"Tap! Tap! Tap!"
Xu Sanshi stared, trembling all over, as his father approached him with a stride full of deadly authority, like he no longer recognized his own kin. Cold sweat poured down his back. Eyes shut tight, hands clamped over his ears, he babbled in terror:
"Dad, I get it, I really do. I swear—on my martial soul—I'll never speak a word of this to anyone! Please don't kill me! I'm your biological son! Third Brother, save me, please!"
Inside the soul awakening array, Xu Tianxi glanced over in surprise, only to see Xu Fu leap behind Xu Sanshi, pressing both palms to his back. Gentle but vast soul power surged out from his hands.
Drawn by the energy, Xu Sanshi quickly sat cross-legged, slipped into meditation… and promptly tilted over, fast asleep.
"The Xuanming Sect's unique Xuanming Meditation Method, when run deeply enough, induces a dream-state form of cultivation. With your father guiding Sanshi into meditation, he's now entered that state."
Xu Xiaoyun chuckled while explaining, holding a soul crystal sphere toward Xu Tianxi. His voice carried clear amusement even as he used sound transmission:
"Even though twin martial souls usually come with innate full soul power, the ritual must still be completed properly. Come, child—try it."
"Understood."
Xu Tianxi withdrew the weighty martial soul with a thought, then raised his hand and pressed it against the crystal sphere.
Boom—!
Instantly, the orb erupted with a brilliant glow, illuminating the entire chamber.
No need for words—Xu Tianxi had innate full soul power.
At the sight, Elder Yue's eyes welled with tears of joy. He whispered:
"Miss, did you see that? Young Master Tianxi has awakened a legendary Ultimate Martial Soul, and he even has innate full soul power… you can finally rest in peace."
Chen Wu stared, mouth agape, then joy flooded his expression. He raised his fists and shouted with a red face:
"Third Young Master's talent is peerless! He shall reign over the world! The greatest genius in a thousand years—destined to become a god!"
He had no idea what an "Ultimate Martial Soul" was, but if it outclassed even Second Young Master's, it had to be good. Just keep shouting!
Having spent the past half-month loitering around the Library Pavilion with Xu Tianxi, Chen Wu hadn't absorbed much cultivation knowledge—but he'd certainly memorized plenty of ways to hype someone up. He cycled through praise after praise without missing a beat.
"Peerless talent! Unparalleled under heaven! Outstanding!"
Xu Xiaoyun nodded along in satisfaction.
"Indeed! He is the child of Xuanwu—the Xuanming Sect's heir—of course he is peerless!"
Though Chen Wu's flattery was pure nonsense, it still hit Xu Xiaoyun squarely in the heart. He laughed uproariously, even yanking out a few strands of his own white beard without noticing.
Just then, Xu Tianxi spoke weakly:
"Master Ancestor… you said I have twin martial souls. I can feel soul power flowing through my eyes. Could it be… my other martial soul is an eye-based body martial soul?
Also… the soul power in my body feels mostly drained. I'm a bit light-headed…"
An eye-based martial soul?
Right! There was still another surprise!
Xu Xiaoyun turned sharply and saw that Xu Tianxi's face was pale—clearly a sign of excessive soul power depletion. Yet the twin moonlight glows flickering deep within his irises remained bright. The faint crescent mark at his brow shimmered with gentle light, unforgettable and mysterious.
Even at a glance, Xu Xiaoyun could tell: the mental energy radiating from Xu Tianxi's eyes surpassed most non-spiritual Grandmasters. This kind of innate spiritual power was rare even among spirit-type soul masters.
And those thin, nearly invisible threads of spiritual energy behind his head were forming a phantom crescent moon halo.
Without doubt, his second martial soul was a top-tier eye-based body martial soul—one that had clearly mutated in a special way.
Twin martial souls could only appear when both were near-equal in quality. Even if this spiritual eye was slightly beneath the Ultimate Water Xuanming Shield, the gap couldn't be large.
"Yue'er's martial soul was the Tidal Cold Moon. Looks like this Illusory Moon Mystic Eye is a variation born from it.
Tianxi's awakening of Ultimate Water in the Xuanming Shield probably came from the blend of Yue'er's high-grade water attribute and the water-earth duality of the Xuanming Turtle bloodline. The Xuanwu Divine Pill I gave him likely helped too…"
"But first things first—his martial soul's outburst just now nearly emptied his soul power. We need to stabilize his body immediately."
A storm of thoughts flashed through Xu Xiaoyun's mind, but none more urgent than his disciple's wellbeing.
He gently helped Xu Tianxi sit, then moved behind him. Just like Xu Fu earlier, he placed both palms on Tianxi's back and, with passion burning in his voice, said:
"Tianxi, your Master Ancestor is going to guide you in cultivating our sect's Xuanming Meditation Method. Remember as much as you can—this is the best time to learn. Focus!"
"Understood."
Though dizzy, Xu Tianxi mustered his will and sat cross-legged, closing his eyes to direct the remaining traces of soul power through his meridians.
Internally, he grimaced. When Xu Sanshi had approached earlier, he'd been deep in self-inspection. He hadn't expected the martial soul to suddenly auto-defend by forcefully draining his soul power to repel Sanshi.
Sanshi had been blown away, sure—but he had nearly collapsed too.
