Douro Continent

Chapter 686 The Word "Love," Redemption Through Telepathy

Judging from the order, the first seven trials of the Sea God's inheritance are likely tests of whether one can break free from the seven emotions. Yes, that must be it.

Having figured this out, Tang San suddenly felt enlightened. The intense pain from his right leg, and the pain caused by the disintegration of the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone, did not disturb his enlightenment.

If the Sea God could sense the changes in Tang San's heart at this moment, he would be greatly gratified. Because, if the Sea God's Heart were present, the hint he would give Tang San would be the Seven Emotions Test. Originally, the Sea God's inheritance should have tested the Six Desires, corresponding to the six soul bones of a Soul Master. But Tang San was an exception; possessing the external soul bone Eight Spider Lances, his original soul bone was seven, which is why the test was changed from Six Desires to Seven Emotions.

Humans possess seven emotions and six desires; these are fundamental to human emotions and are unavoidable. No one is exempt. The difficulty of this test is self-evident. Even with prior guidance, passing it under the interference of the Sea God's energy would be extremely difficult, let alone the fact that Tang San received no prior guidance and was directly subjected to the test. The difficulty is so immense that passing is virtually impossible.

However, with the convenient door opened by the Sea God and a bit of luck, and having already figured out the difficult parts of the Sea God's inheritance, it was unlikely that anything could stump Tang San, who had managed to raise his affinity with the Sea God to 115% through the eight trials. Tang San did not disappoint everyone; starting from the third trial, his inheritance became much smoother.

The third test assesses the concept of "sorrow." It involves extracting Tang San's right leg bone from his Blue Silver Emperor armor, revealing a phantom scene. This scene depicts the moment when Tang San's mother, Ah Yin, sacrificed herself to save Tang Hao. Tang San could easily save his mother in the illusion. The sorrowful atmosphere is incredibly captivating.

Having learned from the experience of the first two trials, Tang San remained focused and steadfast, regardless of the illusion before him. To his surprise, his Purple Demon Eye's ability to break through illusions still worked here, since the Purple Demon Eye wasn't a power belonging to this world. Although the illusion possessed powerful deceptive abilities, Tang San managed to withstand it, easily passing the trial. Meanwhile, the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone transformed into a Blue Silver Grass, the most ordinary kind, peacefully remaining on the third small platform, surrounded by a golden halo.

Next, the fourth test involved peeling off Tang San's left leg bone. The illusion that appeared was still the same, but this time, the protagonist of the illusion was Xiao Wu. It showed the scene of Xiao Wu sacrificing herself for Tang San and her soul about to be taken away, which aroused Tang San's strong fear.

Having gained experience and insight from the previous three trials, Tang San's heart was as hard as iron. He forcibly suppressed his emotions, which were influenced by the power of the Sea God, and passed the trial again. The left leg bone of the Demonic Orca transformed into a huge orca, swimming on the fourth circular platform.

By this time, Tang San had passed four of the eight trials of the Sea God's inheritance. After passing the fourth trial, Tang San immediately felt changes in his body. His originally golden bones, muscles, and meridians gradually turned red, resembling the crimson gold of Qian Renxue's full-force attack. Having undergone the baptism of four emotional shifts, the Sea God's power, while influencing Tang San's emotions, was also subtly changing his body. Simultaneously, the Sea God's divine power was gradually merging into his body.

At this point, Tang San still had three soul bones left that had not been extracted, and Tang San knew that these three soul bones were the most important.

The Eight Spider Lances, having reached god-level, were inseparable from him and could even serve as a warning. The soul of Da Ming within the right arm bone of the Azure Bull Python could provide reminders. The Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone, left to him by his mother, was filled with love and naturally posed no problem. Although the Demonic Tiger Whale's left leg bone originated from the 100,000-year-old soul beast, the Demonic Tiger Whale King, its importance as a left leg soul bone wasn't particularly high, and Tang San could completely suppress its emotional influence even after it was separated. Therefore, he passed the first four trials relatively easily. Of course, this was primarily because Tang San was able to quickly grasp the true test of the Sea God's inheritance.

