Douro Continent

Chapter 693 Xiao Wu's Choice, Demon Sword Enters Her Body

At this moment, Tang San didn't even think about the relationship between this Asura God power and himself, or whether killing it would affect his body. All he could think about was that Xiao Wu couldn't be harmed. Even if he died, he absolutely couldn't let this Asura God's energy hurt her.

Tang San's reaction was undeniably swift, but it all happened too suddenly. From the moment the Asura God's power surged into Xiao Wu's body to Tang San's immediate intervention, although it was only a brief second, for the power of a god, that single second was enough.

To Xiao Wu, the power of the Asura God was merely cool and gentle, at most a bit faster. But to Tang San, this power of the Asura God was utterly destructive. Xiao Wu's soul power met it head-on, offering absolutely no resistance. The terrifying power of the Asura God, like countless sharp needles, pierced through Xiao Wu's soul power and flowed directly into her meridians.

At this moment, Tang San's Sea God power finally caught up. However, by the time he did, the Asura God power had already divided into millions, simultaneously surging into Xiao Wu's different meridians, instantly seeping into them and merging with them. Tang San had already gathered his strength, preparing to engulf and destroy it with his own divine power, but now he was helpless unless he planned to destroy all of Xiao Wu's meridians. Otherwise, he would be completely powerless against the Asura God power that had merged into Xiao Wu's body.

How could this be? Tang San cried out in his heart. All he could do now was to quickly pour his Sea God power into Xiao Wu's meridians to protect them, lest the Asura God power erupt and destroy Xiao Wu's body.

However, to Tang San's surprise, the millions of Asura God powers that had been divided into them immediately began to fuse with Xiao Wu's meridians after merging into them. There was no sign of any eruption, not even a trace of killing intent spread out. Tang San watched as Xiao Wu's originally pale golden meridians, which had a slightly divine aura, turned dark red under the permeation of the Asura God power—a dark red filled with chilling and murderous intent.

What... what is this...?

Despite Tang San's exceptional intelligence, he was stunned at this moment. He clearly felt that his previous connection with Xiao Wu, which had been subtle and only slightly felt under intense tension or complete concentration, had become much clearer, especially the feeling of being connected by blood, which was extremely obvious. It was as if Xiao Wu had become an extension of his left hand, a part of his body.

When Tang San slowly opened his eyes and looked at Xiao Wu with disbelief, he was speechless. Xiao Wu seemed perfectly fine, a faint blush on her pretty face, like a red apple, making her exceptionally charming. Her energy aura, in fact, had broken through the bottleneck of level 95 and reached level 96, thanks to the fusion of the Asura God's power. Even Tang San needed to use his Sea God's divine sense to sense the Asura God's power within her.

Withdrawing his hands, Tang San stared intently at Xiao Wu before him. He felt a deep fear, dreading that Xiao Wu's body would be blasted apart by the terrifying power of the Asura God at any moment. All he could do now was pray. Xiao Wu's body was practically soaked in the power of the Asura God; even Tang San would be powerless to stop it when it erupted.

Just then, unnoticed by anyone, a dark red light suddenly rose from the corner and drifted towards Xiao Wu and Tang San.

Tang San's divine sense stirred slightly, and he immediately sensed the presence of that aura. When he turned his head, he saw that the two-meter-long Asura Demon Sword, which he had forgotten in the Sea God Temple, was slowly floating towards him and Xiao Wu.

Strangely, before Tang San inherited the power of the Sea God, this demonic sword once made him feel an intense longing, an overwhelming desire to hold it with his left hand, but now that feeling has disappeared.

Tang San wasn't surprised by this. After all, he had already become the Sea God, and it was normal for the Asura Demon Sword, as a weapon inherited by another god, to no longer have any connection to him.

A flash of blue-gold light appeared in Tang San's right palm, and the Trident of the Sea God appeared in his right hand. A blue-gold halo appeared out of thin air beside him and Xiao Wu, and the strong energy of the Sea God immediately blocked the Asura Demon Sword that had floated there for no reason.

Xiao Wu's body had already been invaded by the energy of the Asura God. Now, the Asura Demon Sword was flying over again. All sorts of unknown signs made Tang San feel a little confused, but his fear had lessened a bit.

"Brother, it seems to be looking for me." Xiao Wu's voice rang out beside Tang San. Having completed the absorption of the spirit ring, she had opened her eyes and stared straight at the Asura Demon Sword, her eyes revealing a look of longing. Under the dark red light released by the Asura Demon Sword, a faint layer of dark red demonic patterns appeared on the surface of Xiao Wu's skin.

"Looking for you?" Tang San turned to look at Xiao Wu. Suddenly, an idea struck him. Xiao Wu, like Ning Rongrong and Oscar, had just reached the Title Douluo level, and she possessed her own aura. Could it be that the Asura God, after realizing he couldn't inherit his power, sensed Xiao Wu's considerable strength and his own aura, and deliberately guided his evolved Asura Domain to merge into her body before accepting his inheritance? If so, that would be a good thing.

From his inner perspective, Tang San was not fond of the God of Asura. His choice to inherit the Sea God's mantle was not only because he had passed the eight trials of the Sea God, but also because of his feelings towards the God of Asura.

After all, his great-grandfather had sacrificed his life to inherit the power of the Asura God, but failed. Moreover, the power of the Asura God was too domineering, filled with unparalleled and fierce killing intent. The stronger the power, the harder it was to control, unlike his familiarity with the power of the Sea God.

At this moment, Tang San discovered that the God of Asura seemed to have chosen Xiao Wu. Although he felt this should be a good thing, he couldn't feel happy at all. Becoming the God of Asura was undoubtedly an extremely dangerous matter. Although Xiao Wu's strength had already increased to a considerable level, there was still a significant gap between her and becoming a god. In this process, even the slightest mishap could lead to crisis. How could she possibly withstand the God of Asura's fierce killing intent? It's important to know that the more powerful the god, the more dangerous the inheritance process. Although Xiao Wu's nature was gentle yet resilient, could she complete the incredibly treacherous path to the position of God of Asura?

Tang San was already caught in a dilemma. With his god-level strength, he could certainly stop the Asura Demon Sword from flying to Xiao Wu. As long as he relied on the Trident of the Sea God, he could block the Asura Demon Sword, which was only attracted by energy. After all, he was a true god here, while the Asura Demon Sword only contained the energy of the Asura God.

However, this was definitely an opportunity for Xiao Wu. Tang San was certain that the Asura Demon Sword had no ill intentions towards Xiao Wu. Otherwise, his Asura God energy would have easily killed Xiao Wu by flowing into her body earlier, and he wouldn't have been able to stop it. There was no need to guide the demon sword to find Xiao Wu.

Tang San looked at Xiao Wu, his expression turning serious. "Xiao Wu, you should have felt the Asura Domain energy, evolved from my God of Slaughter Domain, flowing into your body just now. It was that cold energy. This Asura Demon Sword is a treasure left by my great-grandfather Tang Chen, a divine artifact on par with the Trident of the Sea God. Now it's flying towards you, potentially offering you the opportunity to inherit the Asura God's legacy. However, the Asura God is an extremely powerful deity, likely a god who governs slaughter. Completing his legacy would undoubtedly be extremely dangerous. My great-grandfather tried his entire life but failed. I'm afraid you'll be in danger. Whether you accept it or not is up to you."

Tang San really didn't know what to do. This Asura Demon Sword was a double-edged sword for Xiao Wu, so it was best to let Xiao Wu decide for herself.

Upon hearing Tang San's words, Xiao Wu's eyes lit up immediately, and she said almost without hesitation, "Brother, I accept."

Tang San was surprised that Xiao Wu gave him an answer so quickly, and couldn't help but say, "Xiao Wu, you really need to think this through. The difficulty of the Asura God's inheritance is probably even greater than my Sea God inheritance. You've witnessed the Sea God's inheritance; you were there for almost everything I went through. Are you really sure? Once you accept this divine inheritance, you have to continue; there's no chance to regret it."

Xiao Wu said firmly, "I accept. Brother, listen to me, receiving the blessing of a god is probably even more difficult than inheriting a god's legacy. You've already become the Sea God, and if I want to stay with you forever, I must also become a god. And what path to godhood isn't dangerous? Besides, I don't know if I'll ever find another god. I don't want to leave you; I want to stay with you forever. Let me try. With you by my side to help me, I'm sure I'll have a chance. Otherwise, the Asura Demon Sword wouldn't have chosen me."

