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"Whether it was the vitality or blood essence before, transforming them into special metallic materials and integrating them into Jue's body was an irreplicable process. The integration of vitality was controlled by Elder Tree, compressing it to its extreme to generate Life Gold, which already existed in reality. Perhaps this itself belongs to the rule characteristics of the Douluo Plane. It might be difficult to achieve on other planes, but it can be done on Douluo Planet. As the core of life, Elder Tree could induce its generation with a large amount of vitality."
"The blood essence, on the other hand, was aided by my martial soul's second awakening. Jue's inherent metal developed similar attributes, thus forming metal under the influence of blood essence—essentially, the original body being permeated by blood essence."
Xu Yuan pondered.
Pure lightning force transforming into metal was simply inconceivable.
Even Xu Yuan's boundless imagination couldn't envision its form or principle of creation.
Or, from another perspective, pure elements transforming into metal was itself inconceivable. Once turned into metal, it should inherently possess metallic properties.
"Even vitality and blood essence are like this. Life Gold contains terrifying vitality, but it also has metallic properties. And theoretically, pure vast vitality cannot directly compress into Life Gold."
Recalling the past, it seemed that vitality was injected into his body and then evolved within Jue's body.
Just like how blood essence evolved into special metals.
"The first two times, we relied on the fact that Jue's body was inherently metal, thereby deriving corresponding metals!"
Jue's body was originally Perfect Alloy Jade Silver, later infused with Dark Golden Terror Claw—it could be considered the pinnacle of metal.
On this basis, deriving special metals became reasonable.
"Therefore, if I want lightning to transform into metal and integrate into Jue's body, the first step is not for lightning to become metal, but for lightning force to integrate into me or Jue's body, and under the induction of Jue's body, form the corresponding metal!"
Using metallic properties to evolve various other elemental metals, metallic properties become the foundation of everything, making it easier to manage everything!
Xu Yuan understood why it was so easy for him to lead and fuse various forces with sharp metallic power. Among these forces, fusing spiritual power and stellar energy was the most challenging.
By reasoning from cause to effect and cross-verifying, Xu Yuan gained confidence in his entire logic.
"Therefore, what I need to do next is frequently temper my body with lightning, allowing lightning force to integrate into my body, and through my blood essence, into Jue's body. Not only relying on the metallic properties of the Dark Golden Terror Claw, but also using blood essence as a medium to integrate it, thereby condensing Lightning Metal."
Having figured this out, whenever he encountered thunderstorms on his journey, he no longer avoided them but instead allowed the lightning to temper his body, using the vast natural lightning to cultivate.
"If I remember correctly, the head of the Spirit Pagoda branch on Star Luo Continent has a spirit soul of Thunder Hell Vine that can grow by devouring lightning force."
If his destination weren't Dou Ling Continent, Xu Yuan would probably have started thinking about how to obtain this spirit soul.
After all, the Thunder Hell Vine had a certain compatibility with Xu Yuan's Heavenly Origin Brush.
"Never mind, whether or not I get the Thunder Hell Vine doesn't affect me much. With my current progress, the possibility of condensing Lightning Metal is very high."
After multiple temperings, he gradually figured out a reasonable path.
"First, adapt to the lightning and temper the body with it. Then, transform it into Five Elements Divine Lightning and temper the body with it. Next, use the five elements' properties and the Great Devouring Heaven and Earth Technique to digest the Five Elements Divine Lightning, introducing it into myself and thoroughly integrating it for deep fusion."
Fortunately, Huan Xing had already developed the abilities of the Five Elements Divine Lightning, so Xu Yuan could directly use it now.
"Finally, actively draw in this last bout of lightning force to temper my body, and then move on to the next stage. Conveniently, Dou Ling isn't far."
Xu Yuan looked toward the stormy region ahead and plunged right into it.
