Time flowed like water, silently passing. Three years had gone by in the blink of an eye since Yu Yuanchen emerged from seclusion and began taking part in family affairs.
Over those three years, the situation in the southeast of the Heaven Dou Empire had grown increasingly delicate. Friction between the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Black Flame Demon Flood Dragon Family, along with its allies, never ceased. Though no large-scale conflict had erupted, small-scale battles, struggles over resource sites, secret assassinations, and counter-assassinations had almost never stopped. Both sides were like drawn bows, maintaining a dangerous balance as they gathered strength and waited for the chance to shatter the deadlock completely.
Against this undercurrent-filled backdrop, a hidden excitement and anticipation stirred within the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan because of an unexpected discovery brought by Yu Yuanchen.
It all stemmed from Yu Yuanchen's in-depth exploration of his own strength.
Thanks to the vast resources the clan had allocated to him because of his outstanding performance—carefully prepared high-level Soul Beast meat every day, supplemented by century-old Spiritual Materials that fortified his foundation and nourished his vitality, and even soups brewed from thousand-year spiritual herbs on occasion—along with his relentless cultivation and unwavering Body Tempering with the "Thunder God Power," his Soul Power advanced at an astonishing rate. In only three short years, he had surged from Rank 43 to the Rank 50 bottleneck!
Even across the entire continent, this speed was enough to leave the vast majority of so-called Geniuses in the dust.
Yet the rapid advancement of his Soul Power was not his greatest gain.
While continuously tempering himself with the "Thunder God Power," purifying his bloodline, and strengthening the Dragon Blood Origin fed back by that Purple Gold Scale, Yu Yuanchen had not neglected to deeply excavate his own potential. He repeatedly studied the notes left behind by the clan's predecessors, especially those concerning the development of physical strength.
Among them, a few vague words left by an elder known centuries ago for his formidable physique caught his attention. That elder had vaguely mentioned in his notes that, during a life-or-death crisis, he had accidentally drawn upon another power hidden deep within his bloodline. It was not Soul Power, yet it was related to Qi and Blood. When unleashed, it could instantly cause his physical strength and defense to soar, as though a savage dragon had possessed his body. He called this power "Dragon Blood Boiling," but regrettably failed to develop a stable method of activating and controlling it. In his old age, he speculated that it was closely related to the Martial Soul Origin and the strength of one's vital essence, or Qi and Blood.
"Qi and Blood..." Yu Yuanchen repeatedly turned the phrase over in his mind. It reminded him of Tang Da'er from Dou San. The Golden Dragon King Bloodline had granted him overwhelmingly powerful Qi and Blood, versatile enough to be almost like a second Martial Soul. Though the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon was far inferior to the Golden Dragon King, it was still a dragon naturally gifted with a powerful physique. Tang Da'er could make his Qi and Blood surge like a dragon with only one ring; was it really excessive for him to awaken the power of Qi and Blood with four rings? There was great potential here. He recalled certain theories from his previous life: Qi and Blood were the foundation of Life, directly tied to physical strength and vitality. Soul Masters in this world relied too heavily on Soul Power and Soul Skills, seemingly placing little importance on developing their own Qi and Blood.
"My Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul already grants me a powerful physique. With the constant tempering of the 'Thunder God Power,' my Qi and Blood should be far more vigorous than those of Soul Masters at the same rank. Could I try to actively guide and awaken this power?"
Once the thought arose, it could no longer be restrained.
He began trying. At first, he had no idea where to start. He could only use his powerful Spiritual Power to examine himself internally, sensing the flow of his blood and the beating of his heart, attempting to guide and gather that intangible "Qi and Blood" with his will. The process was tedious and difficult. Repeated attempts ended in failure, and his excessive concentration even caused his Soul Power to grow restless.
But he did not give up. Once, deep within Thunder Gorge, as he invoked the "Thunder God Power" to temper his body and felt that purple-gold energy course through him, bringing numbness and stinging pain, inspiration struck. He tried merging a thread of Spiritual Power into the circulating "Thunder God Power." Rather than controlling it, he acted as a guide, directing that strand of higher energy to "ignite" the boiling Qi and Blood throughout his body.
"Boom!"
It was as though a spark had fallen into boiling oil!
