The Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff's Lament

The sun was setting behind the western hills, an orange orb hanging on the horizon. Its rays were no longer as fierce as they had been at noon, but its light still felt incomparably warm.

Mu Tianchen walked out of the Forging Room, looked at the evening glow on the horizon, and let out a long breath.

From noon until six in the evening, he had forged continuously for four full hours.

Over those four hours, his forging skills had improved tremendously. His success rate for Hundred Refinement had already reached seventy percent.

In a few more months, he would be able to stabilize his success rate with all kinds of metals at over ninety percent.

Four hours of high-intensity forging had nearly been too much even for someone as naturally strong as him. His entire body ached and tingled, but there were benefits as well.

His Soul Power had become more condensed, while his physique and strength were gradually improving.

More importantly, his cultivation speed with the Vortex Meditation Method had increased by ten percent.

That ten percent was not to be underestimated. Over three years, it could save him several months of time!

"Everything is heading in a better direction!"

Mu Tianchen clenched his fist. The fatigue brought by forging had long since vanished from his body, leaving only excitement and anticipation for the future.

His ever-increasing strength had always been the source of his confidence. When his power had been low, he had always felt somewhat uneasy.

Now, that sense of unease had finally diminished somewhat.

After returning to his residence, Mu Tianchen took a hot bath before lying comfortably on his bed.

Yan Qingling arranged all of his training plans, but they were all basic exercises. To him, with the soul of an adult, those exercises were incredibly simple.

So after a week of basic training, Yan Qingling had discovered that she seemingly had nothing left to teach him.

No matter what she taught, Mu Tianchen could grasp it quickly and draw inferences from it. That formidable comprehension ability had even shocked Yan Qingling.

However, Yan Qingling simply did not know that inside Mu Tianchen's six-year-old body lived the soul of a twenty-five-year-old from his previous life.

By the standards of his previous life, Mu Tianchen was a full seven years older than the eighteen-year-old Yan Qingling.

"Time to sleep. I'll continue tomorrow!"

Lying on the bed, Mu Tianchen made plans for himself. Even without Yan Qingling around, he would set out a whole series of training plans. When it came to improving his strength, he was extremely strict with himself.

Perhaps today's forging had exhausted him too much. Not long after Mu Tianchen lay down, rhythmic breathing could be heard.

At some point, he had fallen asleep just like that.

And right then, the dark energy that had been dormant in his body for a long time appeared within him once more.

He had awakened the Holy Dragon of Light Martial Soul. His body, soul, and spiritual power had all been transformed into the Light Attribute. Logically, they should have been as incompatible with dark energy as fire and water.

Yet in reality, those two utterly opposing energies interacted as amicably as brothers, without the slightest sign of erupting.

When night fell, the dark energy within Mu Tianchen absorbed the Lunar Essence from the moon and fed it back into his body. Without him realizing it, Mu Tianchen's physique was growing stronger.

In his sleep, Mu Tianchen only felt exceptionally comfortable. Still, he also felt a little chilly. After pulling over a blanket, he continued sleeping.

Time passed in the outside world.

The sun rose in the east, and a warm ray of light shone in through the window.

Mu Tianchen could not help narrowing his eyes under the sunlight, and he soon woke from his sleep.

"What happened last night? Why did I sleep more comfortably than ever before?"

The first thing Mu Tianchen did upon waking was recall the sensation from last night. He had felt as if he were sleeping on a bed of cold jade—comfortable, yet slightly chilly.

He closed his eyes and sensed the dantian within his body. Light Attribute Soul Power circulated within it, while at its center, the vortex that imitated the movement of a cosmic nebula had reached two-thousandths completion.

Nothing was any different, so he could only let the matter go.

"Today, I'll cultivate the Vortex Meditation Method for four hours, then forge metal for another four hours!"

Mu Tianchen quickly made his plans for the day, closed his eyes, and immediately began operating the Vortex Meditation Method.

His Vortex Meditation Method had not yet been fully cultivated. He needed to follow its circulation route step by step and construct within his body a Soul Power vortex that simulated the movement of a cosmic nebula.

As he constructed it piece by piece, his own Soul Power would also increase.

After fusing with the four-hundred-year Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Soul Spirit, he had not only obtained two four-hundred-year soul skills, but his level had also broken through to Level 21.

For others, advancing from Level 21 to Level 22 would be difficult, but for Mu Tianchen, it did not seem all that hard.

Mu Tianchen continuously constructed the Soul Power vortex according to the Vortex Meditation Method. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth from the outside world surged into his body like seawater.

Every time he absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, it was equivalent to someone else absorbing it ten times. Such speed was unquestionably terrifying.

Time passed bit by bit, and layers of platinum radiance flowed around Mu Tianchen. His entire body was enveloped in platinum light, bright and warm, making people unable to resist approaching him.

At some point, the figure of the Holy Dragon of Light appeared behind him.

It opened its massive jaws and continuously absorbed the Solar Essence from the sky.

