Tang San Becomes a God
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The twilight at Jialing Pass was torn apart by a golden light.
The light rose from the northern horizon, initially just a thin line, then expanded at an astonishing speed, dyeing the entire sky from deep blue to crimson gold, and then from crimson gold to pure white. At the center of the pure white light was a humanoid silhouette, the intensity of the Soul Power fluctuations causing the protective soul guidance array on the Jialing Pass city wall to activate on its own, the blue light curtain churning like boiling water under the golden light.
Nan Feng stood atop the West Gate. His Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light captured the Soul Power fluctuations of that golden light in his mind. The frequency of the fluctuations was exactly the same as Tang San's Soul Power characteristics, but the level was completely different. That fluctuation surpassed the limits of Titled Douluo, surpassed Level 99, and even surpassed the scope of the Soul Master system. It belonged to the God Level.
"Sea God." Old Huai stood up from the Tower Spirit Space, his face, now solidified from a remnant soul, displaying a complex expression. "Tang San's Sea God Godhood has descended."
Nan Feng conjured the tower from his palm. The nine-story bronze tower slowly rotated in the golden light, the seventh layer of the tower's Samsara pattern lighting up with a silver-blue light, while the sixth layer of the Return to the Void pattern simultaneously lit up with a black light. He sensed that his Level 87 Soul Power was like a firefly facing the bright moon in front of that golden light. The Primordial World Power in his meridians was operating autonomously, and a golden warm current surged from the depths of his soul, devouring, transforming, and annihilating the pressure brought by the golden light bit by bit.
All Soul Master below the Soul Saint on the city wall had knelt on the ground, unable to stand under the pressure of the God Level power. Xue Beng barely managed to stand by leaning against the crenellations of the city wall, veins bulging on his forehead, but his eyes were firm. Dugu Yan stood beside Nan Feng, her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul being released at full power, a layer of cyan-gold protection forming on her body from poisonous mist, but her face was pale, clearly struggling to withstand the divine power.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing swept up the city wall from the direction inside the city. Xiao Wu's Asura Jade Rabbit Martial Soul glowed with a faint golden halo in the golden light, creating a slight resonance with Tang San's golden light. Zhu Zhuqing's Nether Shadow Martial Soul completely disappeared into her body, leaving only nine shadow clones that appeared and disappeared in the shadows on the city wall.
"Third Brother..." Xiao Wu looked at the golden light, tears welling up in her eyes.
The humanoid figure within the golden light slowly opened its eyes. Tang San's gaze swept across the sky above Jialing Pass, lingering for a moment on the crowd atop the city walls. His voice, clear and distant, echoed from within the golden light, carrying God Level pressure. "The Spirit Hall Empire's reinforcements have arrived. God Level battlefield is about to descend upon Jialing Pass. Everyone retreat."
Nan Feng sensed a very faint tremor in Tang San's voice, a tremor hidden beneath his God Level pressure, impossible to detect without the three thousand steps of perception precision of his Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light. Nan Feng stared intently at the golden light with his Peng Eye, his golden pupils piercing through its surface to reveal something invisible to ordinary people. Tang San's divine light wasn't pure gold; within its core, a dark gray-black pattern was slowly writhing. It was a trace of the repulsion between the two divine cores.
The Sea God and the Asura God. Two divine positions reside in the same body, yet they repel each other, their divine essence vying for dominance.
"He's become a god," Nan Feng said.
The Old Huai rose from the immortal wood, its face, now solidified from a remnant soul, calm. "His path has come to an end. Godhood is the final destination. And you—" The Old Huai watched as the Primordial World Power within Nan Feng's body flowed quietly through his meridians, "... your path is not even halfway complete. The path of Immortal Dao has nine realms, and you are currently only at the Foundation Establishment Perfection. Above you are Golden Core, Nascent Soul Spirit Transformation, Deity Transformation, Void Refinement, Body Integration, Mahayana, Tribulation Transcendence, and True Immortal. You can even suppress God King."
Nan Feng gripped the iron rod tightly. The tower slowly rotated in his palm, the seventh layer of Samsara patterns and the sixth layer of Return to the Void patterns shimmering quietly. He sensed that his Soul Power was stuck at Level 87, three Level 90. Soul Power cannot be increased unless it is a multiple of ten, and the eighth ring can only be absorbed at Level 90. He still has the eighth and ninth rings, as well as 108 divine abilities to cultivate.
