Time flies, and three months have passed since Yu Yuanchen began his seclusion.
Deep within the Thunder Gorge, the charred stone platform was shrouded in increasingly dense and thick electric arcs. Viewed from afar, it resembled a blue cocoon of lightning, containing a vast, heart-palpitating energy.
Yu Yuanchen sat cross-legged in the center of the lightning cocoon, his aura as steady and heavy as a mountain. Through three months of tireless cultivation, aided by the near-infinite lightning-attribute origin qi within the gorge and the miraculous effects of that wisp of Thunder God Power, his gains far exceeded his expectations.
His injuries had long since healed, and his soul power had naturally broken through to level 43, steadily advancing toward level 44. While this speed might seem less rapid than before, only Yu Yuanchen knew that the density, total volume, and control he now possessed over his soul power far surpassed that of an ordinary soul ancestor, even rivaling some soul kings with unstable foundations.
The greatest changes, however, came from his physical body and his martial soul.
The continuous tempering of his body with the Thunder God Power was finally showing results. Beneath his skin, a faint golden luster flowed, his muscle fibers were as dense as dragon tendons, and his bones were as white and translucent as jade, ringing with a metallic sound when struck. His pure physical strength had skyrocketed; without using soul power, his bare hands alone were enough to shatter stone monuments. His meridians had also become significantly wider and tougher, allowing his soul power to flow through them like a rushing river, smooth and unhindered.
As for the purple-gold scale located above the phantom of his martial soul, its color had deepened slightly during these three months of tempering, and the restrained golden glow had become a bit more apparent. Although still tiny, its presence had become increasingly clear in Yu Yuanchen's perception.
He gradually realized that this was no simple mutation. The appearance of this scale seemed to resonate with some dormant power deep within his bloodline. When he exerted his martial soul to its limit, he could vaguely feel that the flow of blood throughout his body was centered around that scale. Within the dragon might it emitted, beyond the inherent dominance of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, there was now a hint of an indescribable, ancient nobility.
On this day, Yu Yuanchen awoke from his deep meditation. With a thought, he attempted to guide a wisp of Thunder God Power to flow slowly toward the purple-gold scale.
At first, the purple-gold scale did not react, remaining quietly embedded. But when that wisp of purple-gold energy touched the surface of the scale, a sudden change occurred!
"Hum—"
A faint humming sound, as if coming from the depths of his soul, rang out. The purple-gold scale suddenly lit up. Although its light remained restrained, it acted like a miniature black hole, instantly absorbing that wisp of Thunder God Power! Immediately following this, a weak yet incredibly pure warm current, carrying an aura of supreme majesty, was fed back from the scale. It surged upward, merging into Yu Yuanchen's limbs and bones, especially his dragon-transformed right arm!
"Ugh!"
Yu Yuanchen's body trembled slightly. On his right arm, blue dragon scales instantly emerged uncontrollably. He was astonished to find that the color of the scales on his right arm seemed deeper than before, and at their edges, a faint, almost imperceptible purple-gold luster was shimmering! At the same time, a sense of power, far purer and stronger than before, surged from his right arm, as if the True Dragon Power sleeping within this limb had been quietly awakened!
He subconsciously raised his dragon-transformed right arm. Without using any soul skills, he simply spread his five fingers and lightly swiped forward.
"Sshhh!"
In the air, five pale purple lightning trails flashed and vanished. Accompanied by the faint sound of space tearing, a hard rock the size of a millstone in front of him split silently down the middle, the cross-section as smooth as a mirror!
Pure physical strength combined with a trace of bloodline power actually possessed such might!
Yu Yuanchen looked at his right hand, his eyes filled with shock and ecstasy. He could feel that the dragon-transformed state of his right arm had undergone an essential improvement—not just an increase in strength and defense, but a sublimation of its rank! Although it was extremely faint, the direction was already clear!
