Chapter 251 Rematch with Elder Chen, Test Begins
The stone gate slowly opened in Liu Yuan's palm.
Light streamed into the bamboo grove from outside, carrying the coolness of the mountain breeze.
Liu Yuan stood inside the door, backlit. His robes were relatively neat, but he looked like a newly sharpened knife, its sharpness concealed yet impossible to suppress.
The people standing outside the door all looked at him.
Elder Chen stood at the front, his left hand still wrapped in bandages, but his gaze swept from Liu Yuan's face to his eyes, and then from his eyes to the aura around him.
His eyebrows twitched slightly, and a slight smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
Elder Zhang stood beside him, his eyes behind his glasses widening slightly, his hand gripping the book tightly before loosening it again.
Long Aotian stood behind several elders, his gaze fixed on Liu Yuan's eyes, his pupils slightly contracting.
He could sense that Liu Yuan's aura was completely different from before his seclusion; it wasn't a change in quantity, but a change in quality.
Chen Lu was the first to speak, his voice slightly unsteady: "Senior Brother Liu Yuan, you seem completely different from before. It's not a matter of soul power, it's your whole person... how should I put it, it's like you've become a different person."
Wang Yanfeng nodded: "The texture of the aura has changed. It's not just a simple fluctuation of soul power, but a change at the level of the martial soul's origin."
Gu Tong blinked and said, "The frequency of the three pupils has changed. Before, there were three frequencies alternating, but now there is only one frequency, which is unbelievably stable."
Vina stood at the back of the crowd. She didn't speak, but her eyes were fixed on Liu Yuan, and the tension in her eyes had dissipated.
Liu Yuan glanced at everyone, then stepped out of the secret room.
He stood on the stone steps, sunlight shining down from above and falling on his shoulders.
His three pupils had returned to normal, arranged in a triangular pattern, but everyone present could sense that his eyes were different from before.
Elder Chen asked, "What exactly happened during your long period of seclusion?"
Liu Yuan said, "The martial spirit has evolved three times."
He spoke very softly, as if he were talking about something very ordinary.
But to everyone present, those words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake.
Elder Chen nodded: "Just as I thought."
Elder Zhang adjusted his glasses, his tone filled with emotion: "Three evolutions... There has never been such a precedent in the history of original martial souls. No one knows the upper limit of a martial soul with double pupils. Today we have witnessed it."
Long Aotian said, "Junior brother, congratulations."
Chen Lu called out in response, and Wang Yanfeng and Gu Tong nodded as well.
After Elder Chen and the others offered their congratulations, they asked a question that everyone wanted answered: "How much exactly has it improved? Mental strength? Soul power? The power of the Martial Soul itself?"
Liu Yuan closed his eyes, assessed his current state, then opened them and replied, "My mental strength has more than doubled. My soul power has increased from level 68 to level 69, just one step away from level 70. The rotation speed and output speed of my soul core have also doubled. As for the power of my martial soul itself, we'll have to test it to know its specific combat effects."
Elder Chen didn't hesitate and said directly, "Then what are we talking about? Let's go test it."
After he finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the training ground.
Liu Yuan followed behind him.
Elder Zhang and Elder Li exchanged a glance and followed.
Long Aotian, Chen Lu, Wang Yanfeng, Gu Tong, and Vina followed behind, and the group of people walked down the stone steps from the middle of the mountain.
The disciples had not yet completely dispersed from the training ground.
Those disciples who were persuaded by Elder Chen to return to sparring were actually not in the mood to practice at all.
Several daring disciples stood at the edge of the training ground, craning their necks to look towards the stone steps.
"Look! Elder Chen and the others are coming down!"
A sharp-eyed disciple shouted. All the surrounding disciples turned their heads in unison, following the direction he was pointing.
Elder Chen walked at the front, with Liu Yuan following behind him. The group of people walked down the stone steps, their footsteps making a crisp sound on the bluestone slabs.
"Senior Brother Liu Yuan has emerged from seclusion!"
"His aura is completely different from before he went into seclusion!"
A commotion erupted in the training ground. The disciples quickly sheathed their weapons, gathered in small groups, and all eyes were fixed on Liu Yuan.
The news spread like wildfire throughout the sect.
The disciples who were eating in the canteen put down their bowls and chopsticks and ran out; the disciples who were resting in the dormitory put on their clothes and rushed out; and the disciples who were cultivating in the back mountain withdrew their soul power and hurried back.
In less than fifteen minutes, the area around the training ground was packed with people.
"Senior Brother Liu Yuan has completed the third evolution of his martial soul?"
"I heard that's true. Didn't you guys feel that aura just now? That sense of oppression, what else could it be but evolution?"
"The three evolutions of the Body Martial Soul... There has never been such a precedent in the history of our Body Sect, has there?"
"Never before. This is the first time for Senior Brother Liu Yuan."
The discussions grew louder and louder, with disciples whispering amongst themselves, each face showing shock and excitement. Some were discussing the significance of Liu Yuan's martial soul evolution, some were speculating about Liu Yuan's current strength, and some were looking forward to the upcoming test.
"How strong do you think Senior Brother Liu Yuan is now?"
"It's hard to say. But he's definitely much stronger than before he went into seclusion. Didn't you see his eyes when he came down just now? They were completely different from before."
"The test is about to begin; you'll see soon enough."
Elder Chen walked to the center of the training ground, stopped, turned around, and pointed to the bluestone arena beneath his feet. "Right here. Give it your all, and I'll take your hits."
Liu Yuan nodded and stepped onto the arena. Elder Chen also stepped onto the arena, standing opposite Liu Yuan, about twenty paces away. His left hand was still wrapped in bandages, but his right hand was already raised, with a faint golden light gathering in his palm. His martial spirit was that of both hands; even with his left hand injured, the combat power of his right hand remained intact.
The disciples around the arena automatically dispersed, making way for an open space. No one was maintaining order, but everyone knew the rules: onlookers couldn't get too close.
Long Aotian stood at the edge of the arena, arms crossed, his expression calm but his eyes focused. Chen Lu stood beside him, his mouth slightly open.
Wang Yanfeng stood on the other side, his fingers tapping unconsciously beside him.
Gu Tong pushed up his glasses, his gaze fixed on the arena.
Vina stood at the front of the crowd, saying nothing, only looking at Liu Yuan on the stage.
The discussions around the training ground gradually subsided, from loud to soft, and from soft to quiet.
All eyes were focused on the arena and on Liu Yuan.
Sunlight shone down from above, falling on the bluestone slabs and giving them a faint white glow.
Liu Yuan stood in the center of the arena, looking at Elder Chen opposite him, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.
His three pupils moved slightly in their sockets, and a dark golden light shone from the depths of his pupils.
The test is about to begin.
(End of chapter)