Douluo Continent: This Tang San is different

Chapter 100 The Core Area of ​​the Infinite Desert: The Golden Ancient Tree

"I'm eight years old, one year older than you."

"·····"

The child was a little speechless, suddenly realizing that the Tang San in front of him was different from the one he remembered, and his thoughts began to wander.

Moreover, he was puzzled as to why Tang San would come to the Infinite Desert, become a master of martial soul theory, and even reach level 30 at the age of eight.

When he turns twelve, will he become a Soul Master?

Also, among Tang San's Blue Silver Grass spirit rings, apart from the second spirit ring which comes from the Ghost Vine, the others are not from plant-type spirit beasts, right?

Could it be that Tang San, for some reason, did not become Yu Xiaogang's apprentice, and thus began to study martial soul theory on his own, growing wildly?

Or perhaps—

Are we the same kind as ourselves?

"What's your name?"

Tang San didn't care what the other person was thinking and continued to ask.

"Xu Xing".

The child spoke up, "Actually, I also understand some martial spirit theory."

"Oh?" Tang San showed an interested expression. "Then tell me, what kind of spirit beast produces the spirit ring that my Blue Silver Grass's third spirit ring is suitable for? If you can tell me, I'm willing to give you the Sun and Moon Grass, as long as you can offer me a price that satisfies me."

Xu Xing coughed a few times, feigning composure like an adult. After thinking for a moment, he prepared to test the waters and said, "As everyone knows, Blue Silver Grass cannot possess innate full soul power, so your martial soul is definitely not ordinary Blue Silver Grass."

"That's not right." Tang San confirmed his suspicions; this guy in front of him was the same kind of person as the dead Yang Long. "I want to ask, how did you know my Blue Silver Grass had innate full soul power?"

"It's very simple. Ordinary Blue Silver Grass couldn't be cultivated that quickly," Xu Xing said confidently. "Therefore, your martial soul is definitely not ordinary Blue Silver Grass."

"You guessed wrong. I'm not born with full soul power; I'm only at level six. And my spirit, Blue Silver Grass, is no ordinary spirit. I think anyone can see that." Tang San looked disappointed. "I thought you had some brilliant idea."

Seeing that Tang San looked down on him, Xu Xing felt a surge of anger and said, "You should choose the thousand-year-old Heavenly Star Vine for your third spirit ring."

"Tell me the reason," Tang San gestured for him to continue.

"If your Blue Silver Grass wants to have offensive capabilities, it must be going for a control type, right? Don't deny it, you've already used Blue Silver Grass to entangle this Sun and Moon Grass."

Xu Xing became confident, "The Heavenly Star Vine is a plant-type soul beast, and its attack methods are also the same as entanglement and strangulation. Moreover, it is very tough, which will definitely enhance the strength of your Blue Silver Grass. Not to mention, the Heavenly Star Vine can absorb the power of stars and has a tenacious vitality, making it perfect for your Blue Silver Grass."

In fact, Xu Xing did not want to mention the Heavenly Star Vine, but the Tang San in front of him had not joined forces with Yu Xiaogang and had even started studying martial soul theory, and might even be... Before he could be completely sure of the other party's true identity, if he spoke carelessly, it might backfire.

"So do you know what exactly the Heavenly Star Vine's so-called absorption of the power of stars means?" Tang San asked casually.

"this······"

Xu Xing was dumbfounded. How could he have known?

He had never even read the "Encyclopedia of Soul Beasts." He only knew the names of soul beasts from novels he read in his previous life and from stories he heard from people in his sect about hunting soul beasts.

"The Star Vine cannot absorb the power of stars. The silvery-white spots on its body that resemble stars are merely the luminous organs of the Star Vine, which can be used at night to attract insects, and then capture, devour, and digest them."

Tang San explained, "Even soul beasts have a specific function for every organ in their body. The starlight on the Heavenly Star Vine is used to catch insects, and even some soul beasts."

"As for why it's called Tianxing, it's naturally because those points of light look like stars in the sky."

"If the Heavenly Star Vine can truly absorb the power of the stars, then it will be the king of the plant world, like the lion king of a pride, able to fight beyond its level and fight against ten thousand-year-old ones."

