Douro Continent

Chapter 667 The Tenth Soul Ring, a God-Level Soul Ring

Due to Qian Renxue's divine sense scan, Tang San was forced to stop at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest. Lying flat on the ground, Tang San frowned, lost in thought.

With his current strength, maintaining the Blue Silver Domain and the Vast Ocean Protective Shield for an extended period wouldn't be a problem. Under normal circumstances, Tang San could simply keep at it with Qian Renxue, seeing who had more patience. However, Tang San knew that if things continued like this, he would be the first to lose patience.

Qian Renxue may not worry about the fighting on the front lines, but how could I not worry? My parents and teachers are there; if anything happens to them, it could be enough to make me regret it for the rest of my life.

Leading the Shrek Seven Devils away from the Heaven Dou Empire's military camp was already a risky move for Tang San. The Spirit Empire's army inside Jialing Pass possessed six Title Douluo powerhouses above level 95, along with five or six ordinary Title Douluos. This force alone was already difficult to deal with. Once Bibi Dong's combat strength recovered, it could be said that the main force of the Heaven Dou Empire's army was in danger of being annihilated at any moment. Under these circumstances, Tang San's only option was to quickly achieve the Sea God status and rush back to the front lines to stabilize the situation and win the battle.

In contrast, Qian Renxue had no such worries. Even if she continued to wait, she had nothing to worry about. It seemed that her divine sense scanning hadn't weakened with time; on the contrary, it was getting stronger. From this, one could guess that she had just achieved god-level strength and hadn't fully mastered the various god-level techniques yet. Otherwise, he might not have been able to successfully launch a sneak attack. In the current situation, he had no power to fight her, and even the Trident of Poseidon had fallen into her hands. For him, simply escaping from here wasn't enough; he also needed to retrieve the Trident of Poseidon before he could go to Poseidon Island to become a Poseidon. However, taking something from a god-level expert was probably more difficult than all seven trials of Poseidon combined. The most painful thing was that this timeframe wasn't a year, but rather the shorter the better.

Stay calm, you absolutely must stay calm in a situation like this. Faced with such a critical moment, Tang San lay calmly on the soft blue silver grass on the ground, telling himself as much as possible that he must remain calm. He hadn't encountered such a completely disadvantageous situation in a long time. But the more he felt this way, the more his fighting spirit was ignited. He firmly believed that even gods were not omnipotent. Although his opponent was strong, he was sure he would find a weakness.

As his mind gradually calmed down, Tang San reorganized his thoughts. Qian Renxue's appearance had already greatly shocked him, but what surprised him most wasn't that she had reached god-level, but why she hadn't taken advantage of his extremely dangerous state while absorbing the spirit ring to kill him, or at least capture him. At that time, facing her god-level power, he was practically powerless to resist. Yet, not only did she not do that, she even expressed a desire to help him. Was it simply because she had absolute confidence in her god-level strength? No, it couldn't be that simple. He had always been on the opposite side of the Spirit Hall. As the daughter of the previous Pope of the Spirit Hall, her father had died at his hands; she should have done everything in her power to kill him! Wasn't the Spirit Hall always ruthless and unscrupulous?

Furthermore, Qian Renxue's sudden attainment of the God-level is truly unbelievable. The last time I saw her, she was only around level 70. In just six years, she broke through to the God-level. It can be said that her luck and experience surpassed mine. Therefore, there is only one possibility: after leaving Heaven Dou City, she, like me, entered Seagod Island and began the process of completing the Angel God's inheritance. Judging from this, the deity of the Angel God should have always been in the Spirit Hall.

Considering the Angel Set that the master once mentioned, it is very likely that it is a divine artifact, similar to his own Trident of Poseidon.

Through his conversation with Qian Renxue, Tang San discovered another problem: her relationship with Bibi Dong was extremely tense. Was it because Bibi Dong had inherited the Pope's position, instead of her, the direct descendant of the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul? Logically, with the strength of Qian Daoliu, the Grand Elder of the Spirit Hall, supporting his granddaughter to ascend to the Pope's throne shouldn't have been difficult. So why didn't he? This suggests there must be some issue between Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong. Now that Qian Renxue has become the Angel Goddess, she and Bibi Dong will inevitably clash over the power of the Spirit Empire.

