Douro Continent

Chapter 570 Landing on Poseidon Island: A Narrow Escape and a Blessing in Disguise

Tang San quickly regained his composure, a forced smile appearing on his face. It was forced because even such a small gesture as a smile caused him excruciating pain. He was certain he was not dead. Xiao Wu's soul slumbered peacefully within his soul rings and soul bones. And his soul power…

It was a feeling that made Tang San both laugh and cry. He realized then that the excruciating pain in his body was entirely caused by his soul power. It wasn't because his soul power was depleted or overdrawn, but because he had far too much soul power in his body. So much that it completely filled every meridian in his body, making it impossible for it to circulate, just like blocked blood vessels. And the excruciating pain was precisely caused by these meridians being filled to the brim. The only thing he could be thankful for was that, under these circumstances, his body hadn't been torn apart; this was already a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

The only sound around him was the rushing water; the waves constantly pounded against the shore, washing over his body. Tang San knew, of course, that cultivating under these conditions was unsafe. But he had no way to change his situation. Even the simple act of sitting up had nearly made him faint from the pain. Walking was out of the question. If it were just pain, he might be able to endure it, but if his meridians ruptured due to his movements, the trouble would be immense.

The scene before he lost consciousness flashed through his mind. Tang San gradually recalled the situation at that time. The energy surging through his meridians was clearly caused by his excessive absorption of energy from the Deep Sea Demon Whale. Although that giant creature was powerful, its defense was quite weak, and it was pierced and devoured by his Eight Spider Lances.

Little did he know, it wasn't that the Deep Sea Demon Whale's defenses were weak; rather, it was that he had chosen to attack precisely where the Deep Sea Demon Whale's vitals lay. Normally, even if other creatures dared to attack the Deep Sea Demon Whale, they would be torn to shreds by its raging energy before they even reached it. Tang San's ability to infiltrate the Deep Sea Demon Whale's vicinity was a result of the combination of his Instant Teleportation and Invincible Golden Body skills.

After its second evolution, the Eight Spider Lances became almost twice as sharp. The penetrating power of the blood-red spears was far stronger than Tang San had imagined, and it struck precisely the most vulnerable spot of the Deep Sea Demon Whale. This allowed it to pierce into its skin and begin its devouring.

How did I even survive? Tang San vividly remembered the fury of the Deep Sea Demon Whale. He absolutely refused to believe that the terrifying behemoth would let him go for no reason. Moreover, when the seawater crashed down, he had no reason to have survived.

Never mind, whatever happens, being alive is good enough. The feeling of surviving such a disaster is truly refreshing. Even though my physical condition is terrible, it's still better than being dead.

Tang San was a smart man; he naturally wouldn't delve into questions he couldn't find answers to. He took a deep breath and began his cultivation.

With that deep breath, the pain throughout his body surged like a tidal wave, almost making him give up immediately. But he gritted his teeth and endured it.

Tang San felt somewhat depleted of mental energy, but he could still mobilize it. Before starting his cultivation, he carefully examined his body.

He discovered that the energy he had absorbed from the deep-sea demon whale was so immense that his body had swelled up from the absorption. Now, although his body had returned to normal, the energy he had absorbed hadn't diminished at all. Instead, it had been forcibly compressed within his body, without leaking out in the slightest.

No wonder it was in so much pain. Tang San couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself. He had only wanted to injure the Deep Sea Demon Whale as much as possible, but who could have imagined it would turn out like this? If he had known he could have survived, he would have devoured fewer creatures.

The energy absorbed doesn't mean it can be used directly. That's impossible. In the past, Tang San had used the Eight Spider Lances to kill people and had carefully sensed the energy absorbed through them.

The energy absorbed varies from person to person; different people or spirit beasts provide different amounts of energy. However, compared to his own spirit power, this absorbed energy is always impure and mixed. Generally, Tang San would use his Mysterious Heaven Skill to instantly purify this energy. The impurities would be expelled through his next attack, while the remaining purified energy would be used to replenish his physical and spirit power. It could only provide a small amount of supplementation.

