Seeing that no one had any objections, Tang Xiao said, "Alright, then let's do it this way. Fifth Elder and Seventh Elder, prepare immediately and set off tomorrow to explore the Star Dou Great Forest."
The rest of you, focus on consolidating your cultivation over the next two months. Regardless of the findings, we will assemble and depart in two months!
Everyone in the hall responded in unison.
Tang Xiao turned to Tang Feng, his dignified profile softening slightly.
Tang Xiao reached out and patted the boy's shoulder. " Feng'er, in the next two months, I will personally teach you the last six of the Clear Sky Nine Absolutes. You have already mastered the essence of the first three—Shaking, Breaking, and Collapsing—but the last six—'Emptiness, Sealing, Penetrating, Tunneling, Entangling, and Halting'—each requires A Thousand Hammerings and a Hundred Refinements and cannot tolerate the slightest carelessness."
Tang Xiao paused, his expression becoming more serious. "These next two months, you must practice diligently and strive to master all Clear Sky Nine Absolutes."
Tang Feng's heart skipped a beat. He raised his right fist and pounded it heavily on his left chest. "Sect Master, rest assured! Your disciple will never fail the sect's expectations!"
With the agreement reached, everyone rose to take their leave.
For the next two months, Tang Feng seemed to be possessed by a demon.
At dawn, before the stars had faded and the moon was still bright, Tang Feng had already arrived at the training ground on the back mountain. He had taken off his outer robe, leaving only a single garment, and was wielding the Clear Sky Hammer, which weighed over six thousand catties.
" Shock Absolute!" Tang Feng shouted, and his hammer fell like thunder, tearing the air apart with spiderweb-like cracks.
" Penetration Absolute!" The hammer's momentum suddenly changed, shifting from hard to soft. Soul Power, like a wisp of silk, pierced through the mountain rock, leaving a smooth, mirror-like hole.
" Entanglement Absolute!" The hammer's shadow stretched endlessly, shredding all the flying pebbles into dust, like vines strangling and killing.
He swung his hammer three thousand times a day, practicing each move hundreds of times. Tang Feng's movements progressed from initial awkwardness to perfect form and spirit, until finally reaching a state of mastery, flowing smoothly like clouds and water.
Sweat soaked through his clothes, then evaporated by his Soul Power, leaving behind layers of white salt frost.
Tang Xiao came to inspect every day, and the more he looked, the more astonished he became. He secretly marveled at Tang Feng's frighteningly high level of comprehension. Often, he only needed to demonstrate once to be able to quickly imitate seven or eight tenths of the essence.
Until the latter half of the second month, Tang Xiao could no longer find the slightest flaw in Tang Feng's hammer technique.
On the last day of the two months, Tang Feng stood with his hammer at the ready, his black robe soaked with sweat, his chest heaving violently.
Tang Xiao approached Tang Feng and said with satisfaction, " Feng'er, you've graduated. The Clear Sky Nine Absolutes are etched into your very bones. As for the hammer technique, there's nothing more I can teach you; from now on, you'll have to rely on your own understanding and practice to improve."
Tang Feng, slightly out of breath and with a hoarse voice, replied, "It's thanks to the Patriarch's excellent teaching."
In the past two months, besides cultivating the Clear Sky Nine Absolutes, Tang Feng also frequently went to the Grand Martial Arts Arena to spar with his fellow clansmen and test his hammer skills.
Now, there are no rivals among the third-generation disciples, not even Tang Long, the chief disciple at the peak of the Soul King. Tang Long is fifteen years older than Tang Feng and has a higher Soul Power level, yet he was still repeatedly defeated by Tang Feng and forced to admit defeat.
Now the entire sect has a deep understanding of Tang Feng's formidable combat power. Whenever Tang Feng appears in the training ground, the disciples are filled with awe and admiration, and Tang Feng's prestige in the sect is growing day by day.
At this moment, Tang Feng arrived alone at the Bright Moon Mountain, looking like a piece of refined iron that had been forged through A Thousand Hammerings and a Hundred Refinements, with all impurities removed.
Tang Feng looked down over the entire sect, his eyes no longer merely displaying the sharpness of a youth, but also exuding the aura of a master who looked down upon the world and believed himself to be invincible.
The following day, at 3:45 AM, the gates of the Clear Sky Sect slowly opened.
A group of more than ten people emerged one after another from the thin mist. Leading them was Sect Master Tang Xiao, with Tang Feng following closely behind.
The group traveled day and night, running at breakneck speed. With the support of their Soul Power, their speed was incredibly fast. In just five days, they traversed two thousand kilometers and arrived at the agreed-upon location on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, where they met up with the two elders. It was a secluded natural cave, dark and gloomy inside. The Fifth Elder, Tang Rui, and the Seventh Elder Tang Lie, had been waiting there for a long time.
By the campfire, the two elders saw Tang Xiao leading the group and immediately stood up. "Sect Master, you've arrived."
Tang Xiao waved his hand to indicate that there was no need for formalities, and his gaze fell on the Soul Beast scroll spread out on the stone platform. This was a map drawn by the Fifth Elder, marked with various symbols.
