Chapter 3: The Path Forward

"The pinnacle forces of the continent that can rival the Spirit Pagoda are few and far between. Shrek Academy, the Tang Sect, and the War God's Hall—these are the three best options on the surface."

Even though Xu Yuan was only six years old, Xu Shengqun didn't treat him as a mere child. Instead, he carefully analyzed the situation with him.

"Among them, joining Shrek doesn't prevent you from also affiliating with the other two factions. You can try to enroll in Shrek Academy. Even if you're only in the Outer Court, you can still accumulate resources through its channels. Entering the Inner Court wouldn't be too much of a stretch either."

"As for the Tang Sect, they're very particular about one's background. Even if you meet their entry requirements, with your true identity, you won't be able to enter their core ranks. However, you should be able to obtain the Xuantian Gong and the Ziji Mo Tong, two supreme techniques that suit you perfectly."

"The War God's Hall, on the other hand, is tied to the military route. If you're interested, I'll do my best to arrange an identity for you." 

"In truth, I don't recommend you join the War God's Hall." Xu Shengqun paused for a moment before continuing, "It falls under the official jurisdiction of the parliament."

The word "official" carried a certain weight when spoken by Xu Shengqun.

Being "official" meant adhering to strict regulations.

And the Spirit Pagoda had many members in the parliament. Investigating someone in the War God's Hall would pose no obstacles for them.

"Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect are actually the most suitable options for you. They're highly independent, which makes it easier to conceal your identity."

"However, once you're labeled as part of the Tang Sect, it's permanent. If you can't enter their core ranks, you'll only gain access to a few supreme techniques, but you'll be bound to the sect for life. Betrayal means forfeiting everything you've gained."

"Therefore, among these three forces, the one I recommend you join is Shrek Academy."

Xu Yuan nodded as he listened to his uncle's analysis.

"Shrek is just an academy. After graduation, you can freely join another faction or choose one yourself. The Tang Sect and the War God's Hall aren't suitable for you, but there are other peak forces on the continent. One in particular suits you perfectly."

"The Body Sect," Xu Yuan interject, having already guessed it himself.

Xu Shengqun nodded and smiled, "Exactly. The Body Sect is even more suitable for you than Shrek. They're extremely protective of their own, and their entry requirements are extremely low."

Extremely low requirements…

Xu Yuan's lips twitched.

It wasn't just "low."

The Body Sect claimed that all soul masters with Body martial souls were part of their family.

"Speaking of the Body Sect, your uncle here happens to have connections that could get you directly apprenticed under the sect leader." Xu Shengqun chuckled.

Xu Yuan was genuinely intrigued.

Mu Ye was undoubtedly the best choice for apprenticeship on this continent. Forget the sect's secret techniques—just the abundance of rare delicacies, the sect leader's fiercely protective nature, and his relationship with the master craftsman Zhen Hua made it an appealing option.

"It seems you're interested," Xu Shengqun said, seeing the look in Xu Yuan's eyes. His recommendation clearly struck a chord.

"The next Shrek enrollment won't happen for another year, and you've just awakened your martial soul, so you'll miss this round. Wait for the next or the one after that. In the meantime, I'll help you contact the Body Sect."

"Alright, thank you, Uncle."

"What's with the formalities? We're family." Xu Shengqun patted Xu Yuan on the shoulder and laughed.

Xu Yuan flipped through the advanced meditation manual in his hands, occasionally nodding in realization.

"Meditation methods have already evolved into complete soul power circulation routes."

If Yu Xiaogang from twenty thousand years ago could summarize materials and create a cultivation route, there was no reason why, twenty thousand years later, no other methods besides the Xuantian Gong had been developed.

The primitive era and the chaotic age ten thousand years ago were one thing, but in the modern era, with the rapid advancement of soul-guiding technology, it would be absurd if such systems hadn't been researched.

"They simply aren't called 'internal cultivation techniques' anymore. In essence, meditation methods have undergone significant updates."

Aside from basic meditation techniques, the rest had fundamentally changed compared to those from twenty thousand years ago.

"Unlike the pursuit of internal cultivation in the Xuantian Gong, the soul power circulation routes in meditation methods prioritize speed and intensity of soul power cultivation. They don't emphasize endless regeneration or balance."

In comparison, while the essence of meditation remained unchanged, the focus on efficient soul power circulation had deepened, and the core meditation aspects had been continuously refined.

The materials in Xu Yuan's hands weren't just publicly available information. His father, Xu Zhi, had been a researcher and had risen to the position of deputy director at the Spirit Pagoda's main research institute, granting him access to vast amounts of data. He had collected numerous resources related to soul master cultivation, which he prepared for Xu Shengqun's training. These materials were now in Xu Shengqun's possession.

As Xu Yuan began his formal cultivation, Xu Shengqun retrieved these resources for him.

"Let's give meditation a try first."

The circulation routes were complex, but entering a meditative state was simple.

With just a slight attempt, Xu Yuan quickly entered the meditative state.

In the dim space, the Tianyuan Brush floated. Its shaft was gray with intricate black patterns, exuding an air of mystery. The brush tip was smooth and rounded, ending in a sharp point.

His consciousness immersed in this unique meditative space, where only the Tianyuan Brush existed. However, Xu Yuan could sense that his brain martial soul was also present, existing in this space alongside his awareness.

"Is this the wonder of a Body martial soul?"

He didn't delve deeply into the peculiarities of his body-based martial soul. Instead, he focused on perceiving his own martial soul and using it to sense the external world.

As his consciousness merged with his martial soul, the dark space around him gradually brightened. Various colored light particles appeared, which he captured and absorbed into himself.

Continuously capturing and absorbing these light particles, the soul power within his body fused with them, circulating repeatedly and intertwining with his martial soul.

This process of extracting, absorbing, and transforming origin energy was incredibly fascinating, bringing Xu Yuan an instinctive sense of joy.

He continued this practice throughout the night.

Morning

Opening his eyes, Xu Yuan slowly exhaled.

"My soul power has increased slightly."

Within his body, there was a subtle growth in soul power.

Every tiny increment in soul power was the result of capturing origin energy during meditation, followed by the fusion of this energy with his soul power and martial soul during circulation. As a soul master, he could clearly feel the increase.

"Soul power naturally disperses in a way that aligns with the essence of the martial soul, flowing and wandering within the body. However, this natural dispersion is too vague and unstable, making it less efficient than following a standardized soul power circulation route."

After experiencing this cultivation firsthand, Xu Yuan had a profound understanding.

Meditation was indeed the most suitable method for soul masters to cultivate.

However, during meditation, the natural dispersion of soul power was irregular. While it aligned well with the martial soul, for beginners, it wasn't as effective as following a standardized and unified route.

Of course, this was part of the exploration process for soul masters.

The so-called routes were merely templates or references.

High-level soul masters long ago adjusted their internal soul power circulation to differ from the initial meditation methods they learned.

As they cultivated, this so-called "soul power circulation" was naturally fine-tuned to better suit their martial soul's natural control over soul power during meditation.

It wasn't that there were no cultivation techniques on the Douluo Continent.

Rather, every high-level soul master had developed their own personalized "cultivation technique" during their journey.

These techniques might not be particularly powerful, but they were perfectly suited to their users.

"I'll first master the route in Uncle's meditation method, then adjust it to fit my needs." Xu Yuan now had a clear plan for his soul power cultivation moving forward.

But—

"What path should I take?"

This was an era dominated by bloodline supremacy. With the emergence of the Golden Dragon King and Silver Dragon King, even mentioning any dragon-related martial soul—or weapon martial souls—was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine. Such influences could hinder one's performance.

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