"Has the System's reward finally arrived?"
Liu Yuan sat inside the high-speed flying spirit tool, his gaze fixed on the rapidly retreating clouds outside the window as he murmured to himself.
Though his expression remained composed, his fingertip tapped lightly against the armrest, betraying the excitement deep in his heart.
This trip to the Evil Demon Forest—and the subsequent ordeal of being forcibly dragged into the Qiankun Love Probing Valley—had completely erased the faint complacency that had crept into Liu Yuan's mindset after everything had gone too smoothly.
Before this, he had relied on Mega Rayquaza and Dynamax to rampage across the Douluo Continent. Even Limit Douluos like Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao had been unable to gain the upper hand against him.
That overwhelming suppression had given him the illusion that he already stood at the peak, untouchable.
But Tang San's sudden intervention was like a heavy hammer, shattering that illusion in one blow.
"I thought wiping out the Holy Spirit Cult would be the end of it," Liu Yuan reflected silently, replaying everything in his mind. "I didn't expect to draw out the real players behind the scenes."
He understood this clearly: as long as the battlefield was limited to the Douluo Continent, he could indeed be called invincible.
But once the God Realm became involved—once a God King like Tang San entered the picture, someone capable of manipulating rules and forcibly distorting space itself—his current methods began to look insufficient.
The Escape Rope could help him flee, but that was ultimately passive evasion.
"Since Tang San has already locked onto me, this kind of rule-level targeting will only grow more intense in the future."
Liu Yuan took a slow breath, his eyes deepening.
"To truly take control of my own fate, it's not enough to just run. I need the power to fight back. My current strength is still far from sufficient—I must seize every possible chance to grow stronger."
That hunger for power surged to its peak at this moment.
Right on cue, the cold mechanical voice of the System echoed through his Sea of Consciousness, breaking his train of thought.
[Ding! Task reward calculation complete.]
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained a Kyogre god-bestowed spirit ring!]
[Year: 150,000 years.]
[System assessment: Perfect compatibility with the Primal Kyogre Spirit detected. Forced absorption initiated…]
As the System's voice faded, Liu Yuan felt the soul core in his chest tremble violently.
A torrent of pure, boundless oceanic divine power poured forth from the Void Realm, surging through his meridians and flooding every corner of his body. The energy was gentle, yet unimaginably heavy—like the weight of the entire sea being laid upon his spirit power circulation.
A brilliant azure halo bloomed around Liu Yuan's body. A deep crimson spirit ring, traced with dark-gold patterns along its edges, slowly rotated around the phantom form of Primal Kyogre before settling firmly into the position of the fifth spirit ring.
[Absorption successful.]
[Current spirit power level: Rank 80.]
[You have obtained Primal Kyogre's Fifth Spirit Ability: Aqua Ring.]
[Skill Description: Upon activation, a continuous ring of deep-blue water will form around the Spirit Master's body. Aqua Ring provides automatic healing and life restoration. During combat, it will periodically recover approximately one-third of the Host's total vitality and mental stamina.]
The instant Liu Yuan grasped the nature of the new ability, the tension at the corners of his mouth eased, curving slightly upward. A sharp glint flashed through his eyes.
"Aqua Ring… this came at the perfect time."
In his current combat system, Mega Rayquaza specialized in extreme burst damage and overwhelming offense, while Primal Kyogre—thanks to its defensive and endurance advantages—excelled at prolonged, attritional warfare.
In past battles, facing self-destructive attacks like Ye Xishui's, Liu Yuan's body had still been pushed to its limits even with Kyogre's protection. But Aqua Ring's recovery rate—restoring one-third of his overall condition—meant that as long as the enemy couldn't kill him outright, he could rapidly return to peak form.
This wasn't just an improvement in endurance; it was a fundamental leap in his survival ceiling.
Before Liu Yuan could fully digest the gains from the spirit ring, the System's voice sounded again. With the breakthrough to Rank 80, a new stage of the main quest had been unlocked.
[Main Quest Updated: Dual Core Realm.]