The instant the "Thunder God Power" touched his vigorous Qi and Blood, a scorching force erupted from deep within him! This power differed from the cool circulation of Soul Power and the violent explosion of lightning. It was more restrained and thicker, filled with a primitive sense of Life and power! His blood seemed to accelerate through his veins at that moment. His skin faintly reddened, his body temperature rose, and his muscle fibers trembled slightly as an unprecedented feeling of strength flooded every limb and bone!
Instinctively, he raised his Dragon Transformation right arm. Without using Soul Power, relying purely on the surging power of Qi and Blood, he threw a punch at a Black Iron Pillar beside him that was used for testing strength.
"Thud!!"
A dull boom, like a massive war drum being struck, exploded! A clear fist mark appeared on the Black Iron Pillar, which required the strength of a Soul Emperor merely to leave a mark upon! Though it was not deep, it had been caused entirely by physical strength!
"Success!" A gleam of delight burst from Yu Yuanchen's eyes. He carefully sensed this New Life force. It was like a second energy system hidden within his body, existing alongside Soul Power without conflict and even... complementing it!
He tried incorporating this power of Qi and Blood into his Soul Skills.
"First Soul Skill, Thunder Dragon Claw!"
His dragonized right claw shot out as blue electric light flashed brilliantly. But unlike before, this Thunder Dragon Claw was far more solidified. The arcs around its tips were more condensed and dazzling, and every swing carried an extraordinary quality—heavy as a mountain, yet swift as thunder! Its power had increased by nearly thirty percent! Moreover, he sharply noticed that the consumption of Soul Power had actually decreased somewhat!
It seemed that the addition of Qi and Blood made the Soul Skill flow more smoothly, reducing unnecessary Soul Power dissipation, while the Qi and Blood itself bore part of the energy burden.
What delighted him even more was that, when he activated the power of Qi and Blood, the phantom of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul behind him also underwent a subtle change. The originally somewhat energy-like phantom became more solidified and lifelike. Its scales were distinct, and its dragon eyes seemed to gain a trace of liveliness. It was no longer merely an aggregation of Soul Power, but seemed to possess a true "foundation" and "body"! The Purple Gold Scale above the Martial Soul phantom's head also seemed to have its restrained golden radiance become slightly more active under the nourishment of Qi and Blood.
"Qi and Blood strengthen the bloodline! And once the bloodline grows stronger, it feeds back into the Martial Soul, giving it a firmer foundation and allowing it to evolve faster!" Yu Yuanchen instantly understood the key. It was like a virtuous cycle: a powerful physique and special energy, the Thunder God Power, awakened vigorous Qi and Blood—Qi and Blood nourished and strengthened the bloodline origin—the strengthened bloodline made the Martial Soul more solidified, raised its potential, and accelerated its evolution—a stronger Martial Soul then fed back into its owner, improving his physique and Soul Power aptitude.
He could even faintly sense that his efficiency in absorbing Soul Power and his perception of Heaven and Earth Origin Qi had seemingly improved slightly along with the growth of his Qi and Blood and bloodline. This meant that his innate aptitude was gradually being improved and enhanced through acquired means!
This discovery was no small matter!
Yu Yuanchen did not conceal it. He immediately reported the activation of the "power of Qi and Blood" and its many benefits to his grandfather, Yu Boxuan, in detail.
When Yu Boxuan first heard of it, he was still somewhat doubtful. But when Yu Yuanchen left a fist mark on the Black Iron Pillar using purely the power of Qi and Blood before him, then demonstrated the changes in the power of Soul Skills enhanced by Qi and Blood, the well-traveled Tyrant Dragon Douluo was utterly stunned!
He immediately gathered all the core elders and convened the highest-level secret council.
When Yu Yuanchen demonstrated it again before the elders, the entire secret chamber fell silent, only to erupt into uncontrollable excitement and clamor moments later!
"The power of Qi and Blood! It is actually the power of Qi and Blood!"
"Strengthening the bloodline! Improving the Martial Soul's foundation! This... this is practically a method of defying fate!"
"If all our clan's descendants can awaken this power, what need is there to fear that the clan will not prosper?!"
The elders' eyes shone brightly, as though they had glimpsed a road to the heavens for the clan's rise.
However, after urgent deliberation and limited testing—they had several clan members of different ages attempt it—they discovered that matters were not so simple.