Although the ability of the Five Elements Divine Lightning had been developed, its conversion rate was very low. It couldn't directly convert the vast external lightning force; Xu Yuan could only control elemental forces to produce a tiny amount of Five Elements Divine Lightning.
Therefore, Xu Yuan planned to carry out this second step on Dou Ling Continent.
At the same time, through this step, he could adapt to the abilities of the Five Elements Divine Lightning. In the subsequent third step, he would fully master the Five Elements Divine Lightning, enabling its practical application in combat.
Two birds with one stone.
---
Dou Ling Continent.
Ling Bo City.
"The Spirit Pagoda branch is here. If I remember correctly, Tang Wulin's adoptive parents were imprisoned in the underground research lab here, working on some kind of potion."
Xu Yuan gazed at the towering Spirit Pagoda branch, lost in thought.
He recalled some plot points he knew. It seemed those two were killed by the curse of the Dark Blood Demon.
And the Dark Blood Demon was killed by Xu Yuan, Xu Shengqun, and Mu Ye two years ago.
So, were those two still alive?
Specifically, not just Tang Wulin's adoptive parents, but all the other researchers in that lab—are they still alive?
If it was due to the death of the Dark Blood Demon, the Blood Curse would have instantly triggered, and everyone should have died.
And if the curses dissipated along with the death of the Dark Blood Demon, then these people would obviously have escaped their previous constraints.
However, the most normal situation wasn't either of these. Instead, the curse still existed but did not trigger instantly.
Perhaps it would trigger upon fulfilling certain conditions, such as the passage of time.
Should he casually check out the Spirit Pagoda?
Saving Tang Wulin's adoptive parents didn't mean much to Xu Yuan.
Under Old Tang's guidance, Tang Wulin had already gone down an irredeemable path, opposing Xu Yuan.
Thus, Xu Yuan wouldn't bother with this extra step.
However, the research here was important. Xu Yuan didn't know what kind of potion was being researched, but it was likely related to the Demon Emperor opening the Blood River God-Slaying Grand Array and ascending to godhood.
If he could sabotage it, it would delay the Holy Spirit Sect's actions.
"I'll remind Uncle Shengqun—I shouldn't interfere. Strictly speaking, I have no connection with the Spirit Pagoda now. Interfering rashly would only cause unnecessary trouble."
This trip to Dou Ling Continent, Xu Yuan still had other important matters to attend to.
Now that Qiangu Dongfeng had stepped down and Xu Shengqun was vying for power, although the Spirit Pagoda branches on the two smaller continents had temporarily declared independence and remained uninvolved, they still had to undergo investigations from headquarters.
Perhaps this would be a breakthrough for Xu Shengqun, a chance to seize the position of Pagoda Master.
After exchanging soul-guided communications with Xu Shengqun, Xu Yuan put this matter aside and began studying the address on the map given to him by Xu Shengqun.
"The address left by my father is not far north of Ling Bo City." Xu Yuan found a hotel, rested for a day, and brought his vitality, spirit, and energy to their peak.
The next day, in his best condition, he left Ling Bo City.
"Completely unremarkable."
This was Xu Yuan's feeling halfway through.
He hadn't sensed any spatial anomalies beforehand.
He even took out the map multiple times to verify his route, but even though he doubted, he hadn't made a wrong turn.
Even as he approached his destination, there was no particularly intense spatial fluctuation.
"As expected, this place is quite unique," Xu Yuan thought.
Normally, there would be noticeable spatial fluctuations over a considerable distance around a spatial rift.
But here, there were none.
Only when he reached the cliff and looked at the crack in the air halfway down did Xu Yuan sense the dense spatial fluctuations.
"It seems similar to Dragon Valley. Before entering Dragon Valley on Star Luo Continent, the scene was similar. As the connection between Dragon Valley and Douluo Planet strengthened, and with the guidance of Elder Wu's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul, the spatial channel to Dragon Valley opened. So, is this also the entrance to a small world?"
Xu Yuan frowned in thought.
He felt it shouldn't be that simple.
"Uncle Shengqun isn't an inexperienced soul master. With his experience, he should have tried something. Moreover, during the creation of paper spirit souls, their manipulation of space was already evident, yet they didn't discover a small world. Either my guess is wrong, or the method of entering this small world differs from Dragon Valley—it can't be opened with mere external stimulation."
Xu Yuan didn't enter the spatial rift but observed from the outside.
His vitality, spirit, and energy merged into the surrounding space.
"As expected, this space is somewhat different."
Using the Seven Forbidden Techniques to control the surrounding environment, Xu Yuan's gaze flickered as he noticed something unusual, confirming his earlier suspicions.
This was indeed the entrance to a small world.
The key was that while he could confirm another small world was hidden here, he couldn't find the entry point.
That is, he could sense another world on the other side, but the two worlds seemed adjacent, separated by a complete wall with no gaps, making it impossible to exploit any loopholes to enter the small world.
"No, since this rift exists, the two sides must be able to connect. The answer still lies within this spatial rift."
Xu Yuan no longer hesitated. Taking a step forward, he leaped over the cliff and entered this spatial rift.
Inside the rift, there was nothing but endless void.
In Xu Yuan's perception, dense silver dots appeared around him—these were spatial elemental forces. At the peak of the Spirit Abyss Realm, his spiritual power allowed him to perceive the external environment, making him highly sensitive to these phenomena.
"Can't find anything special." After sensing around, Xu Yuan didn't find the answer he sought.
He decided not to dwell on it further.
"Since Father asked me to come, it should require something related to him to guide me. Could it be Huan Xing?"
Xu Yuan summoned his two spirit souls.
Then, he thought Yao Yao also counted and summoned it as well.
Simultaneously, he summoned Jue.
With his four Spirit Souls summoned, Xu Yuan's gaze shifted.
"Sure enough, there's a fluctuation, but it's not here."
Xu Yuan burst out of the spatial rift, completely unconcerned about the numerous wounds that had appeared on his body.
The spatial energy around the rift was dense, which meant that passing through here would stir the flow of spatial energy, easily forming spatial blades.
However, Xu Yuan had some control over spatial energy and could influence its flow. Although he couldn't avoid being cut in a few places, the injuries weren't fatal—not even serious.
Green light flickered at the wounds on his body, and they quickly healed, revealing new skin.
Returning to the cliff, Xu Yuan looked down at the bottomless abyss below.
"It's beneath this crack."
Xu Yuan's entire body glowed, his figure expanded, and a mech appeared. He then controlled the mech to leap directly downward.
The sound of rushing wind surrounded the mech as it continued to descend. Xu Yuan's spiritual power remained focused on the surroundings, noticing that the energy fluctuations here were also changing.
First, all elemental forces, including spatial energy, were increasing in density, as if this abyss naturally gathered various elemental forces.
However, among these elemental forces, fire seemed to have a slightly higher concentration than the others.
Secondly, there was an inexplicable force surging here.
"Is it vitality?"
Vitality existing in midair?
Xu Yuan frowned and slowed the mech's descent.
He sensed what seemed to be vitality floating freely in the air, his expression one of disbelief.
Vitality exists attached to living beings. Even in the core area of the Great Star Dou Forest, where life energy is abundant, that energy is still primal energy—life-infused primal energy—not pure vitality.
These two concepts are different.
Xu Yuan was certain: this wasn't primal energy but actual vitality. After absorbing it, Xu Yuan felt it directly assimilate into him, becoming part of his own essence!
"Free-floating vitality can theoretically exist, but only around highly vibrant plant-type soul beasts, where minimal vitality might leak out." Xu Yuan extended his spiritual power over a wide range but didn't sense any true living beings nearby.
With no other choice, he continued to descend.
As he descended, the previous changes intensified. The concentration of all elemental forces continued to rise, and the vitality became even denser.
Xu Yuan's heart began to race slightly.
