Nine years had passed since the rise of the Tang Clan. What had once been a fragmented gathering of scattered martial spirits had now evolved into the greatest superpower of the continent. Their influence stretched from the depths of the Dou Empire to the neutral zones between nations. Yet even as power gathered in their hands, Tang San, the founding ancestor, remained in the shadows—his figure more legend than reality, his presence never directly seen but always felt.
Now, the Continental Youth Challenge had reached its second stage: the State-Level Trials.
Dozens of cities across the empire had already been bathed in cheers and sorrow, as elite teams battled through the City Rounds. Only one team per city had the right to advance. Among the winners were prodigies born of royal blood, rogue cultivators wielding inherited divine skills, and powerful yet obscure sect disciples who had been hidden from the world for years. But none could ignore the shining presence of the Tang Clan team—the youngest yet most dominant of all.
The clan's team was composed of seven disciples, each below the age of twenty, all possessing spirit power above Rank 60, and three of them had already broken through to Spirit Emperor (Rank 70+) at such a tender age. This shocked the world, for only a decade ago, such talent would have been unheard of.
Their leader, Tang Xiu, was the personal disciple of a Supreme Elder of the Tang Clan and trained in a modified version of the 3-in-1 strike technique. Calm, composed, and carrying the weight of expectations, he wielded a unique twin-spirit—Iron Chain Spear and Phantom Crow—a combination of brutal force and elusive agility.
The State-Level trials took place in the Heavenly Jade State, known for its complex terrain and diverse environmental conditions. Unlike the city rounds, this time the matches were held in vast open fields and mystical arenas infused with illusion arrays and ancient formations, designed to test more than just raw strength.
Day 1 of the State Trials: Opening Ceremony
The entire continent's attention was locked onto Heavenly Jade State. Flying spirit tools, nobles, sects, and rogue masters gathered to witness the future of the continent. Spirit Hall, the Sun Moon Continent, the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, and dozens of other major forces had all sent observers—and spies.
From a high pavilion, hidden behind layers of spirit energy veils, Tang San watched silently. Beside him stood his wife, Xiao Wu, now a peak Rank 99 Douluo in full control of her spirit beast form. Her gentle gaze was always on him, but she said nothing unless necessary. Tang San's presence was cloaked, undetectable to even the most sensitive Douluo below Godhood.
"These trials are more than a game," he whispered. "They are the net I cast into the future."
He wasn't wrong.
The Real Goal was not the youth's competition—but a chance to see which powers had been secretly cultivating monsters, which factions had obtained ancient inheritances, and who had the potential to threaten the balance in the years to come.
Day 2: Battle Begins
The first match of the Tang Clan team was against the Iron Heaven Pavilion, a rising faction from the western mountains known for its physical defense and terrifying suppression techniques. Their captain, Yu Lie, was a direct descendant of an ancient soul beast line and had fused his spirit rings with molten ores—a bizarre and powerful fusion.
The battle began with an explosive clash. Metal roared. Spirit energy surged. Tang Xiu's chain spear extended dozens of meters in a storm of strikes, while his Phantom Crow spirit created afterimages that misled even experienced opponents.
Then came the moment that silenced the spectators. Tang Xiu called out:
"Five-Ring Convergence – Meteor Collapse!"
It was a forbidden version of the 5-in-1 strike, where his fifth, third, first, fourth, and second spirit rings activated in sequence—creating a cascading meteor-like blow that crushed the defense of Yu Lie's ultimate shield, something previously thought unbreakable under Rank 80.
Shock rippled through the onlookers.
"This is no youth battle," one Spirit Hall elder muttered. "That move... it's not far from divine-tier control."
Tang Xiu won, but he was not arrogant. Instead, he bowed to Yu Lie, earning respect and setting the tone for what the Tang Clan represented—dominance with dignity.
Across the Continent: Reactions
News of Tang Clan's overwhelming power spread quickly. In the Sun Moon Continent, mechanical spirit researchers paused their experiments to reevaluate. In Spirit Hall, Qian Renxue, now a semi-retired Rank 99 celestial Douluo, narrowed her eyes.
"This Tang Clan... they're beginning to resemble what Spirit Hall used to be."
Even among the hidden ancient clans in the mountains and sealed valleys, interest grew. Secret messages were sent. Some wanted to ally. Others plotted in the shadows.
But none dared to move openly.
They remembered the legend of Tang San, the man who had reached the threshold of Godhood and refused to ascend. Who instead stayed, built a legacy, and now watched from beyond their sight.
Hidden Development: Tang San's Legacy Techniques
At night, beneath the great halls of the Tang Clan's core land, Tang San carved new formations. He worked on evolving even more terrifying techniques:
Heavenbreaker Net – a wide-area entrapment array fusing mechanical components and spirit energy.
Spirit Pulse Detonation – a single-ring explosive technique taught only to elite assassins.
Reverse Flow Convergence – a support technique to artificially merge compatible twin spirits for temporary power boosts.
He did not share these freely. Only those with great merit or loyalty were given access, and even then, only fragments.
Meanwhile, his secret technique—the Spirit Ring Rebirth Method—remained locked away, unshared even with his wife. It was his deepest trump card, impossible to replicate, and key to his future godhood path.
End of Chapter 11