"However, according to the existing records, although the Heavenly Star Vine, a plant-type soul beast, has a strong binding ability, even a thousand-year-old level can be defeated by three or more Great Soul Masters working together. This type of plant-type soul beast can only absorb a small amount of starlight."

Xu Xing's face turned red, and he didn't know what to say.

Tang San continued, "Of course, I might be wrong, and the previous records might also be wrong. Perhaps you can choose the Heavenly Star Vine for your second spirit ring. After all, your spirit is the Star Crown, which can cultivate with the power of stars. Maybe your 'theory' is correct."

Seeing that Xu Xing was speechless, the old man shouted at Tang San, "What are you, a Martial Soul Master, arguing with a child for?"

"I'm only a year older than him." Tang San reminded everyone of his age again. "I thought I had met someone who was also interested in theoretical research, a genius in theory like me. But I didn't expect that he was no different from the others. Maybe he just heard something and dared to give advice to others. Isn't he afraid of being retaliated against for harming others? ... That's right. As one of the four lower sects, he is indeed not afraid of retaliation."

Hearing Tang San's mockery, the old man's expression turned unfriendly. When had he, a member of the four lower sects, ever suffered such humiliation?

"If you want to kill me, you can do it now, but I can't guarantee that the Star Crown Sect won't be wiped out of the world." Tang San smiled and spread his arms, as if he was accepting death calmly, but his gaze toward Xu Xing was full of profound meaning.

The old man was somewhat surprised and uncertain, wondering what gave Tang San such confidence.

But Xu Xing knew.

Even though the fate of this Tang San is different from the original story he read in his previous life, Tang Hao is definitely still hiding in the dark. If Elder Xing dares to make a move, that madman will definitely show up and wipe them all out.

That guy has almost no scruples except for Tang San.

Although Xu Xing guessed wrong, there was indeed a powerful figure hiding in the shadows. He was only a Soul Saint, but with the help of the Fire Phoenix, he was capable of killing a Soul Emperor.

The remaining six people—two Soul Masters, three Soul Venerables, and finally, Xu Xing, a Soul Master—are not a threat to Tang San. The Endless Grassland and the positive and negative buffs can greatly control and weaken them.

As for how to kill it quickly?

She had a nine-section jade pendant coiled behind her head.

If you have an advantage, you should naturally make use of it.

Therefore, Tang San was not afraid of the Star Crown Sect members in front of him, because even if Huo Feng did not make a move, he was confident that he could cooperate with Ling Yuan in the shadows to wipe out all seven of them.

"Elder Xing, forget it, how about we just give him this Sun and Moon Grass?" Xu Xing was a little scared. He realized that Tang San was so fearless because he probably knew Tang Hao's identity. If he thought about it more carefully, this Tang San was definitely not the same Tang San who jumped off the cliff from the Tang Sect. There was a 99.999% probability that he was the same as him.

similar.

They really are the same kind.

It's best to avoid contact with such people before they've fully developed.

"Watch your words. What do you mean by 'let'?" Tang San sneered. "You should be more sincere. You should say something like, 'Sorry to have disturbed you. We'll leave immediately. We were wrong just now.' Does the dignified Lower Four Sects not even have basic manners?"

To be honest, Tang San thought this guy was pretty outrageous... But thinking about it carefully, if Japan could carry out such an anti-human and anti-Earth absurd plan as dumping nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean, Xu Xing's words were only slightly shameless in comparison.

Xu Xing remained silent.

Although they were in the wrong, Tang San's overstepping of his bounds had aroused their anger, but they could only swallow their anger.

Master Xing cursed, "What kind of bullshit theoretical master are you? I'm taking this Sun and Moon Grass!"

The atmosphere became tense again.

"I can't pretend I didn't hear that. My Huo family will not agree to this," Huo Feng stepped forward.

"So it's the family behind Blazing Fire Academy." The old man now understood Fire Phoenix's identity, and his expression darkened, but he was not about to back down.

The Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire were originally hostile countries. The Star Crown Sect was in Star Luo, while the Blazing Fire Academy was in Heaven Dou, so they were naturally enemies.

However, in recent years, the Spirit Hall has developed too rapidly, and the two great empires have been overwhelmed by its pressure, so they have focused their energy on the Spirit Hall. As a result, the fighting between the two sides has decreased, but conflicts still exist.

