Potential Problems

Time passed unnoticed in the mountains.

Cultivation was indescribably dull. Shen Hanyu had somehow entered a strange state. His perception and Mental Power were infinitely amplified, extending outward into the world. Though his consciousness was exceptionally clear and remained active for long periods, he felt no fatigue whatsoever. Yet his body had fallen into a deep sleep.

If someone were to examine Shen Hanyu internally at that moment, they would surely be astonished to find his Soul Power flowing through his limbs and bones in a strange manner before gradually converging in his dantian.

The consequence was that his demand for energy had increased by far more than a little. The energy between heaven and earth was constantly absorbed by Shen Hanyu and the Cold Sky Spear beside him.

The scattered energy of heaven and earth simply could not satisfy Shen Hanyu's enormous appetite. Within a few days, it was no longer able to meet his needs at all.

Tian Meng was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, yet he did not dare disturb Shen Hanyu lightly. He could only continuously supply Shen Hanyu with pure, immense energy.

During this time, he carefully examined Shen Hanyu's body every other day, but he never found anything wrong. Only Shen Hanyu's Soul Power and Mental Power continued to grow, vaguely reaching a frenzied state.

This was undoubtedly a strange opportunity. Once Tian Meng gradually realized this, he simply used his Mental Power to completely conceal the surrounding area, preventing any outside factors from disturbing Shen Hanyu.

A faint glow continuously radiated from the Cold Sky Spear. Indistinct ripples drifted through the air, while cold air flowed freely along the spear. Even the fiery-red line could not help flashing with faint red light from time to time. A trace of scorching Fire Attribute energy constantly collided with the Ice Attribute before eventually merging into one, while the spear shaft and blade repeatedly shattered and reforged themselves.

The sight made Tian Meng's heart pound with fear. Once a human Soul Master's Martial Soul shattered, the Soul Master would suffer an immense backlash. In severe cases, it could even endanger their life.

Yet Shen Hanyu's Martial Soul had shattered and reforged itself more than ten times during this period. Once, it had even exploded directly into fragments before slowly reforming.

As its master, Shen Hanyu still sat cross-legged upon the stone slab as though he had passed away in meditation. Faint Soul Power fluctuations emanated from him. A layer of frost covered his long purplish-blue hair, whose color continued to shift toward deep blue.

Tian Meng had examined the two energies on the Cold Sky Spear, which collided and continuously fused with one another, using his Mental Power. In the end, he came to a terrifying conclusion:

Shen Hanyu and his Cold Sky Spear were currently in a special stage!

To put it more simply, it was a second awakening of the Martial Soul!

There were quite a few precedents for second awakenings in the Soul Master World. For example, if someone awakened an Explosive Bear Martial Soul, then absorbed a powerful Earth Attribute Soul Ring or various Earth Attribute Medicinal Herbs, it could cause the Martial Soul to undergo a beneficial mutation, turning its Earth Attribute into an Earth Explosive Bear Martial Soul...

This would complete the evolution of an ordinary Martial Soul into an advanced Beast Martial Soul, or even a top-tier Beast Martial Soul. Such cases were rare in the Soul Master World, but there were still many recorded examples.

Shen Hanyu was now in such a situation. His Cold Sky Spear possessed the Ice Attribute, yet for some unknown reason, there was a strand of Fire Attribute energy within his body that was not the slightest bit weaker than that Ice Attribute energy. Although the two energies had achieved a delicate balance, they remained inside Shen Hanyu like a ticking bomb.

An Ice Attribute Martial Soul could not bear such violent Fire Attribute energy. Shen Hanyu's current situation was one of constantly using his own energy to suppress, or even completely control, that force. This was also why his Martial Soul had repeatedly shattered and reforged itself during this time.

In truth, Shen Hanyu had discovered this problem long ago. He also knew exactly when those two energies had entered his body and taken root in his divine body and Martial Soul.

A trace of energy from the two great Dragon Kings of the dragon clan was enough to make Shen Hanyu suffer badly!

But as long as Shen Hanyu found the proper solution, whether this was a setback or a fortunate opportunity remained to be seen...

When Shen Hanyu awoke, his complexion was not very good. His Soul Power had already reached the peak of level fifty-nine. He was only one step away from breaking through to become a Soul Emperor.

The Cold Sky Spear appeared in his hand, and its icy yet scorching touch made Shen Hanyu's expression worsen further.

"Tian Meng, how long has it been?"

Tian Meng was initially stunned before quickly replying,

"Hanyu, it's been more than a month since you entered this state."

Shen Hanyu nodded. After a long while, he said,

"There's a problem with my body. This Fire Attribute energy came from a deity. I must have absorbed it by accident when I refined the immortal herb, and it belongs to the Deity of Soul Beasts..."

"I have completely refined and mastered the Ice Attribute energy during this time, but this Fire Attribute energy seems to share a unique bond with the Ice Attribute energy. I cannot control or subdue it. I can only find something to bear it..."

Tian Meng fell silent for a moment before saying,

"Hanyu, I won't hide it from you. After I sacrifice myself, I can provide you with a blank Ice Attribute or Mental Attribute Martial Soul. But you also know that Fire Attribute conflicts with me. I've never encountered a situation like this either..."

Shen Hanyu withdrew the Cold Sky Spear and smashed his fist fiercely into the rock wall beside him. The terrifying force instantly blasted the wall apart, spreading cracks across it.

After a while, Shen Hanyu let out a heavy breath and rubbed his aching temples.

"Forget it. For now, I need to raise my Ice Attribute to the level of Extreme Ice first. The Cold Sky Spear's Ice Attribute took another small step forward this time, but it is still stuck outside that barrier. I need to make plans for my sixth Soul Ring as soon as possible. The Soul Ring age I can endure this time should be around seventy thousand to ninety-five thousand years. If it's one hundred thousand years, there may be some trouble, but with your help, I'm still confident."

Tian Meng nodded.

"It's incredibly difficult for an ordinary attribute to reach the extreme level, but for a freak like you, Hanyu, it isn't much of a problem."

"As for your sixth Soul Ring, I know of a type of Soul Beast called the Fallen Sea Demon in an abyss beneath the seabed on the outskirts of the Far North. They are a subsidiary race of sea demons and possess the Extreme Ice Attribute. Their race even has a Mental Attribute no weaker than their Ice Attribute. Most importantly, these Soul Beasts are not social creatures. They are naturally fallen and arrogant, disdaining to associate with other Soul Beasts. They are unlike ordinary merfolk and sea demons..."

"I can use my Mental Power to control it. Hanyu, you can take the chance to kill it and obtain its Soul Ring. In this world, aside from that big-eyed fellow who can fight Di Tian to a standstill, no Soul Beast can surpass me in Mental Power!"

Shen Hanyu nodded and stroked Tian Meng's little head on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Tian Meng. I won't let this little trouble block my path. Give me time, and I'll take you to seek that illusory eternal life and godhood."

Tian Meng nodded solemnly. In some ways, he and Shen Hanyu had already become one in heart and mind. He unconditionally believed in the partner he had chosen, even if that partner intended to defy the heavens...