After communicating with Ning Fengzhi and Lin Gong for a while, Yang Xiong left Jialing Pass alone, preparing to return to the Body Sect.
Now that the three empires were in a stalemate, rather than staying at the frontlines to slowly recover from his injuries, it was better to return to the sect—perhaps there would be other opportunities awaiting him.
Of course, Yang Xiong made it clear to Ning Fengzhi and Lin Gong: with the war having reached this point, neither side had a guaranteed path to victory. It was likely that the conflict would remain deadlocked for some time, as neither side could confidently claim the ability to crush the other.
Therefore, going forward, both the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Body Sect should focus on preserving their strength. After all, half of each sect's soul masters—and even the majority of their Title Douluo—were stationed at the Jialing Pass frontlines. If they were all to perish, it would severely impact the sects' future development.
Moreover, Yang Xiong had explicitly stated that while the Tian Dou Empire could be supported, it must remain under their control; otherwise, all their efforts would merely serve others.
This decision came after careful consideration by Yang Xiong. In the original storyline, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had sacrificed everything for the battle at Jialing Pass—even Sword and Bone Douluo had fallen.
But ten thousand years later, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect no longer ranked among the world's top sects. It had become just an ordinary sect, far inferior to the three great powers of its time and wielding little influence over the soul master community. It hadn't even left behind any divine legacies.
Even more tragic was the fact that both Sword and Bone Douluo had no successors—neither their martial soul nor descendants had been passed down.
In a sense, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect hadn't even developed as well as the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, which had produced several peerless experts.
As for the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul, by the time of Douluo II, it had gradually faded into obscurity, losing the reputation it once held as the world's premier auxiliary martial soul ten thousand years prior.
Originally, Empress Xue Ke, Tang Xiao, and others wanted to persuade Yang Xiong to stay, but he declined, citing his injuries and the need to recuperate back at the sect.
At this stage of the war, all three empires were beginning to consider a ceasefire. Though the Star Luo Emperor had launched fierce attacks on Tianmen Pass for a time, they achieved little success, with millions of troops pinned down outside the pass.
The Tian Dou Empire had lost Emperor Xue Ye and Marshal Ge Long, and Empress Xue Ke had only just ascended the throne under dire circumstances. Meanwhile, the Spirit Empire had been stripped of power—Bibi Dong had returned to Spirit City, while Qian Renxue remained focused on healing. In her stead, Holy Maiden Hu Liena took charge of affairs.
Given the current morale of the three empires, negotiation might be the best option. Continuing the war would harm the foundations of their empires and could even lead to their collapse.
Furthermore, according to Ning Fengzhi, he had discovered that the three empires were secretly negotiating peace. Unfortunately, no progress had been made thus far. With such heavy casualties and immense costs on all sides, rushing into negotiations might undermine internal morale.
Yang Xiong returned to the Body Sect alone, while others remained at the frontline camp. Ning Rongrong stayed with Ning Fengzhi to handle sect affairs, while Oscar accompanied Lin Gong and Yang Wudi, effectively becoming the overseer of all matters within the Body Sect.
…
Upon returning to the sect, Yang Xiong did not head to his main peak but instead ventured deep into the Thunder Gorge.
The Thunder Gorge spanned a vast area, and the nine peaks of thunder soared high into the clouds, making it one of the rarest natural fortresses in the world.
Yang Xiong had already scanned the entire Body Sect with his divine consciousness. He found no hidden dangers in the nine peaks of thunder, but the depths of the Thunder Gorge remained unexplored.
Now, gripping the hilt of the Asura Demon Sword, Yang Xiong walked like an ordinary person deeper into the Thunder Gorge.
When Yang Xiong finally stopped, he had arrived at the location of the Thunder Hell Prison Vine he had encountered before.
In the past, this Thunder Hell Prison Vine had lived for over a hundred thousand years. In the unique environment of the Thunder Gorge, its body was covered in lightning, and each of its vines stretched eighty miles long.
It possessed dozens of such vines, each brimming with power, occupying nearly the entire width of the canyon. Outsiders could not pass through.
Yang Xiong sneered: "Step aside. Don't force me to kill you. With your strength and age, you should understand my words."
A deafening roar of thunder echoed through the heavens, followed by an angry voice: "Human, this is my territory. No one shall pass."
Yang Xiong chuckled: "You've got that wrong. The entire Thunder Gorge now belongs to me. Everything here, including you, is under the ownership of the Body Sect."
Suddenly, countless bolts of lightning surged around the massive Thunder Hell Prison Vine. All the lightning converged at its roots, and a human-like figure composed of condensed lightning gradually emerged—a rugged face resembling that of a middle-aged man.
