The path of the Soul Emperor

Chapter 3

In just one hour of cultivating, Alex had already reached the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm.

His mysterious soul had taken on a nascent-like form, granting him the ability to use Soul Sense.

As he activated it, everything within a 50-meter radius became vividly clear to him, revealing details as if he were seeing through the eyes of a god.

Recognizing his extraordinary talent in soul cultivation, he continued refining his energy.

[Soul Foundation Stabilization: 100%]

The main reason Alex hadn't broken through earlier was because he was focused on stabilizing his soul, a process that required patience.

But thanks to his divine talent, he completed it in less than an hour, reaching the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm within the first 15 minutes of cultivating.

A silver aura enveloped him, its glow serene and calming.

Alex felt an overwhelming sense of refreshment as his cultivation progressed, ushering him into the next stage: the Infant Soul Stage.

His soul underwent a transformation, growing and maturing into an infant form, giving birth to more powerful Soul Essence.

As the night came to an end, a notification echoed within his mind.

[Ding!! You have broken through] [Infant Soul Middle Stage]

Opening his eyes, Alex thought, 'The higher the realm, the greater the difficulty. But if I keep pushing without rest, I should reach the peak again by the end of the week.'

He moved the rock blocking the entrance of his hideout, stepping outside as the sun's warm rays greeted him. Feeling energized, Alex stretched, though his muscles still felt slightly sore. 'Even with my current abilities, there's no way I can forcefully use my Soul Essence without risking my life,' he mused.

A familiar, mechanical voice replied.

[That's to be expected. The soul is a mysterious entity, difficult to comprehend. It could take you a hundred years to understand it enough to wield Soul Essence by force, and five hundred years to use it the way you're imagining. Unless, of course, you develop a skill to do so.]

'The problem with that is it takes an eternity to acquire such a skill,' Alex thought, shaking his head.

[There are ways to increase the amount of Arcane you can produce daily.]

'How?' Alex inquired.

[Simple. Upgrade your Arcane meridians.]

A new prompt appeared before him.

[Arcane Meridians Tier 0] – Requires 10 Arcane to upgrade.

'Well, that's straightforward. Why didn't you tell me this earlier?' Alex asked, slightly annoyed.

[You never asked.]

Alex let out a sigh, then continued on his way, this time searching for food. He hadn't eaten in over a day, and his stomach growled in protest.

Spreading his Soul Sense out to 150 meters, he scanned the surroundings until he detected a faint life force—a creature's soul.

Judging by its energy, it wasn't particularly powerful, and Alex guessed he could handle it with his current abilities.

When he arrived, he found a pig-like monster, its tusks protruding from its mouth, reminding him of the two Orcs who had nearly killed him before.

A flicker of anger crossed his eyes. 'Let's test this out.'

[Lv23] Pig

{Soul Emperor} - A state in which the host can use Soul Essence to enhance physical stats, provided the host's Soul Realm matches the level of power. (Current Realm: Infant Soul Middle Stage = D+ Rank)

A brilliant silver aura radiated around Alex, and a shimmering mark appeared on his forehead, glowing silver.

His eyes turned a deeper, more vibrant gold, and in that moment, he felt his strength surge.

He couldn't help but grin.

He dashed forward, his speed incredible, and struck the monster with a powerful punch.

The pig-like creature was sent flying, crashing into trees before it finally stopped moving.

"This is incredible," Alex said, grinning, but he soon felt the high energy drain.

Maintaining the D+ Rank state was exhausting, forcing him to drop down to E+ Rank.

Even at that level, his strength was remarkable, because his stats without Boosting with Soul Emperor was E+, but he felt a bit weak after experiencing the full power of D+.

The thrill of it had been intoxicating, as if he could take on the world.

Calming himself, he gauged his stamina. "I can sustain D+ Rank for about a minute, and E+ Rank for roughly five minutes."

This newfound skill was powerful, but its energy consumption was higher than he had anticipated.

Still, he understood why—boosting his physical stats to that level required significant Soul Essence.

Deactivating the skill, Alex approached the monster's lifeless body.

Despite being dead, it had been protecting something.

He noticed a cluster of eggs nestled nearby.

Alex's smile grew as he gathered them, already thinking of a meal.

He cooked the monster's meat along with the eggs, and after his hunger was sated, he lay back against a tree, surrounded by the remnants of his earlier battle.

For the first time in a while, he felt more confident—less vulnerable than before.

Just as he prepared to return to his small hideout, a sudden jolt in his senses alerted him.

He detected another soul rapidly approaching, entering the range of his Soul Sense at breakneck speed, heading straight for him.

Alex's grin widened. "With this level of strength, we'll be evenly matched."

He could already see the approaching figure, just 50 meters away, coming into view. "Running isn't going to help. Looks like it's time to face what's coming"

{Author's Note}

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