Tang San's golden light lingered in the sky for half an hour. The arrival of the Sea God Godhood position had dampened the morale of the Spirit Hall to its lowest point, and Tuoba Lie's Holy Dragon Legion was forced to retreat thirty miles under the pressure of God Level. After the golden light dissipated, Tang San's figure descended from the sky and landed on the top of Jialing Pass.
The God Level aura emanating from him had subsided, but Nan Feng's Peng Eye could still see a thin layer of golden light covering his body—the embodiment of the Sea God Godhood. Tang San's face was even more majestic than before, with a golden trident mark between his brows and his pupils gleaming with a sea-blue light. However, there was a very faint trace of grayish-white on his lips—a mark of the reverse flow of Soul Power during the rejection of his dual divine cores.
Xiao Wu rushed forward and hugged him. Tang San reached out and caught her, his arm stronger than before, but Nan Feng noticed a very slight stiffness in his right shoulder the moment he caught Xiao Wu. The Asura God's divine nature was repelling the Sea God's power, and the longer the battle lasted, the more acute the conflict between the two divine natures became.
"Nan Feng." Tang San's gaze passed over Xiao Wu's shoulder and landed on Nan Feng.
Nan Feng walked up to him. The two looked at each other, less than three steps apart. The Sea God Divine Power on Tang San's body and the Primordial World Power within Nan Feng's body created an extremely faint resonance in the air, with gold and sea blue intertwining to form a brief halo between the two.
"Your power..." Tang San's gaze swept over the tower in Nan Feng's palm, over the red ribbon on his left wrist, and over the ancient power within him that didn't belong to the Soul Power system. "It's stronger than during the first battle outside Jialing Pass."
"You too," Nan Feng said.
Tang San remained silent for a moment. His Sea God Godhood sensed that the Primordial World Power within Nan Feng showed no weakness when it came into contact with God Level power; in fact, it possessed a higher level of suppression. The Sea God's Sea God Divine Power was like a tide encountering a reef before Nan Feng's Primordial World Power —fierce, yet unable to overwhelm it.
"Is the path you walk truly higher than that of God?" Tang San asked.
Nan Feng nodded. "Godhood is the end. Cultivation has no end."
Tang San looked at him, his eyes churning with complex emotions. He had once been the most dazzling genius on the Douluo Continent, the core of the Shrek Seven Devils, and the first Soul Master to become a god. But now, standing before him, Nan Feng possessed Soul Power of only Level 87, yet he had a power that even the Sea God Godhood could not suppress. Nan Feng did not cultivate Soul Power, nor Divine Power, but a source even more ancient than the Divine Realm.
"Where are your eighth and ninth rings?" Tang San asked.
"The eighth ring requires Level 90, and the ninth ring requires Level 95," Nan Feng said. "Tang San, there are unstable fluctuations in the light of your divine position. The repulsion between your two divine cores has already begun to manifest."
Tang San's pupils contracted slightly. He hadn't expected that Nan Feng could see through the hidden danger in his godhood with just his senses. The incompatibility between the Sea God and the Asura God was a secret he only discovered when he became a god; he thought he had hidden it well.
"How long can it last?" Nan Feng asked.
Tang San was silent for a moment. "After the Battle of Jialing Pass, I will return to the Sea God Hall to recuperate. However, the repulsion between the two godhoods is irreversible. The powers of the Sea God and the Asura God are devouring each other, and my Soul Power will slowly dissipate in the future, causing me to fall from the God Level to the peak of the Titled Douluo."
He spoke calmly, as if he were talking about someone else. But Nan Feng noticed that his hand was clenching slightly inside his sleeve.
"I won't let anyone know," Tang San said, "At least not now."
Nan Feng nodded. He turned and walked towards the arrow tower, silently activating the Nether Step: Shrinking Earth technique beneath his feet. After taking three steps, he stopped, turned his back to Tang San, and said, "Tang San, if you need help— the Primordial World Power can help you stabilize your godhood."
Tang San watched his retreating figure. "I know. But this is my own path, and I will walk it myself."
