Mortal, Do Not Overstep!

[Beginning the Ascent of the First Divine Path]

[Code: Bone Melting]

Hum!

The massive ring-shaped Soul Tool shimmered with dazzling blue light. At its center, the colossal blue-gold giant tree erupted in brilliant radiance, as surging, high-density, high-velocity streams of Soul Spirit Particles raced along their predetermined high-precision tracks at unimaginable speeds.

[Current computation power ratio: 76.8%. All functional modules operating normally.]

Viewed from above, the entire Sea God Lake was transformed into a colossal blue halo, woven from pale blue Soul Power and high-precision Soul Spirit Particle streams. Countless auxiliary channels interconnected, pulsing with orderly light.

The outermost ring of [Ascension] was fully lit, then surged inward like rolling waves, layer by layer.

Hum! Hum! Hum!

From the outside in, each layer of the high-energy ring track was illuminated, like a rhythmic breath. With each inhale and exhale, the layers filtered and converged the qualified, high-energy Soul Spirit particle fluid into a single point.

In a flash of white light, Mu En was pierced, without any reaction, by semi-molten Soul Spirit particles that were highly compatible with his own spirit and soul.

His Super Spiritual Perception erupted with a fierce sense of danger, but his brain received no warning. In that instant, he lost all sensation throughout his body.

This feeling did not last long, however. Soon, a numb, wooden touch returned to Mu En's body. Within this numb sensation, he first realized that his body was "melting." A burning sensation, like watching a blaze through a fireproof suit, filled his insides.

The hidden injuries from his past battle with the previous Sect Master of the Original Body Sect were now being "incinerated" and eradicated by the internal blaze. His Soul Power, which had stagnated for years, began to grow at an astonishing rate.

Correspondingly, he lost all perception of his Soul Bones.

[Bone Melting auxiliary program initiated.]

The high-concentration Soul Power, generated by over a thousand Ark Energy Cores—prepared over the course of a year by dozens of Titled Douluo and having drained Chen Fu's entire stockpile—was added in precise proportions as Mu En's body began to absorb the Soul Bones.

Compared to simply absorbing a Soul Bone, this "water-injection" method was designed to help the [Ascension] executor rapidly complete the initial accumulation of Soul Power, ultimately pushing it toward a qualitative transformation.

When Mu En was halfway through absorbing the Soul Bones, Chen Fu issued a second command from beneath the already superheated blue-gold giant tree.

[Initiate the Second Stage of Ascension]

[Code: Ring Absorption]

The command was instantly transmitted to every functional sector by the already overclocked blue-gold giant tree mainframe.

The outermost arc track began to shimmer with flowing light once more, as a new wave of high-energy Soul Spirit particles began to prepare.

"What terrifying control!"

Qian Duoduo, the Vice Dean standing beside Fan Yu, stared at the blue, multi-layered Soul Tool halo that perfectly confined the Soul Power to Sea God Lake. His heart was filled with nothing but shock.

He had contributed to the laying of over a thousand Ark Cores beneath Sea God Lake, each comparable to an ordinary Titled Douluo. He had to admit, compared to the Ark, the Blazing Sun their academy had built was nothing but a pile of crap.

Setting aside the Ark energy that the combined efforts of the elders had produced, Qian Duoduo was utterly astounded by Chen Fu's Soul Power control technology. He couldn't even muster the will to try and catch up.

"He said it's about controlling the large with the small, using tools to govern tools. All this Soul Power energy was accumulated bit by bit by the Ark, and his incomprehensible Soul Power control is also a product of Soul Tool technology."

Ever since he first saw the [Banished Immortal], Fan Yu had already resigned himself to lying flat. And outside, he never dared to claim Chen Fu as his student. Not because he feared Chen Fu would object, but because saying those words made his own face burn with shame.

"Shao Zhe, don't just stand there gawking. Take Xian'er and the others to scout out which forces are lurking outside."

Xuan Zi dared not be careless with this Ascension plan, which was practically a gamble on Shrek's very fate. Moreover, in his perception, a familiar aura was rapidly swelling at the center of Sea God Lake.

If he might have hesitated at the very start of the plan, now that they had reached this point, it was no longer a matter of him having the final say.

If he had to blame someone, he'd blame Chen Fu's god-forging project for being too tempting. After all, since the original Seven Gods ascended, no one on the Douluo Continent had reached godhood in tens of thousands of years.

