Time, in the absolute silence of cultivation in the Void Dragon Hall, slipped away like sand through one's fingers, day after day.
In the blink of an eye, more than two months have passed since Lin Ming began refining that Vast Soul Origin.
However, the invisible Soul Fluctuation that emanated from his secluded place did not gradually subside with the passage of time. Instead, like a deep-sea undercurrent constantly accumulating power, they grew stronger and more magnificent day by day!
Initially, this oppressive aura was limited to a radius of about a hundred feet around the Void Dragon Hall, and only guards like Elder Qing Mu, who were responsible for its protection, could clearly perceive it.
But as time went on, this oppressive aura, like an ever-expanding invisible domain, stubbornly penetrated the Ancient Prohibition and Spatial Isolation of the Dragon Hall, and began to spread to a wider area.
A month later, the oppressive aura enveloped a large part of East Dragon Island.
Two months later, the vast and abyss-like, heavy and mountain-like Soul Pressure had become like an inverted giant bowl, enveloping the entire core area of half of East Dragon Island!
This caused great hardship for the Ancient Dragon Clan people on East Dragon Island.
For the Ancient Void Dragon, whose innate Soul Power is relatively weak, this terrifying pressure originating from the Heavenly Soul and continuing to rise is like a boulder pressing on their hearts at all times, or like countless invisible sharp needles stimulating their relatively fragile Soul Perception.
Within the range of this oppressive force, they were not only unable to concentrate on their cultivation, but even their normal activities were greatly affected.
The most obvious consequence is that flying becomes extremely difficult and painful!
The figures that once soared freely over Ancient Dragon Island, displaying the majesty of the Dragon Clan, have almost disappeared.
Apart from a few elders whose strength reached the level of Half Sage or above, who could barely withstand the pressure and fly low, the vast majority of the clansmen had to abandon their dignity as the Sky Overlord and obediently land on the ground, relying on their own two legs to fly.
Each time they attempted to fly, the piercing pressure and dizziness emanating from the depths of their souls made it difficult for them to maintain their balance.
Even the Three Great Dragon Kings who successfully migrated the Three Great Dragon Islands the West, South, and North, and who had just completed the initial integration to form a complete and magnificent new Ancient Dragon Island, along with their various Dou Sheng Elder, could only look on with helplessness and bitter smiles in the face of this situation.
They possess formidable strength, invincible physical bodies, and boundless Dou Qi, enough to shake mountains and rivers. However, the soul remains the weakness of most Magical Beasts.
Even the Three Great Dragon Kings, Zhu Xu, Zhu You, and Zhu Jin, who had reached the Late Stage Three-Star Dou Saint, possessed Soul Power honed over countless years. Compared to human experts of the same level, their soul power would probably only be equivalent to that of an ordinary Half Sage among humans.
Therefore, even these top beings of the Ancient Dragon Clan felt as if they were carrying an invisible mountain when facing Lin Ming's ever-increasing Soul Pressure. They needed to constantly devote some of their mind and strength to resist it in order to maintain their freedom of movement.
Under these circumstances, they naturally had no energy left to help other members of their tribe share this burden.
"This little... Mr. Lin Ming... going into seclusion is fine, but he's made such a commotion, really..." West Dragon King Zhu Jin grinned, feeling the omnipresent soul pressure, and clenched his fist in annoyance, but there was nothing he could do.
"Such Soul Pressure, so pure and vast, far surpasses that of ordinary Heavenly Realm... It seems his gains this time far exceed our expectations." North Dragon King Zhu Xu gazed towards the Void Dragon Hall with golden eyes, his tone tinged with amazement.
The South Dragon King Zhu You, squinted, sensing the subtle stimulation of the oppressive aura on his soul, and chuckled strangely, "Hehe, although it's a bit uncomfortable, upon closer inspection, this pressure seems... not entirely without its benefits?"