However, the next four trials will be far more difficult, not to mention repairing the Trident of the Sea God. The last three of the Seven Emotions alone are not easy to overcome. First, Tang San's torso soul bone was obtained from the million-year-old soul beast, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, who undoubtedly hated him to the core. Even his corpse was damaged. When Tang San passes this trial, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King will not only fail to help him break free from the illusion, but its soul residing within the soul bone will likely try its best to help the Sea God's divine power confuse Tang San. This soul bone is also the most important, naturally increasing the difficulty significantly.

As for the Wisdom Skull, which embodies the spirit, it goes without saying that as the soul bone containing the brain, the pain it brings to Tang San will undoubtedly be the most intense. Moreover, this soul bone also incorporates a portion of the energy from the Heart of the Sea God. Tang San has absolutely no idea what will happen when he passes the test.

Finally, let's talk about the Titan Giant Ape's left arm bone, which shouldn't have been a problem in the first place. As a left arm bone, it ranks low among all soul bones, and since it came from the Titan Giant Ape Erming, given Erming's relationship with Tang San, he certainly wouldn't hold him back. The crucial point is that this left arm bone now contains the divine power of the Asura God. Tang San is almost certain that extracting this soul bone from his body will be extremely difficult, even if the Asura God's power is already suppressed within his Clear Sky Hammer.

As it turned out, Tang San's judgment was completely correct. The soul bone that was peeled off in the fifth level was indeed his head soul bone, the wisdom skull formed from the condensation of spirit.

Almost the instant the soul bone began to peel away, Tang San's mind went blank. It wasn't from the intense pain; it was just like when the Sea God sent him here. He couldn't control it at all, and he couldn't feel anything in his mental world.

A faint red hue began to appear in this blank world, slowly coalescing into a giant heart shape that materialized before him. Tang San's own body also appeared in this world. He tried to control his Purple Demon Eye to break through the illusion before him, but he couldn't do it at all. He couldn't mobilize any energy. In this world of consciousness, he was like an ordinary person.

Just then, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed. The once pale world was now filled with countless lights.

A lush green forest, a crystal-clear lake, the sounds of insects and birds echoing in the air, and the fresh air making one want to take deep breaths. In this breathtaking scene, a young girl dressed entirely in white sits atop a large rock by the lake, her long black hair cascading into the water. In her hand, she holds a small wooden comb, gently combing her hair.

Seeing this, Tang San was stunned. Xiao Wu, yes, even without looking at her face, Tang San knew that this was his Xiao Wu!

At that moment, he was standing only two meters away from Xiao Wu. Suddenly, Xiao Wu turned her head, gracefully gathering her long hair and letting it fall behind her, revealing her flawless and exquisite face. Looking at Tang San, she smiled sweetly, "Brother, do you know?"

"Know what?" Tang San asked instinctively.

Xiao Wu's eyes were filled with a happy smile. "Mom said that a girl's hair can only be combed by one man in her life. Would you like to comb my hair?"

"Yes, of course I'm willing," Tang San replied eagerly. A surge of intense love instantly filled his heart; at that moment, there was no room for anything else. To be able to comb Xiao Wu's hair and spend happy days with her was Tang San's deepest desire.

Xiao Wu's pretty face flushed slightly, adding a touch of brilliance to her already captivating beauty. Shyly, she gently raised the wooden comb in her hand, somewhat hesitant to look at Tang San, and whispered, "Here you go."

Tang San raised his hand, intending to catch the wooden comb, but his hand froze in mid-air.

This is an illusion. Everything before my eyes is an illusion. How could I possibly be with Xiao Wu by the lake in the center of the Star Dou Great Forest? Although this is a spiritual world, if I take a step forward to take the comb, then it is very likely that my real self will also take that step and leave the center of that platform.

If Tang San could use any of his soul skills at this moment, he would be confident of obtaining the wooden comb. However, in this spiritual world, he is completely powerless.

Even so, Tang San's heart was filled with love for Xiao Wu. Of all his emotions, love was the hardest to control, and it was also his greatest vulnerability. It could be said that this was his biggest weakness.

Even knowing that everything before him was an illusion, Tang San couldn't harden his heart and refuse Xiao Wu. He just stared at her blankly, motionless.

