"Let's begin."
Silently calling out in his heart, Chen Xiaoming took a deep breath.
Ding!
[You took a deep breath and gained +100,000 experience points.]
A breath to calm the nerves before leveling up.
Chen Xiaoming reached out and tapped on the upgrade option behind his soul power.
Soul Power: 10,008 years... 20,008 years... 30,008 years... 40,008 years... 50,008 years... 60,008 years... 70,008 years... 80,008 years... 99,999 years.
The surge of soul power within him accelerated faster than a rocket. In mere moments, Chen Xiaoming felt a vast, ocean-like power flooding his body.
Glancing at the soul power stopping at the boundary of 99,999 years, Chen Xiaoming didn't hesitate and tapped the upgrade option again.
"Boom!"
A massive wave of soul power poured into his body, as if his mind had exploded, leaving a clear, tranquil sensation. The world before him seemed to undergo a complete transformation.
Within his true form, the Azurewood Tree, soul power coursed through his entire being, constantly strengthening his body. The once thirty-meter-tall tree rapidly grew to fifty meters in mere moments.
His thick branches became several times sturdier, while the lush green leaves curled slightly, now lined with fine, barbed thorns. His underground root system expanded rapidly, splitting and thickening as pores along the roots opened wide like gaping maws, devouring the surrounding soul power.
In his mind, a stream of lucid enlightenment flickered continuously. Chen Xiaoming immersed himself in understanding his own power and refining his control over it.
After a long while—
"So this is the power of a 100,000-year Soul Beast... truly terrifying!"
With a light swing of his branch, a three-meter-deep gash was carved into the ground. The next strike was even stronger, far surpassing anything he'd done before. Now he understood why 100,000-year Soul Beasts were crowned kings.
Such strength was beyond what 10,000-year Soul Beasts could ever hope to withstand.
"It's time to choose!"
Upon breaking through to the 100,000-year Soul Beast stage, a spark of divine light emerged in Chen Xiaoming's mind—
Transformation!
Transform into a human!
After ten long years of waiting, this moment had finally arrived. Without hesitation, Chen Xiaoming selected Transformation.
A blazing light radiated from the divine spark, enveloping his enormous body. Under the radiant glow, his towering form began to shrink rapidly.
The boundless ocean of soul power within him swiftly drained away.
100,000 years... 10,000 years... 1,000 years... 100 years... 10 years.
In just moments, nine years' worth of cultivated soul power vanished completely—but Chen Xiaoming didn't mind in the slightest.
He was in a wondrous trance, unaware of anything around him.
As time passed and the light gradually faded, a pristine figure emerged.
Standing at 1.75 meters, with long silver hair cascading down to his calves, flawless skin like jade, and a faint smile on his handsome face—
"Finally... I've become human."
He let out a long sigh, unable to hide the joy of fulfilling a long-cherished dream.
However, a chilly sensation below startled him. Glancing down, Chen Xiaoming froze.
"Ah!"
A startled cry echoed through the forest, drawing the curious gazes of nearby Soul Beasts.
"Whoosh!"
Without lingering, a figure dashed away at lightning speed, a large leaf barely covering him.
While fleeing, Chen Xiaoming glanced at his Status Panel:
...
Host: Chen Xiaoming
Age: 26
Martial Soul: Azurewood Tree
Soul Power: Level 0 (+)
Experience: 26,135,955,000
Body: Azurewood Tree
Items: None
...
His status now included Martial Soul and Soul Scholar Soul Power, while his former Soul Beast nature had been relegated to Body.
Most surprising of all—his age had reverted to the time when he'd first acquired the system.
For Chen Xiaoming, this was a huge relief. He'd feared transforming into a helpless infant, but the system had thoughtfully preserved his adult form.
However, if the system was so considerate... why couldn't it have given him a set of clothes?
On the verge of tears, Chen Xiaoming couldn't accept his current predicament.
"Let's level up first."
He tapped frantically on his soul power.
Soul Power: 1... 2... 3... 8... 9... 10!
A yellow 10-year Soul Ring condensed beneath his feet, rising slowly.
Soul Scholar—achieved!
Glancing at the next upgrade cost—10 million experience points—Chen Xiaoming's heart sank. The system's demands were increasing tenfold with each level.
Grinding his teeth, he continued tapping.
Soul Power: 11... 12... 13... 18... 19... 20!
A second 100-year Soul Ring appeared, floating gently.
The cost skyrocketed to 100 million experience points.
Chen Xiaoming's pupils contracted—was the system toying with him? At this rate, reaching Soul King would require astronomical amounts of experience.
Unwilling to believe it, he pressed on.
Soul Power: 21... 22... 23... 28... 29... 30!
A third 1,000-year Soul Ring began to coalesce.
Finally, the experience cost remained at 100 million, bringing a sigh of relief. Though exorbitant, at least it had stopped multiplying.
With danger looming in the depths of the Star Dou Forest, Chen Xiaoming didn't waste time. Fleeing while upgrading, he embarked on his relentless pursuit of power.
Soul Rings shimmered one after another, his soul power soaring ever higher.
-------
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