"Further research?"
Cao Dezhi frowned.
He looked at Xu Yuan, his eyes seemingly saying, "Don't joke with me."
The new soul-guided weapon technology was already quite mature, marking a significant turning point in the Federation's fight against the Abyss. It transformed battles from being purely disadvantageous to becoming profitable.
At this point, whether it was Abyss energy or stellar energy being devoured didn't really matter.
After all, any energy that could aid soul masters in their cultivation was good energy.
Moreover, Cao Dezhi knew a lot and had reservations about truly devouring Abyss energy.
He feared that if the Federation truly mastered this devouring technique, the Abyss might launch its final assault without regard for cost. Against the Abyssal Sage King, the Blood God Legion would be powerless to resist.
He didn't recommend continuing the research.
Of course, not recommending it wasn't the same as opposing it.
Just because they couldn't guarantee victory didn't mean they shouldn't master a technology capable of provoking the enemy.
"Your research on devouring techniques should have no connection to leaving the legion, right?"
"How is there no connection?" Xu Yuan shrugged, spreading his hands. "This time, I'm going to search for some research materials my father left behind. Although he never studied the topic of devouring Abyss energy, he did research similar abilities. Isn't that enough?"
Cao Dezhi's gaze sharpened.
Though it sounded far-fetched, Xu Yuan's reasoning made sense.
If Xu Zhi had indeed researched something similar, it might actually help Xu Yuan further develop techniques for devouring Abyss energy.
What Cao Dezhi didn't know was that Xu Yuan had already mastered such a technique—the Great Devouring Heaven and Earth Technique could devour Abyss energy. However, Xu Yuan himself wasn't sure if he could completely cleanse it, fearing potential risks. Therefore, he took a step back and developed so-called new soul-guided weapons.
The order was reversed.
But Xu Yuan saw no need to correct this point.
He looked at Cao Dezhi, waiting for his response.
"Senior, if it really doesn't work, I'll just challenge Blood Nine. According to the rules, Blood Gods are entitled to longer vacations and can leave the Blood God Legion for several months."
Cao Dezhi's lips twitched.
Theoretically, that was correct, but it shouldn't be done this way.
The Blood God was the core, the soul of the Blood God Legion. If the Blood God left the legion for trivial matters, what would the soldiers below think?
Thus, throughout history, even though Blood Gods theoretically could request leave to handle personal matters, they still remained steadfast in their posts.
Cao Dezhi himself was also the Hall Master of the Tang Sect's Douluo Hall. But since coming here, he had severed ties with Tang Sect affairs and gradually nearly cut off all connections with the Tang Sect.
This was the foundation laid by generations of Blood Gods.
If Xu Yuan were to break this tradition, future Blood Gods might follow suit.
Once is enough to set a precedent.
What if taking leave became the norm for Blood Gods, and the Abyss suddenly launched an attack? The Blood God Legion would fall into crisis.
"Fine, I agree with your application. How long do you plan to leave?"
"I'm not sure. I need to go to Dou Ling Continent to find the materials my father left behind. At least a year?" Xu Yuan wasn't certain either.
He mainly wasn't sure what Xu Zhi had left for him.
In Xu Zhi's last words to Xu Shengqun, he hadn't specified anything, only telling Xu Shengqun to relay to Xu Yuan that if everything went according to his arrangements and Xu Yuan grew up smoothly, then Xu Yuan should go to the Dou Ling Continent to seek the truth.
He exaggerated a bit and prepared to apply for a year first.
"A year? No, too long. I'll give you nine months at most. Dou Ling Continent is closer than the Star Luo Continent; four months round trip is more than enough. You'll have five months to find the materials you need." Without hesitation, Cao Dezhi cut three months off Xu Yuan's request.
"Alright."
Xu Yuan readily agreed.
Nine months was enough.
Four months round trip was calculated based on the speed of large ships.
Like the exchange activity Xu Yuan participated in before, the large cargo ships traveling to the Star Luo Continent weren't particularly fast, which was why the round trip took so long.
However, Xu Yuan didn't plan to take such a cargo ship.
After all, the contact between continents wasn't close.
Conflicts still existed between them.
There might not even be one cargo ship per month.
Waiting for a cargo ship could waste a lot of time.
Compared to a cargo ship, he preferred using a mech.
