The cruise ship's railings cut through the waves in the night. On the forty-ninth day at sea, the depths were even darker and more bone-chilling than they had been over the previous forty-eight days. Tang Wulin wore only a thin trial uniform, his body rising and falling with the waves. Beneath skin that had long since turned pale from soaking in seawater, every inch of muscle screamed in protest. Forty-nine consecutive days of extreme torment—from iron posts on the deck to icy body tempering in the cold storage, from fighting sharks barehanded in underwater currents to breath-holding training under deep-sea pressure—Mu Ye's trials had never paused for even a moment.
During the morning cold storage trial, he had to stand naked in temperatures of minus fifty degrees for three hours, allowing ice chips to fall upon his skin and freeze into frost. The Golden Dragon King's blood essence steamed into white mist over his body, but Mu Ye used specially made cold iron chains to lock his meridians, forcing him to endure the bitter cold with nothing but his physical body.
During the afternoon weighted run on the deck, the lead blocks on his back had increased from thirty pounds to eighty. Every step crushed the anti-slip grooves in the deck. Only after his legs had gone completely numb would Mu Ye throw him into the sea to stimulate his nerves with seawater. And today was the end of this brutal trial.
"Go down." Mu Ye's voice remained cold. With a light tap of the oar in his hand, Tang Wulin plunged into the deep sea like an arrow released from its bow. Unlike the shallow-sea trials of the past, the pressure here was like countless heavy hammers. The moment he dove a hundred meters down, his bones creaked and groaned. His internal organs seemed to be squeezed together by invisible hands, and the pain made his vision darken.
His eardrums rang, while his blood burned through his veins as though flowing backward. The Golden Dragon King's blood essence surged wildly within him, forming a thin protective aura around his body, but it could barely withstand the pressure of the deep sea. With every inch he descended, that violent energy became more restless, as if it wanted to burst through his meridians and perish together with the crushing pressure.
Tang Wulin gritted his teeth, tasting blood on his tongue. Through the agony, he maintained his last shred of clarity. He remembered Mu Ye's words: "The Body Sect's final trial is not meant to let you return alive. It is meant to make you find a reason to live when you should be dying.
"
Gu Yue's cool yet concerned gaze flashed through his mind. That day, when she had seen the blood scabs on his fists, she had said, "You brought this on yourself," yet secretly left a bottle of special healing medicine outside his door late that night. He saw the Shrek companions fighting at his side: Xie Xie's speed, Xu Xiaoyan's Starwheel, Yue Zhengyu's Divine Flame, and Yuanen Yehui's steady protection. He saw his adoptive parents' warm smiles, the strength of his father Tang Ziran's rough hand patting his shoulder, and the lamplight under which his mother Lang Yue mended his blacksmithing clothes late at night. These were all reasons he had to live.
He forced his blood essence into motion and dove deeper. The surrounding seawater gradually turned pitch-black, with only the fleeting patches of light left behind by glowing soul beasts occasionally illuminating his pale yet resolute face. Suddenly, a powerful sense of danger stabbed into his mind like a needle. Tang Wulin sharply twisted aside as a massive shadow brushed past him. Sharp teeth glinted coldly in the darkness, saliva mixing with seawater and spreading the stench of rotten flesh. It was a thousand-year Demon Soul Great White Shark! More than ten meters long, its dorsal fin was sharp as a curved blade. Cold killing intent flashed in its eyes. Clearly, it had taken this human intruder into its territory for prey.
The Demon Soul Great White Shark attacked swiftly and fiercely. Its enormous tail fin slapped the seawater, creating powerful undercurrents that tossed Tang Wulin wildly about. He had no soul skills to rely upon. Mu Ye's trial had forbidden him from using his martial soul from beginning to end, leaving him only his pure physical strength. Tang Wulin took a deep breath and forced all the restless Golden Dragon King energy within him into his limbs. The muscles in his arms swelled, veins bulging like coiling dragons. His already sturdy arms expanded further under the infusion of energy. Facing the shark's fangs, he threw a fist straight at it!
Bang!
His fist collided with the shark's teeth, and a muffled explosion erupted through the deep sea, forming visible rings of shockwaves. Tang Wulin felt piercing pain shoot through his arm. His bones went numb as if they were about to break, and his blood essence surged upward. Blood welled in his throat, but he forcibly swallowed it back down. Yet the Demon Soul Great White Shark was also knocked several meters backward by that brute force. It clearly had not expected such astonishing strength from a tiny human. A flicker of surprise crossed its eyes before being replaced by deeper fury.
It let out a sharp howl. The sound waves spread through the water, making Tang Wulin's eardrums ache and his vision dim in waves. Then the Demon Soul Great White Shark lunged at him again. This time, it did not rush to tear him apart with its teeth. Instead, its massive body whipped up a vortex and trapped Tang Wulin at its center. The vortex grew stronger and stronger, flinging his body around until it felt as though his organs would be shaken loose. He could only curl up and gather his blood essence across his body, forcibly enduring the vortex's tearing force.
