Refining the Mountains and Rivers

The thunder beast was true to its name. It was as cruel and tyrannical as thunder, and it was as fast as it too. It flew from the capital city straight into the deep sea, entering some fathomless dark abyss at the bottom of the seabed. It sunk to the bottom of that abyss and spread out its body, planting its limbs into the ground. Runes began to appear on it, dense and thick, as they constantly wandered about it like little living creatures.

An invisible strength arrived and the icy cold seawater was pushed away. With the thunder beast as the center, a blank void appeared below the sea.

If someone were to see this, they would discover that the void within the seawater was in the shape of a giant furnace, with a lid and handles.

The thunder beast closed its eyes. The lightning leaping across its body restrained itself and the seabed abyss returned to darkness once more. It regained the deathly still that had reigned here since ancient times.

…

Qin Yu was inside the thunder beast. All he could see around him was a deep vivid purple. Boundless waves of roars reverberated around him, each one flooded with an annihilating strength.

However, the moment this thunder touched his body, it was all absorbed, none of it able to damage him.

By this time, Qin Yu could already determine that the Sea Sovereign’s ninth tribulation thunder was targeted at him.

If so, then things shouldn’t be this simple.

Since the world’s will had decided to make a move, it should have a certain logic to its plan. It shouldn’t be giving strength to the little blue lamp like this for no reason.

There must be something wrong here!

As Qin Yu was deep in thought, he suddenly stiffened. He looked up at his fingertips and saw several runes begin to appear. His complexion turned dignified.

Before now, he had never seen these runes. But when he looked closely at them, an instinctual fear was born in his soul.

Bang –

Within his dantian sea, the Five Element Golden Cores erupted. Wild magic power surged outwards, but the runes on his fingertips not only didn’t vanish, but became increasingly clear.

Then a trace of black appeared at his fingertips and started to spread towards his palm. Wherever the gray color passed, he no longer felt anything, as if whatever it touched was no longer a part of his body.

Qin Yu’s eyes revealed anger. The runes and the ash gray color, that was definitely linked to the world’s will.

This was likely its true killing move.

As for how these runes had invaded his body, if he didn’t guess wrong then it must be because of the thunder around him. When the little blue lamp swallowed this thunder, it must have allowed these ‘poisonous’ runes into his body. But if the little blue lamp didn’t swallow that thunder, then Qin Yu’s body would have been turned to ash.

That’s right, the goal of the world’s will had shifted from the little blue lamp onto Qin Yu. Perhaps it had already sensed the change in relationship between Qin Yu and the little blue lamp.

After recognizing a master, both would share glory and loss. If Qin Yu died, the little blue lamp would surely suffer heavy losses.

One could say this was a roundabout attack!

Qin Yu bit down on his tongue, forcing himself to calm down. Thinking about these things right now was meaningless. He needed to find a way to survive the slaughter aimed at him from the world.

The ash gray color crossed his palm and headed towards his wrist.

At the same time, runes began to appear on his other palm and feet. There clearly wasn’t much time left for him.

When the ash gray color crawled over his entire body, Qin Yu wasn’t curious as to what the final result would be, and he especially didn’t want to find out.

Rumble rumble –

Blood surged like a tide in his body, rumbling and roaring.

The total strength of the Demon Body erupted, slightly slowing the creeping crawl of the ash gray color.

But at most this could only buy Qin Yu a bit more time. It was meaningless in the end.

With his dantian sea, the little blue lamp was bizarrely peaceful, as if it sensed nothing happening in the outside world.

Qin Yu took a deep breath, suppressing his thoughts to question it. Perhaps the little blue lamp was deep in thought right now. He wasn’t worried that the little blue lamp would stand idly by, because by now, both sides were sharing a body. If something happened to him, the little blue lamp would inevitably be drawn in.

Moreover, the fundamental demand of the little blue lamp was to destroy it. They were two states interdependent on each other. This was a simple truth, and one that couldn’t be any clearer.

Suddenly, there was a loud shaking cry. Then a faint blue light emitted from the little blue lamp. This light fell upon the great dao base, slowly fusing into it.

It was like a pearl had been placed upon the great dao base. Qin Yu could instantly sense a change; his relationship with the little blue lamp became much closer, more intimate. After a stunned moment, he sighed. Indeed, there were many twists and turns in this world. One wrong move and anyone could fall.

To recognize a master was to recognize a master; he always assumed it was this simple and direct. Who would have imagined that it was divided into different levels? If entering Qin Yu’s dantian sea was considered the most initial level of recognizing a master, then fusing into his great dao base should be considered a deeper level.

But his intuition told him that this wasn’t the end. In other words, even now he still couldn’t be called the little blue lamp’s true master.

But sighing was just sighing. If the little blue lamp fused into his great dao base, there should be some beneficial effect. For instance, that ash gray color which spread across his limbs was forced to stop. Then, slowly, it was expelled from his body, restoring control of it.

The current crisis was solved.

Qin Yu took a breath of relief, but he subconsciously frowned a little. The world’s will represented the world itself. It was a part of the rules that governed everything. It had deliberately set a plan to deal with the little blue lamp, so who could know what methods it planned to use? It had waited laboriously all this time for a chance to make its killing move, so how could it be like this, with such a strong beginning yet such a weak ending? Would it just let things go? It seemed far too simplistic.

