Release the Hostages
What does the Sea God's Nine Trials signify? It signifies that the Sea God Godhood, which Bo Saixi had guarded for countless years and dedicated her entire life to, has finally found its true master!
This also means that Bo Saixi's mission will come to a complete end in the near future—she will be offered up as a sacrifice for the continuation of the tradition, giving everything, including her life, for the birth of a new god!
A chilling sensation, a mixture of jealousy, panic, and resentment, instantly swept through her body.
Envy?!
She dedicated everything to the Sea God; her faith was undeniably devout, and her power undeniably formidable. Why wasn't she the one ultimately chosen?
Panic? She wasn't afraid of death; as the high priestess, she was prepared to sacrifice herself for it. But what she feared was that the faith and duty she had upheld throughout her life would ultimately be "stripped" of everything from her in such a way.
She had originally hoped that, like the previous high priest, she would die of old age before she could wait for the successor to the Sea God's Nine Trials.
These surging negative emotions, like venomous snakes, gnawed at her heart.
But she is, after all, Bo Saixi, Peak Douluo who has ruled Sea God Island for nearly a century.
She forcefully circulated her Soul Power, relying on her strong willpower to suppress these inappropriate emotions, burying them deep in her heart, not daring to reveal the slightest hint on her face.
She could not, and dared not, disobey the will of the Sea God.
Slowly rising to his feet, Bo Saixi's expression had regained its usual coolness and majesty.
She methodically summoned her subordinates and, in the name of Sea God Island, formally contacted the Spirit Hall Empire to discuss the specific conditions for the ransom of hostages Doria, Luochuan, and other members of the Sea God Island Team.
No matter how high the price offered, as long as it doesn't touch the core of Sea God Island, she must agree.
But in a corner where no one was watching, her fingers clenched slightly inside her sleeve, her nails almost digging into her palms.
As she carried out the divine decree, she coldly recalled in her heart the blue-haired girl— Doria —who was about to change her destiny.
Beneath the facade of unwavering faith, a hidden crack has already begun to quietly emerge.
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On Sea God Island, the Sea Maiden Douluo was ultimately tasked with the crucial mission of rescuing the hostages.
She volunteered, Bo Saixi approved her request, watching her departing figure with a complex and unreadable expression.
The high priest was still filled with doubt and struggle.
All of this was sensed by Gu Yuena, who was hiding in the deep sea near Sea God Island, perfectly concealing her presence with the help of ocean currents and her own power.
As the Silver Dragon King, she was exceptionally sensitive to the flow of energy and faith, so such a major operation on Sea God Island naturally could not be kept from her.
"Sea God Island went to such lengths just to redeem a few young disciples?" A hint of doubt flashed in Gu Yuena's purple eyes.
She tried hard to recall the unfamiliar fragments of memory that flooded her mind, attempting to find the corresponding events.
However, she couldn't be sure if the same thing had happened on Sea God Island at this point in time in "that" world, since she was currently recovering from her injuries and knew nothing about the outside world.
She suppressed her doubts and decided to remain inactive, lying in wait.
Her primary target remains Tang San, who possesses the Rakshasa Divine Power and is likely connected to the memories in her mind.
Before finding him and verifying the authenticity of those memories from him, she would not easily take action against the Spirit Hall. After all, it was a force with divine inheritance, and if she took action, it might even attract direct intervention from the Divine Realm.
However, Gu Yuena was unaware that Tang San, the "key figure" she had been waiting for, now hated her to the core!
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Deep within a dark and damp cave in the Star Dou Great Forest, Tang San sat cross-legged, his body surrounded by unstable purplish-black Rakshasa Divine Power.
His injuries were extremely severe. The Silver Dragon King's furious attack not only severely damaged his body, but the remaining Dragon God's Power was like a bone-deep ailment, constantly eroding his meridians. This, combined with the Spirit Hall's poison in his body and the hidden injuries caused by Bibi Dong's dying counterattack, caused him unbearable pain.
Each time he used his internal energy to heal his injuries, it felt like struggling through a mountain of knives and a sea of fire.
In Tang San's view, the one who started all of this was the Silver Dragon King, Gu Yuena, who was indiscriminate, unreasonable, and treated human life like dirt!
"Gu Yuena...!" Tang San squeezed out the name through gritted teeth, his eyes filled with almost overflowing resentment and killing intent.
"If I don't avenge this, I, Tang San, swear I'm not human!" He made a solemn vow in his heart.
What "daughter-in-law"? He had absolutely no idea!
All he knew was that he would remember this grudge! Once he completed the Rakshasa God's Trial and possessed sufficient power, he would make her pay for her blood debt!
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In the shadows, the Rakshasa God's malevolent consciousness Entanglement to Tang San like a maggot. Sensing the ever-growing madness, resentment, and destructive desire within him, the Rakshasa God not only did not stop him, but instead revealed an almost pleasurable emotion.
"Yes, that's it... Hate, resent, kill!"
"Only by sinking into the deepest pain and darkness can your soul perfectly unite with my divine position!"
Tang San's depravity and twisted nature were precisely the nourishment she most wanted to see.
In order to recover from his severe injuries as quickly as possible and suppress the intertwined poison and alien energy within his body, Tang San increased the frequency and ruthlessness of his Soul Hunting beasts day by day.
He frantically activated the Devouring Technique granted by the Rakshasa Divine Power, plundering the life energy and souls of Soul Beast to repair himself.
However, his injuries severely affected his condition. When facing some Soul Beast with higher cultivation levels and a certain ability to resist, he could no longer succeed as easily as before, and even failed several times, almost being counterattacked, making his situation even more embarrassing.
The night was deep. Tang San leaned against an ancient tree, with the skeletal remains of Soul Beast that he had just drained dry.
He was panting, feeling the lingering stinging pain within his body and the sluggish flow of his Soul Power, his eyes filled with anxiety and impatience.
"Too slow... This is too slow!" He needs to acquire life energy faster, more safely, and more efficiently!
A thought, like a will-o'-the-wisp flickering in the darkness, suddenly Flash into his mind—
Blue Silver Forest!
That vibrant forest made up of countless Blue Silver Grass!
That place was, for him, the perfect "hunting ground"!
The endless Blue Silver Grass is the lowest-level Plant-type Soul Beast. Although the energy of each individual is weak, the quantity is enormous, and when gathered together, it will be an incredibly vast source of life.
Moreover, Blue Silver Grass possesses extremely tenacious vitality; even if it is consumed in large quantities, it can quickly recover due to its massive reserves, making it a sustainable "energy mine."
at last...
Ordinary Blue Silver Grass poses no threat; he can safely and efficiently devour it, unable to move or escape, and there's no need to worry about the risks or extra costs of resistance.
The only obstacle is the Blue Silver King who is stationed there, and the current Blue Silver Emperor who has not yet awakened!
A cold, calculating glint flashed in Tang San's eyes.
"Blue Silver King... Blue Silver Emperor..." He licked his chapped lips, Rakshasa Divine Power swirling around his fingertips, "If I could devour them as well, my injuries would surely be mostly healed, and my strength might even reach a higher level!"
Risks and opportunities coexist. Compared to hunting powerful Soul Beast with trepidation in the core area of Star Dou Great Forest, going to the Blue Silver Forest, although he would have to face the Blue Silver King and the possible Blue Silver Emperor, the overall environment is undoubtedly much "safer" and more suitable for his current state.
"It's decided..." Tang San stood up, his gaze fixed on the direction of the Blue Silver Forest, his eyes gleaming with a hungry wolf-like light in the night.
"Let's go there!"
Without further hesitation, he dragged his still-wounded body, transforming into a blurry black shadow, and silently merged into the night, heading towards the vibrant Blue Silver Forest.
Chapter 260 Releasing the Hostages
Although Tang San's Martial Soul evolved into the Blue Silver Emperor and his bloodline awakened due to the sacrifice of the Blue Silver Grass Clan in his previous life, his emotional connection with the Blue Silver Grass Clan was actually quite weak.
Apart from that evolutionary ritual, until he became a god, he never set foot in the Blue Silver Forest that endowed him with the qualities of a king.
After becoming a god, he completely forgot about it, only remembering it when his offspring needed to acquire Soul Ring. The sacrifice of the Blue Silver Grass Clan could not only provide the Soul Ring's lifespan to the limit, but also perfectly match the Blue Silver Emperor's origin, with an effect comparable to a divinely bestowed Soul Ring, making it an excellent choice.
In this life, if a new Blue Silver Emperor hadn't already existed, cutting off the possibility of other Blue Silver Grass evolving into an Emperor, he probably would have already been unable to resist coming to this forest to "plunder."
He had asked Tang Hao about the whereabouts of his mother, Ah Yin, but received a disappointing answer—in this life, even his mother had been taken away.
This deepened his hatred for the Spirit Hall, but also made his need for power even more urgent.
He was disguising his tracks, traversing secluded paths, heading towards the Soul Beast Forest.
Despite his deliberate attempt to keep a low profile and taking back roads, what he saw and heard along the way still gave him a clear understanding of the current situation, leaving him deeply shocked.
The Spirit Hall... no, it should now be called the Spirit Hall Empire.
Their behavior patterns are completely different from their previous lives!
Although the Spirit Hall in its previous life was ambitious, it still had many concerns and proceeded cautiously.
In this life, they launched Thunderous Might surprise attack right after the Advanced Soul Master Tournament ended and before the representatives of various forces had completely left Spirit City!
With overwhelming force and all-out effort, they fought a swift and decisive battle, giving the two great empires no time to react or unite.
Their military might swept all before them, advancing triumphantly and in just one month, they utterly crushed and annexed the two great empires of the Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire, which had stood on the continent for ten thousand years!
This efficient, ruthless, and uncompromising style sent a chill down Tang San's spine.
This was completely different from the image of the Spirit Hall in his memory—a powerful yet righteous and somewhat pedantic organization.
What terrified him even more was that when he passed by a Spirit Hall Branch in a small town, he clearly saw an ordinary Soul Master wearing an offensive Soul Tool that shimmered with the light of Soul Power on his waist!
Recalling the previous encounter with the Spirit Hall elder when Tang Hao was facing him, and the defensive Soul Tool the elder used...
A terrifying conclusion surfaced in his mind: the Soul Tool Technology of the Spirit Hall Empire had already taken shape and might even have begun to be deployed at the grassroots level!
This is absolutely revolutionary! In the previous life, Soul Tool technology was only forced to develop ten thousand years later, under the pressure of war and external threats from the Sun Moon Continent. Moreover, most of the native Soul Master of the Douluo Continent held a deep-rooted contempt for the Soul Engineer system, which "relies on external forces".
However, even so, Soul Tool from the previous life did not become widespread at the grassroots level.
But now, the Spirit Hall Empire has already demonstrated mature research and application capabilities for Soul Tool during the war of unification!
what does that mean?
This means that he will be facing a Spirit Hall Empire where everyone is enlightened and becomes Soul Engineer!
Tang San's heart sank completely. He had originally thought that with his memories from his previous life and his experience as a God King, he would be able to cope with the changes in this world.
But now it seems that this Martial Spirit Hall Empire, ruled by Qian Xunji, has already embarked on a path that is completely different from its previous one, and is more dangerous and powerful.
His path to revenge will likely be many times more difficult than he anticipated.
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On the outskirts of a small town, Tang San unexpectedly encountered a patrol of low-level Soul Master from the Spirit Hall Empire.
Seeing the strangely shaped metal artifact in his opponent's hand, shimmering with Soul Power fluctuations, Tang San's heart stirred. He wanted to take this opportunity to test its power.
At first, Tang San didn't take it seriously.
He possesses the Tang Sect Secret Arts, his Hidden Weapon weapon techniques are unparalleled, and he also has the Mysterious Heaven Skill and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track at his disposal. Why would he fear these external things?
However, as soon as they engaged in combat, he immediately realized how troublesome these Soul Tool were.