"This scale... it really isn't simple! It seems to be purifying and refining my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon bloodline!" Yu Yuanchen realized in his heart, "Absorbing the Thunder God Power and feeding back even purer dragon blood... this is a virtuous cycle!"
He tried to guide the Thunder God Power into the purple-gold scale again, but this time, the scale only grew slightly warm and did not absorb it, and the warm current fed back was negligible.
"It seems this process cannot be performed indefinitely; it requires accumulation, or perhaps my body and martial soul can only withstand this much improvement for now." Yu Yuanchen was not disappointed; instead, he became even calmer. This confirmed his hypothesis: this was a slow and steady path of evolution that could not be rushed.
He refocused his attention on controlling his power. His soul power flowed endlessly within his body, obedient to his every command. With a thought, his four soul rings flashed in sequence.
His first soul skill, Thunder Dragon Claw! It was no longer just a simple, giant-sized attack; he could now change its form at will. At times it condensed like a spear, sharp and peerless; at others, it spread like a net to envelop and bind; he could even split it into several smaller lightning claws the moment he struck to attack multiple targets.
His second soul skill, Thunderous Might! The range of his electric field perception had doubled, and its precision was higher. He even began to experiment with whether he could use this pervasive electric field not just for perception, but to interfere with an opponent's soul power circulation to a certain extent, or... form a weak paralyzing effect?
His third soul skill, Wrath of Thunder! The one hundred percent attack power boost remained, but he discovered that under the blessing of the Thunder God Power, this boost seemed to touch upon a deeper essence of power, imbuing his attacks with a trace of "law-breaking" properties that were difficult to defend against, especially effective against energy-based defenses.
His fourth soul skill, Thunder God Power! This was the focus of his research. Beyond the initial discovery of boosting soul skills and overall state, he tried to control this wisp of power more meticulously. For example, compressing it to the extreme at his fingertips to form the indestructible Thunder God Finger; or distributing it evenly across his body to form an invisible Thunder God's Aegis with astonishing defensive power; he even tried to integrate it into his spiritual power. Although he was still far from the perfect fusion of "Ruling the World," it made his gaze more intimidating, capable of causing a momentary trance in opponents with weaker spiritual power than his own.
Various ingenious ideas were constantly practiced, adjusted, and perfected in his hands. His combat method had long since surpassed the inherent understanding of soul skills held by soul masters in this world, becoming more agile, unpredictable, and impossible to guard against.
"It is time to leave seclusion." Yu Yuanchen felt the surging power within his body and his brand-new state, feeling certain in his heart. The three months of seclusion had yielded remarkable results. Although his soul power level had not increased much, his actual combat strength had undergone a heaven-shaking change. He was confident that if he were to encounter that Black Flame Demonic Dragon Soul Emperor, Long Li, again, he could defeat him head-on without relying on schemes or overexertion!
He stood up, and the lightning arcs wrapped around his body retracted into him like docile pets. With one step, he reached the edge of the stone platform; with another, his figure blurred as if merging with the lightning, appearing instantly at the entrance of the gorge.
Yu Boxuan, who was guarding outside the gorge, opened his eyes at almost the same moment. When his gaze fell upon Yu Yuanchen, he was stunned for a moment, and then his eyes erupted with undisguised surprise and a trace of... shock!
At this moment, Yu Yuanchen's figure seemed even taller and more well-proportioned, his skin lustrous with a faint, precious light flowing beneath it. His originally azure blue eyes now seemed to have purple-gold lightning settling in their depths; as he opened and closed them, they naturally exuded a majesty and depth that was heart-captivating. His aura was restrained yet profound; standing there, he seemed to have merged with the surrounding lightning environment, as if it were a natural part of him.
More importantly, Yu Boxuan felt a bloodline pressure from his grandson that was different from an ordinary Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul—it was more ancient and purer! Although extremely faint, it definitely existed!
"Chen'er, you..." Yu Boxuan stood up, his voice carrying a hint of uncertainty.
