Douluo Continent: The Eternal Order of the Azure Sky.

Previously, when Kong Tianxu completed his first soul core and his Silver Dragon Martial Soul officially evolved into a Sacred Dragon, the energy pillar that shot into the sky was extremely powerful, but it also completely pierced through the Pure White Bone Tower.

Or, according to the Horned Scale Horses, that is the dome of the Star Tower.

To protect him from the sun and rain, Zhang Lexuan and Ma Xiaotao used materials found on the planet Fallen Star to build a simple but sturdy shed centered around Kong Tianxu.

Even so, in theory, after Kong Tianxu's deep meditation had lasted for a while, he should have been covered in a layer of dust.

However, neither the normal bodily excretion nor the dust on his body appeared on Kong Tianxu; he remained as upright and spotless as ever.

Even a year later, when Ma Xiaotao and Zhang Lexuan's clothes in their storage soul tools were gradually used up, leaving only two combat outfits to change into, he did not change at all.

But as time passed, his body grew cold and hard, like a stone. His breathing and heartbeat became almost imperceptible, increasingly difficult to detect.

Only that ever-swirling, boundless soul power, like an invisible river, continued to surge into his body day and night.

Zhang Lexuan roughly estimated that the soul power that Kong Tianxu absorbed in a day was several times that of her own.

Zhang Lexuan and Ma Xiaotao, both graduates of Shrek Academy, naturally understood the significance of deep meditation, so they weren't in a hurry at all at first.

In a state of deep meditation, a Soul Master's metabolism will drop to its lowest level, and their bodily functions will tend to be in a dormant state.

Meditating for several days or even a month at a time is not uncommon in the world of Soul Masters. There are also many precedents in the history of the Inner Academy.

The longer the meditation time, the greater the gains and the more profound the impact on the future path.

The record holder for the longest period of deep meditation is naturally the Dragon God Douluo Mu En. It was after the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament that he entered the Enlightenment-style deep meditation many times, with the longest lasting as long as eleven months, which allowed him to completely perfect his "Reign of the World".

Now, Kong Tianxu has quietly broken this record. His body is perfectly stable, but the depth of his meditation this time has clearly reached an unprecedented level.

Presumably, when he fully awakens, the path he has forged will reach a height that no one can match...

As usual, Zhang Lexuan entered this tranquil space shrouded in the power of stars.

Because of the lack of meat in the fallen star plane, and only wild fruits and spring water to sustain her, she lost some weight, but this did not diminish her charm at all. On the contrary, the graceful curves of her waist, hips and legs were outlined even more breathtakingly under her simple and tight-fitting clothes.

Zhang Lexuan sat next to Kong Tianxu, looking at him sitting cross-legged, as calm as a child. Her gaze was also peaceful.

From Kong Tianxu, she vaguely sensed the peculiar and powerful rhythm of the soul core. This rhythm even subtly drew in her own soul power, creating a subtle resonance.

Zhang Lexuan could no longer clearly define what kind of feelings she harbored for Kong Tianxu.

From the initial probing and clashes about the Martial Soul Fusion Skill when they first met, to the emotional breakdown and life-or-death bond in the Star Dou Great Forest, to the heartfelt confessions under the moonlight... and countless intimate moments over the past two years.

Everything is changing quietly, eventually solidifying into a kind of indelible mark.

Is this love? Zhang Lexuan didn't know. She only knew that she seemed to be unable to leave Kong Tianxu, and she didn't want to leave.

At least, this feeling was completely different from her feelings for Beibei, and also unlike any experience she had ever had in her life.

Zhang Lexuan gently rested her chin on her hand, gazing at Kong Tianxu's calm eyes and brows, her lips unconsciously curving slightly upwards.

"Xiao Tao went to spar with Senior Yunze again today," she said softly, as if talking to the sleeping man as usual. "She can't sit still. She said that staying here with you will make her bones rust."

"But I know that she always sneaks over at night, sits next to you for a while, and then quietly leaves."

"What kind of story exists between you two? You always seem to have a way of making those incredibly arrogant people willingly revolve around you."

