Chapter 137: Awakening a New Power
However, Su Mo did not immediately set off for the City of Slaughter.
Although he had planned to go there, his soul power was on the verge of breaking through to rank 50. Naturally, Su Mo decided to wait until after his breakthrough before heading to the City of Slaughter.
Once he reached the Soul King level, he would be able to absorb another soul ring to further strengthen himself.
Even if the soul skill he obtained couldn't be used inside the City of Slaughter, the enhancements brought by the new soul ring would be very real, giving him a definite advantage in battle.
So, after reaching an agreement with Qian Renxue and temporarily resolving the situation with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Su Mo remained focused on his cultivation rather than rushing to his next destination.
At the same time, he was also waiting for news from Qian Renxue.
After returning, Qian Renxue's first priority was undoubtedly obtaining the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.
Whether it was to prevent Tang San from acquiring it or to assist Su Mo in furthering Bibi Dong's goals, Qian Renxue would certainly take this task seriously.
As expected, within a few days, Qian Renxue returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, bringing the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud with her.
"Su Mo, take a look. Is this the item you're looking for?"
Meeting with Su Mo in private, Qian Renxue immediately handed over a triangular-shaped soul tool.
She had retrieved it from the royal treasury, but she wasn't entirely certain if it was truly the Heart of the Sea God.
All she knew was that it was extraordinary. She had tried to wield it herself but had been unable to gain its recognition.
"Yes, this is it!"
"Sister Xue, you're amazing—effortless as always!"
The moment Su Mo saw the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, his eyes lit up.
Although he had expected Qian Renxue to have little trouble obtaining it, actually seeing it in her hands still filled him with excitement.
After all, Qian Renxue was the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire. Taking an artifact from the royal treasury wasn't exactly difficult for her.
"Su Mo, try it and see if you can gain its recognition!"
Handing over the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, Qian Renxue urged Su Mo to attempt the process.
She was curious—if even she had failed to obtain its recognition, would Su Mo succeed?
"Alright, I'll give it a try!"
Su Mo nodded. Understanding Qian Renxue's curiosity, and given that she had gone to the trouble of acquiring such a precious artifact for him, he was more than willing to satisfy her curiosity.
Taking the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud in his hands, Su Mo immediately attempted to refine it.
Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the artifact in his grasp.
A deep hum resonated in his consciousness the moment his spiritual power connected with the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.
In that instant, Su Mo's entire mind was shaken.
Suddenly, he felt himself being pulled into a vast and endless ocean, with monstrous waves crashing toward him from all directions.
Su Mo instantly understood—this was a test from the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.
Only by passing this trial would he gain its recognition.
And in the future, upon reaching Sea God Island, he would be eligible to undergo the Sea God's inheritance trials.
Within the boundless ocean, Su Mo's consciousness endured wave after wave of overwhelming pressure.
He felt like a lone leaf floating on the endless sea, at risk of being swallowed at any moment.
However, Su Mo's spiritual power was exceptionally strong, especially after he had used the Eight Spider Lances to devour large amounts of celestial herbs. Among them was the Piercing Autumn Dew, which Tang San had originally obtained in the novel.
On top of that, he had refined the fifty-thousand-year-old Spiritual Condensation Wisdom Skull, a reward from the Soul Master Tournament. Su Mo's spiritual power had long since reached an extraordinary level.
No matter how fierce the waves crashed against him, his consciousness remained unshaken and never submerged.
"What incredible spiritual power!"
"It seems he truly has a chance of being recognized!"
Observing Su Mo's trial from the outside, Qian Renxue's beautiful eyes sparkled with excitement.
She was genuinely pleased by his success.
Yet at the same time, a trace of jealousy flickered in her heart.
Qian Renxue was a proud and competitive person. She couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration—if even she had failed to gain the artifact's approval, how had Su Mo managed to do it?
"Hmm, Su Mo really is impressive," Bibi Dong remarked as she appeared nearby.
"I had even thought about introducing him to you before, but unfortunately, that little girl Ning Rongrong beat you to it."
At first, Qian Renxue didn't quite understand what Bibi Dong was implying. But after hearing the second half of her sentence, realization struck, and her heart skipped a beat.
A faint blush rose to her cheeks.
It wasn't because she actually had such thoughts—just that the topic itself was enough to make her flustered.
"Mother, stop saying nonsense! There's no way I would fall for a kid younger than me!"
She quickly denied it.
"What does age matter? Both of you will eventually reach Title Douluo level, and in the long run, this small age difference won't mean a thing."
"It's just a shame that another woman got to him first."
Bibi Dong chuckled but didn't pursue the topic further.
There was no point dwelling on it—Su Mo and Ning Rongrong were already together.
Ever since she had seen echoes of her past with Yu Xiaogang in Su Mo and Ning Rongrong's relationship, she had abandoned any thoughts of interfering.
At that moment, Su Mo finally opened his eyes.
The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud in his hands had disappeared. In its place, a triangular-shaped blue mark had appeared on his forehead.
As he gazed outward, it was as if an entire ocean lay hidden within his eyes. His pupils seemed unfathomably deep and mesmerizing.
Perhaps due to the earlier conversation, when Qian Renxue met Su Mo's gaze, her heart unexpectedly skipped a beat.
"Well? Su Mo, did you succeed?"
Suppressing the unexpected flutter in her chest, Qian Renxue quickly asked, her curiosity undiminished.
"Yes! I've successfully refined it!"
Su Mo responded enthusiastically.
Being able to refine the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud meant he was now qualified to undergo the Sea God's inheritance trials.
Of course, just obtaining the trial didn't guarantee success. Whether he could ultimately complete the Sea God's Nine Trials remained an open question.
It all depended on how satisfied the Sea God was with him.
