Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

With the City Lord’s Mansion Token, Jiang Chen could sense the whereabouts of Yulan Tianpeng and Si Xiaosheng.

They were over 3,000 kilometers away, a journey that would take him through several dangerous zones. Even flying at full speed, it would still take Jiang Chen two days.

As he flew, Jiang Chen continuously pondered what Little White had told him about Divine Thought Masters.

Divine Thought Masters specialized in cultivating the soul to enhance their Divine Thought Power!

’Although my Divine Thought Shock mainly comes from the Ten Thousand Laws Golden Pupil, its power still depends on the strength of my soul. The stronger the soul, the stronger the Divine Thought Power. And that means the Divine Thought Shock unleashed by the Ten Thousand Laws Golden Pupil will be even more powerful!’

’Divine Thought Masters have special Secret Techniques for cultivating the soul, and that’s exactly what I’m missing.’

’If I want to enhance my Divine Thought Power now, I can only rely on my own exploration.’ Ultimately, Jiang Chen settled on the Ten Thousand Laws Golden Pupil!

’Since it can unleash a Divine Thought Shock to destroy another’s soul, what if I do the opposite? Could I use the Ten Thousand Laws Golden Pupil to devour the souls of other powerhouses or Demon Beasts? Could I use form to mend form, so to speak? Could I enhance my own soul and bolster my Divine Thought Power?’ Once the idea took root, he couldn’t shake it.

Jiang Chen tried time and time again, but each attempt ended in failure.

He had slain no fewer than a hundred Demon Beasts along his journey using the Ten Thousand Laws Golden Pupil, but he hadn’t managed to absorb a single one of their Demon Souls.

’The moment a Demon Beast dies, its Demon Soul dissipates. There’s simply no time to absorb it...’ Jiang Chen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He rubbed his brow when a thought suddenly struck him. Taking out the Demon Blood Soul Stone, his eyes lit up. ’Other Demon Souls vanish too quickly, but the one inside this Demon Blood Soul Stone can exist on its own. It won’t dissipate so fast. I’ll use it for an experiment!’

With this thought, Jiang Chen activated the Profound Yellow Undying Technique. His Profound Yellow True Essence surged like a torrential river, pouring endlessly into his pupils.

Two beams of golden light suddenly shot through his eyes, which were as deep as the starry cosmos.

The golden light, like a comet streaking across the sky, tore open a world of brilliant Light within Jiang Chen’s eyes.

It resembled a vortex, spinning and expanding relentlessly...

...until it filled his entire pupils.

"Ten Thousand Laws Golden Pupil—Seize!"

Jiang Chen let out a low shout.

The golden vortex in his eyes abruptly halted. A point of golden light shot out from his pupils, enveloping the Demon Blood Soul Stone in its radiance.

"ROAR..."

The Demon Blood Soul Stone began to vibrate violently.

Amidst pulses of blood-red light, a crimson mist flew out of the Demon Blood Soul Stone, coalescing into the form of the Blazing Flame Copper Lion. Golden Energy Shackles were wrapped around its body, rendering it immobile. The massive Demon Soul of the Blazing Flame Copper Lion hung in mid-air, its enormous eyes fixed on Jiang Chen, filled with pain and pleading. "Spare me! I beg you, spare my life! I’m willing to be your slave..."

If any outsider had witnessed this scene, they would have been struck dumb with astonishment.

The Blazing Flame Copper Lion! 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

This was a mighty Tier Two Medium Demon Beast! Even as a mere wisp of a Demon Soul, it was still comparable to a human expert at the Fourth or Fifth Stages of the True Martial Realm.

Yet now, before Jiang Chen, it was as feeble as a kitten.

’The Ten Thousand Laws Golden Pupil can actually imprison a Demon Soul?’

A glint flashed in Jiang Chen’s eyes. He paid no mind to the Blazing Flame Copper Lion’s desperate pleas. ’Using its Demon Soul power just once consumes a huge chunk of its energy. Even if I spare it, it will probably dissipate completely after fighting a True Martial Realm Powerhouse one or two more times. I might as well use it to test whether the Ten Thousand Laws Golden Pupil can devour it to enhance my Divine Thought Power!’

"Devour!"

Jiang Chen slammed his hands downward.

His True Essence Power guided the Blazing Flame Copper Lion’s Demon Soul, slamming it hard onto the ground.