If the devil existed in this world, then that brat Chen Fu was surely the most troublesome devil of all!

Facing him, you never had to worry about not being able to pay the price. You could even freeload outright, because that man could always get what he wanted from somewhere else.

"...My Lord, every time some time passes without seeing him, that man makes you realize the world has become strange again."

Far off at the edge of the sky, a black dragon spread its wings against the heavens. Standing atop its head was a humanoid figure.

"..."

Gu Yuena did not answer. Her brilliant, silvery dragon eyes gazed coldly into the distance, the image of that man bearing a divine wheel and revealing his divinity fully imprinted in her sight.

"In your eyes, what are Soul Beasts?"

The question from back then seemed to resurface before her.

"Materials."

The man's answer was simple and direct, without a moment's thought.

She still clearly remembered the calm and indifference in his eyes, showing no concern that the black dragon beside him, who could crush him in an instant, might suddenly attack.

"Will they succeed? That Youngster Mu's aura is growing rapidly. He's already at the level of the Snow Empress."

The black dragon spoke again. The Snow Empress he referred to was the existence in the Extreme North who could match him blow for blow by leveraging the environmental advantage.

"He has already derived divinity, so he knows all the secrets of Ascension."

Gu Yuena did not directly answer Di Tian's question. But based on her observation and understanding of that man, success, followed by replicating that success, was his most defining trait.

"...Do we need to interfere?"

Di Tian hesitated. If Chen Fu succeeded, then they, the Soul Beasts, would have no ability to fight back in the future.

"And... I've noticed that Chen Fu's Soul Tools claim to help Soul Beasts, but it feels like a... lie, built by stepping on them to rise."

Having learned some knowledge of Soul Tools from Golden Scale, Di Tian discovered that Chen Fu's Energy Storage Ring—Soul Ring Engraving—Melting Ring—Soul Ring Engraving—Energy Storage Ring—Ascension formed a complete god-forging industrial chain.

Wasn't technology supposed to be a double-edged sword that cuts both enemy and self? Why were all your edges hacking at Soul Beasts???

Hearing Di Tian's words, Gu Yuena fell silent as well. But she knew destroying the experiment was possible, while killing the key figure was not.

The World Will's attention on him, and the unfamiliar Divine Trial bestowed by that Latecomer God, all made it clear this person was not to be touched.

Huff!

Letting out a heavy breath of turbid air, she too felt that if one wasn't careful, that man always liked to stir up big trouble.

"Wait. Wait for his promise."

Her tone carried helplessness and indignation.

Mu En, who had completely lost control of his body, was immersed in the joy of being "boosted" when he suddenly felt himself flipped over by a massive wave. His spirit felt like needles were stabbing it, and his body involuntarily manifested his Soul Rings.

Buzz!

Igniting another Nuclear Ark, vast Soul Power surged through his body via the [Youlan] Divine Ring. This was the third Nuclear Ark he had ignited. During the Bone Melting phase, the additional Soul Injection had made the process longer, wasting some time, but the subsequent [Ring Absorption] and [Soul Merging] were much faster.

In just a few breaths, this Dragon God Douluo's First Soul Ring was dispersed, followed by the second, the third...

Rising to a new limit, Mu En once again felt his Soul Power skyrocket. The Two-colored Soul Core originally hidden deep within his body was compressed to a single point by the massive influx of Soul Power. As the Soul Power swelled further, impact arrays composed of high-energy particles surrounded him from all sides. Under the immense Soul Power pressure, the Two-colored Soul Core spun at high speed, giving the illusion of merging into one.

Soul Rings corresponded to spirit and soul. The third step, [Soul Merging], would yield results the moment [Ring Absorption] was completed.

Soon, Mu En's fourth Soul Ring began to melt...

Chen Fu looked up at the sky.

The sky had dimmed without him noticing when.

"Mortal, do not overstep!"

The sky seemed to...

collapse.

Thanks to [Book Friend 0209] [Longing for the Lonely Sea] [Green-Clad River Jade] [Six Paths Reincarnation Paradise] [I Don't Play Spicy] [1116-aE] [Xiu'er uou] [Just a Clown] [Captain] [Mr. KFC of Kassel] for the monthly tickets, good brothers (σ′▽‵)′▽‵)σ

Thanks to all the good brothers for the recommendation tickets (σ′▽‵)′▽‵)σ