Chapter 339: Tang San's Advancement
The tense meeting finally concluded, but not without leaving lingering discord. Both Tai Nuo and Flender had voiced what many were secretly feeling, making it clear that this was a matter of life and death. After some discussion, Tai Nuo and Titan had a falling-out, resulting in the already diminished Strength Clan splintering further. A portion of the clan chose to follow Tai Nuo and leave, while the rest resolved to stay with Titan, continuing to wait near Sea God Island for any news of Tang San.
Shrek Academy's members were similarly divided, and the Golden Iron Triangle—the once inseparable trio—each made their own choice. Flender, along with Zhao Wuji and the others, decided to leave the group. This decision left Flender heartbroken; his lifelong friend and the woman he loved were about to part ways with him. Yet he still had a duty to fulfill, not only to his remaining friends but also to his disciple, Ma Hongjun. He needed to find them a safe path forward to avoid becoming nothing more than lost souls adrift at sea.
Zhao Wuji and the others, however, seemed less burdened. They had shared a period of time with Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong, but without the same deep bond of friendship. Yu Xiaogang's pride and Liu Erlong's single-minded devotion to him left little room for others. And while they respected Yu Xiaogang's intellect, none of them, as seasoned Soul Emperors and even a Soul Douluo, felt reverence for a mere Great Soul Master.
Their two boats soon parted ways: one headed north, the other west toward Sea God Island. Zhao Wuji and his group, though cautious, knew that even if they didn't join Tianxing Academy, they could survive on the Douluo Continent as independent soul masters. As long as they avoided direct conflict with the Wuhun Empire, they could still live fulfilling lives.
Meanwhile, unknown to them, Tang San had indeed made significant strides in strength. Recently, he had completed the third Sea God Island trial—Tidal Body Refinement—and received a rank increase, though his soul power remained at level 80 without a new spirit ring. Thanks to his rigorous training, his effective strength had reached around level 83, a testament to his relentless efforts over the past year. Even before Tidal Body Refinement, Tang San had nearly reached level 79, and he had been pushing himself to his limits ever since.
The Sea God seemed to favor Tang San's intensive training style, as if the trials had been crafted with his unique skills and martial spirit in mind. His fourth trial, however, diverged from the one in the original story. Instead of battling the Deep Sea Demon Whale, he was tasked with confronting a different marine soul beast species—the Illusory Sea Serpent.
The Illusory Sea Serpent was a rare and powerful marine beast, ideal for Tang San's poison-infused Blue Silver Grass, which had already absorbed multiple snake-based spirit rings. This sea serpent species, controlled by Sea Fantasy Douluo, was known for its bizarre ability to exist between reality and illusion, wielding toxic hallucinogens that made it one of the ocean's deadliest hunters.
With Xiao Bai leading the way, Tang San and his group eventually located the Illusory Sea Serpent's habitat, engaging in a fierce battle to eliminate the entire clan. Through a desperate struggle, Tang San managed to slay the serpent king, obtaining a precious hundred-thousand-year spirit ring and a head spirit bone.
After absorbing the spirit ring and spirit bone, Tang San's soul power surged to level 85, exceeding even his progress in the original story following his encounter with the Demon Orca King. This increase included the four-level soul power boost from completing the first four trials.
With his new abilities, Tang San gained four powerful spirit skills, and the Blue Silver Grass underwent a transformation, turning a deep shade of emerald. It now resembled the Dark Blue Silver Grass from the original story's future, with an added quality that allowed it to shift between physical and ethereal states, making it even more dangerous and unpredictable.
Rather than resting, Tang San relentlessly continued his training, beginning the next three trials in rapid succession. The fifth trial was a combat challenge against a random Titled Douluo. Given Tang San's strength, he could now defeat any of the seven sacred pillars, aside from Sea Dragon Douluo. Fortuitously, his opponent turned out to be Sea Fantasy Douluo, a test of his mental fortitude and eighth spirit skill.
After an intense duel, Tang San defeated Sea Fantasy Douluo with the help of his powerful head spirit bone, clearing the trial and raising his soul power to level 86.
The sixth trial, however, proved much tougher, requiring him to withstand Sea Dragon Douluo's attacks for the duration of a burning incense stick, while the seventh trial was even more challenging—surviving a half-stick's worth of time under Sea God Douluo Bo Saixi's relentless assault.
At level 86, Tang San's abilities allowed him to barely meet the sixth trial's demands. Sea Dragon Douluo, with his 95th-level soul power, wielded a martial spirit comparable to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Yu Yuanzhen, his prowess in the ocean even surpassing it. With his dark Blue Silver Grass, head spirit bone, and the array of hidden weapons from the Tang Sect, Tang San managed to endure Sea Dragon Douluo's attacks, though he emerged heavily wounded.
After completing the sixth trial, his soul power reached level 87. Taking only a few days to recover, he prepared himself for the final trial, which he'd have to face alongside his companions. Remarkably, compared to the original story, these trials seemed somewhat easier, though Tang San lacked several of his former advantages. He had no Killing God Domain, no Blue Silver Domain, nor his high-tier spirit bones or Eight Spider Lances, relying instead solely on the single spirit bone gained through the Sea God trials.
The final trial's difficulty, however, seemed tempered—possibly due to leniency from Bo Saixi or a reduced time requirement. Through a combination of his abilities, Tang San managed to survive the ordeal, though he was left nearly incapacitated. Despite this, his gaze held a fierce determination.
Upon completing the seven Sea God trials, Tang San was officially recognized as a candidate for Sea God Island's next Grand Worshiper, joining Ye Lingling, who had also passed her red-level trials and held the same honor.
After finishing the trials, Tang San's soul power had reached an impressive level 88, giving him a configuration of seven black rings and one red ring. He now held a unique position on Sea God Island, but to him, the island had become a vast prison. Although his strength had grown considerably, escaping from Sea God Island remained an immense challenge, with Bo Saixi herself keeping a close watch to prevent his departure.
As Yang Potian had once forewarned, while Tang San was relatively safe on Sea God Island, returning to the mainland would subject him to relentless pursuit from numerous Titled Douluos.
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