Chapter 208: The Breakthrough of the Soul Realm

After driving away Ying Lingsi and her companion, Yang Yan hurriedly settled into a meditative posture on the seventh floor of the tower, carefully examining the Spirit Container in his hands.

Although he could tell that Ying Lingsi likely held a significant position within the Tianlong Empire, the Spirit Container was an invaluable treasure to him, and he felt no trace of regret. If the people from the Tianlong Empire did come to cause trouble, Yang Yan knew he could avoid them; after all, this was still the territory of the Feiyun Empire. It was unrealistic for the Tianlong Empire’s elites to capture him here so brazenly.

Calming his mind, Yang Yan focused intently on the Spirit Container, his eyes shimmering with a peculiar light. "I never imagined such a small object could hold so much soul energy," he murmured in awe.

“Indeed, the space inside, even if used to contain all the souls within the Sacred Spirit Tower, wouldn’t be too difficult to manage. Its only drawback is that it can only hold soul energy, not other things. Otherwise, its value would multiply exponentially,” came the slow voice of Elder Yang in his mind, tinged with regret.

Yang Yan paid little heed to this—he was engrossed in playing with the Spirit Container, well aware that even the most seasoned elder could find faults in any treasure.

“Enough talk, focus on your cultivation. The soul energy on this seventh floor is dense, nearly liquid in form. Even absorbing a sliver will greatly enhance your soul power,” Elder Yang urged.

“I’ll protect you by splitting off some energy to shield you from the soul pressure that might otherwise eject you from the Sacred Spirit Tower. Oh, and use a portion of your soul energy to control the Spirit Container and gather more soul energy. Pure soul energy like this is extremely rare outside, so make the most of it for your future cultivation,” he added.

Nodding, Yang Yan began to channel a thread of soul energy to manipulate the Spirit Container, eagerly absorbing the abundant soul energy around him. His absorption speed was naturally slower than Ying Lingsi’s earlier—not because he lacked ability, but because the Sacred Spirit Tower belonged to the Artificer Guild. If he drained all the soul energy, President Frank would surely be furious, and his actions would mirror those of the Tianlong Empire’s reckless operatives.

As Yang Yan closed his eyes in meditation, gentle white light radiated from his lower abdomen—clearly Elder Yang’s protective measure at work. Without it, Yang Yan would have been violently ejected from the tower just like Ying Lingsi and her companion.

The white glow twisted like a vortex, drawing in the soul energy that resembled a near-liquid substance surrounding him, rapidly absorbing it into his body. Most of this pure soul energy was absorbed by the Yang Pearl within him, with a thin thread flowing along his meridians to the center of his forehead under Elder Yang’s guidance.

Every time this faint thread of soul energy was refined, the blurry, indistinct figure in Yang Yan’s forehead grew clearer—a sign of his soul power strengthening. When the vague silhouette took on the form of an infant, it would signify that his soul power had reached the pinnacle of the Soul Realm.

Half of their time in the Sacred Spirit Tower had passed—just two and a half days remained before they would be forcibly ejected, regardless of their wishes. Yang Yan knew he must seize every moment to absorb and refine the pure soul energy within the tower.

Time flew by swiftly during cultivation. Two more days passed in the blink of an eye, leaving less than half a day before the tower’s closure. Yet, Yang Yan’s brow furrowed in frustration.

Although the soul energy was incredibly pure and he possessed the Lingxi Perception Method—an arcane technique for cultivating soul power—the progress in these five days rivaled what might have taken years before. Earlier, Yang Yan had not trained his soul and could only passively increase soul power with his spiritual cultivation. Now, with direct cultivation, growth was more efficient.

Nevertheless, despite the great improvement, the ethereal figure in his forehead, though more solid, was still shy of the legendary peak of the Soul Realm. That final step felt like an insurmountable chasm—no matter how hard Yang Yan strived, the breakthrough eluded him.

“Boy, take it as it comes; nothing good is forced. Both spiritual and soul power cultivation require steady progress. Haste makes waste,” Elder Yang’s voice echoed, tinged with concern. “I could forcibly infuse a larger amount of pure soul energy into your body to help you break through, but that would make the soul energy at your forehead unstable, potentially hindering your future advancement.”

Yang Yan’s heart leapt at the offer, but Elder Yang’s warning was like a bucket of cold water. He valued long-term growth far more than temporary gains and would never sacrifice his innate talent for a fleeting surge in power. Such reckless cultivation was not the path he wished to tread.

Though a rapid boost tempted many cultivators, Yang Yan was different. Bearing a deep blood feud against foes possibly at the Spirit Sea Realm or higher, he could only look up to such enemies for now. Fortunately, his exceptional talent and rare Lunar True Body, despite a two-year setback, had gifted him tremendous potential. He would never squander these blessings.

“Alright, I’ll just cultivate slowly on my own,” Yang Yan sighed with resignation.

Elder Yang chuckled within his mind, unsurprised by Yang Yan’s choice. Although they had not spent long together, the elder understood the boy’s nature well. Despite rapid power gains—from the fifth level of the Perception Realm to the fourth level of the Spirit Communication Realm in under half a year—the boy showed no excitement. He was desperate for strength beyond even the Spirit Communication and Spirit Sea Realms.

