Chapter 661: Emperor Soul, Life Mark
After entering the soul essence of the Heavenly Tomb, Mo Yu found himself in a vast, endless ocean. The sea was turbulent, and faintly, there seemed to be soul-like roars echoing through the space.
Hovering above the sea, Mo Yu looked down in astonishment. The light circle had seemed small, but inside, it was a whole other dimension. The ocean, astonishingly, was entirely made of soul power!
Even with Mo Yu's composure, he couldn't help but gulp at the sight. The gift Xiao Xuan had given to him and Xiao Yan was unimaginably generous.
"Phew!"
Mo Yu let out a long breath, gradually calming his mind. He began the process of refining the third of the soul essence he'd received.
Sitting cross-legged in mid-air, Mo Yu slowly descended onto the ocean's surface. Soul power surged from his brow, and with a low shout, it transformed into a colossal shadow that enveloped his body and also sat cross-legged in the air.
The intense Black Lotus Heart Flame began to spread from the massive soul shadow, eventually turning it into a figure of lightning, shrouded in a black storm of crackling energy.
"Rumble!"
As Mo Yu's soul shadow was covered in black lightning, the sea of soul energy below began to roar. A vortex, over a thousand feet wide, formed beneath him, and the vast soul energy, as though pulled by an invisible force, surged upward in towering columns, crashing into the enormous soul shadow.
"Ssshhh!"
The soul energy here was vast but slightly impure, a result of the Heavenly Tomb absorbing countless residual souls. However, this posed little challenge for Mo Yu, whose Black Lotus Heart Flame specialized in devouring soul energy.
Giant columns of soul power shot up from the ocean below, continually crashing into the enormous soul shadow sitting above the ocean. The efficiency of this refining process would astonish any observer, as the sea roared with crashing waves, booming continuously.
As Mo Yu continued to absorb and refine the soul essence, the pressure radiating from his soul grew more terrifying by the second. His soul power was slowly but surely approaching the legendary level he sought.
One month had passed since Mo Yu and Xiao Yan had entered the light circles, but within the Heavenly Tomb, it felt like a year. There was no sign of either of them breaking through, and the light circles remained as still and silent as when they had first entered.
Outside the shimmering light circles, Xiao Xuan sat calmly, eyes closed, like a monk in deep meditation. His body had become even more transparent, and he looked much older. Anyone could see that his life force was nearly depleted, but he remained patiently waiting.
Looking at the two light circles in front of him, Xiao Xuan smiled gently. His body faded further, becoming even more insubstantial.
"Two little ones, I don't have much time left," he murmured softly into the sky.
In the depths of the soul sea, where Mo Yu and Xiao Yan were cultivating, time moved differently. What felt like two years inside had only been a month outside.
On the vast sea, their towering soul shadows became increasingly solid. Soon, they appeared as massive, thousand-foot-tall figures, resembling greatly enlarged versions of themselves.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan's massive soul shadow seemed to inhale the surrounding mist, his breaths like thunder. His long hair, like a cascading waterfall, and his flowing robes stirred the ocean below, creating enormous waves.
An aura, as though reigning supreme over heaven and earth, slowly emerged from their colossal soul figures. It was the aura of soul dominion.
By the last day of the second month, Xiao Xuan's form had grown almost entirely transparent. Yet, his persistence kept him waiting, a force of will keeping him alive even as his body faded away.
"It seems I won't be able to wait much longer," Xiao Xuan whispered, his transparent figure trembling slightly.
"Xiao Yan, with you in the Xiao Clan, I can rest easy. And Mo Yu, I leave the Xiao Clan in your care. Farewell, little ones..."
With that, Xiao Xuan's eyes slowly closed, and his body grew ever more faint.
"Boom!"
Just as Xiao Xuan was about to disappear entirely, a violent tremor shook the space of the Heavenly Tomb. Two waves of overwhelming power expanded rapidly, so intense that every energy body within the tomb prostrated itself in submission, unable to resist the pressure.
Sensing these waves, Xiao Xuan's fading eyes showed a glimmer of relief.
"Descendant Xiao Yan, bids farewell to our ancestor!"
"Junior Mo Yu, bids farewell to Senior!"
Amid countless awestruck gazes, two colossal figures, each a thousand feet tall, appeared in the sky. One knelt down on one knee before Xiao Xuan, while the other bowed respectfully.
These thousand-foot figures seemed to support the very heavens, and under their immense presence, every energy body in the tomb trembled violently. The terrifying pressure threatened to make them explode.
In the sky, Xiao Xuan's form finally vanished completely. His old eyes, though, were filled with satisfaction in his final moments.
"Ancestor..." Xiao Yan whispered softly, filled with sorrow as he watched Xiao Xuan disappear.
At the same moment, an invisible, ethereal light appeared before Xiao Yan. This was Xiao Xuan's Life Mark, something only those who had reached the Emperor Soul level could perceive. Without it, even if someone was a peak Nine-Star Dou Saint, they wouldn't be able to detect such an ethereal existence.