After a long while, Xiao Wu slowly raised her head and looked at Tang San. Her gaze had become somewhat vacant, and glistening tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't look at Tang San, but only at the small wooden comb she had offered. Her voice trembled slightly with a sob, "Brother, won't you comb my hair for me?"

"No, I'm willing, I'm willing!" Overwhelmed by intense love, Tang San shouted passionately. How could he bear to see his Xiao Wu heartbroken? Even if it was Xiao Wu in an illusion, he simply couldn't refuse her.

……

Poseidon Island, Poseidon Mountain, Poseidon Temple.

Poseidon, the Sea God Douluo, sacrificed her life to open the door to the Land of Inheritance for Tang San. All of this was witnessed by the Shrek Six Monsters.

Their bodies were engulfed by golden light, and they could clearly feel the rich energy constantly surging out from the door, permeating their bodies through the platform they were on. At the same time, the spiritual power of the six of them merged into one, connecting with the light of the burning crimson-gold flames, becoming the guarantee for the continued opening of the light gate.

Unlike the Temple of Angels, the Temple of the Sea God has a dedicated portal to the Land of Inheritance. Qian Daoliu's sacrifice is also different from Poseidon's. Qian Daoliu's sacrifice was merely to open this portal for Qian Renxue; once Qian Renxue completes the inheritance of the Angel God, she will naturally be able to open the portal and return using her own power.

Poseidon not only had to open the portal to the Land of Inheritance, but she also had to create the portal with her own power. If the portal were closed, then even if Tang San became the Sea God, he would never be able to return to the human world and would only be able to stay in the Land of Inheritance.

Therefore, during the Sea God's inheritance, six people were needed to maintain this gate. Originally, according to the Sea God's arrangement, this should have been done by the Seven Sacred Pillar Guardian Douluos. However, Poseidon knew that the Shrek Six Devils and Tang San Yixin had also passed at least the Black-level Sea God's test. Although their strength was slightly weaker, their mental power was in no way inferior to that of the Seven Sacred Pillar Guardian Douluos. Having them guard it would be more effective.

From the moment Tang San entered the Land of Inheritance, the Shrek Six Monsters could see all his actions. Their vision accompanied Tang San into the Land of Inheritance, and they could even see the changes in his spirit. This was one of the benefits of maintaining the gate to the Land of Inheritance. Being able to witness the inheritance of a god would naturally bring them immense benefits in the future.

They watched as Tang San broke through the barriers outside the Sea God's Temple and entered its interior, witnessing the true Sea God. Of course, as Tang San began his inheritance, their vision also shifted to that golden world, making it impossible for them to remain inside the Sea God's Temple and witness the conversation between the two gods.

When Tang San was going through the first challenge, everyone was holding their breath for him, but as Tang San figured out the key to passing the challenge and passed four challenges in a row, everyone gradually relaxed.

The only one still feeling tense was Xiao Wu. It wasn't because she didn't trust Tang San, but because Da Ming's reminder to Tang San saddened her, so she remained on edge.

At this moment, all six of them were immersed in the mental illusion in which Tang San was, and they could see and hear the conversation between Tang San and Xiao Wu in this illusion.

In the eyes of Dai Mubai, Oscar and others, this illusion was no challenge for Tang San at all. He had easily passed the previous levels, so how could he not realize that everything in front of him was not real and that Xiao Wu was just an illusion?

When Tang San shouted, everyone except Xiao Wu—Dai Mubai, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing—was stunned. They never imagined that the exceptionally intelligent Tang San would act impulsively at this moment and fail to pass the fifth test of the Seven Emotions.

Only Xiao Wu truly understood Tang San's heart at this moment; he didn't want to reject her! Although the illusion was fake, what was presented within it was entirely real. Even the origin of the hair-combing was real. Influenced by the Sea God's power, Tang San's love surged forth, and his reason was finally overwhelmed by emotion. The word "love" made him completely forget that he was undergoing the Sea God's inheritance.

Faced with this scene, although she was unable to move while enveloped in the dense golden light, Xiao Wu still screamed with all her might, "Brother, that's not me, that's not me!"

