Leng Yaozhu didn't immediately react.
However, after pondering for a while, the correct answer naturally surfaced in her mind.
"So, the spirit soul Xu Yuan is preparing to fuse this time is this Evil Eye Tyrant!?"
Leng Yaozhu found it hard to believe.
Already at seventy levels, the new spirit soul he was about to fuse would essentially be the last spirit soul for this martial soul.
Especially knowing that Xu Yuan had more than one martial soul, possibly three, his requirements for spirit souls would only increase.
Under normal circumstances, if all twenty-seven soul ring slots of three martial souls were to be fully filled, even with Lingyu realm spiritual power, the theoretical upper limit for spirit souls would be nine—meaning each spirit soul would provide at least three soul rings.
Each martial soul would roughly have a configuration of three spirit souls.
Xu Yuan was now at seventy levels, and what he was obtaining should be the final spirit soul for this martial soul.
With his qualifications, could he not handle a hundred-thousand-year spirit soul?
Leng Yaozhu suddenly understood.
Perhaps this was the case.
Three martial souls placed high demands on spirit souls, especially since Xu Yuan was cultivating all three martial souls simultaneously.
"So, will he become weaker in the later stages?" Leng Yaozhu frowned, feeling this assumption was somewhat unreasonable.
The ferocious Xu Yuan from earlier, could he really fall behind in the later stages?
Beside Leng Yaozhu, Gu Yue's gaze was fixed on the Evil Eye Tyrant.
The Evil Eye Tyrant was an alien species to the Douluo plane, a powerful race from the universe that somehow appeared in the Douluo plane and spawned the Evil Eye Tyrant soul beast race.
Undoubtedly, the Evil Eye Tyrant was one of the few powerful soul beast races on the Douluo continent that had no relation to dragons or any deities or divine beasts.
Gu Yue had only encountered the Evileye Tyrant Emperor challenging Di Tian during her recovery period.
It must be said, this was an innately powerful race.
Its unique structure gave it an unparalleled advantage in spirit attributes.
"Even if their attributes are dispersed, their innate talent in spiritual power far surpasses that of most other soul beasts."
Control over elements ultimately still tied back to spirit.
The so-called dispersion merely meant the pathways for using spiritual power were diversified.
In reality, regardless of their attributes, the Evil Eye Tyrant race started on the same footing in terms of spiritual cultivation speed. The strength differences among them depended on their specific attributes.
Spirit attributes were considered a special attribute above general elemental attributes.
Moreover, the Evil Eye Tyrant race possessed additional traits that allowed them to mutate powerful derivative attributes within the realm of spirit attributes, such as Destruction and Space-Time attributes owned by the Evileye Tyrant Emperor.
In fact, these derivative attributes were just the result of reaching a certain level in harnessing these two powers. The root of tapping into these powers still lay in spiritual power.
"This is a race inherently suited for spiritual cultivation."
Gu Yue stared at the Evil Eye Tyrant on the screen, seemingly able to pierce through the screen and discern its essence.
"Teacher, is there anything special about this Evil Eye Tyrant?"
She also noticed the change in Leng Yaozhu's expression.
Leng Yaozhu explained her conjecture to Gu Yue.
"Teacher, this Evil Eye Tyrant should be nearing a hundred thousand years, right?"
"Yes, that's certain. Even if Xu Yuan doesn't absorb a hundred-thousand-year spirit soul, he will definitely choose to fuse with the closest to a hundred-thousand-year spirit soul." Leng Yaozhu spoke.
As she spoke, she suddenly realized there was a flaw in her logic.
Why must it be the strongest ten-thousand-year spirit soul?
Could it be that Xu Yuan intended to let this spirit soul break through?
While it was common for thousand-year spirit souls to break through to ten thousand years, instances of ten-thousand-year spirit souls breaking through to a hundred thousand years were rare, numbering only in single digits over ten thousand years.
But why couldn't it happen?
Leng Yaozhu recalled the information she knew about this Evil Eye Tyrant, finding it to be a blank slate.
Back then, Xu Zhi hadn't publicly disclosed the research results on this Evil Eye Tyrant but instead shifted the focus to the characteristics of the Evil Eye Tyrant race he studied, providing perfected techniques for spiritual power cultivation.
The cultivation of spiritual power had always been paramount for soul masters. What Xu Zhi researched wasn't a spiritual power technique but a method to perfect such techniques. This universal achievement caused quite a stir in the Spirit Transmission Tower at the time.
Unfortunately, being universal, the attainable upper limit wasn't high.
For spirit-attribute soul masters who had already achieved Title Douluo status, it held little significance, as they had already refined their spiritual power cultivation methods to a certain degree.
Nevertheless, the value of this technique was undeniable.
"This Evil Eye Tyrant must have something special," Leng Yaozhu observed the screen, preparing to examine what made this Evil Eye Tyrant unique.
Unfortunately, Xu Yuan didn't give her the chance.
Xu Yuan's limits?
You can't see them.
The special aspects of the Evil Eye Tyrant?
You can't see them either.
Because Xu Yuan still killed it with a single spear strike.
Spear out, Evil Eye Tyrant down.
At this moment, inside the Spirit Pagoda, on the thirty-sixth floor.
Xu Yuan finally did not move towards the door leading to the next level but stopped, his gaze focused on that eerie mist.
After the energy form of the Evil Eye Tyrant died, this eerie mist remained at the spot. As time passed, Xu Yuan could feel the essence of this spirit soul gathering.
Soon, within the mist, an eye gradually began to take shape.
The size of this eye also gradually increased, but due to the limited space inside the Spirit Pagoda, the Evil Eye Tyrant manifested in spirit soul form at about nine meters tall.
On the eye, nine tentacles extended, each about ten meters long.
In reality, the Evil Eye Tyrant's body shouldn't be this small.
Xu Yuan stepped forward, looking at the spirit soul of the Evil Eye Tyrant, and said, "You should have seen my strength. My abilities, that spear I just used, should have conveyed everything. I can only say, I am the most suitable soul master you will encounter here. If you want to advance further, don't resist."
The Evil Eye Tyrant trembled slightly. Its huge eye dared not look directly at Xu Yuan but scanned around instead. Its nine tentacles never stopped waving but didn't dare approach Xu Yuan.
That spear just now was too terrifying.
However, the illusion of the starry sky and that overwhelming spiritual power left a deep impression.
Being able to convey such an illusion through spear techniques, this human soul master's strength far exceeded the power of that single spear strike.
"It seems you have no objections."
Xu Yuan waited for three seconds. When the Evil Eye Tyrant didn't explicitly refuse, he stepped forward, enveloped it with his spiritual power, and then absorbed it into his sea of spirit.
As he absorbed the Evil Eye Tyrant into his sea of spirit, severing its connection with the Spirit Pagoda, a beam of light enveloped Xu Yuan, teleporting him away.
Inside the monitoring room, Leng Yaozhu sighed helplessly.
Didn't get to see clearly.
"Based on my understanding of him, this Evil Eye Tyrant definitely has the potential to break through to a hundred thousand years. Perhaps when we see him appear with seven rings, this spirit soul will have already broken through."
Of course, will we get to see his seven rings?
Currently, Xu Yuan mostly fights with five rings because he uses the Heavenly Origin Five Elements Spear.
What level will his primary martial soul reach after seven rings?
This was also what Gu Yue feared most about Xu Yuan.
A brain martial soul with spirit attributes, its rate of spiritual power improvement isn't inferior to hers right now!
"Are you sure?" Leng Yaozhu looked at Gu Yue in surprise.
"That's right. If my calculations are correct, he already has four spirit souls. This fifth spirit soul, as long as his body can handle it, he can even attempt a Fierce Beast spirit soul."
Is Xu Yuan's body strong enough?
No one has ever doubted this point.
Leaving the Spirit Transmission Tower, Xu Yuan returned directly to Sea God Island.
By now, the Sea God Pavilion meeting had concluded.
The outcome of the Sea God Pavilion meeting was the official commencement of external exchange programs.
This was the exchange plan Xu Yuan previously revealed at the Tian Ding Star Soul Master Academy.
"To the Demon Plane?"
Yun Ming knew that Xu Yuan had just gone to challenge the tower.
Yet, the time was too short.
Too fast.
He couldn't help but frown and asked, "What spirit soul did you fuse with?"
"It's an Evil Eye Tyrant, not fully fused yet, not at a hundred thousand years, but close to breaking through. I feel that once fully fused, it will mutate, and at that point, it will also break through the hundred-thousand-year barrier."
