Chapter 223: Shocking the Body Sect! A Spar Against a Titled Douluo?
The soul power fluctuations inside the meditation chamber completely subsided. The soul tool lamp mounted on the stone wall stopped its erratic flickering, returning to a steady, warm glow. The heavy, suffocating pressure that had previously filled the air dissipated alongside the volatile energy.
Liu Yuan opened his eyes. The brilliant purple-gold light swirling within his Double Pupils gradually receded into the depths of his gaze. His face remained somewhat pale, and a thin layer of sweat still clung to his forehead, but his entire aura had undergone a fundamental transformation. It was no longer an outward, aggressive sharpness. Instead, it was an absolute inward composure, as if an immovable mountain had taken root deep within his flesh and bones.
Du Busi stood a short distance away, his gaze locked dead onto Liu Yuan. He had already withdrawn his hand from Elder Chen's shoulder, letting his arm hang at his side. His knuckles twitched slightly.
Elder Chen took a half-step forward, then froze in place. He stared at Liu Yuan, opened his mouth to speak, and snapped it shut again. He desperately wanted to ask, yet a lingering fear of hearing a disappointing answer held his tongue.
Du Busi broke the silence.
"How is it?" His voice carried no great volume, but in the dead quiet of the meditation chamber, every syllable struck like a hammer.
Liu Yuan tilted his head up to meet Du Busi's intense stare. The corners of his mouth curled upward into a faint, exhausted smile. That expression carried the heavy weariness of half a month of grueling cultivation, but more than that, it radiated pure, unadulterated relief.
"I succeeded," Liu Yuan said. His voice rasped against his dry throat. He had spoken barely a handful of words over the past fifteen days, and his vocal cords had yet to adjust. "The First Soul Core has been condensed."
Dead silence claimed the meditation chamber.
Du Busi said nothing. He simply stood there, his eyes boring into the young man before him. His lips parted slightly, but no sound escaped. While his facial expression remained locked in its usual stern mask, Elder Chen caught the faint, uncontrollable trembling in the fingers of the Sect Master's hanging hand.
Elder Chen's own reaction lacked any such restraint.
"It really worked?" His voice shot up several octaves, vibrating with irrepressible excitement. He closed the distance in three rapid strides, his eyes wide as he scrutinized his disciple from head to toe. Disbelief practically radiated from his pores. "Level sixty-two... condensing a First Soul Core. Who in the history of the continent would have ever believed such a thing?"
Liu Yuan offered no boastful reply. He completely understood Elder Chen's utter shock. Even to him, the reality of the situation felt surreal. Yet, the solid, thrumming core anchored deep within his body spun quietly, radiating steady, tyrannical waves of soul power with every revolution. That physical proof could not be faked.
Du Busi finally found his voice.
"Circulate it. Let me see." His tone sounded flat, entirely devoid of emotion. However, anyone familiar with the Body Sect Master knew that such forced neutrality was merely a thin veil over a storm of anticipation.
Liu Yuan nodded. He allowed his eyelids to slide shut, calming his breathing as he projected his internal consciousness straight into his dantian.
The newly formed Soul Core was not massive. It sat at roughly the size of a thumbnail, its entire surface gleaming with a deep, heavy dark-gold luster. It hovered perfectly suspended in the very center of his dantian, rotating with a slow, mechanical steadiness. With every single revolution, highly compressed, liquid-like soul power seeped outward, flooding his meridians and rushing through his entire body.
This energy felt entirely distinct from his previous soul power. It carried a terrifying density and a crushing weight, bringing a warm, explosive sense of fullness as it surged through his pathways.
Drawing a deep breath, Liu Yuan mentally commanded the Soul Core to accelerate.
In the blink of an eye, a suffocating wave of soul power erupted from his physical form. This was no chaotic rampage of energy. It was a perfectly ordered, absolute release of power. The dense soul power surged upward from his dantian, tracing the exact circulation routes of the Body Secret Method at blinding speeds. As the energy crashed through each major meridian node, it vibrated violently, emitting a low, resonant hum that echoed in the physical world.
