C3 Spirit Convergence

The bath was originally designed for cleansing the body after intense training sessions, but now Chen Dutian was using it to dissolve the Awakening Pill. If anyone found out that he was dissolving such a valuable pill in water, they would probably want to strangle him. Each Awakening Pill was worth a fortune, and here was Chen Dutian, seemingly wasting it. Such extravagance!

Splash!

Chen Dutian stripped off his clothes and jumped straight into the bath.

"Cosmic Energy Siphoning," he thought, as a powerful technique surfaced in his mind. It was a technique he had perfected over a million years in his past life, after studying countless methods across the universe. It was meant to be used once he ascended to the highest realm, but he had been betrayed and destroyed before he could realize his plans.

Inhale, exhale.

Chen Dutian took a deep breath, submerging his head beneath the water. As he inhaled deeply, every pore on his body opened up. The Awakening Pill dissolved instantly in the water, dispersing throughout.

Bubbles rose from his body, obscuring his form as if the water were boiling.

"All paths converge, all energies unite, master the cosmos," he murmured. The breath he had taken circulated within him, opening his pores fully, allowing the dissolved power of the Awakening Pill to flow into his body with the water.

The water's surface rippled gently, as if it were breathing.

"Power Node, open!"

Chen Dutian shouted underwater, and the force of the Awakening Pill surged into his mind. Deep within his consciousness, a hidden node was suddenly unlocked by the powerful energy.

Chen felt a lightness in his head, as if his very soul was about to take flight. The gray, misty space he found himself in was the world within the Power Node—empty and chaotic.

This was the Power Node space. Within the human body lies a chaotic universe, concealed in the Power Node. Only by unlocking this node can one begin their journey of cultivation and reach the pinnacle of all realms.

Rumor has it that the myriad worlds are formed from the Power Node spaces of countless strong individuals. Chen Dutian knew this wasn't just a myth but a reality. Apart from the singular realm, all other grand worlds are manifestations of the Power Node spaces of powerful beings who have passed on, creating the myriad worlds we see today.

"Node unlocked, Martial Spirit gathered."

For a warrior, unlocking the Power Node marks the first stage of Awakening, which consists of nine stages. In just a few breaths, Chen Dutian had reached the pinnacle of the Ninth Heaven.

Previously unable to cultivate, Chen Dutian, as the son of Lord Protector Chen Dou, held a status in the Phethia Dynasty that surpassed even some princes and princesses.

Chen Dutian grew up surrounded by medicine, consuming herbs and pills like they were candy. Although he couldn't cultivate or refine these substances himself, the House of Protector had skilled warriors who helped him absorb the medicinal power, making his body incredibly strong. Even without being a warrior, his physical strength surpassed those in the Sixth Heaven of the Awakening stage.

Most of the medicinal power remained stored in Chen Dutian's body. Since he couldn't cultivate, this power would gradually enhance his physique over time, though much of it would eventually dissipate and be wasted. With the cultivation experience from his past life and his naturally robust body, reaching the Ninth Heaven of the Awakening stage took only a few breaths.

"Cosmic Energy Siphoning," he murmured.

In the chaotic space of the Power Node, a figure rapidly took shape—it was Chen Dutian's likeness. The Martial Spirit is the essence of a warrior, essential for rapid progress in martial arts. Without it, a warrior is incomplete.

"Hmm?" Chen Dutian's face showed a hint of confusion.

A warrior's Martial Spirit typically mirrors their own image, though some unique spirits might resemble plants, animals, or weapons, influenced by their bloodline and cultivation techniques.

At this moment, Chen Dutian's Martial Spirit appeared, adorned with an imperial crown and a yellow robe. The robe was embroidered with top-tier mythical creatures like dragons and qilins, alongside a towering tree representing the World Tree. The cuffs of the robe were decorated with a vast array of stars.

This yellow robe and imperial crown were all too familiar to Chen Dutian. They were the same ones he wore when he ascended to the throne in his previous life. Around him, countless voices sang praises.

Listening closely, he could hear the chants of countless people calling out the name of the God-Emperor, which was his title in his past life. As the God-Emperor, he was hailed as the greatest across all realms and ages.

"This is the power of the countless hearts and minds from my past life, and it has followed me into this rebirth, manifesting as a phenomenon within my Martial Spirit space," Chen Dutian thought, his expression a mix of wonder and uncertainty. "In my past life, I was destroyed by someone who used the power of the people's hearts as fuel, with the world as a furnace. Now that I've been reborn, it's only natural that this power would follow me."

A smile appeared at the corner of Chen Dutian's mouth. Although he wasn't sure of its purpose now, the power of the people's hearts, which was exploited in his past life, had likely burned out with everyone who followed him. Now, transformed into a Martial Spirit phenomenon, it was bound to have some mysterious properties.

As a warrior, I trained through various stages: Awakening, Spirit Convergence, Astral Wandering, Skyflight, Theurgy, Apotheosis, Tribulation Crossing, Unbound, Revered, Overlord, and Supreme Ruler. It's rumored there's a level beyond Supreme Ruler, known as the Divine Sovereign. Even in my past life, I never reached it, though I sensed its existence. If I hadn't been betrayed, I might have harnessed the power of the people's will to glimpse that realm. Chen Dutian mused silently.

"Yan Chen, Yan Nantian," Chen Dutian's eyes flashed with a fierce determination. Yan Chen is the current emperor of the Phethia Dynasty, and Yan Nantian is the crown prince. In my past life, these two conspired with the Southern Barbarian Empire, fearing my growing power and potential to usurp the throne. They lured me and my army into the perilous mountains, nearly costing me my life. Simultaneously, within the capital, they falsely accused my family of treason, seeking to annihilate the House of Protector.

Qin Fan was merely a pawn of the Yan family, a weapon they wielded. He forged the imperial seal to frame my family for rebellion. At that time, no one in the court dared to speak for us—not out of fear, but because they envied and resented my meteoric rise. My success had inevitably stepped on powerful toes.

Chen Dutian's mother, unable to bear the humiliation, tragically ended her life. His fiancée, Song Meiyue, sacrificed her own happiness to save him by agreeing to marry Qin Fan. On their wedding night, she took her own life. Chen Dutian, hidden by Song Meiyue, began his journey in martial arts. Eventually, Chen Dou led an army back to the capital, overthrowing the Phethia Dynasty and its officials. He ascended the throne, naming the new empire Zhao, in memory of his late wife.

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