Chapter 1429 Soul Storm <TOC> Chapter 1431 Final Step
Translator: SumTLMan
Unaware of the events aboard the Sky Ghost Ship, Angel remained astonished.
Rewinding a few moments earlier, Angel’s thoughts were deeply immersed in the Land of the Soul, bracing for a fiercer storm.
Surprisingly, for now, not only did his soul feel no discomfort, but it also seemed quite at ease. Yet, his emotions remained tense, anxiously awaiting the next wave of turbulence.
The anticipated storm inevitably arrived.
Yet, to Angel’s amazement, despite facing such a powerful onslaught, his soul felt barely any discomfort.
So, Angel continued waiting for the next wave.
With every wave, Angel remained alert, but each storm came and went with relative ease for him.
Just when Angel suspected that a powerful force deep within the Land of the Soul was gathering its strength for a final blow, the Soul Storm abruptly ceased.
As Angel was still reeling in bewilderment, a pure, supremely refined and gentle soul energy effortlessly melded with his own soul.
His soul underwent an unprecedented purification.
This feeling of purification was like an individual, consumed by a deep-seated vendetta, finding redemption and tranquility upon beholding the lifeless body of their nemesis.
All burdens seemingly lifted, leaving behind only peace and serenity.
Within the sanctuary of the soul, the soul shines as if bathed in the radiant sunlight. Serenely, it closed its eyes, a warm smile gracing its face.
Relishing this tranquil moment, unshackled and free.
While the soul felt harmonious, Angel’s thoughts brimmed with uncertainty.
Is that all there is?
Upon detailed introspection, Angel compared the present state of his soul to the “Pure Qualitative Transformation” described in ancient texts, concluding: The storm within the Land of the Soul has genuinely subsided.
Had it ended even before Angel could perceive its inception?
Throughout this journey, nothing seemed unbearable or insurmountable. The only daunting aspect was Angel’s apprehension of the “unknown” — a creation of his imagination, as no real peril materialized.
While a peaceful conclusion is preferable, lingering doubts sought resolution.
Possible explanations Angel could glean from the scriptures included advice for countering Soul Storms: “Regularly Fortify the Soul,” “Delve Deep into Soul Development,” “A Special Soul Might May Innately Protect Against Such Tempests,” “Drink a Special Potion”…
Discarding external aids, the crux of the teachings emphasized: Apprentices attuned to the Soul Realm would find navigating Soul Storms relatively effortless.
Although Angel wasn’t primarily aligned with the soul lineage, he still met several criteria. For instance, he frequently channeled his soul, and during intense battles, he would often deploy his soul — a testament to his constant mental fortification.
Furthermore, when Angel acquired the Mysterious Soul Whisper, he also learned techniques of soul cultivation from Isabelle. Over the years, he continued his soul practices, ensuring he never lagged in its development.
Lastly, his soul was quite extraordinary, not to mention the inexplicable scar that even his mentor Sanders couldn’t resolve, indicating the outpour of his soul’s power; another unique aspect was that the origin of Gravity Lines resonated within his soul.
All these factors, perhaps, are what enable him to handle the Soul Storm with such ease, wouldn’t it?
After Angel speculated the answer, he couldn’t help but ponder a question deep within: in simpler terms, his own soul was profoundly powerful, thus perfectly facing the Soul Storm. So, when considering another battlefield of the breakthrough battle — the Physical Body——would the same hold true?
Energy, soul, and physical body. These three are the rigid conditions for a wizard’s breakthrough and the three challenges they must face during promotion.
To Angel, among these, his physical power truly stood out.
His energy levels were average, not much different from other peak apprentices. The quality of his soul was decent, but its strength reached only to the level of a near-wizard.
What was surprisingly powerful was the physical body he had previously underestimated. His journey into the Abyss cultivated his physique to an inconceivable extent. In fact, just the strength of his body had reached the caliber of a formal wizard.
This very reason allowed Angel, even at the apprentice level, to be immune to the pressure exerted by most wizards. The key was that his physical body could resist it outright.
With such a physical foundation, the Phantasmal Limb he developed could also be considered at the formal “spell” level.
From this, one could glean a hint.
Considering this, with his current soul strength, he could effortlessly handle the Soul Storm. Would a body that has reached the level of a formal wizard find it just as easy when facing the final battlefield——The Body Metamorphosis?
With this question, Angel embarked on the journey of physical body transformation.
In the end, reality proved that Angel’s assumptions were not off the mark.
Body Metamorphosis represents the evolution or sublimation of one’s bloodline. To draw an analogy using other transcendent beings, it is somewhat similar to the “awakening” of a demon from the Abyss.
