Chapter 221: The Tragic Tang San and Yu Xiaogang

After the Heaven Dou Palace Coup initiated by Qian Renxue, the Heaven Dou Imperial Family suffered severe devastation, its strength was greatly affected, and even the future nation was somewhat impacted.

However, under Ning Fengzhi's statement, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect will fully support the reconstruction of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, giving Xue Ye Great Emperor a slight relief.

And after the Heaven Dou Palace Coup, although Xue Ye Great Emperor was unusually pitiful, rewards for merit were nonetheless inevitable.

This time, repelling the impostor Crown Prince Xue Qinghe and preserving the Heaven Dou Emperor became the final hope; the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect can be said to have performed a great feat.

This time, Yang Wudi not only saved Xue Ye Great Emperor's life, but also, together with Bone Douluo, repelled the enemy; both were richly rewarded by Xue Ye Great Emperor and granted titles in the Heaven Dou Empire.

Even Yang Xiong and Ning Fengzhi both received titles in the Heaven Dou Empire; especially Yang Xiong, who was not only ennobled as a Marquis but also granted a fief.

However, when Yang Xiong proposed the scope of his fief, Xue Ye Great Emperor was startled; unfortunately, Yang Xiong's displayed strength is now too great, his talent equally strong, and he also has a massive background, making it impossible for Xue Ye Great Emperor to refuse.

Ning Fengzhi seems more rational than before; although outwardly claiming to fully support the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, in reality, aside from some money, he is unwilling to invest additional manpower or resources.

Tang San, Tang Hao, and even Yu Xiaogang and others also received generous rewards from Xue Ye Great Emperor, but unfortunately these gifts cannot at all compensate for everyone's losses and disappointment.

Tang San originally wanted to discuss hidden weapon trades with Xue Ye Great Emperor, but the emperor claimed he had never heard any reports from the former Crown Prince about hidden weapons; in other words, the previous hidden-weapon dealings were all orchestrated alone by Qian Renxue, who even deliberately concealed them from Xue Ye Great Emperor.

However, after a discussion between Tang San and Xue Ye Great Emperor, Tang San can be said to have established a connection with the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.

……

When Yu Xiaogang and others returned to Shrek Academy, the academy had already become a ruin; some students and teachers were slain, and the remaining personnel scattered like birds and beasts.

Flanders, upon seeing the state of Shrek Academy, felt immensely heartbroken and deeply disappointed.

All of this was Flanders' lifelong effort; now, apart from these broken walls and ruins, there is nothing left—not even any people, and even those old comrades from back then have all gone their separate ways.

Yu Xiaogang has been teaching at Shrek Academy for years; now that the academy is completely gone, he feels utterly broken, believing there is no hope for revenge at all.

And Tang San seems even more miserable.

When Tang San, Xiao Wu, Tang Hao, and Tai Tan returned to the Tang Sect, they were all stunned, thinking they had taken the wrong place.

At this moment, the Tang Sect had been razed to the ground, and countless members of the Force Clan suffered casualties.

Tai Tan, seeing the scene before him, was furious; now not only has the entire Force Clan turned to ash, all its members have been slaughtered, and even Tai Tan's son Tai Nuo and grandson Tai Long have been killed.

Tai Tan let out a roar: "the Spirit Hall, we are at odds with you."

Tang San, equally despondent at this moment, thought the Tang Sect he had painstakingly built was somewhat respectable, only to see it razed in an instant; can the Tang Sect ever be rebuilt now?

In the end, Tang San and the others, helpless, could only return to Shrek Academy, where they could discuss future development with Yu Xiaogang.

After hearing each other's tragic situation, Tang San and Yu Xiaogang were both stunned, never expecting their circumstances to be so bleak.

Tang San seemed to think of something: "Teacher, do you know how Yang Xiong's Soul Ring configuration was achieved? I've been researching lately, but I really can't figure out how he attained the Yi Wan Nian Fourth Soul Ring and the Hundred-Thousand-Year Sixth Soul Ring."

Yu Xiaogang shook his head: "I'm not clear on that either; his Soul Ring configuration seems completely illogical, not matching the Soul Ring age chart I issued. This may be related to his unique martial soul."

Tang San quickly said: "Is a body-as-martial-soul really that powerful? I recall similar martial souls appearing in the Soul Master World, but others were far less formidable."

Yu Xiaogang forced a bitter smile: "I'm not sure either; although he spent several years at Shrek Academy, we never intervened in his cultivation. However, if we could find someone with a martial soul similar to his and nurture them carefully, perhaps we could uncover the secret."

The people around fell silent; indeed, the Soul Master World has only a handful of soul masters whose martial soul is their own body, but such cases are extremely rare and the cultivation is exceedingly difficult.

After thinking carefully, Tang San spoke: "Teacher, I watched the entire battle between Yang Xiong and Qian Renxue, and I felt something was off about Yang Xiong. At the end, he seemed to use my Purple Extreme Demon Eye, yet it was somewhat different from the Purple Extreme Demon Eye."

Yu Xiaogang, after pondering, said: "I recall that when Yang Xiong fought Qian Renxue, he unleashed a technique where both eyes emitted red light; it indeed resembled the Purple Extreme Demon Eye, but seemed more powerful than yours and carried greater killing intent."

Tang San nodded: "Teacher, my Purple Extreme Demon Eye has never truly broken through; could Yang Xiong have discovered a way to break through?"

Yu Xiaogang fell silent upon hearing this; the Purple Extreme Demon Eye is Tang San's self-created spirit skill, which he has been cultivating since childhood.

Yet now this self-created spirit skill is manifesting greater power in others, which seems a reversal of cause and effect.

