The Sea of Consciousness Opens

Yue Guan looked reluctantly at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well he had sorted out. His gaze lingered on the Lovesick Heartbreak Red for a long while before he finally forced himself to look away.

With a face full of reluctance, Yue Guan cupped his hands toward Guang Ling and said, "Then I'll leave this place to the Fifth Elder."

"Leave it to me. Go without worry!"

Yue Guan nodded and left, looking back every few steps.

In truth, Yue Guan knew very well that he could not remain here for long. He and Old Ghost possessed a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, and Old Ghost alone could not bring out their greatest value in Spirit Hall.

Fortunately, the Grand Elder had promised that he would look after this place. Yue Guan could come whenever he had time in the future.

After Yue Guan left, Dugu Bo stepped forward and somewhat stiffly bowed to Guang Ling.

Guang Ling waved his hand carelessly. "Forget these tedious formalities from now on. Just act however you did before. Pretend I'm not even here."

After saying that, Guang Ling began wandering around the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well with great interest.

Before long, he noticed Qin Heng soaking in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

Guang Ling clicked his tongue in amazement. Forget a Soul Grandmaster like Qin Heng—even a Rank 97 Super Douluo like himself would not dare touch this spring for too long. Yet this kid was actually taking a bath in it. He had some skill.

Qin Heng's cultivation session ended at noon the next day. Dugu Bo had prepared food for him, and only when Qin Heng was eating did he notice that Yue Guan had already left. The one guarding the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was now the Fifth Elder, Guang Ling Douluo.

Guang Ling Douluo was cultivating by the freezing Ice Spring, and the technique he was practicing appeared to be the Wuji Technique.

"Young Highness, I see that the Soul Power around your body has already reached fullness and is faintly overflowing. You should be close to breaking through to Rank 30, shouldn't you?" Dugu Bo asked.

"Yes, Elder Dugu. By my estimate, I should successfully complete the breakthrough in another three to five days."

"Young Highness truly possesses extraordinary talent. Rank 29 to Rank 30 is the first bottleneck most soul masters encounter in their cultivation. Back then, it took me a full half year to break through from Rank 29 to Rank 30. Your cultivation has not even lasted half a month in total, yet you are already about to break through. Truly impressive!"

Qin Heng smiled. "I can break through so quickly because I have not yet fully digested the medicinal effects of the Infernal Delicate Apricot and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass."

"Young Highness is too modest. With your talent, even without the Infernal Delicate Apricot and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, breaking through to Rank 30 would be effortless."

Qin Heng smiled and did not dwell on the matter. After eating, he returned to the pool to cultivate and comprehend the Taiji True Meaning.

Four days later, Qin Heng's cultivation naturally broke through to Rank 30.

He immediately stopped cultivating. After coming ashore, he greeted Guang Ling Douluo, who was studying the remaining Immortal Herbs with interest. Then, under Guang Ling Douluo's astonished gaze, he reached toward an Immortal Herb that was entirely jade-green, with three snow-white leaves growing at its center and droplets of water condensed within the heart of the leaves.

"Wait! Qin kid, what are you doing?" Guang Ling Douluo hurriedly reached out to stop Qin Heng.

"Grandpa Guang Ling, I want to refine this Immortal Herb."

"Haven't you already refined an Immortal Herb? Yue Guan said that aside from Immortal Herbs that complement one another, each person can only consume one."

"This Immortal Herb is different. It does not affect the body; it affects spiritual power. I want to absorb and refine it, then challenge a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring for my third ring."

"Ten thousand years! That's impossible. How will you withstand the soul beast's spiritual shock—" Guang Ling stopped halfway through his words and looked at the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew. Dew-like liquid clung to it as though ready to drip at dawn. It appeared ordinary, yet it contained spiritual energy.

"Are you really confident?" Guang Ling asked.

Qin Heng nodded. "Grandpa Guang Ling, this Immortal Herb can strengthen spiritual power and eye techniques. Consuming it allows one to cultivate Fiery Golden Eyes. With it, I can directly ignore the spiritual shock of a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast."

Qin Heng was telling the truth. In the original Douluo I novel, Tang San's Purple Demon Eye advanced directly from the Subtle Realm to the Mustard Seed Realm through the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew. Afterward, he could see through Xiao Wu's true Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast form, break illusions and invisibility, and absorb a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring as his fourth ring because of it.

In the original Douluo II novel, Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eyes underwent their second awakening because he consumed the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew. His Spirit Eyes evolved into Evil Eyes Twin Pupils, his spiritual power soared, and he gained the ability to perceive minute details and sense energy fluctuations.

Seeing Qin Heng insist so firmly, Guang Ling Douluo no longer stopped him. He watched Qin Heng pluck the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, tilt his head back and open his mouth, then tip the grass leaves and swallow the droplets as they fell into his mouth.

After every droplet had fallen, the flower of the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew that had held them gradually turned to ash, leaving behind only several tiny seeds.

Qin Heng set the seeds aside and sat with his palms, soles, and crown facing the sky. A cool sensation erupted in his eyes and abdomen, then flowed through his entire body. After lingering briefly, it surged along his meridians and blood vessels toward the Sea of Consciousness in his head.

The medicinal effects quickly began to take effect. Qin Heng's Sea of Consciousness was almost instantly opened up, then began to boil as wave after wave churned within it.

At first, Qin Heng's Sea of Consciousness was only the size of a pond. As the waves continued to surge, it expanded from a pond to a pool, then to a lake, finally settling into a boundless Sea of Consciousness.

By then, the medicinal effects of the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew had been completely refined. Qin Heng slowly opened his eyes, and a sharp glint flashed through them.

Douluo I had no clear classification for spiritual power realms. Only later were spiritual power realms established: Spirit Origin Realm, Spirit Connection Realm, Spirit Sea Realm, Spirit Abyss Realm, Spirit Domain Realm, and Divine Origin Realm.

They respectively corresponded to Soul Scholar through Soul Elder, Soul Ancestor through Soul King, Soul Emperor through Soul Saint, Soul Douluo through Titled Douluo, Limit Douluo/Demigod, and Spiritual Godhood.

As for spiritual power realms above gods, they were beyond the reach of mortals.

Qin Heng estimated that his spiritual power had now reached the Spirit Abyss Realm, corresponding to the realm from Soul Douluo to Titled Douluo.

The Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew had granted him such a tremendous increase in spiritual power partly because he was a transmigrator and had naturally strong spiritual power, and partly because of his recent comprehension of the Taiji True Meaning.

The Taiji True Meaning was truly something miraculous. As Qin Heng's comprehension of it deepened, the strength of his Soul Power, his physical constitution, and his spiritual power all improved somewhat.

Now, if a transformed soul beast stood before him, Qin Heng would definitely be able to see through it as long as he observed carefully.

If he cultivated a certain eye technique like Tang San, he would be able to see through it at a glance.

Now, forget resisting the spiritual shock of a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring—even the spiritual shock of one fifty or sixty thousand years old should pose no problem.

After this, the highest age Soul Ring Qin Heng could absorb would depend solely on his own physical constitution.