Looking at Xiao Wu's determined gaze, Tang San slowly nodded. After a moment's thought, he realized that the Asura Demon Sword was something his great-grandfather, Shura, had obtained over many years. According to his great-grandfather's last words, the Asura Demon Sword itself represented a part of the Asura God's inheritance. Under these circumstances, Xiao Wu's chances of passing on the inheritance were indeed quite high. What she said made sense. With him by her side, he could help her if she encountered any danger.

"In that case, you need to be careful." As he spoke, Tang San put away his Sea God Trident, turned around, and was already beside Xiao Wu. His divine sense was firmly locked on the Asura Demon Sword. Although he knew that the Asura Demon Sword was unlikely to harm Xiao Wu, he was still extremely cautious and prepared to react at any time because his lover's life was at stake.

Without the obstruction of the Trident of Poseidon, a flash of red light appeared, and the Asura Demon Sword was already in front of Xiao Wu. A strange scene appeared: when the Asura Demon Sword was only three meters away from Xiao Wu, a flash of red light appeared, and the huge demon sword actually transformed into a total of nine dark red streams of energy, which floated up and flowed into Xiao Wu's body from different parts of her body.

Instantly, a layer of dark red demonic runes appeared on Xiao Wu's originally fair and delicate skin. These runes didn't appear directly on her skin, but rather were a layer of luminous energy suspended about an inch above it. Tang San clearly felt the terrifying aura contained within this energy; even he, the Sea God, couldn't help but frown at the chilling killing intent emanating from it.

Xiao Wu, however, didn't feel anything. She only felt nine streams of cool energy flowing into her body, which felt indescribably comfortable. Soon, the nine streams of energy merged into her body, and the dark red demonic patterns on her skin gradually faded and merged into her body. It didn't cause any changes.

Seeing that Xiao Wu's body had returned to normal, Tang San breathed a sigh of relief. At least for the time being, Xiao Wu wouldn't have any problems. He quickly asked, "Xiao Wu, did you hear any prompting voices in your mind?"

Xiao Wu shook her head and said, "No! I just felt that the air currents were very cool, and then they merged into my body. There was no special feeling. There were no warnings either."

Hearing Xiao Wu's answer, Tang San couldn't help but smile wryly. This Asura God was indeed unconventional; even his method of choosing a divine inheritance was so strange. However, judging from the current situation, since Xiao Wu's body had fused with his energy, there shouldn't be any major problems. At the very least, it was a sign of the inheritance; it was probably just that Xiao Wu's own strength hadn't reached the corresponding level, which was why she hadn't received any guidance from the Asura God.

Judging from the current situation, Tang San's judgment seemed the most reasonable. However, he overlooked one point: although some energy had flowed from his Asura Domain into Xiao Wu's body and merged with her, the Asura Domain on his Clear Sky Hammer hadn't disappeared; it still existed. In fact, Tang San's judgment was incorrect. The Asura Demon Sword merging into Xiao Wu's body was far more complex than he imagined. However, given the current situation, he couldn't possibly analyze the truth.

Tang San took Xiao Wu's hand and examined her body. He found that her meridians, blood, and muscles had turned dark red, but otherwise, there was nothing unusual. After the color change, Xiao Wu's body was being subtly nourished by the Asura God's divine power, and everything was progressing in a positive direction. Tang San carefully examined her several times before confirming that Xiao Wu's condition was stable and that there was no need to worry for the time being. Thus, the last Title Douluo of the Shrek Seven Devils had appeared. In terms of soul power, Xiao Wu even surpassed Dai Mubai, who had reached level ninety-five, becoming the strongest soul power user among the Shrek Seven Devils, second only to Tang San.

"Xiao San, let's hurry up and leave, lest something happens at Jialing Pass." Seeing that Xiao Wu had also completed the inheritance process, Dai Mubai suggested. They had heard what Tang San and Xiao Wu had said earlier, and seeing that another of their companions had obtained the divine power, Dai Mubai couldn't help but feel a little envious. However, now was not the time to think about the divine power; everything would have to wait until the Spirit Empire was annihilated.

Tang San nodded. "Let's go."

As he spoke, he approached the Seven Holy Pillars of the Sea God, who were guarding the Douluo. "Seniors, I entrust Seagod Island to you. We don't know when we will be able to return, but don't worry, I have left a divine thought at the top of Seagod Mountain. If anything happens, just call out from the central platform here, and I will hear your voices."

The seven guardian Douluo of the Sea God's Sacred Pillars bowed in unison, "Respectfully seeing off Lord Sea God."

A blue-gold light emanated from Tang San, transforming into a massive halo that enveloped him and his companions. With a flash of light, they were all instantly transported back to Jialing Pass. In their haste to return, they didn't even have time to say goodbye to Xiao Bai.

However, Tang San's first destination after leaving Seagod Island was not to return to Douluo Continent.

Purple Pearl Island.

Ji Xiang stood on the beach, gazing intently at a wooden sign thirty meters away, his spirit seemingly concentrated in his eyes. Deep within his eyes, a faint purple aura emanated.

Suddenly, Ji Xiang moved slightly, his whole body flashing rapidly in place, using Tang San's mysterious and unparalleled Ghost Shadow Step.

Although Jixiang's Ghost Shadow Tracking technique cannot compare to Tang San's, he has already mastered it to an extremely high level. With each movement of his body, he can create a series of faint afterimages around him.

Nine streaks of cold light drifted out, slicing through the sky from nine different directions. With a flash of light, and a whoosh, the nine streaks of cold light simultaneously landed on the wooden sign thirty meters away. Because they landed at the same instant, they only made one sound.

There were nine willow-leaf throwing knives, stuck in the wooden sign, arranged in a circle like blooming flower petals. The distance between each knife was exactly equal. In terms of technique and eyesight, Ji Xiang had mastered this knife-throwing skill to perfection.

Since Tang San took him as his disciple six years ago and taught him the Tang Sect's ultimate techniques, Ji Xiang has been practicing diligently day and night. His martial spirit is no longer an obstacle to his cultivation. In just six years, he has grown extremely fast. With the help Tang San gave him back then, he has now become the second strongest expert on Purple Pearl Island, second only to Purple Pearl herself.

Letting out a long breath, Jixiang steadied himself, a hint of joy appearing in his eyes. "Looks like I can practice the next hidden weapon technique. There was this strange sight in the direction of Seagod Island earlier; I wonder if it's really the Seagod descending, as they said. Hmm, what was that?"

Suddenly, Jixiang saw a blue-gold light flying rapidly towards Purple Pearl Island in the distance. After six years of cultivation, his Purple Demon Eyes had reached a certain level, and his eyesight was much better than that of ordinary people. However, no matter how hard he stared, he could not make out what the blue-gold light was.

The blue-gold light arrived incredibly fast, expanding in his vision in just a few breaths. Ji Xiang swiftly grabbed a handful of flying needles and calmly retreated slowly towards the island's interior, his body always facing the blue-gold light. This was what Tang San had taught him: never turn your back on the enemy. Ji Xiang remembered every lesson Tang San taught him, and indeed, everything Tang San taught him could be described as truth.

"Jixiang, don't be nervous." A flash of blue-gold light, and Jixiang felt a blur before his eyes, and there were already seven people on the beach. When he saw these seven people, he was stunned for a moment, and then his gaze was fixed on the young man in the blue-gold robe at the head.

His long, light blue hair cascaded down his back, his handsome face wore a faint smile, and he possessed an elegant and sacred aura. His deep eyes sent shivers down Jixiang's spine, and his warm and friendly demeanor made everything feel both familiar and strange.

Six years have passed, and Tang San's appearance has not changed much. What has changed is his temperament. After all, he has gone through the process of transforming from a human to a god, so how could he look the same?

"Teacher!" Ji Xiang suddenly stepped forward, knelt down with a thud, and bowed to Tang San. His usually calm personality couldn't help but become excited at this moment. Tang San had given him a new life, and he had the deepest respect for this teacher who was not much older than him.

Tang San smiled slightly, waved his right hand, and a gentle energy lifted Jixiang up. "No need for formalities. I'm pleasantly surprised by your progress in the past six years. It seems you've been diligently cultivating all along."

Jixiang nodded vigorously, but was already choked up and unable to speak.