Nan Feng didn't turn back. He walked into the arrow tower, the tower body retracting into his palm. Only Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing, who was faintly visible in the shadows on the city wall, remained on the city wall.
Xiao Wu was still holding Tang San's waist. She raised her head and looked into Tang San's eyes. The Asura Jade Rabbit's Martial Soul shone with a faint golden halo in the golden light, and the Primordial World Seed from the Nan Feng resonated slightly with Tang San's Sea God Divine Power.
"Third Brother," Xiao Wu said softly, "You can't hide it from me."
Tang San looked down at her.
"Your divine position is eroding," Xiao Wu said. "I am the Asura Jade Rabbit, and I can sense the fluctuations in your divine position. I heard everything you said to Nan Feng just now."
Tang San remained silent for a long time. His Sea God Divine Power rippled slightly across his body, and the golden light membrane flickered. "Xiao Wu, I might... no longer be a god."
Xiao Wu reached out and pinched his face, her touch light, but Tang San could feel her fingertips trembling. "What nonsense are you spouting? You're Tang San, I'm Xiao Wu. What does this have to do with being a god?"
Tang San's eyes reddened. He reached out and pulled Xiao Wu into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head. The Sea God Divine Power flowed quietly within him, while the divine essence of the Asura God hummed deep within his soul. The repulsion between the two divine essences continued within him, constantly consuming his Soul Power. But holding Xiao Wu in his arms at this moment, he suddenly felt that none of that mattered anymore.
Inside the arrow tower, Nan Feng stood by the window, watching Tang San and Xiao Wu embracing on the city wall. The Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light continuously sensed the rejection between the two divine cores within Tang San's body in his mind. The dark gray-black pattern slowly writhed within the golden core, each wriggling eroding the foundation of Tang San's Soul Power.
The Old Huai poked its head out from the immortal tree. "Tang San's path has come to an end. You're different. Your path has only reached the Foundation Establishment Perfection; there are still eight major realms above. You can even suppress God King."
Nan Feng levitated the tower before his chest, the seventh layer of Samsara patterns gleaming with a silvery-blue light in the twilight. His Soul Power was stuck at level Level 87, the Primordial World Power in his meridians even more solid than when he hunted the Nine Netherworlds Dark Python in the Abyss. The eighth ring required Level 90, and the ninth ring required Level 95. He still had two levels to accumulate, two more rings to hunt, and one hundred and eight divine abilities to complete.
"Old Huai," said Nan Feng.
"Um."
"The Spirit Hall saw the light that shone when Tang San became a god."
Old Huai paused for a moment. "Bibi Dong saw it too."
Nan Feng nodded. He sensed an extremely powerful Soul Power fluctuation moving rapidly from the direction of the Spirit Hall's camp. The frequency of the fluctuation was exactly the same as Bibi Dong's Rakshasa Divine Power. That fluctuation was even more solid than when they confronted each other on the city wall three days ago, and the divinity of the Rakshasa God was awakening at an accelerated pace.
"Bibi Dong won't wait three days," Nan Feng said. "Tang San's divine power has spurred her on. She'll break through the city ahead of schedule."
Old Huai's expression was grave. "Your current state is Level 87, with multiple hidden injuries in your meridians, and the seventh floor of the tower has only just stabilized. If Bibi Dong launches her all-out attack tonight..."
Nan Feng retrieved the tower from his palm. His gaze passed through the window of the arrow tower and landed in the direction of the Martial Spirit Hall outside the pass. The Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light detected Bibi Dong's Soul Power fluctuations approaching Jialing Pass at an extremely fast speed within the three thousand steps of perception. The fluctuations were stronger than they were three days ago, and the divinity of the Rakshasa God was being released at an accelerated pace within her soul.
"She's here," Nan Feng said.
The twilight over Jialing Pass was torn apart by a second jet-black beam of light. Bibi Dong's Rakshasa Divine Power enveloped the plains beyond the pass, and the phantoms of the Twin Spider Emperor wove together in the night sky into a black-purple spider web covering several miles. Her voice came from the center of the web, cold and sharp, each word like a blade scraping against glass.
"Tang San has become a god. But even godhood can't save you. Nan Feng —tonight, your soul belongs to me."
