After Yang Xiong took out the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, the entire hall was filled with a deep azure glow, as if they were submerged in an ocean.
At a glance, everyone could tell that this Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud was extraordinary—it was undoubtedly a rare treasure.
Yang Wu Di's face showed a hint of confusion: "Sect Leader, I think I've heard of this Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud before. Isn't it the Tian Dou Empire's national treasure?"
Yang Xiong nodded: "Yes, it is indeed the Tian Dou Empire's national treasure. However, it has another name—'Sea God's Heart.' It originates from Sea God Island and possesses extraordinary powers."
"If everyone places a drop of their blood on it, it might be able to test one's innate talent. If you gain the acknowledgment of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, there might be immense opportunities awaiting you."
After hearing Yang Xiong's explanation, everyone stepped forward and willingly placed a drop of their blood on the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.
Even Yang Wu Di's people tried it one by one, but the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud showed no reaction at all.
However, when Ning Rongrong and Oscar placed their blood on the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, it emitted a faint azure glow, though it quickly faded back to normal.
Yang Xiong found this strange. It seemed that even the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud recognized Ning Rongrong and Oscar's potential. No wonder both of them possessed the qualifications to ascend to godhood in the original story.
The last person to step up was Shui Bing'er. When she placed a drop of her blood on the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, its azure light surged brightly, almost as if a blue figure flickered within it. However, the reaction seemed to lack strength and gradually returned to calm.
After careful consideration, Yang Xiong thought that perhaps Shui Bing'er's talent had been acknowledged by the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, but she herself still had some shortcomings—likely due to the defects in her Ice Phoenix martial soul.
After further contemplation, Yang Xiong took out two jade boxes and handed them to Feng Xiaotian and Shui Bing'er.
"Brother Feng, Sister Bing'er, these two jade boxes are gifts for you. I hope that in the future, you will become the pillars of our Body Sect and contribute to its growth."
Before the two could respond, Yang Wu Di eagerly took the jade boxes and examined them closely.
Yang Wu Di's face lit up with delight: "Sect Leader, impressive! I never expected you to possess such treasures. It seems they are perfectly suited for Feng Xiaotian and Shui Bing'er."
"This Ice Crystal Phoenix Marigold is an ideal match for Shui Bing'er's Ice Phoenix. It should be able to compensate for the flaws in her martial soul, potentially elevating her innate talent once again."
"This Ten-Thousand-Year Divine Wind Grass is a rare wind-attribute immortal herb, and it's also excellent for Feng Xiaotian."
"You two are truly blessed. The Sect Leader must have emptied his entire treasury for this!"
Feng Xiaotian and Shui Bing'er were overjoyed as they happily accepted the jade boxes, repeatedly vowing to work hard for the sect in the future and ensure it would not be disgraced.
Yang Xiong had great confidence in these two talents. With them, the Body Sect would surely reach new heights in the future.
Especially Shui Bing'er—she might bring him a tremendous surprise.
After Feng Xiaotian and Shui Bing'er consumed the immortal herbs, the group boarded carriages and departed from Thunderclap Gorge, heading toward Ocean City.
This journey involved eight people in total, representing the future of the Body Sect—and potentially the strongest force in the world of soul masters.
In terms of soul power levels, Yang Xiong had now reached level 75, having gained one level since absorbing the Thousand-Pound Ant Emperor soul ring.
Ning Rongrong was at level 67, Oscar at level 66, Elder Brother Yang Wei at level 64, and Qin Shuang at level 61.
Additionally, Feng Xiaotian, Huo Wu, and Shui Bing'er had all shown some improvement recently.
Feng Xiaotian had reached level 63, Huo Wu was at level 58, and Shui Bing'er was at level 59.
After absorbing the Ten-Thousand-Year Divine Wind Grass, Feng Xiaotian's soul power increased by two levels. His martial soul didn't undergo significant changes, but his mastery of wind attributes seemed to have grown stronger.
When Huo Wu absorbed the Crown Phoenix Marigold, the entire room was filled with blazing flames. Her Fire Shadow martial soul seemed to have grown significantly more powerful, accompanied by faint phoenix cries.
The massive Fire Shadow martial soul was no longer its original fiery red; instead, it now carried hints of gold, and even the flames themselves had turned golden.
Yang Xiong watched as the Fire Shadow martial soul underwent its transformation. This was likely the secondary awakening of a Body martial soul—but whether it had reached the Gold-level awakening remained unclear.
However, Yang Xiong felt something strange. Huo Wu's situation seemed like a secondary awakening, possibly even a Gold-level one, yet it also seemed incomplete. He suspected her physical strength might still be insufficient.
But currently, there were no records or classifications regarding the secondary awakening of Body martial souls in the world of soul masters.
As for Shui Bing'er, when she absorbed the Ice Crystal Phoenix Marigold, the room seemed to be filled with the presence of a colossal Ice Phoenix. Its cries echoed through the heavens, as if her bloodline had awakened in some way.
Without hesitation, Yang Xiong had Shui Bing'er place another drop of blood on the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. He sensed that the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud now had some connection with Shui Bing'er, and it even seemed to subtly repel him.
Yang Xiong felt a surge of excitement. If this trip to Sea God Island succeeded, it might mark the true rise of both the Body Sect and Shui Bing'er.