Just because he could easily handle it before doesn't mean Tang San can do it easily now. This is because what he absorbed before was mostly energy transformed from the opponent's blood and qi. Compared to Tang San's own energy, that was nothing. But the energy Tang San is absorbing now is the terrifying blood and qi of the Deep Sea Demon Whale, a 100,000-year-old soul beast. At its level, almost every part of its body is filled with immense energy.

This resulted in the energy absorbed into Tang San's body being even greater than his own soul power. His Xuan Tian Gong internal energy was completely suppressed and unable to move. Otherwise, given the capabilities of the Xuan Tian Gong, it would have already absorbed this energy on its own.

After being compressed, the absorbed energy was so solid that it blocked Tang San's meridians. Fortunately, his blood could still flow, otherwise he would not have woken up.

Having thoroughly examined his physical condition, Tang San was speechless. What was he to do? His Xuan Tian Gong internal energy was suppressed to the point that he couldn't even move, let alone cultivate. Expelling this energy from his body was even more impossible. His body was like an inflating balloon. If an outlet appeared, what would be expelled wouldn't just be energy, but also his own blood and life force.

Sitting quietly in the seawater, Tang San's energy gradually returned. As he was pondering, he suddenly felt a warm sensation on his right arm. A connection from his soul entered his mind.

Xiao Wu's soul is attached to a 100,000-year-old soul ring and soul bone, so she cannot directly communicate with Tang San. Only after returning to her original body can she truly communicate with Tang San for a short period of time when her soul can control it. However, she is now part of Tang San's body, so she can naturally clearly sense Tang San's physical condition. Although she cannot have a true conversation, she can still transmit some vague subconscious thoughts.

As Tang San regained consciousness, Xiao Wu's soul, which had been dormant within his spirit ring and spirit bone, also awoke. Sensing Tang San's physical condition, she was greatly surprised, but even more so, excited. After all, Tang San was still alive, and her soul still existed. This made Xiao Wu's consciousness active, and she transmitted her thoughts to Tang San through the spirit bone she was attached to.

Feeling the mental fluctuations emanating from his right arm, Tang San was overjoyed. With his intelligence, he immediately understood Xiao Wu's meaning.

"No." Tang San blurted out, "It's too dangerous to transfer this mixed solid soul power into your soul bone. If things go wrong, it could affect your soul."

Xiao Wu's idea was simple: since Tang San's energy couldn't be released, the excess energy needed to be stored in a suitable place, leaving only a small portion inside him. In this way, he could gradually dissolve the impure and mixed energy with his own soul power, thus resolving his crisis.

"You're calling me stupid?" Tang San sensed Xiao Wu's second thought. Immediately, he realized what she meant, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes. "That's right! If I can't inject my soul power into your soul bone, I have other soul bones!"

Tang San has a total of four soul bones: the Wisdom Skull, which is a spiritual condensation; the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone, which is a 100,000-year-old bone; the Xiao Wu Right Arm Bone, which is a 100,000-year-old bone; and the Eight Spider Lances, an external soul bone attached to his back.

After a quick assessment, Tang San had already figured out a place to temporarily store this mixed energy. Xiao Wu's soul bone was definitely not suitable, and the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone also contained a trace of his mother's soul power, so he naturally couldn't risk that either. As for the Spirit Condensation Wisdom Skull, it was located in his own head; if its energy leaked and rushed into his brain, he would be either dead or an idiot. After a simple comparison, the only thing suitable for completing this task was the Eight Spider Lances, the external soul bone on his back.

Tang San channeled his spiritual energy into his back and discovered that the Eight Spider Lances, which had been shattered inch by inch that day, had regrown. This was not only due to the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone, but also a characteristic of the Eight Spider Lances themselves. Soul bones, as long as the body itself is not completely destroyed, can repair themselves after any damage. Of course, the repair process requires energy from the soul master's body.

Repairing the Eight Spider Lances normally requires a considerable amount of energy, which would at least leave Tang San weak for a period of time. But now, that's not the case at all; he has an abundance of energy within him that's worrying. The Eight Spider Lances have already been fully restored, but the amount of energy within Tang San is still outrageously high.

