In an instant, a wave of agonizing, heart-wrenching pain crashed over him.
The next second, a massive chunk of Lance’s soul was violently ripped away.
"Fk! That hurts!!"
Lance’s face went deathly pale, sweat pouring down his forehead. He knew this was only happening because his Undying God-Body was filtering out ninety-nine percent of the pain signals. That remaining one percent still felt like having his arm sawed off while fully conscious.
Pain at the soul level was beyond the imagination of those bound by flesh. Compared to this direct assault on the core of his consciousness, physical torture was a walk in the park.
Hum—!!!
A massive surge of psionic energy erupted within Lance’s consciousness space. The energy acted like a tidal wave, rushing toward the jagged wound in his soul. Lance gritted his teeth, desperately running the core algorithms of the Soul Obliteration Protocol.
Soon, the torn soul fragments dissolved into countless tiny motes of light, merging into every single cell of his body via his neural synapses. The recovery was incredibly swift. Within minutes, the spiritual trauma had completely sealed.
System Alert: Psionic reserves consumed: 30 points. Minor soul damage repaired. Soul Strength: +30!
System Alert: Soul fragments merged with the physical body. Constitution (CON): +3.
Lance raised an eyebrow. "One repair cycle gives thirty points of Soul Strength. But... the recovery speed is still too slow. The soul really is the most fragile part of the human body. Even with the Undying God-Body, I can't achieve instant regeneration here."
Lance’s expression grew solemn. His Undying God-Body currently leaned toward physical regeneration. The system had stated that he could recover even if ninety-nine percent of his body was destroyed, provided his soul integrity remained above ten percent. For now, soul trauma was still his Achilles' heel.
But then, he smirked. "Even if it takes a few minutes to fix a minor wound, I can repeat this dozens of times an hour. That’s 600 Soul Strength per hour. At this rate, I’ll step into the Grandmaster Psion realm within a day! Toss in the 16x multiplier from Stage 4 shredding, and no one on Planet Silvermoon will be able to stand against me."
The sheer speed of this growth made the pain a triviality. Besides, he still had his "Exploit" trump card. If he fixed the flaws in this method, the results would be even more monstrous.
System Alert: Congratulations! You have learned the Forbidden Method: Soul Obliteration Protocol! Current Proficiency: Stage 1 Shredding. Psionic Output Multiplier: 200%!
"System, scan for exploits in this method!"
System Alert: Scan complete. Soul Obliteration Protocol contains 1 Trillion logical exploits! Would you like to execute a full reconstruction?
Lance’s pupils contracted. One trillion exploits?
The base number was staggering, which meant the ceiling for this technique was astronomically high. The last time he’d seen a number like that was during the awakening of his Undying God-Body.
"Reconstruct! Fix every single one of them!!"
System Alert: Directive confirmed. Commencing Reconstruction Program...
Rumble—!!!
A titanic stream of data flooded Lance’s mind. As he processed the new cultivation algorithms, he was left in absolute awe. Finally, as the transfer finished, a brand-new method appeared in his mind.
System Alert: Reconstruction complete. Your Soul Obliteration Protocol has evolved into: Eternal Soul Protocol (Eternal Rank)!
Eternal Soul Protocol
Rank: Eternal (Beyond Legendary).
Effect: Actively deconstructs the soul to stimulate hyper-evolution. The repair process drastically increases Soul Strength, and the deconstructed psionic particles deeply temper the physical body.
Reconstructed Trait: Eliminates all pain-related side effects. As long as the user survives the soul deconstruction, higher stages of shredding can be unlocked.
Shredding Stages & Multipliers:
Stage 1 (10% Deconstruction): 2x Multiplier.
Stage 2 (20% Deconstruction): 4x Multiplier.
Stage 3 (50% Deconstruction): 8x Multiplier.
Stage 4 (Divide into 3 fragments): 16x Multiplier.
Stage 5 (Divide into 10 fragments): 32x Multiplier.
Stage 6 (Divide into 100 fragments): 64x Multiplier.
...
Stage 10 (Void Reassembly): 1024x Multiplier!
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Lance went silent as he stared at the data. A 1024x multiplier...
This method was the ultimate artifact of psionic cultivation. It lived up to every bit of the one trillion exploits it cost. He had originally just wanted a dual-cultivation method, but with this, he didn't need anything else. If he needed more physical power later, he could just find a dedicated body-forging art.
Even better, proficiency for this method didn't rely on time; it relied on endurance. As long as you could survive the soul-tearing, you could unlock the maximum level instantly. He also noticed that while the original version gave a 16x boost for dividing the soul into ten pieces, the reconstructed version gave 32x for the same effort.
"The System is basically forcing me to go the Psion route. Let’s test it. According to the System's projections, Stage 5 should be within my safety threshold."
Lance centered himself and closed his eyes again.
Hum—!!!
His consciousness plunged into his Consciousness Hub. The orb representing his soul floated there peacefully. "Initiate deconstruction."
Ten mental hands materialized around the orb.
Vroom—!!!
The hands gripped the soul from different angles and yanked. Lance’s soul was instantly shredded into ten pieces. True to the reconstruction’s description, there was zero pain.
However, while the pain was gone, a sense of extreme weakness from the very core of his being washed over him. It was the signal that his life essence had been compromised.
"The System wasn't lying. Pain is gone, but if I push past the limit, I’ll still die."
Lance immediately abandoned any thought of trying a higher stage. The goal was to get stronger, not to commit suicide. If the System said the threshold was ninety percent, he wouldn't push it.
Hum!!!
Violent psionic waves erupted in his hub. The largest fragment of his soul began devouring energy to repair itself, while the other nine fragments flew out of the hub and merged with his cells. Lance could feel his control over every muscle and nerve sharpening at an impossible speed.
