Chapter 34 The Transmutation of the Sovereign
As Lakan dives into the Yin-Yang Eye, he isn't just encountering hot and cold water. He is diving into the primal remains of the Water Dragon King and the Fire Dragon King.
Inside his sea of consciousness, the Ten-Headed Phoenix lets out a roar that shakes the very foundations of Lakan's soul.
"Kid! This isn't just energy—this is the 'Origin' of the Elements! Open your soul! If we don't swallow this now, the pressure will turn us into dust!"
The Phoenix manifests its spectral form, its ten heads fanning out like a sun. It begins to feast on the dual essences of the Dragon Kings. As it absorbs the divine sediment, its feathers transform from iridescent crimson to a Deep Solar Gold. Its cultivation level screams upward, breaking through the barriers of time: 300,000... 500,000... 700,000 years!
The Hardware Overdrive: Level 60
Lakan's body becomes a furnace. The energy of the well floods his 36 Heavenly Star Acupoints, but they aren't just filling up—they are expanding. His Batong-Pilak (Silver Stone) bones undergo a molecular shift. They turn into a material that shouldn't exist in the mortal realm: Iridescent Divine-Jade Steel.
The massive influx of spirit power shatters his Level 54 bottleneck instantly.
Level 55... 57... 59...
He hits the Level 60 Spirit Emperor barrier with the force of a falling star. The bottleneck doesn't just break; it atomizes. His soul power becomes so dense that it liquefies, swirling around his core like a miniature galaxy.
His existing Spirit Rings—the deep reds of the 100,000-year level—begin to vibrate. Under the influence of the 700,000-year Phoenix and the Well's essence, Golden Veins begin to weave through the crimson. They are evolving into Calamity-Grade Rings, touching the threshold of the Divine.
Inside the "Chaos" of Lakan's mind, the Adarna's Gaze of Truth is shattering. The seven-colored iris is being crushed by the weight of the Yin-Yang law.
"Don't fight the collapse, kid!" the Phoenix roars, its ten heads fanning out to shield Lakan's core consciousness. "Let it break! Find the single thread that holds the fire and the ice together! That is the Origin!"
Lakan reaches into the center of the pain. He finds it—a thin, vibrating line of "Nothingness" that balances the "Everything." He grabs it.
The seven colors of the Adarna's Gaze vanish. The chaotic irises collapse inward, condensing into a single point of absolute, blinding density.
The world changes. Lakan no longer "sees" the water or the trees. He sees the Logic of the Continent. He sees the gravitational anchors of the forest. He sees the "Three-Second Echo"—the ghost of what the world will do before it actually does it.
The Adarna's Gaze shatters. In the absolute silence of the Well's floor, Lakan sees the "White Thread"—the origin of all things. His pupils collapse into Radiant Silver Suns.
The Eyes of the Origin God are born.
It's Paasive ability Gaze of Truth: He no longer sees objects; he sees "Code." He sees the flaws in every martial soul, the structural weakness in every domain, and the truth behind every lie.
Its active ability is a 3-Second Foresight: By seeing the "Energy Intent" of the world, Lakan can perceive the next 3 seconds of reality before they manifest.
Active – Spiritual Collapse: A gaze that forces the target's mental world to handle the data-stream of the "Origin." Most minds will simply shut down or shatter under the pressure.
••••••••••••••
On the surface, Dugu Bo can't help himself. He edges closer to the swirling vortex of light. "No child can contain this much power," he mutters, focusing his spiritual sense to look into the Eye of the Well.
The moment his vision pierces the water, he doesn't see a boy. He sees a Silver Sun burning at the bottom of the ocean.
"GAAH!" Dugu Bo screams, clutching his face. His spiritual sea feels like it's been hit by a tidal wave of molten lead. He falls back, blood streaming from his eyes and ears.
"Don't... look..." Dugu Bo wheezes, his voice trembling with a primal, existential dread."His aura... it's not… it changed from a child's. It's like looking directly into the sun through a closer range. One more second and my soul would have been incinerated!"
The Yin-Yang Well goes silent. The water parts as if a King were walking through a crowd.
From the center of the Yin-Yang Eye, Lakan rises. He doesn't swim; he simply walks onto the surface of the water as if it were solid ground. He is naked, but his skin is no longer just tanned flesh—it has a faint, metallic luster, and his Batong-Pilak tattoos have turned a deep, obsidian black that seems to absorb the light around him.
His hair, kept short and masculine, is damp and slicked back, framing a face that has lost all the roundness of childhood. He looks like a young god carved from silver and shadows.
He opens his eyes.
Dugu Bo, Yue Guan, and the Shui sisters gasp. Lakan's eyes are no longer human. His pupils are Radiant Silver Suns that emit a soft, humming light.
As he steps onto the shore, the grass under his feet instantly grows and then crystallizes. He looks at Dugu Bo, and for the Poison Douluo, it feels like his entire life, his martial soul, and his secrets are being read like an open book.
He is 11 years old, but he stands with the presence of a man who has lived a thousand lives. His skin has a subtle, metallic luster, his short hair is slicked back, and his Silver Sun pupils hum with a light that makes the very air around him bend.
He is a Rank 60 Spirit Emperor (Bottlenecked). He is a master of the 36 Heavenly Stars. He is the host of a 700,000-year Soul Spirit.
"I feel... light," Lakan says, his voice now carrying a natural, resonant power. He looks at his hands, then at the terrified Dugu Bo. "Old Poison, you're lucky you didn't look for another second. You wouldn't have had a soul left to save your granddaughter with."
Lakan turns to Ling Yue and Yue Guan, who are kneeling in awe.
"The physical vessel is finished," Lakan declares. "But I have reached the bottleneck. I need my Sixth Ring. And I need a Soul Spirit for my Sibat (Spear). Something that can handle the 'Flow' of the Origin."