"Grandfather, your grandson has successfully completed his seclusion." Yu Yuanchen bowed, his tone calm yet naturally carrying a sense of confidence.
"Good! Good! Good!" Yu Boxuan said "good" three times in a row. He stepped forward and patted Yu Yuanchen's shoulder hard, feeling the rock-solid touch and the faint rebounding power, which brought him great comfort. "Level 43 peak! Your foundation is incredibly solid, and your qi and blood are as vigorous as a dragon's! More importantly, your martial soul... it seems..."
He stared at Yu Yuanchen with burning eyes, full of inquiry.
Yu Yuanchen knew he couldn't hide it from a powerhouse like his grandfather, so he said briefly, "During my seclusion, I gained some insights into the power of my fourth soul skill and attempted to use it to temper myself. It seems... it has slightly improved the purity of my bloodline." He did not elaborate on the purple-gold scale, as this involved his greatest secret and was not yet suitable for disclosure.
"Bloodline improvement?!" Hearing this, Yu Boxuan's eyes shot out a sharp gleam, his excitement overflowing. The bloodline purity of a top-tier beast martial soul was directly related to the upper limit of one's potential! His grandson was actually able to improve his bloodline purity on his own; this was a miracle unheard of! "Heaven bless my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family! Chen'er, this matter is of great importance; you must never mention it to outsiders!"
"Your grandson understands." Yu Yuanchen nodded.
"Let's go, let's go back first." Yu Boxuan suppressed his excitement, his expression turning grave. "The outside world has not been peaceful during these three months of your seclusion."
Returning to the main hall, Yu Boxuan dismissed the attendants and informed Yu Yuanchen of the outside situation.
The Long Family was indeed unwilling to accept defeat. Although open conflicts had decreased, their secret actions had become more frequent and insidious. Several of the family's external industries had been suppressed and sabotaged by unknown forces, and several core disciples performing missions outside had been assassinated. Although most were thwarted, it had still caused losses and panic. All signs indicated that the Long Family was brewing a greater conspiracy, perhaps even... seeking external aid.
"According to reports from our secret agents, Long Xiao recently traveled in secret to the Martial Soul Hall's sanctuary in the Heaven Dou Empire, and also... to the Elephant Armored Sect." Yu Boxuan's voice was low. "Although I don't know exactly what they discussed, it is certainly not with good intentions."
Yu Yuanchen's eyes turned cold. "Are they trying to unite with outside forces to completely annihilate our clan?"
"It is not impossible." Yu Boxuan sighed. "Our clan is strong, but if we have to face the Long Family, the Elephant Armored Sect, and even the secret support of the Martial Soul Hall simultaneously, the situation will be extremely unfavorable."
The atmosphere in the hall became somewhat heavy.
A moment later, Yu Yuanchen looked up, purple-gold lightning flashing in his eyes, his tone firm. "Grandfather, when soldiers come, block them; when water comes, earth covers it. Fear cannot solve problems. The most urgent task is to continue improving our strength. Your grandson feels that while hard cultivation in seclusion is good, true growth often requires tempering in battle. I request your permission to participate in family affairs and deal with the provocations of the Long Family!"
He looked at Yu Boxuan, his gaze clear and sharp. "Some debts are also time to start collecting."
Yu Boxuan looked at his grandson's confident and steady eyes, feeling the heart-palpitating power hidden within him. He pondered for a long time before finally nodding slowly.
"Good! A fledgling eagle must eventually spread its wings. However, you must prioritize your own safety and not be reckless."
"Yes!"
Yu Yuanchen bowed to accept the order and turned to walk out of the main hall. The sunlight fell upon him, and his tall, straight figure seemed like a sharp sword about to be unsheathed—its edge restrained, yet its sharpness could no longer be hidden.
The hidden dragon had quietly transformed, its scales and claws beginning to show. The storm was coming from the outside world, and it was the perfect time to test his blade!
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan