Seated behind Ma Hongjun, Tang San stimulated by the three great sausages, felt his Mysterious Heaven Skill's internal energy circulating at breakneck speed just as it had under the crushing pressure of the Sea God's Light. It surged through his eight extraordinary meridians, constantly replenishing itself, then channeled it right back into Ma Hongjun's body.
The fatty, unleashing his full power in resistance against the Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Serpent's inner core, quickly demonstrated how Phoenix flames were the nemesis of the Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Serpent's fire. Gradually, he managed to withstand the initial berserk eruption of the inner core's energy. His expression steadied along with it.
The pure and gentle nature of the Mysterious Heaven Skill's internal energy made it the perfect protective shield — it would never come into conflict with Ma Hongjun's own Soul Power. Under Tang San's precise control through his formidable spiritual power, not a single flaw was exposed, preventing the erupting energy of the Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Serpent from harming him.
Soul Power output could never quite keep up with consumption, however. As the effects of the three great sausages gradually faded, an intense wave of weakness began to crash through Tang San's entire body. Yet Tang San sat there without so much as a flicker of change in his expression. From his charred-black appearance, Dai Mubai and the others couldn't read any signs at all. None of them knew how long Tang San could hold on, nor how far the fatty had gotten in absorbing the Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Serpent's inner core. All they could do was wait — wait in near-agony.
The orange-red Phoenix flames grew ever more intense. The orange glow beneath the fatty's skin flickered in and out with increasing persistence, until gradually, his hair had turned completely golden-red — and this time, the color didn't shift back. What surprised everyone most was that the fatty's originally rotund body was steadily shrinking over time, his skin retracting along with it, as if the incinerating flames were burning away all the fat within him. It was indescribably bizarre.
Finally, Tang San's one remaining clean hand withdrew from the fatty's back. Dai Mubai and Oscar rushed forward from either side, each supporting one of his arms. Without a moment's hesitation, Oscar popped a Golden Fly sausage he had just made not long ago, then immediately produced several recovery sausages and stuffed them into Tang San's mouth.
Recovery sausages crafted after using the Martial Soul Avatar Golden Fly possessed vastly superior restorative properties and vitality-replenishing effects compared to the standard versions.
After swallowing the sausages, Tang San collapsed to the side with their help, gasping in deep, ragged breaths. Even his exhalations were scorching hot. It was fortunate he had a body immune to both heat and cold — anyone else would have been roasted into actual charcoal long ago.
A full incense stick's worth of time passed before Tang San recovered somewhat. Thanks to his extraordinary physical resilience, the side effects of the Limit-Breaking Dark Green Sausage were limited. It was simply that the hollow, empty feeling inside his body was extremely uncomfortable.
"Everyone, relax. The fatty's Soul Power has completely suppressed the energy of the Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Serpent's inner core. Fully absorbing it is just a matter of time."
Zhu Zhuqing fetched clean water from the seaside and helped Tang San wipe the char from his face. The poor man's hair — which had taken over half a year to grow back — had vanished once again. His face was the color of gold paper, so weak he looked as though he might collapse at any moment.
Tang San said, "Rongrong, you can stop boosting the fatty now. Nobody get close to him — let him absorb it on his own. I can't hold on any longer. Boss, you and Rongrong keep an eye on him. If his expression starts to look off, Rongrong, hit him with a nature attribute boost. Remember — only the attribute boost, nothing else."
"Got it. Third Brother, hurry and get some rest."
Tang San nodded with difficulty. Only after giving all his instructions did he finally close his eyes and begin meditating.
It took a full twelve hours — a full double-hour cycle — for Tang San's body to completely recover, which was already remarkable for someone of his resilience. When he woke, the fatty still hadn't finished absorbing the Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Serpent's inner core, though the orange-red glow emanating from his body had dimmed considerably.
There was a new person on the beach. Little White, having taken human form, was curiously watching the fatty. A hint of fear was visible in her striking grey-blue eyes — fear, it seemed, of the aura radiating from the fatty.
Tang San looked at the fatty in meditation, then at Little White, who filled him with gratitude. He felt a wave of emotion. In truth, he had originally never intended to give the Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Serpent's inner core to the fatty. The great ape Titan had once told him that there were three conditions for reviving Xiao Wu: the Holy Soul Grass to awaken her soul, the priceless Ten-Thousand-Year Nine-Grade Ginseng King to rebuild and reshape her physical form, and an inner core from an ancient spirit beast to unite her soul with her body.
In reality, of these three treasures, the Holy Soul Grass and the Ten-Thousand-Year Nine-Grade Ginseng King were no longer needed. After Xiao Wu had fully absorbed the Love-Rotting Red — the immortal among immortals — and the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng, whose potency was comparable to the Ten-Thousand-Year Nine-Grade Ginseng King, her soul had already been thoroughly awakened and her body had completed the process of reshaping. The only thing still required was the inner core of an ancient spirit beast to unite her soul with her body when the time came for revival.
Before arriving at Sea God Island, for the sake of Xiao Wu's resurrection, Tang San had always regarded the Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Serpent's inner core as more precious than his own life. However, after passing the Sea God's first trial, he had discovered a secret — another method of helping Xiao Wu fuse her soul and body that was far more reliable than using the Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Serpent's inner core.