"Young man, I have guarded this place for tens of thousands of years. No one has ever broken through me, and no one will make me submit."
Yang Xiong frowned: "Judging by your age, you should surpass the Sk Azure Bull Python of the Great Star Dou Forest. And based on your surroundings, you've clearly been here for a long time. But I'm curious—why hasn't anyone tried to hunt you for your spirit ring?"
"After all, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is notoriously domineering. Even if it cost them half their sect's strength, they wouldn't easily give up on a hundred-thousand-year lightning-attribute soul beast."
The middle-aged face replied: "You mean those humans with snake-like lightning martial souls? Their strength is too weak. Even their strongest would be no match for me."
"Besides, in this Thunder Gorge, I command endless lightning. I dominate all the thunder here—no one can stand against me."
Yang Xiong smirked: "That may be true, but I've never heard of a soul beast claiming invincibility before. Even Di Tian of the Great Star Dou Forest and the Deep Sea Demon Whale King no longer concern me."
"Let alone a mere hundred-thousand-year soul beast like you. Judging by your appearance, you haven't even reached the level of a ferocious beast. What gives you the audacity to act so arrogant?"
The lightning-formed face seemed to grow angry: "Human, what do you mean by that? Are you daring to belittle me?"
Yang Xiong shook his head: "I'm not belittling you. I'm just curious. The Thunder Hell Prison Vine is said to be rejected by heaven and earth, yet it stands at the pinnacle of plant-type soul beasts, known as the first destroyer of the plant world. However, since it relies on devouring lightning to grow, no Thunder Hell Prison Vine has ever survived beyond fifty thousand years."
"Moreover, legends say the Thunder Hell Prison Vine carries the bloodline of the Thunder God, immune to heavenly punishment—a unique anomaly in the Douluo world. So how did you reach the hundred-thousand-year level? And I can't even discern your exact age—it seems the depths of this Thunder Gorge shield you from the senses of heaven and earth."
The middle-aged face appeared astonished: "You know quite a bit, but it doesn't matter. In this Thunder Gorge, no one can defeat me."
Yang Xiong sighed: "It seems you're truly a frog at the bottom of a well. I find it strange that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan must have deliberately concealed your existence. Otherwise, the appearance of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast would have drawn countless hunters. Yet, I've found no record of you in soul master history."
The Thunder Hell Prison Vine erupted in fury: "How dare you! You think I won't kill you? You're nothing but a puny human ant, yet you dare to speak so arrogantly."
The Thunder Hell Prison Vine lashed out with countless tendrils, each crackling with endless lightning, emitting a sizzling sound as if brimming with explosive power.
At that moment, Yang Xiong's eyes narrowed, revealing a hint of ferocity. A crimson killing intent erupted from his body, forming a massive blood-red sword.
The sword descended from the sky. No matter how strong the tendrils were, they instantly disintegrated beneath the crimson blade.
This was Yang Xiong's self-created soul skill, the Asura Slash, born from his mastery of the Slaughter Domain, sword qi, and killing intent. It was more than enough to deal with a mere hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
Before the Thunder Hell Prison Vine could react, the massive sword pressed against its roots, poised to strike it down at any moment.
Despite its usual ferocity, the middle-aged face now looked utterly terrified. Clearly, its life was now in Yang Xiong's hands.
"Now, can we talk properly? If you continue spouting nonsense, I won't hesitate to sever all your vines—or reduce you to your original form."
The Thunder Hell Prison Vine quickly pleaded: "Great Master, I didn't realize your strength and spoke out of turn. Please spare my life."
Yang Xiong frowned. The Thunder Hell Prison Vine was supposed to be infamous for its dominance, so why did this one seem so cowardly?
"What do you mean? Why are you calling me 'Great Master'? Have you met me before?"
The Thunder Hell Prison Vine replied: "I've never seen you, Master, but I can sense the divine power emanating from you. You must have come from the divine realm. Only gods can wield divine power, which explains why I was powerless against you."
Yang Xiong's expression shifted slightly: "Normally, a mere hundred-thousand-year soul beast shouldn't know about divine power or the difference between divine power and soul power. Could it be that your origins are more complicated than they seem?"
"And how did you break through the fifty-thousand-year limit to reach the hundred-thousand-year level? I can't even see your exact age—you must be at least one hundred fifty thousand years old."
The Thunder Hell Prison Vine hesitated, avoiding Yang Xiong's gaze as if it had spoken of forbidden topics.
Yang Xiong calmly stated: "If you don't wish to speak, I'll oblige. If I'm correct, there must be something you're guarding deep within the Thunder Gorge. That's where the true core of this gorge lies."
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