Chapter 3: 10-Year Soul Beast

Two years had already passed since Zhen Len became a soul beast, and the day had finally arrived for him to reach the milestone of becoming a 10-year-old spiritual beast. For over six months, he had already felt himself approaching the bottleneck of the first level of the Mysterious Heaven Skill technique, which indicated he had completed nine years and was close to the ten-year threshold. If he had wanted to, he could have crossed that barrier long ago.

However, instead of advancing recklessly, he chose to focus on condensing his cultivation. Although this slowed his progress, it wasn't a problem for him. In Douluo Dalu 3, with a more advanced soul master society and his experience in becoming a Titled Douluo, he had long understood that the quality of cultivation was far more important than quantity. Moreover, aside from cultivating, it was possible to increase one's cultivation age using supplements suitable for the body that would not only boost age but also enhance overall strength.

But setting that aside, during dawn, as he watched the first rays of sunlight, Zhen Len finally broke through the bottleneck. It wasn't very difficult. For hours he had felt that it would only take a single thought and a brief circulation of energy to cross the 10-year threshold. And the moment he did, he turned his attention to practicing the Purple Demon Eye technique, immediately perceiving the changes beginning in his body.

The first thing he noticed was how his body became sturdier, more resilient. At the same time, a slight burning sensation flared in his eyes as his vision sharpened significantly. However, the most striking sensation was a piercing pain in his forehead, where a red gem began to form, glowing with a purple light similar to the glow of his eyes.

Then he closed his eyes and entered a deep meditative state. From afar, he merely looked like a fox sitting on its hind legs, eyes closed, with a slight frown as if from pain or discomfort.

Despite that, he endured for several hours, which wasn't too difficult and felt like child's play compared to what he had endured and what he would have to endure when practicing the Body Sect techniques.

Several hours later, his eyes snapped open. A wave of satisfaction coursed through his body. He quickly got up and trotted to a small puddle near his den.

There, as he looked at his reflection, he saw it clearly. His reddish fur was now more intense, more vibrant, while the white areas remained unchanged. But the gem on his forehead gleamed faintly in the sunlight a gem that, in theory, only manifested in fire spirit foxes upon reaching one thousand years of cultivation.

And yet, there it was, radiant and clear.

Zhen Len smiled silently.

That was the reason he had delayed his advancement. Over the past half-year, he had used the Purple Demon Eye technique to enhance his spiritual power while applying the Mysterious Heaven Skill with a focus on condensation rather than directly increasing cultivation. His goal was clear, to force the early emergence of the gem by combining his refined spiritual energy with his eye technique at the exact moment of evolution.

He also waited patiently for dawn. He knew that one thought and a flow of energy were enough to break through the threshold, but he wanted to absorb the energy radiated by the sun's first rays. That external energy, although unrefined, would enhance his advancement, making his spiritual power seem denser than usual.

The result was a complete success.

Not only had his vision improved, but his cultivation was now more solid and stable than most soul beasts of the same cultivation age. In the future, he could even rival or surpass those soul beasts who, due to their bloodlines, could battle others with significantly higher cultivation. Observing the results of the Mysterious Heaven Skill, he no longer merely aspired to become a Fire Spirit Fox Emperor upon reaching 10,000 years of cultivation. His new goal was much more ambitious.

To evolve into a Fire Spirit Fox King at 100 years, and then an Emperor at 1,000 years. That way, when he finally crossed the 10,000-year mark, his evolution would not only be powerful, but capable of suppressing even other spiritual beasts and martial souls and not just those from fox species.

His smile widened. But then, something surprised him.

He closed his eyes... and could still see.

The world did not disappear when he lowered his eyelids. Although more limited and fixed, his visual field remained, thanks to the gem on his forehead. It was as if a static perspective emanated directly from his forehead. It wasn't an illusion. The gem had become an artificial third eye, a fully functional sensory organ that didn't seem to share the same sensitivity and fragility of normal eyes.

And not just that.

With curiosity, he tried channeling his spiritual power into his eyes and the gem. When he activated the Purple Demon Eye technique, red particles began to appear around him.

Fire elemental energy.

He knew it instantly, without a doubt.

It was the raw, unrefined essence of fire, freely floating in the atmosphere. In his previous life, he had learned to perceive and manipulate those particles with his martial soul. Controlling the fire element had granted him an invaluable advantage in forging, which allowed him to craft three- and four-word armor under his master's guidance. Later, he spent years designing and building mechas, although he only managed to create one black-grade mecha before his life ended.

He pushed those distant memories aside and focused on what he saw. Thanks to the gem, he could now perceive subtle flows in the environment.

And then he felt it.

A presence was approaching.

It wasn't a threat, not even a risk. But for a brief instant, he sensed a faint intent filled with curiosity.

He turned and saw her.

His mother's imposing figure stood nearby, watching him intently. Without a sound, she approached with soft, elegant steps. Her gait was calm, unhurried, as if every movement was imbued with dignity.

Zhen Len didn't move. He wasn't sure how his mother would react to his changes. Though he didn't believe it would happen, he hoped she wouldn't mistake him for a stranger and attack by accident.

She lowered her head and examined him. Then she sniffed him and, without warning, gently licked the gem on his forehead.

The sensation was strange wet, warm, and somehow comforting. Her rough tongue didn't hurt, it seemed the gem wasn't as sensitive as eyes. The gesture stirred an emotional resonance in him that he couldn't define. He knew his mother didn't yet have a fully developed consciousness, but the act carried an instinctive weight of affection.

"Thank you, Mother…" he thought, knowing she couldn't understand him. When he grew up and forged some spiritual tools, he would make sure to subtly install them in her body to protect her from danger. He planned to do the same for his father, who, though he didn't see him often, was the one keeping dangerous soul beasts away from their den and if any got too close, it was likely because he was busy fighting another.

After a moment, his four younger siblings appeared behind their mother and began to approach. They were visibly smaller, though they had grown notably in recent months just like him, they were still cubs. They frolicked playfully, completely unaware of what he had just achieved.

One sniffed his neck, another tried to bite his paw playfully. A third circled around him, watching with bright eyes. The last simply lay next to him and rested his head on Zhen Len's tail, as if nothing had changed.

Zhen Len observed them in silence.

He now felt something new when near them. Not thoughts, but primal impulses shades of animal intent. The desire to play, curiosity, hunger, the search for safety. It was as if he could briefly perceive the emotional states of those around him.

And that was not a natural ability of fire spirit foxes.

He confirmed it without a doubt. He had undergone a mutation thankfully, one that seemed benign, which was far better than what he had expected.

He retreated back into the den, physically and mentally exhausted. It was contradictory, because at the same time he felt more energetic than usual. He thought that now, having reached the first level of Mysterious Heaven Skill, he could begin practicing other techniques like Mysterious Jade Hands, Controlling Crane Catching Dragon, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, and Lightness Skill, to see if upon evolving, he would acquire traits like jade-covered paws. But first, he would need to adapt them to his new body.

He hoped that by mastering them, new mutations would arise. He looked around. Now that he could sense elemental fire energy, his cultivation speed and understanding of the fire element would also improve. It was a massive leap forward before he could develop spiritual tools to gain an advantage over other soul beasts... or even against humans, should he have the misfortune of encountering one.

He felt his eyelids grow heavy. And although he could still see with his eyes closed, he soon fell asleep.