Tang San finished by saying that if they wanted to break through Jialing Pass, there was only one possible method. Those words instantly set Xue Bing's eyes ablaze with light, and he could not wait to ask for details.
For Xue Bing, this campaign had mobilized the full might of the Tian Dou Empire, backed by the armies of the Xing Luo Empire, all with one goal — to crush the Spirit Empire before it could truly take root. If they allowed the Spirit Empire to develop and consolidate, with the enormous number of Soul Masters at its disposal, it would become a catastrophe for both empires. With the army now stalled before Jialing Pass, how could he not be anxious? Once Jialing Pass fell, the Spirit Empire would have no natural defenses left to speak of. In terms of overall strength, it simply could not contend with the two great empires combined!
Tang San glanced down at the dark trident in his hand, then looked at Xue Bing. "Your Majesty, this method must remain secret. I can tell you and you alone."
Xue Bing blinked, then immediately nodded and addressed the generals in the camp. "All of you are dismissed. Go and rest."
Though every general shared the same burning curiosity about what Tang San had in mind, the young man's overwhelming strength had already earned their near-blind trust. Hearing his words, their confidence swelled, and not one of them argued — they filed out of the great tent without delay. Marshal Ge Long, after fixing Tang San with a long, searching look, departed as well.
Tang Hao was about to leave together with Tang Xiao when Tang San stopped him. "Uncle, Father, Master — my method requires your cooperation as well. So you need to know."
The Great Master's eyes locked onto Tang San, burning with intensity. "Little San, if I'm not mistaken, what you're speaking of is breaking through level one hundred and ascending to godhood."
With the Great Master, Tang San had never needed to hide anything. He had long since recounted his entire ordeal on Sea God Island to this teacher who had treated him as his own son.
Hearing the Great Master's words, both Tang Hao and Tang Xiao showed expressions of sudden realization. Only Xue Bing looked completely bewildered.
Tang San said, "Your Majesty, you yourself are a Soul Master. You naturally know that every ten levels, a Soul Master's strength takes a leap forward upon obtaining a Soul Ring."
Xue Bing nodded, and his confused eyes gradually cleared — though they grew wide with shock. "Master, you mean... level one hundred..."
Tang San said, "For a Soul Master, breaking through level ninety is already a lifetime's dream — the achievement of a Titled Douluo. When the Spirit Empire was still the Spirit Hall, every Titled Douluo could have their name inscribed in the Hall of Douluo. But a Titled Douluo is not the true limit of cultivation. The true limit is godhood. That means pushing Soul Power beyond level one hundred. Level one hundred is the greatest barrier of all. If you can complete that breakthrough, then even facing dozens of Titled Douluo simultaneously would pose no problem. You should also know that before I left years ago, my strength was far from what it is now. In truth, that was because I found the inheritance left behind by a former god and became his successor — gaining the opportunity to challenge level one hundred. This trident is the weapon he bestowed upon me. And his divine name is the Sea God. Today, I officially used the power of the Sea God to transform the moat's waters into my weapon of attack. However, I am still two final trials away from becoming the Sea God. The method I speak of is to complete those last two trials. Once I truly ascend as the Sea God, breaking through Jialing Pass will no longer be a problem — and the Spirit Empire will likely have nothing left that can stand in my way."
Tang San had conveyed his thoughts in the most concise manner possible, but the impact of his words on Xue Bing was staggering. As an emperor, he had already reached the pinnacle of humanity. Now, to suddenly learn that gods truly existed — he was so stunned that his entire body went momentarily numb.
"M-Master... are there truly gods in this world? Omnipotent gods? Immortal gods?" Xue Bing's voice trembled, and the look he fixed on Tang San blazed with fervent desire.
Tang San silently sighed to himself. In the end, Xue Bing was still just an ordinary person.
"Your Majesty, there is no need to dwell on it too deeply. In truth, gods are no different from Douluo — they are merely a title. The word 'god' refers to extraordinarily powerful humans, far beyond ordinary people. It does not mean omnipotent. As far as I know, at least three gods have appeared on the continent of Soul Land. If they were truly immortal and omnipotent, then the continent would be under their rule — so where would the Xing Luo Empire come from? Where would the Tian Dou Empire come from?"
Only after hearing this explanation did Xue Bing gradually calm down, though the gleam in his eyes continued to flicker. "Master, can you tell me just how powerful a god truly is?"
Tang San shook his head. "I don't know. I'm afraid no one in this world can answer that question for you. It has been an exceedingly long time since a god last walked this land. But one thing is certain — breaking through the level-one-hundred bottleneck will bring an enormous increase in power. That is why I said, if I can ascend as the Sea God, I will have the confidence to help Your Majesty break through Jialing Pass."
