Yun Ming was deep in thought, and so was Xu Yuan.
He stared at the pattern drawn in the air by his spirit, energy, and essence, trying to decipher the secrets hidden within it.
At first glance, there didn't seem to be anything particularly special about it.
Upon closer inspection, however, he found it to be naturally formed, quite peculiar, as if it contained boundless mysteries.
Delving deeper into the analysis, though, only left him with a pounding headache. Everything felt chaotic, impossible to untangle.
"If analyzed from the perspective of soul-guided arrays, each stroke in this pattern seems to be the condensed essence of dozens of arrays."
Xu Yuan was astonished.
This was because every single line in the pattern could appear in multiple arrays.
Different functional arrays, despite their differences, inevitably shared common strokes.
And the lines in this pattern were exactly like that—one single line, when paired with other non-adjacent patterns, could form dozens of different arrays.
The same two lines could also give rise to different versions of arrays.
Could this be a pattern created by human hands?
Rather than believing it to be the result of condensing and simplifying soul-guided arrays, Xu Yuan preferred to think of it as a product of natural evolution. As for why it related to so many soul-guided arrays, it wasn't hard to understand—soul-guided arrays themselves followed the changes of heaven and earth. If this pattern revealed the laws governing the workings of heaven and earth, it would naturally overlap with soul-guided arrays.
"Is this the result of researching evil soul masters' martial souls?"
Xu Yuan couldn't think of any other plausible explanation for how an ordinary person could rapidly approach such a profound level of achievement.
"I wonder what kind of willpower these patterns correspond to."
Xu Yuan knew that if he could unlock the specific willpower embedded within, and infuse it into the patterns, they would reveal their true effects.
The pattern in the air dissipated, and Xu Yuan's spirit, energy, and essence also scattered.
Xu Yuan turned his attention to the other patterns, committing them all to memory. He even reconstructed the nine patterns within his dream realm.
As for the file signed with his name, aside from serving as a summary of the other eight patterns, Xu Yuan didn't find anything particularly unique about it.
As for why it bore his name, Xu Yuan could only assume that this pattern held greater significance for him.
However, back then, Xu Yuan hadn't even awakened his martial soul. Even if Xu Zhi had predicted his martial soul, he shouldn't have been able to foresee the path Xu Yuan would take. It remained uncertain whether the pattern Xu Zhi left behind, which he believed would be most useful for Xu Yuan, was still the most suitable for him now.
"Hmm?"
Yun Ming snapped out of his thoughts and looked toward the depths of the Sea God Pavilion.
A scorching aura suddenly erupted, like a blazing sun bursting forth within the pavilion.
Violent shockwaves swept outward, and mist began to rise from the surface of the Sea God Lake.
Yun Ming shot into the air, manipulating spatial forces to isolate the scorching aura, confining it to the inner courtyard.
The intense heat came quickly and fiercely, but it also faded just as fast.
In the blink of an eye, the scorching sensation receded, but the unsettling fluctuations didn't dissipate—they instead grew even more nerve-wracking.
"Has Senior Brother broken through?" Xu Yuan asked excitedly.
Hadn't it only been a short while since his battle armor was upgraded?
"No, he has only just begun breaking through," Yun Ming corrected Xu Yuan, gazing toward the depths of the Sea God Pavilion. A hint of relief flashed in his eyes as he explained, "His battle armor materials should have been fully replaced by now. The newly constructed battle armor, built around Dark Yang Stone as its core, has given him the opportunity to break through."
First, the martial soul would evolve, followed by the condensation of a soul core to achieve the breakthrough.
After the breakthrough, the condensed soul core would stabilize the martial soul's evolution.
"Your senior brother is attempting to condense a dual-soul core with yin-yang complementarity—a task of immense difficulty. Looking back over the past ten thousand years of the continent's history, only a handful have succeeded. After Spirit Ice Douluo pioneered this path, the second successful case of a dual-soul core with yin-yang complementarity only appeared three thousand years later, achieved by the then-leader of the Body Sect. With the subsequent development and refinement of the battle armor system, the condensation of a yin-yang complementary soul core never became widespread. In each century, only one or two people at most managed to succeed."
---
One or two?
Xu Yuan was skeptical.
Surely, the continent today had more than just two yin-yang complementary dual-soul cores, right?
Xu Yuan wasn't sure about Hu Jie's soul core, but Mu Ye definitely had one. Then there was Ah Ruheng, the senior disciple of the Body Sect, who was also capable of achieving a yin-yang complementary dual-soul core.
Add to that Lan Muzi and Elder Long.
That's right—Long Ye Yue possessed a yin-yang complementary dual-soul core. Her twin martial souls of Light Holy Dragon and Dark Holy Dragon made her naturally suited for a yin-yang complementary dual-soul core, significantly reducing the difficulty of its condensation.
"What age do you think this era belongs to?" Yun Ming noticed Xu Yuan's skepticism and chuckled.
He decided to enlighten Xu Yuan.
"During the previous Sea God Pavilion Master's era, things were relatively stable. Before that, during the tenure of another Pavilion Master, the Sea God Pavilion only had one Limit Douluo, and the entire continent had no more than ten Limit Douluos. On the surface, there were only four Limit Douluos, and the only near-god was the Pavilion Master at the time.
"A thousand years ago, during the tenure of one Pavilion Master, there weren't even any near-gods on the continent.
"Three thousand years ago, during another Pavilion Master's era, there were only four Limit Douluos on the continent, belonging to Shrek Academy, Tang Sect, Spirit Pagoda, and War God Hall. It was during that time that the War God Hall's status rose, and the four organizations were considered equal in the public consciousness."
Xu Yuan's eyes widened.
"Now we're in a period of great momentum. The overall quality of soul masters on the continent has seen a clear improvement. Whether it's the peak-level powerhouses or the new generation of soul masters, they surpass not only the previous generation but also any era in the past ten thousand years." Yun Ming's gaze grew distant. "Because of this, some near-gods believe that this is the era closest to godhood, the era most likely to produce a true god."
After speaking, Yun Ming turned to look at Xu Yuan, his expression complex.
"In the past, I also believed this. But now, I feel that the continent's pinnacle era has only just begun."
Looking at Xu Yuan, the depth of Yun Ming's emotions was unmistakable.
He had to admit that Xu Yuan surpassed his younger self in every aspect.
Not only that, but Elder Tree had also placed his bets on Xu Yuan.
These factors only strengthened Yun Ming's conviction.
"Your senior brother has accumulated enough. This evolution of his martial soul has not only allowed him to break through earlier but has also added to his foundation. There's a very high chance he'll achieve the Limit within the next ten years."
Yun Ming calculated Lan Muzi's cultivation speed and made a rough estimation.
Within ten years? The Limit?
How old was Lan Muzi now?
Only thirty.
The fluctuations caused by Lan Muzi's breakthrough continued for a full three days and nights before gradually subsiding, and his aura began to decrease.
"He's started condensing his soul core."
---
Demon Plane.
"Yinmeng, how's it going? What's the stance of the Three Northern Kings?" Ya Li asked Tang Yinmeng, who stood before her.
Tang Yinmeng's expression wasn't heavy; instead, it carried a faint smile.
"The King of the North, King Zhen Bei, has responded."
"Oh?" Cai Yue Er looked at Tang Yinmeng, asking for more details.
"King Zhen Bei said he's willing to exchange resources with us, but we need to help him suppress the Gates of Hell."
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