These internal vibrations layered upon one another, projecting outward to form an invisible, crushing pressure domain. The sheer force of it displaced the air in the meditation chamber, sending a physical shockwave rippling outward.
The heavy hem of Du Busi's robes whipped violently upward in the gale, yet the towering Sect Master remained planted like an ancient monolith. Elder Chen, however, took a sharp half-step backward. It was not a retreat born of weakness, but a pure, subconscious physical reaction to a sudden threat. He stared at Liu Yuan, his pupils trembling.
"So this is the First Soul Core..." Elder Chen murmured, his breath catching in his throat.
Du Busi's evaluation went far deeper. He ignored the flashy outward display of wind and pressure. Instead, he extended his own vast perception directly into Liu Yuan's body, carefully analyzing every microscopic detail of the Soul Core's operation. The terrifying velocity of the soul power flow, the immense strain placed upon the meridian walls, the flawless stability of the core's energy output—every single data point registered in the Sect Master's mind.
A long moment passed before Du Busi slowly withdrew his perception. He exhaled a deep, heavy breath.
"It is indeed a First Soul Core," Du Busi declared, his voice thick with an indescribable complexity. "The quality is monstrously high. It is even more solid and refined than the one I condensed back in my time."
Hearing those words, the shock plastered across Elder Chen's face deepened into outright awe. He whipped his head toward Du Busi, his jaw working as he tried to form a sentence, only to end up shaking his head in defeat.
"Sect Master, you were at level ninety when you condensed yours," Elder Chen rasped, his throat entirely dry. "He is only at level sixty-two. And the quality of his Soul Core surpasses yours from back then? This..."
He could not finish the thought. No matter what logic he tried to apply, it shattered against the absolute truth standing right in front of him.
Liu Yuan ceased his circulation. The oppressive soul power domain swirling around him rapidly retracted, sinking back into his flesh. He opened his eyes, looking calmly between Du Busi and Elder Chen, awaiting their final judgment.
Du Busi remained silent for a long stretch before asking, "How does your body feel?"
Liu Yuan flexed his fingers, analyzing his internal state. "The speed of my soul power recovery is exponentially faster than before. The stability of my maximum output has also increased dramatically. As for the exact amplification of my combat strength, I cannot say for sure. I need a practical test to find its limits."
"That makes perfect sense," Elder Chen agreed, stepping forward with a burning curiosity in his eyes. "Your mental force already vastly exceeds your cultivation level. Your Soul Skills are lethal, and the quality of your Martial Soul is top-tier. Now, you have forcibly added a First Soul Core into the mix. To be completely honest, I am dying to see exactly what kind of monster you have become."
Liu Yuan shared that exact sentiment. He pushed himself up from the meditation mat, stretching his stiff limbs. Fifteen days of motionless, secluded cultivation had left his muscles tightly coiled, but the boundless soul power surging through his veins made him feel as though he could shatter a mountain with a single punch.
"Then let us test it," Liu Yuan said, his gaze sweeping over the two elders. His tone remained perfectly level. "Let us find a place to measure my current limits."
Du Busi gave a sharp nod. "My thoughts exactly. To the Martial Arts Arena."
The three men wasted no time. They exited the meditation chamber, descending the long flight of stone steps toward the foot of the mountain.
The Martial Arts Arena sat squarely in the core sector of the Body Sect. It was a massive, open expanse paved entirely with heavy bluestone slabs. Under normal circumstances, the disciples of the sect conducted their daily grueling training and sparring matches here. The sharp sounds of physical impacts and roaring cheers usually echoed across the grounds from dawn until dusk.
It was currently mid-afternoon. The bright sunlight cascaded across the bluestone paving, reflecting a faint, harsh white glare.