…
After traveling by carriage for over half a month, the group finally arrived at Ocean City, located at the westernmost edge of the Tian Dou Empire.
Facing the vast expanse of the ocean, everyone was filled with awe.
When they arrived at the Ocean Arena in Ocean City, everyone was astonished.
The Ocean Arena was completely different from the arenas on land—it was a massive pool where all battles took place underwater.
Everyone except Yang Xiong exchanged glances, unsure what to do.
The Ocean Arena's main battlefield was a huge pool, 108 meters in diameter and 10 meters deep. All duels were conducted underwater, though bird-type soul masters could fly.
The problem was that everyone had long lived inland and lacked swimming skills, let alone the ability to fight underwater. Not only would their combat effectiveness be greatly reduced, but the limitations of the seawater might even cause drowning—for a group of landlubbers, this was extremely challenging.
The highest-level duels here were only at the Soul King rank. Huo Wu and Shui Bing'er participated in the arena battles.
Shui Bing'er fared relatively well. She could rely on her Ice Phoenix to fly, and even underwater, her mastery of water elements allowed her to instantly freeze water into ice, easily defeating opponents at the Soul King level.
Huo Wu, however, fared poorly. Once submerged in water, her Fire Shadow martial soul seemed heavily restricted, and her speed dropped significantly. She ended up losing to an ordinary sea soul master, leaving her deeply disheartened.
Huo Wu looked dejected: "Teacher, I've let you down. The water severely limits my martial soul."
Yang Xiong grew somewhat angry as he looked at Huo Wu: "Huo Wu, your Body martial soul is your body, and your shadow is part of your body. With your strength, even relying solely on your physical abilities, you should be able to defeat ordinary soul masters."
"It seems you still lack training and haven't fully utilized your body's potential. From now on, you must quickly adapt to underwater combat. Otherwise, if we really reach Sea God Island, your fate might be dire."
Feng Xiaotian spoke up, puzzled: "Sect Leader, is the trial on Sea God Island really so harsh? Don't worry—I'll definitely help Huo Wu when the time comes."
Yang Xiong shook his head: "Sea God Island tests individual capabilities to the extreme. Not only must one's abilities reach their peak, but they must also continuously surpass their limits. For ordinary people, going there would simply mean death."
"Huo Wu, although the fire attribute of your Fire Shadow martial soul is somewhat suppressed, the shadow aspect hasn't been fully utilized. Shadows are incredibly versatile and can be used in countless ways."
"Moreover, the problem isn't the seawater itself—it's just that your flames aren't strong enough. If your flames were stronger, they could instantly evaporate seawater, even achieving the power to burn the heavens and boil the seas."
Huo Wu now appeared resolute: "Teacher, I will quickly adapt to underwater combat and come to understand my martial soul better."
Over the next few days, Yang Xiong rented a stretch of coastline nearby, and everyone practiced swimming and underwater combat.
Among the group, Feng Xiaotian and Shui Bing'er adapted the fastest. Their underwater combat was hardly affected.
Feng Xiaotian's martial soul, the Stormwind Doubleheaded Wolf, allowed him to fly in the sky, and its robust physique enabled it to quickly adapt to the impact of seawater.
Yang Xiong arranged for the two of them to seek out a reliable team willing to sail to Sea God Island. He specifically instructed them to showcase their strength while finding a trustworthy and reputable group.
Yang Xiong didn't want any trouble during the voyage. If something went wrong at sea, this group would find themselves in serious trouble.
Of course, with two flying-type soul masters, safety could be ensured if anything unexpected occurred.
As for Yang Xiong, his martial soul was his own body. Whether in his past life or this one, he had always loved swimming. One of his primary training exercises at the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had been weighted swimming, so the seawater had little effect on him.
Ning Rongrong, on the other hand, was very afraid of water. In the water, she looked utterly disheveled, and her Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda's support abilities seemed diminished underwater.
As for Elder Brother Yang Wei, Oscar, and Qin Shuang, the three of them adapted quickly to underwater combat.
Huo Wu displayed incredible tenacity, reminiscent of her indomitable spirit during the Soul Master Tournament. Even though her martial soul was suppressed by seawater, she fearlessly confronted the waves again and again, unafraid of the ocean's impact.
Watching Huo Wu's determination, Yang Xiong felt a sense of pride. Normally, the secondary awakening of a Body martial soul should result in a significant increase in physical prowess and soul skill power. The Fire Shadow was undoubtedly one of the most terrifying martial souls in existence. Compared to his own martial soul, it was even more unpredictable. Yang Xiong envisioned countless uses for shadow-type martial souls—they excelled in both control and offense.
After more than ten days of battling against the waves, Huo Wu finally adapted to fighting as a sea soul master.
Particularly, her Fire Shadow martial soul—though its fire attribute was somewhat suppressed underwater—became even more agile and mysterious due to the low visibility.
Moreover, after repeated confrontations, her flames seemed to grow stronger, capable of evaporating the surrounding seawater, making her movements much more fluid.
After adapting to underwater combat, Huo Wu, eager to redeem herself, returned to the Ocean Arena and fought continuously for several days. She achieved consecutive victories against Soul Kings, dispelling the gloom from her previous loss.
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