Inside the bone tower, only Zhang Lexuan's soft breathing and the occasional chirping of birds from outside the window could be heard.

These simple, almost monotonous days surprisingly didn't bore her. Instead, they brought a sense of peace, a tranquility far removed from the hustle and bustle.

"A year has passed without me realizing it. Tianxu, why haven't you woken up yet? But I think I'm starting to like this simple life. No outside disturbances, no pressure from the academy, just here with you."

“Sometimes, I even think…” Zhang Lexuan’s voice grew softer and softer, almost a murmur, and a faint blush rose on her face, “It doesn’t seem so bad to just stay here like this.”

She hesitated for a moment, then tentatively leaned forward slowly, getting closer to that calm and handsome face.

Unbeknownst to Zhang Lexuan, just as she drew closer, a strange sensation quietly descended upon her. Her soul power unconsciously began to circulate on its own, and a faint, misty purple-gold halo silently emanated from her body.

"I have so many things I want to ask you."

“This feeling,” she heard her heart pounding louder in the silence, a mix of panic and a secret thrill, like doing something naughty in a secluded corner, “is this the real…”

-----------------

Darkness. Boundless darkness.

The once dazzling, endless starry sky has vanished; what remains in this world now is only the seemingly eternal darkness itself, and a stillness as if all things were frozen in time.

But this darkness and silence were soon broken, and a glimmer of light suddenly appeared in the indistinguishable darkness, as if to bring light to this deathly space.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a star.

"boom!"

A burst of golden light! A blurry golden figure suddenly erupted with unimaginable brilliance, and with a single punch, shattered the star instantly!

It was a blurry human figure with wings on its back. Each of its fists and palms carried an irresistible supreme will and an indescribable extreme sharpness.

However, even with such terrifying power to shatter stars with a single punch, the figure let out a low sigh:

"I've tried ten thousand times, why is it still not working?"

As he spoke, the entire dark world suddenly brightened, and countless bright stars, similar yet completely different from before, ignited at the same time, illuminating a magnificent scene.

This splendor, however, contains a myriad of thoughts that, at the slightest touch, can instantly evoke endless annoyance.

Kong Tianxu frowned as he looked at the endless sea of ​​stars before him.

In fact, thanks to the powerful spatial talent of the Silver Dragon Martial Soul—no, it should be called the Divine Dragon Martial Soul—he completed his comprehension of spatial power in a very short time after the soul core was formed and returned to his own consciousness space.

What appears before him now are all his "thoughts".

By fusing with the pure-blooded unicorn soul ring and soul bone, and taking advantage of gazing at the sky during the evolution of his martial soul, Kong Tianxu successfully endowed his main martial soul and first soul core with a concept—

"sky".

But that feeling was only momentary, mysterious and profound. Even in this enlightened deep meditation, he could not fully fathom its mysteries.

So Kong Tianxu came up with a solution: break free from mental clutter. Eliminate all other thoughts, discard as much power as possible, and in an absolutely still state of mind, recreate the feeling of that moment.

He succeeded. Through his repeated efforts, he shattered all the endless stars and suppressed his own presence to the minimum, appearing only in the purest form of his martial soul, constantly approaching the state of utter stillness where all thoughts are extinguished.

This also allowed him to explore his own path more deeply, and his combat skills with the Heavenly Commandment became increasingly refined.

But he also failed. He tried countless times and could get infinitely close, but he could never achieve true absolute stillness and transcendence.

He has gone too far down this path and can never turn back.

Perhaps... "Heaven" shouldn't be like that.

Kong Tianxu lowered his head and looked at his hands. No longer suppressing or restraining himself, all his power was released at this moment.

That seemingly simple fist and palm stance is actually the ultimate manifestation of a punch and a sword.

The deep roar of the dragon slowly echoed in this starry world. The radiance of the magnificent purple-gold dragon even surpassed that of the stars in the sky. Behind Kong Tianxu, in addition to the golden wings, three more pairs of mysterious white-gold tentacles appeared.

With his fists clenched and palms clasped, Kong Tianxu reached down with both hands as if grasping something.

