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[Would you like to continue the challenge?]
Facing the question from the giant soul mecha, Tang San declined.
For the first question, he had guessed blindly, and getting it right was mostly due to his previous deductions and some luck.
As for the second question, who knew what difficulty level it was. It was better for him to have a little self-awareness.
The giant soul mecha raised its hand, and in its palm lay a silver bracelet, which it placed on Tang San's wrist.
Tang San felt the pass token for a moment and found it extremely tough. Instead of studying it immediately, he quickly ran into the gate of the Golden Ancient Tree.
Inside the ancient tree, the first layer's space was quite large. In front was a spacious hall, not dim but rather bright, yet not glaring.
The light source didn't come from sunlight but seemed to be some kind of elemental power.
"It's such a strange life."
Tang San didn't have time to marvel at the wonder of the life ancient tree. According to the bracelet's guidance, he entered the left passage and arrived at the room where soul devices were stored.
Opposite the room, there was a staircase leading to the upper floor, but at the staircase's entrance, there was a frame-like detection device, which should respond to the pass token. If someone didn't have the authorization, they would probably be detonated.
"In theory, I could dig a hole to bypass the detection, but the Golden Ancient Tree is too hard. Whether I can dig a small hole in its wall within half an hour is a big question." Tang San gave up on unrealistic ideas and entered the room where soul devices were stored.
Looking at the rows of shelves filled with all sorts of peculiar soul devices, with specialized categories displayed above them: Spatial, Attack, Support, and Defense.
There were just these four major categories.
However, when Tang San walked into the Attack category, he found that it was further divided into physical and energy forms. Energy attacks were further divided into melee and ranged.
Each category could be subdivided.
"The Golden Civilization must have been built relying on this Golden Ancient Tree, indicating a very strong development. But why did it disappear?" Tang San speculated, thinking about the gods who required the power of faith but quickly dismissed the thought. Speculating without real investigation would only waste time, and besides, gods and the like were too far removed from his current self.
Later, Tang San left the Attack category and came to the Support category, hoping to find a soul device that could assist him in his research.
The cultivation of his Jade Bone, the enhancement of his soul power, the circulation routes of soul power within his soul rings, the formation of soul bones, and the research on soul devices all required more detailed observation.
For Tang San, first-level soul devices, whether for defense or attack, weren't of much use. However, the Support category was different. If he could assist in his observation, his future research would progress more smoothly.
Twenty minutes later, Tang San found the Support-class soul device he wanted: Detection Glasses.
These glasses could assist soul masters in observing the flow route of human soul power and the intensity of their qi and blood.
Yes, in addition to soul power, these glasses could also observe the intensity of a soul master's qi and blood, thereby determining the strength of the internal organs.
According to the introduction, this soul device could be considered a third-level soul device, but because of issues with its observation method and its poor practicality, it caused the user's attention to become unfocused, so it was rated as a first-level soul device.
Tang San took them off, put them on, injected soul power into them, and found that they did indeed cause one's attention to become unfocused.
Although the observation effect was very good, without the assistance of intelligent AI, an ordinary soul master's brain couldn't keep up with it.
Imagine a soul master using these detection glasses to see the soul power circulation routes and heat maps on other soul masters. The first thing they'd feel is dizziness.
This could be fatal in a life-or-death battle.
However, for Tang San with his Purple Demon Eyes, these detection glasses were just right for assisting his research.
"I have ten minutes left. Should I give it a try?" Tang San's mind stirred, and he released his Blue Silver Grass martial soul, the aura of life resonating with the Golden Ancient Tree, and countless life energies converged towards his Blue Silver Grass.
For Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, even without practicing in the space under the tree roots, it could still cultivate rapidly.
While time was running out, Tang San pressed his Blue Silver Grass onto the ground, controlling it to take root. He found that it was much easier to root inside the Golden Ancient Tree, and even the roots of the Blue Silver Grass spread across the entire trunk and roots of the Golden Ancient Tree without Tang San's control, perfectly integrating with it.
Is this parasitism?
Just as Tang San had this thought, he found that his mental power seemed to have been magnified, able to perceive everything inside the Golden Ancient Tree. However, the roots of the Blue Silver Grass were not absorbing the energy of the Golden Ancient Tree but merging with it, forming another kind of life energy cycle.
During this process, all the veins on the Blue Silver Grass turned golden, and Tang San also gained great benefits. His Blue Silver Emperor bloodline completely awakened, and his hair turned completely silver-blue.
In the original work, Tang San's hair was deep blue, but perhaps because he allowed the Blue Silver Grass to absorb the powerful plant soul ring from the beginning, combined with the fact that the Golden Ancient Tree was not a Blue Silver Emperor, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, after awakening, had a slightly different external appearance.
Apart from this, Tang San's soul power also increased by two levels, reaching level thirty-three.
