Chapter 16: Rejecting the Unwanted Son-in-Law

Chapter 16: Rejecting the Sickly Son-in-Law

The morning sunlight always feels exceptionally warm upon the skin.

The caravan set off slowly. In a carriage near the back of the procession, a handsome boy sat inside.

His eyes were closed, and a faint golden glow shimmered over his body.

Ever since he had connected with the Heart of the God using his soul power, he had been completely immersed in the wonderful rhythm emanating from it.

Now he had figured out the function of that crystalline tablet.

The Heart of the God had, through tens of thousands of years of accumulation, transformed his body. He had never come into contact with soul bones before, so he didn’t know exactly how much his bones had been enhanced, but they were definitely hundreds of times harder than steel.

At this moment, he could feel the toughness of his skin, the density of his muscles and bones, and the overall improvement in his physical qualities.

Every cell in his body contained incredible power. He opened his eyes, focused his mind, and the cells in his hand released this stored energy. Instantly, his entire palm was enveloped in a golden light.

The first sensations were sharpness and indestructibility.

“So this is the power of Geng metal,” he murmured.

He then took out a brush from his bag.

"When I get to Spirit Soul City, I must get myself a soul-guided device," he thought.

The power in his hand moved with his will, easy and effortless to control, without any resistance. After a moment, the entire brush was covered with a faint golden gleam, clearly infused with the power of Geng metal.

Zhong Yan examined the brush, which looked unchanged, and held it like a sword. Using the tip, he gently scraped a corner of the table inside the carriage.

“There’s no resistance at all, just like wielding the Spear of Piercing Rainbow. Actually, having the Spear of Piercing Rainbow is more convenient,” he mused.

“Rock Spear!” He quickly condensed a spear made of rock, channeling the Geng metal power from his hand into the spear. “It really works, and I barely feel any consumption of the Geng metal power inside me. Low energy cost seems to be another advantage.”

The Geng metal power derived from the crystalline tablet was just a small taste; the real treasure was this.

Zhong Yan’s gaze shifted to the Heart of the God, which had dimmed by a quarter, proving that a quarter of the power contained within now belonged to him.

The strength gained in his physique was straightforward and objective, but the improvement in his soul power was uncertain since he had not yet acquired his third soul ring.

When he absorbed a quarter of the power from the Heart of the God, he obtained a skill named “Invincible Shield.”

“Rejecting the sickly son-in-law,” Zhong Yan stretched out a hand, mimicking the posture of the Emperor God, though it was just for show—he didn’t actually summon the Jade Shield.

If he caused such a large soul power fluctuation inside the carriage, anyone outside might ask questions.

“Safety, pure safety, I feel completely secure. Once I get the third soul ring, no one below the Soul Emperor will dare harm even a single hair on me. Heh heh heh.”

The key to the Jade Shield was the third soul ring. To conform to the world’s rules, the Heart of the God placed the ability to link with the Earth Vein in his third soul ring. Next, all he had to do was kill a suitable soul beast at the right age. The soul skills were fixed anyway.

“Heh heh heh, a ten-thousand-year third soul ring,” Zhong Yan chuckled foolishly at the thought. With his current physical strength, a ten-thousand-year soul ring was no problem.

The Jade Shield required connection to the Earth Vein; otherwise, why would other characters’ shields rival those of the Emperor God?

Then Zhong Yan took out the Heavenly Star—that very orb that often floated around the Emperor God. Upon acquiring the Jade Shield, the Heart of the God also handed him the Heavenly Star and its usage instructions.

“Eh heh,” Zhong Yan began imitating the Emperor God, controlling the Heavenly Star as it circled around him. Before long, he got the hang of it and was thoroughly enjoying himself.

After playing enough, he let the Heavenly Star float beside him and lowered his head, speaking solemnly:

“To command the myriad transformations of heaven and earth, one must link to the Earth Vein. Otherwise, how could this little frame of mine bear the Heavenly Star’s consumption? Besides, petrification and other rule-based powers are beyond my current reach. All of these depend on my third soul ring.”

“But what exactly is the Earth Vein in this world? Or perhaps every world has its own Earth Vein. If that’s true... wow, the Emperor God is truly formidable—able to connect to the Earth Vein of any world. Isn’t that far stronger than those gods in the Divine Realm who have to find an heir to leave?”

“Go wherever I want. No matter who rules this world, no matter its laws, if the Heart of the God wants to connect to your Earth Vein, it will. I am the rule itself!”

(This is the divine status I’ve set. In the future, his divinity certainly won’t fall under the jurisdiction of the Divine Realm of Douluo.)

Zhong Yan crossed his arms, seemingly disdainful of everything before him, proudly declaring, “I am the Earth!” (He initially said “Sun” but crossed it out.)

Only the Heavenly Star floated gently by his side, witnessing this moment of childish grandiosity.

(End of chapter)