Could such dense vitality mean his father might use this environment to resurrect?
Of course, that thought was just a fleeting fantasy.
Resurrection wasn't as simple as just vitality.
Not to mention anything else—the fact that Xu Zhi's body was at the Spirit Pagoda headquarters, directly killed by Qiangu Dongfeng.
There was no way it could have been transferred here.
"The temperature here seems to be getting excessively high."
Xu Yuan didn't know how far he'd descended, but he suddenly realized that the surrounding temperature had become extremely high, with the concentration of fire element reaching an absurd level.
"The source influencing all of this must be a power that has reached the pinnacle of fire!"
What was even more critical was that this pinnacle-level fire was accompanied by mastery over all other elements.
After all, so-called "pinnacle" referred to the extreme limit of a single attribute. Generally, it was easier to achieve mastery in one attribute alone. If other attributes were mixed in, it would affect the cultivation of that attribute.
To possess mastery over all elements while also having pinnacle-level fire?
What kind of existence was this?
Finally, as he felt himself descend into a magma zone, Xu Yuan's spiritual power touched the bottom of this abyss.
The fire elemental energy here was already incredibly dense, illuminating the bottom of the abyss instead of leaving it in darkness.
Xu Yuan scanned the surroundings and noticed a clear path. Flames burned intensely around the area, leaving a narrow walkway in the middle.
He stepped forward along the cleared path.
After walking for about ten minutes, a flame appeared ahead that was different from the surrounding fire. This flame was extremely condensed, forming what looked like an egg.
A flame-condensed egg?
Xu Yuan didn't rashly touch the egg but instead began searching the area.
Not far behind the flame-condensed egg, he discovered a sealed box made of a special material.
Approaching the box, he picked it up and read the words on it. His pupils contracted.
"Xiao Yuan, by the time you get this box, I should already be long dead, and you will have fused with the spirit souls I prepared for you. Open this box, and you will uncover the truth you seek. —Xu Zhi"
To prevent the flames around him from affecting the contents of the box, Xu Yuan isolated a small area around himself with his soul power, shielding it from the flames.
The box was completely sealed and made of a very special material.
However, it wasn't difficult to open. After fiddling with it a few times, Xu Yuan managed to pry it open.
Inside the box were several letters.
"Xiao Yuan, congratulations—you're at least a Soul Sage-level soul master now. I'm very proud."
"Soul masters with a spiritual attribute must have inherited my intelligence."
Reading this, Xu Yuan's lips twitched slightly.
But to be fair, Xu Yuan had also suspected that his ability to awaken a brain-type martial soul might be related to his genetic connection with his father.
Continuing to read, Xu Yuan's gaze suddenly sharpened.
"In fact, I understand that your spiritual talent isn't entirely due to inheriting my intelligence—it's likely related to your origins."
Origins?
Xu Yuan's heart immediately tightened.
"When your mother first became pregnant, I noticed it—your little self already had significant spiritual fluctuations, and they were incredibly strong, on par with a true living being."
"This is why I left you three spirit souls with spiritual attributes—your spiritual talent was predetermined from birth."
"I also investigated your situation and could only find one similar case: Tang San, the Sea God from twenty thousand years ago. The information seemed to come from within the Tang Sect. He wasn't originally a being of Douluo Continent—his soul accidentally entered our plane after death and reincarnated."
"Perhaps you're in a similar situation."
"Of course, none of this is the main point. The key is that you are indeed special. Not long after you were born, I unexpectedly came here, discovered its secrets, and gained a completely different perspective."
"I encountered a consciousness of a very high level—he must at least be a god. Of course, I don't know what level of god he is—but he found me and guided me to discover many secrets."
The content of the first page ended.
Xu Yuan's expression gradually grew serious.
Secrets? What secrets?
He flipped the first sheet of paper and continued reading the second.
"This secret is astonishing—it's something I never imagined. It turns out that our world already has an owner—a Plane Master."
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