C1399 Adapting to a New Body
In the desolate expanse of the Brugeth Astral Domain, the Dragon Slaying Stage glowed with a radiant white light, transporting the snow bear and Yu Yuan swiftly through the void.
Zhou You, who had been tasked with escorting Yu Yuan, vanished without a trace shortly after leaving the Glimmerdrift Nebula, having exchanged only a few words with Yu Yuan. The Boulderdawn sect and the Chamber of Commerce had instructed Zhou You to guide Yu Yuan and keep an eye on the Dire Bear.
Yet, Zhou You, who had been the first to arrive in the Glimmerdrift Nebula, had observed the Dire Bear's consistently friendly demeanor toward Yu Yuan and was convinced of its loyalty.
As the Dire Bear and Yu Yuan finally departed the Glimmerdrift Nebula, the essence of the Star River—the cold fog—divided, infusing both the Dragon Slaying Stage and the Dire Bear's being. This reassured Zhou You even further.
At this stage, Yu Yuan had grown immensely powerful following the emergence of his Solar Spirit. Zhou You had fought alongside Yu Yuan and the Solar Spirit, together challenging the formidable Alonso.
Understanding Yu Yuan's might as a Monster Lord, capable of morphing into a platinum Shura, a ninth-level warrior of the Silverscale Tribe, and a Demon God of the Blood Fiend, Zhou You acknowledged his own uncertainty in besting Yu Yuan, especially in the formidable Brugeth Astral Domain. With this in mind, he departed with his mind at ease.
Atop the enlarged Dragon Slaying Stage, the towering snow bear, now over two thousand meters tall, occasionally gazed thoughtfully at the luminescent platform.
Awakening from his meditation, Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit, dwarfed by the bear's massive form, flashed a toothy smile and teased, "What's the matter? Fascinated by the inner realms of the Dragon Slaying Stage, or perhaps concerned about your lifeblood?"
The bear responded with a simple, hearty chuckle, "Hehe."
"If you're curious, I can let you inside. You've already seen that growing young beast," Yu Yuan offered, trusting the bear implicitly. He hoped that the young Titan Spinosaurus and the multitude of dragon remains might prove beneficial to it.
Yu Yuan's fondness for the bear even exceeded his interest in the young Titan Spinosaurus, harboring not a shred of suspicion or caution.
Yu Yuan's well-intentioned advice had unexpectedly sent the creature into a state of panic. Its massive head swung back and forth like a rattle drum, eyes wide with terror, and its body exuded an aura of nervousness and unease, showing a clear resistance to the suggestion.
"Forget it, I was just speaking my mind. I thought you might want to come in," Yu Yuan quickly backpedaled.
The creature immediately calmed down.
"By the way, do you have any leads on an Astral Domain suitable for Wintermaw?" Yu Yuan asked offhandedly.
The creature appeared contemplative, with tiny sparks of ice and lightning flickering in its silver-white eyes as it pondered the question seriously. After a considerable pause, it gave a slow nod.
"Is there really one?" Yu Yuan asked, his face breaking into a smile. "Take your time and think about what you really need. You've heard the others; they're willing to pay any price to ensure Wintermaw is properly situated."
The snow bear lapsed into deep thought once more.
Meanwhile, Yu Yuan's real body emerged from the Dragon Slaying Stage and sat down opposite his Solar Spirit. The two Yu Yuans, with shared souls and thoughts, were in perfect harmony.
With a whoosh, the Solar Spirit transformed into a streak of crimson light, tracing a path through his middle elixir field and into his little world of vitality. His real body trembled slightly.
As the Solar Spirit returned, streams of scarlet light burst forth from within his little world of vitality, instantly coursing through his limbs and bones. He began to slowly clench his fist...
With a crackling sound, beams of refined blood light zipped into his fist like lightning, endowing it with an immense force of vital energy.
"Fiendish Might!" he exclaimed.
The numerous acupoints, previously opened by the Shadow Moon Essence, were filled in an instant with overwhelming vital energy. A tremendous surge of blood energy erupted from deep within his organs and bones.
Scarlet lightning danced across his skin as he rose from his seated position. Concentrated blood energy formed into swirling, crimson vortexes within various acupoints, acting like a network of energy springs fueling his corporeal form.
For a moment, it was as if he possessed dozens of hearts.
However, when he attempted to undergo a transformation akin to his Solar Spirit, he discovered that his real body was incapable of morphing into a platinum Shura or transforming into a warrior of the Silverscale Tribe.
