Afternoon.
Qian Chen closed the Records of Mountains and Rivers and carefully smoothed out the page with the flower petal between the pages.
The sunlight in the courtyard moved across the stone table and fell on the back of his hand.
Snow Empress looked at him.
"Is it time to start cultivating?"
"Um."
He put the book back on the table and raised his right hand.
A wisp of Nine-Colored Soul Power flowed along his fingertips, transforming into nine tiny halos of light.
The halos intertwined, yet they did not completely merge.
"After that battle with Tang Hao, my Soul Power reached the peak of Level 96."
"But continuing to absorb the vital energy of heaven and earth is already very slow in terms of improvement."
Snow Empress put down her teacup.
"Your Soul Power is not lacking."
What's lacking is control.
Qian Chen nodded.
The Dragon God Bloodline is powerful enough.
He was far from fully mastering his Ninth Soul Ring, which had been around for 1.5 million years.
In previous battles, he relied more on his Soul Power and bloodline to suppress his opponents.
Those powers belonged to him, but he had not yet used them to their fullest potential.
I'm going into seclusion.
Snow Empress stood up, took off his cloak, and folded it under his arm.
I'll keep watch for you.
The imperial palace's Rear Garden.
A quiet room has been prepared.
Qian Chen walked in and placed his hand on the stone door.
Nine-Color patterns spread along the walls, enveloping the entire quiet room.
The footsteps outside gradually faded into the distance.
He sat down cross-legged on the stone platform.
The Dragon God Spear was held horizontally in front of his knees.
Nine Soul Ring rose one after another, with the last Golden Soul Ring stopping behind them, illuminating the surrounding stone walls.
Qian Chen did not rush to absorb the Soul Power from the outside world.
He closed his eyes and focused his Spiritual Power into his meridians.
Nine-Colored Soul Power surged within his body.
With each cycle, some of the energy travels through the meridians first, while the rest is drawn back to the chest by the blood vessels.
The two forces are not in conflict.
However, there is always a gap between them.
So that's where it was.
Qian Chen raised his hand and retracted the Soul Ring that were hovering around him.
The light in the quiet room gradually dimmed.
Instead of letting the Soul Power flow on its own, he started from the very first strand and guided it into the bloodline's execution path.
This time, the Nine-Colored Soul Power did not pass through smoothly.
The dragon pattern on his chest suddenly lit up.
A shockwave traveled along his meridians, causing the Dragon God Spear in front of his knees to tremble slightly.
Qian Chen opened her eyes.
"Too fast."
He dispersed the Soul Power in his palm and readjusted his breathing.
Having the complete Dragon God Bloodline does not mean that he can complete the fusion in one step.
He needs to allow his body to adapt, and he also needs to find a suitable way to utilize his Soul Power.
Qian Chen closed his eyes again.
This time, he only stirred up a wisp.
Nine-Color light slowly passed over his chest and merged into the dragon pattern.
A moment later, that Soul Power flowed out again.
It is more concise than before.
Qian Chen did not stop.
The second strand.
The third strand.
He memorized every change and then gradually increased the amount of Soul Power he circulated.
Three days later.
The stone platform was now covered with Nine-Color patterns.
Qian Chen's sleeves hung down to his knees, and a fist-sized ball of light hovered between his palms.
That was Soul Power that had been repeatedly refined.
The power that originally filled the meridians has now been compressed by nearly half.
His aura was even stronger than before he went into seclusion.
Qian Chen clasped his hands together.
The light from his palm then disappeared into his chest.
The Nine-Color Dragon Mark extends from the heart to the shoulders, and then gradually lights up along the arms.
The Soul Power within the body completed its final circulation.
The barrier that had been blocking their path was finally pushed aside.
Level 97!
The stone platform trembled slightly.
Qian Chen opened his eyes and immediately withdrew the scattered Soul Power.
The Nine-Color patterns on the wall were undamaged.
He looked down at his palm.