However, for Tang San, the biggest gain wasn't his martial soul transforming into the Blue Silver Emperor or the increase in soul power but, with the control of the Blue Silver Emperor, touching the core of the Golden Ancient Tree and encountering a golden, ownerless consciousness and energy fusion body.
"Can it be refined?" Tang San wanted to refine it so that the Golden Ancient Tree would truly belong to him.
The ancient Golden Civilization most likely didn't control this Golden Ancient Tree, merely building various floors and spaces on its body.
Only powerful plant emperors like the Blue Silver Emperor could truly communicate with the Golden Ancient Tree.
However, how should he refine it?
Just as Tang San was pondering this question, the core seemed to perceive his thoughts and directly entered Tang San's spiritual sea through the roots of the Blue Silver Grass.
In an instant, Tang San fainted, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a chaotic space, as if he were in the starry sky, with no up, down, left, right, or weightlessness, which was very strange.
"This should be my spiritual space." Tang San guessed, discovering a golden spherical core floating in front of him, immediately realizing that this was the core of the Golden Ancient Tree.
He reached out to touch it, and this core entered his spiritual body, circulated throughout his body, and finally emerged from his forehead.
"What's going on?" Tang San was confused, but as he reached out his hand, the core of the Golden Ancient Tree fell into his hand, "Tang San" Huo Wu stared in astonishment, finding it hard to understand why Tang San, after going in once, became even more handsome.
"It's me," Tang San nodded to Xiao Wu, Guang Ling, and the others, pushed up the glasses on his nose, and smiled, "The Ancient Golden Tree has powerful vitality. My Blue Silver Grass underwent a transformation, or evolution, leading to some changes in my appearance."
Xiao Wu flicked her hair and huffed, "Your Blue Silver Grass is indeed strange. Every time you get a soul ring, you become more handsome. Everyone else must be jealous."
"It's innate," Tang San shrugged. "It's determined by genetics. It's just that under the stimulation of vitality, it changed from recessive to dominant."
"Speaking in incomprehensible terms again," Xiao Wu pouted.
But Xu Xing from the Star Luo Sect affirmed once again the speculation about Tang San's identity. Internally, he couldn't help but waver, doubting whether he could defeat this enhanced version of Tang San in the future...
...
"What soul device did you get?" Xiao Wu asked about the situation of the soul device, her gaze falling on the glasses Tang San was wearing with only the lower half in black and gold frames. "Could it be this pair of glasses you're wearing?"
"That's right," Tang San nodded. "Compared to those spatial, offensive, and defensive soul devices, I prefer auxiliary soul devices, which can better assist me in my research."
"What specific function does it have?" Xiao Wu asked further.
"Here, try it," Tang San took off the detection glasses and handed them to Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu put them on, infused them with soul power, and saw countless soul powers flowing around Tang San's body, along with a large area of red. The bones of his hands and feet were silver jade in color.
In less than three minutes, Xiao Wu took them off, returned the detection glasses to Tang San, rubbed her temples, and said, "It's not something ordinary soul masters can use. It made my eyes a little dizzy."
Tang San took back the detection glasses and let Guang Ling, Huo Wu, and Fire Phoenix try them. Except for Fire Phoenix, who was a Soul Emperor and could barely adapt to the densely packed colors on the lens, Huo Wu and Guang Ling found it difficult to adapt, with Guang Ling even feeling nauseous.
The soul masters from the Star Luo Sect, the Holy Dragon Sect, the Imperial Family, and even the Soul Hunting Team of ordinary civilians roughly determined that the storage soul device Tang San took out had no offensive and defensive capabilities, only storage functions.
"What's our plan next?" Xiao Wu asked.
"With only five days left, we must leave a day in advance, leaving us with only four days," Tang San said without hesitation. "So, for the remaining time, we don't need to challenge to obtain soul devices. We should focus on cultivation and improving our combat experience."
"Training under the Ancient Golden Tree, with the blessings of abundant vitality and purified earth energy, one day of cultivation here is equivalent to ten days outside. We must make good use of it."
Huo Feng also felt the same way. She had already obtained a storage soul device with a storage space of twenty cubic meters, so it was not in vain to come here, and there was no need to take any more risks.
So, Fire Phoenix led Tang San, Huo Wu, Xiao Wu, Guang Ling, and Star Elder to end the cooperation and went to another giant soul guidance mech to start training and challenging.
Star Elder didn't stop them either and continued to cooperate with the Royal Family, the Holy Dragon Sect, and the Soul Hunting Team of ordinary civilians to try to produce several larger storage soul devices before the deadline.
In the blink of an eye, four days passed. Tang San's soul power was still at level thirty-three, but he had accumulated enough soul power for this level, ready to break through to level thirty-four at any time.
Xiao Wu's soul power had also reached level thirty, but hindered by the presence of too many people here, it was difficult to condense soul rings, but she continued to cultivate.
Huo Wu's soul power reached level thirty-two, not far from level thirty-three.