Regardless, the first question remained the one that puzzled Tang San the most: he couldn't understand why Qian Renxue showed no hostility towards him. After all, her efforts of infiltrating the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family for over a decade had been ruined because of him. What exactly did this woman want?

The various mysteries plunged Tang San into a brief period of confusion, but this didn't last long. For him, the most important thing now was how to leave this place safely, and also how to retrieve his Sea God Trident.

Tang San didn't regret using the "Never Return" attack on Qian Renxue earlier; otherwise, he wouldn't have had a chance to escape. Although Tang San now possessed seventeen spirit rings, the spirit skills generated by these seventeen rings were insufficient to help him stop Qian Renxue. Unless he could truly become a god, imbuing each of his spirit skills with divine aura, using those spirit skills would be futile.

Under immense pressure, Tang San's mind raced. He desperately needed to leave this place as soon as possible to reunite with his companions and inherit the Sea God's divine power. Qian Renxue's ascension to godhood only intensified his desire for divine inheritance. It wasn't just a thirst for power; more importantly, he needed the ability to protect his family and friends, and the strength to counterbalance the Spirit Empire.

The day passed quickly.

Qian Renxue continued to release waves of her divine sense, discovering that this constant probing was also quite beneficial. Having just become a god, this continuous release of divine sense was deepening her understanding of her divine power. The feeling of being able to control everything was constantly strengthening.

A flash of golden light appeared, and Qian Renxue opened her eyes, a playful smile on her lips. She muttered to herself, "What, couldn't resist coming out? Let's see where you can run this time."

Amidst the flashing light and shadows, her body vanished into thin air, taking with her the Trident of Poseidon stuck in the ground.

A thousand meters in an instant, within the reach of her divine sense and her body. Qian Renxue wasn't even flying; to be precise, it was as if she were constantly teleporting. Her speed was even faster than the divine sense she released. In her mind, there were no obstacles at all. And throughout the day, her divine sense constantly enveloped the Star Dou Great Forest. No matter what level of soul beast, they all trembled and hid, not daring to even breathe loudly, so naturally, no one dared to disturb her.

Soon, she spotted her target. But to her surprise, Tang San simply stood there, waiting for her arrival, seemingly having anticipated it all, and showed no intention of running away. He even wore a faint smile, elegant and composed.

A golden light flashed, and Qian Renxue stopped ten meters away from Tang San, staring at him with her delicate brows slightly furrowed. "Can you tell me what gave you this confidence? You don't look like a stray dog ​​at all."

"Do you think I'm a stray dog?" Tang San retorted.

Qian Renxue smiled slightly, "Of course not. You are the most outstanding man I have ever met, besides my grandfather. Perhaps, one day you will even surpass my grandfather. I'm just wondering why you don't continue to hide. As long as you don't leave this forest, it will be very difficult for me to find you. You are proud enough to be able to hide so well that even a god cannot find you. I originally thought that this cat-and-mouse game between us would last a long time. In my memory, you are not an impatient person."

Tang San smiled calmly, "Miss Qian Renxue, you flatter me. I came out simply to make a bet with you."

Qian Renxue picked up the Trident of Poseidon in her hand. "Your divine weapon is really heavy." Her somewhat mocking gaze seemed to say, "You've even lost your only reliable divine weapon to me. What right do you have to negotiate with me?"

Tang San glanced at the dark Trident of the Sea God and sighed inwardly, "Old friend, I'm sorry you had to suffer."

"That's right, you can capture me now; I'm no match for you. You're right, there's an insurmountable chasm between humans and gods. But all you can get is my body or my corpse, not my heart. Don't you want me to submit to you?"

Qian Renxue was taken aback. "Life is what I desire, and righteousness is also what I desire. If I cannot have both, I will give up life for righteousness. I remember your words very clearly. What? You've changed your mind so quickly?" A faint disappointment appeared in her eyes.

