Chapter 336: Martial Soul Avatar

Chapter 336: Martial Soul Avatar

"Keep boasting! I followed the Heavenly Emperor for many years, and many who claimed to possess 'Once-in-Ten-Millennia' talent actually only had Once-in-Eight-Millennia or Once-in-Nine-Millennia aptitude. In battles within the same cultivation realm, the Heavenly Emperor slew them with a single strike."

The Heavenly Emperor's Blade utterly disbelieved that Sui Hanyu could possess "Once-in-Ten-Millennia" talent, as that represented the absolute limit of human potential—the pinnacle of physique. Many could approach that limit, but none could ever truly reach it.

"The difference between Once-in-Nine-Millennia and Once-in-Ten-Millennia may seem like just a thousand years, but the gap could be a thousandfold, even ten-thousandfold. A tiny deviation leads to a vast divergence. A Once-in-Ten-Millennia talent is truly one that emerges only once every ten thousand years—like the Heavenly Emperor, who dominated the world for ten millennia without a single rival. In his era, no enemy could even force him to use a second move. That alone speaks volumes of his might."

"'Once-in-Ten-Millennia' represents supremacy. It is nearly impossible for two such geniuses to appear in the same era."

Sui Hanyu's eyes shimmered with mist, her gaze transcendent and aloof, her aura vast and boundless. Yet, she did not resemble a divine maiden—instead, her presence was chillingly demonic, like a peerless enchantress. She coldly retorted, "That is merely your ignorance. In the ancient Divine Sealing Era, powerhouses emerged in droves, with legendary heroes rising one after another, and young deities roaming the heavens and earth. In that golden age, every race produced Once-in-Ten-Millennia geniuses, each carving out their own dominion. After the Divine Sealing Era, the Heaven and Earth Profound Qi underwent changes, which is why such talents have since become exceedingly rare."

The Heavenly Emperor's Blade replied, "The ancient Divine Sealing Era has long passed, lost to the sands of time. Even the records in ancient texts are nothing but fragmented myths. No one can truly say what that era was like!"

Though the blade harbored deep hatred for the Heavenly Emperor, it still firmly believed in his strength. It continued, "Ning Xiaochuan attaining 'Once-in-Ten-Millennia' talent is no miracle. Ten thousand years ago, the Heavenly Emperor foresaw his emergence and left behind a drop of Divine Blood to aid him. Ning Xiaochuan, I have decided—I will no longer seek to make you a blade slave. Instead, I will help you grow, so that we may ascend to the Nine Heavens Divine Realm together and overthrow the Heavenly Emperor with your own hands."

Sui Hanyu saw no need to argue further with a mere weapon. With her status, such discourse was beneath her. She said indifferently, "The world knows nothing of the 'Supreme Physique,' but as inheritors of the Annihilation Path, we must. For our founding patriarch truly achieved it."

Ning Xiaochuan naturally trusted Sui Hanyu's words more. In his eyes, she was at least an equal to the Heavenly Emperor—if not older and more ancient.

Sui Hanyu added, "Cultivating the Supreme Physique is no overnight feat, nor is it confined to the Earthly Venerable Realm. As long as one has not yet stepped into the Heavenly Human Realm, it remains possible to achieve."

The "Heavenly Human Realm" was the realm beyond the Earthly Venerable Realm, surpassing even the Ninth Heaven of the Earthly Venerable.

However, reaching the Heavenly Human Realm is as difficult as an ordinary person trying to climb from the ground to the sky. The gap between the Earthly Venerable Realm and the Heavenly Human Realm is as vast as heaven and earth.

In the Yulan Empire, the only one who has stepped into the Heavenly Human Realm is the "Master of the Martial Palace."

Sui Hanyu's shadow grew increasingly illusory as she said, "My true form's condition is deteriorating. I must take nine-tenths of the Blood Qi from this drop of Quasi-God blood to sustain myself. In the future, I will repay you a thousandfold. Are you willing?"

Ning Xiaochuan's gaze fixed on the Quasi-God blood.

The energy contained within the Quasi-God blood was immense. Even after Ning Xiaochuan broke through to a "Once-in-Ten-Millennia" talent level, he had not consumed even one percent of its power.

To fully refine the Quasi-God blood, Ning Xiaochuan estimated it would take at least a year or two.

After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Master, is there a deeper reason for taking nine-tenths of the Quasi-God Blood Qi?"

"Indeed. Your current Martial Path cultivation has only just begun. If you absorb all the power of the Quasi-God blood, it may allow you to reach an extremely high realm in a short time, but it will disrupt your own Martial Path and assimilate you into the Heavenly Emperor's Martial Path. When your Martial Path is weaker than the Heavenly Emperor's, you will have no choice but to follow his path. The ultimate result is that your lifetime achievements will never surpass the Heavenly Emperor's," Sui Hanyu explained.

Ning Xiaochuan naturally understood her meaning.

The Martial Path imprints within the Quasi-God blood far surpassed those within Ning Xiaochuan's body. If he succumbed to the temptation of the Quasi-God blood and fully refined it into his body, the overwhelming Martial Path imprints of the Quasi-God blood would assimilate—or even crush—his own.

For a Martial Artist, possessing only the Heavenly Emperor's Martial Path imprints meant their achievements would never exceed his.

Of course, for other Martial Artists, obtaining the Heavenly Emperor's Martial Path imprints would be a dream come true. But for Ning Xiaochuan, his goal was to catch up to the Heavenly Emperor—even surpass him.

