After a night of contemplation, Yang Podi sought out his father and grandfather early the next morning to discuss Tianyue's cultivation plan for the upcoming year.
Only Yang Podi, Yang Zhentian, and Yang Wudi were present for this conversation, as there was no need to involve others for the time being.
Yang Zhentian noticed the heavy expression on Yang Podi's face and couldn't help but speak, "Podi, you've put a lot of effort into this Sea God inheritance. Even though you didn't receive the inheritance yourself, it's still a great opportunity for your sister. I believe you'll encounter even better opportunities in the future."
Yang Podi shook his head. "Dad, I'm not disappointed about not receiving the Sea God's inheritance; there's a bigger issue. The Sea God's inheritance isn't simple, and the trials are extremely difficult. With Tianyue's current strength, she has no chance of passing them."
"Back then, Tang Chen was so powerful—he had reached Rank 99 and was invincible on land—but he still failed the divine trials and ended up in a half-dead state. Now, with Tianyue at such a young age, these trials are far too challenging for her."
Hearing this, both Yang Zhentian and Yang Wudi's expressions grew solemn. It seemed the Sea God's inheritance was far harder to obtain than they had imagined.
Yang Wudi spoke gravely, "What should we do now? If the trials are truly this difficult, isn't sending Tianyue like sending her to her death? And now that the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud has recognized her as its master, it seems there's no way to back out."
Yang Podi couldn't help but sigh. He then took out several items: the 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone, the 100,000-year Titan Giant Python Right Arm Bone, and the 70,000-year White-eyed Demon Tiger King Right Arm Bone.
When he revealed these items, both Yang Wudi and Yang Zhentian were stunned. They hadn't expected Podi to acquire such exceptional soul bones in such a short time.
Yang Podi thought for a moment before saying, "The Sea God's divine trials are extremely demanding, ultimately requiring spirit masters to reach Rank 99. Over the past century, only three people—Bo Saixi, Tang Chen, and Qian Daoliu—have achieved Rank 99, and the trials impose even stricter requirements on the participants."
"I plan to have Tianyue absorb these two 100,000-year soul bones in the near future. Additionally, I'll take her to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to undergo Ice-Fire Body Refinement and enhance her physical constitution."
Yang Zhentian quickly interjected, "Podi, while Ice-Fire Body Refinement can indeed greatly improve one's physique, it's fraught with danger and far from simple. Moreover, the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot are no longer available, making it a near-death endeavor."
Yang Podi hesitated before pulling out two jade boxes, one icy cold and the other fiery hot, both exuding an extraordinary aura. The left box contained a fiery gel-like substance, while the right one held crystalline ice. Clearly, these were no ordinary items.
"These are the fiery gel from the Infernal Delicate Apricot and the ice crystal from the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass. They're the essences left behind by these two immortal herbs and should serve as partial substitutes for the originals. With my assistance, it shouldn't be a problem."
"According to my plan, Tianyue must reach at least Rank 65 before heading to Sea God Island. Only then will she have a chance of passing the trials. Otherwise, it'll be extremely difficult."
"Additionally, I'll need to find another 100,000-year soul bone for Tianyue to ensure her success in the trials."
"Also, from now on, all of Tianyue's spirit rings must be absorbed beyond her limit, preferably from strong water-attribute attack-type spirit beasts. This will help reduce the difficulty of her divine trials."
After hearing this, Yang Zhentian and Yang Wudi's expressions grew even graver. From Podi's explanation, it was evident that the Sea God's inheritance trials were far more challenging than they had imagined, requiring such extensive preparations. And judging by Podi's expression, it seemed even these measures weren't enough.
Yang Zhentian asked, "Podi, what exactly should we do now? Is there anything we need to pay special attention to?"
Yang Podi didn't answer Zhentian's question but instead turned to Wudi. "Grandfather, how long would it take to refine two Exploding Spirit Pills? I'll likely need one or two more."
Wudi's eyes widened. "Podi, you're not planning to add another spirit ring to your Body Martial Soul, are you? Doing so could damage your future potential, especially your progress after Rank 90."
Yang Podi shook his head. "I have no other choice. I need to obtain another 100,000-year soul bone as quickly as possible, one that doesn't overlap with the ones I currently have. I'll have to go to the Star Dou Forest. Don't worry, Grandfather. I'll only add one more spirit ring to my Body Martial Soul at most, so it won't affect my future too much."
"In addition, have Uncle provide a gravity training environment for Ping'an, Niu Meng, Lingling, and Yan-jie so they can train intensively. They must all reach Rank 60 within a year. Also, distribute the whale gel we've pre-purchased to enhance their physical constitutions and spirit power."
Wudi was puzzled. "If they're not participating in the Sea God's inheritance, why is there such urgency?"
Yang Podi explained, "Sea God Island is a miraculous place. Even ordinary spirit masters can undergo trials there. I plan to take them along for training to accelerate their growth."
"Dad, you and Mom should come with me and Tianyue to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. After the Ice-Fire Body Refinement, Tianyue will stay there to cultivate. Mom can take care of her and provide gravity pressure training to speed up her progress."
Hearing this, Wudi quickly said, "I can refine the two Exploding Spirit Pills in three days. You can have them then."
