With the proposal of the "Planar Passage Array" project, the focus of the Federal Research Institute shifted dramatically.
The original technical roadmap, which focused on the extreme enhancement of the single artifact known as the "Hell Gate," turned toward the research, development, and manufacturing of a large-scale, clustered array of Soul Tools.
This was undoubtedly a much larger and more complex system engineering project, but its advantage lay in the ability to fully leverage the Federation's strengths in the industrial production of Soul Tool Technology and resource allocation, which promised to significantly shorten the time required to construct the planar passage.
However, this shift also meant that the heavy burden of execution fell almost entirely upon the institute's team of Soul Masters and Tang Chen, who was responsible for material supply, along with the elites of the Clear Sky Sect under his command.
The Soul Masters at the institute needed to design thousands of "Planar Passage Stabilizer" prototypes that were simplified in function yet stable in performance and capable of precise coordination, while also establishing rigorous production processes and quality standards.
This required massive amounts of calculation, repeated simulation experiments, and countless failures and adjustments. The chief Soul Master led the core team and practically lived in the laboratory; the data streams flowing across the light screens never ceased.
Tang Chen's task was more direct and brutal—to provide enough high-quality metal materials! Rare Metals with spatial attributes, in particular, were the core of building the stabilizers.
Tang Chen was under immense pressure. Although the disciples of the Clear Sky Sect had become increasingly proficient in "Spirit Forging" techniques, he remained the only one capable of touching the threshold of "Soul Forging."
This meant that all the "Soul Forge Grade" spatial-attribute metals planned for the core of the array had to be hammered out by his own hands, one strike at a time.
This heroic Clear Sky Douluo had to temporarily restrain his fiery temper and transform into the most focused master blacksmith, immersing himself day and night in the roar of the forging furnace and the bellows.
Tang Chen sweated like rain every day, the sound of his hammer ringing out as if he were soaking in a furnace, yet his eyes grew increasingly scorching; his forging skills also improved rapidly through this high-intensity practice.
In contrast, Yu Yuanchen, who had initially completed his own breakthrough (Spirit Origin Realm) and the key node of the plan (obtaining the Saint Demon Mark), found himself temporarily at leisure.
The macro-strategic direction had been set, and the specific technical implementation and resource security were being coordinated by Qian Chongshan, with Tang Chen and the institute in charge; he only needed to make the final call when encountering major decisions or technical bottlenecks.
This rare bit of free time allowed Yu Yuanchen to finally devote some of his energy to his family, whom he had slightly neglected due to continental affairs. Especially his two children, who were gradually growing up—Yu Yunting and Yu Yunyao.
Time flew by; the children who once needed their parents' protection were now fifteen-year-old youths, their Cultivation Level having reached an astonishing Level 48, making them dazzling stars among the younger generation.
Although Yu Yuanchen and Ye Zhilan had spent little time with their children over the years due to Federal affairs on the Sun Moon Continent and their own cultivation, they never forgot their responsibilities as parents.
With his increasingly profound understanding of the Space Law (especially thanks to the "selfless" sharing by Di Tian and the Evil Emperor, as well as the subtle help from Gu Yuena), Yu Yuanchen was already able to rely on his own formidable strength to tear through space relatively stably for ultra-long-distance travel.
Although it was not as precise or smooth as the Hell Gate, it was more than enough for traveling between the Douluo Continent and the Sun Moon Continent. It was just that the environment within the Space Channel remained violent, and it was difficult for anyone below the Titled Douluo level to endure.
Therefore, in recent years, Yu Yuanchen and Ye Zhilan would often find time to return to their home on the Douluo Continent for short stays.
Under the impetus of the Plant God trial, Ye Zhilan's Cultivation Level had also reached the peak of Level 98, enough to ignore the turbulence of space travel.
Sometimes, under the protection of his own Thunder Divine Essence, Yu Yuanchen would even take his two children through the Space Channel to the Sun Moon Continent, allowing them to personally experience the new world their father helped create, broaden their horizons, and witness the local customs and traditions and Soul Tool Technology that differed from the Douluo Continent.
Yu Yunting and Yu Yunyao were also full of curiosity and identification with that "second homeland," which was full of life and hope and had been co-created by their parents.