Tang San calmly said, "Death can be as light as a feather or as heavy as Mount Tai. Even if I have to die, I want to die with value, don't I? You can choose to capture me, kill me, or gamble with me. If you win, then I will swear to submit to you. If you lose, I only need three days to leave. After three days, you can continue to pursue me. As long as you can capture me by force, I can still submit to you."

"Oh? In that case, I'm interested to hear what your bet is." Qian Renxue understood that Tang San was not one to speak without reason, but what Tang San had said earlier had touched her heart. Capturing him now would only give her his body, not his heart. Such a simple sentence might not have worked on others, but for Qian Renxue, the Angel Goddess who saw Tang San as her greatest weakness, it struck her right where it hurt.

Although Tang San didn't know why Qian Renxue had done everything before, after a day of careful analysis, he stepped forward, naturally having a great deal of confidence that Qian Renxue would agree to his bet.

Tang San said, "My bet is simple: we'll fight without using any divine artifacts, and the time limit is one incense stick's time. If you can capture me within that time, you win. If you can't, then I'll get three days to leave. In return, please return my Trident of the Sea God."

"A stick of incense? Tang San, are you really that confident? Even without using a divine artifact, I am still a god." Qian Renxue originally thought Tang San would offer her a bet that would be extremely advantageous to him, but unexpectedly, his bet seemed perfectly reasonable. In fact, it was extremely favorable to her. With her god-level strength, was she afraid of a mere human?

In fact, Tang San precisely grasped Qian Renxue's mindset, exploiting her ingrained belief that she couldn't possibly lose to him in battle to gamble on this chance. Wasn't he also gambling with his own life?

"All you need to do is answer whether I'll gamble or not," Tang San's voice suddenly turned cold.

Qian Renxue toyed with the Trident of Poseidon in her hand. "The bet is fine. However, I can't return this Trident of Poseidon to you. What if you win and I catch you again in three days, and you refuse to admit it? I don't want your corpse. So, it's better if this Trident of Poseidon stays in my hands. I will return it to you when you swear allegiance to me."

Tang San's judgments were all correct, and things were developing in the direction he hoped for. However, Qian Renxue was not a fool either; she was also extremely intelligent. She vaguely sensed that Tang San must have something to rely on in this bet, and that he would not easily return the Trident of the Sea God to him.

Tang San took a deep look at his Trident of Poseidon and said resolutely, "Fine. One day, I will take my Trident of Poseidon back from you with my own hands."

Boom! Blue-gold light burst forth from Tang San's body like flames. At the same time, he took out an incense stick from his pocket and held it in his hand.

Qian Renxue casually stuck the Trident of the Sea God into the ground beside her. This time, she was not as careless as before. Amidst the golden light, she released her Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul.

A brilliant golden six-winged aura unfolded behind him, and the overwhelming pressure made it difficult for Tang San to even breathe. The even more terrifying and comprehensive suppression filled him with a feeling that he could not resist.

The nine spirit rings rising from Tang San's body were naturally those of the Blue Silver Emperor. These nine spirit rings were undeniably dazzling: black, black, black, black, red, black, red, red, red—five spirit rings over 50,000 years old and four spirit rings over 100,000 years old. It's likely that among the current Title Douluos, no one possesses a more powerful spirit ring configuration than Tang San.

However, in terms of sheer spectacle, Tang San's spirit rings pale in comparison to Qian Renxue's. Qian Renxue also possesses nine spirit rings arranged neatly: black, black, black, black, black, black, black, red, red, red. The first seven rings are completely different from when Tang San first met her. Clearly, she couldn't have transferred her spirit ring power to others like Tang San did, and then been fortunate enough to obtain spirit rings from two 100,000-year-old spirit beasts to replenish herself and regain spirit rings. The change in the color of her spirit rings must be due to the benefits of inheriting divine power. Even after completing the divine inheritance, Qian Renxue still falls short of Tang San in this nine-to-nine spirit ring comparison; she has one less 100,000-year spirit ring than Tang San. This demonstrates just how talented Tang San is; even as a human, he still has a slight edge over a god.

Unfortunately, the nine spirit rings on Qian Renxue were no ordinary nine spirit rings. Each ring possessed a layer of golden radiance, as if wrapped in gold leaf. Although their original colors were still visible, they were far more dazzling than before. Tang San understood that this was a characteristic of spirit skills becoming divine; after being imbued with divine power, each of Qian Renxue's spirit skills would possess divine aura and some of its abilities. While the level of the spirit rings themselves would also be affected, it was still far beyond what ordinary spirit masters' spirit skills could achieve.

However, the dazzling golden light emanating from Qian Renxue's nine spirit rings wasn't what shocked Tang San the most. Previously, during their first encounter, Qian Renxue hadn't fully unleashed her Six-Winged Angel spirit, and these spirit rings hadn't been revealed to him. Seeing them now, the shock brought a bitter feeling to Tang San's heart.

Even Tang San, with his resolute character, was affected, which shows how astonishing what he saw was. What he saw was simple: after the nine spirit rings, he saw a tenth spirit ring on Qian Renxue—yes, a tenth spirit ring.

It was a completely golden spirit ring, as if woven from countless golden angel feathers. It wasn't alongside the other nine spirit rings; this tenth spirit ring was enormous, easily over three meters in diameter. It appeared behind Qian Renxue, enveloping her body and six wings like a background halo. However, Tang San immediately recognized it as a spirit ring—like a spirit master's ring, yet completely different.

In Soul Master cultivation, each stage is divided into ten levels. Every ten levels, a Soul Ring is acquired to enhance strength, elevating the user to a new level and advancing to the next stage – a process of quantitative change leading to qualitative transformation. Level ninety, with the ninth Soul Ring, has always been considered the highest realm for Soul Masters. Breaking through to level one hundred is clearly another ten levels, so the appearance of a tenth Soul Ring is perfectly logical. Yet, it is precisely this logical tenth Soul Ring that shocked Tang San. If the first nine Soul Rings were considered human-level, then this tenth Soul Ring was entirely god-level. A god-level golden Soul Ring cannot be described by cultivation years; it is far beyond the comprehension of a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring.

"Tang San, I was very curious yesterday when I saw you unleash your Blue Silver Grass spirit rings. How could you possess so many high-level spirit rings? You haven't even become a god yet, I don't understand how you did it. If your second spirit rings can be upgraded to higher levels, then how did you manage to achieve this, given that Blue Silver Grass is clearly your first spirit ring, the one you've always used?"

Tang San flicked the incense stick with his right hand, and with the power of the true fire generated by his internal energy, he lit the incense. With a flick of his wrist, the incense flew dozens of meters away and stuck into a tree trunk.

"Aren't you afraid that I'll waste time answering your questions?" Tang San looked at Qian Renxue, and layer upon layer of blue-gold light rose from his body. Despite the immense pressure from the god-level, he did not retreat even a step. The light in his eyes gradually became wild, and he seemed to have entered a special state.

"The time it takes for an incense stick to burn is neither long nor short. What's a little delay? Would you be willing to answer my question?" Qian Renxue smiled calmly, without even glancing at the incense stick.

Tang San said, "There's nothing wrong with telling you. To save Xiao Wu, I returned the spirit rings and spirit bones she sacrificed to me to her, and also injected most of my own spirit rings into her body, helping her to be resurrected. Of course, I had to find the spirit rings I lost. Of course, I wouldn't add the same ones as before; I would try my best to find high-level spirit rings that suited me. That's how I achieved the current effect."

"A sacrificed soul beast can be resurrected?" Qian Renxue was astonished, looking at Tang San in disbelief. "You truly are someone who can create miracles."

"It's not that I'm good at creating miracles; it's all because of the Spirit Hall. It was the Spirit Hall that forced Xiao Wu to sacrifice herself to save me. Xiao Wu is my lover, and coupled with the hatred for my parents and teachers, I have long been irreconcilably opposed to the Spirit Hall."

Qian Renxue sighed, "Perhaps it's fate playing tricks on us, putting us on opposite sides. If you were from the Spirit Hall, you would probably think differently. The incense is lit, so let me see what you have to offer to withstand my attacks for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

Tang San laughed heartily, "I never intended to withstand your attacks for the duration of an incense stick's burning; rather, I intended for my attacks to last for the duration of an incense stick's burning. Watch out."

Boom—! Blue-gold flames surged up instantly, and all nine spirit rings on Tang San's body lit up in an instant. The original black and red colors completely disappeared, leaving only a dazzling blue-gold. At this moment, his nine Blue Silver Emperor spirit rings completely turned into the color of blue-gold, and his body also turned into the same color.

"Oh? What kind of skill is this? Another one of your self-created soul skills?" Qian Renxue didn't rush to attack. She was very curious about the changes in Tang San. At least she had never seen a soul master who could change the color of their soul rings according to their martial soul, not even before she became a god. She had never even imagined it.

Boom— Intense blue-gold flames enveloped Tang San's body. Without using any soul skills, Tang San charged towards Qian Renxue like an arrow, just as he had said before. He wanted to use the purest attack to face the god-level Qian Renxue.

Qian Renxue naturally did not back down in the slightest. With a slight flap of her six wings, she arrived in front of Tang San in the next moment. Her divine sense could clearly sense Tang San's most vulnerable spot. Her sudden forward movement was just when Tang San's speed had not yet increased and his power had not yet accumulated to its peak.

Tang San's movements and reactions were incredibly fast. His right fist was thrown out almost instantly, and his entire body was enveloped in blue-gold flames that had turned his fist into a jade color. He slammed it towards Qian Renxue's chest.

This seemingly simple and direct punch felt anything but simple to Qian Renxue. The instant Tang San threw his punch, she clearly felt as if all the Blue Silver Grass within the entire Star Dou Great Forest had merged with his fist. It was as if the power of all the Blue Silver Grass in the Star Dou Great Forest had been gathered to unleash this punch.

Qian Renxue's golden palm collided suddenly with Tang San's fist, which shimmered with blue-gold flames and was brimming with life. With a deafening boom, the blue-gold flames shot into the sky, and Tang San's body was thrown into the air. However, even the god-level Qian Renxue was momentarily stunned in mid-air, as the immense life force suppressed her divine sense, causing a slight flaw.

"How is this possible?" Qian Renxue's eyes widened. She couldn't understand how Tang San had done it. Tang San hadn't even released his Blue Silver Domain, yet he had mobilized the power of the Blue Silver Grass throughout the entire Star Dou Great Forest. This was an ability that should only be attainable by a god, and one leaning towards the power of a nature god.

However, Qian Renxue quickly discovered that although Tang San's body was unharmed after his flight, and he even managed to deflect her divine power, one of the nine spirit rings surrounding him had shattered, turning into specks of blue-gold light and disappearing into the air.

What was this? Qian Renxue stared at Tang San in astonishment, but Tang San's body only flew back a dozen meters before stopping. His eyes had completely turned blue-gold at this moment, shining with wild flames, like a king of beasts, carrying unparalleled domineering aura, and charging forward again with surging blue-gold flames. This time, it was even faster and more fierce than before. Clearly, the power he was releasing had reached a much higher level.

Qian Renxue frowned slightly. This time, she didn't rush forward first. The golden light on her body instantly burst forth, turning into golden flames that rose up. A surging divine aura burst out of her body, and the enormous golden flames distorted the air. With a delicate shout, she used both hands simultaneously. One hand blocked Tang San's punch as he charged at her, while the other hand grabbed Tang San's shoulder directly. The speed was as fast as lightning. The golden light almost instantly enveloped Tang San's entire body, including the blue-gold flames he released.

After being blocked by Tang San several times, Qian Renxue finally unleashed her god-level power. Although she did not use the artifact that made her the God of Angels, she was still a god, and with this exertion, she completely suppressed Tang San.

However, Tang San's incredibly wildly charging body suddenly stopped in mid-air, abruptly halting. His hands drew a strange arc in front of his chest, instantly generating a surging pulling force that caused all the blue-gold flames around his body, and even his own body, to instantly condense on his palms, transforming into a blue-gold flame vortex that filled his chest.

The ground beneath her feet shifted as if in a dreamlike motion. Qian Renxue felt that Tang San in front of her suddenly became unreal, as if several phantoms appeared in front of her at the same time. Although she was able to accurately identify which one was the real Tang San by using her divine sense, she still found that the phantoms created by Tang San's left and right swaying had diverted some of her attack power.

"Break!" Tang San roared, his powerful shout shattering the blue-gold vortex in his hand and his second spirit ring almost simultaneously. The unparalleled explosive force caused the blue-gold light to instantly turn golden. A massive energy surge soared into the sky, transforming into a gigantic golden pillar of light. It forcefully pierced through the golden light emanating from Qian Renxue.

At that moment, Tang San's hands met Qian Renxue's outstretched hands. Tang San's left hand generated an incredibly strong suction force, while his right hand generated a tremendous pushing force. Caught off guard, Qian Renxue felt her body tilt to the side, most of the force of her attack being deflected, with only a small portion colliding with Tang San's body. As their bodies crossed paths, they instantly shifted positions. They flew dozens of meters away before stabilizing themselves.

God-level power. Qian Renxue's expression had become solemn. Through the two clashes, she had clearly grasped that Tang San was stimulating his abilities in a special way. He wasn't using any soul skills, but his physical strength had already reached a god-level. Qian Renxue didn't know how Tang San could do this, but she also sensed a threat from him. Was she going to be forced to use her soul skills first? Qian Renxue asked herself inwardly.

No, absolutely not. Qian Renxue's eyes narrowed. Her inner pride prevented her from doing that. Although she knew that Tang San wasn't using his soul skills because he was probably incapable of using them, she still didn't use her own. She wanted to defeat Tang San and conquer him fair and square, using the most direct method.

Tang San moved again. This time, his body became even more ethereal, like a ghostly figure with countless afterimages, rushing towards Qian Renxue as if gathering from all directions.

Qian Renxue snorted coldly, "Even a grain of rice can shine?" Boom! The six wings on her back flapped simultaneously, and unparalleled golden flames instantly enveloped her body completely. She was like a golden meteor, ignoring all the phantoms that Tang San's body had transformed into. She clenched her right fist and went straight for Tang San's real body, which was being detected by her divine sense.

One golden, one blue-gold, the two figures moved like shooting stars chasing the moon. Tang San showed no intention of dodging. He clenched his fists at the same time, and the blue-gold flames were completely concentrated on his fists. The Eight Spider Lances on his back had already burst out of his body due to his full power. All the energy was concentrated on this point.

boom--

The two figures collided instantly, and a massive golden pillar of light shot hundreds of meters into the sky, eclipsing the entire Star Dou Great Forest. Vast swathes of Blue Silver Grass, illuminated by this light, released a powerful blue-gold glow, only to wither and vanish into ashes in the next instant. Having borrowed power from Tang San, many of them had already been destroyed by the angelic divine power in this single attack. Even so, the Blue Silver Grass in the Star Dou Great Forest remained filled with an excited fighting spirit. To die for the Emperor was, in their pure hearts, an absolute honor.

Qian Renxue's body remained frozen at the point of impact, while Tang San's body was sent flying thousands of meters away, his sturdy body crashing through countless trees. Pale golden blood gushed from his mouth, instantly transforming into blue-gold flames that ignited within him.

In this attack, Qian Renxue fully displayed the unstoppable power of a god-level being. In her true rage, she blasted Tang San away and injured him. At the same time, Tang San's third spirit ring shattered. However, Qian Renxue still sensed that although Tang San was injured, his injuries were not too serious. On the contrary, he was using the momentum of his backward flight to dissipate the angelic divine power she had imposed on him as much as possible.

With a silent murmur of admiration, Qian Renxue knew that if it came to the application of force neutralization and redirection, she was probably inferior to Tang San. Even if he possessed the same strength as her, she still wouldn't be his match. It was precisely for this reason that a murderous glint flashed in Qian Renxue's eyes. If she couldn't control this man, even if he was her greatest weakness, she had to kill him. Otherwise, if he were to achieve godhood in the future, he would undoubtedly be the greatest threat to the Spirit Empire, and might even bring about its destruction.

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(End of this chapter)