Though Elder Yang did not know the boy’s burdens, he sensed the weight of responsibility borne by this rare constitution. The greater the power, the greater the responsibility. Yang Yan’s talents came with duties he must fulfill. Though Elder Yang could not yet reveal all secrets, that day would come.

Thus, Yang Yan’s strength would never stagnate at the Spirit Communication or Spirit Sea levels. Even such power was insignificant in the grand world, and the burdens awaiting Yang Yan were unimaginable.

“I must also hurry to improve, so that one day I can help this boy as much as possible,” Elder Yang mused quietly.

At that moment, the suction at Yang Yan’s abdomen intensified, drawing the surging soul energy of the tower into his body. Time passed slowly as Yang Yan’s eyes remained closed, focusing on the soul silhouette at his forehead, which had become far more distinct than before.

Previously, the soul energy there was a formless mist; now it had condensed into a faint, egg-sized figure resembling Yang Yan himself, albeit dozens of times smaller. Though still fragile, the figure was clearer and more tangible.

All the pure soul energy absorbed lately had been poured into the silhouette, not increasing its size but reducing its etherealness, making it feel more solid and real.

“Almost there, just a little more,” Yang Yan thought calmly, his anxiety replaced by serene patience. Elder Yang noticed this tranquility and nodded approvingly.

True strength arises not from external pressure but from within. Yang Yan’s ability to remain composed amid imminent breakthrough earned Elder Yang’s respect.

After nearly five days of nourishment and refinement, Yang Yan’s soul power was on the verge of reaching the Soul Realm’s grand pinnacle—a culmination of patient accumulation.

Suddenly, a soft breeze-like sound erupted in the quiet seventh floor, and a vortex formed at Yang Yan’s forehead, unleashing a powerful suction that ravenously drew the liquid-like soul energy into his body.

“Wow, this boy’s soul power surpasses all expectations,” Elder Yang gasped. “Even Spirit Sea experts would hesitate to absorb such dense soul energy recklessly, yet he can take it all in at once.”

This surge was triggered by Yang Yan’s breakthrough, causing a stirring in the tower’s soul energy, much to Elder Yang’s astonishment. He had known from the start that Yang Yan’s soul power exceeded his peers’, but this was beyond belief.

Soul power can be cultivated, but those born with exceptional soul strength gain exponentially more. It’s like two buckets of the same height—one wide, one narrow. Both filled, the wide bucket holds far more water. Ordinary cultivators are the narrow buckets; Yang Yan is the wide one. Even at the same soul realm, his advantage in battle is decisive.

However, this gift has a drawback: progressing in soul realms is exceedingly difficult, requiring far more soul energy than others to advance. Thankfully, the Sacred Spirit Tower provides an endless supply. Outside, even with his Lingxi Perception Method, months of cultivation would be necessary to absorb enough energy.

As for the soul energy in the Spirit Container, Yang Yan reserved it for future use; it was limited and precious, unlike the tower’s abundant energy.

The roaring soul storm continued to pour into Yang Yan’s body for nearly ten minutes before gradually waning.

When the storm ceased, Yang Yan’s eyes snapped open, beams of faint golden light shooting from his pupils, rippling the surrounding soul energy. He exhaled slowly as the golden glow faded, returning his eyes to their deep black.

Though his outward appearance seemed unchanged, Yang Yan now radiated a mysterious, restrained aura—beneath a calm exterior, turbulent currents swirled.

Success at last!

Feeling the surging soul power within his forehead, Yang Yan’s face lit with joy. The ethereal figure had solidified enough for him to discern facial features resembling his own, albeit much smaller, endearing and almost childlike.

“This really feels like raising a child,” he chuckled softly.

According to Elder Yang, some great masters can temporarily separate their souls to fight alongside their bodies with unparalleled synergy—a union far greater than the sum of parts. Such masters are known as Soul Sovereigns.

These formidable beings wield ghostly powers, commanding their souls from thousands of miles away to dispatch enemies without moving their bodies.

For ordinary humans, souls are fragile. While bodies can heal, a lethal blow to the soul may leave one a mindless husk. But Soul Sovereigns transform their souls into formidable weapons, no longer used merely for spiritual cultivation.

Though Yang Yan’s soul realm had reached the first step of Soul Realm Completion—making him a prodigy among the young—it was still but a fraction of the legendary Soul Sovereign’s power.

Shaking his head, Yang Yan banished distracting thoughts. That legendary height was distant now, but he was not discouraged. Youth was his greatest asset, granting ample time to ascend. He trusted firmly in his eventual success.

Cultivation demands not only talent but unwavering confidence—the hallmark of a true strong cultivator.

The path is an uphill battle against fate, fraught with countless trials. Without self-belief, even the greatest talent will falter.

As Yang Yan pondered, a faint white light began to glow around him—the tower was preparing to expel him.

“Alright, time to leave. Be careful out there. A few souls with considerable power await. My strength has just recovered; my aura is still hidden but not perfect. You’ll have to handle any trouble yourself,” Elder Yang’s voice gently warned.

Having seized the Spirit Container and severely wounded Ying Lingsi and a young man named Li San, Yang Yan knew the Tianlong Empire would not let this slide quietly.

“Hmph, if you want to swallow me whole, even a fierce tiger will lose teeth!” a cold, murderous voice echoed in Yang Yan's mind as his figure blurred and gradually vanished from the Sacred Spirit Tower...

(End of chapter)

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