In the Fasno Province, at a secluded waterfall, two individuals were present—one a rough and burly man, and the other a young man.
These two were none other than Tang Hao and Tang San. At this moment, Tang San was diligently training under the waterfall, holding a simple iron hammer and continuously practicing the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Technique of the Clear Sky Clan, showing extraordinary effort.
Tang Hao, on the other hand, was lost in thought nearby. His expressions shifted unpredictably—sometimes dazed, sometimes fearful, and sometimes ferocious.
Beside him grew a patch of blue silver grass. Although it looked ordinary, the edges of the leaves shimmered faintly with golden light, signifying its unusual nature.
What others didn't know was that this blue silver grass possessed a soul and consciousness. At this moment, its spirit was filled with dread because, over the past few days, it sensed something extraordinary—a new Blue Silver Emperor had been born.
Initially, after choosing to take human form, she had become the sole sovereign of the Blue Silver Grass race. Now, with the emergence of a new Blue Silver Emperor, she couldn't help but question her own existence. Furthermore, she worried whether her son could still awaken the bloodline of the Blue Silver Emperor in the future.
This realization plunged her into deep uncertainty. However, given her current frail state, she had no means to change anything.
Meanwhile, at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, Yu Xiaogang observed a group of students undergoing rigorous training. This was the newly formed Heaven Dou Imperial Academy team.
Due to their age, Yu Tianheng and Ning Heng had already graduated from the academy, as they were no longer eligible to participate in the next Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament.
Among the training group, the most prominent members were Dai Mubai, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, Zhu Zhuqing, Tai Long, and Bai Xiaofei. The rest were newly recruited talented students from the academy, each representing the cream of the crop in terms of spirit power and potential.
Perhaps due to a lack of confidence in their own abilities, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing had not returned to the Star Luo Empire.
In the previous Spirit Master Tournament, although the Heaven Dou team reached the finals and even secured second place, they hadn't directly defeated the Star Luo Royal Academy team. Both Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing recognized the gap in strength compared to Davis and Zhu Zhuyun.
Davis, in particular, was on the verge of advancing to the Spirit King realm, making it evident that he and Zhu Zhuyun were far superior to Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing. This disparity left the two hesitant to return to the Star Luo Empire to contend for the throne.
It seemed as though some tacit agreement had been reached between the Star Luo Emperor and the Heaven Dou Emperor, allowing Dai Mubai to remain at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy without interference. He was even permitted to represent the academy in future Spirit Master Tournaments.
Although Yu Xiaogang had experienced failure in the recent tournament, he had since regained his confidence. The current composition of the Heaven Dou team, along with the level of the team members' spirit power, gave him high hopes.
His goal was to ensure that by the next Spirit Master Tournament, the team would have at least three Spirit Kings. He firmly believed that Dai Mubai, Bai Xiaofei, and Tai Long could break into the Spirit King realm through five years of intensive training. Other members, like Oscar and Ma Hongjun, also showed tremendous promise, further fueling his optimism.
By the time of the next tournament, Yu Xiaogang envisioned a lineup of five or even six Spirit Kings, making victory an easy feat.
Tai Long and Bai Xiaofei, both nineteen years old, would be twenty-four in five years—just eligible for their final tournament appearance.
Among the team members, Ma Hongjun appeared to have the toughest time. Since joining Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, Flender could no longer prevent him from dating, but he tightened his disciple's training regimen, making it even more demanding.
Surprisingly, Ning Rongrong was not part of the team. A month earlier, she had been summoned back to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan for private training. After confirming the efficacy of the newly developed self-created spirit skills, Ning Fengzhi had called her back to the clan to focus on individual cultivation.
However, Ning Fengzhi assured Yu Xiaogang that Ning Rongrong would remain a member of the Heaven Dou team and would join them for future tournaments.
After the departure of the Breaking Clan and Defense Clan, Ning Fengzhi had no desire to provoke further conflict with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, knowing that doing so would leave the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan isolated.
