Chapter 149: Long Aotian Smiled Bitterly: I Am No Longer Qualified to Be Junior Brother Liu Yuan's Sparring Partner
On the expansive sparring grounds in front of the Body Sect's main hall, the echo of Du Busi's uncharacteristically frantic exclamation slowly faded. What followed was a heavy, suffocating silence. The wind seemed to stop. No one dared to breathe.
"A Gold-grade Secondary Awakening..." Elder Chen muttered, his voice barely a whisper. His fingers, previously trembling with unbridled excitement, froze stiffly in mid-air. His widened eyes remained locked onto Liu Yuan, completely captivated by the deep, abyssal depths of the youth's Triple Pupils.
The remaining elders and disciples, Long Aotian included, felt a sharp ringing in their ears. It was as if a physical blow had struck their minds. A split second later, the frozen atmosphere shattered. A tidal wave of tumultuous gasps, frantic whispers, and shouts of pure disbelief swept across the courtyard.
"Gold-grade... How is that even possible?" an inner sect disciple cried out involuntarily, his voice cracking under the sheer weight of awe.
According to the ancient and absolute doctrines of the Body Sect, the Secondary Awakening of a Body Martial Soul was strictly categorized into four distinct tiers: Bronze, Black Iron, Silver, and the mythical Gold. With every ascending tier, the degree to which the Martial Soul reinforced the physical vessel underwent a terrifying, qualitative leap.
A Gold-grade Secondary Awakening was not merely a matter of extreme physical augmentation or a simple boost in base attributes. It represented an absolute, almost god-like bloodline suppression. It was the pinnacle of human evolution.
The threshold to even glimpse this realm was notoriously unforgiving. Historically, a Soul Master needed to break through to the Rank 90 Titled Douluo realm, tempering their physical body and soul origin to an absolute peak, just to earn a minuscule, fleeting chance of touching the edge of the Gold-grade.
This ironclad rule applied even to Du Busi, a terrifying Level 98 Super Douluo. As monstrously powerful as the Sect Master was, he had only managed to complete his Gold-grade Awakening after stepping into the Titled Douluo realm, and even then, he had relied heavily on the sect's most guarded secret techniques to survive the grueling process.
One only had to look at Long Aotian, the undisputed leader of the younger generation. The astonishing, near-invincible defensive power he had displayed during the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Duel Tournament was the result of a mere Silver-grade Awakening.
Following the traditional cultivation trajectory of the Body Sect, if Long Aotian ever wished to reach the Gold-grade, he would have to endure decades of bitter training, wait until he breached Rank 90, and then gamble his life on that razor-thin margin of success.
Yet, Liu Yuan stood before them with a soul power rank of merely fifty-five. How could a mere Soul King bypass decades of cultivation and directly force a Gold-grade Secondary Awakening?
The word 'genius' felt entirely inadequate. This was an anomaly. A complete shattering of the ironclad laws that had governed the Body Sect's ten-thousand-year legacy.
"Sect Master, are you absolutely certain?" Elder Chen swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing as he sought confirmation from Du Busi. His tone carried a heavy trace of caution. "This is the Gold-grade we are talking about. Liu Yuan is only at rank fifty-something. Is it truly possible for him to manifest the Gold-grade?"
Du Busi let out a heavy, cold snort, though the fanatical gleam burning in his eyes remained entirely undiminished. His emerald-green eyes locked onto Liu Yuan like a predator admiring its most perfect creation.
"I have spent my entire life studying the mysteries of the Body Martial Soul," he stated, his voice echoing with absolute authority. "I would never misjudge this kind of absolute rank suppression stemming directly from the bloodline origin!"
He pointed a weathered finger toward the youth. "Liu Yuan's current Triple Pupils form, coupled with that aura looking down upon all living beings... that is, without a single shred of doubt, a genuine Gold-grade Secondary Awakening!"
Hearing the Sect Master's absolute declaration, the surrounding disciples and elders found it even harder to draw breath. If their initial reaction had been pure shock, that emotion was rapidly mutating into a feverish, fanatical worship.
To possess at Rank 50 the very same Gold-grade Awakening that normally required the foundation of a Titled Douluo meant one terrifying truth. Liu Yuan's future upper limit had already shattered the boundaries of their collective imagination. He was destined for the absolute pinnacle of this world.
Du Busi took several deep, ragged breaths, forcefully suppressing the turbulent emotions surging in his chest. Once he regained a semblance of calm, he immediately stepped forward, his tone laced with anxious anticipation.
"Liu Yuan, tell me quickly. After completing this Gold-grade Awakening, what specific improvements have your physical functions and soul power attributes gained? Have you awakened any new innate skills?"
Liu Yuan lowered his gaze slightly. Beneath his skin, he could feel a terrifying, primordial power surging through his meridians like a raging river. Although his Triple Pupils had already retracted their blinding divine radiance, returning to a deep, abyssal calm, he could still feel the deep changes within. Closing his eyes to look inward, he observed a brilliant purple-gold sun suspended high within his Spiritual Sea, radiating endless warmth and authority.
After a long moment of silent introspection, Liu Yuan slowly opened his eyes. He met Du Busi's intense gaze and spoke, his voice calm and measured. "Master, my current state feels somewhat strange. I cannot accurately describe the full extent of it just yet."
"The most obvious sensation is the qualitative mutation of my spiritual power," he continued, raising a hand to lightly touch his temple. "My current range of Spiritual Detection, as well as the sheer level of microscopic detail I can perceive, has multiplied several times over compared to before the awakening."
