Dragon Pearl Space

Xu Zhan stared at the spear woven from Blue Silver Grass and took a long while to recover. After hearing Xu Mengqing's explanation, he slowly nodded, his eyes filled with approval.

"Good. Your father happens to have a friend who is a Power Attack System Battle Spirit Master with a spear Martial Soul. I'll contact him tomorrow and see whether he's willing to teach you."

The moment those words were spoken, Xu Mengqing's eyes lit up. His originally composed expression now carried a barely concealed delight. Clenching his fists, he nodded slightly. "Thank you, Dad!"

He knew very well that having a Spirit Master who specialized in spear Martial Souls teach him would be far better than figuring things out on his own. It would save him countless detours and benefit him immensely.

Night gradually shrouded all of Aolai City. The Blue Silver Grass in the courtyard glowed softly beneath the moonlight, complementing the warm yellow light spilling from the house and adding a touch of homely warmth.

To celebrate Xu Mengqing's successful breakthrough to a level-ten Spirit Master, Meng Ling'er had deliberately gone out in the evening to buy plenty of fresh ingredients. After bustling about in the kitchen for more than an hour, she had prepared a table full of sumptuous dishes.

On the wooden dining table, steaming dishes gave off enticing aromas. Tender stewed meat sat in a rich, milky-white soup sprinkled with emerald wild vegetables, its fragrance mouthwatering. Golden-fried wheat cakes were crisp outside and soft within, accompanied by refreshing cold wild vegetables and several small plates of pickled vegetables—all favorites of Xu Mengqing and Na'er.

They were not extravagant delicacies, but they were filled with the taste of home. Every dish carried Meng Ling'er's boundless love.

"Xiaoqing, sit down, sit down. You successfully broke through today and even evolved your Martial Soul. That's wonderful news. Mother specially made your favorite dishes, so let's celebrate properly." Meng Ling'er wiped the water from her hands and smilingly called Xu Mengqing over. She casually placed a piece of meat into Na'er's bowl, her gaze gentle. "Na'er, eat more too."

After dinner, Xu Mengqing played with Na'er in the courtyard for quite a while. Before long, though, it was time for bed. He carefully coaxed Na'er to sleep, tucked a thin quilt around her, and only after watching her adorable sleeping face did he quietly leave the room and return to the backyard.

The Blue Silver Grass in the backyard spread beneath the moonlight like a soft green sea. A breeze drifted by, making the blades sway gently with a faint rustling sound.

Xu Mengqing walked to the Blue Silver Bagua Formation in the center of the backyard and stopped. Feeling the rich aura of life around him, the lingering exhaustion from merging with the Spirit Soul and activating his Martial Soul during the day was soothed somewhat by that gentle energy.

After sensing that both his parents had returned to their rooms to rest, Xu Mengqing began to move.

He sat cross-legged on the stone slab. With a thought, he summoned the Holy Dragon Pearl.

The next second, dizziness washed over him. When Xu Mengqing opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the backyard, nor even on the Douluo Continent. He had arrived in a strange space.

The ground throughout the space was dry and cracked, as rough as a desert. Yellow-brown rocks lay everywhere. It was empty and silent, as though forgotten by the world.

He walked into the distance, occasionally spotting enormous bones from some unknown creature. As he drew close, he could even sense the ancient, heart-palpitating pressure lingering upon them.

At the very center of this barren space was an incomparably vast lake.

Xu Mengqing slowed his steps and carefully circled around the gigantic remains, not daring to touch them carelessly.

He could clearly feel that although the pressure from these bones was faint, it was still far beyond what his current level-eleven self could withstand. One careless mistake might allow that residual power to injure his meridians.

The yellow earth and broken stones beneath his feet crunched softly. Within this deathly silent space, the sound seemed infinitely magnified. Only his heartbeat and footsteps accompanied him, making this secret realm feel even more empty and lonely.

Xu Mengqing could sense that the space contained heaven and earth energy, which made him relax slightly.

Before long, he arrived at the lakeshore.

