If the Douluo Plane's accumulation was sufficient, then the plane should have had an opportunity to break through after the appearance of four-word battle armor.
After all, in the history following the emergence of four-word battle armor, Limit Douluos became increasingly common. On the entire continent, not only were there multiple Limit Douluos, but even demi-gods numbered more than ten.
Even if breaking through to godhood was exceedingly difficult, shouldn't at least one out of ten succeed?
Perhaps a ten-to-one success rate underestimated the threshold of godhood, but combining three eras together, with around twenty demi-gods, was it truly impossible for even one to succeed?
From Elder Tree's words, Xu Yuan initially understood that if the plane's accumulation was sufficient and internal cultivators acted as catalysts to break through to godhood, they could promote the evolution of the plane.
However, based on the situation he knew, this didn't seem to be the case.
After reviewing the conditions several times, Xu Yuan finally identified the only possible point of error.
The plane's foundation had to be robust.
Twenty thousand years ago, or even ten thousand years ago, the Douluo Plane undoubtedly met this criterion.
Under the guidance of the most primitive cultivation methods, geniuses at the level of Limit Douluos emerged, clearly indicating that the Douluo Plane had already matured by then.
Especially during Huo Yuhao's era ten thousand years ago, it was undoubtedly the peak of the Douluo Plane's prosperity.
That era even saw the first appearance of tenth-level soul-guided technology!
At the tenth level, theoretically, one should have transcended mortal boundaries and stepped into the realm of godhood.
The very existence of such talents indicated that the plane had a demand for evolution.
Yet, at that time, Douluo Star failed to evolve. Even as soul-guided technology continued to advance, capable of creating twelfth-level fixed-installation soul-guided cannon shells, it still failed to promote the plane's evolution.
Clearly, the plane's foundation was insufficient.
The opportunity had arrived, but the plane lacked the follow-through.
"In this era, Master Yun Ming, Cao Dezhi of the Tang Sect, Chen Xinjie, and Zhang Huanyun of the Blood God Legion all possess the ability to break through to godhood. They've already touched the threshold of godhood, yet none dare to take the final step."
Their hesitation stemmed from what they had realized.
Once they broke through, the plane wouldn't be able to contain them.
"The Abyss."
Xu Yuan took a deep breath and grasped the root cause.
The Douluo Plane had been developing continuously, and the world of soul masters had been advancing. Various systems emerged, pushing the upper limits of soul masters higher and higher. Even the power system of the entire plane had been steadily increasing over the past twenty thousand years, making soul masters of the same soul power level increasingly formidable.
However, despite all this, the overall strength of the plane was still diminishing.
First, the ecosystem had been damaged, affecting the plane's overall ability to heal itself.
Second, the Abyss was constantly devouring the Douluo Plane's energy.
During each Abyss tide, even when creatures from the Abyss army died, their energy returned to the Abyss. However, any energy from Douluo that was devoured through the spatial rift was permanently lost.
"Elder Tree, Elder Tree, you've truly given me a difficult problem." Xu Yuan sighed deeply in his heart.
Ten years to achieve godhood—this wasn't hard.
Xu Yuan was confident that he would still have this opportunity by the age of twenty-six.
But this was only considering his cultivation speed and talent without factoring in external influences.
Achieving godhood required him to complete an immense amount of preparation.
"However..."
Though the path was difficult, Xu Yuan didn't feel disheartened.
He recalled Elder Tree's words and smiled.
Clearly, this time, Elder Tree hadn't chosen to resign himself to fate.
Yes, the Tang family's plans were selfish, but they could indeed lead Douluo Star to "better" development. But what if, without following their path, the Douluo Plane could still develop well—or even better?
"I am that hope."
Xu Yuan took a deep breath, banishing all distracting thoughts.
He drifted within this sea of will, comprehending the entirety of heaven and earth.
In his perception, the heavens and earth now seemed easier to control.
As this thought occurred to him, he also gained clarity. No wonder his teacher had stayed on Sea God Island for so many years, rarely venturing out for exploration.
Had he not felt the Golden Ancient Tree's effect before because he hadn't yet earned its recognition, and Elder Tree hadn't helped shield him from the influence of the plane's master?
Xu Yuan filtered out all distractions once more, quickly cultivating the Seven Deadly Techniques.
The Seven Forbidden Techniques—a sealing art.
Will.
As he cultivated, the entire Golden Ancient Tree rustled softly.
Deep within the vast white space, Elder Tree's voice of surprise rang out.
"This kid seems to have developed something extraordinary."
Elder Tree didn't disturb him but instead remotely sensed what Xu Yuan was developing.
"That's… a sealing formation?" Elder Tree was puzzled.
It didn't look like a purely conventional formation.
It contained traces of willpower, essence, energy, and spirit—all three forces blending together, faintly forming a character. Moreover—
"It even incorporates the power of heaven and earth!"
---
Tang Wulin was utterly drained.
With Yun Ming's assistance, he had released his fifth soul skill, Child of Nature, but he still couldn't fully control it, and his spiritual power was severely depleted.
At this moment, he couldn't help but envy Xu Yuan.
"Great-grandmaster said that Xu Yuan's Life Flame soul skill and soul ring were obtained here from the Golden Ancient Tree. His Life Flame can be used at any time and always keeps up with his growth."
Tang Wulin's tone was filled with envy.
His own Child of Nature soul skill was far inferior.
He estimated that he'd barely be able to activate this skill at the Soul Emperor level. If he wanted to use it as a regular soul skill, he'd need to break through to become a Titled Douluo at the very least!
Too underwhelming.
At least for his current self, it was too underwhelming.
After understanding Tang Wulin's soul skill, Yun Ming soon sensed another fluctuation.
He swiftly moved, arriving outside the chamber where Xu Yuan was.
"Pavilion Master, what's wrong?"
Cai Yue'er approached, seeing Yun Ming's serious expression, and immediately asked.
"It's nothing; it seems Little Yuan has gained some insight." Yun Ming carefully sensed the situation and smiled, feeling Xu Yuan's aura within the chamber connecting with heaven and earth.
It was the same state as his own.
Just as Yun Ming finished speaking, his gaze suddenly sharpened.
"What a profound sensation."
He felt it—the change in Xu Yuan's aura within the chamber.
Essence, energy, and spirit—all three forces were simultaneously released, merging together.
After much hesitation, Yun Ming still decided to enter the chamber.
He didn't open the door but instead used spatial powers to silently enter the room.
The other Pavilion Elders exchanged glances, unable to do anything but wait in place.
Inside the room.
Yun Ming stared unblinkingly at the evolving rune before Xu Yuan.
Seal!
Xu Yuan sensed Yun Ming's presence but did not stop the process of his evolution. Instead, he summoned his martial soul—the Heavenly Origin Brush.
Four purple soul rings hovered around him.
A scroll materialized and settled beneath the Heavenly Origin Brush.
The scroll merged with the surrounding space, and the evolving "Seal" character imprinted itself onto the scroll.
The paper soul spirit, Mountain River Essence, surged forth. The four purple soul rings around Xu Yuan began to transform. Black patterns rapidly spread across the last three purple soul rings, instantly turning them pitch-black like ink.
One purple, three black.
No, that wasn't right.
As the colors of the soul rings changed, another soul ring gradually formed around Xu Yuan's body.
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