In the Sunset Forest, Yang Podi was meticulously searching for something. Ever since breaking through to the Spirit Sage realm, his strength had increased significantly. Now, he was eager to find a worthy opponent to test his abilities, and his target was a particular spirit beast.
After several days of searching, Yang Podi finally located his prey—a White-Eyed Demon Tiger King.
The enormous White-Eyed Demon Tiger King, over ten meters long, exuded an imposing aura. Its massive magic eye and the "King" character on its forehead radiated a natural sense of dominance, perfectly embodying the majesty of a forest ruler.
Without hesitation, Yang Podi summoned his martial soul and spirit rings. Holding the Breaking Soul Spear, he charged toward the White-Eyed Demon Tiger King. His sole desire was to fight and gauge his current strength.
The White-Eyed Demon Tiger King, undeterred by the sudden attack, roared fiercely and confronted Yang Podi head-on.
Aware of the beast's prowess, Yang Podi started with his second spirit skill: Demon Annihilation Strike. With a swift movement, he closed the distance and thrust his spear.
Though taken by surprise, the White-Eyed Demon Tiger King's vast combat experience made it a formidable opponent. Its imposing aura surged as it swung a thunderous paw to meet Yang Podi's attack.
The Breaking Soul Spear clashed with the tiger's paw, forcing Yang Podi back five meters while the tiger retreated six or seven meters. The initial exchange ended in a draw.
Yang Podi grinned savagely, his fighting spirit ignited. Wielding his spear, he launched his second technique of the Nine Breaking Styles: Spear as a Dragon. The spear's thrust was accompanied by the faint sound of dragon roars.
Unfazed, the White-Eyed Demon Tiger King roared and charged again, using its powerful physique to counter Yang Podi's attack. Its massive paws struck the spear, aiming to crush Yang Podi.
This exchange left the White-Eyed Demon Tiger King with a deep wound, while Yang Podi suffered minor injuries, a faint trace of blood on his lips.
Despite this, Yang Podi laughed maniacally, exhilarated by the intense battle. It reminded him of his time in the Slaughter City.
The White-Eyed Demon Tiger King, a high-level spirit beast ruling the Sunset Forest, displayed strength equivalent to a high-tier Spirit Douluo. Its formidable physical attributes further underscored its dominance.
Yang Podi activated his first and third spirit skills—Thousand-Jin Strength and Golden Force. His physical strength, spear weight, and attack power surged dramatically. The spearhead gleamed with an intense light.
With a powerful thrust, Yang Podi unleashed his ultimate technique: All Blades Converge. The spear tip emitted countless spear shadows, culminating in a massive spear light aimed at piercing the White-Eyed Demon Tiger King.
Sensing danger, the White-Eyed Demon Tiger King roared, releasing a beam of light from its magic eye to intercept the spear light. Though it sustained a significant wound, it emerged without critical damage.
Yang Podi burst into laughter, exhilarated by the challenge. Activating his full power, he clashed ferociously with the tiger, both sides unwilling to yield.
After half an hour of relentless combat, the victor was finally decided.
Yang Podi bore numerous wounds, including fractured bones from his direct confrontations with the tiger. Despite these injuries, his excitement was evident.
The White-Eyed Demon Tiger King, now severely injured and near death, growled weakly, unwilling to accept its fate.
At that moment, three figures appeared around Yang Podi. Their presence exuded power, clearly no ordinary individuals.
Yang Podi had already sensed their arrival but paid them no mind. Should they dare make a move, he was ready to kill them.
The three men formed a triangular formation, surrounding Yang Podi. The leader among them spoke first, "Friend, we three are from the Elephant Armored Sect. That White-Eyed Demon Tiger King is not dead yet, and we've taken a liking to it. How about handing it over to us?"
Yang Podi sneered coldly, "Three mere clowns. You'd better leave right now, or face the consequences."
The leader continued, "Kid, you're already injured. You're no match for us. I suggest you make the smart choice."