Xu Yuan didn't hide the state of the Evil Eye Tyrant from Yun Ming.
After listening, Yun Ming's eyes flickered a few times, and he let Xu Yuan go to the Demon Plane to fuse with the Evil Eye Tyrant.
"The power of Elder Tree has also spread there. Don't worry about not receiving feedback from the Douluo plane's laws upon breaking through there." He reminded Xu Yuan, letting him fuse without worries.
Xu Yuan didn't hesitate and directly rushed into the Demon Gate.
Demon Plane, Shrek City.
Xu Yuan found Ya Li, asking about suitable areas for breakthroughs recently.
"Evil Eye Tyrant?" Ya Li frowned, saying, "A hundred-thousand-year Evil Eye Tyrant typically reaches about a hundred meters in size, with tentacles extending nearly a hundred and fifty meters. It won't be able to break through in Shrek City. Also, your Evil Eye Tyrant is a stellar attribute variant..."
After some thought, she pointed out a direction for Xu Yuan.
"There, about fifty kilometers ahead, there is a canyon, Thunder Fall Valley. Breaking through to a hundred thousand years there would be quite suitable."
When soul beasts break through to a hundred thousand years, they undergo lightning tribulation. Unlike the heavenly tribulation faced by ferocious beasts aimed at killing them, this lightning tribulation carries certain opportunities and tests.
"Since it's an Evil Eye Tyrant and the breakthrough is brought by mutation, maximizing its potential requires actively enhancing the lightning tribulation."
Spirit Souls also undergo tribulations when breaking through. Because they are fused with soul masters and bound by contracts, soul masters can assist spirit souls in overcoming the tribulation.
Therefore, spirit souls' breakthroughs are safer, but their forms are inherently less free, so there are trade-offs.
Following the direction Ya Li indicated, Xu Yuan drove his mech suit towards the destination.
Thunder Fall Valley.
"The terrain here is extraordinary."
Just arriving at the outskirts of this valley, Xu Yuan sensed something unusual.
This valley itself seemed to possess the characteristic of converging energy.
"So, channeling stellar power here, the surrounding terrain subconsciously helps to converge the stellar power, creating a favorable environment."
Xu Yuan released the Evil Eye Tyrant from his sea of spirit.
The incomplete contract from before continued until now. Finally, as the contract was signed, the aura of the Evil Eye Tyrant began to swell.
As its aura changed, its appearance also began to expand, returning to its original size.
An eighty-meter giant eye, with nine tentacles stretching over a hundred and twenty meters.
Upon regaining this form, the thunder in Thunder Fall Valley began to descend, rumbling down onto its body.
However, these thunders landing on its body seemed like tempering, making its body subtly more condensed.
Not yet broken through.
This was merely because the internal changes in its body triggered the already existing thunder in Thunder Fall Valley to descend.
Xu Yuan's gaze remained fixed on the Evil Eye Tyrant. Through the contract, he could clearly perceive the changes within the Evil Eye Tyrant.
Pure spiritual power began to evolve.
Influenced by Xu Yuan's spiritual origin, its spiritual core also began to condense stellar power.
"Huan Xing, channel stellar power."
Huan Xing didn't speak, bursting out from Xu Yuan's sea of spirit and began invoking Xu Yuan's sixth soul skill in the sky.
As Huan Xing channeled, starlight descended and was instantly absorbed by the Evil Eye Tyrant.
The starlight wasn't pure stellar power but rather resonance with the stars.
The threshold that the Evil Eye Tyrant had already neared breaking through was instantly breached.
Resonance!
Its mutation was the result of gradual influence from resonance between itself and the stars.
Now, as Huan Xing employed the Galaxy Myriad Phenomena soul skill, enhancing its resonance ability with the stars, and with the influence of Xu Yuan's spiritual origin transmitting stellar attributes, it finally completed its mutation.
Boom!
A surge of powerful spiritual power erupted.
A glint of surprise flashed in Xu Yuan's eyes.
Because with the completion of the Evil Eye Tyrant's mutation, its spiritual power also began to skyrocket, showing a trend of doubling.
Not only that, but as its spiritual power increased, Xu Yuan also received feedback through the contract.
Above Thunder Fall Valley, the thunderclouds began to change. The originally dark clouds became thicker, and the thunder they contained didn't descend but began to undergo deeper evolution with the changing thunderclouds.