Fortunately, Xu Xiaoyun was a rank 98 Super Douluo. His soul power could shift freely between solid, liquid, and gas forms. With a surge of energy, he poured incredibly refined gaseous soul power into Xu Tianxi's body.
The result?
Like spring rain falling on parched soil.
Tianxi's foggy brain cleared; lightness and clarity returned. His whole body felt as if it were being reborn. Every pore exhaled comfort.
And just then—Xu Xiaoyun's booming voice echoed in his mind like a bell of warning.
"Do not indulge in this feeling. I'm only guiding your energy. True cultivation requires your own steps. External help is limited."
"Yes, Master Ancestor. I understand."
With gratitude, Xu Tianxi steeled himself and carefully guided the soul power through his meridians, following the path set by Xu Xiaoyun's guidance. The flow awakened dormant potential throughout his flesh and blood.
He had skimmed basic meditation manuals in the Library Pavilion, but the Xuanming Method was leagues beyond them. Ten times more complex, it even involved cerebral meridians—startlingly intricate.
He was certain: without personal instruction, no soul master below the Soul Elder realm could practice it safely. Even with the diagram, they'd likely injure themselves.
Thankfully, this body's foundations were excellent. Fortified by multiple Xuan Shui Pills and a Xuanwu Divine Pill, his broad, elastic meridians could easily handle the strain—even direct impacts posed no danger.
As time passed, a soft black glow began to ripple across his skin—subtle but profound. A fragrant scent, reminiscent of medicinal incense, began to rise from his pores.
The Xuanwu Divine Pill was taking full effect.
Elder Yue's eyes sparkled as he watched. Whispering to himself:
"This… this is the mark of the Xuanwu Pill's activation. Elder Xu truly spared no effort…"
The Xuanwu Pill was known for its slow, gentle absorption. Normally it took years to fully manifest. But when assisted by a direct descendant of the Xuanming bloodline, the effect accelerated exponentially.
And Xu Xiaoyun?
He was the number one expert of the entire Xuanming Sect.
Elder Yue had once witnessed him perform a full-body purification ritual for Kong Xiyue, clearing out the toxic buildup from poor-quality Sun-Moon pills. That purification made Xiyue strong enough to become Shrek's Inner Court Senior Sister.
When it came to alchemy, Xuanming Sect could proudly declare:
"All four empires? Trash."
Still, this process would take time…
Meanwhile—Douluo God Realm, Sea God Palace.
In the majestic Sea God Temple, a man with long water-blue hair stood gently caressing an eight-pointed golden artifact. A pleased smile curled his lips, eyes flickering with the thrill of control.
This man—Tang San, former Sea God and current dual god of the Sea and Shura—the Ice-Pure Radiant Sword King.
He gazed with satisfaction at the artifact—the God Realm Core Key, the symbol of supreme power. With the Good God and Evil God having departed, leaving this key in his hands, how could he not rejoice?
The newly risen Ji Dong and Lie Yan? Inconsequential.
The only remaining obstacle was the old fossil—God of Destruction.
But that was no problem. Tang San, with his peerless wisdom, would find a way to remove him eventually.
Just days ago, he'd sensed a rising star on Douluo Continent. A new talent unlike any in millennia. He had quickly devised a flawless plan.
Once executed, not only would he gain an exceptional son-in-law, but he could also tie an old friend firmly to his cause. A win on all fronts!
"Just wait, Destruction. I'll defeat you in time. Then everyone will know—only under my Tang San's rule can the God Realm shine brightest!"
"Soon, a peerless talent will emerge on Douluo. If I send Xiao Wu's daughter down to form a bond, it will be effortless to recruit him to my side. A plan ten thousand years in the making!"
Tang San gazed at the hazy mortal realm below, filled with idealistic self-satisfaction.
He was the living legend of Douluo. The youth of today had all grown up hearing his stories.
If that child realized the God King himself was offering his daughter in marriage, wouldn't he be overjoyed?
Of course, Xiao Wu's daughter couldn't be given away so easily. The boy would need trials.
First, send Niu Tian and Tai Tan to rough him up a bit. Then have him rebuild Tang Sect, share the profits with Xiao Wu's daughter…
And finally—he, the esteemed father-in-law, would descend in person. A few beatings, a few "lessons," knock some humility into the brat.
After all, Tang San's daughter was no easy prize. Becoming son-in-law to a God King wasn't a free ride—it required tribulations!
"Hmm?"
Just then, Tang San's brow furrowed.
"Strange… my link to the fate-child just got fuzzier. Is… the Douluo Plane resisting me?"
Suspicion turned to certainty.
Tang San's warm expression froze over. His voice turned frigid:
"Hmph. Some fool dares to obstruct me from supporting the next generation? This plane… is courting death."
"Were it not for Destruction's oversight, I'd have had Father possess and devour you by now!"
"No matter. The fate-child will definitely enter Shrek Academy—the greatest on the continent. That person will be mine. You won't stop me."
"Once I deal with Destruction, I'll come for you, meddler. There will be no mercy."
At that same moment, deep within a hall filled with purple-black Destruction aura, a murmur echoed.
"Hm? A flicker of Destruction energy from the lower world? Douluo Continent, no less…"
"But then again, it is a land of heroes. Not so surprising…"
"Sigh. So many geniuses in the lower realms… yet so few seats in the heavens. A true pity."
"Tang San keeps opposing my plans to expand the God Realm. I wonder… what is he really thinking?"