The Realm of the Gods

Tang Chen's treatment ended quickly, since Ling Yi's healing ability at this time was only slightly stronger than that of an ordinary Healing System Soul Douluo.

For a Level 99 Peerless Douluo, any healing methods below the Titled Douluo level are barely worth mentioning.

It was only because Ling Yi's Soul Skill contained some characteristics of the "Ultimate Life" attribute that Tang Chen was able to look at him, Seven-Ring Soul Sage, in a different light.

Of course, only Tang Chen himself knows how much of this is due to Erlang, the 'guard' who might be related to Wu Wudi.

With the treatment over, it's time to pay the "consultation fee".

In the same reception room, Ling Yi retracted his Martial Soul and Soul Ring into his body, met Tang Chen's gaze with clear eyes, and asked in his melodious voice, "Ling Yi His Majesty Clear Sky, I have always had some questions about the existence of Tool Martial Soul. I wonder if Your His Majesty Clear Sky could enlighten me?"

"Oh?" Tang Chen looked at Ling Yi with some surprise upon hearing this. "What does City Lord Ling wish to know?"

"I will tell you everything I know."

Not only was Tang Chen surprised, but even Tang Zhen and Tang Xiao, who were sitting next to him, couldn't help but cast surprised glances at Ling Yi.

In the minds of the three members of the Tang Family, Ling Yi was most likely to ask about Tang Chen's cultivation experience in breaking through to Level 99.

After all, with Ling Yi's talent, breaking through Level 90 and becoming Titled Douluo is practically a certainty, and he might even launch an attack towards Level 99 in the future.

Furthermore, Lingyun City now also has a Level 97 Super Douluo. If Ling Yi were to give the opportunity to ask Tang Chen for guidance to Seven Kill Douluo Chen Jianjun, the chances of Chen Jianjun continuing to break through would definitely increase significantly.

Once Chen Jianjun breaks through to Level 98, or even Level 99, then Lingyun City will inevitably rise to become the third super power in the Douluo Continent, becoming an existence on par with Spirit City and Clear Sky Sect!

However, the question Ling Yi asked was about the "existence form of Tool Martial Soul"?

What kind of question is this?!

Ling Yi ignored the strange looks from Tang Zhen and his son Tang Xiao. He reached across his left wrist with his right hand, took out a book, and handed it to Tang Chen opposite him.

Looking at the book handed to him, Tang Chen first glanced at Ling Yi, whose expression was indifferent, and then reached out to take it.

A quick glance revealed that the book's cover was quite neat, but there were obvious signs of wear, indicating that its owner must have cherished it and frequently looked through it.

My gaze fell on the seven large characters on the book cover: "Tool Martial Soul: Forging Secrets"!

Looking further down, the bottom right corner of the book cover has the two small characters "Ling Yi" written on it.

"Did City Lord Ling write this himself?" Tang Chen looked at Ling Yi with some surprise and asked curiously.

Ling Yi nodded and replied with a modest smile, "These are just my humble opinions and wild ideas; I hope Your His Majesty Clear Sky my ignorance."

Tang Chen nodded noncommittally, then focused his gaze back on the "Tool Martial Soul: Forging Secrets" in his hands. He paused on the word "forging" before turning the pages to read.

In fact, Tang Chen also possesses quite good forging skills.

Or rather, all Tang Family in the Clear Sky Sect possess some forging skills to varying degrees.

There was no other way; the Tang Family's "Clear Sky Hammer" Martial Soul truly possessed a significant advantage in forging. The "Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique" was arguably the forging secret technique that the Tang Family had come into contact with the most, as it could hone their hammer-wielding skills and force conversion, and also unleash considerable combat power in battle.

Now that we have mastered this forging technique, which is arguably the most effective at removing impurities from metals, it would be a waste not to learn some skills in forging weapons and tools.

Long before Tang Chen elevated the Clear Sky Sect to the throne of the number one sect in the world, at least one-third of the income of the entire Clear Sky Hammer Tang Family came from forging.

Even now, the forging-related industries belonging to the Clear Sky Sect have been handed over to the Strength Clan for management, and members of the Tang Family bloodline hold indispensable positions in them.

[In what form does a Tool Martial Soul exist within Soul Master? And in what form is it imprinted in their bloodline and passed down from generation to generation?]

The very first sentence made Tang Chen raise his eyebrows involuntarily.

To be honest, even Tang Chen had never considered this question before.

Martial Soul is Martial Soul. It is awakened through the "Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony". It is usually stored in the body and summoned when needed using Soul Power. Do we need to consider how the Martial Soul exists in the body when it is not in use?

And the inheritance of Martial Soul bloodline, isn't it all passed down from parents to children, and from children to grandchildren, generation after generation?

As for why bloodline inheritance is possible, no Soul Master on the Douluo Continent has ever bothered to investigate this question.