The arena bustled with intense activity. Dozens of disciples were scattered across the grounds, divided into various groups as they ran through their combat drills. Some engaged in brutal hand-to-hand combat, trading heavy blows that sent sharp whistling sounds cutting through the air. Others focused on testing the destructive limits of their Soul Skills, repeatedly blasting reinforced targets. A smaller group sat in a tight circle near the edge of the boundary, heatedly debating the tactical flaws of their previous sparring sessions.
Chen Lü was currently locked in a fierce spar with an Inner Sect disciple. Sweat drenched his uniform, but his fighting spirit burned high. His left arm still lacked its full range of motion, but the fist techniques executed by his right hand grew sharper and more vicious with every strike.
Wang Yanfeng stood near the boundary line, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He did not step into the ring himself, choosing instead to observe the movements of the other disciples. He frowned at sloppy footwork and nodded in approval at well-executed counters.
Gu Tong leaned casually against the thick trunk of a large tree bordering the arena. His eyes remained shut as if he were taking a nap, but his ears twitched constantly, tracking every shift in the wind and every footfall on the bluestone.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from the main entrance of the arena.
"The Sect Master is here."
It was unclear who spotted them first, but within seconds, every single person on the grounds noticed the three figures descending the final stone steps.
Du Busi walked at the forefront. His previous injuries had not fully healed, and the thick white bandages wrapping his left shoulder were faintly visible beneath his loose robes. Yet, his stride remained as tyrannical and steady as ever, his face set in its usual cold, imposing mask.
Elder Chen walked half a pace behind him. His left hand was still heavily wrapped in medicinal plaster, but his posture was straight, his spirits visibly soaring, and a faint, eager smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
However, it was the young man walking at the very rear who caused every single disciple in the Martial Arts Arena to freeze in their tracks.
Liu Yuan.
He had not shown his face in the arena for over half a month. During his absence, wild rumors had spread like wildfire among the disciples. Some claimed he was in a deep, death-seclusion. Others swore he was recovering from crippling injuries. A few even whispered that he had locked himself away out of guilt over the Sect Master's wounds. Theories ran rampant, but no one possessed the actual truth.
Now, he had finally appeared.
Dozens of gazes snapped toward Liu Yuan, scrutinizing his every step, desperately trying to glean some clue about his current state. Yet, aside from an overwhelming sense of absolute composure radiating from his frame, they could detect no obvious changes.
"Senior Brother Liu Yuan has finally come out of seclusion," a newly inducted disciple muttered, his eyes shining with undisguised excitement.
"Obviously. Are you blind?" the older disciple standing next to him shot back, rolling his eyes, though his own gaze remained glued to Liu Yuan.
Chen Lü immediately halted his sparring match. He wiped a heavy layer of sweat from his forehead and turned his attention toward the entrance. A wide grin broke across his face. He opened his mouth, fully intending to shout a loud greeting, but the words died in his throat the moment he saw Liu Yuan and Elder Chen step onto the elevated sparring platform together.
Chen Lü's grin completely froze.
He was not the only one. The expressions of every single disciple present rapidly morphed from eager curiosity to sheer, unadulterated shock.
Wang Yanfeng dropped his crossed arms, leaning forward slightly as if doubting his own eyesight.
Gu Tong stopped leaning against the tree. He snapped to attention, his spine straightening as he narrowed his eyes at the center of the arena.
Liu Yuan and Elder Chen had stepped onto the main combat ring together.
Every single person present knew exactly what that meant. The rules of the Martial Arts Arena were absolute and incredibly simple: when two people stepped onto that specific platform, it meant they were going to fight.
"What is going on?" Chen Lü muttered aloud. His voice was not particularly loud, but in the sudden, dead silence that had fallen over the arena, the words carried clearly to everyone's ears.
"Senior Brother Liu Yuan is going to spar with Elder Chen?" Wang Yanfeng's voice cracked slightly, heavy with disbelief. "Elder Chen is a Titled Douluo..."
"Is there really a need for a spar like that?"
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