Looking at the rippling surface of the lake, Xu Mengqing's mood gradually calmed without him realizing it. The oppression and unease he had accumulated in the desert were completely dispersed by the lake's gentle aura. The water was clear and crystalline, sunlight scattering fine golden glimmers across its surface. It stood utterly at odds with the surrounding desolation, yet somehow seemed harmonious.

This space was a secret realm created by the former owner of the Holy Dragon Pearl, who had used supreme power to seize half a plane and refine it.

And now, this space was all the Holy Dragon Pearl could still use.

The Holy Dragon Pearl had once suffered an extremely severe blow. Coupled with the passage of time, its remaining power had ultimately been used to traverse worlds and reconstruct Xu Mengqing's Martial Soul.

After remaining in the space for a while, Xu Mengqing had a thought and returned to the small courtyard.

Feeling the incomparably familiar world around him reassured Xu Mengqing greatly.

Next came the Holy Dragon Pearl's true inheritance: a cultivation technique.

Xu Mengqing sat cross-legged and began to digest the first rune imprint that had previously been branded into his mind.

As his Spiritual Power touched the rune imprint, it immediately flashed with dazzling light. Then, an enormous amount of information flooded into his mind like a tide, including knowledge of human meridians and the first layer of the cultivation technique.

The technique was called the Heaven-Swallowing Spirit-Devouring Art. It was also the reason that dragon clan senior had been able to rise so quickly.

It was a heaven-defying technique that possessed the threefold effects of devouring, converting, and refining.

Xu Mengqing then began to study it.

Xu Mengqing still could not cultivate the technique. He knew nothing about meridians, and in his previous life, he had not studied medicine. Nor could he obtain books about meridians in this world. Fortunately, the Holy Dragon Pearl seemed to have sensed his ignorance and had proactively stuffed the relevant knowledge into his mind. He only needed to digest and learn it himself.

Bit by bit, he compared the diagrams and text in his mind, repeatedly memorizing the paths of the meridians. Which were the main channels, which were the branch pathways, and which were the crucial Soul Power nodes—he engraved all of it into his mind. The human body's originally obscure structure became clear and easy to understand through the Holy Dragon Pearl's direct presentation.

Moreover, his memory in this life was not weak.

It took Xu Mengqing more than two full hours to thoroughly memorize the meridian routes required for the first layer.

After confirming that there were no mistakes, he impatiently began attempting to cultivate. He crossed his legs and placed his hands lightly on his knees.

Moonlight fell over him as the Blue Silver Grass in the backyard swayed gently. The life aura of the Blue Silver Bagua Formation and the heaven and earth energy slowly gathered around him.

Following the method of the Heaven-Swallowing Spirit-Devouring Art, Xu Mengqing guided the weak Soul Power within his body along the newly memorized route.

At first, it was somewhat awkward. His Soul Power moved through his meridians in fits and starts, occasionally even getting stuck.

But he was neither hasty nor impatient, trying again and again.

The Holy Dragon Pearl also assisted him, stabilizing his Soul Power and smoothing out the route.

After several cycles, his Soul Power flowed more and more smoothly. The areas that had originally been sluggish gradually opened up, and an aura several times purer than usual slowly spread through his meridians.

What delighted him even more was that once the technique began operating, the surrounding heaven and earth energy seemed to receive invisible Traction and surged madly into his body. It was rapidly devoured and converted, steadily reinforcing the foundation of his Soul Power.

Xu Mengqing was secretly astonished.

This Heaven-Swallowing Spirit-Devouring Art truly was domineering. He had only just entered the beginning stage, yet its cultivation efficiency already far surpassed ordinary meditation.

He did not greedily push himself further. After thoroughly mastering the basic circulation method of the first layer, he slowly ended his cultivation.

When he opened his eyes again, a pale sliver of dawn had appeared on the horizon. Daybreak was near.

Xu Mengqing stood up and stretched. He only felt that his meridians were unimpeded and his mind refreshed. Even his gaze was clearer and sharper than before.

He clenched his fist and could clearly feel that although his Soul Power had not increased, it had become more condensed and solid. Moreover, during this process, his physical body seemed to be slowly growing stronger as well.