Chapter 48: Qian Renxue’s Curiosity, Brutal Thunder Tempering

Heaven Dou City – Crown Prince's Mansion

The report from the Three Education Commissioners of Heaven Dou Royal Academy quickly landed on Qian Renxue's desk.

"That boy who once presented the curved-plow design, hoping to enroll in the Royal Academy to study hard and serve me and the Empire after graduation…"

"Only had innate rank-1 soul power, and a mutated Blue Silver Grass spirit… Is it really possible he's that talented?"

After reading the report, Qian Renxue put the letter down and muttered to herself, filled with disbelief.

Back then, she had simply assumed that Ye Yu's value lay in his insight and inventiveness—a tech-focused mind.

She had never once considered him to be gifted in cultivation.

After helping him secure a baron title, admission into Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and granting him a small estate in the city—

She had never followed up.

But now, Ye Yu's performance in cultivation had shocked her.

In just three short years, he had gone from level 10 Soul Master to above level 30, becoming a Soul Elder.

That kind of speed was almost unthinkable!

I must've misjudged him…

Qian Renxue was now very pleased with Ye Yu's current talent and strength.

However, she hadn't expected him to have become Dugu Yan's boyfriend—

And even taken Dugu Bo as his teacher.

Qian Renxue rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache creeping in.

After all, she knew that Dugu Bo sided with Prince Xuexing—

And her relationship with Prince Xuexing was far from friendly.

But then again…

Qian Renxue's mind turned quickly.

This wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Regardless of how things developed, Ye Yu had entered the Royal Academy through her referral.

He was, in a way, one of hers.

Even if he was now Dugu Bo's disciple and Dugu Yan's boyfriend—

Dugu Bo wasn't Prince Xuexing.

So Ye Yu couldn't be said to have officially taken sides.

And if she could win over Ye Yu's loyalty…

She might even be able to draw Dugu Bo into her camp.

Thinking this, a confident smile appeared on Qian Renxue's elegantly sharp face.

Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well

Ye Yu had stayed at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well for half a month straight.

During those days, he first compressed his soul power to his body's physical limit—

And then began cultivating the Thunder Body Tempering Technique.

Thanks to his formidable regenerative powers—

Including the second soul skill of the Blue Silver Emperor's Right Leg Bone,

"Wildfire Burns Unending, Spring Winds Revive Again,"

His ten-thousand-year Thunder Hell Vine soul ring providing strong lightning resistance,

And the Thunder Hell Spear—his external spirit bone with the Lightning Devour ability—

Once Ye Yu learned the technique,

He skipped all caution and jumped straight into brute-force thunder tempering.

Normally, as per the technique's manual,

Each tier of lightning pressure should be trained at slowly.

Let the body fully adapt, fortify, and strengthen before moving to the next tier.

But Ye Yu?

Every one to two days, he ramped up the intensity—

Forcing his body through intense adaptation.

The result?

He lived in a state of constant injury—both external and internal.

His hair stood on end from the static, and he often rolled his eyes from the pain.

Every cell in his body was constantly regenerating, evolving, and transforming.

It was an exhilarating, electrifying pain—

Painful, but blissful.

Despite the brutality, the Thunder Body Tempering Technique rapidly improved Ye Yu's physical strength.

In just half a month—

He estimated that his physical capabilities had doubled.

Before absorbing his two-thousand-year fourth soul ring, Ye Yu's body had already reached a level comparable to a Soul King or even Soul Emperor.

This wasn't speculation.

According to Yu Xiaogang's stolen soul ring absorption data from Spirit Hall:

Even with a top-tier beast spirit, a level-60 Soul King breaking through to Soul Emperor would only dare to absorb a soul ring under 20,000 years.

Which meant that Ye Yu's physical strength, prior to that, was already Soul Emperor-tier.

And after fusing that ring?

He absolutely reached full Soul Emperor-level physical durability.

Now, with that strength doubled again from thunder tempering—

Ye Yu estimated that his raw physical strength was equivalent to a high-level Soul Emperor, around rank 67–68—

Even though his actual soul power rank was still only 47.

To use an analogy:

If soul power were water, and the soul power level was the size of the container—

Then Ye Yu's container size (rank 47) hadn't changed.

But the density of the water had reached three times what it used to be!

That said, he could now feel that compressing and converting his soul power into lightning to temper his body—

Was beginning to lose its effect.

Soon, it would be ineffective altogether.

Next, he would need to increase his cultivation rank, and rely on the Thunder Hell Spear's external lightning output for further tempering.

To proceed, Ye Yu planned to make a short return to Heaven Dou City.

He wanted to have a refined iron spear crafted at a forge.

Then, while training with the spear, he could continue using converted lightning to temper his body.

And once that plateaued—

He would disguise himself and enter the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena to fight.

Using only his spear and physical strength—no vine spirit or soul skills.

This would apply enough pressure to push for a cultivation breakthrough—

While also honing his spear technique.

After all, he now possessed the Thunder Hell Spear, an external spirit bone tied to spear combat.

If he didn't train his spear skills, wouldn't that be a complete waste?

Plus, if he became proficient with the spear—

In future battles, when he summoned his ocean of Blue Silver Spirit Jade Vines to entangle enemies…

Those who managed to break through, expecting a fragile control-type soul master…

Would instead find Ye Yu waiting with a spear—

Striking them down with monstrous physical strength and sharp technique.

What a satisfying scene that would be!

With that, Ye Yu left the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and returned to Heaven Dou City.

Dugu Estate

"Grandpa, Yan Yan, I'm back!"

As soon as Ye Yu arrived, both Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan came out to greet him.

Dugu Yan's beautiful face was filled with delight.

Like a playful swallow, she wrapped her arms around Ye Yu's and asked:

"Ye Yu, how did your Thunder Body Tempering go?"

"Not bad," Ye Yu smiled.

"Thanks to it, I've improved my physical strength enough to compress my soul power again."

Dugu Bo's eyelid twitched violently at Ye Yu's words.

He was inwardly stunned.

This brat… is truly a monstrous freak!

Am I really about to witness a Soul Ancestor or Soul King with the soul power quality of a Soul Sage?

After Ye Yu entered the main hall, Dugu Bo's expression turned a bit serious.

As if remembering something, he said with a complicated look:

"Xiao Yu… during the past half-month, due to your performance at the Royal Academy…"

"Word spread across Heaven Dou City—it caused quite a stir."

"Crown Prince Xue Qinghe has already sent someone to the Dugu Estate asking about your whereabouts."

"You were admitted to the academy through his recommendation, weren't you?"

PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin