Level Seventy, the Pursuers Arrive
On the edge of the Great Desert, in a small grove of trees, the next morning, the sunlight streamed down from the eastern horizon, turning the entire desert into a golden expanse.
Tang San and the others dressed, crawled out of the messy tent, and stretched.
After washing up together by the pool and having some breakfast, everyone prepared to begin their cultivation.
Tang San first checked Zhang San's Storage Soul Tool and found that it contained only some rare metals and Hidden Weapon for making Hidden Weapons, such as the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow, Silent Sleeve Arrow, Peacock Plume Feather, Shadow-Sand Shooter Shadow, Mother-Child Soul-Chasing Life-Taking Orb, and Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needles, etc.
He didn't find any books on martial arts techniques, which suggests that Zhang San was very cautious and kept the techniques to himself.
Tang San sighed, put away the blueprints, and thought to himself that they might come in handy later.
He composed himself and walked to Dugu Yan's side, saying, "Yan Yan, why don't you absorb that Man Faced Demon Spider's Soul Bone first? This Soul Bone is of the same origin as your Man Faced Demon Spider's Sixth Soul Ring, and their attributes are perfectly matched, making absorption twice as effective."
Dugu Yan nodded and took out the 40,000-year-old Man Faced Demon Spider's right arm bone from her Storage Soul Tool.
She sat cross-legged on a sandy patch by the pool, pressing her right arm bone against her right arm.
A brilliant purplish-black light shone brightly, enveloping her entire right arm in a chilling halo.
Dugu Yan closed her eyes and guided the energy of the Soul Bone into her body.
The energy was domineering and violent, carrying the ferocity unique to the Man Faced Demon Spider, rampaging through her body.
More than an hour later, the light gradually faded, and the Soul Bone completely merged with her right arm.
Dugu Yan opened her eyes. Her aura was slightly stronger than before, and her Soul Power fluctuations were more profound and sharper.
"How are you, Yan Yan?" Tang San asked with concern, and the others gathered around.
Dugu Yan stood up, stretched her right arm, and said, "My Soul Power has increased by one level, reaching level sixty-four. All my basic attributes have increased by 20%, and the strength of my right arm has increased by 50%."
"Right Arm Soul Bone Skill, Spiderweb Cage. This is a powerful control skill that allows you to unleash up to three spider webs from your right arm, rapidly shooting towards targets within fifty meters. The spider webs possess exceptional resilience and inflict poison damage. Once Spider Web Restraint, unless the target possesses immense strength, it is extremely difficult to break free, and they will be continuously attacked by the poison."
"My sixth Soul Skill is called Jade Phosphorous Demon Spider Thorn," Dugu Yan continued. "It's a skill that can attack both groups and single targets. It combines the potent venom of the Jade Phosphorous Flood Dragon and the Man Faced Demon Spider, condensing into hundreds of hard, purplish-black stingers that shoot towards the target at lightning speed, carrying powerful physical and poison attacks, ignoring 30% of the target's defense. With the Eight Spider Lances External Soul Bone activated, the power of this skill can be increased by at least 50%."
Tang San nodded, his eyes full of admiration.
The sixth Soul Skill is a powerful attack, Soul Bone Skill is a powerful control skill; one offensive and one controlling, they complement each other perfectly.
Combined with the mobility and poison of her External Soul Bone, the Eight Spider Lances, and the mental weakening effect of her Head Soul Bone skill, Soul Devouring Poison Domain, Dugu Yan, although currently level 64, is no less powerful than any Soul Saint.
Days passed by, the distant sand dunes moved slowly in the wind, the sun rose and set, the Full Moon and waned.
The five people's Soul Power steadily increased through daily cultivation.
Six months later.
Winter has arrived in the desert, and the surface of the pools has frozen over.
Tang San sat cross-legged by the pool, his eyes slightly closed, his Soul Power surging within him like a tide.
He could sense that the bottleneck at level 70 was right in front of him.
Each impact of Soul Power caused the bottleneck to loosen slightly.
"Boom!"
Tang San's body jolted violently, and an invisible wave of energy erupted from within him.