Xiao Wu's voice echoed within the Sea God's Temple, awakening the stunned Shrek Five. But they all knew that Xiao Wu's voice couldn't possibly reach that world. Her desperate cries sank their hearts to the bottom; if they couldn't pass on the Sea God's legacy, Xiao San was doomed…

However, the answer is often not absolute. Just when they thought Tang San was truly finished, Tang San in the illusion stopped abruptly just before he lunged forward.

Looking down at his right arm with some disbelief, Tang San's intense love hadn't disappeared, but his gaze had shifted elsewhere.

Yes, he heard Xiao Wu's voice, even if it was just a faint cry deep in his heart, and all he heard were four words: That's not me.

But that was enough. Xiao Wu's scream saved Tang San; he heard her voice. Yes! No matter how much the illusion before him resembled Xiao Wu, she was not his Xiao Wu. He could only comb his hair for his Xiao Wu, not for her.

boom--

All the illusions collapsed with a crash. When Tang San returned to the golden world of the Sea God's inheritance, he immediately saw a blue-gold skull appear in front of him. The light that faintly emanated from it was exactly the same light as the Heart of the Sea God!

Even Tang San didn't know that the reason he could hear Xiao Wu's voice wasn't because of how loudly she screamed, but because of the telepathic connection between them.

Telepathy does exist; for example, it is possible for twins, long-term spouses, and close relatives such as fathers and sons to experience telepathy.

The telepathic connection between Tang San and Xiao Wu naturally stemmed from Xiao Wu's sacrifice for him. Although Tang San had returned Xiao Wu's spirit rings and spirit bones to her, in a sense, the two had truly become one. In this state, an invisible bridge formed between Xiao Wu's and Tang San's souls. Faced with Tang San's life-threatening situation, Xiao Wu's desperate cries carried a subtle message through this bridge. Even though it was only for a moment, and even though they were in different worlds, it still awakened Tang San, allowing him to break free from the most vulnerable aspect of his Seven Emotions—the fifth emotion, love.

Tang San gasped for breath, his soul power circulating rapidly and irregularly within him. Looking at his right arm, he recalled Xiao Wu's weak yet anxious call, and a warm feeling filled his heart. Although he was suffering greatly from the pain of his soul bone being separated and had to endure constant mental trials, Xiao Wu's call had boosted Tang San's mental strength to an unprecedented level. As he emerged from the fifth trial, a faint blue-gold layer appeared on Tang San's skin, and his expended strength seemed to have recovered somewhat.

The Sea God's legacy will not stop. After the blue-gold, crystal-like skull returned to its original position along with the fifth platform, the sixth platform had already emerged. This time, the hand that had been stripping away the soul bone became extremely large, the golden hand appearing directly one meter in front of Tang San, suddenly making a grasping motion.

This seemingly simple action made Tang San feel as if his soul was being ripped away, and an unprecedented, immense pain instantly filled every nerve in his body.

Undoubtedly, the torso soul bone is the largest of all soul bones and the most important of the standard six soul bones in a human body. Its removal naturally causes unparalleled pain. All the bones and muscles in his body felt as if they were twisted together; the immense divine power was simply beyond Tang San's resistance. Because of the intense compression and pulling caused by the removal of the torso soul bone, blood flowed simultaneously from Tang San's seven orifices, trickling down like seven small snakes. However, Tang San's originally golden blood was now tinged with a faint blue. From the initial gold, through crimson gold, and now to the blue-gold before him, the divine power of the Sea God was subtly merging into Tang San's body. Of course, to complete the inheritance, he first had to endure this intense pain.

*Pfft!* Tang San coughed up blood, his vision blurring. Despite his exceptionally strong physical resistance and willpower far exceeding that of ordinary people, even he was struggling to withstand this level of pain. The excruciating pain made him feel as if his brain was about to explode.

No, he absolutely could not admit defeat. Tang San seemed to see the mockery of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, and also Xiao Wu's anxiety. Gritting his teeth, he resisted the immense pulling force before him, no matter how his muscles contorted, no matter how much pain stimulated him, he stubbornly endured it. His teeth had already dug into his lips, and his fingernails had completely dug into the thick flesh of his palms. His feet were firmly gripping the ground, and due to the intense pain, he exerted too much force. Even with his god-level bones, he could not withstand it. Of his ten toes, except for the two thicker big toes, the remaining eight were all broken. But even so, they were still digging fiercely into the ground. The hard Sea God's Inheritance Platform was actually dug into several dents by his toes.