Initially, almost all the clansmen regarded this Soul Pressure as torture and trouble. But there were always some ancient dragons who did not believe in evil, or rather, those with more tenacious and stubborn personalities. They were unwilling to be suppressed by this invisible force and could only walk on the ground, so they chose to resist it.
The first month or so was undoubtedly extremely painful for these "pioneers". They forced themselves to fly or move at high speed within the pressure range, and the result was often that they would become dizzy and lightheaded after a short time, as if their souls were being torn apart, and they would have to land in a sorry state. Some even needed to rest for several days because of the damage to their souls.
However, as they gradually adapted to the pain, began to try to slow down, and even actively tried to feel and understand the oppression, some unexpected changes occurred.
The first to change was Hei Qing. He persisted in walking and meditating in the pressure zone every day. One day, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration, and the bottleneck that had been troubling him for a long time actually loosened. He finally broke through to the Nine-Star Dou Venerate realm!
Furthermore, he clearly felt that this breakthrough, in addition to the accumulation of Dou Qi, was more due to the condensation and growth of Soul Power under pressure, which made his control over energy more precise and nuanced.
Another young ancient dragon at the Peak Dou Ancestor discovered that while resisting the Soul Pressure, his perception of the Spatial Fluctuations had become even more acute. Some spatial techniques that were previously difficult to understand suddenly became clear! The barrier to breaking through to the Dou Venerate also began to loosen.
"This... this soul pressure can actually temper our Soul Power?!" The news spread like wildfire throughout the Ancient Dragon Clan.
As Magical Beasts, their Soul Power is inherently weak, and the ways to enhance Soul Power are extremely rare. Apart from relying on natural growth over long years or encountering rare and precious Heavenly Treasures, there is almost no other way. Now, there is actually a method that can solidify and increase Soul Power by "passively" enduring pressure. This is undoubtedly a blessing from heaven!
With a stronger Soul Power, not only will one's perception become more acute, but one will also experience indescribable benefits in absorbing and refining the Heaven and Earth Energy, as well as in controlling and executing one's own Dou Technique. It can be said to improve one's cultivation aptitude in all aspects!
Having tasted this tangible benefit, the Ancient Dragon Clan, who had previously complained bitterly, underwent a complete 180-degree turn in attitude. They no longer regarded the Soul Pressure as torture, but rather as a once-in-a-lifetime, free opportunity for training!
Then, something truly astonishing happened.
The core area of East Dragon Island, which was originally avoided at all costs, has now become a sacred cultivation ground that the Ancient Dragon Clan people flock to.
On ordinary days, not only is no one willing to leave, but more and more clansmen are walking step by step and firmly toward the direction of the Void Dragon Hall, as if on a pilgrimage.
They no longer flew, but instead stood on the ground, using their bodies and souls to personally experience the ever-increasing oppression.
Each step felt like wading through sticky mud, requiring immense mental and physical exertion. Sweat soaked their robes, their souls were being tempered, yet excitement and longing shone in everyone's eyes.
This self-imposed, self-imposed pressure-seeking asceticism has yielded remarkable results. More and more members of the clan are discovering that their Soul Power is becoming more solid and stronger at a visible rate. Some profound Dragon Language Secret Technique that were previously impossible to cultivate due to insufficient Soul Power now seem to have a chance of being mastered.
What drove everyone even crazier was that, whether Lin Ming intentionally controlled it or it naturally dissipated during his cultivation, occasionally a trace of extremely pure, almost imperceptible Soul Origin aura would be mixed in with the pervasive Soul Pressure! These auras drifted in the air like ownerless rain.
If any lucky individual manages to absorb and integrate the scattered Soul Origin into their own soul while resisting the oppressive force, the effect is comparable to taking a peerless elixir specifically designed to enhance Soul Power! Their Soul Power instantly surges, and the feeling of comfort and strength is enough to captivate anyone.
This is undoubtedly like pouring hot oil on an already blazing fire!
When the news of the first group of East Dragon Island people tasting the benefits and greatly increasing their strength, accompanied by the astonishing rumor that "the Soul Origin may be floating in the air," spread like wildfire throughout the entire Ancient Dragon Island, which had just completed its fusion, the real uproar began!
It wasn't just the natives of East Dragon Island; the people of West Dragon Island, South Dragon Island, and North Dragon Island, who had previously harbored some reservations and observations, couldn't sit still any longer after confirming the news. Who didn't want to become stronger? Who didn't want to possess greater Soul Power?
Thus, an unprecedented, spontaneous wave of collective cultivation swept across the entire Ancient Dragon Island!
Tens of thousands of the Ancient Dragon Clan surged towards the core area of East Dragon Island from all directions like a tidal wave. Everywhere one looked, there were figures bearing immense spiritual pressure, gritting their teeth, and struggling forward step by step. From the sky, it looked like countless ants converging on the same nest, a magnificent scene, filled with an indescribable piety and fervor.
As they got closer to the Void Dragon Hall, the Soul Pressure became increasingly terrifying. Most of the clansmen could only wander and cultivate in the relatively outer areas. But even so, the exhaustion from the enormous consumption of energy, intertwined with the joy of the real increase in Soul Power, made everyone willingly endure it.
As this strange and fanatical trend intensified, even the usually aloof and dignified Half Sage and Dou Sheng Elder eventually couldn't contain themselves any longer.
Although they possess formidable strength, their souls are their weakness. Seeing the younger generation of their clan progressing rapidly under this special "fortune," if they continue to maintain their arrogance, wouldn't they be swept away by the next generation?
So, one day, the Ancient Dragon Clan people were surprised to find that several elusive Dou Sheng Elder had also appeared in the "pilgrimage" group. Although they were traveling in a more inland area and at a faster speed, their solemn expressions and the faintly fluctuating Soul Power around them showed that they were also taking this trial seriously.
As for the Ancient Dragon Island, which had suddenly become so introspective and where almost the entire population was engaged in arduous spiritual cultivation, even the Three Great Dragon Kings who were the instigators and the Great Elder Qing Mu of the East Dragon Island were dumbfounded when they saw the crowds covering the mountains and fields. They looked at each other, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"Mr. Lin Ming... he really manages to cause a huge commotion wherever he goes..." The South Dragon King Zhu You shook his head, his tone complicated.
The North Dragon King Zhu Xu, gleamed with a sharp light. "This is a great fortune for our Ancient Dragon Clan! Having undergone such a powerful baptism of Soul Pressure, the soul foundations of our clansmen will be laid with unparalleled solidity, and their future cultivation path will be free of many bottlenecks and detours! This will have an immeasurable impact on the potential enhancement of the entire clan!"
Half a month after the Three Great Dragon Kings made their comments, they witnessed firsthand how an elder at the Early-Stage One-Star Dou Saint) showed signs of loosening his stagnant Soul Realm after several days of soul-pressured cultivation. The three of them could no longer sit still.
They exchanged a glance, both seeing the same determination and resolve in each other's eyes.
"Compared to submission, what is this little bit of shame?" the West Dragon King Zhu Jin said in a deep voice, taking the first step forward, his burly figure heading straight for the core area where the Soul Pressure was most terrifying.
North Dragon King Zhu Xu and South Dragon King Zhu You smiled slightly, and with a flicker of their figures, they also joined the soul training frenzy that Lin Ming had unintentionally triggered and that was sweeping across the entire clan.
At this point, almost the entire Ancient Void Dragon Clan, from the Three Great Dragon Kings to ordinary clansmen, was immersed in this extraordinary destiny.
Outside the Void Dragon Hall, the most unique and bustling cultivation ground in the history of the Ancient Dragon Clan had become. The source of all this, Lin Ming, who was in the Void Dragon Hall at the center of the storm, was completely unaware of it.
His entire being was immersed in the profound realm of the rapid leap in the Soul Essence, launching a final assault towards that perfect state...