Tang San was always cautious. After figuring out a method, he did not start cultivating immediately. Instead, he carefully used his mental power to activate the Vast Ocean Universe Cover hidden between his eyebrows and released the Vast Ocean Protective Cover.

Enveloped in blue light, Tang San's figure vanished from the beach, and even the seawater could no longer wash over his body.

However, after using the Vast Ocean Universe Shield, Tang San discovered a problem: the originally radiant and translucent shield had become extremely dim. Although it still maintained the effect of the Vast Ocean Protective Shield, he could no longer sense the special energy that had once made his soul tremble.

Has the Vast Ocean Universe Cover weakened? Or rather, has its own energy decreased? Could it be...?

Tang San considered a possibility, and looking at the faint blue light barrier, his heart warmed. Could it be that the Vast Ocean Universe Shield had saved him? This thought was quickly dismissed by him. Impossible. The Vast Ocean Universe Shield was good, but it couldn't compare to the Deep Sea Demon Whale! Besides, without his command, how could the Vast Ocean Universe Shield unleash its power?

Without thinking any further, Tang San began his cultivation.

First, he carefully released his Eight Spider Lances. This was an absolutely excruciating process. Even the slightest movement of the body would cause intense pain, let alone releasing his soul bone. During the process of the Eight Spider Lances bursting out of his back, Tang San nearly fainted. Despite the unbearable pain, he gritted his teeth and endured it.

Sweat poured down his face, dripping onto his tattered clothes. The intense pain felt like he was being roasted on a fire. The surging soul power within him fluctuated slightly because of his movement. His meridians once again endured the excruciating pain of energy about to burst.

The process of releasing the Eight Spider Lances alone took a full half hour, and Tang San's tattered clothes were completely soaked, not with seawater, but with sweat.

Clenching his teeth, Tang San's eyes shone with unwavering determination. He knew that the longer this state of affairs lasted, the worse it would be for his body. He had to resolve it as soon as possible.

The eight spider spears unfurled behind him, stretching horizontally to both sides of his body. Tang San began to tentatively drive the mixed soul power within his body toward the eight spider spears behind him, bit by bit.

This process was even more painful than before, as if there were pieces of metal in his meridians, and he was moving the metal pieces around. You can imagine how painful it was for these metal pieces to rub against his meridians.

Time passed second by second, and Tang San's consciousness became increasingly blurred. The intense pain had numbed all the nerves in his body, and his already poor condition was gradually becoming unbearable after this severe overexertion.

What he's enduring is something even a Title Douluo would find unbearable. This reveals Tang San's incredible willpower, and the sheer resilience of his body, forged by the two immortal herbs, the Blue Silver Emperor and Xiao Wu's soul bones, and the trials beneath the waterfall. Even through such agonizing circumstances, his body hasn't collapsed; he's held on.

As energy was injected, the eight spider spears gradually straightened, their original blood-red color turning red and blue. The seemingly murky blue was naturally the energy from the deep-sea demon whale.

When the eighth Spider Lance was finally filled with that mixed energy, Tang San could no longer hold on, and his body slowly slumped down. He had endured the severe exhaustion and excruciating pain for far too long.

This time, Tang San was unconscious for a full three days. He didn't eat or drink for so many days, and it was only because of his cockroach-like body that he could hold on.

When Tang San regained consciousness, he found that the protective shield around his body had disappeared. Moreover, he was no longer lying on the beach, but on a rather simple-looking bed.

His lips were cracked and dry, and he was so weak that he could barely open his eyes. He vaguely heard what sounded like people talking.

"Brother, listen to me. This man's body was probably damaged by a sea monster attack on his ship. What's the point of saving him? If Purple Pearl and her gang find out, they might cause us trouble. I think we should just take off his nice belt and leather pouch, and then throw him back onto the beach. Let him fend for himself."

"Brother, how can you say that? This is a human life! Although we live on Purple Pearl Island, we are not pirates and we cannot treat human life lightly. Don't concern yourself with my affairs; I'm going to save him. If the people from Purple Pearl Island cause trouble, let them cause trouble for me; it has nothing to do with you. I told you from the beginning not to come with me. But you wouldn't listen." The clear voice was filled with anger.

