In front of Yang Xiong were two items: a jade box and a lead box.
According to Lin Gong, in order to absorb a hundred-thousand-year soul ring, his martial soul had to evolve again, or his physical condition needed to improve significantly.
Yang Xiong opened the jade box. Inside lay a massive chrysanthemum, its petals a magnificent purple. Each petal was soft and furry, exuding an adorable appearance. The entire flower was seamless, yet it emitted no fragrance. The pistil in the center rose half a foot above the petals, its tip shimmering with a faint golden glow.
This was the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Yang Xiong's favorite among all immortal herbs.
The Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum was considered the pinnacle of immortal herbs. It could invigorate the limbs, circulate blood through the eight meridians, and help cultivate an indestructible body like that of Vajra.
Among all immortal herbs, the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum was the most compatible with Body Martial Souls.
Previously, Yang Xiong hadn't used it because he had consumed the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot. Now, six years had passed since his ice and fire tempering, and there should be no more conflicts between the herbs.
Without hesitation, Yang Xiong swallowed the pistil first, followed by all the petals.
Once the fuzzy petals of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum entered his mouth, a unique energy surged through his body. This energy seemed metallic in nature, rapidly impacting every inch of his skin and bones.
Even his meridians felt impacted, becoming significantly thicker.
Under the influence of the herb's potency, his body began to swell slightly, and his limbs expanded by nearly a full size.
Especially his bones—under the effects of the herb, they began to crackle audibly as golden energy flowed into each bone, even penetrating the marrow.
Compared to the pain of previous physical tempering, consuming the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum brought an overwhelming sense of comfort, almost as if it were purifying his body and restructuring his essence.
After an unknown amount of time, Yang Xiong finally felt the effects fully absorbed. His entire body felt incredibly light, brimming with strength. Most importantly, all his meridians had been completely unblocked after consuming the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum.
When Yang Xiong summoned his martial soul, his body turned blood-red as usual, but the white patterns on his skin had transformed into golden lines.
If his previous appearance seemed eerie, it now radiated an aura of immense might and dominance, exuding an overwhelmingly imposing presence.
After absorbing the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Yang Xiong didn't hesitate. He immediately took out the head spirit bone from the lead box.
Initially, Yang Xiong had planned to leave all six spirit bone slots for hundred-thousand-year spirit bones, or even higher-level ones.
But upon reflection, he realized he might not encounter so many hundred-thousand-year soul beasts. It would be better to absorb the head spirit bone now.
This eighty-five-thousand-year Blue Silver King head spirit bone was already considered top-tier among spirit bones. It far surpassed the head spirit bone from the Soul Master Tournament and was even stronger than the heritage spirit bones of the upper three sects.
Moreover, this spirit bone was an extremely rare life-attribute head spirit bone, making it exceptionally compatible with his Body Martial Soul.
When Yang Xiong finished absorbing the head spirit bone, his vision instantly became crystal clear, as if he could see through everything in the world. Even the slightest changes were laid bare before him.
At this moment, Yang Xiong felt his mental strength had truly reached the level of a Title Douluo. With this head spirit bone, he was confident he could withstand the mental attacks of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
Absorbing the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum and the head spirit bone took five full days, but Yang Xiong felt as though both his body and mental strength had undergone a transformation during this time.
When Yang Xiong returned to Yunwu Mountain with Lin Gong, the entire mountain had undergone significant changes.
The four great families were stationed in the four cardinal directions of Yunwu Mountain, and numerous structures had been added, especially defensive installations built under the guidance of the Defense Clan.
From afar, Yang Xiong could feel the vibrant prosperity of the Body Academy. Not only were there many disciples from various families, but countless individuals were rigorously training their bodies.
When Yang Xiong entered the main hall, everyone was astonished.
Yang Wudi appeared somewhat awkward: "Sect Leader, you've finally returned. I can't believe you were gone for three whole years—it seems your cultivation has improved significantly during this time."
Yang Xiong smiled: "Elders, I've been cultivating outside for these three years, so I owe you all my gratitude for your hard work."
Yang Wudi spoke first: "It wasn't too difficult. I've spent these years refining medicines and cultivating. Life here on Yunwu Mountain is much better than it was back in the Breaking Clan."
Yang Xiong laughed: "Elder Yang, there's no need to be so formal. Since we're all part of the Body Sect, I'll ensure the well-being and future of every family."
…
Next, everyone introduced the current state of their respective families, including the sect's overall development.
The Body Sect was thriving. Not only were the disciples advancing rapidly, but the elders and loyalists within the sect had also grown stronger.
Now, Lin Gong and Dragon Duke had reached level ninety-one, Yang Wudi was at eighty-six, Niu Gao at eighty-eight, and Bai He at eighty-five.
Besides the disciples from the four great families, the Body Academy also included a small number of students with Body Martial Souls and some civilian students recruited externally. In total, the academy had over three hundred students, enough to stand firm among the advanced soul master academies.
However, the Body Academy was different from other academies. It combined primary, intermediate, and advanced soul master education, with all students undergoing rigorous physical training from a young age.
The elders fully supported Yang Xiong's approach of emphasizing physical training. After all, seeing their children grow quickly was the best outcome.
Of course, everyone also discussed the sect's livelihood. Thanks to the strong support of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, the Breaking Clan's medicinal herbs had spread across the entire Douluo Continent, and even their selling prices had increased significantly.
Since acquiring the Aromatic Silk Beauty, the quality of the Breaking Clan's medicine refining had improved dramatically. They even produced more high-grade medicines, bringing in substantial income.
Half of the Defense Clan collaborated with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect on construction projects, while the rest focused on fortifying Yunwu Mountain.
After three years of construction, Yunwu Mountain had been transformed into a fortress-like stronghold. Ordinary people would find it nearly impossible to enter.
The Speed Family's advantages were also evident. Not only had they deployed spies throughout the surrounding hundreds of miles around the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and Yunwu Mountain, but they had also established a new information transmission system. Any disturbances within hundreds of miles could be reported instantly, creating a complete information network.
Dragon Duke and the others focused on education, and the Body Academy had been developed excellently.
Yang Wudi's nose seemed particularly sensitive—he could detect a faint scent on Yang Xiong.
"Sect Leader, besides the killing intent from Slaughter City, I sense another peculiar fragrance on you. It feels somewhat familiar."
Yang Xiong chuckled: "Elder Yang, what's your nose made of? How is it so sharp?"
Yang Wudi rubbed his nose: "This old goat has spent his entire life refining medicines, so I'm somewhat familiar with herbs."
"The scent on you is similar to that of the Spirit Hall's Chrysanthemum Douluo. Could it be that you recently consumed the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum?"
Yang Xiong sighed: "I've had good luck recently—I happened to consume the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum."
Upon hearing this, Yang Wudi couldn't contain himself. He rushed to Yang Xiong's side and sniffed him carefully, his eyes filled with admiration.
"It's exactly this scent—it's similar to that freak from the Spirit Hall. I can't believe you ate the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum. If it had fallen into that freak's hands, it would have been disastrous."
Yang Xiong laughed helplessly: "Don't worry about the Chrysanthemum Douluo. I'll take care of him sooner or later."
…
After a long discussion, Niu Gao, who was relatively straightforward, spoke up: "Sect Leader, I heard that the Elephant Armor Sect suffered heavy losses four years ago and hasn't recovered yet. Should our Body Sect make a move against them? Perhaps we can replace them as one of the lower four sects."
Niu Gao was the most direct among everyone, impulsive in nature and harboring deep animosity toward the Elephant Armor Sect.
Yang Xiong thought carefully: "The Elephant Armor Sect will eventually fall, but I don't want to draw the Spirit Hall's attention just yet. If an opportunity arises, we'll quietly strike against them."
"Elder Bai He, has the Elephant Armor Sect made any recent moves?"
Bai He replied: "The Elephant Armor Sect has been lying low these past few years, likely due to their devastating losses in the Star Dou Forest. However, I recently heard that Huyan Li broke through to become a Soul King. This might be our chance."
Yang Xiong nodded: "Given Huyan Li's talent, he'll definitely need a ten-thousand-year soul ring. I doubt the Elephant Armor Sect dares to go to the Star Dou Forest—they'll likely head to Sunset Forest. Conveniently, we're also heading there. Elder Bai He, arrange personnel to monitor the area around Sunset Forest. Once we receive news, we'll act accordingly."
Bai He looked puzzled: "What are we going to Sunset Forest for?"
Yang Xiong replied: "I've reached level sixty and plan to obtain a soul beast from Sunset Forest soon. All five elders will accompany me, along with my teacher, Sword Douluo. There shouldn't be any issues."
Everyone present twitched their lips upon hearing this: "We're just obtaining a sixth soul ring—do we really need to mobilize such a large force?"
Yang Xiong shook his head: "My sixth soul ring is complicated. I need an extremely top-tier soul beast. If we don't bring enough people, it might escape easily."
"Arrange everything at home. We'll depart in three days, but we must proceed cautiously and ensure no one discovers our movements."
Although somewhat puzzled, everyone nodded in agreement. After all, Yang Xiong was the sect leader and had bestowed significant favors upon them all.
Moreover, his emergence from Slaughter City had earned their admiration. In the past century, only Bibi Dong and Tang Hao had successfully left Slaughter City alive, proving that Yang Xiong's combat prowess rivaled theirs.
After the meeting concluded, Yang Xiong was taken directly to the alchemy room by Yang Wudi.
Before Yang Xiong could react, Yang Wudi extracted a drop of his blood.
Yang Wudi examined the drop of blood, visibly astonished: "Sect Leader, this blood of yours is extraordinary. Your physical condition is even stronger than I imagined. What level of soul beast are you planning to choose for your sixth soul ring? Normally, you should head to the Star Dou Forest, right?"
Yang Wudi was a rare expert in pharmacology and toxicology, even knowledgeable about immortal herbs, so he was naturally intrigued by Yang Xiong, who had consumed the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum.
Moreover, Yang Xiong was also highly knowledgeable about pharmacology, and the two often exchanged insights on immortal herbs and medicinal theories.
Yang Xiong took out the core of the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent: "Elder Yang, do you think if a top-tier fire-attribute soul beast were to consume this core, could it potentially break through to the hundred-thousand-year level?"
Yang Wudi was overjoyed at the sight of the core, holding it as if he couldn't bear to let go: "What kind of core is this? I never imagined such a thing existed. Its positive energy is top-tier fire-attribute—it could even be used as a soul ring."
After thorough research, Yang Wudi even brought in two venomous snakes for testing. Unfortunately, the snakes trembled in fear just sensing the core's energy from afar.
After careful study, Yang Wudi finally spoke: "If a fire-attribute soul beast were to consume this core, its strength would undoubtedly increase significantly, possibly even undergoing a transformation. The downside is that the core's energy is too potent. Only the most elite soul beasts could handle it, and it might even break through the limitations of their bloodline."
Yang Xiong finally relaxed. No matter what, even if the soul beast in Sunset Forest wasn't a hundred-thousand-year one, he'd still find a way to obtain a hundred-thousand-year soul ring.
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