Reality proved that sometimes it wasn’t always a good thing to be too cautious and wary. This was because when an accident did occur, it made one feel that it happened because they wished for it too much.

Hum –

A shaking cry resounded from his soul space. On the surface of Qin Yu’s body, from where the ash gray color had been forced out, countless runes began to appear. Then, a gentle and yet incomparably sharp aura appeared. It was like a faint fall wind, carrying with it a light chill as it brushed against Qin Yu’s soul.

Originally, this sort of contact wouldn’t cause too much damage to Qin Yu’s soul. But, the key problem was that after the Whale Sovereign detonated his soul, Qin Yu’s soul had been cracked and he still hadn’t found a way to repair it.

This faint fall wind was the last straw on the camel’s back. It was like some carefully prepared attack that was designed for Qin Yu’s current weakness.

Thus, a severe pain spread out from his soul. It was like countless hands had grabbed onto a piece of his soul and were pulling with all their strength, wanting to rip his soul to sheds.

Agonizing pain tore through him. He feared that even before the little blue lamp fused into his great dao base and chased out the gray color, this had also been included in the plans of the world’s will.

It had wanted to strengthen the relationship between the little blue lamp and Qin Yu. Then, once Qin Yu was killed, it could damage the little blue lamp even more.

So it turned out that from beginning to end, he was only a chess piece that was part of the plan.

This left Qin Yu feeling helpless, but also a bit expectant.

The little blue lamp had initially been silent when it allowed the ash gray color to invade his body. Perhaps it had sensed something was wrong, so it was making additional preparations.

So, he wouldn’t necessarily die.

Hum –

From his great dao base, the little blue lamp released a brilliant light. It blazed like blinding fire, like the rising sun, so pure and radiant that even Qin Yu couldn’t look at it.

Then, everything beneath this light fell silent.

The runes on the surface of Qin Yu’s body, his shattering soul, the half-opened eyes of the thunder beast outside, and even the curious deep sea monster fish hovering outside in the surrounding water.

At this time, no one knew that somewhere deep in the sea, time had stopped. Even if this area only covered several hundred meters, stopped time was still stopped time. Even if it only continued for one second and the scope was only a few inches, it would still belong to an unimaginable category of power.

This represented a boundary and level that far surpassed the understanding and imagination of life in this world.

Qin Yu’s consciousness was still clear and aware. It might be because of his relationship with the little blue lamp that he could still think as time came to a pause. The pain wracking his body vanished and startling waves rose up in his mind.

The power to control time…

Whether it was power of galvanizing the growth of spiritual plants or swallowing heavenly tribulation, any of these things were enough to prove just how inconceivably strong the little blue lamp was. But even then, Qin Yu discovered that he had underestimated it.

Just what was it?

Before he had any more time to think, the pain came crashing back onto him. It was like a falling mountain, instantly shattering his consciousness and leaving him on the edge of collapse.

“…Must…remain…awake…”

Fragments of sounds spread through Qin Yu’s soul. He could sense this was the meaning of the little blue lamp, and life or death from here on out would rely on him.

If he could withstand this then he would live.

If he couldn’t, then he would die.

He had worked endlessly hard for this day. How could he possibly be willing to die like this?

Qin Yu didn’t know where he found the strength, but he stubbornly guarded his mind. No matter how painful it was, no matter how much he wished he could tear himself apart, he still clenched his teeth and endured.

He couldn’t give up!

He couldn’t give up!

Occupied with his current struggles, Qin Yu didn’t notice the runes on his body begin to melt like metal beneath a blazing hot heat. They dissipated and merged into his body.

Within Qin Yu’s soul space, the shocking cracks in his soul began to emit motes of light. Then, the cracks started to fuse back together.

This was a considerably slow process. It was unknown how much time passed, but that unimaginable pain disappeared.

Qin Yu stubbornly held on until a voice resounded in his soul, “…It’s fine…”

Faint and dreamy, as if there were something else.

Before Qin Yu could recognize it, his consciousness fell dark.

Capital city.

In the vault of heaven, countless petals fell down. Endless music resounded in the air.

Endless cheers of joy cried out in unison, celebrating the appearance of an unprecedented powerful existence in this part of the world.

The Sea Sovereign floated in the air. All of those petals fused into his body.

Countless seafolk widened their eyes. After a brief moment of shock, their eyes went wide with joy. Across the entire capital city, all the seafolk fell to their knees.

“Congratulations Your Majesty for successfully crossing tribulation and ascending to Divine Soul!”

The billowing voices impacted towards the horizon.

The Sea Sovereign closed his eyes. When the last petal entered his body, his eyes opened. His pupils were warm and translucent, as if they had the power to see into the depths of one’s soul.

Hu –

Within the capital city, a wind whipped up. It lifted the Sea Sovereign’s robes, leaving them fluttering in all directions.

Turtle Origin’s heart shook. He had nearly touched upon His Majesty’s boundary, so he was most aware of this aura’s feeling.

This was Divine Soul?

Soupman sobbed with joy. For such a large and old person to cry so much, it was quite a scary sight.

His Majesty had succeeded, he had succeeded!

Good, this was too good!

At this moment, that was the only thought in his mind.

Princess Lushy lowered her head. Every person around her was celebrating her father’s success. Naturally, she was also happy.

But, did they forget who it was that resisted the heavenly tribulation for her father?

As she thought about that person who was swallowed by the thunder beast and carried away, she felt worried and anxious.

Qin Yu, did you die?