Chapter 21: The Light from the Depths of the Soul
In the base city, high above the ground, a King-level fighter jet hovered at an altitude of over ten thousand meters. A vast and overwhelming spirit force surged and raged, unrestrained in the emptiness surrounding it, causing no destruction.
Inside the fighter jet, Shen Mu sat cross-legged, his spirit pulsating under the influence of his powerful consciousness, hinting at a state that transcended limits.
Suddenly, a stirring sensation surged in Shen Mu's heart. At the same moment, deep in the boundless ocean, the Azure Dragon slowly opened its eyes. Its crimson vertical pupils ignited with a fierce glow of longing.
This was a deep-seated stirring from the soul, urging Shen Mu's two bodies to draw closer together.
"Roar!" A resounding and deep dragon's roar echoed from the ocean floor. The Azure Dragon transformed into a blur, swiftly weaving through the waters toward the coastal region near the base city.
After about ten minutes, the Azure Dragon breached the territorial waters of China.
At once, countless detection instruments buried in the deep sea began to blare alarms. The strongest overlord in the Western Pacific, the Azure Dragon, was knocking at the door. Relevant officials in the capital base city quickly received the data.
"What? The Azure Dragon is heading toward the base city. Quick, report to Commander Jia Yi using the red phone."
The red phone was a direct line—a single landline connection to the highest command. The arrival of the Azure Dragon was a major event; this was a creature even more formidable than an ordinary king-level monster. Even Commander Jia Yi would not stand a chance against it.
Especially considering the latest intelligence: just yesterday, a fierce battle erupted in the Western Pacific. According to life-detection data, the combatants were the Azure Dragon and the Toxic Jellyfish King. This battle lasted only two to three minutes before the life signs of the Toxic Jellyfish King vanished completely.
This meant that the other overlord of the Western Pacific, the Toxic Jellyfish King, had been killed by the Azure Dragon, indicating a possible breakthrough, boasting power comparable to the Fourth and Fifth Councilors.
In a military stronghold within the base city, Commander Jia Yi confirmed the news while mobilizing his forces.
"Is it confirmed that the Azure Dragon is entering the coastal area alone, without summoning a monster tide?"
A military officer beside him, his expression grim, nodded vigorously. "There are indeed no signs of a monster tide. Moreover, the Azure Dragon has driven all nearby monsters away; every Horde Leader has retreated to the depths of the sea."
"Unusual behavior suggests something amiss. Let's investigate. If it truly hasn't summoned a monster tide, even a king-level monster would be easily defeated under the crosshairs of multiple lasers." Jia Yi's expression grew more serious instead of relaxing at the absence of a monster tide.
King-level monsters possess intelligence on par with humans. They understand the power of human laser weapons and would typically summon a monster tide to distract those weapons before launching an attack. Such an open and audacious action could either indicate an overconfidence in their strength or that something unknown to humanity was happening in the deep sea.
***
At the Luan River Estuary.
This stretch of water had been reinforced with steel and concrete, forming a massive dam to prevent enormous creatures from entering the inland waterways. On top of the dam, a vast military base stood, with countless luminescent cannons protruding, their sights set firmly on the ocean.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, an excited dragon's roar reverberated from beneath the sea, and those stationed on the military base caught a glimpse of a massive dragon figure darting through the depths. With a crash, the calm sea erupted in waves, a staggering spirit force churning outwards in every direction, each wave higher than the last.
"Could this monster be trying to unleash a tsunami to destroy the military base?" a warrior of Wargod strength scoffed from the platform.
The Luan River War Base was sturdier than the Three Gorges Dam before the Great Nirvana; it could withstand even the most powerful weapons. Normal tsunamis posed no threat to this base unless it was a global-scale super tsunami. Yet, no one could control such colossal forces—not even the world's strongest, Hong.
Suddenly, a vast spirit force erupted, radiating in all directions. Standing on the platform of the military base, the powerful warriors felt their souls tremble, each experiencing sharp pains that surged from the depths of their minds.
"Retreat! Prepare the laser cannons." From a high tower within the military base, a peculiar cannon began to glow with white light, ready to unleash its power.
"Has Commander Jia Yi arrived?"
"Almost…" Before he could finish, a deep blue streak of light shot across the distant sky and hovered mid-air. The hatch opened, and a tall, youthful figure emerged from the fighter jet.
"That's the King-level fighter from the Limit Dojo."
"It's Shen Mu. The only Councilor level powerhouse of his age is Shen Mu." Even from afar, the Wargod warriors couldn't discern Shen Mu's features, but they recognized his silhouette immediately.
In the next moment, everyone watched as he landed swiftly, like a cannonball, plunging into the ocean. An even more violent spirit force exploded from the depths of the sea, akin to a high-energy bomb detonating, sending massive splashes of water erupting into the air as if a fierce battle of spirit energy was unfolding.