But now, looking at those two lines of strong and powerful handwriting, Tang Chen also felt a surge of curiosity and an urge to investigate.

But now was not the time to think. Tang Chen held the book in his hand and continued reading.

[... If the Beast Martial Soul bloodline originated from ancient human ancestors, either through merging with transformed Soul Beast or consuming their Soul Beast and blood, then how did the Tool Martial Soul become integrated into human bloodlines?]

[... Apart from beast-type Soul Beast, plants, trees, rocks, rain, snow, wind, thunder, fire... all originate from heaven and earth and nature, and cannot be encompassed by the single word "artifact." They should be classified separately. Hmm, let's put that aside for now and discuss it later.]

[Swords, spears, halberds, hammers, axes, mirrors, furnaces... Where does the spirit of Martial Soul arts originate from man-made objects?]

[Beast Martial Soul can enhance Martial Soul quality by hunting and absorbing corresponding Soul Beast Soul Ring, which also has a positive catalytic effect on their Martial Soul bloodline. Besides Tool Martial Soul Ring of corresponding attributes, can weapon-type Soul Beast absorb corresponding elements from the outside world for enhancement?]

[Could we consider a Tool Martial Soul as a prototype and strengthen it through forging?]

[If feasible, what should be used for the forging hammer? What should be added as reinforcement materials, and how should they be added?]

[Moreover, heaven and earth are the furnace, and creation is the craftsman; yin and yang are the charcoal, and all things are the copper!]

[The world is a vast universe, and the human body is a microcosm. Is it acceptable to use the body as a furnace?]

[Human existence in this world is based on the physical body Qi and Blood, utilized by the energy of the Soul Power, and primarily governed by the spirit.]

[The physical body is the furnace, the Soul Power is the hammer, and the spirit wields the hammer to forge—is that acceptable?]

[In the 2605th year of the Douluo Calendar, the heartwood of a 300-year-old "Iron Birch Tree" was used as the shaft, and the head Thousand Refinement "Black Ink Iron Alloy," thus obtaining two quasi-divine weapons.]

[Nurturing Soul Power... Nurturing Blood Qi... Nurturing Spirit...]

[Using quasi-divine weapons as provisions, and offering sacrifices to the "Hoe" Martial Soul...]

[The day the Artifact Refinement into the Soul marks the beginning of the Tool Martial Soul!]...

Tang Chen reads slowly, and his reading speed is even getting slower. Whenever he sees a word or phrase that catches his attention, he will stop and ponder it repeatedly.

However slow it may be, a book that is only two fingers thick will eventually be read through.

When Tang Chen turned to the last page with writing, and saw that the next ten or so pages were all blank, he looked up anxiously at Ling Yi and asked, "What about the next ones? Why are there no more?"

Faced with Tang Chen's somewhat pleading gaze, Ling Yi shrugged and said helplessly, "The research progress has stalled, so naturally I can't continue writing—"

"I see~" Tang Chen said with a sense of loss, and then looked back at the book in his hands.

After a while, Tang Chen finally calmed down and looked at Ling Yi with a complicated expression. He rubbed the book cover a few times and reluctantly handed back the book "Tool Martial Soul: Forging Secrets".

Ling Yi didn't stand on ceremony and directly took it back. He then asked Tang Chen again, "Your His Majesty Clear Sky Ling Yi, most of my questions are in this book. Could you perhaps answer some of them for me?"

Tang Chen nodded first, then shook his head. Under the confused and bewildered gazes of Tang Zhen and his son beside him, he replied, "I deeply admire Master Ling's Tang Chen attainments in the Martial Soul path. I wouldn't call it answering your questions, but let's discuss it together."

This was the first time Tang Chen had addressed Ling Yi as "Master," and his tone was extremely serious, without the slightest hint of perfunctoriness.

Whether it was to provide answers or to discuss matters, Ling Yi didn't care. He simply needed the insights and knowledge from Tang Chen, this over- Level 99 Peerless Douluo.

When Tang Chen saw Ling Yi nod in agreement, the complex emotions he had been suppressing surged up again, and he couldn't help but ask, "Master Ling, do you know what it means to bestow Martial Soul upon Soul Master?"

As he asked the question, Tang Chen couldn't help but recall the date written on the very first page of the book "Tool Martial Soul: Forging Secrets": Douluo Calendar 2602!

It is now the year 2625 of the Douluo Calendar, twenty-three years ago!

How old is Ling Yi in front of me?!

If I remember correctly, both his son Tang Zhen and his eldest grandson Tang Xiao said he was thirty-four years old!

What does this mean?!

Ling Yi started thinking about those questions when he was eleven years old!

What was I doing when I was eleven years old? Tang Chen asked himself in his heart.

It seems that under his father's protection, he fought against Hundred-Year Soul Beast and hunted Thousand-Year Soul Beast with his father, eventually becoming Three-Ring Soul Elder?