Purple bones gradually appeared from Tang San's chest. Although they were only soul bones, strictly speaking, they should be formed from condensed energy, but it felt as if all the bones in his torso had been pulled out of his body. Moreover, seeing it with one's own eyes was extremely visually impactful.

The intense pain caused Tang San to let out a fierce howl, slamming his clenched fists into his groin. He threw his head back, his long hair billowing behind him, carrying with it a mixture of sweat and blood that sprayed through the air. With that howl, the largest torso spirit bone finally detached from Tang San's body; he had never even used the skill granted to him by this spirit bone.

The torso soul bone appeared to be formed by the spine connecting to the ribs, and was entirely purple. It landed on the sixth circular platform that had flown to Tang San. The phantom of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King appeared behind the skeleton, and a strong sense of malice suddenly arose in Tang San's heart. The phantom of the Deep Sea Demon Whale that appeared behind the torso soul bone suddenly became real, and leaped directly into the golden ocean.

A ferocious laugh rang out, "Tang San, I really have to thank you! You sent me to this place of inheritance. The last step I haven't been able to complete for so many years can finally be done. I should inherit the position of Sea God."

As he spoke, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, who had leaped into the golden ocean, suddenly transformed into the human form Tang San had once used against him. With a wave of his hands, a massive purple vortex appeared before him, and the six platforms that already contained Tang San's soul bones flew towards him, swirling around him. Even the two platforms that hadn't yet absorbed Tang San's soul bones began to sway precariously.

How could this be? Tang San was shocked. He could clearly sense that the Deep Sea Demon Whale King was indeed a soul force, and its eyes were exactly the same. Moreover, the aura of the sea god around his body disappeared instantly, and even the blue-gold color on his skin was fading rapidly. And the same blue-gold color began to gradually appear on the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's body.

No, impossible. Having endured countless hardships to reach this point, how could he let the Deep Sea Demon Whale King succeed? A surge of intense hatred filled Tang San's heart. With a flick of his right hand, he grabbed the Sea God's Trident that had been floating vertically beside him. Pointing the dark trident forward, Tang San roared, "Deep Sea Demon Whale King, you're still alive?!"

The Deep Sea Demon Whale King chuckled, the purple vortex between his hands growing larger and larger. The two empty circular platforms began to fly towards him. "Who said I wasn't dead? Yes, I am indeed dead. But you underestimate the soul power I've accumulated over millions of years. Even if you absorb it into my soul bone, my soul won't be destroyed. I've been waiting for this opportunity, and it has finally arrived. Hahahaha, I must thank the Sea God for this inheritance. Now, the position of Sea God is mine. Boy, considering you brought me here, I'll leave you with a complete corpse after I become a god and reshape my body."

Faced with the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's blatant provocation, Tang San suddenly laughed. He slowly lowered the Trident of the Sea God, which he had been holding, and raised it again beside him, saying calmly, "No need to act anymore. It's useless against me. There are seven emotions: joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, and desire. Your sixth test is simply testing the word 'evil.' The Sea God's power brings me into this realistic experience, and it's a situation that is actually possible, making it more immersive. In addition, it directly affects my emotions, making it easy for me to be fooled. Unfortunately, 'evil' is not my weakness. Even if your soul, Deep Sea Demon Whale King, combined with the Sea God's power, tries to hinder my inheritance, it won't work. After passing the test of love, what do I have to fear? All of this is just an illusion. Don't even mention that your soul can't leave the Soul Bone and reappear. Even if you could, do you think you could disrupt my inheritance process in this world filled with the Sea God's power? If your soul could really leave the Soul Bone, it would only be courting death."

Upon hearing Tang San's words, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's expression suddenly changed drastically. The golden ocean beneath him surged violently, and a massive golden trident emerged from the seawater, instantly piercing through his body, which was formed from soul power. An incomparably majestic voice resounded throughout the entire golden world, "Those who attempt to destroy the inheritor will be killed without mercy. Soul stripped."

"No—" The Deep Sea Demon Whale King screamed in terror, but what use was his immense soul power in this world of the Sea God's inheritance? His body was torn to shreds, turning into streaks of purple light that merged into the body that had been separated from Tang San's body earlier.

The torso bone also transformed into a wildly churning purple dragon, flying up and down on the circular platform. After a while, it gradually calmed down, just like Tang San's right arm bone, which had transformed into a blue dragon, floating directly above the platform.

Seeing this, Tang San was stunned. A chill suddenly ran down his spine, because he realized that everything that had happened before was not an illusion as he had expected, but was completely real. The Deep Sea Demon Whale King was actually formed from his soul. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been a scene of his soul being destroyed; instead, all the illusions should have shattered as he revealed the truth.

The Deep Sea Demon Whale King... it actually wasn't completely killed, and its soul is still hidden within its soul bone, waiting for an opportunity to strike. What a million-year-old soul beast! Truly powerful.

A lingering sense of fear made Tang San's mind waver. He knew that if he hadn't overcome his evil thoughts, perhaps everything that had happened before would have come true, and the Deep Sea Demon Whale King might indeed have succeeded him as the Sea God. The intense pain he endured when his torso and soul bones were stripped away was probably partly due to the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's interference. The greater his mental strain, the greater his chances of success.

The six circular platforms flew back to Tang San's body, and the pain of the seventh soul bone stripping followed. This final stripping naturally occurred on Tang San's left arm soul bone.

To Tang San's surprise, his left arm soul bone did not change. The pain was similar to that he had experienced when his right arm soul bone was removed, but much less painful than when his torso soul bone was removed. The soul bone was successfully removed and fell towards the seventh circular platform.

With a flash of light and shadow, everything around him suddenly became illusory, and a new illusion appeared before Tang San. To his surprise, he found himself in an illusory night sky, dotted with stars, as if revealing the mysteries of the universe to him.

A golden platform appeared before Tang San. On the platform, a woman radiating intense golden light floated in the center, but her face showed extreme pain. Her golden armor was faintly visible, and six golden wings on her back were slowly appearing, but her facial expression was already distorted. Clearly, she was enduring unparalleled pain.

Even though her face was distorted, Tang San recognized her at a glance. The person appearing in his illusion was none other than Qian Renxue, the inheritor of the Angel God.

Tang San's consciousness, like a shooting star, streaked across the sky and crashed directly into Qian Renxue's body. Before he could react, a flash of light appeared, and his thoughts entered Qian Renxue's head.

Suddenly, a new scene appeared before Tang San's eyes.

It was a spacious area, and the first person Tang San saw was Qian Renxue. To Tang San's surprise, she was completely naked. However, her gaze was somewhat vacant, staring blankly ahead.

Following Qian Renxue's gaze, Tang San's heart trembled again; he saw a young man.

Long, blue hair cascaded down his back, and his seemingly all-seeing blue eyes shone with profound wisdom. His tall, slender figure was noble and elegant. Before him, a harp floated silently. He slowly raised his hand, his long fingers caressing the harp strings. The crisp, melodious notes transformed into a perfect tune that echoed in the empty space. Qian Renxue was walking towards him step by step, murmuring, her voice choked with emotion, "Tang San, why you…?"

Yes! Wasn't that young man himself? But how did he end up here? What's going on?

-

Today is Monday, a new week has begun, and Tang San's Sea God inheritance has reached its most crucial moment. Tomorrow's update will complete his inheritance. Just what kind of person is the Sea God? Please stay tuned!

A new week begins! Dear readers, please support me with your recommendation votes, and of course, your monthly tickets! The Douluo Continent story has reached its climax these past few days. Let's all give it our all and boost our monthly tickets again! Even if it's just a fleeting momentary surge, I'll immediately release an extra chapter the following day in return. Or, if we reach number one in recommendation votes this week until the weekend, I'll also release an extra chapter. I'm working hard on my backlog of chapters; the success of Douluo Continent rests on your shoulders. This will be the last full month of Douluo Continent; next month, it will end. You readers have accompanied Douluo Continent for a whole year. In this final full month, let's finish strong and achieve a great result in monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)