This method had been discovered when Tang San broke through the Sea God's first trial alongside Xiao Wu. At that time, after Xiao Wu's soul had returned to her body, Tang San had been unable to bear the full pressure due to his physical condition, and part of it had fallen onto Xiao Wu. Through the connection between the Soul Rings, the Soul Bones, and Xiao Wu's soul, Tang San had noticed that something special was happening to Xiao Wu's physical body — the immense pressure was pinning her soul firmly within, and there were even signs that it might sever her connection to Tang San.
In that situation, such a development was undoubtedly extremely dangerous. If the soul connection were severed, Xiao Wu's soul would scatter, because her soul was bound together with the Soul Rings and Soul Bones she had given to Tang San. But what if, after the Soul Rings and Soul Bones returned to Xiao Wu's body, the fusion were carried out under that kind of pressure?
This was the question that had surfaced in Tang San's mind at the time. He had studied it carefully for a long while but could never confirm his hypothesis — until the second trial began, when an offhand conversation with Little White had suddenly illuminated everything.
Because they were both hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts, Tang San had taken the opportunity after one of his battles to ask Little White in detail about the possible methods of reviving Xiao Wu. To his surprise, the conditions Little White described were completely different from those given by Da Ming and Er Ming. She had said only one thing: "As long as you're willing — once you have nine Soul Rings, channel your Soul Skills back into her through the Sea God's Light, and the probability of resurrection is one hundred percent."
Tang San hurriedly relayed the method Da Ming and Er Ming had described. Little White had scoffed dismissively. After examining the Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Serpent's inner core Tang San produced, she told him flatly that if he used it to help Xiao Wu fuse her soul and body, Xiao Wu would die without a doubt. Yes — an ancient spirit beast's inner core could indeed facilitate the soul-body fusion. But it depended on what nature it had. The Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Serpent's inner core was far too violent and aggressive, and during the fusion process, Xiao Wu's soul would be extremely fragile. No one could help her at that point. Unless her soul could withstand the baptism of the inner core's energy, her soul would inevitably scatter.
Hearing this, Tang San broke out in a cold sweat and immediately sought Little White's guidance, telling her what he had discovered in the final moments of the first trial.
Little White explained to him that the Sea God's power was limitless. The Sea God's Light that protected Sea God Island was merely a shield modeled after the Sea God's ability — not the true Sea God's Light. That kind of pressure might indeed facilitate the fusion of Xiao Wu's soul with her body, but it would be far from stable. Moreover, Tang San and Xiao Wu could no longer feel that pressure now. What she was referring to was the true Sea God's Light — the radiance that only the Sea God could wield. The very same light that had emanated from the golden trident brand on Tang San's forehead the day she had tried to kill him. Under the influence of that light, the gentle power of the Sea God could help Xiao Wu complete the fusion process effortlessly.
When Tang San asked Little White how he could awaken the Sea God's Light once more, she had stared at him speechlessly, then told him that in all of Sea God Island, only one person could unleash the true Sea God's Light — not the High Priest, Sea God Douluo Bo Saixi, but Tang San himself. As for when he could emit it, that would depend on when his Sea God Affinity rose above thirty percent.
As Little White finished speaking, the trident brand on Tang San's forehead had lit up once more. Before she could even react, a beam of golden light had lashed her back into the sea. Clearly, the power contained within that brand was rebuking her for running her mouth.
It was precisely because of this that Tang San found himself, for the first time, genuinely looking forward to having obtained that five percent of Sea God Affinity. He was also deeply grateful to Little White. And the Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Serpent's inner core no longer needed to be reserved for Xiao Wu. Resources should be put to their best use — with Xiao Wu no longer a concern, Tang San was not about to be stingy, and he had directly made it available for Ma Hongjun's cultivation of his seventh Soul Ring.
Tang San stretched his body with a vigorous yank, and his entire skeleton crackled and popped, startling everyone who had been standing guard.
Ning Rongrong bounced over to Tang San. "Third Brother, you're awake! How do you feel? Any better?"
Tang San nodded. "Relax, I'm fine. The fatty looks stable enough. Keep watching over him. Little White, I'm going to wash up in the Ring Sea — you can hold off on attacking me for now, right?"
Little White nodded at his wretched appearance, a strange glint flickering through her eyes. As a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast, how could she not know what had happened on shore? The aura that had erupted from the fatty after swallowing the Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Serpent's inner core — an aura that had made even her feel fear — had put her on high alert. That was why she had come to check multiple times.
Tang San's willingness to endure the scorching of Phoenix flames in order to protect the fatty had been entirely visible to her. Now, watching the freshly awakened Tang San, Little White thought to herself: Is this what the humans call loyalty and bond? So humans weren't entirely selfish after all.
Tang San thoroughly cleaned himself up and changed into a fresh set of dry clothes. Aside from his hair and eyebrows, which would need time to grow back again, his body had fully recovered.
