After resting at the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect for a few days, Yang Xiong mainly spent time with his parents. Having been away from home for so long, it was only upon returning that he truly felt relaxed—home was his true haven.
Yang Xiong also found time to meet privately with his two teachers, Sword Elder and Bone Elder. Seeing Yang Xiong's current state filled them with both joy and reassurance, as Yang Xiong was their only disciple.
However, Sword Elder seemed particularly interested in Yang Xiong's older brother, Yang Wei, lately. It was unclear whether he intended to take on another disciple with a sword-type martial soul.
Three days after arriving at the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Yang Xiong's group prepared to return to Thunderclap Canyon.
This time, however, only Yang Xiong, Oscar, Feng Xiaotian, Huo Wu, and Shui Bing'er would be heading back to Thunderclap Canyon. Ning Rongrong, Qin Shuang, and Yang Wei planned to stay at the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect for the time being.
Ning Rongrong, as the sect's heir, had finally returned from her trials. According to Ning Fengzhi, she would now officially be named the junior sect leader. Qin Shuang, who had grown up in the sect, would remain by Ning Rongrong's side to protect her.
As for Yang Wei, he spent his days accompanying their parents, focusing solely on cultivation and nothing else.
When Yang Xiong and the five others returned to the Body Sect, Thunderclap Canyon had undergone a dramatic transformation.
Although the sect's design had been meticulously planned, with every detail carefully considered, Yang Xiong had only stayed at the sect for a few months before leaving once the basic framework was completed.
Now, Thunderclap Canyon was bustling with activity. Both the sect's internal defenses and the defenses of Body Academy were extremely rigorous. Everyone was training diligently, as the Body Sect was one of the few places where one could cultivate peacefully amidst the chaos of the outside world. Everyone wanted to quickly increase their strength; otherwise, they risked becoming cannon fodder in the future.
By the time they reached the main hall of the sect, everyone was on high alert.
In addition to the five great elder masters, all the deans of the Four Elements Academy were present, along with some core members of the sect and key figures from various families.
Yang Xiong didn't hesitate and took his seat at the central position of the sect.
Feng Xiaotian and the other three returned to their respective parents' sides—they were all direct descendants of the Four Elements Academy.
Seeing that Yang Xiong and the others had returned safely, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After all, the Sea God Island was known as the Devil's Island, and going there was a matter of life and death.
After Yang Xiong and the five others introduced their current situations, everyone present was stunned. They hadn't expected that in just a few short years since leaving the sect, Yang Xiong and the others' strength had increased so dramatically.
Especially Feng Xiaotian, Shui Bing'er, and Huo Wu—they were now the strongest individuals in their respective academies. At their age, they were considered to have limitless potential.
Oscar took a seat in a prominent position. As Yang Xiong's appointed deputy sect leader, Oscar had now reached the Soul Douluo level, making him fully deserving of the position. Moreover, as a food-based soul master reaching the Soul Ancestor level was considered a miracle in the world of soul masters.
Next, the five great elders and the deans of the Four Elements Academy provided updates on the current state of the Body Sect.
All five great elders of the Body Sect were now Title Douluos, including Bai He and Yang Wudi.
In recent years, the world of soul masters had been extremely turbulent. The Body Sect maintained strict internal discipline, as everyone knew that their enemy, the Spirit Empire, sought to unify the world. Sooner or later, the two sides would clash, prompting everyone in the sect to train with great intensity.
The sect now had over two thousand soul masters. In addition to the original four great families, many students from Body Academy had graduated over the past three years and begun contributing to the sect.
This was largely due to the vast resources Yang Xiong had left behind before departing, which were managed and distributed by Elder Lin Gong.
After the basic updates were shared, Yang Wudi appeared hesitant, as if he wanted to speak but couldn't find the words.
Yang Xiong was puzzled: "Old Goat, this isn't like you. Did something come up now that you've reached the Title Douluo level?"
Yang Wudi glanced around at everyone before finally gritting his teeth and speaking: "Sect Leader, I do have something to say. Now that the Spirit Empire is acting so tyrannically, I request permission to go to the front lines of the Tian Dou Empire to avenge the blood feud we have with the Spirit Hall."
Niu Gao, Bai He, and Dragon Duke Meng Shu also wore expressions of hatred, clearly harboring deep resentment toward the Spirit Empire.
However, the people from the Four Elements Academy were less hostile, as they didn't share the same blood feud with the Spirit Empire.
Up to this point, due to Yang Xiong's earlier arrangements and Elder Lin Gong's leadership over the past few years, the Body Sect had adopted a conservative and stable development strategy. They hadn't sent many people to participate in the war against the Spirit Empire, with only a small number stationed at the front lines.
Yang Xiong glanced at everyone before revealing a wry smile: "I knew you, Old Goat, were itching for a fight. However, this great battle has only just begun. We'll need to wait a little longer before participating. Moreover, I'm still waiting for someone—I want to see how things unfold."
Yang Wudi asked in confusion: "Is there really anyone who can influence the outcome of this war?"
Yang Xiong chuckled: "Since returning from the Sea God Island, I've already visited the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. Lord Ning also plans to join the war against the Spirit Empire. You should all understand that if the Spirit Empire wins this war, they'll likely focus their efforts on eliminating our major sects next."
"I'm still waiting for Tang Xiao and Tang Hao. Given their hatred for the Spirit Empire, their participation in this war is inevitable. Our Body Sect, along with the Hao Tian Sect and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, must unite to resist the Spirit Empire. But how exactly we'll do that requires further discussion—I don't fully trust the Hao Tian Sect crowd."
Yang Wudi's face turned red with anger: "The Hao Tian Sect is nothing but a bunch of cowards. What does it matter if they have strong fighters? They've been hiding like turtles for so long."
Yang Xiong responded: "It's no longer a matter of whether the Hao Tian Sect wants to hide. Since they've already come out of seclusion, it means they've broken their previous agreement with the Spirit Hall. Once the Spirit Hall defeats the two empires, the Hao Tian Sect will be their first target. So right now, the Hao Tian Sect should be even more anxious than us."
"Besides, I have some matters to discuss with the Hao Tian Sect. Without them, there's a scene that won't play out well. I'm waiting for them to come to me."
"Don't worry, Old Goat. You'll have plenty of time to exact revenge on the Spirit Hall in the future. I'll make sure you get to kill to your heart's content. I'm afraid by then, you might not even want to keep killing."
Upon hearing this, Yang Wudi fell silent. The previously vengeful expressions of the others gradually calmed as well.
Yang Xiong smiled: "Today marks my return to the Body Sect after several years, and the sect's strength has greatly improved. This is truly a cause for celebration."
"Old Goat, figure out a good recipe later. Don't skimp on any medicinal ingredients. For the next few days, we'll cook Devil Tiger Whale meat for everyone—it's a treat for the entire sect."
With that, two enormous Devil Tiger Whale corpses appeared beside Yang Xiong. Each was over twenty meters long and weighed at least thirty tons, totaling over sixty tons of meat. Even with thousands of people in the sect, it would be enough to feast for several days.
The flesh of even a ten-thousand-year-old Devil Tiger Whale, a top-tier soul beast, was incredibly energy-rich and highly nourishing for soul masters. Not to mention the hundred-thousand-year-old specimen.
Even the senior soul masters present, who were worldly and experienced, were astonished by Yang Xiong's generosity in providing such valuable Devil Tiger Whale meat to reward the entire sect.
…
Over the next few days, the Body Sect was abuzz with excitement. Everyone knew that the sect leader had returned with significantly increased strength.
Although Yang Xiong was only at Level 90 and hadn't yet obtained his ninth soul ring, no one doubted that he was the sect's strongest member. After all, Yang Xiong had been able to fight Title Douluos alone at Level 70, and now that he had reached the Title Douluo level, his strength was unimaginable.
Especially after Yang Xiong displayed his five black and three red soul rings, even Yang Wudi and the others were astounded. Even as Title Douluos, they felt immense pressure.
Feng Xiaotian, Huo Wu, and Shui Bing'er were particularly surprising. Originally, only Feng Xiaotian was a Soul Emperor, while the other two were Soul Kings.
But in just a few short years, all three had reached the Soul Douluo level, showcasing talent and strength that could inspire awe.
Meanwhile, Yang Xiong pondered the future development of the sect and his own path.
Though Yang Xiong had reached Level 90, there was still a significant gap between his strength and that of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King was a rare water-attribute top-tier soul beast, just a step away from the hundred-thousand-year level. It was considered the strongest soul beast in the world, rivaling even the Black Dragon Di Tian from the Great Star Dou Forest.
To truly kill the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, Yang Xiong alone wouldn't be enough. Even if he gathered more people, defeating the whale king would still be impossible.
With its overwhelming strength and unique water attribute, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King was practically invincible in the ocean. In some ways, it was even stronger than Poseidon, the Sea God Douluo.
Yang Xiong's only hope was to use a divine artifact, which might allow him to slay the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.
After completing the seventh trial of the top-tier divine tests, the blood-red eight-pointed star on Yang Xiong's forehead had disappeared, replaced by a blood-red longsword. New information had also appeared in his mind.
This was the content of a new trial, different from the Sea God's trials.
"Yang Xiong, the first trial of the nine trials of the Asura God: Retrieve the Asura Demon Sword. Time limit: one year. Failure results in death."
Yang Xiong felt both excitement and helplessness.
Though he was confident in his strength, there was still a considerable gap between him and the true Limit Douluos.
The Asura Demon Sword was currently in the hands of the Slaughter King, Tang Chen. Although the Slaughter King couldn't use soul techniques, the strength of a Limit Douluo was still highly intimidating.
Fortunately, there was one silver lining: Tang Chen's body was currently occupied by the Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King. The bat king couldn't use Tang Chen's self-created soul techniques, nor could it wield the Great Sealing Hammer, significantly diminishing his strength.
Retrieving the Asura Demon Sword was only the first trial. The subsequent trials would only become increasingly difficult. Yang Xiong began to suspect that by the time he reached the final trials of the nine trials of the Asura God, the difficulty would be astronomical.
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