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"Among the continent's peak powers, only a few can contend with the Spirit Pagoda: Shrek, the Tang Sect, and the War God Hall. Those are the three best choices on the surface."

Though Xu Yuan was only six, Xu Shengqun did not entirely treat him like a six-year-old. Instead, he seriously analyzed the situation for him.

"Of them, Shrek won't prevent you from joining either of the other two. You can try to enroll at Shrek. Even if you only enter the Outer Courtyard, you can build up your foundation through its channels, and even entering the Inner Courtyard would not affect things too much."

"As for the Tang Sect, they care too much about one's background. With your true identity, even if you meet their entry requirements, you won't be able to enter their core. Still, you should be able to obtain the Tang Sect's Mysterious Heaven Skill and Purple Demon Eyes. Those two Ultimate Arts suit you very well."

"As for the War God Hall, you would have to take the military route. If you're interested, I'll do my best to arrange an identity for you."

"Actually, I don't recommend that you enter the War God Hall. It..." Xu Shengqun fell silent for a moment before continuing, "belongs to the authorities and falls under the Parliament's jurisdiction."

The authorities.

Yet the word seemed to carry a different flavor when it came from Xu Shengqun.

Being under the authorities meant being far too regulated.

Moreover, the Spirit Pagoda had many members in the Parliament. If they truly wished to investigate the War God Hall, there would be no obstacles whatsoever.

"Shrek and the Tang Sect are actually the best fit for you. They are too independent, and that is precisely why they can better conceal your identity."

"Of course, once the Tang Sect's label is attached, it can never be removed. You can't enter their core, so at most you'll obtain two or three Ultimate Arts, yet you'll belong to the Tang Sect for life and must not betray it. Otherwise, they will reclaim and abolish every Ultimate Art you obtained."

"So among these three great powers, Shrek is the only one I recommend you join."

Listening to his uncle's analysis, Xu Yuan could not help nodding.

"Shrek is only an academy. It won't matter if you join another power after graduation. You can also choose another faction. The Tang Sect and War God Hall don't suit you, but there are other peak powers on the continent. One of them is especially suitable for you."

"The Body Sect." Xu Yuan guessed it himself before Xu Shengqun could say it.

Xu Shengqun nodded and smiled. "That's right. The Body Sect may suit you even better than Shrek. They are even more protective of their own, and their entry threshold is extremely low."

An extremely low threshold.

Xu Yuan's lips twitched.

It was far more than merely low.

The Body Sect claimed that every Soul Master with a Body Martial Soul was family.

"Speaking of the Body Sect, your uncle really does have connections. I can directly have you become the Sect Master's disciple." Xu Shengqun smiled.

Xu Yuan was genuinely tempted.

Mu Ye was absolutely the best choice for apprenticeship on the continent. Not to mention the Body Sect's secret arts, there were all those rare delicacies, his fiercely protective nature, and his relationship with Divine Blacksmith Zhen Hua.

"Looks like you're tempted." Xu Shengqun could tell from Xu Yuan's eyes that his recommendation was very much to his liking.

"Shrek's admissions won't be held until a year from now, and you've only just awakened your Martial Soul. You obviously can't make this round of admissions. Wait for the next one, or perhaps the one after that. For now, I'll contact the Body Sect for you."

"Alright. Sorry to trouble you, Uncle."

"Why be so polite with your uncle?" Xu Shengqun laughed, patting Xu Yuan's shoulder.

Xu Yuan looked over the advanced Meditation Method in his hand, and realization occasionally appeared on his face.

"Meditation Methods have actually developed complete Soul Power circulation routes."

Even Yu Xiaogang had been able to compile information and devise a route twenty thousand years ago. There was no reason that, twenty thousand years later, no cultivation methods besides the Mysterious Heaven Skill would have emerged.

The primitive era back then was one thing, and the chaotic era ten thousand years ago was another. But if modern research, with Spirit Guidance Technology developing at high speed, could not produce something like this, that would be absurd.

"They simply aren't called internal cultivation methods. Meditation Methods themselves have already undergone generations of improvement."

Apart from elementary Meditation Methods, all other Meditation Methods had long become fundamentally different from those of twenty thousand years ago.