Everyone gathered around. The Fifth Elder's finger landed on the scarlet area in the center of the map, and he said in a low voice, "Six hundred miles north of here in the core area, there is a Diamond Tiger."
With 85,000 years of cultivation, a shoulder height of five meters, a body length of twelve meters, and leather armor as if cast from refined gold, impervious to blades and spears, his strength is so great that even ordinary Titled Douluo would probably not dare to take him head-on.
The Fifth Elder paused, his gaze sweeping over Tang Ming Tang Kun, a hint of fanaticism in his voice. "But its Soul Ring will absolutely allow your strength and defense to undergo a qualitative leap. Only after surviving this ordeal will you truly stand at the pinnacle of the continent!"
Everyone showed expressions of surprise and delight. Eighty-five thousand years—that's absolutely perfect! Not only is the age terrifying, but it's also the king of power-type Soul Beast.
Before everyone could process this, the Fifth Elder's finger slid to another spot on the map, where a ghostly blue Skeleton was marked:
"Here, beneath the Death Swamp in the southeast of the core area, lies a Heavy Armored Beetle King. With 89,000 years of cultivation, its scales are probably several feet thick and can deflect 80% of physical attacks."
Although its movement speed is slow, its strength and defense are extremely troublesome; obtaining its Soul Ring will likely require considerable effort.
The Fifth Elder looked at the two elders who needed the Ninth Soul Ring and said, "Its Soul Ring attributes are very compatible with our Clear Sky Hammer. If we can successfully absorb it, we will definitely obtain a very powerful Soul Skill."
Tang Ming and Tang Kun exchanged a glance, both seeing that burning, reckless passion in each other's eyes. How many people had been blocked from the path from Soul Douluo to Titled Douluo? Now that the opportunity was right in front of them, how could they not be excited!
"I choose the Diamond Tiger. My main focus is strength, and the Diamond Tiger's attributes perfectly match mine," Tang Ming said first.
"Then I'll take the Heavy Armored Beetle King." Tang Kun shrugged.
The Fifth Elder nodded and continued, "Alright. Next up is the mixed zone."
His finger moved to the yellow area outside the map, and his tone softened slightly.
"First of all, Tang Long, the theoretical lifespan of your Sixth Soul Ring is around 20,000 years. However, you have consumed Whale Rubber multiple times, greatly increasing your physical strength, which could extend the lifespan of your Soul Ring by about 10,000 years. What we have found for you is a 30,000-year-old Qian Jun Ant."
" Qian Jun Ant?" Tang Long's eyes lit up. This kind of Soul Beast is known for its strength, which is also very suitable for the Clear Sky Hammer's needs.
The Fifth Elder circled a red dot on the map. "Right here, there is a nest of Qian Jun Ant. The queen ant has 50,000 years of cultivation, the king ant is close to 30,000 years old, and there are probably hundreds of soldier ants of various sizes. You need to lure the queen ant away and quickly capture the king ant."
Tang Long took a deep breath and nodded emphatically. "Okay!"
The Fifth Elder looked at Tang Feng one last time, a rare smile appearing on his aged face.
" Little Feng is a bit special. Your Fourth Soul Ring is already at the ten-thousand-year level. You told Grandpa before that your fifth spirit ring should be able to absorb spirit beasts within forty-thousand years of age, preferably with a fire-attribute power-type Soul Beast. These are not easy to find."
The Fifth Elder's finger slowly traced across the map, finally stopping at an area glowing red. This area wasn't even on the map's edge, but rather near the boundary between the core area and the mixed zone.
"Seventh Brother and I searched over a dozen volcanic areas and finally found a 35,000-year-old Heaven-Burning Demonic Ape here. This beast dwells in lava caves, can spew Earth Core Flame, and can smash rocks with a single punch—just what you require."
Tang Feng stared at the red dot, his breathing becoming rapid involuntarily. The Heaven-Burning Demonic Ape, a legendary species with the bloodline of the Scarlet Fire Dragon! Tang Feng's mind was filled with images of his Clear Sky Hammer Entanglement dragon flames, scorching the heavens and boiling the seas.
"Okay, I'll take it!" Tang Feng said decisively, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.
The Fifth Elder looked at Tang Jian and the other three Quasi-Soul Ancestor brothers one last time, his tone much more relaxed:
"It's simple for the four of you. Tang Jian can choose one that's four thousand years old, and the three of you can choose one that's seven thousand years old. In this Qian Jun Ant Nest, besides the king and queen, there are more than ten thousand-year-old soldier ants. You can each choose one."
Tang Jian and his three cousins agreed in unison, a sense of anticipation rising in their hearts.
"Now that it's all settled," Tang Xiao slowly rose, surveyed the crowd, and said in a booming voice, "Let's not delay any longer. We'll split into two groups as planned and set off now."
Everyone responded in unison. Tang Xiao, the Fifth Elder, and two Quasi-Titled Douluo were the first to step forward. Following them, the Seventh Elder Tang Lie and two Soul Douluo led the rest of the group towards the Qian Jun Ant Nest.
Tang Feng followed in the group, but his mind was filled with the image of the Heaven-Burning Demonic Ape, and he was eagerly anticipating his Fifth Soul Ring.