After the Deep Sea Demon Whale King and the Sea God finished their communication, this pair of mortal enemies seemed to have reached a certain understanding. They no longer shouted for blood or harbored the intense hatred they once did.
Yang Xiong communicated with Bo Saixi and the others, deciding to leave Sea God Island once again.
Now, only Shui Bing'er remained on Sea God Island. She needed to undergo her reevaluation, and the difficulty of the trials was extremely high—beyond what she could easily handle at her current level.
Though everyone felt reluctant, they decided to leave. After all, the continent was currently embroiled in a massive war. Both the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Body Sect were deeply involved, and if they couldn't return in time, the war might become even more brutal.
Especially concerning was Yang Xiong's realization that Qian Renxue was only one step away from ascending to godhood. Based on the timeline, he should already be at Level 99.
Once Qian Renxue ascended to godhood, the battlefield at Jialing Pass would likely fall into true chaos.
Of course, after absorbing the soul ring and bones of the Deep Sea Demon Crystal King, Yang Xiong still heard a voice in his mind.
"Yang Xiong, the sixth trial of the Asura Nine Trials: obtaining the ninth soul ring and torso soul bone without unjust killings or leaving behind any lingering threats. The trial is complete. Reward: 10% increase in Asura Affinity, total affinity now at 70%."
Even the Deep Sea Demon Whale King was astonished at this. After reaching 70% Asura Affinity, Yang Xiong's martial soul had begun transforming toward the divine. The Asura Demon Sword felt incredibly natural in his hands, as if it had always been an innate part of him. His understanding of the Asura God's sword techniques deepened, and the killing intent and domain around him became even stronger.
…
Compared to Yang Xiong's group sailing out to sea, the battlefield at Jialing Pass had grown even more brutal.
The departure of seven Soul Douluo-level experts from Jialing Pass had a significant impact on the Tian Dou Empire, especially the loss of Ning Rongrong, an exceptional auxiliary soul master.
Although Tang San had begun learning the Great Sumeru Hammer technique, his training period was still too short to fully utilize it. In battles against Bibi Dong, he still fell short.
The battlefield at Jialing Pass resembled a giant millstone. Countless lives were lost—not just ordinary soldiers but also many high level Soul Douluo. Originally, the Tian Dou Empire had fielded 1.6 million troops, but after such fierce battles, nearly half had perished.
The losses among soul masters were equally devastating. Nearly half of the terminal force was wiped out. Among the disciples of the Body Sect and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, close to 40% had fallen. Over 400 of the Body Sect's 1,000 disciples had died, while the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect fared slightly better, losing over 600 of its 2,000 disciples. This was partly because the Body Sect disciples were generally stationed at the front on the battlefield.
The Spirit Empire didn't fare much better. Their army had suffered losses of about 70%. Bibi Dong had resorted to every possible method, including mass conscription from within the empire, to barely maintain the situation—a testament to the defensive advantage of holding the city.
As for the original 40,000 soul masters sent to the front lines, over 10,000 had been lost.
However, given the current situation, both sides were beginning to test each other's foundations.
Emperor Xue Ye had squeezed every ounce of strength from his nation. Even the guard legions of the Tian Dou Imperial Palace, the garrisons of Tian Dou City, and the forces maintaining order across the land had been mobilized to the front lines. Despite this, they could barely maintain an army of over a million.
But the losses among the Tian Dou Imperial Family's soul master corps were even more severe. Originally cobbled together, the imperial family had roughly 5,000 soul masters. Now, over 3,000 had perished.
Even the Hao Tian Sect had suffered heavy losses. The sect had initially dispatched only 500 soul masters to the front lines—out of their total of around 1,000. But of these, 300 had already fallen. The Hao Tian Sect members were known for their bravery, and all wielded the powerful offensive-type martial soul, the Hao Tian Hammer.
Moreover, the Hao Tian Sect disciples had long harbored resentment and sought revenge against the Spirit Empire. This led to their casualty rate being the highest among the three major sects.
But amidst the brutality of the battlefield, Bibi Dong and Tang San appeared somewhat exhilarated. Each battle between them was intense. Whether it was Tang San's Dark Blue Silver Grass or Bibi Dong's Soul Devouring Spider Empress, both flourished on the battlefield.
Especially Tang San. After his Dark Blue Silver Grass devoured countless corpses and soul power, he had reached Level 97—just one level below Bibi Dong.
If not for Bibi Dong's flight advantage from her external soul bone, she might not have been able to gain the upper hand in her battles with Tang San.
Furthermore, the killing intent and evil aura emanating from both Bibi Dong and Tang San grew increasingly potent.
Tang San wielded the Hao Tian Hammer in his left hand and the Mantis Leg external soul bone in his right. The Mantis Leg, in particular, having harvested countless lives, had turned from its original dark green to a pitch-black color, exuding an overwhelming evil aura. Even Title Douluo dared not touch it lightly.
As for Xiao Wu and the others, their performance on the battlefield was relatively average. Unlike the original storyline, they hadn't yet faced off against any Title Douluo. So far, no Title Douluo from either side had fallen.
Emperor Xue Ye watched the current situation with deep concern. If this mutual attrition continued, the Tian Dou Imperial Family would lose all governing power, and the family's foundation might be entirely exhausted in this war.
