Chapter 476 - Skyrocketing! The Terrifying Immortal Form, Holding His Own Against Happyland Zoo - Part 1

All power in this world stemmed from the dual forces of Yin and Yang. So then, what was the principle behind the Heaven Soul, Earth Soul, and Human Soul?

Standing before a desolate cliff, Li Yuan felt the swelling presence of the golden celestial figure behind him. Resting his chin on his palm, he drifted into contemplation.

Memories and fragments of insight flickered through his mind like passing clouds.

And then suddenly, an instant of clarity struck.

“The Heaven Soul is an embryo of Yin wrapped within a womb of Yang. The Human Soul is a perfect balance of Yin and Yang. So, the Earth Soul is most likely Yang being birthed within Yin. And the one thing that links all three is the

spirit

, the very core which tethered a person to the world.

“In the Heaven Soul Realm, the spirit is hidden within

Yin.

Theoretically, does that mean the spirit would be hidden within Yang in the Earth Soul Realm...? Wait, no. The spirit can’t

hide

in Yang. That would make it impossible to leave the body; it would remain trapped in the flesh.

“Only in the Human Soul path does the spirit within the self. So of the three cultivation systems,

only

the Heaven Soul allows the cultivator’s spirit to separate from the body, to wander freely and even inhabit a new form. The rest don’t...”

These thoughts surged through his mind in rapid succession.

Some were grounded in his current experience; others were still speculative, waiting to be tested.

But when it came to the Heaven Soul, Li Yuan was confident he was on the right track.

His spirit had already merged into his 8,880 seed ancestral seal, while the withered flame blazed outside. From that, his Immortal Form had been born.

That manifestation was now his true form.

The mountain he had used earlier? It was merely a training ground, an adaptive shell, nothing more.

In truth, only when the Heaven Soul reached the second stage would a true qualitative transformation occur.

And because the Yang energy of the withered flame was ferocious beyond compare, the Immortal Form didn’t stop at a hundred feet tall. It kept growing, violently.

In less than half an hour, it surged from a hundred feet to a thousand feet.

Behind Li Yuan stood a radiant thousand-foot golden figure, towering, majestic, and pressing against the very heavens.

The withered flame cloaked it like a shimmering veil. It was gentle and silken at first glance, like a calm sea or a drape of satin. But beneath the surface, it was vast, profound, and terrifying. In peace, it was serene. In wrath, it would be a natural disaster.

In comparison, Li Yuan himself looked like nothing more than a tiny ant. But he wasn’t that ant anymore. He was the thousand-foot celestial figure.

With a thought, Li Yuan concealed his towering golden form, drawing it back into his human body.

That dense, compressed energy wrapped itself in human skin.

And the blinding radiance that had flooded the mountains just a moment ago...vanished, as if it had never been.

Li Yuan opened his senses, listening to the whispering winds and rustling leaves around him. He’d deliberately chosen this remote corner of the wilderness for his breakthrough. He didn’t want anyone catching wind of what had just happened.

After scanning the area, he sensed nothing but a few wild beasts roaming the forest.

Satisfied, he opened his eyes and glanced at his stats.

After absorbing the latest batch of seeds, his combat power grew to 14k~224k. Now, after fusing Yin and Yang with the Heaven Soul cultivation technique, his power had undergone a complete transformation. It was a true leap into third rank, with his combat power spiking to 38k~626k.

With this, Li Yuan could rival the entire ghost cavalry, whose combat power peaked at 750k. He might still be slightly outmatched, but not by much. Of course, he’d lose in a direct confrontation. But who in their right mind would ever fight 3,000 cavalry head-on?

It was much easier to ambush them while they were resting at night. After all, he could simply transform into a fly and infiltrate without anyone taking notice. Then nothing could stop him from slaughtering them in a one swift, merciless sweep.

Sure, the ghost cavalry would have the upper hand in an open battlefield. In a real life-or-death struggle, however, they weren’t even close to being his match.

Running the scenarios through his mind, Li Yuan quickly understood where his current strength stood. In many ways, he had already surpassed most beings he’d ever encountered.

That said, a few still stood apart. This included the Revival Tree God, the ones behind the Deathless Tomb, Happyland Zoo, and Apparel Atelier, and that mysterious figure in the Jade Capital who had sensed his presence.

It was time to test his hand.

While Li Yuan was caught up in these thoughts, Xie Yu stood beside him, utterly stunned.

She had completely forgotten what she was going to say. She had always known her man was strong. But strong as he was, he was still a fifth rank cultivator, wasn’t he?

And even though she herself was only at sixth rank, she knew whatever that overwhelming force she had just felt was, it had absolutely nothing to do with the fifth rank. No, not even close.

In fact, she couldn’t have imagined, even in her wildest dreams, that such a power existed in the world at all.

That.. that was divine. That was the realm of gods.

A tangle of emotions swirled in her chest, too complex, too vast, and too impossible to sort. Her mind went blank.

She wasn’t stupid. And in that sudden silence, one terrifying thought surfaced:

Could this monstrous power...have something to do with the assassination attempt on the Emperor?

That night, she’d drunk too much.

That night, Gucheng hadn’t touched a drop.

That night, she’d been upset. His apparent lack of care had stung her deeply.

That night, Gucheng had seemed...distracted.

Then she’d fallen asleep, and remembered nothing else.

Could the assassin that night, the one who had nearly killed the Emperor, have been

him

? But if so, why wasn’t the Emperor dead?

Ah, of course...

Xie Yu realized. The Emperor likely had his own trump cards, his hidden protection.

They must’ve blocked Gucheng’s killing blow. That’s why Gucheng had to go into seclusion, to avoid the Emperor’s retribution.