To awaken the power of Qi and Blood, it was best to start in childhood, using specific body-refining methods and resource nourishment to slowly nurture and strengthen it over time. For elders like them, whose bodies had already taken shape and whose Qi and Blood had gradually begun to decline, the effects were negligible. Forcing its activation might even damage their origins.
The reason Yu Yuanchen had succeeded was, on one hand, because he was still young and his body was in its peak growth period, giving him great plasticity. On the other hand—and this was the most crucial point—it was because of the wonder of the "Thunder God Power"! This energy of an exceptionally high nature was like the most precise key and the most powerful catalyst. It forcibly opened the door to the hidden treasury of Qi and Blood within him, providing the initial and most critical guidance and support.
"What a pity... the 'Thunder God Power' is Chen'er's unique opportunity and cannot be replicated." One elder sighed, but immediately grew invigorated again. "But at least we have found the direction! From now on, the clan must adjust its training strategy. We must increase our investment in body-refining resources for all young descendants and explore systematic methods of nurturing Qi and Blood! In the long run, the overall aptitude of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's younger generation will surely rise to a new level!"
This discovery infused the clan's future with boundless hope and motivation. Yu Boxuan immediately ordered that it be listed as the clan's highest secret, strictly forbidden from leaking outside, while new training plans for the younger generation were drafted.
As the source of it all, Yu Yuanchen's status within the clan became even more exceptional. He was not only a successor of extraordinary talent, but also a great contributor who had opened a new path for the clan.
Now, another major hurdle on the path of a Soul Master lay before Yu Yuanchen—obtaining his Fifth Soul Ring.
Rank 50 was a dividing line for Soul Masters. The theoretical upper limit for a Fifth Soul Ring was around 12,000 years. But for Yu Yuanchen, that was clearly far from enough.
"Your foundation is exceptionally solid, your Qi and Blood vigorous, and your Soul Power condensed. You also have the 'Thunder God Power' and the initially awakened Dragon Blood Origin protecting you." Yu Boxuan looked at his grandson, whose aura was Thick and whose gaze was clear, then spoke solemnly. "In Grandfather's view, any Fifth Soul Ring below 30,000 years should be within your reach!"
30,000 years! That was an age most Soul Masters only dared dream of for their Seventh Soul Ring!
Yet Yu Yuanchen shook his head, his gaze resolute. "grandfather, 30,000 years is not my limit. My target is around 35,000 years, and it must be a Dragon Species Soul Beast!"
"35,000 years? A Dragon Species?" Yu Boxuan's pupils contracted. Even he felt a jolt of alarm at that choice. A 35,000-year-old Dragon Species Soul Beast possessed strength comparable to that of some ordinary Soul Douluos! Furthermore, Dragon Species Soul Beasts were arrogant and unruly, with powerful souls. Absorbing their Soul Rings was far more dangerous than absorbing those of other Soul Beasts of the same age.
"Yes." Yu Yuanchen explained, "Though that Thunder Spirit is good, it is not of the dragon lineage in the end. Now that my Qi and Blood have just taken shape, my bloodline urgently needs to grow stronger. I need a pure dragon origin to ignite this fire! The risks may be great, but the rewards will be greater. And besides..." He paused, purple-gold lightning flashing through his eyes. "I am confident."
His confidence came from the increasingly powerful "Thunder God Power," the initially awakened Thick Blood Qi, the Purple Gold Scale that was slowly transforming and possessed a special resonance with dragon-type power, and the combat experience and unyielding will he had accumulated by secretly killing several Soul Emperors over the past two years.
Yu Boxuan stared at his grandson for a long while, seeing unquestionable confidence and determination in his eyes. He knew this grandson's mind was far more mature than that of his peers. He would never act without reason.
"Good!" Yu Boxuan finally nodded heavily, a flash of resolve crossing his eyes. "Since you possess such ambition, Grandfather will gamble with you! The clan will use every resource at its disposal to find you a suitable target!"
A vast and magnificent scroll painting seemed to slowly unfold with the decision of Yu Yuanchen's Fifth Soul Ring target. The Hidden Dragon had sharpened its claws and fangs to their peak. Its next step would be to venture deep into the wilderness, battle a True Dragon, seize its Soul Ring, and forge an unparalleled foundation for itself!
There had never been a lack of risks and challenges on the road to becoming strong. Yu Yuanchen was already prepared.
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