Chapter 88: Purple Thunder Hammer

All the Plant Soul Beasts surrounding Tie Li have a hundred‑year cultivation; each emits a strand of essence, perhaps less than one percent of the source, yet there are over a hundred such Plant Soul Beasts in this area.

Quantitative change triggers qualitative change, especially the essence of the co‑growing Plant Soul Beasts.

The Forge Hammer Martial Soul, uncontrolled, emerged from Tie Li's body and hovered above him; with each incoming strand of essence, the lightning surrounding the hammer grew fiercer.

Tie Li's spirit unconsciously linked with the Plant Soul Beasts, and the mental pressure from the deepest Baidi vanished at that moment.

The Thunder Attribute Plant-type Soul Beasts in the Inner Circle of Baidi have millennial cultivation; they sense the changes occurring in the Outer Circle, and their kind are undergoing metamorphosis.

They have also gone through this process, releasing stronger thunder and lightning toward the Outer Circle to help their peers complete the metamorphosis.

The purple thunder released by the martial soul becomes increasingly pure; amid its dazzling violet lightning, the Forge Hammer Martial Soul is changing.

The hammer head is heavy and robust, taking an irregular hexagonal shape; the scale patterns on the hammer body gradually recede, replaced by streaks of celestial thunder that extend to the end of the handle.

The solitary horn at the tip appears bulkier, three parts less sharp and three parts more massive.

Originally, the millennial Plant Soul Beasts of the Inner Circle of Baidi provided thunder support to the centennial Plant Soul Beasts of the Outer Circle; now it has become the crucial step in aiding Tie Li's martial soul evolution.

The thunder light condensed by the millennial Plant Soul Beasts fell like a bolt of heaven, helping Tie Li's martial soul leap into a new tier!

There are over a hundred millennial Plant Soul Beasts in the Inner Circle of Baidi, and the thunder light they collectively condense reaches the ten‑thousand‑year Soul Beast level.

Only this ten‑thousand‑year tier can aid Tie Li in completing the final step.

The initial guidance of the Thunder Python Inner Core prompted a minor metamorphosis of the martial soul, truly granting it the Thunder and Lightning Attribute; during meditation in the Outer Perimeter of Baidi, the thunder and lightning attribute within the martial soul was refined and aligned with the thunder and lightning attribute of the Plant Soul Beasts.

The aid of Whale Glue enabled the Plant Soul Beasts in the Outer Perimeter to undergo a metamorphosis, feeding Tie Li strands of primordial essence; the prior meditation had synchronized the thunder and lightning attributes of both sides, so Tie Li absorbed the Plant Soul Beasts' essence effortlessly, without waste, and used the multitude of essences to evolve his martial soul.

In the Inner Circle of Baidi, the thunder light condensed by the millennial Plant Soul Beasts is the key to the martial soul's successful evolution.

Only the combination of these factors allowed the martial soul to complete an evolution.

Bathed in violet thunder light, Tie Li awoke from his meditation.

At that moment, his condition was unprecedentedly excellent; violet thunder surged in his hand, and the Purple Thunder Hammer Spirit manifested.

Even Tie Li himself did not expect this; his soul power level jumped straight from Level 36 to Level 38.

Although he bought dried Whale Glue in Hanhai City intending to use it on these Plant Soul Beasts, he never imagined it would yield their essence feedback; at most he thought it would increase affinity, allowing him to cultivate deeper within Baidi.

He did not expect that the beasts, after absorbing Whale Glue, would metamorphose and, having benefited, return a strand of essence, which in turn gave him an even greater advantage.

Is there a vital essence in the Whale Glue that they need?

But for him, it was ultimately a huge bargain.

"Hoo"

The Plant Soul Beasts surrounding Tie Li swayed, and the affinity between them increased considerably.

The Plant Soul Beasts that absorbed Whale Glue underwent subtle changes in their bodies; though seemingly insignificant, they will more easily ascend to the millennial Soul Beast tier in the future.

Their aura is steadily rising, which Tie Li can personally sense.

This meditation consumed a full two days, yet his stomach felt no hunger at all.

He emerged from the interior of Baidi, leaving the Storage Ring and Storage Bracelet outside; he avoided bringing them in for fear that lightning would damage the core or auxiliary formation inside the Soul Guide Device, rendering it ineffective.

He is currently only a blacksmith and lacks the ability to repair formations.

Hidden beneath a piece of Steep Stone, Tie Li first retrieved the Storage Ring and took out a five‑thousand‑year‑old Whale Glue.

He plans to eat the Whale Glue and then meditate within Baidi.

Smelling the faint aroma of the Whale Glue, Tie Li couldn't help but remark, no wonder it's used as a virility tonic.

Lightning light surged from his nails, dissolving the Whale Glue into a soft, sticky mass; he tore off a small piece with his finger, placed it in his mouth, chewed and swallowed.

When Tie Li consumed the entire five‑thousand‑year Whale Glue, his body glowed a scorching crimson, indicating he had reached a certain limit.

He concealed the Storage Ring and immediately entered Baidi.

As the scorching heat gradually faded, Tie Li noticed that after his martial soul's evolution, the cultivation effect in the Outer Perimeter had actually worsened.

After the martial soul's evolution, its quality surpassed that of the Plant Soul Beasts in the Outer Perimeter, and the refinement of thunder and lightning and body‑tempering effects were far poorer than before.

If he could enter the Inner Circle and cultivate among the millennial Plant Soul Beasts, the effect might be better.

However, Tie Li's affinity with them is low; they might even attack him.

Tie Li approached the Inner Circle but stopped at the boundary between the inner and outer circles; this spot is more suitable for his meditation and spares him from potential attacks by the millennial Plant Soul Beasts of the inner circle.

Given his affinity with the Outer Circle Plant Soul Beasts, if an accident caused an attack from the inner Plant Soul Beasts, they would provide him protection.

While in meditation, Tie Li's body exudes impurities, accompanied by a faint scent reminiscent of Whale Glue.

It is this fragrance that makes the surrounding Plant Soul Beasts unusually active, including some millennial ones near the outer perimeter.

The purple thunder released by Tie Li intertwines with the Plant Soul Beasts' thunder and lightning for refinement; the consumption of soul power and body‑tempering enables him to absorb Whale Glue more quickly, rapidly enhancing his physique.

The mental pressure in Deep Baidi vanished; without the restriction of mental layers and having ingested the five‑thousand‑year Whale Glue, Tie Li can meditate within Baidi for extended periods.

The only problem is that affinity with the inner‑circle Plant Soul Beasts is hard to raise.

After refining the Whale Glue, Tie Li emerged from the interior of Baidi, rested half a day on Steep Stone, meditated normally for two days, and then retrieved the second piece of Whale Glue.

This is only a three‑thousand‑year Whale Glue; its effect diminishes progressively.

Absorbing this piece may yield even less than half the effect of the five‑thousand‑year Whale Glue.

Nevertheless, Tie Li does not consider it wasteful; he bought Whale Glue to strengthen his physique, and even if its potency wanes, stacking them still provides a respectable boost.

There are two more pieces of even younger Whale Glue, which he will also absorb.

(End of Chapter)