The same wisp of Soul Power has now condensed into a spatial barrier that is much thicker than before.
"Soul Power was not wasted in its circulation."
"This is the true change that occurs after the bloodline is fully integrated into cultivation."
Qian Chen gripped the Dragon God Spear.
The dragon pattern on the gun met his palm, and Nine-Color light flowed between them without stopping.
He did not get up.
Level 97 is just the beginning.
The seventh day.
Nine orbs of light appeared before Qian Chen.
Flames rose.
The water shimmered.
Wind and thunder swirled on both sides, while Spatial Power surrounded the perimeter.
He drew out different elemental forces, which circulated slowly within the quiet room.
He previously Dragon God Annihilation, which only required Soul Skill to activate, allowing nine powers to erupt simultaneously.
However, even after leaving his Soul Skill, he still prioritizes these powers.
Different strengths.
The speeds are also different.
Qian Chen extended his index finger and pointed at the firelight in the center.
The flames suddenly contracted.
The shimmering water on the other side then drew closer.
The moment the two made contact, they stirred up a ring of scattered light patterns.
He raised his palm and gathered the scattered power back together.
"It's not about forcibly pressing them together."
"I want to put them all back in their proper places."
Qian Chen dispersed the chaotic Soul Power, drawing out the Nine Elements once again.
This time, he did not let them blend together at the same time.
The Spatial Power unfolds first.
The remaining rays of light fell into it one by one, according to their different positions.
A Nine-Color halo appeared in front of the palm.
After the light wheel had rotated half a revolution, cracks reappeared on its edge.
Qian Chen looked at the crack and noted its location.
He started over.
Outside the quiet room.
The Soul Power barrier left behind by Qian Chen remained intact.
Occasionally, a Nine-Color ray of light would pierce through the crack in the door, only to quickly retreat.
He didn't keep track of how many times he tried.
The hem of the clothes on the stone platform was covered with fine dust.
The halo in front of his palm was already able to rotate completely.
The Nine Elements are interconnected, each maintaining a stable trajectory.
Qian Chen raised his hand and sent the light wheel toward the Dragon God Spear.
The spearhead gleamed slightly.
No Soul Ring were released.
There was no Soul Skill activated.
A wisp of Nine-Color spear light extended from the tip of the spear and stopped half a foot away.
Qian Chen stared intently at the glint of light from the spear.
He raised his other hand and slowly changed the positions of the elements within it.
The spear's edge then contracted.
The power it contains has not diminished.
It's done.
He retrieved the Dragon God Spear and absorbed the halo of light into his body.
The refined Soul Power circulated along the meridians, and the Nine Elements no longer followed their own paths.
The dragon pattern on his chest lit up one after another.
Qian Chen's aura rose once more.
Peak level 97.
Level 98!
Nine Soul Ring unfolded simultaneously, then slowly retracted under his control.
The last Golden Soul Ring stopped behind his shoulder.
There is still a tremendous amount of power that has not been released.
Qian Chen looked at it for a moment, then raised his hand and led it to his front.
"Now, it's your turn."
Golden light shone on his face.
Qian Chen did not directly extract the power from the Soul Ring.
He first circulated his newly enhanced Soul Power repeatedly until his meridians were fully adapted, before drawing out a wisp of golden light.
The power of 1.5-Million-Year Soul Ring is far greater than that of ordinary Soul Power.
As soon as the golden light entered his meridians, the dragon pattern on his chest lit up.
Qian Chen inherited the bloodline and then differentiated layer by layer using Nine Elements.
The heavy force slowly dissipated.
A portion of it integrates into the body.
Another portion, after being condensed, is incorporated into the Soul Power.
His meridians were gradually filled with Nine-Color light.
Qian Chen did not speed up.
The stronger Soul Power, the more careful one must be.
With each wisp of absorption, he would complete a full cycle of circulation and then examine the changes in his meridians and blood vessels.
Only after the last bit of stagnation disappeared did he continue to introduce the next strand.
