Douluo: The Ultimate Self

After the conclusion of the preliminary rounds, there was a full month of rest before the next phase. Yu Xiaogang planned to organize intensive training for everyone, and most people seemed to respect this decision—especially Yu Tianheng, who practically worshipped Yu Xiaogang's authority.

However, Yang Xiong directly requested a one-month leave from Yu Xiaogang, citing that he had hit a bottleneck in his cultivation and needed to go into seclusion. At first, Yu Xiaogang had some reservations, but since Tang San had already taken a similar leave for the same reason, it would be unfair to treat them differently. In the end, he reluctantly agreed.

The preliminary rounds had been a significant blow to Tang San. He had always believed himself to be unparalleled in talent, but his performance during the preliminaries was far from satisfactory.

Many opponents had studied Tang San's Blue Silver Grass extensively and devised countermeasures. Fire-attribute soul masters, in particular, could burn through his grass almost instantly, disrupting both formations and tactics.

The Shrek Team's journey through the preliminaries was filled with ups and downs. Despite having the highest average soul power levels in the Tian Dou region, they struggled against stronger opponents and failed to gain any advantage. Their crushing defeats against God Wind Academy and Sky Water Academy left Tang San humiliated.

In contrast, Yang Xiong had also been reflecting on various issues, particularly regarding his future development. He decided to take leave and return to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect to focus on secluded cultivation.

Another issue facing the Shrek Team was that three members were now at Level 39. It was possible they could break through again soon, which would significantly boost their strength by the time of the finals.

Originally, Yang Xiong had planned to absorb only power-type soul rings for all his soul rings, extending this approach further by incorporating the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—and eventually adding high-tier attributes like space, light, or darkness.

However, after revisiting the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Wells, Yang Xiong realized he had underestimated the potential of elemental soul rings and the sheer power of his own Body martial soul.

Although he had fully absorbed the two external soul bones from the Silver Horned Tyrant Dragon and gained much from the experience, Yang Xiong felt that the world was far more complex than he had imagined. His dragon claws seemed to represent a deeper force, especially after that unexpected sensation in the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well.

His Body martial soul was even more profound than he had anticipated. Since his martial soul was tied to his body, and every human body harbored infinite potential, it was fundamentally different from ordinary martial souls.

For example, altering the form of an ordinary martial soul was extremely difficult, and evolving it was even harder. However, Body martial souls seemed to grow stronger with every passing moment. From awakening at age six to now at fourteen, what was once a weak martial soul had gradually become comparable to top-tier ones through Yang Xiong's rigorous training and physical refinement.

The transformation of his dragon claws proved just how malleable Body martial souls could be. These weapons encompassed a vast array of components—skin, blood, muscles, bones, bone marrow, pores, even hair—all parts of the martial soul with untapped potential for development and awakening.

In later generations, Body martial souls were exceedingly rare and incredibly powerful, akin to divine gifts. They were also considered the pinnacle of synchronization between body and martial soul. While only three Limit Douluos in the entire Douluo world could achieve perfect fusion between body and martial soul through intense cultivation, Body martial souls achieved this naturally without any effort—a true miracle.

Another major advantage of full-body Body martial souls was that everything, including the eyes and brain, became part of the martial soul. As physical and spiritual cultivation progressed, mental strength grew rapidly, far surpassing that of peers at the same level.

During this month of seclusion, Yang Xiong meditated deeply, contemplating the development and changes in his martial soul as well as his future plans and strategies.

Given the current situation, it seemed inevitable that they would head to Spirit City. But what role should he play? Should he let the Spirit Hall win the championship and reach the peak of their power, dominating the world, or should he fight seriously?

After two years of interaction, Yang Xiong had developed a certain attachment to the Shrek Team. Although his relationships with Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Dai Mubai weren't particularly close, and each had their flaws, they hadn't reached a point of mutual hatred.

Especially Tang San. While his behavior was somewhat extreme and occasionally hypocritical, he wasn't as irritating as he would become in later years. Power could inflate egos and twist personalities, perhaps a reflection of the influence of martial arts worlds on human nature.

…

Time flew by, and a month passed quickly. The promotion matches were about to begin.

After this month of seclusion, Yang Xiong felt as though he had gained a new understanding of his Body martial soul. His mind and body felt clearer than ever, and many previously confusing ideas now seemed crystal clear.

One of his greatest achievements was reaching the peak of the 'Detailed' stage in the Purple Extreme Demon Eye. In terms of mental strength, he had surpassed Tang San, though he was still far from the third stage, the 'Mustard Seed' Realm. Reaching that stage required a qualitative leap in mental energy and external projection, likely achievable only at the Soul Sage level. However, possessing a head soul bone could accelerate this process significantly.

The Shrek Team had undergone some changes during this time. Liu Erlong and Xiao Wu seemed closer than ever, while Tang San showed the most dramatic transformation.

Incredibly, Tang San had broken through to the Soul Ancestor level within this month, absorbing his fourth soul ring and raising his soul power to Level 41.

According to Ning Rongrong, Tang San's fourth soul ring came from a 6,000-year-old Human-Faced Demon Spider, exceeding the typical absorption limit. The resulting soul skill, Web Restraint, was a formidable control-type ability. Using Blue Silver Grass, Tang San could create a massive web to trap enemies, capable of both single-target and area control, depending on his usage.

However, this spider hadn't granted Tang San an external soul bone. Yang Xiong noticed that his Blue Silver Grass seemed more resilient, but its weaknesses remained glaringly obvious.

While the preliminaries tested teamwork, the promotion matches were a pure test of individual strength.

The promotion matches took place on a training ground outside Tian Dou City, surrounded by tens of thousands of soldiers. It was a fully enclosed competition, open only to imperial officials and nobility, not the general public.

Tang San was once again responsible for arranging the lineup, showcasing Yu Xiaogang's efforts to cultivate him. Even Dugu Yan, another control-type soul master, didn't receive such treatment.

Whether intentionally or not, Yang Xiong was consistently placed as the seventh and final contestant in every match, serving as the team's trump card to ensure victory.

Compared to the bumpy preliminaries, the Shrek Team performed exceptionally well in the promotion matches, obliterating their opponents.

The entire Tian Dou Imperial Academy Shrek Team boasted six Soul Ancestors. Yu Tianheng, Dai Mubai, Dugu Yan, and Tang San were particularly formidable, capable of taking on multiple opponents simultaneously.

In just half a month, the promotion matches proceeded smoothly without any major surprises. The Shrek Team unsurprisingly ranked first, with both Yu Tianheng and Tang San shining brightly.

Yang Xiong appeared indifferent to the lineup arrangements, showing no concern about whether he participated. After all, the promotion matches were more about noble families and sects scouting talent, which held no significance for him personally.

Unlike Yang Xiong, who hadn't fought at all, Tang San was undoubtedly the brightest star of the promotion matches. He was either placed as the first or third contestant, showcasing his prowess repeatedly.

There were fifteen teams advancing from the Tian Dou Empire. Aside from the five teams from the Tian Dou region, the others were relatively weaker. Tang San and his teammates often defeated three or four opponents in a single match, their overwhelming strength leaving spectators in awe.

The most thrilling match of the promotion rounds was between Tang San and Feng Xiaotian. Despite Tang San's best efforts, he ultimately fell to Feng Xiaotian, even revealing his external soul bone, the Praying Mantis Leg.

However, the fragility of Blue Silver Grass and the lack of soul rings on the Hao Tian Hammer were evident weaknesses.

After a grueling battle, Tang San's body couldn't endure any longer, succumbing to Feng Xiaotian's Stormwind Demon Wolf's Thirty Six Successive Chops.

This defeat dealt another blow to Tang San's confidence, but his talent and opportunities caught the attention of Salas and others.

Though Feng Xiaotian won the personal duel against Tang San, both were the first contestants for their respective teams. Feng Xiaotian himself was heavily drained, and the other members of God Wind Academy lacked his combat prowess. The team was swiftly defeated by the Shrek Team, without even needing Yang Xiong to step in.

Feng Xiaotian appeared frustrated. No matter how strong an individual was, it was difficult to overcome the sheer number of Soul Ancestors on the Shrek Team.

Tang San's performance also drew the attention of interested parties, particularly Salas, the Platinum Bishop of the Spirit Hall and host of the event.

From every perspective—twin martial souls, external soul bones—Tang San was destined to become the Spirit Hall's greatest adversary.

However, neither Tang San nor Yu Xiaogang seemed aware of the undercurrents brewing beneath the surface. As for Yang Xiong, he cared even less about such matters.

Yang Xiong carefully observed the duel. Tang San's Tang Sect techniques were indeed impressive, especially the Xuan Yu Hand and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Steps. The former allowed Tang San to block Feng Xiaotian's ordinary wind blades barehanded, while the latter enabled him to keep up with Feng Xiaotian's speed.

However, Yang Xiong understood that the foundation of all Tang Sect techniques was the Xuantian Technique. Without it, progress in other techniques would be significantly slower, especially for advancing the Purple Extreme Demon Eye to higher stages.

Ning Rongrong had also practiced the Purple Extreme Demon Eye for over a year, entering the subtlety stage. However, her progress had noticeably slowed afterward, lacking the initial burst of talent and speed she had shown when first learning it.

On the other hand, Yang Xiong felt that his Yin-Yang Meditation Technique complemented the Purple Extreme Demon Eye well. Both the meditation technique and the Xuantian Technique originated from Taoism, and the Yin-Yang Meditation Technique seemed broader and more profound, forming the root of all Taoist practices, much like the source of all cultivation methods.

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