She suddenly felt the waters of the Jade Capital ran deeper than she had ever imagined. If the Emperor could survive

this

version of Gucheng, then what kind of terrifying beings did the capital still conceal? And what about her older sister...was she in even more danger than they had thought?

The destruction of the Xie Clan, it all pointed back to her sister.

There were still other Xie Clan members living in the Jade Capital. Could the next strike be aimed at them?

“Gucheng...” Xie Yu called his name softly, like a little lamb, gentle and seeking reassurance. Then she stumbled on her words. “We...you...I...”

Li Yuan met her eyes and said firmly, “Yes? What should

we

do?”

“Ah...” Xie Yu smiled. She held back her primal fear, the terror that came from being something low on the food chain, suddenly encountering an apex predator...and threw herself into his arms. She clung to him tightly, but her arms were still trembling.

If you knew the person lying next to you kept secrets beyond count...

If you knew they were so powerful they could crush you without even trying...

If you realized there had been countless times when they vanished without a word, doing who knew what...

Wouldn’t

you

be afraid?

Xie Yu was already doing the best she could. She held him tight, trying to make herself get used to this new reality again.

Li Yuan felt the tremble in her arms too. So he held her gently, and the two of them sat there like any ordinary couple, bathed in early spring sunshine, their heads leaning together as they gazed out at the mountains and rivers.

However, Xie Yu was still trembling.

Li Yuan frowned slightly. He didn’t want his beloved to feel this way. This wasn’t what he wanted. And yet, wasn’t this the only natural reaction? Just like back when he’d been with Yan Yu—if she had suddenly transformed into what she was now, what would

he

have felt?

That story wouldn’t be

Two Lovers Surviving in a Grim World Together

anymore...it’d be called

My Wife is a Terrifying Ghost Empress.

Li Yuan tilted his head slightly, and caught a glimpse of the white robed woman beside him. Her eyes were shut tight, and even her eyelashes were trembling. She was clearly scared out of her mind.

He thought for a moment, then suddenly had an idea. He let out a long, heavy sigh.

That sigh gave Xie Yu the olive branch she needed. “You... what’s wrong?”

Li Yuan sighed again. “I’m still too weak.”

“Huh!?” Xie Yu gawked. She blurted out instinctively, “You’re the strongest person I’ve

ever

seen!”

Li Yuan shook his head and sighed. “You’re only sixth rank. It’s normal that you haven’t seen much. But still, hah...”

Xie Yu blinked. “I’ve seen my clan’s patriarch before. He...doesn’t seem to be in the same league as you.”

Li Yuan said, “The strength of one man is limited. It’s the power of many that’s truly boundless. Even if I’m a little stronger than your patriarch, what difference does it make? Our eldest brother’s 30,000 armored cavalry could still crush me with ease.”

Xie Yu had always been confident in Ocean Province’s 30,000 armored cavalry. They were the Xie Clan’s greatest source of pride, their trump card that let them roam the world without fear. But now, thinking it over carefully, she wasn’t entirely sure anymore. Was her man stronger? Or was it the 30,000 armored cavalry?

“So really,” Li Yuan concluded, seizing the moment, “I’m not all that powerful. It’s just appearances.”

Xie Yu still felt a bit off, but with the armored cavalry to fall back on, the fear she’d felt earlier had eased a little.

She hooked her arm around Li Yuan’s, leaned her head on his shoulder, and murmured, “So you’ve already broken through to the fourth rank. Who

are

you, really? Are you

really

from the Eastern Sea? That place is wrapped in mystery. I’ve only ever heard of devils and monsters there, never people.”

Li Yuan replied, “There are people in the Eastern Sea, celestial lands, even.”

And so, he launched into another explanation.

A long while later, Xie Yu’s eyes lit up. “So, you’re an Immortal from the Eastern Sea’s Immortal Domain?”

Li Yuan shook his head. “Nope.”

Xie Yu stared at him. “Then why’d you go on and on like that?”

Li Yuan said seriously, “I just wanted you to know there

are

people in the Eastern Sea.”

Xie Yu burst out laughing, then narrowed her eyes. “Alright, back to the main question—who

are

you really? Are you

actually

from the Eastern Sea?”

Without even realizing it, she had started speaking more freely again.

“Actually...I’m not from the Eastern Sea,” Li Yuan said.

“You really ar—huh?” Xie Yu froze.

Li Yuan added, “I was just captivated by your beauty, so I made myself sound more impressive.”

“What beauty? I don’t have any beauty.” Xie Yu raised her tiny fists and gave him a light punch.

“To me, you’re beautiful. That’s enough.” Li Yuan chuckled.

“Ugh, you're so annoying! What kind of powerhouse says stuff like that?” Xie Yu grumbled.

“Never seen one like me before, have you?” Li Yuan replied.

“Nope. Never.” Xie Yu shook her head.

“Well, now you have.” Li Yuan smiled.

Then he let out another long sigh. “Those who swim best, drown in water. To you, I might seem strong. But the stronger I become, the stronger the enemies I encounter. The danger only grows. In truth...I’m still weak. I’ve only

just

broken through. My foundation’s still shaky. I have to go find some real monsters out there and test myself. Tiptoeing through the storm, that’s where I am right now.”

Xie Yu thought his words actually made a lot of sense. So she began gently comforting him. “It’s alright. You’re really strong, Husband. You have to believe in yourself.”

Li Yuan took her hand and let out another long sigh.

She kept comforting him; he kept sighing. And just like that, through this loop of sighs and soft reassurances, that primal fear, the fear of a lower creature facing a superior predator, gradually faded away, until it disappeared completely.

Li Yuan had decided it was time to test his strength, and his first target...would be Happyland Zoo.