Chapter 231: Departure to Hanhai City
When Yang Xiong took out the Sea God's Halo, the entire hall was filled with a deep blue light, as though they were submerged in the ocean.
Everyone could immediately tell that the Sea God's Halo was no ordinary item; it was a rare treasure.
Yang Wudi's face showed a hint of confusion. "Sect Master, I think I've heard of this Sea God's Halo. It should be the national treasure of the Tiandou Royal Family, right?"
Yang Xiong nodded. "That's correct. This is indeed the Tiandou Royal Family's national treasure, but it also has another name: Sea God's Heart. It comes from Sea God Island, and its effects are extraordinary."
"If everyone drips a drop of blood on it, it might test a person's potential. If the Sea God's Halo recognizes them, there could be great opportunities ahead."
After hearing Yang Xiong's words, everyone walked up and, without being prompted, dropped a drop of blood on the Sea God's Halo.
Even Yang Wudi and his group tried it out, but unfortunately, the Sea God's Halo did not respond at all.
However, when Ning Rongrong and Oscar dropped their blood on it, the Sea God's Halo seemed to emit a faint blue light, though it quickly returned to normal.
Yang Xiong found this odd. It seemed that Ning Rongrong and Oscar's potential was recognized by the Sea God's Halo. No wonder, in the original story, both of them had the potential to become gods.
The last to try was Shui Bing'er. When she dropped her blood on the Sea God's Halo, it seemed to glow with a stronger blue light, and there was a brief flash of a blue figure within the Halo. However, it quickly faded, as though the power was not fully awakened.
Yang Xiong thought for a moment. Perhaps Shui Bing'er's potential had been recognized by the Sea God's Halo, but there seemed to be something lacking in her. It might be due to a flaw in her Ice Phoenix Martial Soul.
After some thought, Yang Xiong took out two jade boxes and handed them to Feng Xiaotian and Shui Bing'er.
"Brother Feng, Sister Bing'er, these two jade boxes are gifts for you. I hope that you can become the pillars of our Body Sect in the future and contribute greatly to the sect."
Before either of them could speak, Yang Wudi had already taken the two jade boxes and began examining them carefully.
Yang Wudi's face showed great joy. "Sect Master, this is incredible! I didn't expect you to have such treasures. These should be perfect for Feng Xiaotian and Shui Bing'er."
"The Ice Crystal Phoenix Sunflower pairs perfectly with Shui Bing'er's Ice Phoenix Martial Soul. It should help fix the flaws in her Martial Soul, and her potential will probably increase."
"This Ten Thousand-Year Divine Wind Grass is a rare wind-element celestial herb. It's also great for Feng Xiaotian."
"You two are lucky! Sect Master must have emptied his entire collection for this."
Feng Xiaotian and Shui Bing'er were overjoyed. They took the two jade boxes with great excitement, repeatedly expressing that they would work hard for the sect and not bring shame to it.
Yang Xiong had a lot of confidence in these two talents. With them, the Body Sect would definitely reach new heights.
Especially Shui Bing'er, she might bring him a huge surprise in the future.
After Shui Bing'er and Feng Xiaotian took the celestial herbs, the group boarded the carriage and left the Thunder Canyon, preparing to head for Hanhai City.
Eight people in total set out, and they could be considered the future of the Body Sect, even the future strongest force in the soul master world.
In terms of soul power, Yang Xiong had reached level 75, having gained one level since absorbing the Thousand-jin Ant Emperor's spirit ring.
Ning Rongrong was at level 67, Oscar was at level 66, Yang Wei was at level 64, and Qin Shuang was at level 61.
Recently, Feng Xiaotian, Huo Wu, and Shui Bing'er had all made some progress.
Feng Xiaotian had reached level 63, Huo Wu was at level 58, and Shui Bing'er was at level 59.
After absorbing the Ten Thousand-Year Divine Wind Grass, Feng Xiaotian's soul power increased by two levels. His Martial Soul didn't change much, but it seemed like his control over wind elements had grown stronger.
When Huo Wu absorbed the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, the entire room was filled with flames. Her Phoenix Shadow Martial Soul seemed to have become much stronger, with a faint sound of a phoenix cry.
The huge Phoenix Shadow Martial Soul was no longer the original red color; it now had a hint of gold, and even the flames had a golden hue.
Yang Xiong watched the transformation of the Phoenix Shadow Martial Soul with wide eyes. This seemed to be the second awakening of a Body Martial Soul, but Yang Xiong wasn't sure if it had reached the golden-level awakening.
However, he felt something odd. It seemed like Huo Wu had undergone a second awakening, and even a golden-level one, but it still felt incomplete. Her body's strength didn't seem to be at its peak.
Currently, there were no records of second awakenings for Body Martial Souls in the soul master world, let alone a classification for it.
When Shui Bing'er absorbed the Ice Crystal Phoenix Sunflower, the room felt as though a giant Ice Phoenix was swirling around. The sound of a phoenix's cry echoed through the room, as if some sort of awakening had occurred within her bloodline.
Yang Xiong didn't hesitate and had Shui Bing'er drop her blood on the Sea God's Halo once again. It felt as though the Sea God's Halo had formed some kind of connection with Shui Bing'er, and there was a faint sense of resistance toward Yang Xiong.