"Unlike the pursuit of internal cultivation in the Mysterious Heaven Skill, the Soul Power circulation routes in Meditation Methods focus on Soul Power cultivation speed and intensity. They do not emphasize endless self-renewal, much less balance and harmony.

"By comparison, while the essence of Meditation Methods has not changed—they still use Soul Power circulation routes to make cultivation more efficient—the core meditation component has also been continuously explored."

Xu Yuan possessed more than just the information circulating on the continent. His father, Xu Zhi, was a researcher and had even risen to become deputy director of the Spirit Pagoda's General Research Institute. He had access to far too much information and had collected quite a bit related to Soul Master cultivation.

Xu Zhi had found all of it using his own authority to prepare Xu Shengqun for Soul Power cultivation, which was why the materials had remained in Xu Shengqun's hands.

Now that Xu Yuan had officially begun cultivating, Xu Shengqun brought out these materials for him as well.

"I'll try meditating first."

The circulation route was complicated, but entering a meditative state was very simple.

Xu Yuan merely tried, and quickly entered the state.

Within the dim space floated the Heaven Origin Brush. Its shaft had a gray base patterned with black lines, giving it a profound appearance. Its brush head was rounded and neat, while its very tip was sharp.

His consciousness sank into this special Meditation Space. Only the Heaven Origin Brush existed there, but Xu Yuan could sense that his Brain Martial Soul was present as well, seemingly existing within this space alongside his consciousness.

"Is this the wonder of a Body Martial Soul?"

He did not dwell on the special nature of Body Martial Souls. Instead, he delved deeper into sensing his own Martial Soul, using it to perceive the world outside.

His consciousness merged with his Martial Soul. Light gradually appeared in the surrounding dim space, and specks of light in various colors emerged. He captured them and drew them into himself.

He continuously caught the specks of light and absorbed them into his body. The Soul Power within him fused with them, circulating through his body again and again, blending with his Martial Soul time after time.

This process of drawing in, absorbing, and converting vital energy was wondrous, bringing Xu Yuan an instinctive joy.

He cultivated through the entire night.

Morning came.

Xu Yuan opened his eyes and slowly exhaled.

"My Soul Power has increased a little."

At that moment, the Soul Power within him had indeed increased slightly.

Every tiny increase in Soul Power was the result of capturing vital energy during meditation. As Soul Power circulated, the Soul Master's body and mind fused with it, while the Martial Soul merged with it. Naturally, a Soul Master could clearly sense that growth.

"The natural diffusion of Soul Power during meditation is more suited to the Martial Soul. It spreads and moves through the body according to the Martial Soul's nature, but it is too vague and uncertain. Its efficiency is actually inferior to a standardized Soul Power circulation route."

After truly cultivating for himself, Xu Yuan felt this deeply.

Meditation was, in fact, the cultivation method most suited to Soul Masters.

However, during meditation, the natural diffusion of Soul Power was highly irregular. Though it was more compatible with one's Martial Soul, for someone only beginning Soul Power cultivation, it was less effective than a standardized, unified route.

Of course, this was also the process through which Soul Masters explored.

A so-called route was merely a template, a reference.

When truly high-level Soul Masters meditated, the Soul Power circulation within their bodies had long become different from the Meditation Method they had initially learned.

As they cultivated, this so-called Soul Power circulation would naturally be adjusted by the Soul Master, becoming increasingly suited to the state in which their Martial Soul naturally controlled Soul Power during meditation.

It was not that Douluo Continent lacked cultivation methods.

Rather, every high-level Soul Master on the continent had gradually discovered a cultivation method suited to themselves during their journey of cultivation.

Such cultivation methods were not powerful, but they suited their users best.

"I'll first master the routes in Uncle's Meditation Method, then adjust them into a state that suits me." Xu Yuan now had a clear plan for his future Soul Power cultivation.

But—

"What path should I take?"

This was an era where bloodlines reigned supreme. With the Golden Dragon King and Silver Dragon King having emerged, forget Martial Souls related to dragons—even Weapon Souls could be dragged out and intimidated, affecting their performance.