Mu Tianchen only felt his Soul Power and physique growing at an astonishing rate, practically rising by a step every second. This unimaginable speed of progress deeply engrossed him.

At some point, the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff also appeared beside Mu Tianchen.

After becoming a Soul Spirit, the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff no longer possessed its former massive body. It was now merely a tiny golden puppy.

After appearing, the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff lay down beside Mu Tianchen.

Light Attribute spiritual energy of heaven and earth covered the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff, and beneath the shroud of light, its body also improved slightly.

"This little fellow possesses the Holy Dragon of Light Martial Soul, broke through to Level 21 at only six years old, and has Innate Level 20 Soul Power."

"Talent of this level is probably rare even throughout the entirety of human history. Sigh... I wonder how far this little fellow will eventually go."

"Can he reach the step of becoming a god?"

The Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff's golden eyes continuously examined Mu Tianchen.

Although it was only a hundred-year Soul Spirit, its special bloodline and formidable strength had granted it intelligence no less than that of ten-thousand-year Soul Spirits and soul beasts.

It looked at the phantom of the Holy Dragon of Light behind Mu Tianchen. This phantom was far more sacred and far more powerful than any Holy Dragon of Light in its memories.

It even felt that the phantom of the Holy Dragon of Light behind Mu Tianchen carried a hint of the Radiant Dragon King from back then.

As a powerful Soul Spirit from the ancient era, it had naturally seen the former ten Dragon Kings of the Dragon Clan. Among the ancient ten Dragon Kings, the Radiant Dragon King stood first. Even the Dragon Clan's crown prince was inferior before the Radiant Dragon King.

The Radiant Dragon King had been a true supreme powerhouse, possessing the terrifying strength of a God King.

Back then, the ancestor of their Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff clan had been wiped out by the Radiant Dragon King leading the other Dragon Kings.

It both hated and felt grateful toward the Radiant Dragon King. It hated him because he had led the other Dragon Kings to destroy its race, yet it was grateful because the Radiant Dragon King had spared its family back then.

At this moment, as it looked at Mu Tianchen, it seemed to see the Radiant Dragon King of old.

Its heart was filled with emotion. Yes, the Radiant Dragon King in human form had looked so much like Mu Tianchen. Mu Tianchen was practically a younger version of the Radiant Dragon King's human form.

If Mu Tianchen's aura had not been so weak, it would have thought the Radiant Dragon King himself had descended.

"Time flows like water. Hundreds of thousands of years have passed, and the once-powerful Dragon Clan has vanished into the river of history. Before long, I fear all soul beasts will disappear as well. This world will ultimately belong to humanity."

The Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff's eyes were filled with melancholy. After glancing at Mu Tianchen, who was cultivating earnestly, it turned into a streak of light and entered Mu Tianchen's Sea of Consciousness.

To the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff, there was no difference between staying outside and staying in Mu Tianchen's Sea of Consciousness.

At this moment, Mu Tianchen was still operating the Vortex Meditation Method with utmost focus, constructing the Soul Power vortex within his body without relaxing for even a moment.

Just then, Mu Tianchen suddenly sensed something unusual in his cultivation and opened his eyes. Yet there was no panic in his gaze—only surprise and delight.

"No, the completion of the Soul Power vortex inside my body has actually reached three-thousandths. What's going on? Today's cultivation is so stable, and it's much faster too."

Mu Tianchen truly felt somewhat shocked. His cultivation had been fast before, but never like today, steadily advancing with every step. The feeling made him feel exceptionally secure.

What exactly was going on?

At this moment, within Mu Tianchen's Sea of Consciousness, the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Soul Spirit, which had been lying down, opened its eyes. Seeing this, it could not help rolling its eyes as it said, "Of course it's because your Holy Dragon of Light Martial Soul is automatically absorbing Solar Essence."

Solar Essence was one of the purest forms of energy in this world, slightly richer even than the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. In terms of pure energy intensity, Solar Essence should be ten times that of spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Within the Sea of Consciousness, the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff looked at Mu Tianchen with an exceedingly strange gaze.

Tsk, tsk. This little fellow's Holy Dragon of Light Martial Soul truly was extraordinary. No wonder he possessed Innate Level 20 Soul Power.

Being able to absorb and exhale Solar Essence was extremely rare even among the Holy Dragon of Light clan!

Not only that, when Mu Tianchen had slept last night, it had sensed another unusual energy within his body absorbing Lunar Essence and improving his physique.

It was a type of Dark Attribute energy, completely opposite to the power of light.

The Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff could not help but speculate. Could it be that this little fellow had another Martial Soul within him that had yet to awaken?

The dark energy absorbed Lunar Essence to strengthen his physique, while the light energy absorbed Solar Essence to temper his Soul Power.

It was willing to call this cultivation method the Sun and Moon Radiance Cultivation Method.

However, this little fellow had yet to discover this secret of his. It seemed it would need to find an opportunity to properly discuss his future development with him.