"Fine, fine, fine, you can be your good-natured self all you want. I'm going to have a drink. But be careful, don't let Purple Pearl and her gang find out."

The clear voice said somewhat impatiently, "I know. You can leave now."

The conversation ended there, and with the sound of footsteps, one of the two people in the room had already left.

Hearing these sounds, Tang San gradually regained consciousness. He felt his eyelids were very heavy, and although he was conscious, he found it difficult to open his eyes. This was the first time he had faced such a situation since arriving in this world. The feeling of physical weakness was definitely not pleasant.

Tang San understood that the reason he had become so weak was twofold: firstly, he hadn't eaten or drunk anything for countless days; and secondly, the immense physical and mental strain and pain he had endured when he forced the mixed energy into the Eight Spider Lances that day. Even his abnormally strong physique couldn't withstand it.

His physical weakness meant that although he gradually regained consciousness, he was unable to do anything. His mental strength was just as weak as his physical strength. The consumption that day was too great, and the pain he endured was also too great. It was an indescribable torment. Even now, when he thinks about it, Tang San still feels a chill of fear. If he could do it all over again, he doesn't know if he could do it.

At this moment, his body was extremely weak. He didn't even have the mental energy to activate, let alone the soul power within his body. He could only lie there quietly, letting his body repair itself. As for when he would be able to repair himself, he himself didn't know.

Just then, Tang San felt a strong arm reach under his neck and shoulders. With a slight effort, it lifted his upper body a little, and soon, two pillows appeared behind him.

"You're awake now. It's hard to imagine what your body is made of. How could you survive in such a weakened state? It feels like you haven't eaten for at least ten days. Your body has suffered some kind of severe injury. Even with my medical skills, I can't fully see it. Now that you're awake, I'll feed you something first, and then give you some medicine. This will help you recover faster. I hope your tenacious will to live can continue. Because I hope I've saved a living person."

"Does he know I'm awake?" Tang San was somewhat surprised, but from the other person's words, he could clearly sense that this person was very kind-hearted.

A warm object was brought to his lips. Tang San barely opened his mouth a little, and a spoonful of warm porridge was put into his mouth. The amount was just right, not much at all.

With great effort, Tang San swallowed the contents, and immediately felt a warm current travel down his esophagus into his stomach, then spread throughout his body. The extreme weakness he had felt instantly alleviated by this warm comfort. It was as if every meridian in his body was being awakened by this warmth.

After eating a bowl of thin porridge, Tang San still longed for more, but the other person did not feed him any more.

"You haven't eaten for a long time, so you can't eat too much at once, or it will have the opposite effect on your body. This is enough. I'll feed you some mild medicine; it might taste a little unpleasant, but you still have to take it, it's good for your health."

The warm spoon was brought to his lips again, this time filled with a strong medicinal taste. After taking the first bite, Tang San was completely reassured. With his understanding of medicine, even in his current state, he could easily identify the various ingredients in this spoonful of medicine. Just as that person had said, it had a gentle, nourishing effect, which would be very beneficial to his body's recovery.

After taking the medicine, Tang San slowly relaxed his mind. His body felt warm, and for the first time since his battle with the Deep Sea Demon Whale, he felt comfortable. Enveloped in this warmth, he fell into a deep sleep.

When Tang San regained consciousness, his physical condition had improved considerably. His mental energy had recovered to about 20%, and his physical condition had also improved somewhat. Excessive exertion had weakened the effects of his Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone by more than half, but with the intake of food and medicine, his powerful body had regained its luster. Upon waking, Tang San felt a significant increase in strength. Only the area on his back where the Eight Spider Lances were attached remained painful; while other parts of his body also ached, the pain was no longer unbearable.

Taking a deep breath, Tang San connected his mental energy with the internal energy of the Xuan Tian Gong, and was finally able to see the state of his body again.

The Eight Spider Lances could hold more energy than he had imagined. That day, when he poured all the mixed energy in his body into the Eight Spider Lances until he finally fainted, the Eight Spider Lances had absorbed nearly 60% of the mixed energy. This greatly improved the condition of Tang San's meridians. At least the amount of mixed energy remaining in his body was no more than that of his Mysterious Heaven Skill.

Of course, this refers to his Xuan Tian Gong at its full potential. In reality, with his body weakening, the Xuan Tian Gong has also diminished considerably, and all of this requires time to recover. But at least he is now able to enter a recovery process.

He carefully activated the Mysterious Heaven Technique, running it at less than one-tenth of the speed he usually used during cultivation. He ignored the strange energies and simply cultivated according to the method of the Mysterious Heaven Technique.

Tang San was by no means an impatient person; in fact, he was a smart one. Given the current situation, it was fair to say his crisis was far from over. But the more this was the case, the less he could afford to act rashly, otherwise it would only backfire.

It felt like just one cycle of cultivation took a full hour, but this cycle finally awakened the skills throughout his body. The Mysterious Heaven Skill also began to dominate his body.

Tang San did not rush to digest the alien energy, but instead activated the Mysterious Heaven Skill in conjunction with the power transmitted from the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone to repair his meridians.

In fact, even under such immense pressure, none of his meridians were damaged; otherwise, he would have been finished long ago. However, his meridians had clearly suffered some injuries. Under the combined effects of the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone and the Mysterious Heaven Skill, Tang San's meridians began to regain their elasticity and resilience.

After repairing all his meridians, Tang Sancai fell into a deep sleep once more. His mental strength was still far from fully recovered. Sleep was currently the best way for him to restore his energy.

After an unknown amount of time, the sound of footsteps woke Tang San from his sleep; his alertness had returned considerably.

"Awake? Your recovery ability is truly astonishing. You must be a Soul Master of considerable strength. I just don't know what your Martial Soul is, that it grants you such tenacious vitality and willpower. Compared to yesterday, you're in much better condition. If you can, please open your eyes."

He slowly opened his eyes. At first, his vision was blurry, but Tang San possessed such a powerful ability as the Purple Demon Eye, and in just a short while, his pupils were focused.

He found himself lying in a small wooden cabin, only about ten square meters in size. The cabin was sparsely decorated, resembling an ordinary fisherman's home by the sea. Standing before his bed was an ordinary-looking young man. Yet, Tang San felt he was anything but ordinary. His expression was so calm and detached, devoid of any worldly concerns. He appeared a few years younger than Tang San, his face serene as he gazed at him, his voice equally devoid of emotion.

"Thank you for saving me." Tang San's voice was a little hoarse when he spoke again after many days.

The young man stared into Tang San's eyes, a hint of surprise in his expression. "Judging from your pupils, your physical condition is recovering even faster than I detected. Even the most powerful sea spirit beast probably doesn't have your recovery ability."

Tang San smiled wryly and said, "No, actually my body is far from fully recovered. It's probably because I cultivate a certain eye technique that my eyes look brighter than ordinary people's. May I ask your esteemed name, benefactor?"

The young man said calmly, "My name is Jixiang. You can call me that too. I'm not your benefactor. You saved yourself. Without your own recovery ability, even though I know some medicine, I couldn't have saved you. Besides, your physical condition is something I've never seen before. I wouldn't know how to help you."

Tang San smiled slightly and said, "You're a good person. No matter what, you're the one who saved me. I owe you my life."

Ji Xiang smiled calmly and said, "Many people owe me their lives. You're not the first, and you probably won't be the last. Alright, you've just regained consciousness, so it's not wise for you to talk too much. I'll go get you some food."

It was porridge again, but it was thicker than last time. This time, Jixiang didn't stop Tang San from eating more. With the fish floss, Tang San ate three big bowls before stopping, even though he was mindful of his health.

After eating his fill, Tang San noticed that he had changed into a set of clean cloth clothes, although there were a few patches on them.

"Jixiang, could you give me my belt and my leather pouch?"

Upon hearing Tang San's words, a faint hint of disdain appeared in Ji Xiang's eyes, but he said nothing. He took out a cloth bag from under the table beside him, opened it, and inside were the Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moon and the Ruyi Treasure Pouch.

Tang San knew that he might have misunderstood, so he didn't explain. After taking the two soul tools, he barely activated a trace of soul power in his body, reached into his Ruyi Hundred Treasures Pouch, and took out a piece of Dragon Fungus Leaf.