It is worth mentioning Ye Zhilan's opportunity. The "Plant God" position she inherited had a rather special origin.
It was not an ordinary Second-level Deity position; the former Plant God was quite powerful, serving as the first subordinate god under the Life Goddess, one of the five great gods of the God Realm. She was a profound First-level God whose strength was not inferior to the seven Elemental Main Gods.
Unfortunately, during the later Dragon God Rebellion, the Plant God died, and the divine position was damaged, scattering into fragments. Even after the Life Goddess tried her best to search for them, she only found nearly sixty percent of the fragments. After some repairs, it could only maintain the level of a peak Second-level Deity.
However, although its status had dropped to a peak Second-level, its foundation and the completeness of its inheritance were far beyond that of ordinary Second-level deities, and the requirements for the successor were much harsher.
The Life Goddess, who acted as the proxy for the divine trials, was not like that guy Poseidon who was in a hurry to run away; she was responsible and strictly adhered to the rules of the divine trials, refusing to lower the bar, which led to it being left vacant for countless years.
The Life Goddess was somewhat helpless about this, but she could only shelve the matter.
The reason the Life Goddess noticed Ye Zhilan was that when her husband, the God of Destruction, was talking to her, he mentioned by chance that a good seedling had appeared on the Douluo Continent who had obtained the inheritance of the Thunder God and would surely become a top-tier First-level Main God in the future, and might even have a chance to touch the threshold of the God King Level.
This immediately aroused the curiosity of the Life Goddess, who paid attention to Yu Yuanchen and thus discovered the existence of Ye Zhilan.
After noticing Ye Zhilan, who possessed both excellent talent and character, the Life Goddess found that her compatibility with the Plant God position was extremely high. Even more rare was that Ye Zhilan had unknowingly condensed a significant amount of pure Power of Faith due to her benevolent act of helping to create the "Way of Beast Taming," which benefited soul beasts and promised to ease the relationship between humans and soul beasts.
This allowed her to see the potential for Ye Zhilan to repair and even restore the glory of the Plant God's First-level God position in the future.
Therefore, the Life Goddess did not set overly harsh early divine trials and, as an exception, handed the divine position to Ye Zhilan in advance for her to comprehend, setting the Eighth Trial as "Repair Divine Position."
She encouraged her to use her own efforts and understanding of the laws to make up for the deficiencies of the divine position. There was no fixed number for how much needed to be repaired; how much she could repair depended on Ye Zhilan's own ability. The more she repaired, the greater the reward.
Furthermore, in the information provided with the Eighth Trial, the Life Goddess clearly stated that Ye Zhilan had the hope of restoring the Plant God position to the level of a First-level God.
After receiving the divine inheritance, Ye Zhilan happily told Yu Yuanchen this good news, and Yu Yuanchen was quite happy to hear it.
After all, he knew Ye Zhilan's talent; although there was a possibility of inheriting a First-level God position, there would still be a risk of failure in the process.
Moreover, as far as he knew, there didn't seem to be a First-level God position in the God Realm that was extremely compatible with Ye Zhilan. This Plant God position had the potential of a First-level God and was extremely compatible with Ye Zhilan's attributes, which was already a quite good result.
Douluo Continent, Martial Soul City.
Today, Martial Soul City was bustling with noise, the atmosphere heated to the extreme. The finals of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, held every five years, were about to be held in the largest Fighting Arena in the center of the city.
Soul Masters, nobles, and commoners from all over the continent packed the giant Fighting Arena, which could accommodate over eighty thousand people, to the point of bursting, with the roar of the crowd reaching the heavens.
The two sides in the finals were the Martial Soul Academy team, representing the highest level of the younger generation of the Martial Soul Hall, and the biggest dark horse of this tournament—the Tianxing Academy team, composed mainly of young disciples from forces such as the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Clear Sky Sect!
In the VIP seats, the Pope of the Martial Soul Hall, Qian Chongshan, sat in the center, flanked by giants of various forces such as the Sect Master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Mingfeng, the Great Elder of the Clear Sky Sect, Tang Gan, and the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Zhiyuan.
Their gazes were focused on the arena below, their expressions varied. The sudden rise of the Tianxing Academy, especially the background of its core members, gave this final a different meaning.