Tang San said, "You are the only disciple I have ever accepted. Now that the ban on Seagod Island has been lifted, you can go to Seagod Island to cultivate if you wish." As he spoke, Tang San raised his hand and pointed towards Jixiang. A blue-gold light instantly imprinted itself on Jixiang's forehead, revealing a trident pattern, exactly the same as the Seagod Trident on Tang San's forehead. However, this mark on Jixiang's forehead was merely a mark left by Tang San using his divine sense. With this mark, both the Seven Sacred Pillars of Seagod Guardian Douluo and the Demon Soul Great White Shark Swarm would recognize it.

Tang San turned to look at Xiao Wu, who smiled slightly and handed him her last divinely bestowed spirit ring. Tang San said to Ji Xiang, "This divinely bestowed spirit ring is for you, but you must save it for when you try to break through to your ninth spirit ring. I have important matters to attend to. If you go to Seagod Island, just let them see the mark I left on your forehead, and they will believe your identity. Just say you are a disciple of the Seagod. We're leaving now. If everything goes smoothly, perhaps we'll meet again in a few years."

With a smile and a nod to Jixiang, Tang San waved his right hand, and the blue-gold halo reappeared. Amidst the dazzling light, the huge halo carried Tang San and his seven companions into the sky, disappearing into the distant blue sky in the blink of an eye.

"Teacher, teacher—" Jixiang cried out several times. Only then did he realize what was happening. Looking at the divinely bestowed soul ring in his hand, tears welled up in his eyes. Although Tang San had only stayed for such a short time, Jixiang was screaming in his heart, "Teacher hasn't forgotten me. He still remembers me. But why did you leave so quickly, teacher? I didn't even have time to say a few words to you or show you the hidden weapon techniques I've mastered."

Kneeling on the beach, Jixiang crawled forward a few steps. When he realized that he could not catch up with Tang San, he suddenly lay down on the ground and kowtowed forcefully in the direction Tang San had left.

"Jixiang, what are you doing?" A familiar female voice came from behind.

Still dressed in purple, Purple Pearl arrived beside Ji Xiang in a few leaps, somewhat puzzled, and said, "The brothers below just reported to me that they saw a ball of blue-gold light flying towards our Purple Pearl Island. Did you see it?"

Jixiang remained kneeling on the beach, murmuring, "Teacher, that's the teacher."

Zi Zhenzhu pulled Ji Xiang up. "What did you say? Tang San is here? Where are they?" Zi Zhenzhu asked excitedly.

Once upon a time, the word "man" was nothing but a filthy label in her mind. But that man had left a deep impression on her. Six years had passed, yet she still couldn't forget the scene of him fighting her to save his comrades. His composure, his complete suppression of his own strength, and his cold yet elegant gaze were still vivid in her mind.

"Teacher is gone." Jixiang wiped away his tears and said in a trembling voice. He slowly looked at Zizhenzhu, "Sister, do you know, Teacher said that I can tell others that I am the disciple of the Sea God."

Purple Pearl stared blankly at Ji Xiang, "Sea God..."

……

Jialing Pass.

Nearly a month has passed, and the walls of Jialing Pass have been fully repaired. However, the moat outside the city has not been refilled with water. After clearing the corpses from the moat, the Spirit Empire army erected numerous sharpened wooden stakes on the dried-up riverbed. While this defense cannot be better than water, it is better than nothing. Tang San's manipulation of the river to breach the city walls during the great battle was so impressive that the Spirit Empire army dared not refill the river.

Although the walls of Jialing Pass have been repaired, they look nothing like they used to be. The walls appear to have large patches, making their appearance rather unsightly. Of course, for the Martial Soul Empire, this is not important. The actual defensive function of the walls is what they need most right now.

Over the past month, the Heavenly Dou Empire's army has retreated fifty miles, constructing temporary camps and various defensive facilities, but has not launched any further offensives. This gives the impression that the defenders of Jialing Pass are prepared for a protracted war.

Inside Jialing Pass, ever since Bibi Dong was driven back to Wuhun City by the six elders, the army here has been under their unified command, and Golden Crocodile Douluo, as the second elder, has undoubtedly become the supreme ruler of Jialing Pass.

The Heaven Dou Empire retreated and set up camp, preparing for a protracted war. Golden Crocodile Douluo was naturally pleased, as all six of their elders knew that Qian Renxue was undergoing the inheritance of the Angel God. Their purpose in coming here was not to help the Spirit Empire defeat the Heaven Dou Empire, but simply to seize military power from Bibi Dong and secure Jialing Pass. And so far, it seems they have accomplished their mission very well.

For nearly a month, the Heaven Dou Empire had refrained from launching a preemptive strike. Golden Crocodile Douluo had previously dispatched a squad of Soul Masters as scouts to secretly gather intelligence, but to no avail. The Heaven Dou Empire's pure agility-type Soul Masters, capable of flying through the air, were simply too fast, and their eyesight was astounding. Jialing Pass, for the sake of defense, had been fortified with a scorched-earth policy, leaving vast plains in front of the pass. Under these circumstances, approaching the Heaven Dou Empire's army to gather intelligence was undoubtedly extremely difficult. After several unsuccessful attempts, Golden Crocodile Douluo simply stopped sending out. He ordered the Spirit Empire's garrison to repair fortifications and clear the moat, while simultaneously using the Spirit Empire's Soul Master legions to bring all military power of the allied forces under his control and intensify their training.

What's so scary about a protracted war? Even disregarding Qian Renxue's arrival after becoming a god, the Heavenly Dou Empire's million-strong army consumes astronomical amounts of food and supplies every day. Jialing Pass, on the other hand, has abundant grain reserves and is backed by the Martial Soul Empire, making resupply much easier.

If it weren't for the fact that there were indeed many powerful figures in the Heaven Dou Empire's army, especially the great intimidation he felt from Tang San and his son, Golden Crocodile Douluo might have secretly taken a few retainers to the other side of the empire to deal with the Star Luo Empire's army first.

The Golden Crocodile Douluo, mature and prudent, decided to first secure Jialing Pass. Firstly, it wouldn't be easy for the Star Luo Empire to break through from the other side; secondly, he had finally gained control of the military here and was just waiting for Qian Renxue's arrival. Once Qian Renxue completed her divine inheritance and arrived at the front lines, even with the support of numerous low- to mid-level Soul Masters, the Spirit Empire's power would be reclaimed. As for the opposing Heaven Dou Empire's army, that would be even less of a problem. With a god-level expert leading the charge, destroying the Heaven Dou Empire would be a piece of cake.

At this moment, Golden Crocodile Douluo was leading the other five elders on the city wall, gazing at the distant army of the Heaven Dou Empire.

"Any news from Wuhun City?" Golden Crocodile Douluo asked.

The other elders beside him had just been summoned by him, and they naturally understood what Golden Crocodile Douluo was asking. The Fifth Elder deliberately lowered his voice and said excitedly, "Second Brother, things may have succeeded. I just received news that about a month ago, a strange phenomenon appeared in our Spirit City, with a scene of intense golden light shooting into the sky. The sacred aura was like that of a god descending. I think the young master has succeeded."

Upon hearing the Fifth Elder's words, Golden Crocodile Douluo did not become excited. Instead, he frowned and said, "What did you say? A month ago? Oh no, something must have happened." As he spoke, his expression changed.

The Fifth Elder asked doubtfully, "Second Brother, really? According to the news we received, the Young Master should have succeeded!"

Golden Crocodile Douluo shook his head and said in a deep voice, "The Grand Elder instructed me that if Miss completed the divine inheritance, she would come to Jialing Pass to meet us immediately. If Miss really succeeded in completing the Angel God's inheritance, a whole month has passed. Why hasn't she come yet? I'm afraid..."

The Fourth Elder said, "Second Brother, aren't you overthinking this? Didn't the First Elder say that Miss has at least an 80% chance of completing the Angel God's inheritance? None of us know exactly what this divine inheritance is. I think, since it involves becoming a god, and the power of a god is so immense, even if Miss completes the inheritance process, she will probably need some time to absorb the divine power and become familiar with the various abilities of a god. Perhaps that's why it's been delayed."

Golden Crocodile Douluo's expression softened slightly. He nodded and said, "That's possible. You're right, we don't know anything about this divine inheritance. I hope Miss can arrive soon. That way, we'll have someone to rely on. My greatest wish is to assist Miss in unifying the continent."

"Second Brother, look, what's that?" The Third Elder suddenly pointed into the distance. His martial spirit granted him the strongest eyesight. The six elders followed his finger and saw a golden dot growing brighter and brighter on the horizon.

-

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(End of this chapter)