He finally broke through the bottleneck of level 70.
After half a year, Tang San finally crossed the threshold of becoming Soul Saint. He only needs a Seventh Soul Ring to become a true Soul Saint.
Tang San opened his eyes, a blue-gold light flashing within them.
A smile curved his lips as he stood up.
Every cell in his body cheered, and his powerful, almost liquid-like Soul Power surged through his meridians.
He could feel that he was much stronger than he was six months ago.
Dugu Yan, Xiao Wu, Shui Bing'er, and Ye Lingling gathered around him, their eyes filled with pride and joy.
"Congratulations, Third Brother!" Xiao Wu was the first to run over and hug Tang San's arm.
Tang San's gaze swept over the group, his eyes filled with relief and emotion.
In six months, everyone has improved.
Dugu Yan is level 66 and Ye Lingling is level 59; both of them have advanced two levels.
Shui Bing'er broke through level 60 a month ago, and is only one Soul Ring away from becoming Soul Emperor.
During these six months, Xiao Wu also revealed her identity as Soul Beast Transformation to Dugu Yan and the others.
That was on the night Xiao Wu broke through to level 60 in the second month.
When they heard that she was Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form, Dugu Yan and the other two were stunned, their eyes filled with shock.
But the shock lasted only a moment.
Dugu Yan was the first to react, her eyes filled with tenderness. "Xiao Wu, your identity doesn't matter. We've been through so many years together, so many life-and-death situations together. Does your identity even matter?"
Shui Bing'er and Ye Lingling naturally nodded in agreement.
Xiao Wu was surprised that everyone accepted her so quickly. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she threw herself into Dugu Yan's arms, crying like a child.
After comforting Xiao Wu, the three of them turned to look at Tang San at the same time. The tenderness in their eyes disappeared, replaced by a dangerous glint.
"Third Brother, you knew all along?" Dugu Yan's voice carried a dangerous smirk.
The three of them rubbed their hands together, eager to fight Tang San.
Tang San's lips twitched. Was it really me who had to bear all of this in the end?
That day, Tang San was severely "taught a lesson" by four girls all night long, and his magazine was emptied.
Xiao Wu prepared to condense her Soul Ring the next day.
The other three also watched with curiosity, as if they were watching a circus performance.
In the end, it took one hour.
As a black Soul Ring slowly rose from beneath her feet, Dugu Yan and the other two cheered, utterly astonished by this miraculous scene.
Xiao Wu's Sixth Soul Ring reached 40,000 years, and her Soul Power jumped from level 60 to level 62.
From four months ago until now, her Soul Power has increased by one level, reaching level sixty-three.
The sixth Soul Skill is called "Void," which grants immunity to physical attacks and reduces energy attack damage by 50%.
This Soul Skill and her Fourth Soul Skill, "Invincible Golden Body," are complementary combination skills.
Invincible Golden Body is a purely defensive skill that can withstand any attack, whether physical, Soul Power, or mental.
Once activated, it allows the user to move and deal damage normally, and grants immunity to all damage.
Void is an evasion and penetration skill that grants immunity to physical attacks. In the Void state, one cannot be hit by physical attacks and can pass through objects.
It is mainly used to dodge the opponent's physical attacks, while also facilitating close-range ambushes.
Half a year is neither a long nor a short time.
There was no external interference, no pursuit by the Spirit Hall, and no worldly troubles.
Only cultivation and companionship.
Xiao Wu, standing to the side, turned her head to look at Tang San and asked, "Third Brother, we've been here for almost half a year now. Will the Spirit Hall come looking for us again?"
Tang San was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "It's hard to say. Let me consolidate my cultivation level a bit more. If the Spirit Hall hasn't found us in a few days, we'll head towards Heaven Dou City along the edge of the desert. After all, Bing'er and I both need to think about Soul Rings."
He smiled and continued, "If they find us, we'll escape into the desert. The desert is so vast, it won't be easy for them to find us."
As soon as he finished speaking, Tang San's Blue Silver Perception detected two extremely powerful Soul Power fluctuations, at least at the Soul Douluo level.
They were moving incredibly fast, heading straight for the grove of trees.