Seeing Tang San take out the curled, emerald-green leaf, Jixiang was taken aback. "This is a Dragon Fungus Leaf? You want to eat it?"

Tang San nodded. "The conditions here don't allow for alchemy, so we can only eat it directly." He put the Dragon Mushroom Leaf into his mouth, chewed it carefully, and swallowed it. This stuff is the best for strengthening the body and nourishing the vital energy; it's very beneficial to his health.

The disdain in Ji Xiang's eyes had vanished. He understood that Tang San wanted the soul tool back not because he feared Ji Xiang's covetousness, but because he needed to eat the Dragon Ganoderma Leaf to recover his strength. "It seems you don't need the medicine I prepared. You know about medicine too?"

Tang San nodded and said, "I know a little, but I know more about poisons. I'm not particularly good at medicine."

"Oh. You should rest." Jixiang nodded to Tang San, and without waiting for his reply, turned and left.

Looking at his back, Tang San had a strange feeling. He had a good impression of this young man, but from his eyes and expression, he could tell that his indifferent personality must be because something had happened. In fact, his inner world should be extremely pure, otherwise he would not be able to show emotional changes so easily on his face.

Forget about all that. The most important thing right now is to recover my strength as soon as possible. I wonder how everyone else is doing. Thinking about the safety of the other Shrek Seven Devils, Tang San couldn't help but feel anxious. He quickly took a deep breath, calmed himself down, sat cross-legged, and began to cultivate.

After his meridians were repaired during his last awakening, his body was indeed much better, and now it was not as difficult for him to cultivate the Mysterious Heaven Technique again as it was last time.

During the cultivation process, Tang San would recover a portion of his energy with each cycle of the Xuan Tian Gong, and digest a portion of the foreign energy. Through the filtering and assimilation of the Xuan Tian Gong, the impurities in these mixed energies were expelled from his body by Tang San through breathing, while the assimilated portion was added to the Xuan Tian Gong.

At first, it was a slow and arduous process, with cultivation progressing very slowly. The exotic energy from the deep-sea demon whale was not easy to absorb. However, as time went on, Tang San's Xuan Tian Gong internal energy became increasingly profound, while the exotic energy became increasingly scarce. With this ebb and flow, the cultivation process became smoother and smoother.

This time, Tang San spent three whole days cultivating. During that time, Ji Xiang came in a few times, but seeing him cultivating, she did not disturb him.

Three days later, when Tang San opened his eyes again, the weakness in his eyes had completely disappeared, and he had regained his spirit.

After three full days, Tang San finally finished processing the mixed energy within his body, and all his meridians were now unobstructed. To his even greater surprise, after this experience, his meridians had nearly doubled in size, and his soul power had also increased significantly. It rose from level 66 to 67, almost reaching level 68. According to Tang San's calculations, given enough time to fully digest the alien energy within the Eight Spider Lances, he should be able to reliably break through to level 68.

The reason he was able to jump two levels so quickly was not only due to his reckless absorption of the Deep Sea Demon Whale's energy, but also because the pressure the Deep Sea Demon Whale exerted on Tang San fully unleashed his potential. As Grandmaster once said, the best time for a Soul Master to improve is when facing a life-or-death crisis. Of course, one must overcome this crisis; otherwise, everything is in vain.

As the saying goes, the greatest benefit is also the greatest danger. Tang San's near-death experience was a blessing in disguise. At level sixty and above, each level increase significantly boosts his soul power. This experience will at least save him a year of hard work.

However, if he had a choice, Tang San would never want to do it all over again. He didn't believe he would be so lucky as to survive against such a terrifying being as the Deep Sea Demon Whale.

He floated off the bed. Although he hadn't moved his body at all, his blood vessels were completely unblocked from cultivation. He felt a little dizzy with his feet firmly on the ground. Tang San's biggest feeling at this moment was hunger.

He had plenty of food at his Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moonlit Night, so he didn't bother with anything else. Sitting at the simple table in the wooden hut, Tang San quickly replenished the nutrients his body needed. His body had basically recovered; now he needed to find his companions.

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(End of this chapter)