Behind him, a colossal purple-gold dragon raised its head and roared, like a giant whale drawing in water, its majestic dragon shadow surging and converging upwards.

Kong Tianxu raised his arms high, and the six tentacles behind him were like the tightest bonds, connecting him to the purple-gold giant sword that seemed to pierce through the sky of consciousness!

His eyes, now pure gold, were devoid of sorrow or joy, like those of a deity descending to earth, or like the gaze of the heavens.

Heaven allows all things to be born, and Heaven also witnesses all things to die. Whether sentient or insentient, nothing can remain still without movement. The observer…has their own shortcomings.

A warning from Heaven?

Since the heavens are inherently flawed, why should we impose laws on behalf of the heavens?

From this day forward—

I am the Lord of the Vast Expanse, I am the Supreme Heaven!

At this moment, the endless darkness and the brilliant starry sea transformed into the perfect crucible for spiritual sublimation.

In the deepest recesses of consciousness, all the past, diverse and separate forces—the elemental control of the silver dragon, the absolute power of the golden dragon, the resolute will of the god of destruction, the supreme majesty of divine punishment, the domineering power of the soul, the transcendent essence of the body—like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, under the guidance of the true will of heaven that encompasses and transcends all things, completely merged and surged towards the one and only ultimate direction!

"Clang—!"

A clear and melodious sword cry, like a dragon's roar, yet containing the majesty of heaven and earth, seemed to resound from the deepest part of the universe!

One sword can annihilate countless stars. This one sword is all of a thousand swords; stars fall from the eight wastelands, and all thoughts vanish.

However, where all thoughts cease to exist, that is when all thoughts are reborn.

Extreme stillness contains extreme movement; the sword falls and the swallow returns. The Myriad Beginnings Return to Origin Domain is completely integrated into the Sea of ​​Spirit, becoming one with it.

This sword is named Heavenly Heart. Heavenly Heart is my heart.

Sever all spirits, souls, and spirits!

-----------------

"...Do you like it?" Zhang Lexuan murmured almost silently.

As she asked and answered her own questions, she suddenly felt her mind go blank for a moment.

At the same time, all the beings in the fallen star plane seemed to have been struck in the brain by a sharp sword, and the light in their eyes instantly dimmed.

Even the black sun that had occupied almost the entire sky suddenly stopped devouring the wisps of pure holy light, and began to fluctuate violently in surprise and uncertainty, tearing out more twisted and terrifying purplish-black spatial cracks.

When Zhang Lexuan came to her senses, the world before her eyes had completely changed. She looked up and met a pair of eyes that had suddenly opened.

What eyes they were! Deep as the cosmic sky that swallows light, their bottom unseen. In an instant, Zhang Lexuan's gaze was completely captivated, unable to look away.

Kong Tianxu's eyes, which had turned purple-gold, did not emit any light, yet the space between him and Zhang Lexuan suddenly became bright.

Looking into his eyes, which seemed to contain endless vortexes, Zhang Lexuan felt her mind go completely blank again, and she finally noticed the abnormality of her soul power going out of control.

But in the next instant, everything seemed to return to absolute stillness. A series of joyful, sacred, and vibrant dragon roars resounded directly deep within her soul.

"Long time no see, Lexuan."

Kong Tianxu exhaled softly, and his body gently floated up from the ground.

The surrounding space seemed to have subtly changed. Before Zhang Lexuan could see it clearly, the distance between them had vanished.

He gently opened his arms, but then pulled her tightly into his embrace.

Before Zhang Lexuan's eyes, those deep, boundless eyes were gone, and the dullness in her gaze returned to its liveliness. But at this moment, she found herself nestled in a warm and expansive embrace.

"Le Xuan." The soft voice was like a dream, as if awakening a soul that had been sleeping deep in the past.

That gentle tone, brimming with complex emotions, stirred Zhang Lexuan's heart, almost making her intoxicated. She realized that she had lost control once again—this time not of her soul power, but of her body and her will.

Her hands, instinctively raised, somewhat awkwardly, yet continued to reach forward and embrace his broad waist and back.