However, no one knew that in a corner of the crowd, two figures with their aura completely restrained, blending into the surrounding environment, were quietly watching the scene. They were none other than the couple, Yu Yuanchen and Ye Zhilan.
"We finally made it," Ye Zhilan said softly, her beautiful eyes fixed unblinkingly on the two youths in the preparation area below who, despite their young age, were already showing their edge. Her eyes were filled with gentleness and pride. They were their children, Yu Yunting and Yu Yunyao.
Yu Yuanchen had a smile at the corner of his mouth and nodded. He had been in seclusion to break through to the Spirit Origin Realm and really wasn't sure if he could make it in time for the children's finals.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly; he successfully came out of seclusion at the last moment and tore through space with his wife to rush back. Seeing the surprise and increasingly firm gaze in his children's eyes when they swept across the stands just before entering the arena and met their gaze, Yu Yuanchen also felt comforted.
"Yunting and Yunyao have improved a lot," Yu Yuanchen said softly. With his current discernment, he could naturally see that his children, who were only fifteen years old, had both reached Level 48 in Soul Power, and their foundations were solid, their Qi and Blood full. Clearly, they had not overdrawn their potential in pursuit of speed.
As the owner of the Thunder Sacred Dragon Martial Soul, Yu Yunting stood with the higher-cultivation Yu Yuanzhen and Yu Luomian, and his momentum did not fall behind at all. Under the roar of the Sacred Dragon Martial Soul, his power grew even more intense.
The Life Aura radiating from Yu Yunyao's Sacred Heart Immortal Begonia Martial Soul became increasingly pure and vast, and her healing and support capabilities were beyond doubt. Furthermore, as far as Yu Yuanchen knew, she had also mastered Ye Zhilan's Self-Created Soul Skill, "Mountain Splitting Force," granting her formidable close-combat prowess.
Ye Zhilan watched her children with a smile. After she received the inheritance of the Plant God, she had passed on some of the insights into life and cultivation she gained during the divine trials to her daughter, which had been of immense help to Yu Yunyao's growth.
At this moment, the referee's high-pitched voice resounded throughout the arena: "The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, Grand Finals, now begins! Will both teams please take the stage!"
On both sides of the arena, the participating team members had already entered.
The Martial Soul Academy team, seven people lined up in a row, their presence steady and powerful.
Team captain Xiao Changfeng, a level 58 Agility Attack System Battle Soul King, Martial Soul: Qing Luan;
Vice-captain, Yan Shan, a level 58 Assault Type Battle Soul King, Martial Soul: Blazing Lion;
Guang Ling, a level 57 Assault Type Battle Soul Master, Martial Soul: Light Feather Divine Bow;
Two Soul Masters possessing the top-tier Weapon Soul Coiled Dragon Cudgel, Gu Jun and Gu Shang, both level 57 Assault Type Battle Soul Kings;
And two Support System Soul Masters, with Martial Souls being the rare Rainbow Gem (level 46) and Holy Healing Scepter (level 45).
The configuration of five Soul Kings reached the standard of yellow, purple, purple, purple, black, and the two Soul Ancestors also possessed the optimal soul ring ratios. With a luxurious lineup, balanced strength, and tacit coordination, they were the widely recognized favorites to win the title before the tournament.
As for their opponents, the Tianxing Academy team, although their average level was slightly inferior, their momentum was not the least bit weaker.
Team captain Yu Yuanzhen, Yu Yuanchen's second younger brother, eighteen years old, a level 55 Assault Type Battle Soul King, Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. A faint Dragon Roar echoed, surrounded by blue lightning, his domineering aura leaking out.
Vice-captain Tang Wei, son of Tang Chen, eighteen years old, a level 54 Assault Type Battle Soul King, Martial Soul: Clear Sky Hammer. Once the giant hammer appeared, it felt as if the air itself had grown heavier.
Yu Luomian, Yu Yuanchen's third younger brother, eighteen years old, a level 53 Assault Type Battle Soul King, his Martial Soul also being the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. He stood slightly behind his older brother, electricity interweaving around his body.
These three were undoubtedly the absolute core and spearhead of the team. Their Soul Ring Configuration was also one yellow, three purple, and one black.
There was also a twenty-two-year-old level 47 Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Ancestor, and another twenty-four-year-old level 49 Agility Attack System Lightning Leopard Soul Ancestor.