The mystique of the ancient Forgeroses sect that his Solar Spirit had grasped, along with the blood magic of the Sky-Shaking Ape, was beyond the capabilities of his real body. The only technique his real body could utilize was the body tempering technique he had been diligently cultivating over the years. However, the return of the Solar Spirit had elevated the dark arts he practiced by a level or two.
With a mere thought, a gleaming white dagger materialized from his Cosmos Ring. Clutching the dagger in his left hand, he drew it across his right arm without employing any of his own strength. Not a single mark was left.
The dagger was an earthly spiritual weapon, a trophy from a vanquished foe. Without the infusion of his additional power, the mere sharpness of the blade was incapable of inflicting any damage on him in his current state.
Whoosh!
Once spiritual energy was channeled into the blade, it glowed with a golden radiance. He sliced at his right arm again.
Hiss!
This time, the skin and flesh yielded, leaving a wound that was neither deep nor shallow. Yet as soon as the wound appeared, the vital energy from the little world of vitality within the Solar Spirit's body permeated the injury, and the slender gash healed rapidly. His arm returned to its smooth, jade-like appearance, showing no sign of the previous cut.
"Let's try a different approach..."
His Solar Spirit detached from his real body, taking with it the vast vital energy from the numerous acupoints and the swirling blood whirlpools, becoming part of the Solar Spirit. He slashed at his arm once more with the dagger, again without adding extra spiritual energy. A shallow wound appeared on his arm, but this time, it did not heal instantly.
He could envision that if a cultivator of his caliber wielded this earthly spiritual weapon, imbued with spiritual energy and remnant soul, it could slice through his skin and reach his arm bone if he were unprepared. The arm bone, etched with sword scars, would certainly not break. However, the wound would be deep and not something that could heal quickly.
"With the Solar Spirit inhabiting my body, the resilience and toughness of my flesh have increased manifold. The horrifying self-healing ability is nothing short of monstrous," Yu Yuan swiftly concluded.
Upon the Solar Spirit's return, a torrent of vital energy flooded into his numerous acupoints, as if he had suddenly tapped into a multitude of blood sources.
He now possessed many "hearts"...
In this state, his vital energy was incredibly abundant, his physical form was fierce and powerful, and his self-healing capabilities were formidable.
Although he couldn't transform into Otherkin or an archdemon like the Solar Spirit, the combat strength of his real body could still see a significant enhancement.
"I need to take it slow, to adapt and become accustomed to this. Hopefully, I can discover the optimal combat style before entering the Darkpinion Astral Domain," he mused, no longer in a rush to reach the starry expanse of the Wingkind.
This was reminiscent of his time in the Brugeth, delving into the mysteries of the Lunar Spirit and Wraithbinding.
He experimented over and over, pondering the peculiarities of the Solar Spirit, attempting to merge it with his Baneblade, seeking to harness the might of this unique manifestation of the Solar Spirit.
Time slipped away.
As he drew nearer to the Darkpinion, his mastery over the Solar Spirit's transformations became increasingly adept.
He recognized that his combat prowess seemed to be at its peak when his Solar Spirit assumed the form of a Blood Fiend.
As a Demon God of the Blood Fiend, the crimson bloodline chains within him remained unchanged.
He was still able to wield the blood magic of the Shura and Silverscale Tribe, even tapping into some of the Sky-Shaking Ape's secrets while in the guise of a Blood Fiend.
Moreover, in his Blood Fiend state, he could even execute the dark arts of a high-level cultivator from the Devil Palace!
"Could it be because of the Solar Spirit's refinement, the presence of Grec's blood crystal? Or perhaps, Grec's Altar of Rebirth shares a mysterious similarity with the Abyssal Leviathan!"
The more Yu Yuan pondered, the more astonished he became.
Transformed into a Blood Fiend, he seemed to join the ranks of the Everlands Divine Cult, capable of seizing the vital energy of all beings for himself, embodying a unique state coveted by the Colddeath Sect.
"The Star-Spawned Terrors' most distinctive Blood Fiends are naturally endowed with flesh and blood. Within the Primal Blood Continent of the Blood Fiend, the Root of the Solar Meridian lies concealed, the so-called Source of Blood."
Yu Yuan found himself increasingly astonished as he pondered the matter. He muttered under his breath, a sense of realization dawning on him. He had a hunch that the extraordinary talents of the Blood Fiend tribe were intimately connected to the Root of the Solar Meridian. In his estimation, the physique and bloodline of the Blood Fiend represented the optimal choice for the corporeal form of the new generation of beings in this era.