Xu Xing felt that the plot was completely messed up. Tang San had actually gotten involved with Blazing Fire Academy. Also, there were quite a few girls around Tang San. Was he going to go down the harem route?

Tang San asked, "Is this really necessary?"

The old man's eyes sharpened: "At least, we outnumber you. And, old woman from the Huo family, can you guarantee you're definitely my match? Our number and level of Soul Masters are both higher than yours."

Fire Phoenix stared intently at the old man from the Star Crown Sect, saying nothing, but her aura grew increasingly heavy.

Just as Tang San was about to call out Ling Yuan, the earth suddenly trembled, and the nearby lake water began to surge, eventually turning into a whirlpool that continued to descend.

"What happened?" Fire Phoenix steadied herself and pulled Tang San and the others behind her.

The Star Crown Sect and others also became vigilant.

A short while later, the tremors stopped, the lake water disappeared, leaving behind a pit more than 60 meters deep with a huge opening at the bottom, the destination of which was unknown.

"This is!"

The elder from the Star Crown Sect seemed to have thought of something and immediately said to the others, "Let's go in!"

After saying that, the old man picked up Xu Xing and, together with the other five people, jumped into the pit, leaped into the opening, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Senior Fire Phoenix, do you know where that cave leads?" Tang San asked curiously.

"I've heard a rumor."

Fire Phoenix frowned and explained to everyone, "In the core area of ​​the Infinite Desert, there is a great treasure. However, it is blocked by a thick sandstorm on the outside, which makes it difficult for even titled Douluo to pass through. It will dissipate once every hundred years. As long as you can come out alive, you can obtain great benefits."

"Judging by the time, it's been about a century, perhaps even until today?"

Huo Wu asked excitedly, "Could this cave entrance be the passage to the core area?"

"It is rumored that there are indeed some places in the Infinite Desert that lead directly to the core area, but no one knows where they are." Fire Phoenix looked at the hole at the bottom of the pit, lost in thought. "Perhaps the Star Crown Sect knows more. After all, they are one of the four lower sects, and their martial souls have the ability to sense treasures."

"So, this cave entrance might really lead to the core area of ​​the Infinite Desert. But there shouldn't be too much danger in the core area, right?" Xiao Wu asked tentatively. "After all, that old man brought the children with him."

"Perhaps." Fire Phoenix also wanted to find out, but she didn't know whether she should go or not.

"Senior, how long does the core area last after it opens every hundred years?" Tang San asked.

"As far as my Huo family has recorded, the core area of ​​the Infinite Desert has opened five times, for varying durations, ranging from a month to half a day," Huo Feng said. "However, the passage through the core area is very difficult to find because it opens in a different location each time. And if one were to go directly from the surface of the Infinite Desert to the core area, even if the sandstorms and tornadoes on the outer perimeter disappeared, there are still countless soul beasts over ten thousand years old outside, making it difficult even for a Title Douluo to break in."

"According to the records of my Huo family, three hundred years ago, the Spirit Hall organized twenty Title Douluo, hundreds of Soul Douluo, and thousands of Soul Saint and Soul Emperor level Soul Masters to go to the core area, intending to kill all the ten-thousand-year-old Soul Beasts there and take control of the core area."

"But it failed."

"The specific reason is unknown, but according to the records, only three Title Douluo escaped. The rest were all wiped out. Since then, the Spirit Hall has never sent people to forcibly break into the core area on a large scale again. When the core area was opened, they only sent people to search for possible passages to the core area in the outer and inner areas."

"We all suspect that if we force our way in from the outside, the dangers we encounter will not only come from the soul beasts, but also from things within the core area of ​​the Infinite Desert."

After understanding the general situation, Tang San decided to explore, but he still needed to absorb the spirit ring of the Sun and Moon Grass first.

Walking up to the Sun and Moon Grass, he plucked the Sun and Moon Pearl, and the entire Sun and Moon Grass wilted. A deep purple soul ring emerged from it and, guided by Tang San, slowly slipped onto his Blue Silver Grass.

As he absorbed the spirit ring, Tang San's face became more refined, and his hair grew longer, with more blue and silver parts.

The nine-section jadeite used as a hair tie absorbed the life force emanating from Tang Sanyi and the radiance of the sun and moon within the halo of the Sun and Moon Grass. On the jadeite-like scales, two lines of gold and silver appeared, forming a pattern of a golden sun and a silver crescent moon. The nine scales, with the golden sun and silver moon arranged in sequence, even showed a tendency to grow a tenth scale.