The essence of this transformation is to drive the surge of one’s life force until it reaches a critical point, heralding the elevation of the physical body. This ascension, in essence, is an exploration and development of one’s inherent bloodline.
During the metamorphosis process, the bloodline continually boils and evolves. According to accounts from others, this process is intensely painful, to the extent that it makes one wish for death. Moreover, for a successful bloodline elevation, one must have a strong foundational aptitude. Without it, if the life force isn’t sustained during the sublimation, failure becomes likely.
Of course, external aids can still be used to enhance the concentration of the life force, but resorting to such measures can harm the transformation process.
When Angel embarked on his Body Metamorphosis, he did so with trepidation. But that anxiety quickly vanished because, in the blink of an eye, his transformation was complete.
It felt as brief as an interlude.
All Angel felt was a mild warmth in his bloodline, a faint prickling sensation, followed shortly by a slight enhancement in his bloodline.
The excruciating pain that was said to make life unbearable never manifested.
The improvement in his physical body was commendable. Previously, his physical strength was on par with novice bloodline-side wizards. But now, it was roughly at an intermediate level. Relatively speaking, this might not feel as transformative as his rise from apprentice to formal wizard during his time in the Abyss. But in absolute terms, this enhancement was quite substantial, marking a significant “qualitative” change.
All in all, Angel’s Body Metamorphosis reached the zenith of what he could have imagined, signifying an impeccable elevation.
By the time his physical transformation concluded, the purification of his soul — or its qualitative transformation — had just wrapped up. This underscores just how rapid the Body Metamorphosis was.
The transformation of the soul produces astonishing results, radically different from those of an apprentice’s time.
However, Angel currently has no opportunity to test this, for his attention has shifted away from the two fleeting battlefields, returning intently to his mental space.
The battlegrounds of the Land of the Soul and the Physical Body are merely side quests.
The Magic Source Vortex is the critical main path and signifies whether Angel can step into the realm of a formal wizard.
Under normal circumstances, in the second phase of the Magic Source Vortex, since one cannot interfere with the rotation of the vortex seed, they tend to confront the challenges of the “Soul Storm” and the “Body Metamorphosis” battlefields.
Typically, as the Soul Storm draws to its conclusion, the Magic Source Vortex also nears its end.
So, it’s a crucial time for the apprentice, needing to address both the Soul and Magic Source battlefields simultaneously.
By the time the Prototype of the Magic Vortex emerges, most apprentices will have navigated through the Soul Storm.
Consequently, they move on to the third phase: solidifying the Magic Vortex.
In this phase, not only must one solidify the vortex, but they also face energy leakage, demanding focus to bind these stray energies. Furthermore, they must endure Body Metamorphosis.
Juggling three tasks with a single mind.
Compounded by the pain accompanying the physical body transformation.
A single misstep can lead to catastrophe, and the cost of such errors is unspeakable. This highlights why becoming a formal wizard is a one-in-a-million accomplishment. The sheer difficulty of the breakthrough is as if every tiny detail is testing the apprentice’s resolve.
Above all.
The breakthrough steps of other apprentices were meticulously detailed in the books.
However, Angel was an exception. Whether it was the Soul Storm or the Body Metamorphosis, he completed them faster than others. Thus, he could now fully concentrate on the Magic Source Vortex.
The Magic Source Vortex is currently nearing the conclusion of its second phase.
The vortex seed propels the rotation of the energy cluster, its form becoming somewhat blurred. Now, the shape of the vortex is mostly visible.
When the vortex seed completely vanishes, turning into the vortex that propels the energy cluster, this step is complete.
Angel watched quietly, waiting.
As the phantom of the vortex seed faded from the center, Angel’s anticipation reached its peak.
Would the prototype of the vortex appear? And if it did, would it function normally? Ultimately, could it operate steadily? These progressively related questions began swirling in Angel’s mind.
Under Angel’s careful attention, the Magic Source Vortex finally moved to the third phase!
The Vortex Prototype revealed itself!
Angel saw the Vortex Prototype, precisely as he had calculated, but he did not let his guard down. Having the Vortex Prototype did not mean all was well.
The Vortex Prototype was still just that — A Prototype. To become a fully-fledged vortex, it had to pass multiple tests. Only by using a special method to stabilize it would it be considered complete.
The first test for the Vortex Prototype: could it function?
A simple question, but one that traced back to when Angel first designed the vortex seed.
Whether the results he had calculated then matched the reality now.
Angel observed the Vortex Prototype closely. Time trickled by. After watching the vortex rotate countless times, he made a summary using deductive reasoning.
The results of the rotation matched his initial calculations.
Meaning, the first test was passed.