The golden light in the quiet room never went out.
One month later.
Qian Chen slowly opened her eyes.
Level 98 Peak.
His Soul Power could no longer increase.
Even if you absorb more power from the Soul Ring, it will only make your meridians more abundant.
Just one step away from Level 99.
Qian Chen lowered his eyes and looked at the Dragon God Spear lying across his knees.
In recent days, he has been sorting out his Soul Power, elements, and bloodline one by one.
Spiritual Power, however, is always merely a tool to mobilize them.
"I'm still missing myself."
He raised his hand, his fingertips touching his brow.
Spiritual Power then unfolded.
Every Soul Power pattern in the quiet room was clearly visible in my perception.
Qian Chen did not extend his perception further.
He withdrew all his Spiritual Power into his body and slowly sank in along the path of Soul Power circulation.
The Nine-Color Dragon Mark lit up.
The elemental halo reappeared in front of his palm.
This time, he no longer controlled each power separately.
His Spiritual Power permeated the light wheel, connected with his blood vessels, and then merged with the Soul Power in his meridians.
The light wheel did not stabilize immediately.
The lightning suddenly shifted, affecting the other elements and causing a surge of Blood One in his chest.
Qian Chen stopped moving.
He did not force his way through.
Once his blood and qi had calmed down, he readjusted the focus of his Spiritual Power.
The first attempt failed.
The second time, the halo only lasted for a moment.
On the third time, the Nine-Color Dragon Mark finally lit up simultaneously with the halo.
Qian Chen closed his eyes.
His palm slowly returned to his knees.
The Dragon God Spear stopped vibrating.
Nine Soul Ring also appeared around his body.
All forces operate along the same path, no longer requiring him to guide them individually.
Qian Chen's breathing gradually became steady.
That insurmountable boundary has finally begun to loosen.
He did not hesitate.
Spiritual Power, Soul Power, and Bloodline Power all surge forward simultaneously.
Nine-Color light spread from his chest, instantly penetrating his entire body.
Level 99!
Qian Chen opened her eyes.
The dust around the stone platform slowly rose, but did not fly outwards.
He simply raised his hand, and the fine dust fell back to the ground.
The Soul Power patterns on the wall gradually faded away.
The Dragon God Spear transformed into Nine-Color light and was stored in his palm.
He got up and stepped down from the stone platform.
Only now did Qian Chen realize that he no longer needed to deliberately activate his Soul Power.
With each breath, the body's internal energy operates on its own.
He raised his hand and pushed open the stone door.
The sunlight in the courtyard fell on the white robe.
Snow Empress rose from the corridor, still holding the silver-white cloak in her hand.
She looked at Qian Chen, her gaze lingering on him for a moment.
"Level 99?"
"Um."
Qian Chen walked up to her and reached out to take a corner of the cloak.
"It's stable now."
Snow Empress helped him put on his robe and carefully fastened the silver buttons.
She didn't rush to let go, but instead held his wrist to make sure the Soul Power in his meridians was stable before raising her eyes.
Are you feeling unwell?
"No."
He opened his palm.
A tiny Nine-Color wheel slowly rotated, with each of the Nine Elements occupying its place.
Snow Empress extended her fingertip and gently touched the edge of the halo.
The halo of light then dispersed into soft specks of light, circled her fingers, and returned to Qian Chen's palm.
Not a single ounce of power was leaked out.
"This time, you've truly mastered them."
Qian Chen withdrew his hand and glanced down at the cloak on his shoulder.
The patched area on the hem of the garment remained neat.
He smoothed out that corner, then looked at Snow Empress.
"Level 99."
I did it.
"Level 99."
Snow Empress looked at Qian Chen.
What's the next step?
Qian Chen put away the Nine-Color wheel in his palm.
"Go to the Clear Sky Sect."
Ice Empress walked out from under the corridor.
Today she wore a long, emerald green dress, her long hair cascading down her back, the hem of her dress swaying gently with her steps.