Over the next three days, while Wudi focused on refining the pills, the others consumed whale gel under the elders' guidance, each experiencing significant improvements—gaining one level of spirit power and greatly enhanced physical fitness.
Meanwhile, Yang Podi gave the 70,000-year White-eyed Demon Tiger King Right Arm Bone to Yang Ping'an.
Ping'an, seeing such an exceptional soul bone, was filled with desire but still refused. "Big Brother, I can't take your soul bone. You've already helped me so much, and I don't know how to repay you. Besides, you haven't absorbed a soul bone yourself."
Yang Podi replied, "Ping'an, this soul bone is a contribution from the family. If you truly want to repay us, focus on cultivating and contribute to the Breaking Clan in the future."
Hearing this, Ping'an accepted the soul bone solemnly and said, "Big Brother, rest assured. I'll train hard and fight for the Breaking Clan's glory. I won't disappoint you or our grandfathers."
Yang Podi finally felt some relief. In Douluo Continent, family was paramount, requiring countless efforts to maintain its standing.
Recalling the original work, many criticized Tang Hao as a "sect slave" who prioritized the sect over everything, even offering Tang San to Clear Sky Clan as penance. But in Douluo Continent, without the Clear Sky Clan, how could Tang Hao have obtained such high-quality soul bones or achieved such greatness? It was all due to the sect's support.
Of course, something peculiar happened during these days. After absorbing the ten-thousand-year whale gel, Dugu Yan experienced its aphrodisiac effects and fell into a trance-like state. Her grandfather, Dugu Bo, felt awkward dealing with such matters and approached Podi for help, claiming that since Podi had once seen Yan's body, he was obligated to take responsibility.
This left Podi speechless. Though not a saint, he didn't want to repeat past mistakes, as he'd already accidentally developed a relationship with Ye Lingling under similar circumstances.
Finally, Yang Podi came up with a solution. Together with Dugu Bo, he brought Dugu Yan to a snowy area and placed her in an icy pool. This effectively reduced the effects of the whale glue.
There was no denying that, submerged in the icy pool, Dugu Yan looked exceptionally enchanting, exuding an exotic charm.
Unfortunately, before Yang Podi could enjoy the view, the fiercely protective Dugu Bo chased him away, leaving him feeling awkward. What made it even more uncomfortable was that afterward, every time Dugu Yan saw him, her expression seemed particularly strange. It carried an inexplicable allure, as though something had changed about her feelings.
Dugu Bo also sought out Yang Podi to complain directly: "You little troublemaker, what kind of nonsense did you come up with? You've caused no end of trouble! Now even my Yan Yan is complaining to me."
Yang Podi couldn't help but chuckle. "Grandfather Dugu, this is a secret treasure of our clan that we don't share with outsiders. If it weren't for how close we are, I wouldn't have told you about it. But tell me, isn't the whale glue's effect on spirit masters remarkable?"
Dugu Bo nodded. "The whale glue's effects are indeed impressive. Yan Yan has already gained a level of spirit power, and her physical constitution has improved significantly. But tell me, how did you discover this? Did you accidentally overeat it yourself one time and find out that way?"
Yang Podi felt speechless. "Grandfather Dugu, that's slander! Couldn't it have been my grandfathers who discovered this? Or perhaps it's a secret passed down through the generations of my Breaking Clan?"
Dugu Bo couldn't help but laugh. "Do you think I don't know what kind of people your grandfathers are? They're a bunch of roughnecks. Your second grandfather doesn't even have a wife. How could they possibly discover something like this? And as for the so-called secrets of your Breaking Clan, that's even more unlikely. If your clan had such secrets, you wouldn't have struggled to produce even a single Spirit Douluo in the past."
"Moreover, I heard that when your family first arrived in Heaven Dou City, your father, Yang Zhentian, bought large quantities of whale glue multiple times. There were even rumors spreading about him having poor health. At the time, I was puzzled. How could the body of a high-level spirit master be in such poor condition? Turns out, it was all a ruse, and it was probably you, this little troublemaker, who came up with this harebrained scheme!"
Yang Podi quickly explained, "You can't blame me for that. If I hadn't done it, we wouldn't have been able to acquire so much whale glue at such a low price. Otherwise, where do you think all the whale glue everyone is eating now comes from? If this secret were to get out, the price of whale glue would skyrocket tenfold, and no one would be able to afford it."
The two chatted for a while, and in the end, Dugu Bo sighed and said, "Little troublemaker, what do you think of Yan Yan? I think she likes you quite a bit. Why not let her be your girlfriend?"
Yang Podi was silent for a while before he finally replied, "Sister Yan is a great person, very beautiful too. But relationships require mutual feelings. I've always seen Sister Yan as an elder sister, and with everything going on right now, I haven't given much thought to such things. Let's leave it for the future."
Dugu Bo shook his head in disappointment. "You little troublemaker, why are you thinking so much? If anything happens, isn't that what us old folks are here for? Even Spirit Hall wouldn't dare to take us lightly."
Yang Podi couldn't help but shake his head. Who could predict the future? While everything seemed peaceful now, in just four and a half years, the continent would be engulfed in flames of war, countless sects would be destroyed, and even ten years later, an unprecedented divine battle would sweep across the entire Douluo Continent.