Realizing his strength allowed him to withstand the heavenly tribulation, Su Ming shifted his focus for improvement.
His priority moved from increasing the success rate of metal embryos surviving the elemental tribulation to enhancing the diversity of the metal embryos.
"My main goal for this Heaven Refinement isn't to forge a perfect piece of Heaven Refined metal, but to create the conditions for condensing my third Martial Soul. The elemental tribulation is for baptizing the metal. I need to intercept the elemental tribulation to baptize myself, completing the condensation of the elemental control Martial Soul. The more comprehensive these elements are, the better."
Not only comprehensive, but Su Ming also needed the help of the heavenly and earthly laws to assist with the conversion.
Although, relying on his Ice-Fire Tempered Body and the Bone Dragon King's excess fire attribute essence, he had already converted the ice element essence into water element essence, this only remained at the essence level.
The power of the Snow Empress embryo he had prepared still belonged to the ice attribute.
For this massive power, he needed a powerful driving force to help him transform it.
"Heavenly and earthly laws are a good thing."
During breaks from researching forging, Su Ming would enter the Will Space to make some preparations.
During this period, Tang Hao hadn't begun usurping the position of Lord of the Plane, which was a great advantage for Su Ming.
"With Tang San above, I can't manipulate the Sea God's portion of the region anymore. In terms of interfering with the Plane's laws, his priority is above mine."
Su Ming fell into thought.
This was more difficult than the one-against-nine situation in the Douluo 3 parallel world.
Because Tang San was still watching from above.
"So, I must use the Plane's assistance at the very last moment, catching Tang San off guard, not giving him time to think."
"Secondly, I need to find a way to block his ability. Tang San, after all, isn't the Lord of the Plane. He hasn't delved into this domain yet. So, his obstruction against me is superficial. Additionally, since he controls the ocean portion, which conflicts with my mainland portion of the Plane's Will, I can use the fortune of the Spirit Master world as a defense."
The reason he could use Tang San's portion in the future was because Su Ming's Spirit Soul portion belonged to the mainland, and there was also the Sea Spirit Beast opportunity.
But now, there was no mainland portion for Tang San to use.
Shrek Academy?
"Hmm... need to find a way to target Shrek's reputation before Heaven Refinement."
Su Ming sighed.
It couldn't be helped. It wasn't that he was targeting Shrek; it was that Tang San stood behind Shrek.
Summoning Hun Dun, Su Ming waved his hand, and orbs of essence floated around Hun Dun.
"You don't lack cultivation for now. First, practice control. Get familiar with these essences as soon as possible. You might need to hold the fort yourself for a while."
Hun Dun used a tentacle to form an 'OK' gesture in the air.
"These essences are each like Martial Souls; they still need harmonizing. Don't let their Martial Soul characteristics prevent fusion later."
Su Ming grabbed an orb of essence. This was the Light Essence. Within this orb was the imagery of fire, and the phantom of a Light Phoenix manifested within.
There was also Dark Essence, containing the phantom of a Blood Soul Demon Puppet.
These two essences were the most influenced by their Martial Souls because they came from Ye Xishui, a Limit Douluo.
"Light is akin to fire, so let's make this Dark Essence closer to water. The Water Essence I have comes from Ice Essence, and the Ice Essence is prepared to be filled with the Snow Empress. Use the Blood Soul Demon Puppet's methods to control the Snow Empress."
"This way, the issue of the Snow Empress being uncontrollable is also solved."
With the ability of the Blood Soul Demon Puppet, which Ye Xishui, a Limit Douluo, specialized in, it should be capable of controlling the Snow Empress.
Su Ming took out the God Sealing Platform, squinting his eyes slightly.
The Snow Empress had become increasingly restless lately.
Ever since he won her at the auction, awakened her, and communicated with her, the Snow Empress had been periodically impacting the God Sealing Platform's seal.
Su Ming could feel the explosive quality in her power, clearly a trend towards self-destruction.
Once the God Sealing Platform's seal opened, her first choice would be self-destruction.
"Self-destruction... self-destruction is fine too. Saves me more trouble."
What Su Ming feared most was the Snow Empress attracting a heavenly tribulation...
While he was withstanding the elemental heavenly tribulation and simultaneously condensing his third Martial Soul, having a 700,000-year Spirit Beast heavenly tribulation thrown in—that scene, Su Ming himself didn't dare imagine.
Coming out and immediately self-destructing actually suited Su Ming's needs.
Soul Fighting Arena.
The Spirit Master Grand Competition's format was largely consistent with previous Soul Fighting Tournaments. Because the number of participating teams more than doubled, the first elimination round would have two stages, leaving one hundred twenty-eight teams. These would be divided into sixteen groups of eight teams each.
Among the eight teams in a group, two slots would advance, first and second place.
That meant, after the round-robin, the knockout stage would begin with the Top 32, continuing until the Top 4 were decided, leading to semi-finals and finals.
Xu Tianran looked down upon the arena from his exclusive high platform.
Behind him stood Ju Zi.
Today's matches were already more than half over.
"Let's go. Tired from watching today as well."
Xu Tianran hadn't found Su Ming's figure.
"What is he preparing recently?"
Since Su Ming's rise and the explosion of the Holy Spirit Cult 'landmine', he had gradually faded from public view, focusing on taking over the Sun Moon Empire's power while fully cooperating with Mingde Hall and the Blacksmith Association.
He had even made people forget the existence of him, the Crown Prince.
Within the entire Sun Moon Empire, it seemed all reforms and new policies were guided by Mingde Hall, with the imperial family barely noticed.
Would Xu Tianran silently contribute from behind the scenes?
Obviously not.
However, under the absolute disparity in strength, he couldn't afford to show any flaws.
Without the Holy Spirit Cult as a sharp tool, he couldn't clash with the Body Sect, nor could he go against popular sentiment to forcibly interrupt the development of the Spirit Tool world under this major trend.
"Can only wait."
Xu Tianran sighed.
Behind him, pushing the wheelchair, a flash of unwillingness crossed Ju Zi's eyes.
"Your Highness, the Blacksmith Association only needed peaceful soil for its early development. Now they have taken root on the continent and won't be easily shaken. If we start a war, they might not necessarily stop it."
Xu Tianran slowly closed his eyes.
Yes, Ju Zi's analysis wasn't wrong.
To be even more brutal, the Blacksmith Association now craved war more than he did.
In the early stage, it needed peaceful soil to sprout. In the mid-stage, it needed the blood of war for nourishment.
Precisely because he knew this, Xu Tianran found himself in a dilemma.
He could only wait.
Wait for Su Ming to reveal a flaw.
Otherwise, once war broke out, even if Sun Moon unified the continent, there would forever be an overlord above them—the Blacksmith Association.
And above the Blacksmith Association, there would still be the Body Sect.
Behind Xu Tianran, Ju Zi could only secretly resent him for being a coward.
Compared to Xu Tianran, her goal was purer: to start a war and annihilate the White Tiger Duke's line. As long as she could achieve that goal, dying didn't matter. She lived for revenge.
As for the so-called Blacksmith Association ruling over a future Sun Moon Empire, she could completely disregard it.
But then again, even with this concern, they could still take a gamble.
After all, only chaos brings variables. In war, they could find Su Ming's mistakes and then wipe out the Blacksmith Association in one fell swoop.
Xu Tianran's choice of hiding like a turtle made Ju Zi's inner frustration grow increasingly volatile.
***
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