Chapter 5: Qi Follows the Heart, Transformations Myriad

A pig that can’t refuse forced obedience!

As long as you force it, the pig will do anything!

Upholding a mindset of “alive is fine, dead is okay,” the Lingrui Water Pig shuffled slowly to Zhao Xuanzhen’s side, its body radiating brilliant light and emitting yin-yang energy.

Zhao Xuanzhen sensed something, raised his right hand, and gently placed it upon the yin-yang mark on the Lingrui Water Pig’s forehead; instantly, yin-yang currents surged, as if two colossal black-and-white dragons danced wildly around man and beast.

Seeing this, Leng Yaoju and the Bai sisters could not hide their delight—they had fused with several soul spirits and naturally understood the situation.

The unique auspicious beast of the Transmission Tower, the ninety-ninth unyielding soul spirit, is forging a pact with a human!

After a long while, the Lingrui Water Pig let out a whimper; its plump body flowed like water, dripping slowly into Zhao Xuanzhen, during which the yin-yang currents surged with extraordinary intensity.

The instant the Lingrui Water Pig fully merged, all the currents surged into Zhao Xuanzhen like rivers returning to the sea; a bright yellow aura ring, shining several times brighter than an ordinary century soul ring, rose fiercely, its surface engraved with the unique pale-gold patterns of the auspicious beast.

Soul power ascended—Level Thirteen!

The pact completed successfully; Zhao Xuanzhen exhaled deeply. No one liked being crushed into the roadside dirt by the Golden and Silver Dragon Kings. Both he and the Lingrui Water Pig had no fear of bloodline pressure—half the heavy stone lifted from his heart.

At this point, a smart person would ask: what’s the other half?

Trident warning!

“Xuanzhen, congratulations on acquiring your first soul spirit—your future is bright!” the Bai sisters smiled warmly.

Without my teacher, I wouldn’t even have had the qualification to see the Lingrui Water Pig.

Zhao Xuanzhen waved his hand with a smile. Only the head and deputy head of the Transmission Tower had the authority to deploy auspicious beasts; the prerequisite for fusing the Lingrui Water Pig was actually Leng Yaoju.

“Enough with the flattery. In the end, fusing the soul spirit was all up to you.” Leng Yaoju’s lips curled slightly. “Since you’re here anyway, how about challenging the Soul Ascension Platform?”

“Sure, let’s test the soul skill’s effect—perfect chance to help the pig ascend.”

Zhao Xuanzhen stretched his limbs, feeling refreshed and invigorated. Since his martial soul had awakened, the hidden yin-yang energies within his body had shifted from stillness to vitality—he was eager to witness the power of his past-life techniques combined with his current-life martial soul!

The Soul Ascension Platform was a half-real, half-virtual space created by the Transmission Tower, teeming with countless soul beasts, designed for Federation Soul Masters to train in combat.

Beyond enhancing combat experience, Soul Masters who killed Soul Ascension Platform beasts could absorb ten percent of their energy.

If Zhao Xuanzhen killed a century Dark Golden Claw Bear, his first soul ring would gain ten years of cultivation directly; if Leng Yaoju killed it, the energy would be distributed among her nine soul rings, averaging about one year each.

Thus, under the condition that the Soul Master’s body can sufficiently accommodate higher-tier soul rings, the earlier the soul spirit ascends, the easier it becomes.

His True Self martial soul granted him immense physical strength and exceptional mental fortitude; Zhao Xuanzhen had no trouble bearing a millennium soul spirit. He intended to propel the Lingrui Water Pig past four hundred years of cultivation and elevate it to his first soul ring!

Leng Yaoju pressed a button; the wall slowly split open, and a metal cabinet slid out—its design was ominous, strangely resembling a coffin, just wide enough to fit a person.

Zhao Xuanzhen lay inside the metal cabinet; immediately, instrument suction pads emerged, sealing perfectly against his body. Leng Yaoju’s gentle voice followed:

“Xuanzhen, you’re a one-ring Soul Master. You’re about to enter the Primary Soul Ascension Platform, accessible only to Soul Masters below the fourth ring. Most are decade- and century-level soul beasts; occasionally, a millennium soul beast may appear.”

“The Soul Ascension Platform connects via brainwaves. Normally, once your spiritual power breaks through the Spirit-Communicating Realm, there’s no life threat—but extreme mental shocks may severely damage your spiritual sea. If you encounter a soul beast you cannot defeat, remember to activate the distress signal to exit.”

“Understood.”

The metal cabinet slid into the wall; the Soul Ascension Platform journey began. Zhao Xuanzhen’s final visual was the Bai sisters’ clenched fists cheering—then the world turned pitch black.

Primary Soul Ascension Platform.

Ancient trees soared into the clouds; vast thickets surrounded him, with no true path to be found. The sky was clear, the clouds light, the forest sea rolling endlessly, boundless green in its primal state.