Tang Hao is dead.
"The Clear Sky Sect still exists."
Qian Chen looked at her.
"Tang Hao's intrusion into the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace was not just his personal decision."
Qian Renxue walked in from outside the courtyard.
She wore a white-gold imperial robe, with the Heaven Dou Military Tally hanging at her waist.
Her long golden hair was tied up with a hair crown, and tiny beads hung down her forehead.
"Elder brother."
She stopped in front of Qian Chen.
"I've already located the Clear Sky Sect."
Qian Chen looked at her.
"Where?"
"North of the Heaven Dou Empire, in the Soulbreak Mountain Range."
Qian Renxue took out a map and spread it on the stone table.
"The Clear Sky Sect has been in seclusion for many years, and its entrance is concealed by Formation."
"The Empire's spies only found the outer mountain path; they couldn't pinpoint the true location of the sect."
Ice Empress bent down to look at the map.
Her fingers landed on a range of mountains.
"Here?"
"Um."
Qian Renxue nodded.
"According to the information sent back by our scouts, the Clear Sky Sect has recently mobilized a considerable number of its members."
"The news of Tang Hao's death should have been sent back by now."
Qian Chen reached out and pressed down on the map.
Nine-Colored Soul Power spread from between his fingers.
The entire map was enveloped in a faint glow.
The contours of mountains and rivers, traces of Soul Power, and nodes of Formation gradually came into his perception.
A moment later.
Qian Chen withdrew his hand.
"Found it."
A valley on the map was illuminated by Nine-Color light.
Qian Renxue looked at that beam of light.
"Is that the Clear Sky Sect?"
The Formation is hidden inside the mountain.
"The periphery is just a smokescreen."
Ice Empress raised its head.
"Shall we set off now?"
"Now."
Qian Chen put the map away.
Snow Empress walked behind him and draped a silver-white cloak over his shoulders.
She raised her hand to fasten the silver clasp at the side of her neck, and then smoothed the edges of her cloak.
"No troops are needed on this mission?"
"The Clear Sky Sect will not surrender to the army."
Qian Chen grasped her fingers.
Bringing in the army will only allow them to escape sooner.
Qian Renxue looked at Qian Chen.
I'll go with you.
"You are the Heaven Dou Empress."
"Precisely because I am the Heaven Dou Empress, I should handle this personally."
She raised her hand to straighten the gold patterns on the imperial robe.
"The Clear Sky Sect has always considered itself the foremost sect in the world."
"If they are to perish today, they should know who personally sent them to their deaths."
Qian Chen nodded.
"Can."
Ice Empress immediately grabbed Qian Chen's arm.
"Then I'll go too."
Snow Empress took Qian Chen's other hand.
"I'll stay with Chen'er."
Qian Renxue glanced at the two of them, then looked at Qian Chen.
"Elder brother."
"Um?"
This time, I won't stand behind you.
Qian Chen looked at her.
You stand beside me.
Qian Renxue raised her face, her golden eyes reflecting his figure.
"Good."
The four figures disappeared simultaneously into the courtyard.
Space was torn apart by the Nine-Colored Soul Power.
The next moment.
They appeared above the Soulbreak Mountain Range.
A cold wind swept through the mountains.
Below, the mountains stretch endlessly, their valleys shrouded in mist.
Qian Renxue's long golden dress billowed in the wind.
She unleashed the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul.
Golden wings unfurled from behind, and holy light dispelled the surrounding clouds.
The Formation in the valley was then revealed.
Black lines crisscross along the mountain wall.
In the center, there is a huge phantom of the Clear Sky Hammer suppressing the array's core.
Ice Empress looked down.
"This Formation is quite powerful."
"Capable of blocking ordinary Titled Douluo."
Qian Chen raised his right hand.
The Nine-Colored Soul Power fell into the valley.
Dense cracks immediately appeared on the surface of the Formation.
The illusory image of the Clear Sky Hammer trembled violently.