After all, compared to its peak, the Tian Dou Empire had already lost at least one-third of its territory. This included formerly affiliated kingdoms and duchies, as well as two provinces.
Among these was the famous Balak Kingdom, known as the granary of the Tian Dou Empire, which held immense strategic significance.
After a day of intense fighting, Emperor Xue Ye still convened a meeting with everyone, hoping the three major sects would increase their support for the Tian Dou Empire. After all, the Spirit Empire had already declared the three sects mortal enemies. If the Tian Dou Empire fell, the sects would likely be annihilated by the Spirit Hall.
At this stage of the battle, whether it was Ning Fengzhi, Tang Xiao, or Lin Gong, they all understood there was no turning back. Yet they were unwilling to expend the entirety of their sects' foundations.
Thus, despite Emperor Xue Ye's repeated requests, none of the three intended to send more soul masters to the front lines.
Moreover, everyone now knew that the Spirit Empire still held two trump cards: Qian Daoliu and Qian Renxue. If they bet everything, their sects might truly face annihilation.
Rather than that, it was better to preserve their strength. If they truly lost the war, they could surrender to the Spirit Empire and perhaps preserve their sects' legacies.
Additionally, each of the three sects had their own contingency plans. The Hao Tian Sect still had Elder Tang Chen and his connection to Qian Daoliu, while the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Body Sect kept a close eye on Yang Xiong's current development. Both Ning Fengzhi and Lin Gong were aware that Yang Xiong now possessed the inheritance of a god.
Tang San, despite gaining some strength and becoming more ruthless in battle, increasingly desired his final two soul rings.
He believed that if he obtained two more ten-thousand-year soul rings and bones, he could reach true Level 99. Only then could he truly surpass Bibi Dong and even contend with Qian Daoliu.
Unfortunately, Tang San lacked both the time and opportunity to obtain his final two soul rings. If he left the battlefield, the entire situation of the Tian Dou Empire might collapse.
As for finding ten-thousand-year soul beasts, Tang San had once scoured the Star Dou Forest with Xiao Wu but failed to locate any suitable candidates. As for ten-thousand-year soul beasts outside the Star Dou Forest, even Xiao Wu was unsure.
After all, during the Star Dou Tournament, Tang San had acquired seven soul rings, each over 70,000 years old. He had essentially exterminated all suitable soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest.
Tang San also understood that both his father and the Hao Tian Sect were already locked in an irreconcilable conflict with the Spirit Empire. His great-grandfather, gravely injured, had gone to Sea God Island and was likely waiting for death.
If he wanted revenge, he could only rely on himself. Strengthening through his final two soul rings was his only path forward.
What Tang San didn't realize was that as the battle dragged on, his hatred for the Spirit Empire deepened. Whether it was the murder of his mother, the grudge against the Hao Tian Sect, or the enmity of the Tang Sect, it made him increasingly stubborn and extreme.
As the Rakshasa God's trials progressed, though his soul power and soul ring years hadn't increased, his Rakshasa Affinity had grown.
Under the influence of Rakshasa Affinity, Tang San's hatred seemed to grow darker, even bordering on ruthlessness.
However, Tang San finally displayed his wisdom. The Tian Dou Empire's Title Douluo did possess certain advantages. Though their soul power levels were lower, their combat prowess was formidable.
After Tang San's meticulous planning—and with the help of Bone Douluo, who entered the battlefield—Bone Douluo arranged for several Hao Tian Sect experts to protect Ning Fengzhi.
In that instant, the tide of battle shifted.
Bone Douluo's strength was unmatched, especially his unparalleled defense. Together with Tang Hao, they faced Lion Douluo and Phoenix Douluo.
Though Bone Douluo and Tang Hao's soul power levels were significantly lower than Lion Douluo and Phoenix Douluo, Bone Douluo's Bone Dragon martial soul granted excellent flight capabilities. Combined with Tang Hao's attack-defense synergy, they managed to withstand the attacks of Lion Douluo and Phoenix Douluo.
Meanwhile, Tang Xiao was assigned to fight Golden Crocodile Douluo. Tang Xiao's soul power level was only one rank lower than Golden Crocodile Douluo's. With the might of the Hao Tian Hammer and the inherited soul techniques of the Hao Tian Sect, he could barely hold his ground.
With this arrangement, the Level 98 Sword Douluo and Level 97 Tang San could now team up to attack Bibi Dong.
Though Bibi Dong was immensely powerful and her Soul Devouring Spider Empress wreaked havoc on the battlefield, neither Tang San nor Sword Douluo was inferior to her.
The tide of battle turned decisively. Under the combined assault of Tang San and Sword Douluo, Bibi Dong sustained severe injuries. Tang San and Sword Douluo pressed their advantage, launching a large-scale massacre of the Spirit Empire's soul master corps.
This defeat marked the largest casualty ratio for the Spirit Empire since the war began. Their soul master corps suffered another devastating blow.
Had it not been for the desperate efforts of the empire's several elders, the Spirit Empire might have narrowly escaped destruction.
After this battle, the Spirit Empire no longer had the strength to launch another offensive. They could only retreat to Jialing Pass, enduring provocations from the Tian Dou Empire.
Unfortunately, Jialing Pass was extraordinarily tall, with a significant geographical advantage. Moreover, the Spirit Empire's soul master corps still held the upper hand. The Tian Dou Empire's army had no way to scale the towering walls.
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)