[Task Requirement: While at Rank 80 spirit power, the Host must complete the condensation and construction of a second soul core (Non-Homologous Resonance Method).]
[Task Description: The Host possesses twin top-tier mythological Spirits. A single soul core is no longer sufficient to bear the increasing load of divine power. Only by forming a second soul core can the Host withstand higher-intensity Dynamax energy.]
[Task Reward: Random Mega Rayquaza god-bestowed spirit ring ×1.]
"A second soul core…"
Liu Yuan clenched his fist, feeling the faint swelling pain caused by his surging Rank 80 spirit power.
He knew the System was right—he had reached a genuine bottleneck.
Although his first soul core was powerful, the consumption rate became terrifying when supporting high-dimensional transformations like Dynamax. If he could successfully condense a second soul core, his sustained combat capability would undergo a drastic transformation.
And the reward—a god-bestowed spirit ring for Mega Rayquaza—left him with no reason to refuse.
"Let's go. I'll report back first. After that, every remaining moment goes into secluded cultivation."
Liu Yuan rose, pushed open the inner cabin door of the flying spirit tool, and headed toward the pilot's seat.
On the distant horizon, the majestic metallic silhouette of Bright Capital was already faintly visible beneath the morning light.
The flying spirit tool descended smoothly into the palace square.
The moment Kong Deming and Jing Hongchen stepped out, they both turned toward Liu Yuan with astonishment written plainly across their faces.
In just this short return journey, Liu Yuan's aura had undergone another transformation. That deep-sea-like pressure made even these two legendary veterans feel their hearts tighten.
"Xiao Yuan… your aura—did you break through again?" Jing Hongchen asked, sounding almost dazed.
Liu Yuan nodded without concealing anything. "I gained some insights on the way back. My spirit power has broken through to Rank 80. I'll need some time to stabilize my realm."
Kong Deming opened his mouth, then closed it again, finally letting out a helpless, bitter laugh.
At this point, Liu Yuan's rate of advancement had completely surpassed any conventional logic.
The group entered the inner chambers.
The Sun Moon Emperor was seated behind the imperial desk, clearly restless as he awaited news.
When he saw Liu Yuan return unharmed and learned that the Holy Spirit Cult's headquarters had been completely annihilated, he rose abruptly from the dragon throne, a healthy flush appearing on his pale face.
"Good! Excellent! Duke Liu Yuan, you have once again given Us an immense surprise!" the Emperor exclaimed.
Overcome with excitement, he even descended the steps personally and patted Liu Yuan on the shoulder.
Liu Yuan briefly reported the battle, emphasizing that the Holy Spirit Cult's headquarters had been physically erased.
As for the Qiankun Love Probing Valley and Tang San's intervention, he glossed over them, describing the incident as interference from an ancient ruin. He deliberately avoided mentioning the God Realm, lest it cause unnecessary panic.
After finishing his report, Liu Yuan declined the victory banquet prepared by the Emperor and instead requested immediate leave.
"Your Majesty, this humble official suffered minor injuries during the battle and has sensed an opportunity for further breakthrough. I must return to the Duke's Mansion to cultivate in seclusion. I ask that the task of clearing out the remaining Evil Soul Masters and searching for Xu Tianran be entrusted to Elder Kong and Hall Master Jing."
At this point, the Emperor trusted Liu Yuan completely and nodded without hesitation. "Cultivation comes first! We will double the guards around the Duke's Mansion to ensure no one disturbs you."
Liu Yuan thanked the Emperor, exchanged brief nods with Kong Deming and Jing Hongchen, then left the palace swiftly alongside the Snow Empress and Ye Guyi.
Upon returning to the Duke's Mansion, Liu Yuan went straight to the underground gravity cultivation chamber, forged from dense rare metals.
He instructed the Snow Empress to guard the entrance and arranged for Ye Guyi to oversee the mansion's defenses.
Sitting cross-legged at the center of the chamber, Liu Yuan slowly closed his eyes.
Within his Sea of Consciousness, his first soul core rotated steadily.
What he now contemplated was how to forcibly open a second soul core pathway within a meridian system that was already approaching full saturation.
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