Faced with absolute strength, any variable is nothing but fleeting smoke.
However... Yu Tianheng clenched his fist, his Soul Power quietly circulating within him, carrying a surging yet imperfect force.
Although he has now broken through the bottleneck and ordinary Titled Douluo are no match for him, there are still quite a few strong people on the continent who can easily overpower him, so he is far from being unstoppable.
If things really come to a tense standoff, this level of strength is not enough.
"We must go one step further," he muttered to himself, his mind made up.
Three days later, in the Purple Imperial Hall the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
Yu Tianheng, dressed in a black royal robe, stood tall and straight like a pine tree. He bowed to the emperor on the dragon throne and said, "Your Majesty, I have recently gained some insights and wish to go into seclusion for a period of time to focus on breaking through to a higher level. I humbly request Your Majesty's permission."
The Emperor put down the memorial in his hand, looked at the young yet composed Divine Martial King, and said with approval and understanding in his eyes, " Divine Martial King is thoughtful. The court is still stable now, and it is a good thing for you to devote yourself to cultivation. I grant your permission."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Yu Tianheng paused, then continued, "During my seclusion, I intend to temporarily entrust General Mu Qing with the affairs of military training and defense. General Mu is calm, capable, and well-versed in military matters; he will certainly live up to your expectations."
Mu Qing was a general he had personally promoted. Not only was he extremely loyal, but he was also quite skilled in training troops, making him the perfect person to take over.
The Emperor nodded slightly, his tone trusting. "I trust the person you recommended. As you wish, let Mu Qing temporarily manage military affairs. In case of any major matters, report back to me for a decision."
"My lord, I obey the order."
As he left the palace, the sun shone brightly, casting a golden glow on Yu Tianheng's royal robes. He looked up at the sky, took a deep breath, and turned to walk towards the royal residence.
In the days to come, he will isolate himself from the outside world and seek a breakthrough in his cultivation. When he emerges from seclusion, he will let the entire continent know that the strength of the Heavenly Martial King Yu Tianheng is enough to support and shake the world's order.
Inside the study of the Divine Martial King's Mansion, the final instruction, following Yu Tianheng's words, was transmitted to Mu Qing.
Military defense arrangements, sect communications, household affairs... all matters were arranged properly, and even the smallest oversights were corrected. After the last subordinate left, the large study finally fell silent, with only the faint scent of ink floating in the air.
As Yu Tianheng rose, his black royal robe swept across the table, stirring up a gentle breeze. He now held two identities—the only non-royal Divine Martial King of the Heaven Dou Empire and the rightful young patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. The combined power of these two identities was enough to make any force on the continent take notice, and also made his seclusion seem exceptionally different.
Sure enough, within half a day, two generous gifts arrived one after another.
The Heaven Dou Empire sent a gilded beast-drawn carriage, its interior lined with warm jade and piled high with all sorts of rare materials: thousand-year-old Purple Heart Dragon Ginseng, various cultivation resources... all treasures kept at the bottom of the imperial treasury. It was personally escorted by the Chief Eunuch, whose words were full of the emperor's expectations.
The gift from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan further demonstrates the clan's rich heritage.
Yu Tianheng stood in the courtyard, looking at these two batches of resources that would drive any Soul Master crazy, but his face remained largely expressionless.
He nodded slightly, instructing his guards to carefully put the items away. He neither refused nor said anything more—these were both conveniences brought by power and part of his responsibilities, so there was no need for affectation.
As night fell, the secluded meditation chamber deep within the Prince's mansion was ready. The chamber was forged from millennia-old cold iron, its inner walls engraved with spirit-gathering array patterns, and in the center was a stone couch covered with dense thunder patterns.
Yu Tianheng removed his royal robes, changed into a plain-colored outfit, and slowly walked into the secret chamber. The stone door closed slowly behind him, isolating him from all outside sounds.
He sat cross-legged on the stone couch, his eyes slightly closed, and began to practice according to the methods of the " Nine Heavens Divine Lightning Prison Suppression Scripture ".
Sisi of lightning spilled from his pores, weaving into a fine electric net across his body.
He had cultivated this clan's signature technique of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to the level of " Condensing Lightning into a Pill "—within his dantian, a fist-sized Lightning Pill, entirely formed from purple lightning, was slowly rotating, each rotation drawing upon the power of Thunder in the world.
His goal, however, is the ultimate realm—" Controlling Lightning to Suppress the Prison ".
At that time, he could summon Nine Heavens Divine Lightning with every gesture, and could create Thunder prison with a single thought. Even Titled Douluo would have no choice but to bow down before him.
Inside the secret chamber, Lightning Pill's rotation speed gradually increased, and the rare resources around him began to decompose on their own, transforming into pure energy that flowed into Yu Tianheng's body. His aura was like a dormant thunder dragon, accumulating power in silence that was enough to shake the heavens and the earth.
The retreat begins here.
Time flowed silently in the secret chamber amidst the Thunder roar. When the first ray of light seeped through the gaps in the array patterns and fell upon Yu Tianheng, a full year had passed.
At this moment, Yu Tianheng sat cross-legged, no longer leaking wild lightning from his body. Only the Lightning Pill in his dantian had transformed into a swirling phantom of a lightning dragon, each breath drawing upon the most primal Thunder power in the world.
The final barrier of the " Nine Heavens Divine Lightning Prison Suppression Scripture " shattered with a bang due to the irrigation of massive resources and his tireless comprehension—the " Controlling Lightning to Suppress the Prison " realm was achieved.
He slowly opened his eyes, and two streaks of purple lightning seemed to flash in them before he concealed all his sharpness.
With a wave of his hand, Sisi crack silently appeared in the cold iron wall at the top of the secret chamber. Strands of Thunder power condensed in his palm as if controlling his own arm, forming a miniature lightning prison. Within it, light and shadow flowed, seemingly capable of suppressing all things.
Moreover, with the mastery of his skills, his Martial Dao realm also rose accordingly. The fusion of his internal energy and Soul Power had already surpassed the shackles of ordinary martial artists, and he stood firmly at the Martial Saint Peak.
With every gesture, he exuded an aura as solid as a mountain and as vast as the ocean, just a step away from the legendary Human Immortal Realm.
After a year of arduous training, he not only pushed his cultivation technique to its limit, but also touched the boundary between the mortal and the extraordinary.
Yu Tianheng felt the surging power within him, and instead of stopping, his eyes blazed with an even more intense fighting spirit.
Now is the best time to break through. If one can seize this opportunity to enter the realm of the Human Immortal Realm, one can truly break through the impasse with force and be unafraid of any storms on the continent.
He closed his eyes again, released the realm he had just stabilized, and guided the power that was about to break through the bottleneck to launch an attack towards a higher level.
The spirit-gathering array in the secret chamber hummed slightly as it could not withstand the power. The remaining resource fragments around it instantly turned into dust, and all the energy was frantically absorbed by him.
Strike while the iron is hot; today, Yu Tianheng will try to knock on that door between the mortal and immortal realms.
Human Immortal, the highest realm of Martial Dao, is returning to simplicity and merging with nature.