After Yang Xiong took the inner core of the Ten-headed Fierce Yang Serpent, the entire Hell Road seemed on the verge of collapse. With no time to hesitate, Yang Xiong sprinted forward as fast as he could.
The further he advanced, the higher the temperature rose, and the closer he came to the river of blood. Red mist began to emanate, stimulating his body and causing his mind to teeter on the brink of losing control. Visibility also drastically decreased.
After half an hour, the Hell Road and the river of blood were nearly level with each other. The surrounding temperature had surpassed that of ordinary flames. A normal Soul King exposed to such heat would likely be roasted alive.
Moreover, Yang Xiong was now completely enveloped in the red mist, which contained a potent toxin that affected the mind—far surpassing the seductive allure of Hu Liena and her brother's spirit fusion technique, Yao Mei.
At this moment, a white light appeared ahead, resembling a gateway. Yang Xiong knew this was the end of the Hell Road. Crossing through the white light meant completing the trial and obtaining the Killing God Domain.
However, at this critical juncture, Yang Xiong felt his body on the verge of losing control. More importantly, his Body Martial Soul seemed drawn to the river of blood, as if there were some connection between them.
Given Yang Xiong's current speed, reaching the light gate before the Hell Road collapsed entirely should not have been an issue, even though the path behind him began collapsing with every step he took.
The light gate grew closer, shrinking from several hundred meters to just tens of meters away.
As Yang Xiong approached the light gate, the entire space began shaking more violently, and the Hell Road's collapse accelerated. It seemed everything was tied to the distance between Yang Xiong and the light gate.
At this moment, Yang Xiong hesitated.
On the Hell Road, whether it was the red toxic mist or the monstrous creatures, every challenge had been immense. Especially during this final stretch, it felt as though he were submerged in a blood sea of Asura, perpetually on the verge of losing control.
The red mist rapidly seeped into Yang Xiong's body and mind, as if stimulating his entire being—even his martial soul and soul. It was as though he were about to lose himself entirely.
When the light gate was only a few meters away, Yang Xiong abruptly stopped. Ignoring the collapsing Hell Road, he leaped directly into the river of blood.
This decision was made on the spot, though it might have been something Yang Xiong had contemplated for a long time. In that final instant, he resolved to take a desperate gamble.
By Yang Xiong's estimation, he had already undergone ice-fire tempering. Over the years, he had relentlessly trained his body, enduring the killing intent of both Slaughter City and the Hell Road. He felt as though his body was on the verge of breaking its limits.
Yet, no matter how much he trained or how deeply he studied the killing intent, his martial soul seemed to remain just one step away from breakthrough.
What Yang Xiong had always pursued was the golden-level awakening of his Body Martial Soul. According to the rules governing Body Martial Souls, only life-and-death trials could trigger true awakening, testing the limits of one's willpower.
Over the years, Yang Xiong had faced numerous dangers, but the most perilous moment was during the ice-fire tempering, when he truly embraced a sense of reckless abandon.
Now, as he gazed at the river of blood, Yang Xiong wondered: Was the poison in this blood river stronger than that of the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well? Was its temperature hotter than the Yang Spring within the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well?
After all, the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well were formed from the corpses of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings. Their waters could kill even ten-thousand-year soul beasts, and the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings themselves were once god-level beings.
As for his parents and loved ones, after careful arrangements, they were safe for the time being. He had even prepared contingency plans for them.
At this moment, Yang Xiong wanted nothing more than to take a desperate gamble, to break through his limits and transcend the constraints of his innate talent.
Yang Xiong was acutely aware of his disadvantages compared to Tang San and Qian Renxue.
Tang San possessed twin martial souls, allowing him to rapidly advance by adding soul rings to his Hao Tian Hammer after reaching the Title Douluo level.
Qian Renxue, on the other hand, was a peerless genius with the inheritance of the Angel God. She could leverage divine trials and the Angel God's heritage site to accelerate her cultivation.
Though Yang Xiong believed his combat talent was no less than theirs, his cultivation speed after reaching Title Douluo would inevitably lag behind. To close the gap, relentless effort was his only option.
As his martial soul was drawn to the river of blood, Yang Xiong sensed that this blood river held the key to his breakthrough—a rare opportunity in this world. In fact, there was no place better suited for physical tempering than this river of blood.
The moment Yang Xiong leaped into the blood river, the collapsing Hell Road seemed to hit a bottleneck. The previous destruction halted in an instant.
However, the blood river was far more terrifying than Yang Xiong had imagined. The instant he entered, his entire body began to melt.
Even after summoning his martial soul and transforming his body into a silver giant, his skin dissolved completely. An overwhelming surge of killing intent flooded his mind and marrow, as if confronting a primordial beast.
His entire body endured unimaginable pain. Even the soul bones on his body seemed on the verge of melting, making the agony far worse than during the ice-fire tempering.
In his spiritual sea, the silver giant was now enveloped by a blood-red ocean. His mental world seemed on the verge of collapse.
Gritting his teeth, Yang Xiong knew he couldn't give up at this critical moment. Otherwise, he would surely perish without a trace, reduced to a pool of blood.
All of his soul bones manifested. Particularly, the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor soul bone in his right leg infused his body with boundless life energy.
At this moment, all his soul bones seemed to form a connection, showing signs of fusion.
Especially the Xuanming Armor on his torso, which linked the bones of his body and limbs, forming a massive turtle shell.
Amidst the extreme pain, Yang Xiong's eyes burned with determination and ferocity.
Vaguely, Yang Xiong saw a towering blood-red figure, thousands of meters tall, like a heaven-defying giant. It regarded life as insignificant, exuding a terrifying aura.
Yang Xiong even felt a hint of disdain curling the figure's lips. Everything seemed both real and illusory. Eventually, amidst the excruciating pain, Yang Xiong gradually lost consciousness, leaving only his body to resist.
…
Beneath a secluded waterfall in the Fasinuo Province.
After a full year of grueling training, Tang San had mastered the use of the Hao Tian Hammer with exceptional fluidity. He could even reverse the Chaotic Wind Splitting Hammer Technique. When he unleashed the eighty-first strike of the ninety-nine hammer sequence, the waterfall seemed on the verge of splitting apart, and the falling droplets of water were unable to reach the ground.
Since advancing to the Soul King level, Tang San had made significant progress in all aspects. At seventeen, he had already reached level fifty-four, pushing his body to the limit of what an ordinary Soul King could achieve.
Tang Hao watched Tang San with a rare sense of satisfaction. Tang San's progress with the Hao Tian Hammer had surpassed even the speed of his earlier wooden hammer training. The Chaotic Wind Splitting Hammer Technique was now fully mastered, reaching the same level Tang Hao had achieved in his prime.
Tang San emerged from the waterfall, his face brimming with joy: "Father, I've finally completed your test again. What's the next task?"
A rare smile appeared on Tang Hao's face: "Xiao San, your cultivation speed has exceeded my expectations. It seems you are exceptionally suited for the Hao Tian Hammer martial soul."
"All these years, I've had you train beneath the waterfall to push your body to its limits."
"Your master, Yu Xiaogang, and I have extensively researched the matter. During my battle with Bibi Dong at the Spirit Hall, I was trying to understand how she managed to cultivate twin martial souls."
"After thorough analysis, we concluded that the key to cultivating twin martial souls lies in pushing the body's strength to its absolute peak."
Tang San was puzzled: "Father, wouldn't cultivating twin martial souls be more complex than that? Although twin martial souls are rare, there have been three cases in the past century. Surely, others must have considered this possibility."
Tang Hao shook his head: "Xiao San, you're mistaken. The cultivation methods of soul masters have always been developed through gradual exploration. Whether it's the Spirit Hall or the top three sects, their research on soul master cultivation far surpasses that of ordinary civilians, small sects, or even the two empires."
"In the past, it was rare for Soul Kings to appear during the Soul Master Tournament. But in the last tournament, the Spirit Hall produced not one, but three Soul Kings, showcasing their advancements in soul cultivation."
"And you, at just seventeen, have already reached level fifty-four. You could potentially reach the Soul Emperor level within three years. This cultivation speed is unprecedented, even surpassing my record of breaking through to become a Title Douluo."
Tang San was confused: "Father, what exactly has changed in this cultivation process? Has a new meditation method emerged?"
Tang Hao replied: "Not quite. The cultivation methods in the soul master world haven't seen major changes in recent years. What has changed is the approach to cultivation."
"In the past, soul masters primarily relied on meditation, often neglecting physical training. But in recent years, the soul master community has begun emphasizing physical conditioning. Only a strong body can enhance meditation efficiency."
"Therefore, I suspect Bibi Dong overcame the rejection force of twin martial souls through rigorous physical training. Based on my estimation, her physical conditioning and refinement must be extraordinary. Additionally, she likely possesses a full set of high-year soul bones."
"By my estimation, Bibi Dong has at least three 100,000 year soul bones, and the rest are at least 50,000 year soul bones. You should understand the significance of soul bones. Such a configuration is terrifying, even to me."
Hearing this, Tang San swallowed nervously. He currently possessed only a head soul bone and a mantis leg external soul bone. Top-tier hundred-thousand-year soul bones were still far beyond his reach.
Tang Hao continued: "Normally, you should meditate to cultivate your Blue Silver Grass. However, these past few years, I've focused on having you train with the Hao Tian Hammer while refining your physical abilities. Yet, your cultivation speed hasn't slowed—it has actually increased. This proves my hypothesis is correct."
"Therefore, you must be cautious when absorbing soul bones in the future. Aim for soul bones that are at least fifty-thousand years old, preferably multiple hundred-thousand-year soul bones. This should help you overcome the conflict of twin martial souls."
"If this still doesn't allow you to fully master twin martial souls, then I don't know what else to do."
Tang San quickly responded: "Thank you, Father. I will work hard to strengthen my body and overcome the challenges of twin martial souls. I will definitely reach the pinnacle of soul mastery."
Tang Hao's face softened with satisfaction. He had poured immense effort into Tang San over the past few years.
Tang San suddenly recalled something: "Father, my classmate Yang Xiong also trained his body relentlessly. Could he have similar insights?"
Tang Hao nodded: "Yang Xiong's martial soul is unique, and he places great emphasis on physical conditioning and refinement. I believe he shares similar considerations. Otherwise, with only a starting soul power of six, he wouldn't be able to keep up with your cultivation speed."
After a long silence, Tang San finally spoke: "Father, how should I train next?"
Tang Hao's expression turned serious: "Xiao San, your combat awareness and soul power cultivation are excellent. However, to become a true powerhouse, you lack one crucial element—the ultimate test of life-and-death and bloodshed."
Suddenly, a wave of overwhelming killing intent erupted from Tang Hao's body. He transformed into a massive blood-red figure. Tang San felt a chill run down his spine, his soul power suppressed entirely, and his very soul trembling.
Only when Tang Hao retracted his killing intent did Tang San gradually recover.
"Xiao San, I will take you to a special place. It will be fraught with lethal danger, but it will also offer tremendous growth. Only through such trials can you become a true powerhouse."
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