"There's a small snake on Tang San's head!" Huo Wu exclaimed.

"That's Tang San's pet." Xiao Wu never calls Tang San "Third Brother" in front of him, and is still quite arrogant. "It's called Nine-Section Jadeite, and it's extremely poisonous. It's said that if a Title Douluo is bitten by it, he will turn into pus within a short time."

Huo Wu didn't believe it: "Really? That little snake, how could it be so powerful?"

"Fire Dance, there are some poisons in this world that even a Title Douluo cannot cure," Fire Phoenix said. "Therefore, we must always be careful when we travel outside."

In fact, Fire Phoenix was also glad that she was on good terms with Tang San, instead of being as arrogant as those people from the Star Crown Sect.

If these nine sections of jade can truly poison a Title Douluo, then poisoning a Soul Emperor would be a piece of cake. The seven members of the Star Crown Sect would probably really die at Tang San's hands.

No wonder he dared to come to this endless desert at such a young age; he must have had the confidence to do so.

Half an hour later, Tang San finished absorbing the spirit ring. The Nine-Section Jadeite had not yet fully grown its tenth scale, and it once again served as a hair tie to bind Tang San's hair.

"Third Brother, did the soul ring absorption go smoothly?" Guang Ling was extremely excited, as if Tang San's successful soul ring absorption was even more joyful than her own breakthrough in soul power.

"It went very smoothly. My soul power reached level 32. The seven-thousand-year soul ring has given me a lot of soul power." Tang San also sensed the amount of soul power required for each level of Soul Master. He thought to himself: No wonder that in the Elite Tournament of Advanced Soul Master Academies across the continent, anyone who can break through to the Soul Master level before the age of 25 is a genius.

To reach the Soul King level before the age of twenty-five is to be a genius among geniuses.

Tang San estimated that, based on his current rate of soul power improvement, he would reach level 40 around the age of twelve.

"Tang San, shall we go down and investigate?" Huo Wu and Huo Feng had already discussed it and decided to go down together. After all, the core area of ​​the Infinite Desert had been opened, and it would be a waste of the trip to the Infinite Desert if they didn't go in and take a look.

Soul Masters are always full of adventurous spirit.

"That's exactly what I was thinking too."

Tang San nodded slightly and looked at Xiao Wu and Guang Ling.

Xiao Wu: "I definitely want to go in."

Guangling: "Me too."

Tang San agreed, released the Blue Silver Grass, and wrapped it around the waists of Huo Feng, Huo Wu, Xiao Wu, and Guang Ling, saying, "My Blue Silver Grass is extremely tough. If we are tied together, and we encounter danger or get lost, we can find each other again by following these leaves."

Then, the five people jumped into the pit and arrived at the cave entrance.

Tang San took out a glowing soul tool, which looked like a flashlight, but its inside was so dark that the bottom could not be seen. However, about ten meters away, there were some thick aquatic plants growing there, with marks of being grabbed. It was estimated that the seven people from the Star Crown Sect climbed down using these aquatic plants.

Fire Phoenix's martial soul is a firebird, which can fly and can grab one in each hand, carrying Guangling and Xiaowu; Fire Dance's martial soul transforms into the Sun Goddess, which keeps hovering and can carry her down.

Tang San, on the other hand, grabbed onto the water plants and climbed down.

Although he possessed a 100,000-year-old Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone, granting him the ability to fly, he had no intention of using a 100,000-year-old soul bone to test a Soul Emperor.

Even though this Soul Emperor highly praised the theories he had published.

After descending nearly 100 meters, the three of them finally reached the bottom.

Ahead was a semi-circular passage about twenty meters high, bearing strong traces of human intervention. The ground was paved with flat stone slabs, but it was very damp. White aquatic plants grew in the cracks, and there were many small fish and shrimp jumping around.

The sides and top of the passage are inlaid with some glowing crystals, similar to glowing soul tools.

Tang San deactivated the glowing soul tool, released his martial soul, and rooted it in place, probing the inside of the passage for any mechanisms.

After absorbing the third spirit ring, the root range of Tang San's Blue Silver Grass reached two hundred meters in length, width and depth. Moreover, if he only controlled the roots to grow in one direction, the roots would only spread on the ground and the length could reach nearly two thousand meters.

"This passage is over two kilometers long." Tang San withdrew his martial spirit and reported the situation. "There are no traps or anything like that, at least not along the way, but we're not sure about the walls on both sides."

"Alright, let's move forward then." Fire Phoenix, carrying Light Feather, ran quickly, with Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Fire Dance following closely behind.

After running two kilometers, Tang San probed again, and so on. After running nearly fifty kilometers, they arrived at the end, where there was no road ahead.

Looking up, it was pitch black, but there was an escalator nearby that led up, and it was made of a very hard, dark silver material.

"Could this be some kind of sunken treasure from the deep sea?"

Tang San secretly guessed that although he worked in a blacksmith shop in Notting City, the small city of Notting City had no access to rare metals like sunken silver, so he couldn't be sure.

However, Tang San didn't speculate too much and began to climb upwards.

After climbing nearly 100 meters, we finally reached the top.

The light above was shining, but the water was shimmering.

Above them was a floating lake with many fish swimming in it, and the light shone through the water to the ground.

"We're at the bottom of the lake!" Huo Wu raised her hand to touch it and found that she could pass through it. It was indeed water, but how did this water float above their heads?

"Looks like we'll have to cross this lake." Tang San released his Blue Silver Grass martial soul, forming a huge blue silver sphere, which Xiao Wu, Huo Wu, Guang Ling, and Huo Feng entered. Then, at the last moment, he gave it a push, causing the blue silver sphere to enter the water.

Instantly, the immense buoyancy propelled the blue-silver ball upwards.

Tang San instructed the four to stay close to the edge of the blue silver ball and not to move, lest they lose their balance.

Huo Wu exclaimed in amazement, "Blue Silver Grass can be used like this? But there's clearly an empty space below, so why isn't water getting in?"

"Because there is air inside the Blue Silver Sphere," Tang San said succinctly. "Air is also a substance. Because I bound it tightly with Blue Silver Grass, water cannot get in."

"Then why not seal off the bottom too?" Huo Wu asked curiously.

"To make it easier to maintain balance," Tang San said. "If the bottom is also sealed off, it will really just be a ball, and we won't be able to control its balance. It will probably tumble during the ascent."

Five minutes later, the blue-silver ball finally reached the surface of the lake thanks to buoyancy.

At Tang San's signal, everyone tilted to one side, causing the blue silver ball to flip over and become a blue silver ship.

Tang San also used his soul power to control the Blue Silver Grass to weave again, and soon the Blue Silver Ball really became a small boat.

This is the effect of enhanced control!

Looking around, behind them was an oasis forest, and in front of them, three kilometers away from the lake, was a small island with a towering tree that was clearly visible even from three kilometers away.

"What a huge tree!" Xiao Wu couldn't help but exclaim.

"I can feel a strong life force." Tang San's Blue Silver Grass mainly cultivates life force, so it is naturally extremely sensitive to life force. "This should be the legendary Tree of Life: the Golden Ancient Tree."

Fire Phoenix didn't recognize the Golden Ancient Tree, but she could sense that her soul power was becoming more active here, greatly increasing her soul power cultivation speed: "Is there anything special about this tree?"

"This tree is said to represent the consciousness of the Douluo Continent plane. Its main function is to gather and purify the energy of heaven and earth."

Tang San described the power of the Golden Tree, saying, "It can be said that this one tree can provide the best cultivation environment for more than 90% of the different types of martial souls on the continent."

"Even ordinary people whose innate soul power is zero can acquire soul power and begin cultivation by living under this golden tree for many years."

Fire Phoenix opened its mouth wide, looking somewhat bewildered.

Huo Wu blurted out, "Doesn't that mean that any family could become the strongest family in the world simply by obtaining this golden ancient tree?"

"If we are content with the status quo and the Soul Master world does not develop, it is indeed possible for a certain family to possess this tree without being discovered." Tang San agreed with Huo Wu's statement, but put forward a lot of preconditions, and then continued, "However, Senior Huo Feng once said that the Spirit Hall sent twenty Title Douluos here in the past, and they all returned empty-handed, so there must be some taboo."

Afterwards, the group started rowing, preparing to go and take a look at the small island.