The Life Mark floated gently upward before entering Xiao Yan's forehead.
Seeing Xiao Xuan's Life Mark merge with Xiao Yan, Mo Yu raised his eyebrows slightly. Xiao Xuan had left a sliver of hope for the future. If not for this Life Mark, Xiao Xuan would have completely disappeared from the world.
Mo Yu sighed, looking down at the vast Heavenly Tomb. Though only two months had passed here, it had felt like nearly two years for him and Xiao Yan within the tomb's soul sea.
After spending nearly two years refining the soul essence of the Heavenly Tomb, Mo Yu was finally finished. Fortunately, time flowed differently in the tomb; otherwise, the outside world would have changed dramatically during their absence.
"Emperor Soul," Mo Yu whispered, clenching his fist. He gazed into the distance, feeling a newfound sense of mastery. It was as if the entire space of the Heavenly Tomb was now within his control.
At that moment, Xiao Yan also finished collecting himself. The two exchanged a glance, and without speaking, they reached out and clapped their palms together.
"Boom!"
Their hands collided, and the resulting shockwave shook the entire tomb like a massive earthquake. The terrifying soul energy rippled out, making every soul in the tomb tremble. Even a distant mountain crumbled to dust under the immense force.
The collision of two Emperor Souls was truly world-shaking! The gap between an Emperor Soul and a Heaven Perfection soul was as vast as the heavens and the earth.
One was divine, the other was mortal.
"Looks like you've reached the Emperor Soul realm, Xiao Yan. Congratulations," Mo Yu said with a smile, sensing the overwhelming soul power radiating from Xiao Yan.
For Mo Yu, who had already reached half-step Emperor Soul, achieving the breakthrough with the help of the soul essence was almost inevitable. For Xiao Yan, though, the leap from Heaven Perfection to Emperor Soul was far more challenging.
Still, with two-thirds of the Heavenly Tomb's soul essence, Xiao Yan had managed to ascend to the Emperor Soul realm.
"You're too kind, cousin. I owe it all to our ancestor's help," Xiao Yan said, shaking his head. As he spoke of Xiao Xuan, a trace of sadness appeared in his eyes.
"Xiao Xuan left behind a Life Mark, didn't he? Once we reach the Dou Emperor level, there's a chance we can revive him. So, there's still hope. For now, let's focus on dealing with the Soul Clan," Mo Yu said, placing a comforting hand on Xiao Yan's shoulder.
"You're right, cousin," Xiao Yan agreed, collecting his emotions. With a wave of his hand, he sliced open the space in front of him, revealing a crack in the void.
Mo Yu raised an eyebrow, impressed. It seemed Xiao Xuan had left Xiao Yan in control of the Heavenly Tomb's space.
With a slight shake of his head, Mo Yu and Xiao Yan stepped through the space crack together, disappearing from the tomb.
In the vast mountains of the Gu Clan, several figures hovered in the sky, gazing at the rippling space before them.
"Gu Yuan, what's going on?" Lei Ying asked, turning to the clan leader beside him.
"It's been half a month. If Mo Yu and Xiao Yan don't emerge soon, the Soul Clan might really harm his father," Yan Jin added worriedly.
"The Heavenly Tomb has closed, and the space portal is completely sealed. Earlier, I tried to open the passage, but a strange force pushed me back. It feels like the tomb now has a master," Gu Yuan said, frowning.
With that, Gu Yuan formed a seal with his hands. The energy in the air surged, forming a massive energy hand that shot toward the rippling space.
The energy hand moved swiftly, reaching the space in an instant. But just before it could touch, the space began to ripple violently. A wave of energy shot out, colliding with Gu Yuan's hand and shattering it.
Everyone stood in stunned silence. Gu Yuan, a supreme powerhouse, had just been repelled. Even experts like Lei Ying and Yan Jin would have struggled against his attack, but here, a mere wave had nullified it.
"That was... soul power? How is that possible?" Lei Ying exclaimed, snapping out of his shock.
"Something's changed. Prepare for battle!" Gu Dao commanded, and the Gu Clan warriors gathered, their Dou Qi ready.
"Whoever you are, this is the Gu Clan. We're here only to retrieve our people, and we mean no harm!" Gu Dao shouted.
Just then, a portal opened in the space, and two figures calmly walked out, drawing the attention of the tense warriors.
"Haha, is all this really necessary just to pick someone up?"
The two figures—Mo Yu and Xiao Yan—exchanged amused glances as they took in the scene.
"Mo Yu? Xiao Yan?!" everyone gasped in disbelief.
"We were preparing for battle because a mysterious expert clashed with the clan leader earlier. We thought..." Gu Dao began to explain.
But his words trailed off when he saw Gu Yuan's face, now filled with shock.
"Wait... was it you two who fought Gu Yuan?" Gu Yuan stared at Mo Yu and Xiao Yan, a storm of thoughts racing through his mind.
(End of Chapter)
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