With Cao Dezhi's permission, Xu Yuan wasted no time and flew straight to Tian Hai City in his mech.
---
Tian Hai City.
Xu Family.
"You're really patient," Xu Shengqun couldn't help but remark.
It took a full year before choosing to head to the Dou Ling Continent.
"The Abyss Passage underwent changes. As it turns out, I gained a lot during this year of evolution," Xu Yuan said.
Soul power cultivation was only one aspect.
The most important progress was in other fields like the Seven Forbidden Techniques.
By following the evolution of the Starry Sky Phenomenon and the derivation of laws, his Seven Forbidden Techniques became more natural, and the refinement of his Penetrating Spear progressed smoothly.
"Oh?"
Hearing Xu Yuan briefly explain the changes in the Abyss Passage, Xu Shengqun also showed surprise.
Had the situation in the Blood God Legion changed so drastically?
He thought of what Xu Yuan had told him before.
Within ten years, the decisive battle between Douluo Star and the Abyss would begin.
During this period, the changes in the Starry Sky Phenomenon would obviously further accelerate the possibility of the final battle.
Everything was evolving as Xu Yuan had predicted.
"The dense stellar energy and sensitive spatial energy—it feels like this place is a natural cultivation haven for Xiao Tian," Xu Shengqun murmured.
Stellar energy goes without saying—it could accelerate cultivation for any soul master.
The key lay in the dense yet sensitive spatial energy.
Xu Tian's talent was unique. His martial soul possessed spatial attributes, and his special constitution allowed him to resonate with the surrounding space at all times, drawing on spatial energy to nourish both himself and his martial soul.
If Xu Yuan were to cultivate within this Starry Sky Phenomenon, wouldn't it further accelerate this nurturing process?
Originally, gaining one level of soul power per year was free. If it could be accelerated, wouldn't it be possible to gain 1.2 or 1.3 levels per year?
How could that be tolerated?
Moreover, the Blood God Legion now had cultivation rooms where stellar energy could be absorbed for cultivation. Even without Xu Yuan's Great Devouring Heaven and Earth Technique, one could still gain an additional level or two of soul power per year.
Xu Tian inherited Xu Yuan's Great Devouring Heaven and Earth Technique, though it wasn't fully mastered yet. With ready-made stellar energy available for constant practice, it wouldn't take many years to significantly accelerate this process—gaining three or four levels per year wasn't a dream.
And considering Xu Tian's current cultivation speed, he naturally gained three or four levels per year.
Adding these together, even if not ten levels, at least seven or eight levels per year.
In ten years, Xu Tian might reach Title Douluo?
Xu Shengqun's eyes widened, then turned contemplative.
Should he send the child to the Blood God Legion?
"I didn't think of that, but if Xiao Tian needs stellar energy for cultivation, I still have a lot here that hasn't been fully absorbed. It should be enough for him to cultivate for a long time."
Xu Yuan thought for a moment and took out a soul-guided weapon—a compass specifically designed to store stellar energy. Its defining feature was its immense storage capacity. Typically, if a Blood God Legion soldier stayed in the Starry Sky Phenomenon for an extended period and their weapon's stellar energy became full, they would transfer the excess into this compass.
The compass originally contained no stellar energy, but as Xu Yuan transferred the surplus stellar energy from his dream space into it, the compass quickly filled up. On the central light sphere display of the compass, the previously empty interior was now completely filled.
"The stellar energy stored in this compass, if fully absorbed, should be enough for Xiao Tian to increase his cultivation by more than ten levels."
"Really? That much?" Xu Shengqun expressed exaggerated surprise.
Xu Yuan, however, found it quite normal.
This was the leftover stellar energy from his own cultivation.
While it might not be enough to raise his level by one, it could still significantly boost his soul power. For a young soul master like Xiao Tian, increasing by ten levels was perfectly reasonable.
"By the way, what level is Xiao Tian at now?"
A year and a half had passed, and Xu Yuan didn't know Xiao Tian's current level.
"Level twenty-four," Xu Shengqun replied with a smile.
Xu Yuan's eyes flickered with admiration for Xiao Tian's talent.
"Even though he awakened his martial soul at five years old, his total cultivation time hasn't even reached two years, and he's already at level twenty-four."
