provide more soul beast samples with transformation talents and related knowledge to help you both succeed sooner."
This statement was both a gesture of support and a subtle reminder: cooperation could be deepened, but the foundation and importance of the Star Dou Great Forest could not be ignored.
Yu Yuanchen was sharp and immediately understood her meaning, responding gracefully, "Miss Gu Yue is broad-minded, and I admire that. If this matter succeeds, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Ye Family will never forget the friendship of the Myriad Beast Sect. In the future, I hope we can communicate more on the path of beast taming."
The two looked at each other and smiled. Although they each had their own agendas, they had reached a consensus on the general direction of "promoting the research of the beast taming contract." For a moment, the atmosphere in the research room seemed quite harmonious.
Watching her husband and Sister Gu Yue exchange hidden barbs in their words yet ultimately move toward cooperation, Ye Zhilan felt relieved and felt an even greater sense of responsibility for her research. This contract method might become an important bridge connecting the two great races of humans and soul beasts.
"Brother Yuanchen, Sister Gu Yue, since the direction is set, let's not delay. Let's start organizing the data and redesigning the Core Contract Rune!" Ye Zhilan said, full of drive.
"Agreed," Yu Yuanchen and Gu Yuena replied in unison.
Yu Yuanchen walked to Ye Zhilan's side and said gently, "You and Miss Gu Yue focus on the research; I will act as your Guardian. If you need to conduct experiments or require powerful soul power support, call me at any time."
His presence was, in itself, the strongest backing and resource.
Ye Zhilan felt a warmth in her heart and nodded heavily.
Thus, the research institute was once again filled with a busy and hopeful atmosphere. Ye Zhilan and Gu Yuena buried themselves in the vast data and profound runes, constantly deducing, verifying, and adjusting the model of the "Dual Form Contract." Meanwhile, Yu Yuanchen sat quietly to the side, his aura faintly connected to the entire research institute. He was not only acting as a Guardian but also silently comprehending this marvelous process involving the essence of life and the changes in rules, gaining a deeper understanding of his own "Dao."
A new path that might change the landscape of the continent was quietly unfolding during these seemingly ordinary research days. And the relationship between Yu Yuanchen and various forces, along with the rise of his strength, had entered a brand new, more subtle stage. The waves of the future might just ripple out from this small research institute.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan