Douro Continent

Chapter 598 The Ultimate Realm of the Purple Demon Eye, Vast and Boundless

The undulations of the waves accompanying his body made Tang San clearly feel as if he had completely merged with them. Without needing to use his soul skills or even the protection of his soul power, he could clearly feel himself undergoing a process of dissipating the force. It was as if a tremendous force was striking, and his entire body was maintaining the same frequency as this force, merging into it. In this way, the impact he received was greatly reduced.

This natural bodily reaction is like a skill bestowed upon him by the waves; he reacts this way to the impact of the waves, and naturally, he will react the same way to attacks from other forms of energy.

Spending each day in excruciating pain undoubtedly further squeezed the Shrek Seven Devils' potential, forcing them to cultivate their soul power with all their might even when not being battered by the waves, in order to help their injured bodies recover as quickly as possible. Soul power was no longer an energy existing solely within their bodies; under the crashing waves, it merged into their meridians, flesh, and bone marrow. This method of body tempering was undoubtedly extremely domineering; without immense willpower and considerable strength, it would be impossible to persevere. However, once one persisted, the benefits to their bodies were equally enormous.

Tang San's soul power is now at level 79. He reached level 79 during the fifth month of his Tide Body Refinement. Now he is attempting to break through his eighth bottleneck. The Soul Douluo realm is already beckoning him.

Boom! Boom! The giant waves relentlessly pounded against Tang San's body. Feeling the fluctuations of his Xuan Tian Gong internal energy with each crash of the massive waves, Tang San suddenly experienced a profound realization. It was as if he was no longer a human being, but a part of this raging wave, a part of the universe. His entire being had completely merged into this wondrous sensation.

The overwhelming impact of the surging waves disappeared, and he himself seemed to have become the waves, his senses amplified many times over. He could even control the movement of every drop of water that crashed against him in his mental world.

At this moment, as the sun rose, a faint glimmer of dawn appeared on the distant horizon. Tang San looked up, gazing at the fleeting purple light on the horizon, and his eyes suddenly lit up. An unprecedented feeling washed over him, and a deafening boom exploded in his mind. In that instant, he could no longer feel his own body; the entire Seagod Island seemed to be within his sight. Everything around him became exceptionally clear.

He observed everything meticulously, from the condition of his companions and the impact of the waves to every detail of his time on Seagod Island. His blue eyes turned a deep purple-gold, their light, seemingly more profound than the ocean, piercing the horizon where the water met the sky.

Suddenly, Tang San noticed that the purple aura that had just disappeared seemed to be rising again from the horizon, connecting with his eyes. He and the purple aura were like two fulcrums of a bridge, communicating and releasing each other.

The scenery before him changed again, no longer confined to Seagod Island, but seemingly covering the entire sea. In his eyes, the seawater was actually multicolored, with light blue, deep black, and crystal-clear blue. And even the slightest change in these colors could not escape Tang San's senses.

On the golden trident mark between his brows, a point of blue light quietly magnified, and the triangular Vast Ocean Universe Shield emerged from it, floating before Tang San. All the crystalline light seemed to merge with the Vast Ocean Universe Shield at that moment, and Tang San's senses were heightened once more. His eyes involuntarily closed, yet the moving scene remained vivid in his mind. He no longer needed to see; he could already perceive every change on the sea.

The purplish-gold in his eyes faded, returning to blue, but this time, it was a deep, dark blue, like the night sky, its color deepening, even Tang San's short hair turned a deep blue. An indescribable energy surge erupted from the center of his head, transforming into a dazzling halo that spread outwards.

Even Poseidon, the Sea God Douluo, who was sitting cross-legged on the reef, was moved. He rose gracefully and stared intently at the aura emanating from Tang San until it disappeared into the distance.

Tang San's head suddenly became transparent, and a crystalline light could be vaguely seen shining on his blue skull. The Vast Ocean Universe shield in front of him quietly shrank, and in a short while, it became only the size of an egg, before rushing back towards Tang San's forehead and penetrating through the trident mark.

A roar, like a furious roar, erupted from Tang San's mouth as the Vast Ocean Universe Cover surged in. In an instant, the previously raging torrent of waves suddenly fell silent without warning. But the next moment, an immense roar suddenly erupted, and the waves no longer came from the front, but swept up from below. With Tang San's roar, he soared into the sky, blotting out the sun, and bursting into the air, exploding into countless crystal-clear water droplets.

The power of that roar was so great that the six people behind Tang San were completely stunned. They had no idea what had happened to Tang San.

At that moment, the mark of the golden trident lit up, and a square light screen burst forth from Tang San's forehead, shattering with a clang and turning into starlight that re-integrated into his body.

Deep within his mind, that familiar, majestic voice resounded for the third time: "Exceeding expectations for the assessment, the awakening of the spirit, influenced by that vast spirit, the head's soul bone has forcibly evolved, and has not shattered despite the injection of special energy. The third assessment, Tidal Body Refinement, has been completed beyond expectations, and the affinity with the Sea God has increased by 15%, bringing the total affinity to 25%."

On the first day of the twelfth month of the third test of body tempering, Tang San completed his test ahead of schedule.

Like him, another person had a light screen emanating from their forehead—that was Xiao Wu. The crimson light screen shattered, turning into specks of light that merged into Xiao Wu's body. She received the same notification of accumulated rewards. Xiao Wu's test was simple: companionship. She had to accompany Tang San through all the tests. As long as she was by Tang San's side when he passed his tests, then her tests would naturally pass as well.

The rumbling waves began to crash down again, but this time it was completely different for Tang San. When the waves reached him, they were automatically repelled by an invisible energy, escaping their impact entirely. The same thing happened to Xiao Wu. Clearly, after passing this tidal body tempering test, the raging waves could no longer harm them.

Slowly opening his eyes, Tang San's pupils had completely turned deep blue. The world before him was no longer the same; everything had become incredibly layered. This wasn't just a visual sensation, but more so a sensory experience. It was as if his spiritual energy had merged with the ocean, much like the feeling he had when using the Blue Silver Domain in the forest. Only now, the sensation was even clearer than when he used the Blue Silver Domain.

Even someone like Poseidon, the Sea God Douluo, didn't know what had happened to Tang San, but Tang San himself knew. The reason he was able to complete the assessment ahead of schedule wasn't because his time to withstand the impact of the waves had expired. Rather, it was because his Purple Demon Eye, a unique skill originating from the Tang Sect, had finally reached its final stage after so many years of cultivation.

The four realms of the Purple Demon Eye are: Panoramic View, Microscopic Insight, Mustard Seed, and Vast Expanse. After Tang San obtained the Wisdom Skull of Spiritual Condensation, his Purple Demon Eye automatically advanced to the Mustard Seed realm. However, since then, although he continued to cultivate daily, his Purple Demon Eye showed no further signs of improvement.

Tang San's years of effort hadn't been in vain; only now did he understand why his Purple Demon Eye had remained stagnant. The reason was simple: it stemmed from the Spirit Condensation Wisdom Skull that had helped him reach the Mustard Seed Realm. While the Spirit Condensation Wisdom Skull had helped him advance his Purple Demon Eye by one level, the skull itself actually limited its further advancement. The purple energy Tang San absorbed daily was compressed within the skull, unable to be released. This created a continuous compression process.

Today, unintentionally, Tang San suddenly had a special enlightenment amidst the impact of the waves. This enlightenment not only allowed his Xuan Tian Gong internal energy to reach a new level, but also caused the compressed purple energy within his skull to erupt.

In any form of cultivation, once a certain level is reached, improvement is no longer solely achieved through effort; a sudden moment of enlightenment becomes far more crucial. During this sudden awakening, the Purple Demon Eye finally transcended the limitations of a mustard seed to the vast expanse, reaching a completely new realm.

Enlightenment is a very mysterious thing, and even Tang San himself could never replicate the process. But the result was an incredibly pleasant surprise for him. With the Purple Demon Eye reaching the Vast Realm, Tang San's mental power increased exponentially. If his mental power was like a spider web before, it was now like mercury pouring out from every crevice. He finally understood that after cultivating the Purple Demon Eye to its highest level, it was no longer about seeing with the physical eyes, but about seeing with the mind's eye. A mind's eye that no illusion could deceive. Tang San believed that even if he encountered Qian Renxue's Angel Domain again, he would definitely be able to see everything in that golden light. After the Purple Demon Eye reached the Vast Realm, no energy or object could block his mind's eye.

This enlightenment was of great significance to Tang San. The impact of the waves over the past year had not been in vain. The final evolution of the Purple Demon Eye, coupled with the special awakening of the Mysterious Heaven Skill, allowed him to break through the bottleneck of level 80 in one fell swoop by chance.

Of course, Tang San was also fortunate. After the Purple Demon Eye reached the Vast Realm, the spiritual power in his mind and the might of the Purple Demon Eye were no longer suppressed by the Spirit Condensation Wisdom Skull. This caused the Spirit Condensation Wisdom Skull to shatter. This was what the majestic voice Tang San heard meant by forced evolution.

Generally speaking, the abilities of a soul bone are fixed at the moment it appears after the soul beast's death. Only external soul bones have the potential to evolve. This is a major reason why the value of external soul bones is second only to 100,000-year soul bones.

While Tang San's spiritually concentrated wisdom skull was excellent, it was incapable of evolving. Therefore, with the explosive increase in Tang San's spiritual power, it was destined to shatter. The excessive increase in spiritual power and the explosion of his skull's spirit bone might not kill Tang San, but it would inevitably cause him extremely terrifying trauma, even damaging his brain. But at that moment, the miraculous Vast Ocean Universe Cover appeared. It transformed into a special energy and merged into Tang San's shattered skull, completing this forced evolution. The quality of the spirit bone also improved, but Tang San vaguely sensed that his skull's spirit bone was not a 100,000-year-old spirit bone, but it was certainly not lower in level. After that instantaneous fusion, the skull reformed, and the various skills originally possessed by the Vast Ocean Universe Cover merged into Tang San's skull. Even his Purple Extreme Divine Light seemed to have undergone some changes. How much of a surprise this newly formed Vast Ocean Skull could bring him, Tang San would have to gradually figure out through future combat and training.

With a clang, Tang San's five heavy silver rings activated simultaneously, and the muscles in his back contracted involuntarily, causing him to adhere to the heavy silver pillar. At the same time, he unhesitatingly swung out a Blue Silver Emperor ring, which wrapped around Xiao Wu, who was sliding towards the water. He then slammed his heel against the heavy silver pillar, leaped into the air, and flew towards the shore with Xiao Wu in tow.

Poseidon, the Sea God Douluo, looked at Tang San who had come before her, a knowing smile on her face. "Congratulations. Although I don't know exactly what happened to you, or how you achieved this at such a young age, I can be certain that your spiritual power has risen to the same level as mine. Isn't that right?"

Tang San stared blankly at Poseidon, because the voice he heard wasn't coming from Poseidon's mouth, but from his own mind. This was… mental communication?

"Yes, this is mental communication. You only need to concentrate your mind to sense my thoughts. Of course, this kind of mental communication only exists among special Soul Masters who possess the same mental strength as us. If you don't want your thoughts to be detected, you can use your mental strength to seal your mind. That way, no one can probe your thoughts anymore."

A spiritual realm similar to that of Poseidon, the Sea God Douluo? Although Tang San's Purple Demon Eye had evolved to its ultimate, boundless realm, he was still greatly surprised by Poseidon's words. He vaguely sensed that he had opened a special door. What lay behind this door remained to be explored.

"Thank you, senior." Tang San bowed deeply to Poseidon.

Poseidon smiled slightly and said, "It's nothing, it's my duty. Judging from the current situation, your companions should have no problem passing this third test. Now that you've completed the test, you can take care of them from now on. I should also return to the Temple of Poseidon."

"Yes," Tang San replied respectfully. "Senior, I've always had a question. May I ask you?"

Poseidon's expression shifted, and he said, "Go ahead and speak."

Tang San asked seriously, "What I want to ask is, what exactly is the Sea God's affinity?"

Two dazzling lights burst forth from Poseidon's calm eyes. If it were the Tang San of the past, he probably wouldn't have been able to withstand such a gaze, but he calmly accepted it, his deep blue eyes like two vortexes accepting Poseidon's gaze.

"Regarding the affinity with the Sea God, I cannot answer that for you either. But I can tell you that completing all nine trials of the Sea God does not guarantee 100% affinity. And 100% affinity is not only my expectation, but the expectation of everyone on Sea God Island. What is your current affinity?"

Tang San said, "Twenty-five percent."

Poseidon was startled. "Twenty-five? So, after you finished the assessment ahead of schedule, you got a very high affinity rating?"

Tang San said, "I got 5% in the first and second tests, but I got 15% just now."

Poseidon took a deep breath, seemingly calming her turbulent emotions. "Very good, twenty-five percent. Keep up the good work. I believe you will succeed. Since the Sea God has granted you the Nine Trials, it means you have a chance to reach one hundred percent affinity."

After saying this, Poseidon didn't wait for Tang San to speak again. She floated up, transformed into a red cloud, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Sea God Affinity," Tang San murmured to himself, his gaze returning to the vast, boundless sea. In his clear mental world, his thoughts raced. From the words of the Demon Soul Great White Shark King, Xiao Bai, and Poseidon, he had already gleaned many things. Although he couldn't be entirely certain yet, if it were true, it would undoubtedly be an excellent opportunity for him.

As the final month passed and everyone completed the third assessment, standing atop the mountainside reef, they all felt a sense of déjà vu. Those who felt this most deeply were undoubtedly Ning Rongrong and Oscar, who had endured the most suffering.

Ning Rongrong had clearly lost weight; her once fair skin had turned a healthy tan, and her elegant and noble demeanor had been replaced by a vigorous and heroic air. She no longer possessed any of the characteristics of a support-type Soul Master; she looked more like a battle Soul Master.

Oscar wasn't much better off; his skin was tanned, his hair and beard were a mess, making him look like a wild man, but his gaze was much sharper than before. The feeling of internalizing power that Tang San had experienced was something they all felt to varying degrees. Although this year had been excruciating for everyone, the benefits they gained were undoubtedly enormous. Even so, if they had to go through it again, probably no one would be willing. Even decades later, whenever they recalled their experience of the Tidal Body Tempering, they couldn't help but tremble; it was comparable to the hellish training Grandmaster had endured.

As the light curtain erupting from Ning Rongrong's forehead shattered, the third trial, the Tidal Body Refinement, came to an end.

"I can't go on. We really need to rest." Oscar slumped to the ground. His body wasn't particularly tired, but his mind was at its limit. Not just him, everyone except Tang San and Xiao Wu felt the same way, lying sprawled on the ground, not even bothering to look at what the fourth trial was.

Indeed, three full years have passed since they arrived at Seagod Island. While their strength has improved dramatically during these three years, they have also endured inhuman suffering. The hardships they've endured in these short three years far surpass what they've suffered in the previous twenty-odd years. There are always trade-offs for gains. After three years, the torment they've borne, both physically and mentally, is finally about to erupt. Without some adjustment, support-type Soul Masters like Oscar and Ning Rongrong, whose physical condition is already weaker than others, might even go insane.

Seeing his companions' tired expressions, Tang San said, "Let's rest for a while this time. Everyone is really exhausted. I just looked at the questions for the fourth test. If everyone's questions are the same as mine, then we won't suffer like the first three tests."

These words immediately piqued everyone's interest. Dai Mubai, resting his head on Zhu Zhuqing's lap, looked at Tang San and said, "Little San, what is your fourth test? Let me see mine."

Tang San said, "My fourth test is the peak battle between sharks and whales, where I will assist the Demon Soul Great White Shark Group in killing the Demon Tiger Shark King in the Demon Tiger Whale Group."

"Uh..." Dai Mubai scrambled to his feet. "My mission is the Shark-Whale Battle, to assist the Demon Soul Great White Shark Swarm in killing at least ten Demon Orcas."

Oscar raised his hand and said, "I'm also a ten-headed man."

Zhu Zhuqing said, "I killed eight evil tiger whales."

Ma Hongjun said, "I'm the same as Boss Dai and Xiao Ao."

Ning Rongrong's expression was somewhat strange. "My test is different from yours. It's not about killing the Demon Orca, but about ensuring the survival of the Demon Soul Great White Shark King."

The group exchanged bewildered glances. Oscar smiled. "So, it seems that if we complete one mission a year, we can take a break for half a year without any problems?"

Tang San smiled and nodded. "It seems so. Let's go back to Seahorse City and get some rest. Once everyone feels refreshed, we'll go look for Xiao Bai. I reckon this so-called Demonic Orca pod is Xiao Bai's mortal enemy. This fourth trial is a chance for us to repay Xiao Bai!"

Ma Hongjun chuckled and said, "Very good. It's been so long since I've killed anything; my hands are itching. Now I can finally have a real battle, it'll feel amazing. I wonder if I'll get any extra rewards if I kill a lot of demonic orcas!"

Dai Mubai's eyes lit up. "That's really possible. Let's finish our respective tasks first, and then we'll see who's more capable. Fatty, how about we have a competition to see who kills more?"

Ma Hongjun said somewhat displeased, "Boss Dai, how many times have I told you not to call me Fatty? I'm slim now. I don't mind if you want to call me Handsome. The word 'fatty' has nothing to do with me."

Although he has lost weight, his friends still habitually call him Fatty, which often requires Ma Hongjun to correct him.

"Aren't you worried at all about how difficult this assessment will be?" Bai Chenxiang couldn't help but ask.

Ma Hongjun lay there lazily and said, "If you've ever experienced the pain of the Tide Body Tempering, you'll understand that nothing is more terrifying than that. Facing the Demonic Orca, at worst, it's just death, which is much better than the excruciating feeling of the Tide Body Tempering. Besides, we're not fighting alone; we have Xiaobai and the others. Third Brother's strength has fully recovered, so what do we have to fear? What I crave most right now is battle."

Although they had never seen what the Demonic Orca looked like, they figured it wouldn't be much stronger than the Demonic Soul Great White Shark. Both should be top-tier sea spirit beasts; at least from the surface of the trials, this fourth trial didn't seem as difficult as the first three. For the Shrek Seven Devils, the most important thing now was to adjust.

After resting on the shore for two full days, the Seven Devils and Bai Chenxiang finally set off back to Seahorse City. When they returned, Seahorse Douluo was not there, but the purple-clad Sea Soul Masters who remained warmly welcomed them and left their original lodgings untouched.

Everyone relaxes in their own way. For example, Fatty likes to pester Bai Chenxiang and tease her. Although Fatty hasn't passed all the tests yet, Bai Chenxiang isn't so averse to him anymore. Amidst their laughter and playfulness, their feelings for each other have subtly warmed up.

Oscar and Ning Rongrong seemed more relaxed. Ning Rongrong took Oscar for a stroll around Seahorse City, eating some local specialties and exchanging items with the people there using things she brought from her soul tool.

The Sea Spirit Masters on Seagod Island are all very simple and honest, and communication is effortless. In particular, they show great respect when they see the mark on their foreheads.

Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing were the complete opposite of the others; the two of them stayed at the inn. As for whether they were doing anything inappropriate for children, no one knew. After all, who would dare to pry into Boss Dai's privacy? Zhu Zhuqing's explanation was that it was better for Dai Mubai to stay at the inn to prevent him from going out and flirting with other women and harming the girls among the Sea Soul Masters.

Tang San and Xiao Wu presented a different picture. Upon returning to Seahorse City, Tang San immediately entered seclusion. Xiao Wu did the same. He knew that his situation was different from his companions'. Every trial they faced was the most difficult. Moreover, to revive Xiao Wu as soon as possible, he absolutely could not bring her along. Although his soul power had reached level eighty and required soul rings to continue increasing, continuous cultivation was still effective. Furthermore, Tang San needed to familiarize himself with the Purple Demon Eye, enhanced by enlightenment, and the various properties of the Vast Ocean Universe Cover integrated into his skull. To become an excellent team core, he first needed to understand his own abilities. Although the fourth trial didn't seem that difficult, Tang San knew that none of these trials were easy. Passing them would be no simple matter. Especially since his target was the Demonic Tiger Whale King. From Xiao Bai's strength, it was clear that this Demonic Tiger Whale King was definitely a 100,000-year-old soul beast.

Tang San also vaguely sensed that this 100,000-year-old soul beast seemed to be arranged for him by the Sea God in the dark. After all, what he lacked right now was a soul ring. At the same time, he was certain that this Demonic Orca King was stronger than Xiao Bai; otherwise, there wouldn't have been a test requiring him to assist Xiao Bai. Rongrong's test was even to protect Xiao Bai from death.

Xiao Wu releases her soul every day and returns to her body to accompany Tang San in his cultivation for a period of time, until she feels that her soul power is insufficient before returning to Tang San's body.

Through the rigorous training of the first three trials, Xiao Wu's soul had become much more refined than before, allowing it to remain within her body for longer periods. Especially after Tang San's Purple Demon Eye reached the Vast Realm, he clearly observed a significant leap in Xiao Wu's soul power, influenced by the qualitative change in his spiritual power. Now, Xiao Wu can remain within her body for approximately two hours a day without harm. Furthermore, this is no longer limited to a single instance. As long as the total time does not exceed two hours, she will not be harmed.

The strengthening of Xiao Wu's soul would undoubtedly be of great benefit to her future resurrection. Tang San is now eager to complete the fourth trial, because if he succeeds, his affinity with the Sea God will increase by at least five percent. Xiao Bai had previously stated that once his affinity reached thirty percent, he could automatically release the Sea God's Light that would allow Xiao Wu's soul to merge with her physical body. With this Sea God's Light, all that remains is for him to cultivate to the Title Douluo level. For Tang San, what could be more important than resurrecting Xiao Wu?

This time, the Shrek Seven Devils underwent a thorough rest. Surprisingly, during this three-month break, their cultivation levels improved remarkably quickly. This seemed to be due to the relaxation of their constantly tense minds and bodies, a welcome turn of events.

Currently, the soul power of the Shrek Seven Devils is as follows:

Dai Mubai, the Evil-Eyed White Tiger, is a level 78 Power Attack-type Battle Soul Saint. Including the two levels gained from completing the second and third trials, and over a year of cultivation, Dai Mubai has increased his soul power by a total of four levels.

Oscar, the Big Sausage Uncle, is a level 75 Food-type Martial Soul Saint. Food-type Martial Souls are difficult to cultivate, and he can only advance three levels in a little over a year. Although two of those advancements come from rewards, Oscar is still very satisfied.

Tang San, the Thousand-Handed Asura, is an 80th-level Control-type Battle Soul Saint. Because Tang San doesn't receive the reward of leveling up with each successful assessment, his companions' soul power is gradually catching up to his.

Ma Hongjun, the Evil Fire Phoenix, is a level 76 Power Attack-type Battle Soul Saint. Thanks to the benefits of the Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Serpent's inner core and the advantages of the Phoenix Martial Soul, he has finally surpassed Oscar and is no longer the one with the lowest soul power among the Seven Devils.

The Soft-Boned Rabbit Xiao Wu, whose soul power is unknown, has increased physical strength and received bonuses from assessments.

Ning Rongrong, a level 76 auxiliary-type weapon spirit master, possesses the Nine Treasures Glazed Glass.

Zhu Zhuqing, the Netherworld Cat, is a level 77 agility-based Battle Soul Saint. Currently, her soul power is second only to Tang San and Dai Mubai.

Three months of rest had allowed the Shrek Seven Devils to recover to their peak physical and mental condition. Without external pressure, they understood that even another six months of arduous training wouldn't significantly improve their soul power. Therefore, they decided to complete their mission ahead of schedule. They had already been away for quite some time, and the challenges ahead were uncertain. After discussion, they decided to find the Great White Shark Swarm and complete the fourth trial, the Shark-Whale Battle.

Having prepared the necessities, the Seven Devils set off. Ma Hongjun initially strongly opposed Bai Chenxiang accompanying them, as facing powerful sea spirit beasts was extremely dangerous. However, Bai Chenxiang insisted on going, arguing that she wanted to be a qualified scout and that she wouldn't be in danger at high altitudes.

Left with no other choice, Ma Hongjun had to agree to let her come along.

Although Poseidon Island is large, with the group's strength, they quickly reached the outermost edge of the island.

Stepping onto the soft, silvery beach, everyone couldn't help but smile knowingly. Just over three years ago, when they arrived here with trepidation, who could have imagined that in just three years, they would all have risen from the sixties to an average of over seventy-five, truly becoming high-level Soul Masters? Tang San, in particular, had reached a terrifying level eighty. Keep in mind, he's not even twenty-four years old yet. In the entire history of the Soul Master world, this should be the most formidable record.

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(End of this chapter)