Not only did he have a year's head start over his peers, but his speed was also incredibly fast. How were his future classmates supposed to keep up?
"With your stellar energy, he'll progress even faster."
Even if he trained within the Blood God Legion, with elders supporting him through merit points and long-term access to cultivation rooms, he still wouldn't be able to catch up to Xiao Tian.
Xiao Tian had two major advantages: his absorption of stellar energy was superior to others.
Xiao Tian had cultivated Xu Yuan's Great Devouring Heaven and Earth Technique!
"Mm, since we've secured his soul power advancement, we need to impose stricter requirements on other aspects of his development." Xu Yuan held high hopes for Xiao Tian, hoping he would become a leader of the next generation.
"His constitution is unique, so we should find a way to convert it into a specialized blood essence martial soul. Even if we can't create a second martial soul, we should at least establish a foundation for his blood essence cultivation, allowing him to cultivate blood essence like a body martial soul."
Once the issue of blood essence cultivation was resolved, his physical fitness could improve further, enabling him to better withstand higher-level soul rings over time.
Xu Yuan's requirement for Xiao Tian's first spirit soul was that it be at least a thousand-year spirit soul.
Xiao Tian's only weakness lay in his mental power cultivation, so the pairing of spirit souls needed to be as perfect as possible.
Achieving the Spirit Penetration Realm before the third ring was impossible, so at the third ring, he would fuse only one spirit soul.
"Your visualization method is too complex. I was able to enter quickly because my mental power is at the peak of the Spirit Abyss Realm, but Xiao Tian hasn't even managed to visualize a vague outline yet," Xu Shengqun remarked with a bitter smile.
"Then he needs to spend more time honing his mental power. If his secondary profession hasn't been decided yet, let him choose mecha mechanic."
Among the four secondary professions, excluding mecha repair, the remaining three professions ranked from highest to lowest mental power requirements as follows: mecha design, mecha mechanic, and forging.
Mecha design required learning a vast amount of complex material, which heavily taxed the mind and exercised mental power. However, it was unsuitable for someone simultaneously practicing a high-difficulty visualization method.
Forging, on the other hand, provided little mental exercise or feedback in the early stages unless pushed to the extreme, which could harm the body without special physical talent. Constantly pushing oneself to the limit could damage one's foundation.
With mecha mechanic, intense focus was required, which also exercised mental power. After completing construction, there was a downtime during which mental power became more concentrated, making visualization practice more efficient.
Conveniently, Xiao Tian's martial soul was a spear, which made mecha mechanic quite suitable.
"I've been considering his secondary profession recently. Since you recommend mecha mechanic, we'll go with that."
Xu Shengqun's expression shifted, moving away from discussing Xiao Tian and onto the main topic.
"I've marked the location your father left behind on this map." He handed Xu Yuan a map with a prominent marker and provided a detailed explanation of the surrounding terrain.
"This is where your paper spirit soul was created, compressed into a solid form using spatial energy. To be honest, looking back now, it feels a bit like cheating. There must be something special about the environment there." Xu Shengqun recalled.
At the time, everything seemed to go smoothly, and other matters distracted him, so he didn't think much of it.
Reflecting on it carefully now, he realized how extraordinary it was for both him and Ye Yuan to condense spatial energy into a solid paper spirit soul.
"I won't be able to accompany you on this trip. I need to return to Shrek City in a couple of days. Lately, there's been a lot of turnover in responsibilities there."
Xu Shengqun had spent some time in Shrek City but hadn't brought Ye Yuan and Xiao Tian there even then.
Now that the storm surrounding Qiangu Dongfeng's resignation had settled and the co-governance arrangement was established, he had returned to Tian Hai City. However, he still needed to visit headquarters occasionally to secure more power.
Although Qiangu Dongfeng had stepped down and the Qian family had relinquished many powers, they were still plotting to reclaim them. Recently, the Spirit Pagoda gained a new genius named Qiangu Zhangting, Qiangu Dongfeng's grandson, who was already a Title Douluo at a young age. He had made significant contributions within the Spirit Pagoda, aiming to become a Spirit Envoy. His goal was to oust one of the existing Spirit Envoys to disrupt the current co-governance and secure more rights for the Qian family.
After obtaining the map, Xu Yuan rested at home for two days before setting sail alone.
