In the blink of an eye, three months of the second academic year had already passed.
Late that night, atop the Golden Tree on Sea God Island, Jing Shaoyu sat in deep meditation. His aura was serene and profound, as if he had entered a mysterious state. Not far away, Yun Ming stood quietly, watching him with a calm expression.
At this moment, Jing Shaoyu was fully immersed in the circulation of his Soul Power. He felt as though he had merged with the heavens and the earth. The boundless Heaven and Earth Essence around him was incredibly active in his perception, as if it would rush into his embrace like a flock of returning swallows at his beckoning.
His meridians were unusually excited, his body was exceptionally stimulated, and his Soul Power was extraordinarily active. The operation of his Celestial Circuit had surpassed its limits, and the conversion of Soul Power had reached a new level of intensity.
Centered around Jing Shaoyu, an invisible vortex formed atop the Golden Tree's canopy. This vortex was composed of endless Heaven and Earth Essence, interwoven with dense natural energy and life force, creating a majestic spectacle. It swirled above Jing Shaoyu's crown, appearing fiercely turbulent yet incredibly gentle. It poured into his body from the top of his head, flowed into his meridians, and merged with his Soul Power, followed by a powerful and expansive impact.
The barrier that hindered the advancement of his life level was on the verge of collapse under such immense energy. It was only a matter of time before it was shattered and destroyed.
"This kid is making quite a commotion!" Yun Ming raised his hand, and the surge of Primordial Qi caused by Jing Shaoyu was immediately confined to this space, preventing outsiders from detecting the anomaly.
Jing Shaoyu's consciousness was clearer than ever before. The profound truths of the heavens and the earth, which had previously been obscure and difficult to comprehend, now seemed simple and straightforward. The intricate and complex principles that had once eluded him were now clear and understandable. His understanding of the natural world was continuously advancing and accumulating, and all the questions that had puzzled him were now effortlessly resolved.
He felt an unprecedented sense of exhilaration, and his state of mind reached a level of complete clarity.
Yun Ming observed all these changes with a hint of surprise finally appearing on his face. He murmured softly, "What a remarkable kid, he's actually achieved the Unity of Heaven and Man at this moment."
The vortex of Primordial Qi continued to swirl as time slowly passed.
"Crack—"
With an intangible sound of shattering, Jing Shaoyu felt his Soul Power surge like a mighty river into a brand-new realm. He had broken through.
The terms "Level 50 Soul Power" and "Soul King Realm" flashed through Jing Shaoyu's mind. He was delighted, but he only allowed himself a moment of joy before focusing intently on stabilizing, consolidating, and solidifying his newfound strength.
The vortex of Primordial Qi atop the Golden Tree's canopy gradually dissipated, and Jing Shaoyu's aura became steady. His Soul Power was now complete and flawless, indicating that his realm had stabilized. All that remained was to control the formation of his Soul Rings, and he would officially become a genuine Soul King-level Soul Master.
Jing Shaoyu was now doing just that. Unconsciously, his Origin Elf Soul had manifested, and four black Soul Rings hovered above his head. In the center of these four black Soul Rings, a new black Soul Ring slowly condensed and solidified.
At the same time, Yun Ming was surprised to discover that as Jing Shaoyu's fifth Soul Ring gradually solidified and took shape, the wings behind Jing Shaoyu also underwent a transformation. The two pairs of dark green wings slowly tilted, one above the other, and at their base, a pair of emerald-colored wings began to unfurl.
Six wings!
Yun Ming found Jing Shaoyu's Origin Elf Soul increasingly fascinating. Typically, the number of wings increases with the advancement of one's cultivation level, a trait exclusive to angel-type Martial Souls. For instance, Ya Li's Prayer Angel Soul initially had only one pair of wings when it awakened, but now it had four pairs, making her a great angel with eight wings.
If Jing Shaoyu hadn't firmly insisted that his Martial Soul was called the Origin Elf, Yun Ming would have suspected it to be a mutated angel-type Martial Soul.
The process of condensing the fifth Soul Ring was swift and smooth, without any complications. Jing Shaoyu's aura became more solid and stable.
As Jing Shaoyu officially advanced to the rank of Soul King, the Pseudo Soul Core located in his dantian finally began its transformation. Jing Shaoyu's Soul Power started to converge towards his dantian, forming small whirlpools of Soul Power within it. These whirlpools spun at an astonishing speed, and in the blink of an eye, the gaseous Soul Power in the dantian was transformed into a liquid state.
