Ning Fengzhi had come to check on Xu Yang's condition, but when he arrived, he froze in place.
Right now, Xu Yang seemed to have completely merged with the natural world—his entire being in perfect harmony with the heavens and earth.
"Heaven and Earth were born with me. All things and I are one."
That line surfaced in Ning Fengzhi's mind. It was the only phrase that could truly describe Xu Yang's current state.
This was the legendary realm of Unity Between Man and Heaven—a level most Titled Douluo could never hope to reach. Even within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, only Sword Douluo Chen Xin had ever entered this realm. Bone Douluo Gu Rong was still a step away.
"It seems ever since Yang'er absorbed his sixth soul ring and that head soul bone two months ago, his cultivation has progressed at lightning speed."
Chen Xin thought back to when Xu Yang first began to change. Stroking his chin, he quietly turned and walked away, careful not to disturb him.
At that same moment, a subtle but firm order circulated through the sect: begin a full-scale search for traces of 100,000-year-old soul beasts, particularly those with fire and light attributes. The operation would not be limited to the Star Dou Great Forest—it would expand outward to remote islands and hidden territories across the seas.
In truth, Xu Yang had reached Rank 60 half a year earlier. But to avoid interrupting his cultivation rhythm, Chen Xin had gone personally to the Star Dou Great Forest in search of a suitable soul beast. His goal: the Sun Worm King, a light- and spiritual-type beast with over 80,000 years of cultivation.
The Sun Worm was a worm-like soul beast with a deep affinity for light. They lived in massive swarms and were naturally drawn to sunlight, earning them the title of soul beasts closest to the sun. Every colony had only one Sun Worm King, the apex of their species.
This soul beast granted a rare skill—Sun Gaze—a soul ability once mentioned in Peerless Tang Sect as one of the few techniques exclusive to Sun-type Martial Souls. It mimicked the Sun Worms' instinctive behavior of staring directly into the sun to absorb solar energy.
This was no ordinary ability. Sun Gaze significantly enhanced the rate at which a Sun Martial Soul absorbed solar energy. More impressively, it could compress and condense that power into a focused blast. Even more rare, it could be paired with any other soul skill, amplifying all of them—it was an exceptionally versatile, high-tier soul ability.
When Xu Yang told Chen Xin about the Sun Worm King, the latter spent three full months scouring the Sunset Forest, combing through countless swarms of Sun Worm before finally locating a single specimen with cultivation surpassing 80,000 years.
Not only did it grant Xu Yang the Sun Gaze soul skill, but it also dropped a head soul bone: the Wisdom Skull of Spiritual Purification.
This powerful soul bone could purge inner demons, clearing the mind of distracting thoughts and rendering the spiritual sea pure and tranquil. It also came with an attached soul skill, Spiritual Purification, which granted resistance to illusions and spiritual-type attacks.
Together with the Sun visualization technique Xu Yang had developed, this soul bone allowed him to fully recover from the psychological scars left by Slaughter City. He gained perfect control over his killing intent and emotions, paving the way for his current breakthrough.
Naturally, he couldn't have done it without Chen Xin and Ning Fengzhi's guidance, and the support of the Ten Suns Formation.
That formation resonated with the heavens, drawing upon the forces of nature to amplify its user's potential. It was this very trait that allowed Xu Yang to glimpse the threshold of Unity Between Man and Heaven in just two months. His spiritual power began to faintly attune itself to the rhythms of the world.
It wasn't until today, while fishing, that Xu Yang felt an unprecedented sense of calm. His spiritual power resonated with the heavens and earth, and his Du Meridian, the final unopened meridian in his body, was completely cleared under the gentle flood of soul power.
In just a few breaths, his spiritual power surged significantly—and it showed no signs of stopping.
But Xu Yang wasn't aware of any of this. All he wanted now was a good nap. Even when his fishing rod trembled, signaling a catch, he didn't move. Seeing this, Ning Fengzhi stopped in his tracks and silently turned back.
He understood—having reached this state, Xu Yang was no longer plagued by killing aura. He had returned to being the warm, steady "Yang'er" they all knew and loved.
Perhaps due to Xu Yang's newfound serenity, Ning Rongrong felt especially safe around him. Like a sleepy kitten, she flipped over and draped herself on top of him. Sensing no threat, Xu Yang didn't resist. Soon, the two of them were sound asleep.
Time passed slowly, and before long it was afternoon. Xu Yang's eyes opened, and the entire world seemed to sharpen into crystal clarity. He could perceive things he'd never noticed before—details hidden in plain sight. His spiritual power was now pure, boundless, and capable of absorbing the energy of the natural world directly.
"I really reached Unity Between Man and Heaven…"
Xu Yang found it hard to believe. After just one nap, not only had his spiritual power skyrocketed and his soul power risen to Rank 63, but the elusive realm he had dreamed of had become his reality.
"As expected… cultivation isn't just about the body. Only by refining both life and spirit can you go further."
Thinking back on his year of training, Xu Yang smiled. Just as he was about to get up, he felt a soft weight on his chest. Looking down, he saw Ning Rongrong curled up with her mouth slightly open, more than half her body draped over him, fast asleep.
Smiling dotingly, Xu Yang gently pulled his hand out from behind his head and reached over to stroke her fair cheek. Like a small animal, she nuzzled into his touch. Xu Yang then closed his eyes again, calmly sensing the changes brought by his breakthrough.
The first change was in spiritual perception. His spiritual power now enveloped the entire Seven Treasure City. He could sense people walking in the streets, earthworms burrowing underground, breezes stirring the leaves—every minute change was projected into his mind like a living painting. The entire world was under his awareness.
The second was in cultivation efficiency. His spiritual power, now attuned to the natural world, allowed him to directly absorb energy and nutrients from his surroundings. His training speed soared, and the usual downsides of Ultimate Attributes were completely negated.
The third was in combat potential. He could now call upon the power of nature in every move. Even simple punches and kicks could surpass soul skills in power—because the world itself moved with him.
The fourth was his soul power control. What used to be rough compression had now evolved into micro-level control. While he hadn't reached the level of manipulating molecules or atoms, he could already sense and subtly influence his body's internal tissues.
Realizing this, Xu Yang saw how crude his previous body refinement techniques had been. There was still so much room for improvement—new methods to train his body, temper his mind, and evolve himself toward true perfection.
This "perfection" didn't mean looks—it meant eliminating weaknesses and evolving life itself.
Xu Yang had a gut feeling: even if he stopped cultivating today, he could still live for several centuries. He could sense and analyze the environment around him with incredible precision, tracking the flow of energy between himself and the world.
And this was just the beginning. This level of micro control had many more secrets to uncover. He was certain there was more yet to discover.
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin