Changes in the Outside World: Tang San Got Tricked
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Yunwu Mountain, within the Body Sect.
Yang Xiong had been gone for a full year, and in that year, the Body Sect had undergone earth-shaking changes.
Recently, the Grand Elder of the Body Sect, Lin Gong, and the Fifth Elder, Dragon Duke Meng Shu, had both broken through to the Title Douluo level.
Back when the three great single-attribute clans, including the Meng clan, signed an alliance treaty with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, it included agreements to assist one another in obtaining spirit rings.
Ning Fengzhi was delighted at the news of these two breakthroughs. After all, Lin Gong was also an elder of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and Meng Shu had grown very close to the sect in recent times. Having allies like this made the sect's safety more secure than ever.
Led by Sword Douluo, along with the five elders of the Body Sect, they went out to hunt spirit rings together.
With a Title Douluo and five peak Soul Douluos working together, there was no spirit beast in the world they could not hunt,especially since neither of the two sought a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring.
Lin Gong, a plant-type spirit master, already had his target,a spirit beast not in the Star Dou Forest, but in a special plant forest: an over 85,000-year-old plant-type spirit beast, one of the finest of its kind.
If Yang Xiong had been there, he would have recognized it as the Blue Silver King from the Blue Silver Forest,a top-tier beast, especially since it carried royal blood, with extremely strong vitality, perfectly suited for Lin Gong's Purple Radiance Bamboo.
Although the Blue Silver King dwelled deep in its forest, it could not resist Sword Douluo and the five peak Soul Douluos. In the end, it was surrounded and killed.
For Meng Shu's ninth spirit ring, the group ventured into the core area of the Star Dou Forest and hunted an 80,000-year-old dragon-type spirit beast,another rare, top-tier specimen, perfect for his Dragon-Head Cane.
Now, Lin Gong and Meng Shu had both reached rank 91 Title Douluo. In terms of top-level strength, the Body Sect was no weaker than the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
The Second Elder, Yang Wudi, had reached rank 85; the Third Elder, Niu Gao, rank 87; and the Fourth Elder, Bai He, rank 84. Their strength had increased rapidly.
Through research by Yang Wudi and Dugu Bo, they had even developed a method to transfer toxins into spirit bones. Dugu Bo, fascinated by poison refinement, frequently visited Yunwu Mountain, spending most of his time in Yang Wudi's alchemy room.
Of course, the old man could be arrogant, relying on his Title Douluo status, but after a few sparring matches with Yang Wudi, his confidence took a hit,after all, as a Title Douluo, losing to a Soul Douluo was embarrassing.
As Yang Xiong had planned, both the Body Sect and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect kept a low profile. The news of the breakthroughs was not publicized; instead, efforts focused on training disciples, especially the younger generation.
With full support from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's resources, the sect's disciples improved greatly, and several new Soul Douluos even emerged.
This was in part due to the rare medicinal herbs Yang Xiong had left for Yang Wudi and Lin Gong.
When the five elders learned Yang Xiong had gone to the City of Slaughter, their expressions varied,some worried, some impressed, some admiring,but no disorder arose.
As Yang Xiong had instructed, Lin Gong was to manage everything according to the existing plans.
Lin Gong's strength and close ties with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect ensured smooth cooperation between the two sects. Yang Xiong trusted that the Body Sect's members, bound by shared interests, would not break the alliance.
Besides, Lin Gong was clearly aligned with Yang Xiong, Meng Shu was close to him, and Yang Wudi deeply respected Yang Xiong for the rare herbs he had provided. In the short term, nothing would disrupt the sect's unity.
Lin Gong also devoted special attention to training the dozen or so disciples with Body Spirits, using the body refinement method Yang Xiong had designed, while fostering their loyalty to Yang Xiong.
Fasno Province, at a secluded waterfall.
Under the cascading water, Tang San swung a wooden hammer tirelessly. Each strike seemed to carry immense force, unaffected by the pounding waterfall.
Since switching to the wooden hammer, his training speed had slowed compared to the iron hammer.
Yet under the waterfall's impact, his physique improved rapidly, far surpassing his former self. His spirit power cultivation speed had not slowed at all.
Strike after strike, Tang San's blows built upon each other. At the eighty-first strike, the wooden hammer seemed like a black dragon, as if it could split the waterfall apart.
Overjoyed, Tang San shouted, "Father, I've done it! I can finally unleash eighty-one strikes!"
Tang Hao nodded with satisfaction. "Xiao San, you've done well these past two years. But don't get complacent,the next training will be even harsher."
Even without adding spirit rings to the Clear Sky Hammer, Tang San's hammer technique was no weaker than that of the Clear Sky Sect's disciples.
When he had trained with the iron hammer, it took him eight months to master the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Technique under the waterfall. With the wooden hammer, it had taken a year and four months,an entire year longer, mainly because he had not undergone ice-fire body tempering.
A year ago, Tang Hao had given him an exceptional head spirit bone, seemingly a top-grade power-type bone over 30,000 years old.
With the bone's boost and his relentless training, Tang San had reached rank 50 half a year earlier.
Following Tang Hao's and Yu Xiaogang's belief that spirit power could keep growing even without adding rings, they had not rushed to obtain his next one.
Now that Tang San's wooden hammer training was complete, it was time to focus on his martial soul. Tang Hao decided to take him for his fifth spirit ring.
However, when they arrived at the Blue Silver Forest, it felt lifeless, lacking its usual vibrant aura.
Tang Hao's eyes widened. "Impossible! How could anyone kill the Blue Silver King?"
Tang San examined the area. "Father, judging from the surroundings, there must have been a large-scale battle here months ago."
Hearing this, Tang Hao coughed up blood, his eyes filled with unwillingness, murmuring, "What now? Without the Blue Silver King, how can Xiao San's martial soul undergo its second awakening?"
Tang San, puzzled, asked, "Father, what's so special about this forest? I see a lot of Blue Silver Grass here."
Tang Hao sighed. "It's my mistake. I never thought someone could kill the Blue Silver King. Your entire training plan will have to change."
When Tang San pressed further, Tang Hao explained, "The Blue Silver King was an extremely powerful 85,000-year plant spirit beast,normally only chosen for the ninth spirit ring of a plant-type Title Douluo. Now, I suspect there's a new plant-type Title Douluo in the world."
"Xiao San, I once told you that after your fifth or sixth spirit ring, the weakness of Blue Silver Grass would be fundamentally resolved. But now… things have changed."
Tang San frowned. "Does my Blue Silver Grass martial soul have something unusual about it?"
Tang Hao finally said, "It's time you knew the truth. Your martial soul isn't ordinary Blue Silver Grass,it's the Blue Silver Emperor from your mother."
Shocked, Tang San quickly asked, "Father, I've never met my mother. What kind of person was she to give me the Blue Silver Emperor martial soul?"
With a bitter smile, Tang Hao revealed, "Your mother wasn't human,she was a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast in human form, a Blue Silver Emperor."
Tang San was stunned. "That's impossible… Is she like Xiao Wu?"
Tang Hao nodded. "Yes. Like Xiao Wu, she was a hundred-thousand-year transformed spirit beast, but she was the gentlest, kindest being in the world. Unfortunately, fate kept us apart."
Tang San's voice trembled. "Where is my mother now? I grew up without her, more than anyone else I've longed for a mother's love."
Tang Hao's expression dimmed. "I'm sorry, Xiao San, but you'll never see her again. When our whereabouts were discovered by the Spirit Hall, the former Pope Qian Xunji hunted us down. Your mother sacrificed herself to save me."
"All that's left of her is a single Blue Silver Emperor seed,the plant you saw near the waterfall."
Tang San's eyes burned with hatred. He trembled with rage at the thought that Spirit Hall had killed his mother.
Silence fell. After a long while, Tang San spoke, "Father, I will make Spirit Hall pay. I will avenge my mother."
Tang Hao nodded. "Of course. We will settle this debt. I already gravely wounded Qian Xunji, and he died not long after. But Spirit Hall used the opportunity to attack the Clear Sky Sect, causing heavy casualties and forcing them to expel me. The number one sect in the world had to go into hiding. I will never forget this hatred."
After discussing the past, Tang San understood what had happened and grew even more resentful toward Spirit Hall.
He then asked, "Father, why did you bring me to the Blue Silver Forest this time?"
Tang Hao replied seriously, "Your martial soul inherited your mother's bloodline but has not fully awakened. The Blue Silver King here was one of her subjects,its help might have allowed your Blue Silver Grass to evolve into the Blue Silver Emperor."
Tang San quickly asked, "So what now? Can my martial soul still awaken?"
Tang Hao shook his head. "I have no way. Your mother left behind a hundred-thousand-year spirit bone, but it was stolen. I've searched for years with no clues. Now the Blue Silver King is dead, and without it, I don't know how to trigger your second awakening. Perhaps this is fate's punishment."
In the end, father and son decided to at least find a suitable spirit ring for Tang San's Blue Silver Grass.
As for a second awakening, they had no means. There was no precedent in history for a martial soul awakening twice,let alone something as ordinary as Blue Silver Grass.
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