Yang Podi stood firm, unaffected. "The so-called Elephant Armored Sect? Even your sect master, Huyan Zhen, wouldn't dare to speak to me like this. I suggest you leave quickly, or I'll make sure none of you leave at all."
One of the men next to him said, "Second Elder, why waste time talking? If this brat won't leave, let's just kill him."
The Second Elder hesitated for a moment. "Judging from your martial soul, you must be from the Breaking Clan. There's no need for our two sects to escalate this into a full-blown conflict. I only want the White-Eyed Demon Tiger King."
Yang Podi chuckled coldly, "You'd better ask your sect master, Huyan Zhen, if he dares to take anything from the Breaking Clan."
The Second Elder glanced at the critically injured White-Eyed Demon Tiger King, hesitated for a moment longer, and then gritted his teeth. "Attack!"
With that, all three men summoned their martial souls and spirit rings. All their martial souls were Diamond Mammoths, and their spirit power levels were formidable. The Second Elder was a Spirit Douluo, while the other two were Spirit Saints.
Yang Podi merely sneered. Strangely enough, despite not using any spirit abilities, his wounds were visibly healing at an astonishing rate.
The earlier battle had been somewhat enjoyable, but it hadn't pushed him to his limits. Now, with a Spirit Douluo seeking death, he could finally fight to his heart's content.
As the three charged toward him, Yang Podi calmly summoned his martial soul and spirit rings. When the 100,000 year spirit ring appeared under his feet, it left the trio visibly shocked.
As the light of his ten-thousand-year spirit ring flashed, Yang Podi activated his seventh spirit skill: Martial Soul True Body. A colossal figure, tens of meters tall, emerged, with the Breaking Soul Spear growing to an enormous, fearsome size. This was the power of a Hundred-thousand-year Martial Soul True Body.
With a casual swing, Yang Podi deflected the trio's combined attack. In a flash, he appeared beside one of the Spirit Saints, gripping the Breaking Soul Spear tightly as he thrust it forward.
The Spirit Saint, faced with the enormous spear, hastily used his ten-thousand-year spirit skill in defense. However, his resistance crumbled like paper. Both his martial soul projection and his body were pierced through.
The remaining two men were utterly horrified. They couldn't believe their opponent was so powerful, dispatching a defense-type Spirit Saint with a single blow.
The two quickly activated their Martial Soul True Bodies, transforming into enormous Diamond Mammoths. But before they could react, Yang Podi appeared in front of the second Spirit Saint. He unleashed the second technique of the Breaking Soul Nine Forms: Spear Like a Dragon. The massive spear thrust forward, accompanied by a thunderous dragon's roar, like a dragon horn in a charging assault.
The Spirit Saint desperately activated his sixth spirit skill, Mammoth Defense, in a final attempt to block the attack.
However, how could Yang Podi's strike be so easily stopped? The spear's tip, carrying an overwhelming force that seemed capable of shattering everything, pierced straight through the Spirit Saint.
The last remaining Spirit Douluo was filled with dread. He had never expected this young man to be so terrifying, killing two of his companions in mere moments. Panicked, he turned to flee.
Yang Podi sneered coldly and unleashed his fourth spirit skill: Tiger's Roar Breaks a Thousand Armies. The Breaking Soul Spear gleamed brightly, shooting toward the fleeing Second Elder with incredible speed.
Despite the Second Elder's desperate escape, the sharp sound of the spear cutting through the air reached him. Gritting his teeth, he activated his eighth spirit skill, Diamond Defense. A massive diamond shield appeared in front of the giant Diamond Mammoth, attempting to block the oncoming spear.
To his horror, the Breaking Soul Spear's terrifying force shattered his eighth spirit skill, tore through his defenses, and pinned him to the ground. The impact created a massive crater, and the Second Elder's body was reduced to fragments.
Yang Podi retracted his martial soul and shook his head. "With such pathetic strength, you dare to attempt robbery? Truly overestimating yourselves."