Chapter 592: A Threat to the Celestials

Lian said nothing for a few seconds, but he quickly understood what Rhaenar meant.

His father.

The patriarch of the Vorhelm Family.

The man who was supposed to return to the center of the family’s power soon, after being absent for a long time.

He frowned slightly, as this was strange. If his father was truly against launching a large-scale attack on the Heavenly Realm, he probably had a serious reason.

But what reason could that be? Did he know something about the native forces that the others did not?

Or was he pursuing a completely different goal?

Lian opened his mouth.

"Before you ask, I don’t know the reason either." Rhaenar spoke first, then added after a short pause,

"When you see your father, ask him yourself."

Lian nodded, although he was still unsure whether he even wanted to see his father.

Silence fell between them for a while, and he looked at the Ancestral Mark on the back of his hand.

He had learned a lot about the Heavenly Realm during their conversation, but his most important questions remained unanswered.

On the other hand, there was something Rhaenar might be able to explain in more detail.

He raised his head.

"I have another question."

"It seems your questions never end." The patriarch looked at him.

"After all, I don’t get the chance to talk to a Celestial every day." The young Vorhelm replied calmly.

"You’re making good use of this opportunity."

Rhaenar sat down again.

"Ask."

Lian paused for a moment.

"What do you know about the Indestructible Body and the Golden Nine-Dragon Soul?"

This time, he expected to see at least a small change in the patriarch’s expression, but Rhaenar neither looked surprised nor even raised his eyebrows.

He simply looked at Lian for a few seconds before slowly nodding.

"So my guess was correct. You managed to form both of them."

"You know about them?"

"Of course, and I suspected that you had obtained them. The structure of your body and soul shows it."

Rhaenar gave his answer so naturally that it sounded as if Lian had asked him about an ordinary skill.

But then he continued,

"However, knowing about a structure is different from seeing someone who has actually formed it. Even among the great families, achievements like these are uncommon."

His gaze remained on Lian for a moment.

"What percentage of completion have you reached?"

"Twenty percent for both."

"Then you’re still at the very beginning." The man gave a small smile.

Lian nodded.

"The system says that every twenty percent increase in completion makes the structure ten times stronger."

"That’s correct, but you need to understand exactly what that means."

The patriarch placed his hand on the table.

"Most Awakened believe that when their attributes increase, all their actual power grows by the same amount. This is somewhat true during the lower evolutions, but the higher you go, the more important the limits of your body and soul become."

"Imagine two people with the same physical strength attribute. One has an ordinary body, while the other’s muscles, bones, and force-transfer pathways have been refined. What do you think would happen if they collided directly?"

"The second person would probably transfer more force and put less pressure on his own body."

"Exactly."

Rhaenar nodded.

"The Indestructible Body takes this concept to a much higher level."

He explained that Lian’s body was no longer just a collection of strengthened organs. Every part of his body had reached a higher and more balanced level of quality through the refinement process.

His muscles could produce more force, while his bones and internal organs could withstand greater pressure.

"At full completion, the physical quality of such a body can be compared to that of the most powerful monster races."

Lian raised an eyebrow.

"Even the World Devourer Giants?" As far as he knew, that race was considered to have the strongest physical bodies among all monsters.

Even his Ancient-rank armor had been made from the corpse of a monster belonging to that same race.

"Yes. Of course, there are many differences within that monster race itself, but you can understand the level I’m talking about."

Rhaenar paused.

"At one hundred percent completion, the Indestructible Body makes physical invulnerability almost a reality. But that doesn’t mean you become immune to every power in the world."

Lian nodded, as he understood the difference between physical durability and dealing with a power like the Essence of the End.

The patriarch continued,

"There are powers that don’t even need to overcome your body’s normal resistance. Some target the soul, some destroy the mana structure, and others can even affect deeper concepts."

His expression became slightly more serious.

"So never assume that you can directly withstand every attack just because your body has become more durable."

"I learned that one already." Lian gave a faint smile.

Rhaenar did not ask anything, but he seemed to understand that this statement was probably related to what had happened in the prison.

"What about the Golden Nine-Dragon Soul?" Lian asked.

Rhaenar clasped his fingers together.

"That one might become even more valuable than the Indestructible Body in the future. The souls of most Awakened grow stronger as their Soul attribute increases, but the basic structure of their souls still has its own limits, just like their bodies."

"The Golden Nine-Dragon Soul doesn’t just increase your defense. It changes the structure of your soul and creates nine dragon guardians formed from your original soul."

Lian nodded.

"I’ve seen them."

Rhaenar smiled.

"Then you probably realized that they aren’t separate creatures."

"Yeah. Each one is a part of my soul."

"Correct, and that’s what makes them important."

Rhaenar explained that the nine guardians could examine the energy flows entering and leaving Lian’s soul and adjust them when necessary.

At the lower stages, this ability mainly increased stability and resistance to soul damage.

However, at higher stages, when soul powers became more complex and dangerous, having such a structure could make the difference between maintaining control and having one’s soul collapse.

Lian remembered the nine enormous golden dragons flying around the main structure of his soul.

"They can attack, too."

Rhaenar nodded.

"And that ability also grows as the completion percentage increases. But remember that the power of a soul attack doesn’t depend only on the amount of energy. The quality of your enemy’s soul, their resistance, and the difference between your levels also matter."

He leaned forward slightly.

"When completion reaches one hundred percent, the Golden Nine-Dragon Soul will become the Soul of the Nine Dragon Emperors. That stage cannot be compared to what you have now. At that point, your soul will become completely immortal."

Lian remained silent for a few seconds.

The Soul of the Nine Dragon Emperors.

"Then how do I increase the completion percentage?"

"For the Indestructible Body, you need to improve the quality of your body step by step. Ordinary energy isn’t enough. You need suitable resources for refinement, deeper refinement, and materials whose quality is higher than that of your body’s current structure."

Rhaenar raised one finger.

"But the strength of the resource isn’t the only thing that matters. Compatibility is also important. If you absorb energy that your body’s structure cannot properly adapt to, you might suffer serious damage instead of increasing your completion."

"The dragon blood was an example of that. Your body was compatible with it, and it was a very valuable refinement resource. You need something of at least equal value, or something even more valuable."

Something even more valuable than the blood of a Demon?

Where was he supposed to find something like that, especially at his current level?

"The same applies to the Golden Nine-Dragon Soul. You need to find soul resources of higher quality."

Lian listened carefully, but he did not look happy.

Finding resources as valuable as the blood of a Demon would not be easy even for a Celestial, let alone someone like him who had only completed his First Evolution.

"And can I find these resources in the Ruined Realm?"

Rhaenar shook his head.

"Maybe some of them, but for the higher stages? That’s unlikely."

He paused.

"Sooner or later, you’ll have to enter the Heavenly Realm."

He let out a quiet breath.

The Heavenly Realm again. It seemed that no matter which path he considered, he always ended up at the same world.

Rhaenar continued,

"The true value of these two structures will become clear when you reach the Celestial level."

"Because at that point, the quality of your body and soul will greatly affect how much power you can control and release."

"Two Celestials might have very different energy reserves, but the one with a superior body and soul can use his power at a much higher level and for a much longer time."

"And if you have completed both the Indestructible Body and the Soul of the Nine Dragon Emperors by then... no other Celestial will be able to stand against you."

A calm smile appeared on his face.

"But no one has ever reached that level. Anyone who has managed to obtain even one of these two structures has been killed without difficulty."

"The Celestials won’t allow such a threat to grow."

"....????..."