Although they were on the older side, being able to reach the late stage of the Soul Ancestor realm in their twenties still made them geniuses. But even more eye-catching were the two members behind them.
Yu Yunting, fifteen years old, a level 48 Assault Type Battle Soul Ancestor, Martial Soul—Thunder Sacred Dragon! Although his Soul Power Level was slightly lower, the pure Dragon Might emitted by his Martial Soul actually faintly suppressed the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragons of his two uncles. His Soul Ring Configuration even surpassed the eight Soul Kings on the field: yellow, purple, purple, black.
Yu Yunyao, fifteen years old, a level 48 Healing System Weapon Soul Ancestor, Martial Soul—Sacred Heart Immortal Begonia! This was a mutation of Ye Zhilan's Martial Soul, possessing extremely strong healing and purification capabilities, and her Soul Ring Configuration was also yellow, purple, purple, black!
"Look! It's that pair of siblings from Tianxing Academy! Heavens, they're only fifteen, right? Level 48? A Ten Thousand Year Fourth Ring? They are truly worthy of being the offspring of Dragon Sovereign Your Excellency and Immortal Blossom Your Excellency."
"That's the Clear Sky Hammer! The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon! And the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda! The top Martial Souls of the Upper Three Sects are all gathered in one place!"
"The Martial Soul Academy side isn't weak either; the Qing Luan and Coiled Dragon Cudgel are both top-tier Martial Souls, and they have an overall advantage in Soul Power Level!"
"This match is going to be worth watching! Is the foundation of Martial Soul Hall deeper, or are the rising stars of the Upper Three Sects stronger?"
The stands were buzzing with discussion, the atmosphere heated.
At the edge of the arena, in the Tianxing Academy preparation area.
Yu Yunting took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.
He was tall and straight, with handsome features; his brows faintly held the shadow of Yu Yuanchen, but with more of a youth's sharpness. He clenched his fists, feeling the surging Soul Power within his body, and looked toward the powerful opponents opposite him with a firm gaze.
"Brother, don't be nervous." His sister Yu Yunyao's gentle voice came from beside him.
The young girl had bright eyes and white teeth, her temperament ethereal, like a fairy untainted by the mortal world, bearing a seventy percent resemblance to Ye Zhilan. She gently patted her brother's arm, offering a reassuring look, "We just need to perform to our full potential."
Yu Yunting nodded and whispered, "I wonder if Mom and Dad... will be able to make it back." When his parents left last time, his father said he was going into seclusion to break through to a critical realm, and whether they could make it in time for the finals was still an unknown.
Although they had never slacked off in their cultivation and understood their parents' busyness, at such an important moment, deep down, they still longed for their parents' witness.
A flash of anticipation crossed Yu Yunyao's eyes, but she quickly hid it and said softly, "Mom and Dad have important matters to attend to; they will already be very happy that we managed to reach the finals."
Just then, Yu Yunting and Yu Yunyao felt something almost simultaneously and looked up sharply toward an inconspicuous corner of the spectator stands. There, without anyone noticing, two figures had quietly appeared.
The man was dressed in tight-fitting attire, his face handsome, his temperament gentle as jade, yet carrying a faint, majestic air—it was their father, Yu Yuanchen! The woman was dressed in a pale green long dress, her face stunningly beautiful, her temperament graceful and noble, her eyes gentle—it was their mother, Ye Zhilan!
The two did not release any aura, as if they had blended into the surrounding environment, but Yu Yunting and Yu Yunyao instantly sensed the warmth and familiarity of that blood connection!
"It's Mom and Dad!" The siblings almost cried out in surprise, their eyes instantly erupting with uncontrollable joy and excitement.
The trace of nervousness they had felt vanished in an instant, replaced by infinite confidence and strength.
Their parents had come; despite their busy schedules, they had still made it back! They had come to witness this important battle in their lives!
Yu Yuanchen and Ye Zhilan also saw the gaze cast by their children and nodded at them with a smile, their eyes filled with encouragement and pride.
At this moment, no words were needed. The arrival of their parents was the best stimulant!
Yu Yunting took a deep breath and exchanged a look with his sister, both seeing the burning fighting spirit in each other's eyes.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan