At dusk, Tang An sat by the bed, guiding Huo Yutong through a few crucial points in her Mysterious Heaven Skill cultivation.
Huo Yutong listened intently and trained with such single-minded devotion that she forgot to eat or sleep. By the time Tang An came out after his shower, she was still sitting cross-legged on the bed, eyes closed, a faint ripple of Soul Power swirling around her.
Tang An wore nothing but a bath towel.
His tall, athletic figure stood out in the dim light, every line of his muscles sharply defined. A few drops of water still clung to his chest, slowly sliding along the contours of his muscles.
Huo Yutong had just finished a cycle of cultivation and opened her eyes.
Then she froze. Her face flushed red before her very eyes, and her heart pounded.
Tang An's body is so nice... No, no! What am I thinking?!
In the Sea of Consciousness, the beautiful Silver Fox's eyes lit up, and all nine of her tails appeared. She licked her lips. "What a perfect body. Those muscle lines, that proportion... Tsk, tsk, tsk."
Huo Yutong abruptly came to her senses and protested loudly in her heart, Sister Silver Fox! You're not allowed to look! He's mine!
Silver Fox let out a meaningful chuckle. "Oho, getting possessive already? It's only the first day, and you're declaring your claim."
"W-well, you're still not allowed to look!" Huo Yutong stamped her foot in her mind.
Huo Yutong was so embarrassed she wanted to find a crack in the floor and crawl into it, but she still forced herself not to look away.
Tang An took in her reaction and flashed a roguish smile. "Yutong, stop training. Go wash up and get some sleep."
As if granted a reprieve, Huo Yutong sprang off the bed, grabbed a change of clothes, and fled into the bathroom.
When she came back out, she wore a simple nightdress. Her hair still dripped slightly, and the steam had left her cheeks rosy.
Tang An leaned against the headboard and let his gaze sweep over Huo Yutong. Then he suddenly said, "Little sister Yutong, my Soul Power's been feeling a little blocked lately. Come help me loosen it up."
Huo Yutong blinked, looking completely bewildered. "How?"
"Just massage a few acupoints with your hands and feet."
Huo Yutong nodded and was about to climb onto the bed to massage him.
An elderly voice suddenly sounded in Tang An's Sea of Consciousness. "Young friend, the elders of Sea God Island have gathered at the Sea God Pavilion. I'll come fetch you now."
Tang An paused, keeping a warm expression on his face, though he couldn't help cursing inwardly.
Couldn't he have come earlier or later? Why now, of all times?
Tang An suppressed his grumbling and turned to Huo Yutong. "Yutong, I have to go out for a bit. Get some rest. Don't wait up for me."
Huo Yutong nodded obediently as she watched Tang An put on his outer robe and leave. Only then did she hug the quilt and roll across the bed, burying her burning face in the pillow.
In the Sea of Consciousness, Silver Fox let out another meaningful chuckle.
Tang An walked out of the dormitory. Under the moonlight, Mu En was waiting outside.
The Mu En before him was utterly unlike the drowsy old man at the gatehouse. He stood with his hands behind his back, his robe stirring though there was no wind, radiating an imposing, mountain-still presence.
Tang An studied Mu En for a moment and understood. This wasn't his real body, but an entity formed from spiritual power.
Tang An stepped forward and inclined his head slightly in admiration. "Elder Mu, your spiritual body is truly marvelous. It's as solid as your real body. If my spiritual power weren't decent, I doubt I'd have noticed anything unusual."
Mu En paused and turned to look at him, surprise flashing in his eyes. "You can tell this is a spiritual body? Even an ordinary Soul Douluo would have trouble seeing through mine. Your spiritual power is no simple thing."
Tang An didn't elaborate. His spiritual power was at the peak of the Spirit Abyss Realm, further enhanced by the Million-Year Spiritual Origin of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm. His perception had long surpassed that of ordinary people.
Remembering the temperaments of the elders at the Sea God Pavilion from the original story, Tang An asked casually, "Elder Mu, what did the elders decide?"
Mu En looked at Tang An with a meaningful gaze. "They want you to become the next Sea God Pavilion Master."
That result was well within Tang An's expectations.
Mu En continued, "I proposed it, and none of the elders objected. However, some are curious about the abilities of the Sea God's inheritor and want to see them for themselves."
Tang An nodded. "That's only fair. Which elder would like to test me?"
Mu En gave Tang An a long look. "You'll find out when we get there."
As they spoke, the two crossed Sea God Lake and reached the Sea God Pavilion on the island at its center. The ancient pavilion was brightly lit. Mu En brought Tang An inside, where seven or eight elders were already seated around a round table. Their eyes all turned to Tang An.
Tang An glanced around at those present: Yan Shaozhe, Cai Mei'er, Xian Lin'er, Qian Duoduo, and several older elders.
Among them sat Xuan Zi, his grizzled hair a wild tangle as he peered at Tang An through half-lidded eyes, a wine gourd in hand.
Mu En took the seat of honor and motioned for Tang An to stand beside him. "Elders, this is the Tang An I mentioned. He's the young master of the Clear Sky Sect and an inheritor of Sea God Tang San."
As soon as he finished speaking, several elders chimed in.
"Indeed, a man of uncommon bearing. A true dragon among men."
"Nine years old, with a cultivation level of twenty-nine. A Sea God inheritor, just as the rumors say."
"That bearing of his does remind me a little of the Tang Sect's founder from ten thousand years ago."
Tang An returned their greetings with a calm, respectful salute, neither servile nor arrogant. Inwardly, however, he grumbled. These old fellows were courteous enough with their words, but their gazes were sharper than the last—especially Xuan Zi, the Holy Spirit Cult's Supreme Elder.
Sure enough, the pleasantries had barely ended when Xuan Zi put down his wine gourd and stood.
Tall and reeking of alcohol, he strode up to Tang An and spoke in a booming voice. "I've lived for over two hundred years, and this is the first time I've heard of a Sea God inheritor. Young friend, would you show this old man what you can do?"
In the original story, though Xuan Zi had a fiery temper, he wasn't one to pick fights for no reason. It would have been stranger if nobody had put him up to this sudden challenge.
Tang An sneered inwardly, but showed nothing on his face. "If Elder Xuan wants to see what I can do, I'll gladly oblige."
Tang An raised his left hand, and emerald light bloomed from his palm as the phantom of the Immortal Scythe appeared.
The Million-Year Soul Ring at the base of its handle slowly revolved, and an immense, ocean-deep vitality instantly filled the entire Sea God Pavilion.
Everyone present changed expression at once.
"A Golden Soul Ring?" Qian Duoduo's eyes flew wide open.
"That aura is far stronger than a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring!" Yan Shaozhe sprang to his feet, his face filled with shock.
Mu En stared at the Golden Soul Ring and asked gravely, "Tang An, what's the story behind this Soul Ring?"
Tang An paused to consider. The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's origins were too complicated, involving the Far North, the Ice Empress, and the Snow Empress. There was no need to reveal everything right now.
Tang An replied proudly, "A God-Bestowed Soul Ring. A million years old."
"A Million-Year Soul Ring!"
"A God-Bestowed Soul Ring—one that only a deity can create with their own hands!"
"Sea God's work, indeed. Extraordinary!"
Nearly every elder present drew in a sharp breath. God-Bestowed Soul Rings were already the stuff of legend, and one a million years old had never been heard of before.
Yan Shaozhe was the first to recover. His gaze burned as he looked at Tang An. "Tang An, what Soul Skill does this Million-Year Soul Ring grant you? Would you show us?"
The elders chimed in one after another, their eyes full of anticipation.
Tang An nodded and snapped his fingers. A pale golden mental halo spread out from him in an instant, enveloping everyone present.
His first Soul Skill, Life Perception Resonance.
"This perception... It covers at least the whole of Sea God Island!"
"It can even pinpoint the slightest obstruction in the flow of Soul Power through my body. In battle, teammates could communicate without words and coordinate without the slightest gap."
"On top of that, this Soul Skill can sense a target's emotional fluctuations and vital signs. It'd be a powerful tool for negotiations and interrogations, too."
Suddenly, Yan Shaozhe's eyes snapped open. His face was full of disbelief. "I have an old injury in the meridians of my left arm. It dates back to a battle against an Evil Soul Master and hasn't healed in decades. When that aura of vitality swept over me just now, I felt it ease ever so slightly!"
The elders checked themselves, visibly shaken. The relief was slight, but the fact that it had loosened injuries that had plagued them for decades was already an ability that defied the heavens.
Mu En fell silent for a long while before speaking slowly. "Even with my cultivation, several old injuries in my body responded just now. A God-Bestowed Soul Ring a million years old—its reputation is well deserved. I'm convinced."
Once the elders' astonishment had subsided, Mu En stood and pressed both hands down, quieting the hubbub. "Elders, I propose that Tang An be appointed Vice Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion, on equal standing with me."
The pavilion fell silent at once.
Yan Shaozhe was the first to stand and salute. "I support the proposal." Cai Mei'er followed close behind.
Xian Lin'er rose with a bright smile, her gaze lingering on Tang An. "I support it too, little Vice Pavilion Master. You'll have to look after your big sister from now on."
One after another, every elder present stood in support. The proposal passed unanimously.
Mu En looked at Tang An. "Tang An, are you willing to accept the appointment?"
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