Xue Bing thought for a moment and said, "Master, how long will you be gone? What are your chances of success? I would not want you to risk your life for the empire." Though he had been shaken by Tang San's revelation, he could fully imagine how monumental the challenge of ascending to godhood would be — it was no simple task.
Tang San looked at Xue Bing and could not help but sigh inwardly. Though the emperor's concern was genuine, the burning desire in his eyes betrayed his deeper thoughts. And who could blame him? If the Tian Dou Empire possessed a god-level powerhouse, the unification of the continent would be more than just a dream. Besides, Tang San still bore the title of his disciple — to claim he harbored no desire for godhood would be a lie.
With a faint smile, Tang San said, "Your Majesty need not worry. I have at least a seventy percent chance of success. This trip will take no less than one month and no more than three — I will certainly return."
Some of the tension drained from Xue Bing's gaze, and he hurried to say, "If that is the case, then the empire's future rests on you, Master. Whatever you require, simply name it and I shall grant it without hesitation. However, once you leave, I'm afraid this camp..."
Tang Hao spoke calmly. "Your Majesty, rest easy. With us here, we may not accomplish great victories, but we will ensure the Spirit Empire gains nothing — that much I can promise."
Xue Bing turned to Tang Hao, and recalling the terrifying strength the man had displayed atop the city walls earlier, he felt slightly reassured. "Very well then, Master — I thank you for your trouble. When do you plan to depart?"
Tang San replied, "Once my injuries have improved somewhat, I will set out with my companions. Inheriting the Sea God's throne will require the assistance of my six partners."
Tang Hao, Tang Xiao, and the Great Master followed Tang San back to his own tent.
"Little San, have you truly made up your mind to inherit the Sea God's divine throne?" the Great Master asked with a note of worry.
Tang San let out a soft sigh. "Master, you know I have no choice. It is not only because of the current war — the Sea God's Nine Trials were something I always had to complete. I simply did not expect them to come so soon. The Spirit Empire's forces are formidable, and to deal with them, our current strength is far from sufficient. Once Qian Daoliu arrives, we will struggle even to hold our ground."
Tang Hao frowned. "Ascending to godhood through level one hundred is a task of unimaginable difficulty. Even with your great-grandfather's extraordinary talent, he failed for years — and ended up in that wretched state in the Slaughter City. Little San, you are still young. I do not want you to be reckless. Did you not say that the eighth trial alone allowed a full ten years? You need more time to build your foundation."
A look of unwavering resolve surfaced in Tang San's eyes. "Father, I understand all of your concerns, but what must be faced will be faced. One can imagine that god-level power must be truly terrifying. Even if my Soul Power grows further, the situation is unlikely to change dramatically when the time comes. It would be better to seize the moment — to take the plunge now, when I most need the boost in strength. My situation differs from our ancestor's. I have already passed the Sea God's seventh trial, and I have the Sea God's Trident and my partners to help me. The seventy percent chance of success I told Xue Bing about was no exaggeration. Besides — do not forget, I possess a Twin Martial Soul. Before I go to inherit the Sea God's divine throne, I will first complete the Soul Ring attachment for the Clear Sky Hammer. The Sea God's Light will allow the stat increases gained by both martial souls to be fully absorbed by my body. Judging by my current condition, I have already surpassed the boundaries of what a normal human body can achieve. So I believe I will succeed."
Tang Hao slowly nodded. "If that is the case, then you must succeed. This is not merely your own affair. The Tian Dou Empire means nothing to us, and I can even set aside the grudge against the Spirit Empire. But you must always remember — your mother and I have only you, and the Great Master has only you as his disciple."
A wave of warmth surged through Tang San's heart. His father's large hands had settled on his shoulders, and a stream of warm energy flowed steadily into his body, nourishing his meridians. Stimulated by Tang Hao's Soul Power, Tang San's recovery speed increased noticeably.
The Great Master nodded repeatedly upon hearing Tang Hao's words. "The Titled Douluo of the Clear Sky speaks truly. In our hearts, your life comes first — everything else is secondary. But there is one more thing I must remind you of. Little San, you saw it today — the Clear Sky Douluo was able to break through the defenses of a Titled Douluo whose Soul Power reached a full ninety-eight levels, using nothing but the Clear Sky Hammer. Do you know why?"
Tang San was startled and looked toward his father. By now, Tang Hao had already assessed Tang San's physical condition and ceased channeling Soul Power into him — after all, his own power was not of the same origin as Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Skill. Moreover, Tang San's body had already recovered significantly, prompting Tang Hao to marvel silently: his son's body had truly crossed beyond the boundaries of humanity.
