Just as Tang San set off to Soul Hunting in the Star Dou Great Forest, Tang Feng and Tang Jian had already leisurely returned to Sea God Island, and Tang Jian had also fully mastered the Great Sumeru Hammer.
The two landed on the Ring Sea and took a deep breath of the familiar scent.
It's been two months since I left.
Tang Feng recalled Zhu Zhuqing's stunningly beautiful face, quickened his pace, and headed towards Seahorse City.
Tang Jian followed behind him, his steps equally hurried, a rare hint of urgency on his face.
When the two stepped into the Seahorse City Lord's Mansion, a black figure was already waiting in the courtyard.
Zhu Zhuqing was still dressed in a black outfit, her dark hair flowing down her shoulders. When she looked at Tang Feng, her eyes were filled with tenderness and longing.
Before Tang Feng could speak, she had already thrown herself into his arms.
She buried her face in his chest, wrapped her arms around his waist, and held him so tightly that it was as if he would disappear if she let go.
Tang Feng gently embraced her, feeling the warmth and softness in his arms and the unique fragrance that belonged to her.
After a long while, Zhu Zhuqing finally raised her head, her eyes filled with a hint of shyness, yet she couldn't bear to look away. She gently bit her lower lip, her usual aloofness completely gone.
Tang Feng looked at her, a slight smile playing on his lips, and asked in a low voice, "Did you miss me?"
Zhu Zhuqing didn't speak, but simply buried her face in his chest again and nodded gently.
Needless to say, tonight is destined to be another epic battle.
Not far away, Tang Jian and Ye Lingling were witnessing the same scene. Ye Lingling nestled in Tang Jian, her eyes slightly red, yet she smiled gently.
Everyone sat together, sharing their gains over the past two months. At this moment, Dugu Yan had successfully condensed her Soul Core, and her aura was more solid and substantial than it had been two months ago.
Five days later, at dusk.
Bai Chenxiang finally brought the three elders to Sea God Island.
They did not undergo the Sea God Trial. However, Bo Saixi learned that they had come to assist Tang Feng and the others in hunting for Soul Ring, so he granted them temporary freedom to enter and leave Sea God Island.
Led by Bai Chenxiang, Tang Lie, Yang Wudi, and Dugu Bo arrived at the Seahorse City's Mansion.
"Grandpa! Grandfather! Old Monster!" Tang Feng greeted them with a smile.
Tang Lie looked at his two grandsons and their wives, his aged eyes filled with satisfaction. Nearly three years had passed, and the improvement of the four of them was nothing short of a miracle!
Yang Wudi stepped forward and patted Tang Feng's shoulder forcefully, his eyes filled with pride.
Dugu Bo's gaze fell on Dugu Yan. Seeing his granddaughter's aura solid and the golden trident mark between her brows shining brightly, he felt relieved and his eyes reddened slightly.
He called softly, " Yanyan..."
Dugu Yan stepped forward and gently hugged her grandfather without saying a word.
Everything is understood without words.
The group took their seats in the side hall.
After catching up, Tang Feng took out three Soul Bone from his Storage Soul Tool and solemnly placed them in front of the three elders.
The first piece Torso Bone of a 70,000-year-old Evil Spirit Orca.
Tang Feng pushed the Soul Bone in front of Tang Lie and said, "Grandpa, this is for you. With the blessing of this Torso Bone, the backlash from the Ring Detonation will not be able to harm you!"
Tang Lie was slightly taken aback, then a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. Torso Bone, the rarest and most precious part of the six Soul Bone. Torso Bone is 70,000 years old is enough to make any Titled Douluo's heart flutter.
The second piece Head Soul Bone a 50,000-year-old Evil Spirit Orca.
Tang Feng handed the Soul Bone to Yang Wudi: "Grandpa, this is for you. Your Soul Breaking Spear requires extreme precision, and the stronger your spiritual power, the more accurate your attack will be."
Yang Wudi accepted it, feeling the vast spiritual power within, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
The third piece is the Left Arm Bone of a 50,000-year-old Evil Spirit Orca.
Tang Feng handed the Soul Bone to Dugu Bo and said with a smile, " Old Monster, this is a tribute to you. Your poison attack has reached its limit, and now you need to strengthen your offensive attributes. This Soul Bone might give you an unexpected Soul Skill."
"Hahaha! I haven't spoiled you, you Little Monster, for nothing!" Dugu Bo laughed loudly.
That night, the three of them went into seclusion to absorb Soul Bone.
One night later.
Tang Lie's aura was more solid and profound than before; at the peak of Level 97, his physical strength had surged.
Tang Lie's eyes lit up with joy. " Soul Bone Skill, Evil Spirit Indestructible Body. Once activated, it halves all damage received for sixty seconds, while simultaneously absorbing the halved damage and restoring its own resources."
Yang Wudi broke through to Level 96, his spiritual power surged, and he became like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, his brilliance fully revealed.
" Soul Bone Skill, Evil Spirit Eye. Once activated, it can see through all illusions and perceive the opponent's weaknesses. Any disguise, concealment, or illusion technique with a mental strength lower than mine will have nowhere to hide before me."
Dugu Bo also reached the peak of Level 96: " Soul Bone Skill, Demon Whale Poison Dragon Cannon, Evil Spirit Orca head condenses on his left arm, infused with the deadly Azure Phosphorus Poison. With a punch, the orca head charges forward in a straight line, dealing high physical damage while the poison continuously weakens defense."
Tang Feng looked at the three elders, a surge of fighting spirit rising in his heart.
With their help, he was more confident about the upcoming Soul Hunting.
Early in the morning, everyone sat around the table. Tang Lie looked at Tang Feng and asked, " Little Feng, what are your plans for the next step?"
Tang Feng pondered for a moment, then solemnly said, "My Fifth Trial is to defeat the combined attack of the Seven Sacred Pillar Guardians. With Rongrong's assistance, I'm confident now. Therefore, I can hold off on getting my Soul Ring for now."
His gaze shifted to Zhu Zhuqing:
" Zhu Zhuqing's Fifth Trial requires her to defeat the combined attack of two Sacred Pillar Guardian simultaneously. Even with Rongrong's boost, it will be extremely difficult for her given her current strength. Therefore, her Eighth Soul Ring is the most urgent task right now."
Tang Feng squeezed her hand and continued:
" Zhu Zhuqing's target is the Shadow Demon Squid, a 100,000-year-old dark and speed-type Soul Beast, a top-tier hunter known for its stealth and ambush. Sea Horse Douluo said that its whereabouts are elusive and difficult to track, so it will probably take quite some time."
He looked at Tang Lie, Yang Wudi, and Dugu Bo: "So, I'm taking Zhu Zhuqing, along with Grandpa, Grandfather, and the Old Monster —five of us in total—to search for and hunt the Shadow Demon Squid."
He then looked at Tang Jian, Oscar, and Dugu Yan:
"You three continue to stay on the island and cultivate. Little Ao, Brother Jian, and Sister Yan, once you are confident, you can challenge the Sacred Pillar Guardian on your own."
"Especially Brother Jian. You're level 86 now, and with the Lava Black Tortoise's Soul Ring and Soul Bone, you can definitely complete the Fifth Trial first, and then condense your Soul Core."
Tang Jian grinned and nodded vigorously. "Understood!"
Everyone nodded solemnly, their eyes filled with no fear, only fighting spirit and trust.
At noon that day, with the help of Dugu Yan, Tang Feng and his group of five left Sea God Island Sea God Island and flew towards the Great Trench, a thousand miles south of the island.
This departure lasted for six months.
When Tang Feng and his group of five returned to Sea God Island, it was already dusk six months later.
The setting sun bathed the entire island in a golden-red hue, and the golden light of Sea God Mountain was exceptionally soft in the twilight. Five figures landed on the Ring Sea, each with a look of relieved exhaustion and barely concealed excitement on their faces.
The most eye-catching is Zhu Zhuqing.
Her aura was completely different. It was an indescribable sense of profundity, as if she were standing there, yet not quite there.
Six months.
They went through tremendous effort to find and subdue the 100,000-year-old Shadow Demon Squid with its extraordinary ability to hide.
The Shadow Demon Squid's ability to hide is simply unbelievable; even with Tang Feng's mental strength, it has slipped away from him many times.
If it weren't for the three Titled Douluo Tang Lie, Tang Lie, Yang Wudi, Dugu Bo, joining forces to seal off the sea area, they probably wouldn't have been able to find it even if they had been given another six months.
But the result justified the long time spent.
Zhu Zhuqing successfully absorbed the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, and with the reward from the Fourth Trial, her Soul Power soared to Level 84. The age of her External Soul Bone, the Dark Gold Dreadclaw, also increased to 80,000 years, boosting her attack power by 90% and armor penetration by 45%.
She has two Eighth Soul Skill.
The first skill, " Netherworld Sovereign ".
Once activated, she enters the Darkness Sovereign Form within two minutes, mastering the ultimate dark laws and breaking through the limits of concealment. Even without deliberate concealment, her aura will naturally blend into the surrounding darkness, making her undetectable to any powerhouse below the god level.
When she actively retreats into the shadows, she enters a state of " Absolute Nothingness," becoming immune to all targeted locking, detection, and attacks for three seconds.
The second skill, " Netherworld Judgment ".
He conjured Abyssal Blade from the tentacles of the Shadow Demon Squid in his hand, unleashing a slash that ignored distance and tripled its attack power.
If combined with the " Netherworld Sovereign " form, this attack will be imbued with the "Overlord" characteristic. If the target's current health or Soul Power is below 30%, they will be directly devoured by the "Netherworld Power" and judged as instantly dead.
Of course, the effect will be weakened against experts above the Titled Douluo level, but it will still cause huge amounts of real damage.
This Soul Skill transforms Zhu Zhuqing from an assassin who relies on the environment into a master who creates the environment.
She no longer passively waits for shadows, but actively casts shadows upon everything. She no longer merely seeks a single, decisive kill, but can create deadly opportunities at will throughout the entire battlefield.
Combined with the Shadow Demon Squid's 100,000 years of accumulated power, this Soul Ring symbolizes that she has finally stepped into the core realm of the Dark Laws.
From then on, the night was no longer her disguise, but her territory.