Yang Xiong felt a surge of excitement. If this trip to Sea God Island was successful, it might be the true opportunity for both Shui Bing'er and the Body Sect to rise.
After traveling for over half a month by carriage, the group finally arrived at Hanhai City, the westernmost city of the Tiandou Empire.
In Hanhai City, facing the vast ocean, everyone was in awe.
When they arrived at the Hanhai Grand Soul Arena, they were all extremely surprised.
The Hanhai Soul Arena was completely different from land-based Soul Arenas. It was a massive water pool, and all the soul battles took place underwater.
Everyone, except for Yang Xiong, seemed to be looking at each other in confusion.
The Hanhai Soul Arena was a giant water pool, 108 meters in diameter and 10 meters deep. All battles were held underwater, though bird-type soul masters could fly.
The issue was that everyone had lived in the inland and didn't know how to swim, let alone live underwater. In the Soul Arena, their combat strength would be severely limited, and they might even drown because of the seawater. For the "land ducks," it was extremely difficult.
The highest-ranked battles here were at the Soul King level, and only Huo Wu and Shui Bing'er would participate in the Soul Arena fights.
Shui Bing'er had an easier time. She could fly using her Ice Phoenix Martial Soul and, even underwater, she was very adept at controlling water elements. She could quickly freeze the water, easily defeating opponents at the Soul King level.
Huo Wu, however, faced more difficulty. When she entered the water, her Phoenix Shadow Martial Soul was heavily restricted, and her speed was significantly reduced. She was even defeated by an ordinary sea soul master, leaving her feeling very frustrated.
Huo Wu seemed a little downcast. "Master, I've disappointed you. The water really restricts my Martial Soul too much."
Yang Xiong looked at Huo Wu with a bit of anger. "Huo Wu, the Body Martial Soul is your body, and your shadow is a part of that body. With your strength, you should be able to defeat a normal soul master even with just your physical condition."
"It seems like you still lack enough training and haven't fully harnessed the power of your body. You need to quickly adapt to underwater combat. If we really make it to Sea God Island, your outcome could be very grim."
Feng Xiaotian, looking puzzled, spoke up. "Sect Master, is the test on Sea God Island really that harsh? I'll definitely help Huo Wu sister out."
Yang Xiong shook his head. "Sea God Island is a test of individual strength. Not only does one need to push their personal abilities to the limit, but they must also continuously surpass their limits. Otherwise, it's just a one-way ticket to death for normal people."
"Huo Wu, although your Fire Attribute is suppressed underwater, your shadow aspect of your Martial Soul hasn't been utilized to its fullest potential. Shadows are incredibly versatile in battle."
"Moreover, compared to seawater, your flames are simply not strong enough. If your flames were strong enough, you could instantly evaporate the seawater, even burn the heavens and boil the seas."
Huo Wu looked very determined now. "Master, I will definitely adapt to underwater combat as soon as possible. I'll understand my Martial Soul better."
In the following days, Yang Xiong rented a section of coastline nearby for everyone to practice swimming and underwater combat.
Among everyone, Feng Xiaotian and Shui Bing'er adapted the fastest, showing little to no impact during underwater battles.
Feng Xiaotian's Martial Soul, the Gale Twin-Headed Demon Wolf, was capable of flying in the sky, and his strong physical constitution helped him quickly adjust to the shock of the seawater.
Yang Xiong arranged for the two to find a reliable ship crew willing to head to Sea God Island. He specifically instructed them to showcase their strength and to find a trustworthy and well-reputed crew.
Yang Xiong didn't want any accidents during the sea voyage. If something went wrong, it could cause huge problems for the group.
Of course, with two flying soul masters, the safety of the group was generally assured in case any issues arose during the voyage.
Since Yang Xiong's Martial Soul was his own body, he was very familiar with swimming, having even practiced weight-bearing swimming at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. The seawater had little effect on him.
Ning Rongrong, on the other hand, was very afraid of water and struggled in it, especially since the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Tower's effects on her teammates seemed to be weakened underwater.
As for Yang Wei, Oscar, and Qin Shuang, they adapted very quickly to the water.
Huo Wu, however, demonstrated incredible resilience, showing the same rebellious spirit as she did during the Soul Master Tournament. She became more determined, even when her Martial Soul was suppressed by the seawater. She repeatedly faced the waves, refusing to back down from the impact of the sea.
Yang Xiong looked at Huo Wu's progress with some surprise. If the second awakening of her Body Martial Soul really did occur, her physical constitution and soul skills would likely see a huge boost. The Phoenix Shadow was definitely one of the most terrifying Martial Souls in the world, and compared to his own Martial Soul, it was more unpredictable. Yang Xiong could already envision the various ways shadow-based Martial Souls could be used, whether for control or offense.
After more than ten days of battling the waves, Huo Wu finally adapted to underwater combat with the sea soul masters.
Especially with her Phoenix Shadow Martial Soul, although the fire attribute was still suppressed underwater, the lower visibility actually made her shadow more agile, adding an element of mystery to her.
After continuous confrontations, her flames seemed to grow stronger, able to evaporate the seawater around her. This made her much more efficient in battle.
After adapting to underwater combat, Huo Wu sought to prove herself. She entered the Hanhai Grand Soul Arena and fought continuously for several days, achieving victory after victory against Soul Kings, clearing the shadow of her earlier loss.
(END CHAPTER)
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