He dropped his hand, his expression remaining perfectly pragmatic. "As for the exact numerical changes in my physical functions and soul skills, I am not entirely certain. I have only just completed the breakthrough. I have not yet had the opportunity to test them in a practical setting."
Hearing this pragmatic assessment, Du Busi nodded in understanding, though the impatience still burned brightly in his chest. "That is normal. The power of the Gold-grade is far too deep to be fully grasped merely by meditating in seclusion."
The old monster swept his sharp gaze across the surrounding crowd, a dangerous, eager glint flashing in his emerald eyes. "Transformations of this magnitude must be explored through the crucible of actual combat. Only under the intense, life-or-death pressure of battle will your Triple Pupils and Gold-grade Awakening reveal their truest nature. It would be best to conduct a live combat test right this instant."
At those words, the heads of countless disciples surrounding the arena snapped in unison, their collective gaze landing squarely on Long Aotian. In the subconscious minds of everyone present, the only person of a similar generation qualified to serve as a sparring partner for a monster like Liu Yuan was their esteemed Eldest Senior Brother.
Anticipation hung thick in the air. They were all eager to witness exactly how massive of a gap Liu Yuan could demonstrate now that both prodigies possessed a Secondary Awakening.
However, completely contrary to their expectations, Long Aotian did not step forward with his usual surging fighting spirit. Feeling the heavy weight of the surrounding gazes, the proud genius merely shook his head, a bitter, self-deprecating smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Under the watchful eyes of the entire sect, he actually refused.
He looked directly at Liu Yuan. His eyes were entirely devoid of jealousy or malice; they contained only a deep, sobering sense of self-awareness.
"Everyone, you can stop looking at me," Long Aotian spoke frankly, his voice slightly hoarse but steady. "While I have never feared a battle, I know my own limits perfectly well. I am currently completely unable to keep up with Junior Brother Liu Yuan's pace."
He let out a quiet sigh, his shoulders relaxing. "Although it is a heavy blow to my pride to admit such a thing out loud, the current me likely does not even possess the qualifications to act as Junior Brother Liu Yuan's sparring partner."
Long Aotian was remarkably clear-headed. He had no intention of putting on a brave face just to save his ego. Just moments ago, during a single, fleeting exchange of glances with Liu Yuan's Triple Pupils, his mental defenses had nearly collapsed. That absolute, impossible gap in bloodline rank made him acutely aware of reality. Even if he forced himself onto the stage, the only result would be him getting instantly crushed in seconds. Such a one-sided slaughter would provide absolutely zero substantial reference value for Liu Yuan's combat test.
Du Busi had clearly considered this layer of logic as well. He knew that even though Long Aotian's soul power rank was still technically higher than Liu Yuan's, facing a monster equipped with a Gold-grade Secondary Awakening meant the Eldest Senior Brother was indeed no longer a match.
The Sect Master's sharp gaze slowly swept across the assembled elders. He deliberately bypassed the veteran powerhouses standing at the Titled Douluo level, his eyes finally locking onto a man standing near the back—an elder who had only recently been promoted to his current position.
"Elder Li. You go."
The named Elder Li blinked, momentarily stunned by the sudden summons. He appeared to be in his early forties, standing at the absolute prime of his physical life. He was a newly promoted elder, one whom the sect had recently begun focusing its resources on cultivating.
Du Busi didn't mince words. "Among all the elders present, your cultivation base is the lowest. You are currently only at Rank 75, but for this specific situation, that is just right."
He gestured toward the arena. "You are an assault-system Soul Sage with an incredibly solid foundation of soul power. Using your cultivation to receive Liu Yuan's attacks will strike the perfect balance. You will not overwhelm him with an excessively high rank, nor will you shatter too easily, allowing us to test the true, bottomless depth of his combat power. If I were to send one of the Titled Douluo up there, the suppression would be too great to accurately measure the finer details of his new strength."
By this point, Elder Li had managed to calm his initial shock. He stepped forward, cupping his hands in a respectful salute toward Du Busi. He then turned to face Liu Yuan, his eyes burning with a mixture of intense curiosity and rising fighting intent.
"Sect Master, please rest assured. I will carefully control my strength." He extended a hand toward the youth. "Junior Brother Liu Yuan, if you please!"
Liu Yuan offered a slight, polite nod. His expression remained as calm and unreadable as an ancient well. "Please offer your guidance, Elder Li."
Neither of them wasted any time with unnecessary pleasantries. Flanked by the parting crowd, the two figures walked directly toward the center of the Body Sect's most reinforced, core martial arts arena.
By now, the perimeter of the massive stone arena was packed shoulder-to-shoulder. Even the disciples who had been resting in the infirmary or attending to trivial sect duties had dropped everything. Upon hearing the explosive news that Liu Yuan was about to cross blows with a Rank 75 Soul Sage, they had sprinted over like madmen, desperate not to miss a single second.
The entire venue practically vibrated with anticipation. The air grew thick, charged with a tense, passionate, and almost electric atmosphere.
Every single person present widened their eyes, their hearts pounding against their ribs, consumed by one massive, burning question:
As a mere Rank 50 Soul King, facing down a Rank 75 Soul Sage capable of unleashing a Martial Soul Avatar... just what kind of devastating combat power would Liu Yuan display with the blessing of a Gold-grade Secondary Awakening?
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