Simultaneously, his Soul Strength began to explode at an exponential rate. It wasn't just a growth in volume; it was a leap in quality. As his soul evolved, the core of the Solar Stellar Flame floating in his hub began to compress. The crimson fireball gradually turned a brilliant gold, its heat output increasing dozens of times over.
"Stage 5 Shredding... 32x multiplier..."
This terrifying sense of power convinced Lance that if he went all out now, even a weaker Grandmaster might be one-shotted. Because the damage was so severe, the repair process took a full thirty minutes.
System Alert: Psionic reserves consumed: 300 points. Severe soul damage repaired. Soul Strength: +300!
System Alert: Your Psionic Rank has reached: Gold Tier, Rank 1!
System Alert: Soul particles merged with the physical body. Constitution (CON): +100.
System Alert: Your Martial Rank has reached: Gold Tier, Rank 1!
System Alert: Congratulations! You have achieved 'Stage 5 Shredding.' Passive multiplier gained: Psionic output intensity increased by 3200%!
"Fk... three sub-ranks in thirty minutes? Jumping straight from Silver to Gold Rank? This is literal cheating!"
Lance’s hands were shaking. Tearing the soul took a minute, and fixing it took thirty. For an ordinary cultivator, even a planetary-level powerhouse, soul damage would take centuries to heal. But Lance, through the perfect synergy of the Undying God-Body and the Eternal Soul Protocol, had turned a suicidal practice into a shortcut to godhood.
He opened his status panel.
User Status Panel
Name: Lance
Reconstruction Quota: 0/3 (Refreshes daily)
Martial Rank: Gold Tier, Rank 1
Psionic Rank: Gold Tier, Rank 1
Constitution (CON): 1,054 (1 point ≈ 300kg explosive force)
Soul: 1,035
Traits:
? SSS-Rank Undying God-Body (Combat Power +300%)
? SS-Rank Elemental Saint Body (Comprehension/Affinity +3000x)
? C-Rank Titanium War Body (Speed +300%, Defense +500%)
? S-Rank Solar Stellar Flame
War Arts:
? Titanium War Art (Fine / Perfect / Cultivation Speed +300%)
? Eternal Soul Protocol (Legendary / Stage 5 Shredding / 32x Multiplier)
? Titanium War Art (Fine / Perfect / Punch Force +400%)
Pet:
? Infernal Cerberus-Dragon (Tier 4, 1-Star)
Looking at the panel, Lance felt a surge of pride. "With this strength, there are only a handful of people on Silvermoon who can even take a hit from me."
He wasn't being arrogant. Real Grandmaster powerhouses often held high-tier War Arts and powerful gear, or even unique talents. But with a 32x psionic multiplier and a 3x physical multiplier, his combined output was firmly within the Grandmaster threshold.
"An hour and a half until the quota resets. I need to get my weapon and new skills ready so I can do three more sessions of extreme cultivation."
Lance opened the Marketplace. His priority was a weapon and matching skills. The first War Art had to be a fire-based psionic skill to pair with his multiplier. For the second, he had planned on a fist technique, but he realized that with his reconstruction ability, he’d eventually get god-tier weapons. Fighting with just his fists seemed like a waste, and his Basic Military CQC was enough for now.
"Marketplace, analyze my combat data. Which weapon maximizes lethality while fitting my 'exchange wounds for kills' style?"
“Analyzing... Recommended weapon type: Spear.”
Lance blinked. "A spear? I mean, they’re cool, but why a spear?"
“Data shows that high-level swordsmen and brawlers tend to rely on ranged energy waves (sword qi/fist intent). Only Spear Masters, even those with aura, lean toward extremely high-risk close-quarters thrusts. This style has a high mortality rate but the highest instantaneous lethality. Furthermore, a spear's reach and penetration perfectly complement your 'Undying' trait—you can ignore defense and simply trade lives.”
The AI’s logic was flawless.
"I see. It really is a perfect fit for an 'Undying Berserker' like me." Lance rubbed his chin. "Done. Search for a Tier 3, top-quality fire-attribute spear! The most expensive one!"
Since the exchange was free, not picking the priciest option would be an insult to himself.
“Search complete.”
A projection of a crimson spear appeared.
Crimson Dragon Spear
Grade: Tier 3 - Rare
Material: Embedded with a Tier 3 Top-Quality Fire Void Core.
Effect: Inflicts high-energy burn damage.
Price: 100 Billion Credits (Redeemable).
Note: Redeemed items are soul-bound; returned to the Guild upon death.
Lance didn't care about the current stats. Once he reconstructed it, the weapon would be transformed.
"System, find me a Tier 3 Top-Quality Fire Supernatural Skill! And a matching Spear Art! I want the highest power output possible!"
“Directive received. Searching...”
Two new skill books appeared on the screen.
Inferno Domain Spear Art
Grade: Tier 3 - Top Quality.
Difficulty: 7 Stars.
Power: 8 Stars.
Description: Infuses the spear with fire psionic energy, creating a devastating high-temperature field.
Restriction: Requires B-Rank or higher Flame Affinity for full power.
Price: 140 Billion Credits.
"Perfect. I’ve got S-Rank Solar Stellar Flame; this spear art was made for me."
Lance grinned. He knew that simply enchanting a weapon with fire was one thing, but a true Supernatural Skill could amplify his 32x multiplier by several times more, resulting in destructive power over a hundredfold. That was why he needed a pure psionic skill as his ace.
"Spear arts and brawling are for the regular rhythm of a fight—good for throwing people off. When it’s life or death, I’ll show them what true despair looks like."
Lance turned his attention to the final icon. His eyes lit up instantly.