Fire Phoenix's progress was not much, after all, she was already a Soul Emperor, and each level of advancement required much more soul power than for a Soul Ancestor to advance one level.
The greatest progress was Guang Ling's. With the blessing of the Profound Sky Skill, combined with her being just a soul master, her soul power increased at an astonishing rate—after fourteen days, her soul power reached level sixteen.
Fire Phoenix noticed everyone's progress, and her gaze towards the Ancient Golden Tree was filled with greed, but in the end, she could only sigh helplessly, "The value of this Ancient Golden Tree is immeasurable. If I could stay here for a long time, I might break through to the Titled Douluo before seventy years old."
"Unfortunately, this place only opens once every hundred years, and the opening time is so short. If I stayed, I would still be killed by those giant soul guidance mechs."
"It's a pity."
Huo Wu woke up from her cultivation, stretched lazily, and said, "Granny, you should be content. Not everyone has the opportunity like us, and I feel like under the nourishment of the life energy of the Ancient Golden Tree, my physique has improved slightly. Maybe in the future, I can fight beyond my level."
Speaking of this, Huo Wu stared at Tang San eagerly and said, "Before we leave, let's have a fight."
"Alright."
Tang San agreed.
Fire Phoenix acted as the referee.
After releasing their martial souls and soul rings, neither side used soul skills first, but instead relied on martial arts to collide head-on.
Huo Wu's fists were wrapped in flames, powerful.
Tang San's hands turned into cold jade, emitting a faint chill, seemingly opposite to Huo Wu's attribute. Between their collisions, the fluctuation of soul power caused a crisp sound in the air.
"What kind of soul skill is this?" Huo Wu retreated seven or eight steps, shook her hands, and said, "So tough."
"It's a self-created soul skill, but only part of it is my creation," Tang San explained with a smile.
"It's really amazing. You can actually create your own soul skill," Huo Wu admired, then used her soul skill, and the sun rose, boosting her strength.
Meanwhile, during the collision between Tang San and Huo Wu earlier, Tang San had allowed the Blue Silver Emperor to root underground. In an instant, he created an endless field of Blue Silver Grass. Under Tang San's control, countless Blue Silver Grass entangled towards Huo Wu.
Although Huo Wu's flames were extremely hot, under the restraint of the Blue Silver Emperor, she still couldn't break free. Coupled with Tang San's second soul skill, the positive and negative buffs, Huo Wu's overall attributes directly decreased by thirty-three percent, leaving her with no resistance at all.
Being able to absorb the power of the earth to fight was truly despicable.
After learning about the specific effects of Tang San's first soul skill, Huo Wu exclaimed that it was unfair and accused him of cheating.
"It's not my fault. The Blue Silver Grass absorbs on its own, and I can't control it. To close it, I can only retract the Blue Silver Grass. You can't expect me not to use martial souls and the first soul skill, right?" Tang San shook his head and chuckled.
"Alright, I lost." Huo Wu felt somewhat disheartened and said softly, "If it were before, I could have burned your Blue Silver Grass. But now, your Blue Silver Grass has turned into golden veins, with higher resistance to flames and more tenacity. Although it's not impossible to break or burn, it requires more strength and temperature. It's probably not easy for a Soul King to break it."
"It's just luck. My Blue Silver Grass can absorb more life energy," Tang San didn't want to discourage Huo Wu too much. "I also consumed a lot of soul power myself."
"Tch, no need to comfort me. Huo Wu isn't someone who can't afford to lose," Huo Wu said, hands on her hips, then looked at Xiao Wu and said, "Xiao Wu, how about we have a match?"
"No problem." Xiao Wu had long been eager to try and wanted to fight against the "Sun Goddess" to see how powerful she truly was.
Neither of them used soul skills. Xiao Wu was faster, and her control over soul power was more adept. As a result, Huo Wu fell into a disadvantage, especially since Xiao Wu had learned the trick of swinging her braid. Even though the short sword at the end of the braid had been removed, reducing its lethality, it still caught Huo Wu off guard, making her lose her balance.
The two fought for nearly thirty minutes, with no clear winner.
Although Huo Wu had more soul power than Xiao Wu, Xiao Wu was faster and better at evasion. It was as if she knew where each of Huo Wu's attacks would land and could predict them in advance.
This was the enhancement Xiao Wu gained after obtaining her second soul ring. Even without using soul skills, she could still perceive Huo Wu's attack patterns.
It could be said that besides not having an ultra-strong attack, Xiao Wu was currently a qualified assassination and harassment type agility attack soul master. Plus, Xiao Wu was quite strong physically, so she could also do some of the things that a melee control soul master could do.
However, her main method was still to harass the enemy with speed, seize opportunities, and strike a fatal blow.
Originally, Xiao Wu didn't like being an agility attack type, but as she delved deeper, she began to enjoy this style of combat—hit and run, making the enemy frustrated and unable to catch up. It was truly exhilarating.
(End of this chapter)