Nan Feng emerged from the arrow tower. The tower itself hovered before his chest, the seventh layer of Samsara patterns and the sixth layer of Return to the Void patterns simultaneously reaching their brightest. Xiao Wu swept in from the direction of the city wall, her Asura Jade Rabbit Martial Soul glowing with a golden halo in the night. Zhu Zhuqing's figure silently appeared in the shadows of the city wall, her nine shadow clones simultaneously lighting up their dark pupils.
Tang San stood in the center of the city wall, the light of the Sea God Godhood slowly illuminating his body. Although the dual divine power was consuming his Soul Power, the Sea God's pressure still covered half of Jialing Pass.
"Xue Beng." Nan Feng's voice was steady. "Have all Soul Master below the Soul Saint level retreat into the inner city. All Soul Master above the Soul Douluo level gather at the west city wall and inject their Soul Power into the protective array."
Xue Beng nodded and quickly gave the order.
Nan Feng walked towards the very front of the city wall. He activated the Nether Step - Shrinking Earth technique, covering a hundred zhang in three steps. He stood on the west gate city wall, the tower floating in front of his chest, and the Suppress Mountains and Rivers poured down from the bottom of the tower, covering a hundred zhang in front of the city gate. The Samsara Power condensed into a silver-blue halo at the bottom of the tower.
Bibi Dong's jet-black pillar of light stopped three hundred paces outside the pass. She stepped out of the pillar, her long black dress billowing in the night wind, the phantoms of the Twin Spider Emperor intertwining behind her. Her gaze locked onto Nan Feng, her deep purple pupils surging with the dark purple light of Rakshasa Divine Power.
"You haven't even gotten your eighth ring yet," Bibi Dong said. "You were level Level 87 fighting Level 99, and last time you only managed to hold your own using the Earth Spirit Vein. This time, I won't give you that chance."
Nan Feng did not answer. The seventh layer of the tower's Samsara patterns erupted with the strongest silver-blue light, and the Suppress Mountains and Rivers Technique was superimposed on the Mountain Suppression Art. The Samsara Power condensed at the bottom of the tower into a light shield covering a hundred paces. At the same time, he sensed that Xiaowu's Asura Jade Rabbit Martial Soul was rapidly approaching from the Xiao Wu of the city wall, and Zhu Zhuqing's nine shadow clones had already set up Shadow Formation in the shadows of the city wall.
Tang San's golden light of the Sea God rose from the city wall, forming a stark contrast with Bibi Dong's Rakshasa Divine Power in the night sky. The golden Sea God's Light and the dark purple light of the Rakshasa intertwined above Jialing Pass, tearing the entire night sky in two.
Nan Feng gripped the iron rod tightly. The tower slowly rotated in his palm, the seventh layer of Samsara patterns and the sixth layer of Return to the Void- the-world patterns intertwining to form a silver-blue and black halo. His Soul Power was only level Level 87, and he had many hidden injuries in his meridians. The seventh layer of the tower had just stabilized. But he stood on the city wall, facing Bibi Dong's Rakshasa God, and did not retreat an inch.
"Come on," Nan Feng said, "Let me see if your Rakshasa Divine Power can suppress my Primordial World Immortal Power."
Bibi Dong's purple eyes blazed with light. The phantoms of the Twin Spider Emperor hissed behind her, and black and purple spider silk spread out like a tide, weaving a Spiderweb Domain covering a radius of a thousand paces on the ground.
Nan Feng took a deep breath. The light from the seventh layer of the Samsara pattern on the tower illuminated the entire section of the city wall, and the silver-blue halo shone like stars in the night. He sensed the red ribbon on his left wrist fluttering gently in the night wind, Hu Liena's secret letter was quietly suspended in the Tower Spirit Space, the dark fox tail pattern glowing slightly in the cyan-gold fairy light.
Level 87. Seventh Ring. 120,000-year-old red Soul Ring. 120,000-year-old Right Leg Soul Bone. Suppress Mountains and Rivers. Mountain Suppression Art at its peak. Primordial World Power.
Tonight, atop Jialing Pass, he will let Bibi Dong know one thing: the Primordial World Immortal Power can suppress the Rakshasa Divine Power without waiting to reach Level 90.