Chapter 378 378: The Truth

To be honest, the so-called "Soul" Trial, from Blake Thorne's perspective, felt far less like a test… and far more like the act of a legendary cultivator choosing a body to possess.

Why possess a body?

Because the entity known as "Soul" itself wanted to break free from its status as merely a fragment of the Infinity Stones.

Unfortunately, the self-awareness this entity possessed was still too thin, too fragile, and far too tightly bound by rigid rules. Otherwise, it wouldn't have failed for so many years.

The very first step "Soul" needed was to find a soul powerful enough—strong enough to withstand the full force of its existence.

Then, during the process of fusion, it had to seize control.

And that was exactly why "Soul" created the rule: "One Soul Exchanged for One Soul."

To be sacrificed by the person you love the most—

for a normal human, that kind of blow carved a wound so deep it could never truly heal.

For some, especially those ruled by love, it could shatter their mental state entirely. A numbness worse than even the deepest heartbreak.

And it was precisely that fragile, broken moment that "Soul" considered perfect for merging.

Because the stronger a person's soul, the stronger their will and sense of self.

But when that will was wounded… the chances for "Soul" to seize control skyrocketed.

Unfortunately for it—

This time, it encountered Blake Thorne.

A consciousness so powerful, it didn't even belong to this world.

In truth, if Blake hadn't leaped off that cliff of his own accord, there might never have been a single soul capable of enduring the explosion of information carried by the entity known as "Soul."

That was also the reason it had failed for so many years.

But now, Blake Thorne had done something utterly unthinkable.

He wasn't the one who got possessed.

Instead, he turned the tables—and seized the power of "Soul" for himself.

And the gains he reaped were nothing short of monstrous.

On top of the laws of Destruction and Order that he had already obtained before, he now also held the power of the Law of Soul—even if it was still in its earliest stage.

Yet even at this beginner level, backed by his absurdly resilient mental strength, Blake could already wield the Law of Soul with nothing more than a single thought.

In an instant, he could erase every living being in the universe whose soul was too weak to resist.

What shocked him even more was that now, with three different laws under his control, Blake finally began to faintly understand the trial of the Dragon God Zalama—

And the true meaning behind Ultra Instinct.

Blake's expression darkened slightly.

Back when he was still studying magic under the Ancient One, when he first received recognition from the laws of Destruction and Order, he had already begun to realize something:

The powers of the Gods of Destruction and the Angels in the Dragon Ball world—known as Ultra Ego and Ultra Instinct—were, in essence, just different names for Destruction and Order.

They were the same concepts, only called by different names because they came from different universes.

So why did their forms and methods of use look so different between the two worlds?

The answer was simple.

Because the structure of the power systems in those two universes was fundamentally different.

As for True Ultra Instinct—the highest form of power in the Dragon Ball world—

It actually originated from the evolution of the Law of Soul itself.

Of course, even though Blake had absorbed the Soul Stone, his understanding of the Law of Soul was still nowhere near Dragon God Zalama's level.

After all, Zalama and Zeno were beings born at the very moment the greater universe came into existence.

They directly embodied the fundamental laws of the cosmos—similar to entities like Eternity, Infinity, or Death in the Marvel Universe.

But unlike the Marvel entities, each of which represented only a single aspect, Zalama and Zeno unified multiple cosmic laws within a single existence.

That was what made them terrifyingly powerful.

And that was also why they could influence the entire power system of the Dragon Ball world itself.

Now, as Blake Thorne began to truly grasp the Law of Soul—or more accurately, the Law of the Soul—

He finally understood the real intention behind Zalama's trial.

Through the power of the Law of Soul, Blake could dive into the very core of his own soul.

And there, he discovered something foreign.

Something that had been hidden all this time.

Something he had never noticed before.

A power that had quietly shackled his soul from the inside.

This power… was what Dragon God Zalama had left behind.

And it was also because of this power that Blake had been able to reincarnate across countless worlds in the multiverse.

But now that he understood the principles of the Law of Soul, Blake also realized its true purpose.

It wasn't meant to protect him.

It was meant to guide him.

Guide him toward reaching the same level of power as Zalama himself.

And when Blake finally reached that peak—

When he fully "ripened" like a fruit—

The long-dead spirit of Zalama would awaken, using Blake's soul as an anchor, and take over everything Blake had built, everything he had become.

All of this.

This entire grand design.

Had been prepared by Zalama long before his death.

Could this process be stopped?

The answer was: yes.

And right now, Blake had already thought of two solutions.

The First Solution: Total Surrender.

Abandon all his power.

Erase every memory of training, every trace of supernatural strength.

Live as an ordinary human who simply reincarnated from world to world.

With a normal body and a normal soul, Zalama wouldn't be able to resurrect through him.

Right?

But this method carried a massive risk.

It only treated the symptoms, not the root of the problem.

Because the power Zalama left behind was still embedded deep within the core of his soul.

That power would continue to guide him toward Zalama's path in every single life.

Even if he lived as a completely ordinary human, the process would still move forward—quietly, subtly, without him ever noticing.

Maybe after thousands of years, after countless reincarnations across countless worlds, he would still end up developing the same kind of power again.

And then what?

Start all over… again?

Blake didn't even need a second to reject this option.

Which left him with only one choice.

Face it head-on.

And destroy that fate itself.

But how?

By mastering the Law of Soul beyond Zalama.

If he could surpass Zalama's understanding of that law, if he could break the shackles binding the core of his soul—

Then Zalama would never be able to resurrect.

However, this path led Blake into a dangerously twisted loop.

The more he understood the Law of Soul…

The closer he moved to the very moment Zalama would awaken.

And yet—

Even if Blake chose not to study the Law of Soul on purpose, the influence of the Soul Stone and Zalama's lingering power would still slowly force him to absorb that law over time.

There was no real escape.

After realizing all of this, Blake could only let out a quiet, weary sigh.

From the very beginning, he had never fully trusted Zalama's so-called "good intentions."

Who would honestly believe that Zalama set all of this up just to "create a successor"?

That was far too naive.

And yet, even after uncovering the full truth behind those motives, Blake couldn't completely rid his heart of a bitter, complicated feeling.

He couldn't bring himself to truly hate Zalama.

If not for Zalama, he would probably still be just another office worker on that small blue planet.

Given enough time, even his bones would have long since crumbled into dust.

But because of Zalama's interference, he now got to live countless lives across a vast and magnificent multiverse—

Reincarnating endlessly.

Living a different life every single time.

Wasn't that, in its own twisted way…

A kind of blessing too?

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