Faced with Tang Chen's shocking question, Ling Yi did not feel smug. He simply replied calmly, "My family was poor when I was young, and my talent was also terrible. So I had to find another way to make a living."

Tang Chen: "..."

Tang Zhen glanced subconsciously at his son beside him. "Look at them, and then look at you two brothers~"

Although Tang Zhen didn't know what was written in the book Ling Yi gave Tang Chen, it was definitely something extraordinary. Even his own father had lost his composure, and now he was calling him "Master Ling."

Feeling his father's gaze, Tang Xiao unconsciously grinned, inexplicably speechless. He thought to himself, "Don't you realize that in tens of thousands of years, only one Master Ling has appeared on the Douluo Continent? How can we compare to him? How can we even begin to compare?!"

The father and son exchanged glances, while Tang Chen sighed, "For over a hundred years, I have believed myself to be the most talented person in the world, but only today have I realized that I am nothing more than a martial artist who follows the path of those who came before me."

Shaking his head, Tang Chen suppressed his dejection and said to Ling Yi seriously, "Master Ling, bestowing Martial Soul upon Soul Master involves the realm of gods."

"Even though what you currently possess are merely ideas and theories lingering on the outside, they already surpass all ordinary people in this world!"

At this point, Tang Chen suddenly realized something: 'No wonder. If Erlang really was related to Wu Wudi, given the power of that god-level expert, why would Erlang follow a Healing System Soul Master with no strength or background?'

"Perhaps, the other party sensed Ling Yi's extraordinary wisdom before anyone else did, and that's why they invested in advance?"

Thinking this through, Tang Chen nodded to himself, believing that he had almost grasped the truth of the matter.

Ling Yi is currently unaware of Tang Chen's mental constructs. After all, given Tang Chen's strength and level of attainment, Ling Yi cannot use his mental power to approach the other party's brain and read their scattered thought fluctuations, thus achieving a level similar to mind reading, as he does with others.

Fortunately, it wasn't a big problem. Just from the changes in facial micro-expressions and eyes, Ling Yi could roughly guess Tang Chen's emotional fluctuations at this moment.

Ling Yi turned his gaze to the window not far from Tang Chen, looking at the patch of blue sky there, and said with a smile, "The realm of gods?"

"I once wondered what it would be like for Soul Master to cultivate to level 100 or above."

"You may think I'm being unrealistic. I'm just a mere Seven-Ring Soul Sage, yet I dare to dream of that unattainable world."

"However, I've always believed that the size of your heart and the height of your vision determine how far you can ultimately go."

"As long as I take each step firmly and steadily, I will eventually reach the destination I once longed for."

At this point, Ling Yi seemed to have noticed something interesting. He nodded at the void before him and continued, "The gods that people admire and revere are, in the end, also beings cultivated by humans. They are simply more powerful than Soul Master, nothing more."

Ling Yi's words reminded Tang Chen of the "Slaughter City" beneath his feet, the divine realm left behind by the Asura God after he achieved godhood and left this world; and the Sea God worshipped on "Sea God Island." According to Bo Saixi, after reaching Level 99, the Sea God Poseidon spent a thousand years conquering the sea and achieving godhood through the faith of billions of sea creatures; Qian Daoliu's ancestor, the Angel God, was once just a human Soul Master...

Without giving Tang Chen much time to reflect, Ling Yi began to ask him one question after another about his research on Tool Martial Soul over the years.

Tang Chen truly lived up to his reputation as the Weiyi person in this world to cultivate Tool Martial Soul to Level 99. It's hard to say about other Martial Soul, but when it came to his own "Clear Sky Hammer" Martial Soul, he could basically give his own insights and answers to any questions Ling Yi asked.

This Q&A session was very beneficial not only to Ling Yi, but also to Tang Chen. Through Ling Yi's questions, Tang Chen gained a new understanding of his "Clear Sky Hammer" Martial Soul from different perspectives.

Tang Chen had a feeling that if he had met Ling Yi earlier, he might not have needed to take the path of the Asura God Trial, nor would he have needed to spend thousands of years collecting faith power like the Sea God. With just the "Clear Sky Hammer" in his hand, he could have broken through the insurmountable barrier above him and directly become a level 100 god with pure strength!

Just like the "Sea God Trident" enshrined on Sea God Island, it was once the Sea God's Martial Soul and was condensed into a divine weapon by the Sea God.

Tang Chen might be able to upgrade the "Clear Sky Hammer" in his hand into a divine weapon first, and become a god with the divine weapon-level "Clear Sky Hammer"!

With this idea in mind, Tang Chen didn't notice when Ling Yi left under Tang Xiao's escort, and turned around and returned to the "Slaughter City" located in subspace.

However, as soon as Tang Chen returned to the dark and spacious space that belonged exclusively to the Slaughter King, he discovered that the huge chair that was originally reserved for him was now occupied by an extremely tall figure.