Illusion Brain Douluo, Han Tianyi

The next day, Leng Yaozhu brought Li Chen to the Spirit Pagoda's sixty-sixth floor, the Illusion Space.

As the two entered, the shimmering passage beneath their feet slowly transformed into a liquid sea of stars.

An endless liquid sea of stars gradually emerged beneath them. It was not seawater, but a flowing spectrum. With every step Li Chen took, a prism-like halo bloomed beneath his feet, refracting the deep blue of the ocean depths and the shattered gold of the heavens around him.

There was no sun or moon overhead, only countless suspended luminous bodies. They opened and closed at regular intervals like breathing pupils, casting revolving patterns of light and shadow.

Flocks of Azure Luans turned into glowing deep-sea fish, their rainbow-like tails trailing behind them as they swam through the void. What fell from the gaps between their bodies was not feather dust, but sheets of stardust that solidified behind them into winding bridges of light.

Reflections did not lie beneath his feet, but floated in the void at his side. With his movements, they split into seven layers of shadows, rising and falling in the streams of light as though conversing with versions of himself from another dimension.

This place constantly released intense spiritual pressure. It was not only a secret realm where Spirit Pagoda Soul Masters cultivated their spiritual power, but also the secluded training sanctuary of the Spirit Pagoda's foremost spiritual-system Soul Master.

"Elder Han."

Leng Yaozhu performed the courtesy of a junior, her voice carrying through the silent space.

At that moment, a tall figure slowly emerged.

Only then did Li Chen get a clear look at the man.

Illusion Brain Douluo Han Tianyi. His Soul Power had reached Rank 98, and he was the Spirit Pagoda's number one spiritual-system Soul Master. Rumor had it that he had already reached the realm of gods—the Divine Origin Realm, according to the original work—and he was also a Four-Word Battle Armor Master.

His bright, piercing eyes stared unblinkingly at Li Chen, as though he wanted to see through him completely. Then he said with a genial smile,

"Those with Body Martial Souls are family. Body Martial Souls are already scarce across the continent. Since I agreed to your request, Little Leng, I will naturally train him well."

After a brief pause, he smiled at Leng Yaozhu and said,

"Little Leng, don't forget your condition either."

After Leng Yaozhu nodded, she looked at Li Chen and said solemnly,

"Elder Han is the foremost expert in spiritual cultivation within the Spirit Pagoda. His spiritual power surpasses that of the vast majority of Limit Douluos. Learn well from him."

"I'll have to trouble you, Elder Han."

Han Tianyi laughed. "Haha, there's no need to rush into lessons. Since you have a Body Martial Soul, let's first discuss some theoretical knowledge—Body Martial Souls."

Once upon a time, all Body Martial Soul users had been one family. Han Tianyi felt naturally close to Li Chen and slowly explained,

"A Body Martial Soul, also known as a physique-type Martial Soul, is an extremely rare type of Martial Soul on the continent. It is not an external object, element, or beast. Instead, it directly uses the Soul Master's own flesh, bloodline, bones, and even soul as the Martial Soul for cultivation."

"As a Martial Soul distinct from both tool Martial Souls and beast Martial Souls, it possesses neither the recovery, offensive, nor defensive capabilities of tool Martial Souls, nor the elemental abilities and combat strength gained through beastification by beast Martial Souls."

"However, compared to those two types, it possesses limitless potential for growth and development. For example, Du Busi, the Body Sect Master from ten thousand years ago, had a Body Martial Soul that carried lethal poison. As for my Brain Martial Soul, it followed the path of illusions. This was precisely the manifestation of a Body Martial Soul's potential for development."

"As for growth, that refers to the second and third awakenings of a Body Martial Soul. Thus, some Soul Master scholars believe that Body Martial Souls are the Martial Souls humans should awaken most of all."

"I wholeheartedly agree with that view. Compared to beast Martial Souls and tool Martial Souls, a Body Martial Soul is inherently part of its owner and possesses an extremely high degree of compatibility. That is why Body Martial Souls become so powerful after their second awakening."

