Next day,
Inside Liu Erlong's room, Tang Yin found himself sandwiched between Erlong and Yuehua, his mind fixed on his next goal.
His next target was Sea God Island. But to guarantee his safety there, he needed the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud—without it, his great-grandmother might just kill him.
Bo Saixi didn't even go easy on Tang San, he thought, and Tang San had the Clear Sky Hammer as proof he was her lover's great-grandson. Why would she hand over the Sea God position to a complete stranger?
Sure, he could stay safe by claiming to be Tang Xiao's great-grandson, but Tang Yin's pride wouldn't allow it. After all, he refused to acknowledge Tang Hao as his father—that man had abandoned him, turning his back with a cold shoulder.
Bo Saixi might be a beauty, but she was well past her prime—a next-level gilf at best—and Tang Yin wasn't about to waste time on an old timer who would have to sacrifice herself for him to become a god.
With the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, at least I won't have to fear being prematurely targeted by her goons. They respect the Sea God so much that his wishes can't be defied—unless it's part of a test, Tang Yin pondered.
So instead, he set his sights on obtaining the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud from the Tian Dou Imperial Family. After all, with his telepathy controlling them, and their strongest guard only a Soul Douluo, what did he have to fear? Dugu Bo? That was his grandpa, literally.
The next step was to take action. Tang Yin slipped out of Erlong's room carefully, not waking either of them. After dressing, he headed toward the sect's main gate.
"Good morning, Sect Leader!"
Many disciples from the four clans, now aware of Tang Yin's identity as their sect leader, greeted him enthusiastically. He returned their greetings warmly as he made his way through the gates toward Tian Duo City.
Tang Yin walked toward the eastern side of the city, where the Tian Dou Imperial Palace rose majestically, its walls guarded by numerous disciplined soldiers.
"Stop! Don't take one more step!"
As he approached the palace gates, several Imperial Guards stepped forward, their spears crossed firmly to block his path. Although Tang Yin looked every bit like someone from a noble family, not just anyone could enter the Palace.
"State your name and provide proof of entry."
The guards were vigilant, and without proper credentials, even the slightest hesitation meant being turned away—or worse jailed.
Tang Yin didn't hesitate. He calmly produced Qinghe's personal plaque—an official token that carried the authority of the Crown Prince. His expression was composed but confident.
"I'm a trusted envoy of the Crown Prince. Here on official business."
The guards exchanged brief glances before one nodded and signaled them to lower their weapons. "Very well. Please do proceed."
Tang Yin entered the palace grounds, his every step marking the loss of a priceless treasure to the empire. Subtly activating his telepathy, he carefully scanned for powerful soul masters without drawing attention.
Thankfully Qian Renxue and her two Titled douluo weren't in the palace at this time or he wouldn't be able to explain what he was doing.
He detected roughly Twenty Soul Saints and Ten Soul Douluo patrolling throughout the various buildings. Controlling all of them directly would be too taxing—and far too risky.
Instead, he focused his telepathy solely on the emperor, isolating his mind and bending his cognition. Now, the emperor was his puppet.
The two Soul Douluo acting as the emperor's personal protectors were also under his firm control. He instructed the emperor, "Alright, my new puppet, quickly bring me your treasury—without raising any suspicion. Also, gather all the whale rubbers over 50,000 years old in your possession."
As the emperor led him toward the treasury, Tang Yin saw that there were more than ten decade-millennium soul bones stored there. He wasn't interested in them and didn't want to raise suspicion by appearing greedy, so he only took the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud and eight whale rubbers aged over 50,000 years.
"Hoho! You lecherous emperor, already on your deathbed and still have eight in stock, hmm?" Tang Yin raised a brow, amused.
Using his telepathy, he made sure the emperor saw him as the greatest benefactor of their imperial family—and then erased the memory of the Soul Douluo nearby.
Since the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud couldn't fit inside a storage ring, he carefully placed it inside a jade box for now. The whale rubbers, however, were stored safely in his storage ring.
Bidding farewell, he carried the jade box and made his way back to the main gate, erasing the memories of the soldiers who had seen him use Qinghe's plaque to enter the palace.
"Alright, heist complete," he grinned excitedly.
This artifact was going to be incredibly useful for his future plans. It had many functions—concealing his presence, offering physical protection, providing extra storage, and even serving as a portable home in the wild.
He thought to himself, "Who wouldn't want this treasure? The Sea God's pretty generous, handing over such an awesome artifact to the successor, plus free soul ring age boosts and god-gifted soul rings."
Additionally, Sea God trident is a killer weapon, paired with the Sea God Halberd technique, making the whole package incredibly powerful and practical—definitely beating Ashura God, who only gave his Ashura Sword—which is a pain to control.
As Tang Yin compared the two gods, he returned to the sect and immediately entered seclusion, instructing Erlong not to let anyone disturb him. Sitting cross-legged, he eagerly opened the jade box.
The room fell silent as Tang Yin raised his hand. The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud glowed brilliantly in the dim light, its surface shimmering with swirling azure and gold.
"Alright, here goes nothing."
With steady breath, Tang Yin pressed his fingertip against the shroud's cold edge. A single drop of blood welled up, crimson against the dazzling blue.
"Thank God! This thing can pierce through my defense, or else I would've had to ask Sword Douluo to pierce me to make me bleed—and then my secret would've been out."
He felt a mix of relief and uncertainty. Divine-level artifacts channel divine power—a higher-tier energy beyond normal kinetic forces and soul power. Because of this, Tang Yin's energy absorption, though powerful, couldn't absorb or negate the divine power of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, causing him to bleed.
The moment the blood touched the shroud, a pulse of radiant energy erupted, spreading like ripples on a still pond. The artifact's surface blazed even brighter, swirling patterns igniting with divine light.
The air thickened around him, vibrating with the weight of divine power. Threads of golden energy wove through the shroud, connecting with Tang yin's blood drop and sealing an unbreakable bond.
In the divine realm—
The Sea God was listlessly upholding the divine laws governing the seas, his mind drifting toward sleep from sheer boredom. Suddenly, a new connection sparked within him—a pulse from a potential successor.
"Haha… After all these years, I've finally found someone worthy of wielding this immense power," the Sea God's eyes fluttered open with renewed excitement.
Back to present—
Tang Yin's spirit surged as his spiritual power harmonized with the shroud's divine essence. Memories of the Sea God's legacy flooded his mind—visions of tempestuous seas, mighty tridents, and endless celestial power.
The Cosmic Shroud expanded, enveloping Tang Yin like a protective veil. His aura flared, merging the raw might of the sea with his formidable spirit. His body hovered above the ground as he entered the brilliantly glowing space inside the Cosmic Shroud.
"Hmm, so bright," Tang Yin muttered, bound by the aqua-blue sea within the shroud. "Yes, I should use my soul power to take this artifact under my command."
As Tang Yin infused his pure soul power into the sea-like surface, the brilliant light gradually dimmed. The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud finally settled, now fully bonded to its rightful heir, embedding itself deep between his brows.
Tang Yin smirked as he had finally gained the recognition by Sea God as his heir. Now he could enter the Star Duo Forest core area and reunite with Xiao Wu.
"Wait for me Xiao Wu—My love."