Above the endless sea, a colorful streak of light spread across the sky.
It was the trail left by Xu Yuan controlling his mech in flight.
"After entering the sea, I can indeed feel the difference."
Xu Yuan's Seven Forbidden Techniques were constantly attuned to the changes in the surrounding environment.
After half a year of cultivating the Seven Forbidden Techniques in the Starry Sky Phenomenon, he had faintly touched a deeper level and begun to comprehend the laws of nature.
This progress was partly due to his peak Spirit Abyss Realm mental power, which resonated with the Seven Forbidden Techniques while communicating with the surrounding environment, mutually enhancing each other.
Unfortunately, despite half a year of effort, he hadn't broken through this bottleneck, though the Seven Forbidden Techniques had faintly reached the realm of natural laws.
"It seems the influence of the Sea God is still significant. Even though Tang Hao usurped the plane's master position, his domain remains limited to Douluo Continent. It's likely he hasn't fully mastered the Star Luo or Dou Ling Continent either."
Xu Yuan wasn't surprised by this.
After all, Tang Hao's ascension was achieved through usurpation, and his original cultivation level wasn't particularly high.
With the help of thousands of years, the spirit system pioneered by soul spirits, and the forging system developed on the continent, he gradually succeeded in mastering the Douluo Plane and becoming its master—an already remarkable achievement.
What more could you ask of him?
He was merely a genius soul master.
"Tang Wulin disappeared in the Demon Plane. It's highly likely he went to another plane connected to the Demon Plane. With Old Tang accompanying him, he's bound to act more boldly. This possibility is quite plausible."
Since he had already gone to another plane, and the Sea God's contingency plans on the continent were mostly exhausted, the sea naturally lost much of its latent danger.
"Besides the Ocean Heaven Cover, the Sea God's contingency plans on Douluo Star likely include only the powers of Tang Hao, his wife, and Tang Wulin. Now that the Ocean Heaven Cover's power is depleted, and the ocean still isolates Tang Hao, I can attempt some things on the sea."
As he flew, Xu Yuan continued to gain insights.
The sea was indeed unique.
"The continent's fortune converged in Shrek, drawn upon by Master to form the prototype of a god position. The heavens and earth are under Tang Hao's control, but there's a layer of separation when I try to command them. In contrast, the sea has long been ownerless, allowing me to harness a great deal of natural energy."
Not only could he harness natural energy, but Xu Yuan also faintly sensed the vast accumulation of fortune.
"This is why even the plane's master can't control the ocean—the fortune and faith belonging to the Sea God are simply too immense."
Xu Yuan sighed.
The previous Sea God had merely established Sea God Island and exerted limited influence on the continent, focusing more on fulfilling the duties of the Sea God and maintaining peace in the ocean.
After Tang San inherited the Sea God mantle, the scope of the Sea God's worship expanded greatly. Not only did soul masters on the continent join the ranks of believers, but this faith persisted for over twenty thousand years.
As for the ocean itself?
Xu Yuan wasn't sure.
The original work didn't elaborate.
But given that even the plane's master couldn't control this region, it was clear that Tang San had invested significant effort into fostering faith in the ocean.
After all, if Xu Yuan remembered correctly, Tang San had overseen the core of the god realm for a considerable period.
"This fortune and faith belong to the Sea God. Using it might leave behind hidden dangers, but the environment shaped by the accumulation of fortune and faith can aid my cultivation."
Under the dense fortune and faith, the natural laws governing the sea were exceptionally clear.
However, while the fluctuations of these laws were distinct, they also brought unimaginably terrifying disasters.
In the depths of the ocean, natural disasters were everywhere.
Tsunamis, hurricanes, torrential rains, and lightning.
Xu Yuan controlled his mech to avoid as many natural disasters as possible, but he inevitably encountered some extreme environments.
Fortunately, he wasn't afraid.
"Compared to the lightning of heavenly tribulation, the lightning in these natural disasters is no less formidable." After experiencing a surge of lightning coursing through his body, Xu Yuan commented.
Star Lord's research efficiency was far superior to Huan Xing's. After about a year, the method of tempering the body with lightning had taken shape.
"Lightning contains the power of destruction and could be considered for Jue's sixth ring. However, integrating lightning into Jue's body as a special metal will require careful planning."
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)