I can't let it control me! Mu Ye's teachings on close-quarters physical combat flashed through Tang Wulin's mind. Break the surface with a point. Borrow force to strike back. He suddenly stretched out his body and used the vortex's centrifugal force to spin like a top. Gathering all his strength into his legs, he viciously kicked the Demon Soul Great White Shark in the belly! That was the shark's weakest defensive point. Even beneath its hard scales, it was far less sturdy than its back.
Squelch!
That kick contained the Golden Dragon King's violent blood essence and the utmost power of his body. It actually shattered several scales, instantly dyeing the seawater red with blood. The Demon Soul Great White Shark let out a pained wail, and the vortex immediately weakened. Tang Wulin seized the chance to shoot out of it like an arrow. His hands became claws as he fiercely grabbed the shark's dorsal fin. No matter how it rolled and struggled, he refused to release it. His fingers sank into the shark's rough skin, his nails broke, and blood flowed through the gaps between his fingers, but his grip did not loosen in the slightest.
"Stop!" Tang Wulin roared as the Golden Dragon King energy within him erupted completely, pouring through his arms and into the Demon Soul Great White Shark's body. The violent Dragon Might made the thousand-year soul beast shudder, and its movements instantly became sluggish. But this outburst also placed enormous strain on Tang Wulin's meridians. A sharp pain erupted in his chest, and he could no longer hold it back. He spat out a mouthful of blood, which spread through the seawater and attracted the attention of even more low-level soul beasts. Several half-meter-long Bloodsucking Eels followed the scent of blood, their slender teeth flashing coldly as they bit toward his exposed wounds.
Attacked from both sides, Tang Wulin's strength rapidly drained away. The pressure of the deep sea and the dizziness brought by blood loss grew increasingly intense. His vision began to blur, and his limbs became heavy. Seizing the chance, the Demon Soul Great White Shark violently slammed its enormous body into a seafloor reef, trying to crush the human on its back to death. Tang Wulin's vision went black from the impact. A metallic sweetness flooded his throat, his consciousness instantly fell into chaos, and the strength in his hands gradually weakened.
Am I going to die?
In the darkness, that thought surfaced uncontrollably. He could feel his life rapidly slipping away. Even the Golden Dragon King energy was gradually weakening, as though it could go out at any moment. But then Gu Yue's face appeared in his mind again. Her eyes, always distant yet hiding gentleness, seemed to be telling him, "Tang Wulin, you can't die." Then the smiles of his adoptive parents and the shouts of his companions intertwined, forming a powerful spiritual force that forcibly pulled him back from the chaos.
I can't die!
His powerful will to survive spread like wildfire, instantly igniting his fading consciousness. He abruptly opened his eyes, astonishing light bursting from them. The Golden Dragon King energy that had once been restless suddenly calmed, then merged with his blood essence and raced through his meridians, repairing his damaged body. Even more amazingly, his martial soul, which had remained dormant for so long, suddenly stirred at that moment!
Threads of pale blue light seeped from his body, especially dazzling in the pitch-black deep sea. Those lights gathered into tiny vines that slowly extended from his palms. They were his Blue Silver Grass martial soul! But this time, the Blue Silver Grass was no longer as slender and weak as before. Fine silver patterns covered the vines like the totem of an emperor, radiating noble and majestic energy. The vines swayed gently in the seawater. With every movement, they drew the surrounding currents into gentle whirlpools, and the once-violent seawater actually became tame.
My martial soul... awakened? Tang Wulin was both shocked and delighted. He could clearly sense that this Blue Silver Grass was entirely different from before. It was no longer a martial soul attached to him, but more like a companion connected to him by blood, radiating vigorous life and imperial aura. The silver patterns shimmered as they spread along the vines, staining his arms with a faint silver glow. At that moment, the pressure of the deep sea seemed to weaken considerably, while the pain in his wounds rapidly faded.
The Demon Soul Great White Shark clearly sensed this abnormal energy as well. Fear flashed in its eyes, but its bloodthirsty instincts still drove it to charge at Tang Wulin again. Yet before Tang Wulin could act, the awakened Blue Silver Grass vines shot out like arrows, instantly wrapping around the Demon Soul Great White Shark's body. The silver patterns on the vines lit up, erupting with immense restraining force like the strongest chains. No matter how the Demon Soul Great White Shark struggled, it could not break free. Even more strangely, the aura emitted by the vines made the shark tremble all over, as if it had encountered its natural nemesis. Its violent struggling gradually became weak and powerless.
Tang Wulin could clearly feel an unprecedented connection with the Blue Silver Grass. They were like extensions of his own arms, completely under his control. With a thought, the Blue Silver Grass vines suddenly tightened. Accompanied by the Demon Soul Great White Shark's scream, its enormous body was forcibly constricted, and the sound of breaking bones carried through the seawater. Tang Wulin did not finish it off. He merely controlled the vines to push it into the distance, signaling it to leave. The Demon Soul Great White Shark seemed to receive a pardon. After breaking free from the vines, it fled headlong into the depths, never daring to approach again.