The Demonic Sword emitted a sharp, metallic hum.

A blood-red vortex formed around the blade, spinning from left to right as it frantically absorbed the power of the Quasi-God blood.

The Demonic Sword's absorption speed of Blood Qi was astonishing. In less than two hours, it had drawn out ninety percent of the Blood Qi from the Quasi-God blood.

The Demonic Sword's glow intensified, and Sui Hanyu's breathtaking shadow grew more solid. Her willow-leaf brows, straight jade-like nose, and exquisitely sculpted cheeks radiated an otherworldly beauty.

Her pupils were as vast as two universes, and each strand of her hair seemed to contain an entire world.

The Demonic Sword acted like a mirror, reflecting her shadow—full of demonic allure, sinister radiance, and an aura so terrifying it sent shivers down the spine.

Even the usually unrestrained Heavenly Emperor's Blade dared not speak recklessly. It trembled in fear, sensing an overwhelming dread for the first time.

"Today, I take one drop of your Quasi-God blood. In the future, I shall repay you with ten thousand," Sui Hanyu declared. Though she was Ning Xiaochuan's master, she was a fair person and had no intention of taking advantage of him.

"Bragging! Ten thousand drops of Quasi-God blood? Unless you can slay gods," the Heavenly Emperor's Blade muttered under its breath.

"For an inheritor of the Annihilation Path, if one cannot slay gods, they are unworthy of cultivating it. Ning Xiaochuan, you must master the Demonic Sword as soon as possible, fully integrating it with the Annihilation Path. Then, come to me immediately. I can sense the heavens and earth undergoing a transformation—a grand era is approaching. When it arrives, it will be the time for us, the inheritors of the Annihilation Path, to make the world tremble in fear once more."

Ning Xiaochuan asked, "As long as I fully master the Demonic Sword, I can find you?"

"To be precise, only by fully mastering the Demonic Sword will you possess the initial strength to traverse tens of millions of kilometers without being killed by ferocious beasts or powerful foes along the way. For you, only by fully mastering the Demonic Sword can you be considered to have truly begun cultivating the Annihilation Path," Sui Hanyu replied.

Ning Xiaochuan felt a pang of frustration. He was already a Martial Artist on the verge of stepping into the Earthly Venerable Realm, with combat power rivaling that of a Martial Venerable. Yet, in Sui Hanyu's eyes, he hadn’t even begun the Annihilation Path?

Was she being arrogant, or was his Martial Path cultivation truly still lacking?

Sui Hanyu continued, "With your current cultivation, absorbing the remaining energy from the Quasi-God blood would take at least a month. Let me lend you a hand."

Though Sui Hanyu had absorbed ninety percent of the Quasi-God blood’s energy, what remained was still immense.

Though she was merely a projection, an arm extended from the blade of the Demonic Sword—five snow-white fingers, each as if meticulously crafted by the Creator, neither too thick nor too thin, flawless in every way.

"Boom!"

The Quasi-God blood trembled before merging directly into Ning Xiaochuan’s body.

The Quasi-God blood flowed through his bloodline to his heart, where it suddenly exploded, unleashing tremendous power.

Ning Xiaochuan shuddered violently as a dazzling crimson light erupted from his body.

Centered around his heart, seven beams of light emerged—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet—forming seven rings that revolved around his heart like seven channels, continuously absorbing the power of the Quasi-God blood.

As the absorption continued, the rings grew increasingly solid, their radiance ever brighter.

The seven orifices of the heart—all opened.

Ning Xiaochuan’s Seven Orifices Divine Demon Heart Palace had awakened!

"Boom!"

A deafening explosion echoed within him, like the birth of a universe.

Every pore on Ning Xiaochuan’s body dilated, releasing crimson streams of energy shaped like flying dragons—distinct dragon heads and tails, serpentine bodies, and faintly visible dragon horns.

A thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand…

Countless dragon-shaped Blood Qi twisted and coiled together, condensing into a crimson sphere.

The blood-colored sphere flickered between the shape of a "sword," a "cauldron," and Ning Xiaochuan’s own body.

Ning Xiaochuan was about to condense his Martial Soul Avatar.

The type of Martial Soul Avatar he formed would determine the kind of Martial Path he would walk.

For the vast majority of Martial Artists, their Martial Soul Avatar took the form of their own body—this was known as the "True Form Avatar."

Only a rare few could cultivate an "Anomaly Avatar."

The so-called "Anomaly Avatar" refers to the Martial Soul manifesting in various forms, such as a Sword-shaped Martial Soul Avatar, Battle Flag Martial Soul Avatar, Beast-shaped Martial Soul Avatar, Lightning-shaped Martial Soul Avatar, and so on. The forms of the Anomaly Avatar are ever-changing, most of which possess unique powers.

Ning Xiaochuan now has three choices. He can condense his Martial Soul Avatar into a sword!

This is because he cultivates the Annihilation Sword Dao. If he condenses his Martial Soul into a sword form, it will greatly aid his cultivation of the Annihilation Sword Dao, and the power he unleashes will become even stronger.

Alternatively, he can condense his Martial Soul Avatar into a cauldron!

This is because he is a Heart Nurturer. If he condenses a Cauldron-shaped Martial Soul Avatar, it will not only provide immense assistance in his heart-nurturing and alchemy cultivation but also grant the Cauldron-shaped Martial Soul Avatar itself formidable offensive and defensive capabilities.