The five people planned to row their boat to shore.

Although the Fire Phoenix can fly, with the core area of ​​the Infinite Desert now open, there may be other people who have come to this desert and need to conserve their soul power.

Upon reaching the shore, the group disembarked from the blue-silver ship and stepped onto the soft, golden sand.

Looking up, you can see the broad canopy that almost covers the entire island, and the trunk, with a diameter of over a hundred meters, is golden all over, as if it were cast in gold, but it is not as dazzling as gold.

Beneath the treetops lies a stretch of ruins, most of which are dilapidated, yet everyone can sense an ancient and rustic atmosphere.

Through the moss-covered, vine-covered ruins, Tang San could sense the former glory of this place.

"This is truly astounding; there's actually such a historical site here," Huo Wu murmured to herself, then clenched her fist. "Tang San, do you think there might be some ancient treasures hidden within these buildings?"

"Isn't this place supposed to open only once every hundred years? Even if there were any, they'd probably already been taken." Tang San didn't have high hopes of finding any ancient treasures, but he did have some expectations for some rare and precious materials that were born from this golden ancient tree.

You may not recognize them, but just pick any colorful or fancy things you see, and you can study them slowly when you get back.

Fire Phoenix led the way, Tang San brought up the rear, Xiao Wu and Fire Dance guarded the left and right, and Light Feather walked in the middle. The group headed towards the Golden Ancient Tree.

As Tang San got closer to the Golden Tree, the life force he felt became more intense. Even his Blue Silver Grass spirit began to actively absorb the rich life force, revealing golden veins.

Xiao Wu and the others felt very comfortable, finding that cultivating in this place was twice as effective with half the effort.

When they arrived at the golden tree, about 200 meters away, they discovered that there was a door on the tree, and that there were also stairs, windows, and a balcony on the trunk.

This is actually a treehouse!

A treehouse with a diameter of over 100 meters and a height of nearly 1,000 meters!

"It's incredible. In ancient times, could the people here have built houses on such a large tree? And how could they have kept the tree alive?"

Xiao Wu murmured to herself, unsure whether it was from shock, fear, or a glimmer of hope.

Fire Phoenix came to her senses and sighed, "This one tree alone could house the entire population of a small town."

Just then, a figure sped toward the golden ancient tree, intending to enter through a window in the trunk.

But before they could get close, a crimson beam shot out from below, piercing the opponent's chest and knocking him down.

That flying Soul Master was a Soul Saint, but he was instantly killed!

Fire Phoenix hurriedly looked down.

Around that golden ancient tree, there was a circle of monsters with an average height of about twenty meters. Their bodies were made of grayish-brown steel, but they were able to move.

That attack just now was fired from the eyes of one of them.

Tang San noticed it too, but he was the most surprised of the five people present, because these monsters were like Gundams, or rather, giant mechs.

Depending on the situation, there may also be intelligent AI or similar technologies.

"If this golden ancient tree is the one in Douluo Continent II: The Peerless Tang Sect, then the original Tang San must have discovered this place after becoming a god, destroyed all these mechs, forcibly opened the door, and transplanted this golden ancient tree to Shrek Academy."

Tang San noticed some people standing beneath the mechs. The mechs didn't attack them, and he mused, "These mechs are probably guardians. They might put some tests on those who enter, and anyone who tries to force their way into the Golden Tree will be mercilessly destroyed by the mechs."

"If what Huo Feng said about the Spirit Hall's conquest of this place is true, then the strength of these mechs should not be underestimated; they can crush a Title Douluo."

Fire Phoenix was somewhat frightened and asked Tang San, "Should we get closer?"

"Come closer, Senior Fire Phoenix. As long as we don't force our way in, we shouldn't be attacked," Tang San said, pointing to the people standing under the mechs.

Upon hearing this, Huo Feng calmed down and decided to lead Tang San and the others to take a look.

When Tang San arrived in front of the mecha, he truly realized how big it was. Standing in front of such a giant humanoid being, he looked like an ant.

"So you've come after all." The elder from the Star Crown Sect sneered upon seeing Huo Feng and the others arrive, then stared at Tang San. "You've already absorbed that Sun and Moon Grass?"

"Seven thousand years is nothing," Tang San said with a faint smile. "It's just that when you leave later, you'll need to find another Sun and Moon Grass."