At the same time, the changes within Tang Wulin continued. The Bluesilver Emperor's energy merged with the Golden Dragon King's blood essence, forming an entirely new power that flowed through his meridians. Wherever it passed, his damaged muscles, bones, and meridians rapidly healed, becoming even tougher than before. His Soul Power also surged wildly. His original Soul Emperor-level cultivation vaguely showed signs of breaking through. His Soul Power fluctuations rose and fell like ocean waves, forming circles of energy ripples in the deep sea. He could feel that his physical strength had reached an entirely new level. The high pressure of the deep sea was no longer torture; instead, it had become the perfect environment for tempering his body.
He slowly swam upward. The Bluesilver Emperor's vines swayed around him, radiating a soft glow that frightened away the low-level soul beasts coveting him. When he surfaced again, he saw Mu Ye standing by the ship's side. At some point, the cleaver in his hand had been replaced with a jug of wine, and he watched Tang Wulin with a complicated expression. Unlike his usual coldness, Mu Ye's eyes now held clear approval, and even a faint trace of barely concealed amazement.
Tang Wulin climbed onto the ship, drenched and covered in wounds, yet his back remained straight. In his palm, a small blade of grass radiating blue-silver light quietly swayed. Its leaves were narrow and tough, with a tiny golden drop of dew at the tip. The silver patterns on its vines resembled a flowing river of stars. It was the Bluesilver Emperor after its second awakening! It radiated faint imperial pressure, making even the surrounding air solemn. Even Mu Ye, with all his experience, could not help looking at it several more times.
"The trial... I passed?" Tang Wulin's voice carried a trace of exhaustion, but he could not hide the excitement in his heart. Sweat and seawater dripped from his hair, splashing onto the deck and spreading into a small wet patch.
Mu Ye nodded and tossed him the wine jug. "Drink it. Warm yourself up." His tone had finally softened somewhat. "From today onward, you are a true inheritor of the Body Sect." Looking at the Bluesilver Emperor in Tang Wulin's palm, amazement flashed in his eyes. "You do not possess a Body martial soul, yet you completed such a thorough awakening during the Body Sect's trial. You even triggered resonance between the Golden Dragon King energy and your martial soul, remolding the foundation of your body. You are the first. The Body Sect emphasizes forging the body into sainthood, but you have opened a new path where martial soul and physical body complement one another."
Tang Wulin took the wine jug and tipped back a large mouthful. The strong liquor burned down his throat, instantly driving away the cold within him and easing his tense nerves somewhat. He smiled. It was the relief of surviving life and death, the joy of surpassing his limits. There was a hint of simple honesty in that smile, yet it was filled with strength. "Thank you, Teacher Mu Ye."
"You needn't thank me." Mu Ye shook his head, his gaze becoming profound. "You passed the trial because of your own will and potential. The Golden Dragon King physique allowed you to endure pain beyond what ordinary people could imagine, but your desire to protect was what truly supported you until the end. The Body Sect's trials have never chosen the strongest people. They choose those with the deepest resolve and the greatest perseverance." He paused, then continued, "The awakening of your Bluesilver Emperor is not merely the transformation of a martial soul. It is the perfect union of your state of mind and physical body. From now on, your Bluesilver Emperor will possess the physical characteristics of the Body Sect: resilient and powerful, able to serve as both a weapon and the strongest shield."
Tang Wulin clenched the Bluesilver Emperor in his palm and could clearly feel the warmth and strength it conveyed. He knew that this brutal trial had finally ended, and his life was about to enter a brand-new chapter. The Bluesilver Emperor swayed gently, as though responding to his feelings. The silver patterns on its vines glimmered, reflecting in his determined eyes.
The sea breeze swept past, drying the seawater on his body and carrying the scent of the distant continent. Tang Wulin gazed over the endless ocean, his heart filled with strength. He had not only passed the Body Sect's trial but also gained control over his own power. From now on, he had the confidence to protect everything he cared about and face the challenges brought by the Golden Dragon King's seal.
Mu Ye watched his determined back and softly sighed, his tone carrying a trace of expectation. "Rest well. Your path has only just begun. I will teach you the Body Sect's secret arts during the remainder of this voyage. Remember: the greater the power, the heavier the responsibility. Your Bluesilver Emperor carries not only your hopes, but also the future between soul beasts and humans."
Tang Wulin turned around and deeply bowed to Mu Ye. "This disciple understands." His voice was calm and resolute, and unprecedented light shone in his eyes.
He knew that this inheritance, this transformation, had been bought with countless hardships and brushes with death. And he would never betray that trust, nor would he ever betray his own perseverance. The cruise ship continued sailing across the sea, the sound of waves striking its hull like a hymn of victory. Tang Wulin stood on the deck, the Bluesilver Emperor in his palm shining brilliantly. He had broken free from his cocoon and become a true powerhouse, ready to face every challenge the future would bring.
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