"Xiao San, I think we may have overlooked an issue: Yang Xiong's martial soul is his own body, meaning his eyes are also part of the martial soul. As you previously said, cultivating the Purple Extreme Demon Eye would enhance both vision and spiritual power."

"But Yang Xiong is completely different from you; his Purple Extreme Demon Eye is emitted through his martial soul, and he can even use his own martial soul to amplify the skill's power to the extreme. This may be the true secret of a body-as-martial-soul."

Tang San, a bit puzzled, asked: "What's the difference?"

Yu Xiaogang, as if discovering a new continent, replied: "Completely different. With personal cultivation, bodily qualities improve, especially after training the Purple Extreme Demon Eye, both spiritual power and vision increase dramatically."

"So doesn't that mean that during this process, Yang Xiong's martial soul itself also becomes stronger."

Tang San, hearing this, exclaimed in shock: "That's impossible; martial soul evolution is extremely difficult. I have absorbed many poison-type Soul Rings, and my martial soul is only poisonous, not truly evolved."

Yu Xiaogang shook his head: "It's different. Yang Xiong awakened at six; his body was very weak then, but after years of arduous training, his height grew from 1.2 meters at six to nearly two meters now. This involves not just bodily growth but also martial soul development."

"Perhaps we have all underestimated the strength of a body-as-martial-soul. Such a martial soul naturally possesses growth potential, breaking the conventional thinking of the Soul Master World. Martial soul evolution is the dream of all soul masters, and a body-as-martial-soul has this innate advantage, truly a miracle of the Soul Master World."

"Also, have you noticed that Yang Xiong's current martial soul is completely different from the one during the Soul Master Competition?"

Tang San, again astonished, said: "Teacher, if what you say is true, could such a body martial soul grow without limit? That would not only improve the martial soul's quality but also raise the Innate Soul Power Level."

Yu Xiaogang forced a bitter smile: "Indeed, as you said, when Yang Xiong first joined Shrek Academy, his Soul Power Level was the lowest among all of you, and his Innate Soul Power was also the lowest."

"But within just a few years, Yang Xiong has grown to a terrifying level; his cultivation speed is accelerating, and in a sense, he has already surpassed you and Xiao Wu, who have Innate Full Soul Power."

"Over the years, Yang Xiong has relentlessly trained his body, likely anticipating his martial soul's transformation. The Soul Master World lacks methods for spiritual cultivation; your Purple Extreme Demon Eye has compensated for his biggest shortcoming. Thus, Yang Xiong's spiritual power and bodily qualities far exceed those of soul masters of the same rank, allowing him to fight above his level, even reaching Title Douluo-level combat power during the Soul Saint era."

"And as he repeatedly pushes his limits, I can hardly imagine how strong he will be when Yang Xiong reaches Title Douluo; given his character, the final two Soul Rings will definitely be Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings."

Tang San, after a long silence, finally clenched his teeth and said: "Teacher, I will never lose to Yang Xiong. Though his martial soul is formidable, once my Second Martial Soul, the Clear Sky Hammer, can also embed multiple Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings, I will surely surpass Yang Xiong."

Yu Xiaogang then felt a bit relieved: "Xiao San, your talent is unparalleled, especially since your Clear Sky Hammer is the Number One Tool Spirit in the World. After reaching Title Douluo, that will truly be the start of your strengthening."

……

After their discussion, their despondent moods gradually recovered.

"Xiao San, what training does your father have planned for you next? Given your current Soul Power Level, I can no longer offer you much advice."

Tang San hurriedly said: "Teacher, per my father's request, I will promptly return to the Clear Sky Sect, where my elder uncle will personally instruct me, which will also enhance my Clear Sky Hammer's power."

Yu Xiaogang nodded: "A Screaming Heaven Douluo? That's indeed an idea; only in the Clear Sky Sect can you receive the most complete training for the Clear Sky Hammer."

However, at this moment Yu Xiaogang showed a hint of hesitation on his face, appearing unusually conflicted.

Tang San quickly said: "Teacher, just say whatever you have; what is there that we cannot say to each other?"

Yu Xiaogang shook his head: "The Clear Sky Sect can indeed make your Clear Sky Hammer stronger, but at this stage, what you need to improve is your Soul Power Level; you must quickly cultivate Blue Silver Grass to reach Title Douluo."

"I know a place that is perfect for your cultivation, but it is extremely dangerous; even with your talent, it could be fatal."

"Unfortunately, the Spirit Hall's ambitions are now exposed, so it probably won't give you time to grow gradually."

Tang San suddenly rejoiced: "Teacher, are there still places like this in the world? I also want to quickly increase my soul power."

Yu Xiaogang nodded: "You should know that now the Spirit Hall holds overwhelming advantage throughout the Soul Master World; even the Clear Sky Sect has taken a heavy loss at their hands."

"But there is a force in this world that is completely unafraid of the Spirit Hall; even the Spirit Hall has suffered a heavy loss at their hands."

Tang San's face lit up instantly; he knew about the Clear Sky Sect's past incident and also knew about his mother, but the Spirit Hall is so massive that he could not possibly shake it.

"Teacher, I'm not afraid of danger, nor of pain; just tell me where this place is."

Yu Xiaogang said: "Back then I spent some time in the Spirit Hall, and once followed thousands of soul masters from the Spirit Hall to subjugate a place."

"That place is called Sea God Island, a very strange power overseas; their cultivation methods differ from ours, and even their martial souls are vastly different—most of their martial souls are Sea Soul Beasts or marine creatures."

"Back then, the Spirit Hall, in order to dominate that place, dispatched not only thousands of soul masters but also several Title Douluo. Unfortunately, as soon as they set foot on Sea God Island they met fierce resistance; the Soul Master Corps suffered a devastating blow, and as many as two Title Douluo fell, marking the Spirit Hall's greatest failure in nearly a hundred years."

(End of chapter)