"snort!"

The old man snorted coldly, then said, "How about we cooperate?"

"I would like to hear the details," Tang San said, gazing at the old man.

"This ancient tree contains a large number of storage soul tools, and even some offensive soul tools, but entering it is not easy; you need to overcome obstacles." The old man revealed some of the information he knew, pointing to a mecha, "that is, defeating monsters like this."

"This is absolutely impossible!" Fire Phoenix frowned deeply. "This kind of monster can kill a Soul Saint in one hit; its strength is at least at the Title Douluo level. How could we possibly defeat it?"

How could they possibly defeat a monster whose strength has reached the level of a Title Douluo by joining forces?

Dream on!

Moreover, there isn't just one monster here, but so many that they could surround the entire ancient golden tree.

"Don't get excited, I'm not looking for a scapegoat," the old man said. "There are two ways to get inside. The first is what I mentioned: defeat monsters like these. Once you start the challenge, these monsters will transform into identical beings based on your strength. If you defeat them, you can enter and get a soul tool. After that, you can also challenge monsters of higher levels. If you succeed, you can get an extra one."

"That's good." Fire Phoenix relaxed a little.

"Is the challenge one-on-one?" Tang San asked.

"Yes." The old man nodded.

"So, what are the prerequisites for cooperation?" Tang San narrowed his eyes.

Fire Phoenix also realized the problem—since the battle was one-on-one, how could they cooperate? Could these people just be trying to get them to test them?

"Although it's one-on-one, these monsters are very powerful, and it's almost impossible for us to defeat them. But once we give up, they will immediately stop attacking. Then, if we challenge them again before they are replaced, they will restart, and then we will have a chance to defeat them," the old man said.

"A war of attrition."

Tang San understood.

These mechs likely have devices that scan a Soul Master's physical attributes and detect their Soul Power, Soul Rings, and Soul Bones. Once a challenge is initiated, they will release a robot or something similar whose strength is almost identical to that of the Soul Master.

Because the robot's calculations are extremely accurate, every movement is more precise than that of a Soul Master, and every skill can be used perfectly, making it very difficult for a Soul Master to defeat it.

However, a robot's energy is limited. If a Soul Master fights halfway through, exhausts its Soul Power, and then surrenders, allowing the next person to take over, then the robot will be continuously consumed before it is retrieved, thus defeating the opponent... This should be a program bug, or perhaps it's simply to save energy.

"As expected of a master of martial spirit theory, he's really smart."

The old man smiled. "We have three more Soul Hunting Groups here, from the Imperial Clan, the Holy Dragon Sect, and a free Soul Master led by the Soul Sect."

Tang San nodded without saying anything more. Even though the Yu clan was once one of the four clans affiliated with the Haotian Sect, it had nothing to do with him now, right?

The Imperial Clan consists of three people, with a middle-aged man leading the group.

The Holy Dragon Sect was led by an elderly man who looked quite imposing, and he was accompanied by four people.

The remaining free spirit master group had their leader, a spirit master, completely concealed, making it impossible to see their face. Tang San could sense the bloodthirsty aura, and their five teammates also exuded murderous intent; they certainly didn't seem like ordinary free spirit masters.

However, in total, only twenty-six people came here.

"Then, what about the second way to enter?" Tang San wanted to figure out the second way to enter.

"The second way is to answer the questionnaire given by these monsters. If you answer a question correctly, you can go in and get an item. But I advise you not to even consider this method, because the questions they give are not something a Soul Master can answer. Even if you are a master of Martial Soul theory, it won't work. If you answer incorrectly, you must accept the punishment." The old man said seriously, "There is only one punishment, which is to fight against a monster of equal strength, but you cannot surrender, otherwise you will be instantly killed by these powerful monsters."

"learn."

Tang San looked at the mechs and noticed the number "15" on their chests. He asked, "What does that mean?"

"That's the opening time of this place, 15, meaning the opening time lasts for fifteen days," the old man said. "Once the time reaches zero, everyone must leave this place, otherwise these monsters will attack us indiscriminately."

Having explained everything that needed explaining, the elder from the Star Crown Sect said, "So, Master Tang San, Fire Phoenix, how about we cooperate?"

Fire Phoenix looked at Tang San, who thought for a moment and said, "Okay."

