The return was seamless. The ten-year collaboration between the Spirit Pagoda and the Body Sect had turned Zhangting's "hostage" status into a mere formality. However, the mission at hand was anything but formal.
The Stalemate of the Soul Fighting Platform
Inside the most advanced Soul Fighting Platform in the world, the stage was set for Zhangting's shortcut. But a psychological barrier stood in the way:
The Problem: The Yuanen Family viewed Zhangting as their savior. Yuanen Tiandang, a Level 98 Super Douluo, couldn't bring himself to treat the Pagoda Master's grandson like a training dummy.
Makino's Frustration: Without the "brutal realism" of a life-or-death beating, the 206th Golden Rune would never fuse.
The Psychological Spark
Zhangting, realizing that standard requests wouldn't work, decided to play the "villain." He pivoted from a humble student to a provocative challenger by targeting the one thing every father protects: his daughter.
"Senior Tiandang, I quite like your daughter. You wouldn't want her future husband to be a weakling, would you?"
In an instant, the "Peerless Young Master" transformed in Tiandang's eyes into a "Social Outcast" coming for his precious potted plant, Yuanen Yehui. The psychological shift was instantaneous. The hesitation vanished, replaced by a surge of protective, fatherly "unnamed anger."
Chapter 48: The Forging of the 206th Rune
Yuanen Tiandang didn't just strike; he channeled the core essence of the Titan Giant Ape. As his fist clenched, the air currents in the Soul Fighting Platform froze, creating a vacuum vortex that sucked in all spiritual energy. The space itself rippled like water—a sign of pure, compressed strength that surpassed even Makino's expectations.
The Impact
Following Makino's precise instructions, Tiandang's strikes were no longer "reluctant." They were surgical, heavy, and devastating.
The Technique: Using the Titan's unique power-control, Tiandang used "Vibration" and "Gravity Compression" to physically squeeze the internal structure of Zhangting's skeleton.
The Result: The 205 existing Golden Runes, under the immense pressure of a Level 98 Super Douluo, were forced to reorganize, finally opening the microscopic "storage space" required for the final load.
Innate Secret Method: Major Achievement!
As the final blow landed, a resonance shook Zhangting's entire being. The 206th Golden Rune didn't just enter his body; it locked the entire system into a cohesive, indestructible whole.
The Transformation: His meridians expanded, his bones took on a faint, metallic gold luster, and his Qi and blood unified into a single, roaring tide.
The Achievement: At sixteen, Qiangu Zhangting had achieved what most Body Sect masters struggle to reach in a lifetime: the Major Achievement Realm of the Innate Secret Method.
The Shadow in the Courtyard
While Tiandang hammered his "potential son-in-law" on the platform, the reason for his anger—Yuanen Yehui—was watching from a distance.
The report noted a poignant detail: as "hostages" in the headquarters, the family was isolated. Yehui hadn't grown up as a princess in a sprawling clan; she was a lonely genius whose only connections were her parents.
Zhangting's "provocation" wasn't just a tactic for his breakthrough. By forcing his way into the family's dynamic, he was also positioning himself as the only peer who truly understood her situation. He wasn't just after the 206th rune; he was planting the seeds of a bond that would bridge the gap between the Spirit Pagoda and the Titan Clan for generations to come.
The Next Move
With his physical body now capable of bearing almost any burden, the Level 50 bottleneck has vanished.
Rank 60 Breakthrough: He can now merge a 100,000-year soul spirit without risk of body collapse.
The Aolai Trip: The three-month window is closing. It is time to head to the coast.
Tang Wulin's awakening is near. And the Silver Dragon King is about to wake up.
Expert Guide: Zhangting has achieved Major Achievement. His body is now a vessel of gold. Before heading to Aolai City, should he stop by the Spirit Pagoda Vault to select his 60th-rank soul spirit from the legendary "Forbidden Level" collection, or should he leave the slot open, hoping to find a soul spirit that resonates with the Silver Dragon King's emergence?