Still, no one was in the mood for cultivation. Everyone was eagerly awaiting Ma Hongjun's breakthrough. Aside from Xiao Wu, he was the last to reach level seventy in Soul Power. The group wasn't anticipating the formidable strength he might gain — they were simply hoping he would safely complete the Soul Ring absorption process.
The wait lasted a full three days. The group took turns cultivating their Soul Power and keeping watch, waiting for the fatty to emerge from his meditative state.
The person most shaken by Ma Hongjun's appearance in cultivation was none other than Bai Chenxiang. Three days had passed, and the fatty looked like an entirely different person. All the fat on his body had vanished; beneath his loose clothes, one could faintly feel the hard muscle underneath.
With the fat gone from his face, even his tightly shut eyes no longer looked quite so small. Everything appeared far more proportionate. While he could never match Tang San, Oscar, or Dai Mubai in terms of looks, at this moment — with his above-average features combined with the special aura granted by his Phoenix Martial Soul — he was surprisingly attractive.
Three days later.
Night fell, and just as everyone was about to fill their stomachs with Oscar's great sausages, a strange sensation simultaneously arose in every heart present. In nearly an instant, all eyes snapped to Ma Hongjun.
The orange-red flames that had vanished from the fatty's skin reappeared, shimmering and threaded with fine red veins as they rose up. The fatty's whole body trembled slightly. The next instant, he was entirely engulfed in flames. The soaring Phoenix blaze spread across the sky in the blink of an eye. A massive pillar of fire shot heavenward, and a resonant phoenix cry erupted alongside it.
Dazzling Phoenix flames tore through the night sky, illuminating virtually the entirety of Sea God Mountain. As the blaze rose, the flames gradually receded, revealing an enormous silhouette.
A magnificent, fire-red great bird soared through the midair, its stunning crimson tail feathers and flawless form displaying the majesty of the king of birds. Most remarkably, this colossal Fire Phoenix possessed seven heads. In principle, a creature with seven heads should look terrifying. Yet these seven heads of the Fire Phoenix appeared surprisingly harmonious, each turning with elegant grace.
Tang San pumped his fist with force. "He did it."
Resonant phoenix cries continued to circle through the sky. In that moment, Dai Mubai felt for the first time that the fatty's strength had truly caught up with his own — and in some respects, had even surpassed it. Soaring through the heavens, the fatty had genuinely obtained that supreme-grade Martial Soul.
With a splash, Little White appeared at the shore at some point, gazing up at the seven-headed Fire Phoenix overhead with a look of unease, her eyes flickering with alarm.
It wasn't that she feared Ma Hongjun in his Fire Phoenix form — it was that the Phoenix's aura was the natural nemesis of all serpentine, insectoid, and aquatic creatures. The fatty had just completed his Martial Soul Avatar fusion, and the burst of primal Phoenix power in that instant was enough to inspire terror in any creature innately subject to its suppression.
Little White knew that when these land-dwelling humans next assaulted her defenses, holding them off would be far more difficult.
Half a year had passed, and Little White had witnessed the Shrek Seven Devils' terrifying rate of growth with her own eyes. Frankly, there was a touch of envy within her heart. Humans were the wisest of all living things, their cultivation speed unmatched by any other creature. In a mere half year, they had already achieved such extraordinary breakthroughs. Now, resisting their attacks was growing harder and harder. Without using her most lethal offensive abilities, stopping these fellows would require not only her domain skill but also the cooperation of the other Sea Soul Beasts in the Ring Sea. Only then could she blow them back to the surface one by one.
And in their daily assaults before this, the fatty had never once participated. Now, with an additional force that rivaled Dai Mubai joining their ranks, continuing to hold them back would require her to go all out. They truly were the people the Sea God had chosen.
The phoenix cries gradually subsided. The fatty circled Sea God Mountain once, then slowly descended toward the shore. Before his seven-headed Fire Phoenix form even touched the ground, the intense heat had already begun scorching the earth. Fortunately, the fatty retracted his Soul Power before actually landing, preventing any destructive effect.
The massive Phoenix wings folded in, and the fatty touched down, simultaneously reverting to human form. This time, unlike when he had obtained his sixth Soul Ring, he didn't make a fool of himself by standing there naked. Though he had dismissed his Martial Soul Avatar, his entire body was still sheathed in a layer of fire-red feathers, covering his skin and everything that needed covering.
Ma Hongjun now looked like a well-proportioned young man. His short red hair stood up in a mohawk, and against the backdrop of those lustrous fire-red feathers, he looked incredibly spirited, carrying an air of noble intensity. Even standing still, he radiated an invisible pressure.
His flame-red eyes blazed with disbelief as he first examined his hands, then took in his obviously slimmed-down, well-built frame. He even slapped at the muscles on his chest, standing there in a daze, momentarily speechless. The flames on his body slowly winked out.
"Fatty, what are you staring at? Sure, you can't compare to yours truly, but I have to admit you look way better than before!" Oscar grinned cheekily.
"I actually lost weight — I really lost weight? Heavens above, earth below, I'm not dreaming, am I? A ha ha ha..." The fatty shouted with exaggerated glee, his excitement impossible to contain, whooping with triumphant laughter.