"That's good." A smile appeared on the old man's face. "With a master of martial spirit theory like you to arrange tactics for us, things will be more reasonable, right?"

"Let me see how things go first." Tang San neither objected nor agreed, after all, he needed to confirm the specifics of the one-on-one battle.

"Master Tang San is now a Soul Master. You go first. If you can't defeat him, just surrender." The old man shook his head. "We have the most Soul Masters here. We can take turns."

"We have a history, so I can't confirm whether the information you're giving me is true or false. If it's false, and a monster that can instantly kill a Soul Saint appears... I only have one life." Tang San stared intently at the old man, and seeing that he remained unfazed, he added, "Otherwise, let Xu Xing go first. Isn't he just a Soul Master? He can just surrender, and then I'll let Guang Ling go."

The old man remained silent for a long while before shaking his head: "No, Xu Xing is too weak. He's just a Soul Master; we can't defeat him at all."

"In that case..." Tang San took out a small, transparent glass bottle from his storage soul tool, containing a bright green liquid. He shook it a few times in front of everyone and said, "This is a poison I concocted. Only I can cure it. Senior, drink it and vouch for it, how about it?"

The old man's expression changed, and he immediately refused.

Even titled Douluo are terrified of poison, let alone him?

"Then how can we believe what you say, senior?" Tang San put away the poison from the Nine-Section Jadeite and chuckled. He had no good feelings towards anyone who wanted to steal his spirit ring and had murderous intent towards him. "After all, you tried to steal the spirit beast we had been guarding for four months as soon as you arrived."

"I don't really trust the Star Crown Sect either." The leader of the Yu Clan spoke up, but he was leaning towards Tang San. After all, the "Self-Positioning Analysis of Soul Masters" had benefited the Yu Clan to some extent. Many Soul Master groups would team up with the younger generation of the Yu Clan when hunting or fighting Soul Masters, and their lives had improved a bit.

"Niu Gang, you!" Elder Xing's expression changed.

"I think so too. Since it was you, Lao Xing, who brought it up, you should naturally be the one to experiment first," said Bai Luo, the leader of the Holy Dragon Sect, speaking up for fairness.

Among the Free Soul Masters group, whose bloodlust was extremely strong, not a single person spoke; they simply watched quietly.

"Alright, then we'll go first." Elder Xing snorted coldly and said to the Venerable Soul, "Xu Lin, you go first."

"Yes, Elder Xing."

Xu Lin, whose soul power had just reached level 30, released his Star Crown Martial Soul. Two yellow soul rings circled around his body, and he shouted at the mecha twenty meters tall in front of him, "I'm going to start the challenge!"

[Challenge Begins!]

A mechanical sound emanated from the mecha, which then raised its hand and pressed it to the ground. A arena measuring 100 meters in length and width rose from the ground, about 50 centimeters in height.

[Challenge Rules Now Announced:]

[First, any means may be used during the challenge.]

[Second, surrendering or falling out of the arena constitutes a failed challenge.]

Thirdly, as long as you remain in the ring, the challenge is not over, regardless of whether you are unconscious.

[Fourth, bystanders are not allowed to give verbal hints; otherwise, both the challenger and the person giving the hints will be eliminated. (Note: To prevent malicious exploitation of this rule and potential mutual destruction with the challenger, challengers may apply for a challenge against a higher-level opponent. If the challenge is successful, the challenger will survive.)]

Now, challengers, please state your names!

Xu Lin took a deep breath and said, "Xu Lin, a direct disciple of the Star Crown Sect, with the Martial Soul Star Crown, is a level 30 ranged elemental control-type Soul Master."

As Xu Lin finished speaking, the twenty-meter-tall mecha's eyes projected a beam of light, scanning over Xu Lin's body. Then, its knees opened, and a mass of countless metal cubes fell down, splitting and recombining on the arena, transforming into a figure exactly like Xu Lin's, even with the same face, except that its entire body shone with a silvery-white metallic luster.

Tang San examined the peculiar robot and thought to himself, "The soul power fluctuations it emits are almost identical to Xu Lin's. It must be some kind of extremely advanced soul tool... an ancient relic with a high level of technology."

A horrifying incident occurred today: Japan discharged nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean.

RBZF is simply inhumane!

(End of this chapter)