Zhao Xuanzhen breathed deeply; the fresh air of nature filled him with delight, the abundant life energy bringing him joy. The Primary Soul Ascension Platform was equivalent to the outer zone of the Star Dou Great Forest—a scene unseen since the era of the Long Wang legend.

Trusting his sixth sense, he chose a direction and began searching for soul beasts within the platform. The Lingrui Water Pig was a six-hundred-year soul beast; to raise its first soul ring by four hundred years, he needed to kill four thousand years’ worth of soul beasts.

Time is tight, the task is heavy—act boldly and finish early!

In the external room, Leng Yaoju and the Bai sisters watched Zhao Xuanzhen’s every move through soul-tool screens.

Leng Yaoju crossed her arms, her Titled Douluo aura fully unleashed; the Bai sisters instinctively stepped back several paces.

In Leng Yaoju’s view, a teacher must deeply understand a disciple’s strengths, weaknesses, and traits, then devise a detailed cultivation plan to help the disciple fully realize their potential.

She had proposed the Soul Ascension Platform training precisely to observe Zhao Xuanzhen under a microscope—after all, nothing reveals a person’s true ability better than combat.

On screen, Zhao Xuanzhen’s figure was tall and agile, a red signal device on his left wrist, his white robes fluttering gently like a white wolf weaving through the forest—nimble, brimming with youthful vigor.

Suddenly, he halted, his gaze sharpening as he stared sharply in one direction. Leng Yaoju and the others followed his gaze and saw the flickering shadows of soul beasts emerging from the forest—immediately, their brows furrowed.

“Wind Baboons… a pack!”

More than twenty pairs of crimson eyes flickered open—each baboon grotesquely ugly, covered in brown-yellow fur, claws tipped with sharp nails, canine teeth jutting from their lips, eyes fierce and monstrous!

“Assassins of gods? Interesting.”

Zhao Xuanzhen’s gaze was calm; he was transported back to Huo Yuhao’s first battle in the Star Dou Great Forest—his opponent today was again the Wind Baboon, only now it was a whole pack!

Wind Baboons didn’t qualify as high-tier soul beasts; their combat power sat at the lower-middle tier of the soul beast pyramid, regarded as mere prey by beasts like the Dark Golden Claw Bear. But a pack exceeding twenty individuals was a lethal threat to any normal one-ring Soul Master fresh out of training!

“Roar—”

The Wind Baboon King, at eight hundred years, sensed the human’s intrusion and instantly unleashed murderous rage; it pounded its chest twice, signaling the pack to attack. The Wind Baboons obeyed, howling as they charged forward on all fours.

The fastest among them—a three-hundred-year Wind Baboon—leapt straight at Zhao Xuanzhen, its long arms slamming down in a crushing blow.

The fist’s descent produced a deafening sonic boom. Zhao Xuanzhen stepped back half a pace in an arc, soul power surging; his True Self martial soul manifested, his black hair turning pale!

The first soul ring blazed intensely; as his right hand gripped the Wind Baboon’s wrist, his entire right arm erupted with a swirling yin-yang vortex!

“First Soul Skill: Qi Follows the Heart.”

The Wind Baboon’s powerful body suddenly lost all weight; Zhao Xuanzhen’s fingers traced along the coarse arm to its left chest, like a calligrapher sketching a flying white stroke!

“Squeee!”

Its eyes bulged as if about to pop out; the Wind Baboon screamed a piercing, ear-splitting shriek—terror spiked from excruciating pain—but nothing could change its inevitable fate. The yin-yang vortex pierced its heart; blood mist refracted into a hauntingly beautiful glow in midair!

The vanguard, whose combat power barely trailed the king, was instantly slain. The impact was devastating—the Wind Baboons’ pupils widened in shock, their forward momentum abruptly slowed.

Zhao Xuanzhen’s gaze was icy; he curled his arms, sidestepped, and drew a perfect circle. Yin-yang vortices appeared beneath his feet; his entire body accelerated to near-instantaneous speed, leaving trails of afterimages, his sleeves fluttering, revealing taut abdominal muscles.

An intruder had entered the Wind Baboon pack—spinning, shifting steps, single whip, double push palms, shifting-block hammer strike—each technique a lethal strike, flawless technique with no wasted motion; every raised hand meant death, every strike ended in annihilation!

Qi Follows the Heart, transformations myriad—True Self mobilized the internal yin-yang energies, reshaping them at will, excelling in both close and long-range combat, capable of offense, defense, and enhancement!

“Those moves look exactly like the ancient martial arts Xuanzhen practices slowly every day! This—this can’t be right!”

Before the soul-tool screen, Bai Haoze and Bai Zhichen stretched their necks out like cranes, the sisters desperate to rush into the platform and shake Zhao Xuanzhen by the collar!

You said you’d slice a watermelon in half—how did it become splitting a skull in half?!

Slow practice, fast strike—you’re not even salting your food anymore!

“Strength and speed far exceed those of a normal Soul Master of his level. Combined with his first soul skill, he can instantly kill ordinary century soul beasts.” Leng Yaoju’s crimson eyes curved into a smile. “His combat technique is the most astonishing—no wonder he’s loved studying ancient martial arts since childhood. He’s truly a born battle Soul Master.”