Han Tianyi had Li Chen's previous assessment report and possessed a basic understanding of his abilities. He continued, "When it comes to Body Martial Souls, there are two points that cannot be avoided. One is the Body Sect I just mentioned. It possesses combat techniques for all sorts of Body Martial Souls, as well as Body Secret Techniques such as the Imperishable Golden Body."

"The second, and most important point, is the second awakening of a Body Martial Soul."

As he spoke, Han Tianyi's aura changed abruptly. Powerful spiritual waves swept through the Illusion Space, and a silver brain suddenly appeared behind his aged body!

Han Tianyi stood with his hands behind his back and said,

"The second awakening of a Body Martial Soul is the fundamental reason why Body Martial Souls can overwhelm more than ninety percent of the continent's Martial Souls. There are four levels in total. From lowest to highest, they are Black-Iron, Bronze, Silver, and Gold.

My Brain Martial Soul had already reached the Silver Awakening stage. If I could cultivate the secret art passed down by the sect master, then by the time I reached nine rings, I could attain a Gold-Grade Awakening."

"The differences between the four awakening levels are enormous. Black-Iron Awakening generally grants a thirty percent enhancement. Bronze Awakening ranges from sixty to seventy percent, while Silver Awakening grants a full onefold increase.

As for Gold-Grade Awakening, it generally provides a two- to threefold enhancement. Of course, all of that depends on the strength of the Martial Soul.

Your Martial Soul contains both the Power of Life and the Power of Death. Tempering yourself between life and death is precisely the best way to cultivate the body. You have also gained an auspicious beast Soul Spirit, greatly strengthening your spiritual power. By combining spiritual power and the body, you might even break through the limits and reach a realm never achieved before."

Li Chen's gaze gradually grew fervent, but the next second, a bucket of cold water was dumped over his head.

Han Tianyi said helplessly, "The second awakening is a secret never passed down by the Body Sect. After joining the Spirit Pagoda to grow stronger, I swore upon my Martial Soul that I would never pass any secret techniques related to the Body Sect on to others for the rest of my life."

Li Chen's mouth twitched. Then he reconsidered. That was only normal. This was the foundation upon which the Body Sect had been established. Still, there were always more solutions than difficulties.

The Body Sect had already declined at this stage. If it wanted to rise again, it would certainly need the support of a major power. In the original work, Mu Ye had chosen Tang Wulin. With a Pluto Martial Soul whose potential rivaled that of the Dragon God, Li Chen refused to believe he could not compete. The Underworld had required the Dragon God and a group of God Kings to destroy in the original work, and no one below the level of a God King could even enter it. Therefore, in this book, the Lord of the Underworld was at least on the same level as the Dragon God.

After sensing Li Chen's aura gradually calm down, Han Tianyi immediately said with a smile,

"You needn't be so impatient. As the source of a Body Martial Soul's power, the second awakening has quite a few prerequisites. You've only just obtained your first ring, yet you're already thinking that far ahead. It isn't realistic."

"Laying a solid foundation in your youth is more important than anything else. Even the Body Sect's supreme secret technique, the Imperishable Golden Body, may only be cultivated after a Soul Sage has condensed a Soul Core."

"The same goes for the second awakening. At the very least, you must possess the cultivation of a four-ring Soul Ancestor, have sufficient Soul Power compression, and reach the Spirit Connection Realm in both physical condition and spiritual power. Only then can the dangers and consequences brought by the second awakening be greatly reduced.

That will do for now. We'll end the discussion of Body Martial Souls here and begin the formal lesson."

As he spoke, Han Tianyi's figure slowly vanished. The Illusion Space rapidly changed, and before Li Chen's eyes appeared a pitch-black world. The aura of death struck his face without restraint. There was no life anywhere around him. Above, a Black Moon loomed high in the sky.