***
Deep beneath the sea, hundreds of meters down, Shen Mu floated effortlessly in the water. A menacing azure-scaled dragon circled around him, its crimson eyes locked onto Shen Mu, as if poised to strike at any moment.
Powerful spirit forces surged from Shen Mu's two bodies, intertwining and merging.
In an instant, Shen Mu's eyes snapped open. As his gaze met that of the Azure Dragon's clone, a soft glow illuminated the depths of their consciousness. In the blink of an eye, the flickering light transformed into a dazzling brilliance, radiating from their shared consciousness into the external world. The surrounding ocean glowed brilliantly, its brightness akin to a sun rising slowly over the vast sea.
Shen Mu's genetic energy and spirit force was boiling. As they reached a peak, all his spirit began to condense. Endless spirit force converged in his consciousness, a tremendous pull erupting from the core of his mind.
Then, the vast spirit force collapsed in an instant; the sea of spirit energy within his consciousness vanished, leaving behind a brilliant 'light point.' This was a radiant sphere, surrounded by a mist of light, with countless transparent pyramid-shaped crystals intertwining to form this spirit energy sphere.
A similar scene unfolded in his dantian, where boundless genetic energy collapsed into an ice-blue crystal sphere, constructed of numerous ice-blue six-sided crystals.
At the moment these miniature planets were born, strange waves radiated outwards, enveloping Shen Mu entirely. Planetary-level genetic energy and spirit force spread throughout Shen Mu's body. His bones, marrow, meridians, skin, and organs underwent a profound transformation.
His body, which had reached the pinnacle of a wargod and could advance no further, shattered the barriers of life's essence, reclaiming limitless potential for growth.
As Shen Mu reached the planetary-level, the strange brilliance awakening from the depths of his soul finally erupted forth. Outside, a blinding light shot from his forehead, piercing directly into the head of the Azure Dragon.
"Roar!" The Azure Dragon let out a sorrowful cry, a wave of agony so intense it nearly overwhelmed Shen Mu's powerful consciousness. This pain stemmed from the depths of the soul, causing Shen Mu's human body to tremble uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, within the Azure Dragon, the spirit force and genetic energy began to re-integrate. The previously dormant genetic energy also underwent a leap, coalescing into a water-blue genetic energy sphere.
At this moment, while Shen Mu endured the excruciating pain, all his focus converged on the two merging light points. When the two light points fused completely, the overwhelming pain that had engulfed his soul vanished.
A unique wave enveloped both Shen Mu and the Azure Dragon. Within the Azure Dragon, that mystical light began to solidify, ultimately forming a transparent crystal sphere. In this moment, Shen Mu felt his soul and essence fully merge with this light, transforming into the transparent crystal sphere.
During this process, Shen Mu's soul also subtly changed, his thought waves aligning more closely with the vibrations of the universe.
"This is... the Core!" Whether it was called the Core or not was irrelevant; Shen Mu understood that its functions were the same. From now on, his very life was tied to this Core. Even if both bodies perished, as long as the Core and his soul remained intact, he could be resurrected.
Suddenly, a series of unique-colored patterns emerged on the surface of the Core. These were colors Shen Mu found impossible to describe, encompassing every hue of nature as if they were a manifestation of chaos itself.
At that moment, a stream of information surged forth from the depths of Shen Mu's consciousness, carrying the essence of the mysterious light. As he processed this information, an expression of disbelief and astonishment flickered in Shen Mu's eyes.
It turned out that the reason behind his transmigration and resurrection was tied to this extraordinary light.
"Unbelievable... there's such a technique."
A smile spread across Shen Mu's face, gradually transforming into a wild and manic grin. He erupted into fits of laughter that echoed through the depths of the ocean, filled with an overwhelming sense of exhilaration.
Boom! Just then, a yellow streak of light crashed into the sea's surface, creating enormous waves that surged outward.
Within that yellow streak of light was Jia Yi, his face etched with urgency. A distance of just a few hundred meters was nothing for a Planetary-level powerhouse; it took him only a second or two to reach Shen Mu.
What Jia Yi saw next would be etched into his memory for a lifetime: a young man was laughing maniacally, as if he had lost his mind. The towering Azure Dragon lowered its majestic head before Shen Mu, adopting a posture of submission.
"Councilor Shen... what is happening here?" Jia Yi's expression turned wary as he focused on the Azure Dragon, then glanced at Shen Mu, whose laughter had suddenly ceased.
Noticing Jia Yi's bewildered gaze at his ecstatic demeanor, Shen Mu cleared his throat, maintaining his composure. "It's fine now; I have completely tamed this Azure Dragon."
"Ah?"
A strange look crossed Jia Yi's face as he watched the Azure Dragon nod like a human in acknowledgment, then bow its body before Shen Mu.
****
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