The diamond-shaped Soul Core immersed itself in the liquid Soul Power, slowly undergoing changes. The previously empty interior of the crystal began to fill with a crystalline gold and a translucent green. These golden and green specks intertwined and gradually formed a mysterious symbol.
Simultaneously, the liquid Soul Power filled the voids within the Soul Core. As the Soul Power occupied all the empty spaces, the Soul Core suddenly emitted a burst of intense light. This light illuminated Jing Shaoyu's body from within and burst out, turning him into a blazing miniature sun.
Yun Ming, with a mix of exasperation and amusement, raised his hand once again to shield himself from the intense light. He chuckled, "This kid, really doesn't let anyone rest easy! But still, he deserves praise. To condense his first Soul Core at the Soul King level—impressive, truly impressive."
It was no wonder Yun Ming repeated his praise three times, as he had only condensed his first Soul Core when he was a Soul Saint. Jing Shaoyu had truly surpassed his master, like a young phoenix outshining the old.
After completing the purification of his first Soul Core, Jing Shaoyu finally settled down, no longer causing any major disturbances.
His expression was calm and serene, his aura steady and smooth, and the Soul Power around him was tranquil and undisturbed. It was a true state of calm after the storm.
Seeing this, Yun Ming withdrew the barriers he had set up to block detection and prying eyes. He leaned leisurely against a tree trunk and closed his eyes to rest. He knew that all that was left was to wait for Jing Shaoyu to finish his cultivation session.
Jing Shaoyu, with a mind free of distractions, focused on circulating his energy and calming his spirit. However, his consciousness unknowingly drifted away. When he came to his senses, he found himself in an unknown place.
Surrounding him was a vast expanse of gray, devoid of life in all directions. It was as if he was trapped in chaos, and an indescribable loneliness gnawed at his senses, stripping him of his extraordinary perceptions. He could only stumble around like an ordinary person in this gray, desolate space.
Fortunately, he was currently in an ideological state, so walking didn't consume any physical energy, nor did he feel tired. He stayed in place, pondering carefully.
"What a strange space? Where exactly is this?" Jing Shaoyu murmured, looking around. The repetitive scenery made him feel dizzy and nauseous.
His first thought was that the Tang Great God King had discovered him and had personally intervened to deal with him. But he quickly dismissed this idea. Not only was the Tang Great God King's true form still in the black hole, but even if the Tang Great God King were still around, discovering a new generation's chosen one like him shouldn't lead to immediate action. Instead, the Tang Great God King would likely test him first to see if he could be tamed.
So, if this gray space was indeed related to the Tang Great God King, then in the next moment, he should see a radiant and majestic figure appear before him, showcasing a just, kind, and selfless demeanor.
However, Jing Shaoyu waited for a full minute, and the gray space remained eerily silent. Apart from the grayness, nothing else was discernible.
Since his current predicament had nothing to do with the Tang Great God King, what exactly was going on? Jing Shaoyu's face showed deep contemplation.
He stood in place, thinking for a long time, but still couldn't make sense of it. He tried to communicate with his Martial Souls, but neither of them responded. It seemed like this space had severed his connection with the outside world.
Helpless, Jing Shaoyu decided to wander around this gray space, hoping to discover something useful while moving. With this thought in mind, he took a step forward.
It was this step that inexplicably stirred a strong desire within Jing Shaoyu. This desire felt like a revelation, urging him to keep moving forward, not to stop. Forward, forward, and forward again!
"This!" Jing Shaoyu's mind was shaken, and his pupils slightly dilated. He immediately decided to follow his instincts and obey this desire, moving forward.
As he walked forward, the gray surroundings seemed to come alive, flowing forward with his movement like countless gray rivers merging seamlessly into one channel, creating a spectacular sight.
After about fifty steps, Jing Shaoyu was pleasantly surprised to find a green light spot about a hundred steps ahead of him. The green light spot was so conspicuous in this gray space that it instantly shattered his composure, and he quickly ran toward it.
He ran faster and faster, getting closer and closer to the light spot, which grew larger in his eyes. Finally, when Jing Shaoyu was just ten steps away from the light spot, a sudden burst of intense light erupted from it, shining directly into his eyes.
The sudden brightness stung Jing Shaoyu's eyes, and he instinctively closed them, then fell into a hazy, unconscious state.