Douluo: Brains Over Bloodline

Thank you to our new Patrons: Tai Super Nerd Guy and I_Don't_Believe_It!

------------------------------------------------------

"Where did they come from?"

Yun Ming let out a long sigh and explained the origin of the files.

"There are eight similar files, and their signatures belong to my father?" Xu Yuan was startled.

"Just take a look."

Yun Ming gestured for Xu Yuan to switch to the other eight files.

Xu Yuan quickly complied, browsing through each file one by one. His gaze flickered as he carefully analyzed and thought about every symbol and pattern.

At first, he was confused, but gradually, it seemed he began to grasp something.

After reviewing all nine files, he manipulated the tablet to open all nine simultaneously, arranging them in a nine-square grid. His own file was placed in the center.

"Teacher, I think I know what these patterns represent."

Xu Yuan exhaled deeply and slowly began to speak.

Yun Ming watched Xu Yuan.

He had been studying these nine files for some time but hadn't arrived at any definitive conclusions.

What Xu Yuan was doing now, Yun Ming had also noticed.

Xu Yuan's file served as a kind of summary, condensing and integrating the other eight files.

However, Yun Ming still couldn't figure out what these patterns meant.

He hadn't expected that just handing the files over to Xu Yuan would lead him to develop a clear line of thinking so quickly.

Although it seemed Xu Yuan hadn't deciphered any hidden messages—since Xu Zhi hadn't left him any decryption methods—it appeared there was some unspoken understanding between them that allowed the information to be conveyed.

"These nine patterns revolve around your pattern as the main guideline, but as for their specific meanings, I've been studying them for a month and still haven't made any progress."

Xu Yuan looked at Yun Ming, his expression peculiar.

A month of study?

The nine files had only been obtained a month ago, and yet he had spent all this time researching them?

"I believe it's not just me—Chen Xinjie is likely studying them as well." Yun Ming's expression grew grave as he revealed the truth: "Intuitively, I can sense that these nine patterns contain an earth-shattering secret. Even I might gain some enlightenment from them."

Yun Ming gazed at Xu Yuan, his meaning clear.

If even he could gain enlightenment, what kind of enlightenment would it be about?

Godhood!

Xu Yuan was deeply shaken.

Could this be something his father left behind?

He wasn't sure what his father had been researching or why he had reached such a level.

Could human intellect truly reach this height?

Could purely theoretical research uncover the secrets of godhood?

After all, near-gods like Yun Ming could at least wield the forces of heaven and earth, control them with soul power, and yet they were still very much lost when it came to achieving godhood.

"You said you have a direction. What direction?" Yun Ming asked.

Xu Yuan took a deep breath and released his spiritual power.

Then came his soul power and blood essence, bursting outward from his body.

The three forces intertwined, forming a replica of one of the patterns in midair.

Yun Ming narrowed his eyes and observed the scene.

After a month of study, he had tried using his own power and even the forces of heaven and earth to sketch these patterns, but to no avail.

Though Xu Yuan was doing the same thing, Yun Ming didn't dismiss it outright. Instead, he watched Xu Yuan's actions closely.

Xu Yuan replicated the pattern and smiled, but then his face turned into one of endless confusion.

"Any insights?"

Yun Ming's voice interrupted Xu Yuan's daze. He snapped back to reality, his gaze complex.

"Teacher, do you remember my Heavenly Runes?"

"Isn't that something you developed yourself?" Yun Ming asked, puzzled.

Could it be that these nine files were related to Xu Yuan's Heavenly Runes?

Even Yun Ming himself felt somewhat confused.

It was Xu Yuan who had developed the Heavenly Runes system not too long ago. Why would it be connected to these patterns in files that had existed for who knows how long?

"I'm not saying these patterns are part of the Heavenly Runes. They're just similar to it."

Xu Yuan spoke, revealing the essence of the matter.

"Willpower!"

Willpower?

Yun Ming looked at Xu Yuan, waiting for him to continue.

"The Heavenly Runes is essentially the evolution of heaven and earth, shaped by my comprehension and the evolution of the forces of nature to form special runes. However, because my own will is embedded within them, I can recognize and define the runes. Take my Seal Rune, for example. Because my personal will is infused into it, the rune takes on the general shape of a seal and carries a spiritual intent that allows others to immediately grasp its meaning."

After listening to Xu Yuan's explanation, Yun Ming turned his gaze to the pattern Xu Yuan had drawn in the air using his spirit, energy, and essence.

So, does this pattern also contain willpower?

"No, this is just the purest form of the pattern. It has lost its willpower," Xu Yuan said.

He stared at the pattern in the air, unable to find any traces of circuits related to soul-guided arrays.

It wasn't that there were no similarities, but this was clearly not the result of simply combining soul-guided arrays. Nor could it be analyzed piece by piece from the perspective of soul-guided arrays.

It was perfectly natural.

The more Xu Yuan observed this pattern, the stronger this feeling became.

No wonder Yun Ming felt that these patterns could help him break through.

Still, Xu Yuan was somewhat shaken.

"What exactly was my father researching back then?"

Though shaken, Xu Yuan didn't question Xu Zhi's achievements.

Xu Yuan had stood on his father's shoulders multiple times and was well aware of Xu Zhi's accomplishments in research.

He knew that Tang Sect had a scientist who achieved peak combat power using an ordinary human body, transforming herself into something akin to a mech-like being—a madman.

Xu Zhi was also an ordinary person, but his research wasn't about modifying his own body. Instead, he studied the heavens and earth.

"Willpower…" Yun Ming's tone was complex.

Upon hearing this answer, he felt a hint of defeat in his heart.

How glorious had his life's achievements been?

His ultimate art, the Seven Forbidden Techniques, was fundamentally based on willpower.

His cultivation and integration of spirit, energy, and essence were all rooted in willpower.

Not long ago, Xu Yuan had developed the Heavenly Runes based on willpower, which had already shocked him. Now, to think that Xu Zhi, an ordinary man, had delved into the realm of willpower years ago and gained profound insights into it…

"Is achieving godhood related to willpower?" Yun Ming reflected on his current cultivation of willpower, wondering if he had met the conditions for a breakthrough.

No true hundred-level god-tier soul master had yet appeared in the history of soul masters. In the past, those who broke through the ninety-nine-level limit to achieve "hundred-level godhood" had relied on divine positions.

Strictly speaking, the soul master system and path hadn't yet reached the level of godhood.

Therefore, achieving a pure breakthrough without relying on divine positions was itself an expansion of the soul master path.

Without properly paving the way, rushing to break through would likely result in a fleeting bloom—quick to blossom, quick to wither. Without a solid foundation, one could only hover in the air momentarily before burning out and falling.

After receiving Elder Tree's advice, Yun Ming's primary focus had been contemplating how to expand the soul master path.

Now, with a slight breakthrough in analyzing these nine patterns, he couldn't help but ponder whether willpower could aid in expanding the soul master system.

"Xu Zhi… what was he researching all this for?"

------------------------------------------------------

40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow

There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)