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The faint golden light seemed to be composed of a peculiar power, one capable of physically oppressing a Spirit Master's flesh and stimulating the body to resist.
Su Wen's physique was exceptionally powerful, far surpassing what any Spirit Emperor-level Spirit Master could boast. His path of dual internal and external cultivation, paired with his specially developed body-tempering techniques, had never been neglected. On the entire continent, he could be considered the most proficient practitioner of body-tempering methods.
His efficiency was beyond question. Combined with various elemental tempering processes and the occasional refinement using the Yin-Yang Well's powers of ice and fire, his physical strength was now arguably superior to even a Spirit Douluo.
However, upon reaching Rank 49, Su Wen began to feel the strain. In terms of pure physical strength, he had reached a bottleneck he could not simply step over.
Despite this, Su Wen had no intention of utilizing his Spirit Power or Mental Strength to offset the pressure of the Seagod's Light. His visit to the forbidden grounds to endure this weight was not for conventional cultivation. His goal was to use the crushing pressure the Seagod's Light exerted on his flesh to assist in the awakening of his Body Spirit.
"Since the Seagod established this trial, it proves that treating one's own body as a Spirit for awakening is a viable path," Su Wen mused.
In his memories, Su Wen possessed information regarding Body Spirits, and he recalled specific, extraordinary examples where bloodline energy—vitality—was so potent it could condense into Bloodline Spirit Rings. If vitality could achieve this, it stood to reason that the Spirit Master's physical form could do the same.
For instance, every living being on the Douluo Continent—or rather, within the Douluo Star—could cultivate and become a type of Spirit Beast once they possessed Spirit Power.
What about Spirit Masters, then?
The Spirit Master system might have been developed by humans, but could a Spirit Master emulate a Spirit Beast? Could one cultivate their own body into something akin to a Spirit Beast while simultaneously retaining the characteristics of a human Spirit Master? In such a state, the self would become the Spirit, capable of condensing its own rings.
It had to be said, the idea was feasible. Furthermore, this wasn't about switching to a pure "vitality" cultivation path; it remained centered on Spirit Power. As Spirit Power grew and strengthened the body, the vitality would naturally become abundant. Perhaps in the future, as the Body Spirit grew stronger and condensed vitality, he could use that as a foundation to research bloodline power further.
Under the Seagod's Light, Su Wen relied entirely on his physical strength to reach the sixty-fourth step. He sat cross-legged on the stone, immersing his mind in the sensations of his internal changes.
With his Hyper-Perception, Su Wen could feel the minute shifts within every fiber of his being. Time flowed by. Under the relentless weight of the Seagod's Light, Su Wen remained in this state of realization for three full days.
When he finally descended to the open ground at the foot of the mountain, Su Wen gave a brief greeting to Hai Da and the others before leaving the forbidden area. He had already formed a solid lead; now, he needed to head out and verify it.
Sea Dragon City
"Teacher Wen?"
Sea Dragon Douluo was genuinely surprised by Su Wen's arrival. He hadn't expected Su Wen to cut his cultivation short in the forbidden grounds, returning to Sea Dragon City after only three days to seek him out.
"The two of you haven't departed yet, I hope?" Su Wen asked.
"Not yet. The Bloodthirsty Great Shark is, after all, a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast. Having survived its Great Tribulation, it is a creature with the potential to cultivate for another hundred thousand years. Its strength is far beyond that of an ordinary hundred-thousand-year beast," Sea Dragon Douluo replied, his expression grave.
As Sea Spirit Masters of Seagod Island, they often held the responsibility of eliminating malevolent Spirit Beasts in the ocean. However, even the Guardian Douluos had their limits. A beast like the Bloodthirsty Great Shark was beyond what they could handle comfortably; Sea Dragon Douluo, for one, lacked the confidence to slay it in a solo confrontation.
"When do you plan to leave?"
"You intend to come along?" Zhan Tian Douluo asked, having read Su Wen's intent.
Su Wen nodded. "I do."
"We plan to set out tomorrow."
"Understood. I will come to the City Lord's Manor to find you tomorrow morning."
Su Wen then headed to the Sea Dragon City Academy, sequestering himself in a cultivation room to perform the final theoretical refinements. He circulated his internal Spirit Power, attempting to trigger the changes in his physique.
After three days of meditation, Su Wen had memorized the physical sensations of the pressure. Although he couldn't yet replicate the change through Spirit Power circulation alone, his Visualization Method had recorded the feeling perfectly. This was one of the key benefits of his visualization technique.
Now, as his physical body became active again, Su Wen felt every cell in his body brimming with a unique vitality. Simultaneously, his mental world recreated his past experiences. This time, he focused on the sensations he felt during his two Spirit Awakenings within the Life-and-Death Arena.
As the two states overlapped, Su Wen felt his body shifting. At that moment, he felt as though he had returned to the age of six. It wasn't the "six-year-old" state forced by the Arena, but the genuine feeling of his younger self—before his Spirit had ever awakened—constantly sensing for his Spirit through his Hyper-Perception.
There was a barrier there, hovering on the verge of breaking.
"It hasn't 'developed' enough yet. The 'gestation' isn't complete, so it cannot awaken," Su Wen realized. "In simpler terms, I am just not strong enough yet."
This wasn't a problem that could be solved in a day or two. Su Wen knew he couldn't rush it; everything was proceeding step by step.
The Departure
The following day, at the Sea Dragon City Lord's Manor.
"The Bloodthirsty Great Shark is solitary and eccentric. True to its name, it is incredibly cruel. There are no other powerful Spirit Beasts in its territory, so we don't need to worry about being swarmed," Sea Dragon Douluo explained.
"And this is Xiao Bai."
Leading Su Wen and Zhan Tian Douluo to the northern coast of Seagod Island, Sea Dragon Douluo introduced them to a massive white shark waiting in the surf.
The Demon Spirit Great White Shark. It was a top-tier species among sea Spirit Beasts, a true overlord of the ocean. Unlike the more vicious predators, they were not inherently cruel and were often seen as the enforcers of order in the deep.
Rumor had it that Xiao Bai had followed the Seagod during his conquest of the seas. Now, she remained at Seagod Island, still serving his legacy.
"Greetings," Xiao Bai communicated.
"Hello, Xiao Bai. We'll be in your debt for this trip," Zhan Tian Douluo and Su Wen replied.
"Xiao Bai, we'll be troubling you," Sea Dragon Douluo added, his tone markedly more respectful than the others.
"Don't worry about it. I've already ordered my kin to keep that Bloodthirsty Great Shark under surveillance," Xiao Bai said confidently.
Under the protection of Seagod Island, the Demon Spirit Great White Shark clan flourished. Although they had a natural enemy in the Evil Orca clan and were generally weaker in a direct pack-to-pack war, their numbers were vast.
It had only been twenty thousand years since the Seagod ascended—a long time for humans, but a blink of an eye for Spirit Beasts. While the Great White Sharks lacked top-tier combat power, which allowed the Evil Orcas to suppress them, their massive population made them excellent scouts.
Su Wen and Zhan Tian Douluo followed Sea Dragon Douluo as they leaped onto Xiao Bai's broad head.
"Let's go. We should finish off that shark quickly before it devours any more innocent creatures," Xiao Bai declared. Once the three were steady, she surged forward, leaving only her dorsal fin and a sliver of skin visible as she streaked through the waves.
(End of Chapter)