Below, the mutation of the Evil Eye Tyrant was also complete.
Deep within its enormous eye, a galaxy was reflected, profound and terrifying.
On each of its massive tentacles, stellar power flowed, resplendent and dazzling.
If the previous Evil Eye Tyrant carried an air of terror, thick mists, and that pitch-black, unfathomable evil aura that sent shivers down one's spine, then this moment's Evil Eye Tyrant seemed like a work of art. Under the embellishment of stellar power, its aesthetic instantly transformed from terrifying to magnificent.
The completion of the Evil Eye Tyrant's mutation didn't mean the end of this transformation.
With the mutation, its hundred-thousand-year bottleneck was also shattered.
In the sky, the lightning tribulation belonging to it was finally ready.
Boom!
Thick lightning fell, pouring down from the thunderclouds onto the enormous eye of the Evil Eye Tyrant.
The lightning struck its eye and was guided by its spiritual power, tempered within its body, and then fully absorbed.
Unlike ordinary soul beasts, although the Evil Eye Tyrant also existed physically, it leaned more towards the spiritual side. Even though it took on a spirit soul form, becoming completely ethereal, it wasn't completely suppressed by the lightning tribulation.
At this moment, utilizing the lightning tribulation to temper its own body, the appearance of the Evil Eye Tyrant changed again.
Its enormous eye continued to expand.
The Galaxy Myriad Phenomena within grew vaster, as if its eye could contain the entire starry sky.
The nine large tentacles lashed out, stellar power flowing through them. Lightning poured from the tentacles, turning into whip-like lightning lashes as the tentacles swung, striking the surrounding space and causing it to fluctuate.
Xu Yuan retreated some distance to avoid accidental injury.
As the nine large tentacles lashed out, the nine whips formed of lightning gradually created illusions, resembling a swarm of snakes dancing wildly.
The nine lightning whips also gradually blurred, seemingly sprouting extra whips.
Ten.
Eleven.
Twelve.
From the initial barely noticeable extra whip formed of lightning to later, with overlapping whip shadows, Xu Yuan didn't need to doubt—there were many more tentacles.
Eighteen tentacles danced wildly.
Lightning power surged.
The lightning tribulation continued, dozens of thick lightning pillars descending from the thunderclouds onto the Evil Eye Tyrant.
Watching this scene from afar, Xu Yuan's expression remained calm.
These lightning pillars had significant destructive power, astonishing indeed, but Title Douluo had a chance to endure them, and hundred-thousand-year soul beasts, if strong enough, could also endure them.
"Master's Wife said, to actively stimulate the lightning tribulation, enduring stronger lightning tribulations brings greater benefits to soul beasts, allowing them to fully tap into their potential."
During this stage of enduring the lightning tribulation and even advancing to the later stages where there is a chance to transform, it is the perfect opportunity for soul beasts to reshape themselves.
Even transforming their bodies and changing species is possible. If they seize this opportunity to baptize themselves with the power of the lightning tribulation, the benefits are self-evident.
A qualitative change occurs in hundred-thousand-year soul beasts compared to ninety-thousand-year-old ones precisely because of this.
Even if they fail to make full use of this stage, a qualitative change still occurs.
And if they utilize this stage well, perhaps there's no need to worry about the future path of becoming a ferocious beast.
A thousand years after a hundred thousand years, there will be a heavenly tribulation for ferocious beasts. Once endured, it signifies that the soul beast has embarked on the path of ferocious beasts. Another hundred thousand years later, a second heavenly tribulation descends, and surviving it makes them true ferocious beasts.
Enduring the lightning tribulation well might ensure smooth sailing through the first and second heavenly tribulations.
Two hundred thousand years to prepare for the third heavenly tribulation is ample time, and the chances of enduring it are still relatively high.
In other words, among soul beasts, those daring enough to provoke the lightning tribulation during the hundred-thousand-year stage and successfully tap into their full potential in the final phase, achieving the status of a thirty-thousand-year ferocious beast almost becomes a natural progression.
Xu Yuan looked up at the thunderclouds in the sky, contemplating what constituted stimulation.
"Intervention?"
Xu Yuan's blood essence surged, coalescing into a blood essence spear, which he hurled fiercely.
This spear turned into a crimson light, bathing the entire Thunder Fall Valley in red.
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