If the Sea God favored him, then after the sixth trial, the remaining tests would be custom-tailored to his abilities, making them relatively manageable—just like in Tang San's case.
However, if the Sea God wasn't particularly impressed, then things would be far less predictable.
And even after gaining the Sea God's inheritance trials, there was still no absolute certainty of success.
Apart from whether the Sea God was satisfied with him, Su Mo also had to consider the attitude of the Grand Priest of Sea God Island, Bo Saixi.
After all, unlocking the final ninth trial of the Sea God required Bo Saixi to sacrifice herself.
So, for Su Mo to complete the Sea God's inheritance, he needed not only the recognition of the Sea God but also the approval of Bo Saixi.
Otherwise, Bo Saixi might find a way to eliminate him within the rules.
In the original story, Bo Saixi had even considered killing Tang San, despite knowing that he was a descendant of Tang Chen.
If she had no hesitation in attempting to kill Tang San, then facing Su Mo—someone with no connection to Tang Chen—she would be even more ruthless.
On Sea God Island, Bo Saixi's strength was terrifying. She could single-handedly fight both Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu, two peak Douluo.
In the vast ocean, she was unrivaled beneath the level of a god.
A deep hum resonated in the air.
As Su Mo spoke, he summoned the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud from his forehead, allowing it to float above his palm.
"That's great! Congratulations, Su Mo!"
Seeing that Su Mo had truly succeeded, Qian Renxue immediately congratulated him.
Deep inside, she was once again shaken by Su Mo's talent.
This was the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud—an artifact that had refused to acknowledge even her, yet Su Mo had successfully refined it.
"This is all thanks to Sister Xue. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to obtain it!"
Su Mo smiled, expressing his gratitude to Qian Renxue once again.
As he spoke, he reabsorbed the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud into his forehead, where it transformed back into a triangular imprint.
Qian Renxue was pleased that Su Mo acknowledged her contribution.
She then asked, "Su Mo, now that you have obtained the Heart of the Sea God, do you still plan to go to the City of Slaughter?"
She had already learned about Su Mo's intention to visit the City of Slaughter.
"The City of Slaughter, huh…"
Su Mo pondered for a moment.
Now that he had gained the recognition of the Heart of the Sea God, there was no urgent need to visit the City of Slaughter.
If he simply went to Sea God Island and took the inheritance trials, he would be able to grow stronger rapidly.
Before he could think further, a sudden fluctuation in his soul power interrupted his thoughts.
"I'm about to break through!"
He quickly informed Qian Renxue and immediately sat down cross-legged, focusing on stabilizing his soul power.
He was about to reach rank 50.
It seemed that refining the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud had enhanced his soul power, accelerating his breakthrough.
With that, Su Mo entered a meditative state, concentrating on making his advancement as smooth as possible.
"He's already breaking through…"
"A fifteen-year-old Soul King…"
Watching Su Mo in meditation, Qian Renxue was once again shocked.
Even she had not reached the Soul King level at fifteen.
She had only broken through at eighteen, and it had taken her another five years to become a Soul Emperor at twenty-three.
She had always been proud of her cultivation speed, but seeing Su Mo's growth, she felt utterly overshadowed.
At fifteen, Su Mo was already at the Soul King level. Given three more years, he might even become a Soul Emperor at eighteen.
This realization left a sour feeling in her heart. It was the first time she had encountered someone so much more talented than herself.
Even though she knew it was because Su Mo had intercepted many of Tang San's opportunities, she couldn't help but feel that she had been completely outclassed.
"Xue'er, you are outstanding as well. In the future, you will complete the Angel God trials on your own and become the first among us to ascend to divinity."
Sensing Qian Renxue's emotions, Bibi Dong stepped forward and patted her shoulder with a gentle smile.
Hearing Bibi Dong's reassurance, Qian Renxue thought about it and felt much better.
A deep hum filled the air again.
As Su Mo cultivated, the fluctuations of his soul power gradually stabilized.
His soul power level had officially broken through to rank 50.
Once he added a fifth soul ring to his Hunter's Spear, he would be a true Soul King.
However, at that moment, Su Mo was not focused on his breakthrough.
Instead, he was sensing a strange change within himself.
Upon reaching rank 50, he felt as though a hidden ability within him had awakened.
It felt like something he had possessed since birth. Even stranger, Su Mo sensed the same power within Bibi Dong, who had become his martial soul.
"What is happening?"
Bibi Dong was equally surprised to discover a foreign energy emerging from within her.
The energy was colorless and transparent, yet it radiated from her body and merged with the force awakening within Su Mo.
A deep hum echoed through the room.
Finally, Su Mo, Bibi Dong, and Qian Renxue were all enveloped by this energy.
In the next instant, their consciousnesses wavered.
When they regained clarity, they were stunned to find that their surroundings had changed completely.
"Spirit City?"
"Why are we suddenly back in Spirit City?"
Qian Renxue looked around in shock.
They were standing at the city gates of Spirit City.
"No… the name is different," Bibi Dong quickly noticed something amiss. She pointed to the gate and spoke.
Su Mo and Qian Renxue looked up and saw that the gate, which should have borne the name "Spirit City," now read Tianhun City instead.
"Our forms aren't right either. We're only here as spirits or consciousness!"
Su Mo quickly realized something was off. Looking at Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue, he confirmed that they were in the same state as him.
After carefully sensing his situation, Su Mo finally exhaled in relief.
"Don't worry too much. This is my newly awakened power—Space-Time Force—which has pulled our souls to this place. We can return at any time."
Su Mo was shocked yet thrilled by the realization, and he quickly explained it to Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue.
Truthfully, he was still bewildered.
He hadn't expected that after breaking through to Soul King, he would awaken an entirely new power.
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