Chapter 36: Three Years

Chapter 36: Three Years

"Since my soul power turned into a liquid form, I haven't used it to activate the Eight Extreme Collapse." Dai Yao thought to himself.

After all, liquid soul power contains a tremendous amount of energy, and he was worried that his body might not be able to handle it.

After arriving at the academy, he had spent some time recuperating, and his body, which had been in a weakened state, had gradually recovered. Now, he felt ready to try activating the Eight Extreme Collapse with liquid soul power.

He wasted no time, circulating the liquid soul power in his dantian and channeling it into his right arm.

Immediately, Dai Yao felt a swelling sensation in his right arm as an enormous amount of energy filled it.

He went to a nearby forest, found a large boulder, and punched it.

Bang—

The rock dented slightly under the impact, but Dai Yao's right arm was shaken by the recoil, causing a numb sensation. When he looked at the boulder, he felt somewhat disappointed.

The damage caused by this punch was only about 50% stronger than his usual Eight Extreme Collapse.

It was still insufficient to pose a threat to a Soul Master at the Great Soul Master level.

"Using liquid soul power to activate the Eight Extreme Collapse isn't going to work. It looks like my hope now lies in the Dark Force." Dai Yao thought, feeling disheartened.

In Battle Through the Heavens, Xiao Yan's Eight Extreme Collapse not only had tremendous power but also carried Dark Force, making it incredibly hard to defend against.

Dark Force, as the name suggests, is a hidden energy.

At first glance, it seems like a regular attack, but within it is an immense force that spreads from the internal organs of the person it strikes, causing excruciating pain that worsens over time. A person who doesn't understand it might even freeze in place for a moment.

The guidance from Ye Nantian had indeed been insightful, aligning perfectly with Dai Yao's own thoughts. Dai Yao had also considered the concept of Dark Force but had repeatedly failed in his attempts to grasp it, leading him to abandon it for a time.

But Ye Nantian's appearance had pointed him in the right direction.

That direction was compressing his soul power.

By compressing the soul power and using his fists to transfer the compressed energy into his opponent's body, it could explode, causing intense pain.

However, compressing soul power places a massive strain on the body, and if done carelessly, it could cause an explosion of soul power that leads to irreversible damage.

This is why very few people attempt to create their own soul techniques.

After all, blind trial and error can lead to physical damage, which could end a Soul Master's path.

But Dai Yao was different. He had the Chaos Qinglian to protect him, meaning that even if his body was harmed, it would recover.

Without further hesitation, Dai Yao decided to proceed. He first converted the liquid soul power into a gaseous form. The energy from liquid soul power was just too great, and if the compression failed, the consequences would be even more severe.

Although the Qinglian could heal him, the recovery would take longer, so he aimed to minimize the damage as much as possible.

He channeled the gaseous soul power into his arm, focused his mind, and began to compress it slowly.

But as he compressed the soul power, the repulsion between the energies grew stronger, and the massive amount of energy caused Dai Yao to feel a moment of dizziness.

This isn't good!

Dai Yao cried out inwardly. The overwhelming soul power slipped out of his control and exploded in his arm.

A massive shockwave blasted through the forest, spreading out in a circular wave. The falling snow was blown away, leaving behind only frozen earth. The surrounding trees were knocked over as if struck by a fierce wind.

A snowless circle formed around Dai Yao, centered on him.

In the center of that circle, Dai Yao was clutching his right arm in agony. It had turned completely black, and he felt intense pain.

Sweat dripped down his face as he gasped for air. "Chaos Qinglian, heal me!"

A burst of green light emitted from the Qinglian in his spiritual realm and flew toward Dai Yao's injured arm.

A cool, refreshing sensation flowed through his arm, as though spring breezes had passed over the earth, bringing vitality. The pain immediately subsided somewhat.

But Dai Yao didn't stop there. Though his right arm was injured, he still had his left arm, so he could try again.

If this attempt failed, he would have to wait for full recovery to try once more.

Following the same steps as before, Dai Yao slowly compressed the soul power. Just as the energy was about to explode, a flash of brilliance sparked in his eyes, and he quickly punched the boulder.

This time, the Eight Extreme Collapse was slightly weaker, leaving a small pit in the boulder.

"Did I succeed?" Dai Yao wondered, exhausted from the intense concentration required to maintain focus for such a long time. He was panting heavily as he looked at the small pit he had left in the boulder, filled with doubt.

He approached the boulder, and at first glance, it didn't seem any different. He could only tell that the power this time was a bit weaker—understandable since the first punch had used liquid soul power, which was naturally more potent.

However, when he went to the back of the boulder, he was immediately overjoyed.

Behind the boulder, there were several chunks of rock scattered on the ground. All these pieces had fallen off from the boulder, as a result of the punch.

This blow had penetrated the thick boulder and sent the force through to the other side. It was easy to imagine how disastrous the inside of the boulder must have been.

Using his soul power, Dai Yao slowly wore down the boulder. After three hours, the boulder was split in half.

The cross-section of the boulder revealed a shocking sight. Starting from where Dai Yao's fist had struck, a fan-shaped area of shattered rocks extended all the way to the back of the boulder.

In other words, Dai Yao's punch had transmitted the Dark Force through the entire boulder.

On the other hand, the first punch, where the power was weaker, had only left a shallow crack at the edge of the pit.

The difference between the two was so vast.

The power of Dark Force was truly terrifying.

"I did it!" Dai Yao thought, elated.

"Great! With the experience from my first success, fully mastering Dark Force is no longer a far-off dream. Once I've mastered Dark Force, I will have a real chance in my competition with Dai Yaming!" Dai Yao clenched his uninjured left fist and thought about the future.

Three Years Later

Underneath the waterfall, a wet man sat in silence.

Though he looked a little disheveled, his aura was unmistakable.

His muscles were well-defined, his posture straight like a spear, and his face was resolute, exuding a heroic presence.

His eyes shone with intensity, his black pupils gleaming like cold stars.

This man was none other than Dai Yao, now nine years old.

"The critical moment has arrived!" Dai Yao steadied his mind and silently muttered.

His soul power surged like an ocean, all rushing toward the bottleneck in his body.

In the next instant, a tremendous surge of energy erupted from within him. The waterfall that had been falling downward suddenly reversed, rushing upward and colliding with the descending water. The two forces met with a deafening sound before both cascaded back into the pool.

It was like a caged bird soaring into the sky, finally free. Dai Yao felt his body lighten slightly, and the previously turbulent soul power slowly began to calm.

"I've finally broken through." A sincere smile spread across his face.

Three years of relentless training, day and night, had finally paid off at this moment.

Today, his soul power had reached the twentieth level.

To reach the twentieth level in just three years—an accomplishment worthy of being called a genius.

And Dai Yao's soul power was in a liquid form, requiring far more energy than a normal Soul Master.

Feeling the full, rich soul power inside him, Dai Yao silently thought: It's time to obtain my second soul ring.

(End of Chapter)

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