Tang San thought for a moment and said, "Father, at that time you did not use any soul skills — you only deployed the Martial Soul Avatar later, and that alone shattered the Golden Crocodile Douluo's defenses. I was standing right behind you and could feel it. After activating the Martial Soul Avatar, your strength became terrifying. It was not merely the weight — it was the explosive force. Every hammer blow, combined with that overwhelming aura of yours, left the opponent feeling utterly powerless to resist. In your place, I would not have been able to withstand it either. Only with the weight of the Sea God's Trident might I have had a chance."
At this point, Tang Hao turned his gaze to Tang Xiao standing nearby, his eyes carrying a silent question.
Tang Xiao nodded. "Pass it on to him. Apart from Little San, who else has the right to inherit the Clear Sky Douluo's secret technique? Besides, even Grandfather himself entrusted the Clear Sky Token to Little San. That shows he approved of this. Little San still has many challenges ahead — passing it on will give him another means of self-defense."
Tang Hao nodded. The Great Master beside them smiled faintly, as though he had long anticipated this moment. "Then I shall take my leave first."
Tang Xiao laughed heartily and clapped the Great Master on the shoulder. "For Little San's sake, Master, you have spared no effort! From now on, stop calling us Douluo or whatever. Without you, there would be no Little San as he is today. From now on, we are brothers — we should address each other as such."
The Great Master chuckled. "Then I shall humbly accept."
Though Tang San was still puzzled about what his father intended to pass on to him, he first addressed the Great Master. "Master, I would trouble you to arrange separate quarters for the disciples of the Clear Sky Sect. They should not be housed near my Tang Sect disciples."
The Great Master understood his meaning immediately. Though they had fought side by side today, the Single Attribute Four Clans' resentment toward the Clear Sky Sect ran far too deep to be resolved so easily. Tang San simply did not have the time to deal with it now — the only option was to keep the groups apart and prevent any clashes. Moreover, after the recent battle, the Tang Sect disciples were even more devoted to Tang San. As long as no extraordinary circumstances arose, the four clan leaders would surely keep their own people in check.
The Great Master and Tang Xiao left the tent, and simultaneously intercepted A Yin and Xiao Wu, who had come rushing over upon hearing the news, turning them away outside. Inside the tent, only Tang San and his father Tang Hao remained.
Tang Hao sat cross-legged facing his son, his gaze intense and piercing. "Our Clear Sky Sect has possessed a special cultivation method ever since its founding. Every generation, the one disciple who inherits this method, upon breaking through to level ninety, receives the title of Clear Sky — which is how the Clear Sky Douluo came to be. And virtually every disciple who has held this title has gone on to become the sect master."
At this, Tang Hao's gaze dimmed slightly. "In truth, the word 'virtually' traces back to me — it was in my generation that this succession was broken. My grandfather, the previous Clear Sky Douluo Tang Chen, passed the sect master position to my father — your grandfather. However, he did not transmit the Clear Sky Douluo's exclusive cultivation method to him. Instead, he passed it to me, his grandson. Both my grandfather and my father, in that moment, had already designated me as the Clear Sky Sect's next successor. And I did not disappoint them — I shattered every record for Soul Power advancement the sect had ever known, becoming the youngest powerhouse in the Clear Sky Sect's history, and indeed in the entire continent's Soul Master community."
Here, Tang Hao's expression softened with a trace of warmth as he looked at his son. "Of course, all my records have long since been broken by you. I am proud of you — and I am ashamed. I have never been a good father. The Great Master has done far more for you than I ever did."
"Father, why do you say that? Without you, how could I exist? Have I not always said that the debt of a parent's love is one a child can never fully repay? Besides, you acted as you did because you had no choice. If it had been me in your place, I might have fared even worse."
Tang Hao took a deep breath, his expression filled with quiet satisfaction. "Good, good — let us speak no more of that. This special cultivation method of our Clear Sky Sect can only be passed to one person per generation. It is not out of selfishness — it is because this technique demands extraordinary requirements of its practitioner. Only a prodigiously gifted genius can hope to cultivate it successfully; otherwise, the attempt will cost them their lives. The name of this technique is the Grand Sumeru Hammer."
Tang San was taken aback. He knew that Sumeru and mustard seed were two opposing concepts — Sumeru representing infinity and the mustard seed representing the infinitesimal. It was like the third realm of his Purple Extreme Demon Eye, Mustard Seed, which referred to the ability to perceive infinitely small objects through the eye. The Clear Sky Hammer's Grand Sumeru Hammer technique obviously referred to a special hammer art that amplified the Clear Sky Hammer's power to infinity.