The golden shackles binding the Blazing Flame Copper Lion tightened relentlessly, and the two golden vortexes within the Ten Thousand Laws Golden Pupil began to spin again. This time, however, they spun in the opposite direction, rotating faster and faster with each frantic turn.

Golden flames suddenly erupted on the surface of the chains.

The golden flames, like countless Flame Lotuses, attached themselves to the Blazing Flame Copper Lion’s body. Burned by the relentless golden fire, the Demon Soul of the Blazing Flame Copper Lion thrashed violently, letting out an agonized roar. "ROAR... Let me go... Don’t kill me... Spare me..."

BOOM—

The golden flames instantly swelled, engulfing the entire Blazing Flame Copper Lion and incinerating it without a trace in the blink of an eye!

As the golden flames returned to his Ten Thousand Laws Golden Pupil, Jiang Chen could clearly feel streams of gentle energy flowing into his soul.

It was a marvelous feeling.

It was like a sudden, refreshing enlightenment. His entire being felt light and airy, as if his soul had undergone a sacred baptism!

Jiang Chen felt more vigorous and revitalized, a sharp light glinting in his eyes. ’This feeling is incredible. All my fatigue has been swept away, and my mind feels unprecedentedly calm and powerful. Can the Ten Thousand Laws Golden Pupil truly refine Demon Souls and extract pure Soul Power to strengthen my Divine Thought?’

At this thought, Jiang Chen closed his eyes and began to sense his surroundings.

Ever since advancing to the True Martial Realm, a Martial Artist gained the ability to perceive their surroundings. However, an ordinary practitioner could typically only sense an area within a ten-zhang radius.

Jiang Chen’s soul was exceptionally powerful. Even before this, he could sense the slightest disturbance within a fifty-zhang radius.

But now...

As Jiang Chen released his perception, a look of shock involuntarily appeared on his face. A vast and detailed scene materialized in his mind. Eighty-five zhang away, two green vine snakes were coiled under the leaves of a hundred-meter-tall tree, enjoying the shade. A hundred zhang away, a centipede wriggled softly beneath a rock...

"A hundred zhang? M-My perception range... it actually doubled? Heavens, this is unbelievable!" Jiang Chen’s face filled with ecstatic joy.

’My soul perception already surpassed that of ordinary experts at my level.’

Now, it was far beyond what it used to be.

’A soul perception of a hundred zhang at the True Martial Realm Second Stage... even in the Saint Martial Sword Sect, a place teeming with geniuses, that has to be an exceptionally rare feat, right?’

’My soul perception has doubled, so the power of my Divine Thought Shock must have increased as well. If I were to use it now, the Blazing Flame Copper Lion’s Demon Soul would have been crushed in a single blow. My Divine Thought Shock should even be effective against an expert at the True Martial Realm Fifth Stage, or perhaps even the Sixth Stage.’

Amidst his excitement, however, Jiang Chen felt a pang of helplessness. ’It’s a shame this method of enhancing my Divine Thought Power can’t be used regularly...’

The method of directly killing Demon Beasts to seize their Demon Souls was simply unfeasible.

The moment a Demon Beast died, its Demon Soul would immediately disperse, leaving no time to devour it with the Ten Thousand Laws Golden Pupil.

For now, the only way was to absorb Demon Souls from Demon Blood Soul Stones. But such stones were incredibly precious—items one could only stumble upon by chance, not actively seek out.

Furthermore, the method for refining Demon Blood Soul Stones had long since been lost.

’Even if the method hadn’t been lost, obtaining such a Secret Technique would be no less difficult than finding a Divine Thought Master’s technique for cultivating Divine Thought Power!’

’Oh well, I’ll just have to take it one step at a time. At least my strength has improved again, which should be enough to handle any unexpected situations...’

Jiang Chen took a deep breath, calming himself. He briefly focused on the Token in his hand, and a look of ecstatic joy flashed in his eyes. ’Yulan Tianpeng and the others must have sensed my Token too; they’re heading my way! We’re only five hundred kilometers apart. We can meet up with them in just a few double-hours!’

’I hope nothing happens to them before I reach them! Zhao Qiankun, I pray my brothers are safe. If they aren’t... no matter how much they have suffered, I will make you repay it a hundred, a thousand times over...’

Jiang Chen muttered to himself as a terrifying, cold light flashed in his eyes, making him look like an unrivaled Killing God...