Chapter 21: Breaking Limits, Sharingan Evolution
"Xiao Qiang, do you really want to become a level 5 milk bottle?" Tianmeng asked from within Xiao Qiang's spiritual sea, his tone laced with concern.
"Of course, Brother Tianmeng."
"As for the milk bottle itself, I don't have a problem making it. Although I can only use your spiritual power, your mental strength already far exceeds that of most level 6 soul engineers. Spirit-wise, there's no issue. But your soul power might not hold up," Tianmeng warned.
"It's alright, Brother Tianmeng. We can hold on—and we must," Xiao Qiang replied resolutely.
"What do you mean?"
"Mingde Hall Master Jing Hongchen has a grandson, Xiao Hongchen, who's an exceptional talent in soul tools. My Sharingan lets me sense that in one or two years, he'll become a fifth-level soul engineer. If I stop at fifth-level, I'll seem talented in Jing Hongchen's eyes—but only slightly better than his grandson."
"I might receive decent treatment, but that kind of treatment won't be enough—not even close to the kind of resources we'll need, Brother Tianmeng."
"Cultivation is a long process, and if we don't secure enough support now, there's no telling what delays or dangers we'll face in the future. We have no other path forward."
Thinking about what might happen if they lost Xue Di's protection, Xiao Qiang's words were filled with sincerity and desperation. Especially the final sentence—those were his honest thoughts, without the slightest trace of exaggeration.
Tianmeng, feeling Xiao Qiang's emotions through their spiritual link, also remembered that Bingdi's heavenly tribulation was approaching fast. What if something went wrong…?
"Xiao Qiang," Tianmeng said after a moment of silence, "I'll make the soul tool. You focus on guiding the soul power from the milk bottles. Today, I'll fight by your side!"
"Alright!"
After reaching their agreement, Xiao Qiang placed a milk bottle in his mouth, preparing to channel its stored soul power as soon as Tianmeng ran out of energy.
Tianmeng then took over full control of Xiao Qiang's body—except for his mouth and digestive system—activating his martial soul. A pair of two tomoe Sharingan swirled in his eyes, and three soul rings—two yellow and one purple—appeared around his body. The purple soul ring lit up, activating the soul skill Spiritual Detection using Tianmeng's immense mental power.
"Huh?" Wang Heng blinked in confusion from the side. "How can he activate a soul skill while absorbing soul power from a milk bottle?"
He wasn't the only one surprised. Even Jing Hongchen was stunned—he had never seen someone perform soul skills and recharge soul power at the same time.
But more than the technique itself, Jing Hongchen's attention was drawn to Xiao Qiang's eyes.
That eye…
Is he from the Body Sect? No, that couldn't be it. Martial souls like eyes were exceedingly rare and precious. If he were from the Body Sect, he would undoubtedly be one of their top geniuses. No faction would risk sending someone like that undercover—especially not to a soul tool academy, which the Body Sect disdains.
That left only one possibility: Xiao Qiang possessed a body-type martial soul, but he wasn't recognized or recruited by the Body Sect.
A highly talented soul tool engineer with an eye-based martial soul… Jing Hongchen realized he had found a treasure. With such potential, Xiao Qiang was worthy of being accepted as a personal disciple. Of course, he'd still have to monitor the Body Sect's movements—just in case.
In addition, he needed to investigate the possibility of triggering a second martial soul awakening. Without it, a genius like this could be wasted.
But leaving a genius with such potential to struggle alone until his second awakening naturally occurred? Jing Hongchen would never do something so foolish. A true master guided and nurtured talent, not ignored it.
While Jing Hongchen contemplated all this, Xiao Qiang continued forging the fifth-level milk bottle soul tool with Tianmeng's help.
Sweat gradually beaded on Xiao Qiang's forehead. Controlling the soul ring through mental power and simultaneously constructing a level-5 soul tool was no simple feat.
Despite Tianmeng's vast spiritual power, the body belonged to Xiao Qiang. Nearly all the usable energy came from him. While Tianmeng could offset some of the strain by contributing a bit of his own sealed mental strength, that assistance was limited unless he chose to release one of his seals.
Under these extreme conditions—high energy output with minimal replenishment—Xiao Qiang's mental power began to deplete rapidly.
Even with fourth-level milk bottles made in advance to supply him with soul power, his reserves were stretched thin. Soul power usage was barely sustainable. As for mental energy? It was being devoured at an alarming rate.
Before even reaching the halfway point of the soul tool's construction, Xiao Qiang's soul power—and the reserves in his current milk bottle—were almost exhausted. He still had more bottles, but the spiritual cost of simultaneously maintaining a soul skill and engraving a fifth-level soul tool array pushed his limits.
The pressure wasn't linear—it was exponential. Each task drained more from him than the last, and he was beginning to fray under the combined burden.
No, this won't work. In Xiao Qiang's spiritual sea, Tianmeng's projection appeared, looking grave. If this continues, your mental power will be fully drained. Once that happens, your spirit could collapse.
The pain was real. Xiao Qiang's mind throbbed violently, and he could feel how close he was to the edge. But he couldn't stop. He had to push forward.
He had to break through to level 40 within the year. Otherwise, once Xue Di reincarnated as a human, no one could save him from Moon.
Please… let Moon be tied up elsewhere. Let him stay away from Mingde Hall…
Xiao Qiang wasn't the kind of person to gamble his life lightly. But right now, there was no other choice.
"Brother Tianmeng, open a seal!"
"But your body—"
"Brother Tianmeng, I can feel it! My martial soul hasn't reached its limit. Not even close. If two tomoe can't hold on, then let's evolve to three tomoe! The evolution of my Sharingan will feed back into my body—I know it! Trust me!"
"…Alright." Tianmeng finally relented.
Having controlled Xiao Qiang's body for some time now, he had gained a good understanding of its condition. Thanks to the Heaven-Swallowing Divine Art Xiao Qiang cultivated, his physique was far stronger than it had been when they first met. Moreover, the spiritual essence they were using belonged to him originally. Controllability wouldn't be an issue.
With a solemn nod, Tianmeng unlocked one of the seals.
In the next instant, a powerful wave of spiritual energy surged into Xiao Qiang's sea of consciousness. The calm waters boiled into a raging abyss.