“Boom, boom, boom…”

The innate power of his True Self martial soul was immense; coupled with the secondary amplification from Qi Follows the Heart on his arms, the Wind Baboons—once rivals to the God of Emotions—were now lambs awaiting slaughter, one after another falling.

Blood stained the earth. The surviving Wind Baboons were utterly terrified—the enemy was like insubstantial mist they couldn’t grasp, while half their kin lay dead; their dying blows could only graze his flying hair!

Hearing the agonized moans of his subordinates, the Wind Baboon King roared to the heavens, pounding his chest in fury, forcibly awakening his pack’s fighting spirit, commanding them to regroup and attack!

On one side: the king’s unchallengeable order. On the other: a human Soul Master descending like a demon. Reason and terror exploded simultaneously; the surviving Wind Baboons nearly lost all sense of judgment.

Internal conflict shattered their already underdeveloped brains. The deaths of their companions were like wheat cut down; the thick scent of blood drove the Wind Baboons into madness. Their primal instincts, buried deep in soul beast blood, gradually took over. They opened their jaws and activated their innate soul skill—projecting spheres of light at Zhao Xuanzhen!

“Qi Moves Mountains and Rivers!”

The light spheres were effortlessly crushed into dust by the yin-yang vortex. Above, a magnificent Taiji diagram wove itself into the sky—black and white endlessly rotating, carrying yin-yang energies as if a great sun had plummeted from heaven!

Seeing the Taiji diagram like a celestial disaster, the Wind Baboons turned deathly pale, their faces etched with despair; they spat light spheres in futile resistance.

“Crush!”

The instant Zhao Xuanzhen clapped his palms together, the Taiji diagram, trailing circular light flames, crashed into the earth. The exploding yin-yang energies swept across the entire forest—rocks, soil, ancient trees—all turned to ash under the yin-yang purification!

Power driving the enemy ranks—like heavenly light breaking through clouds!

The Wind Baboons suffered catastrophic losses; a massive wave of soul power surged into Zhao Xuanzhen’s solitary first soul ring.

Absorbing the might of the assassins of gods, enhancement was inevitable—a noble, pure purple hue subtly formed within the translucent yellow soul ring.

“Your turn now, Super Assassin…”

Zhao Xuanzhen locked his aura onto the staggering Wind Baboon King—the beast had been ordering his underlings to exhaust him while secretly preparing to pick off the leftovers.

Who knew the enemy’s mechanics and stats were absurdly overpowered? In mere minutes, his subordinates were wiped out. The Wind Baboon King was immensely relieved he’d kept a slight distance and activated his innate soul skill to dodge immediately—even so, he’d nearly been caught in the residual waves of Qi Moves Mountains and Rivers!

The Wind Baboon King shook his head, eyes bloodshot with hatred, muscles bulging like hills. He had no thought of fleeing—genocide was an unyielding blood feud. Besides, he’d witnessed Zhao Xuanzhen’s terrifying speed—running meant certain death.

His massive body charged straight at Zhao Xuanzhen; a faint green glow emerged. After surpassing eight hundred years, the Wind Baboon King could manipulate slight air elements—his charging form left behind faint illusions.

Zhao Xuanzhen advanced directly into the Wind Baboon King’s charge; every part of his body was part of his True Self martial soul. Qi Follows the Heart enhanced his legs—his speed far surpassed the Wind Baboon King’s.

At the moment of collision, Zhao Xuanzhen’s palm sliced diagonally along the Wind Baboon King’s swinging arm—the signature Tai Chi move “Wild Horse Parts the Mane” caused the beast’s full-force strike to miss, its body suddenly like a fly trapped in amber, helplessly watching its limbs twisted into knots by invisible force.

Final strike: Forward elbow thrust!

“Boom—”

The Wind Baboon King flew up like a torn sack, expression frozen in disbelief—his chest flesh torn apart by dark force, all internal organs centered on his heart pulverized into meat paste!

“Done.”

Passing the Wind Baboon King’s lifeless corpse, Zhao Xuanzhen was satisfied with the martial soul’s strength and his first soul skill, Qi Follows the Heart. His True Self martial soul provided godlike base stats; Qi Follows the Heart added versatile mechanics—the Three-Body being of the Douluo Continent had just begun to emerge!

All conditions are ready—only perseverance and effort remain!

This group of Wind Baboons totaled twenty-two: the king at eight hundred years, the vanguard at three hundred, seven century ones, the rest decade-level soul beasts.

At ten percent conversion rate, they provided nearly two hundred years of cultivation for the Lingrui Water Pig—the Soul Ascension Platform mission was halfway complete. Zhao Xuanzhen could almost hear the echo of victory!

Continuing deeper into the forest, Zhao Xuanzhen muttered to himself:

“Come to think of it, the True Self martial soul really is simple yet overwhelmingly powerful…”

(End of Chapter)