Chapter 246: The Role of Body Tempering
As Tang San and the others slowly began to regain consciousness, they immediately felt the intense soreness throughout their bodies. Most of them had only managed to last one or two hours in the trial. Even Tang San, who had trained under a waterfall, could not hold on for more than three hours.
When they woke up, the numbness started to fade, and every inch of their skin felt as though it had been pricked by countless needles. The pain seemed to sink into their very bones, making it impossible to move, as if life and death were out of reach.
This pain was ongoing, and they would continue to suffer in such agony for an extended period. They looked utterly miserable.
However, despite having been unconscious for several hours, Yang Xiong was still alone on the Silver Pillar, enduring the waves' assault.
By the time the others had started their cultivation, Yang Xiong had already endured ten full hours of Tidal Body Tempering. Everyone was astonished at his perseverance.
Tang San couldn't help but ask, "Senior Poseidon, how long has Yang Xiong been cultivating? Has he not rested at all?"
Poseidon looked at Yang Xiong, her voice calm, "As of now, Yang Xiong has been enduring Tidal Body Tempering for ten hours. Not even the Sea Dragon Douluo, when he first began, could hold on for longer than that. Yang Xiong's physical constitution is indeed extraordinary."
Even Poseidon seemed impressed. She knew the pain of Tidal Body Tempering all too well, and for this to be Yang Xiong's first time enduring it, the duration was indeed impressive.
Tang San seemed to think of something. "Senior, with Yang Xiong's powerful physique, could it be that his martial soul has something to do with his body?"
Poseidon nodded, "That is indeed part of the reason, but it's not the most crucial factor. I can be certain that Yang Xiong must have undergone incredibly harsh training, even pushing his body beyond its limits countless times. That's why his physique is so strong."
"Purely in terms of physical strength, Yang Xiong's body is comparable to a Title Douluo at around level 95, possibly even stronger. In all my years, I've never encountered anyone as dedicated to body cultivation as he is."
Tang San seemed confused. "Senior, how did Yang Xiong cultivate such terrifying physical strength? No matter how hard ordinary soul masters train, they can't reach this level."
Poseidon shook her head. "I don't know the specifics, but judging from his physique and martial soul, he must have had numerous fortuitous encounters. His martial soul has likely undergone multiple evolutions. In terms of martial soul strength, it's probably on par with the strongest martial souls in the world."
Tang San was stunned, suddenly recalling what the Chrysanthemum Douluo had mentioned in the Star Dou Forest about the mystical Chrysanthemum that could connect the eight meridians. He thought, if he had used the same herb, he might have been able to achieve an indestructible body as well.
The group looked at Ning Rongrong, who had grown up with Yang Xiong and was very familiar with his training and martial soul changes.
Ning Rongrong thought for a moment before speaking, "I'm not entirely sure, but it does seem like Yang Xiong's martial soul has changed. Do you remember when he first joined Shrek Academy? His martial soul was silver, but now it's blood-red."
"And I remember when he first entered school, his martial soul had no color. It didn't change until after he entered Shrek Academy, when it became silver."
"Also, he's Master Gu's disciple. Master Gu has been concerned with his body tempering for a long time. Every time he trains, the poisonous substances are things I'm not allowed to touch."
Poseidon nodded, "Yang Xiong may have used poison and rare herbs to temper his body, strengthening his internal organs. Perhaps his future is indeed limitless."
...
On the Silver Pillar, Yang Xiong's body seemed to have reached its limit. Every cell in his body felt as if it were being struck by the waves, and the pain seeped into his bones, as though he were being tempered like steel in a forge.
Yang Xiong understood very well that Tidal Body Tempering was Sea God Island's greatest opportunity, and that it was the best method to enhance one's physical body. The pain, though intense, allowed him to make his body stronger.
What's more, his body was his martial soul. As the waves tempered his body, it was as if his martial soul was being refined too. This was likely the true transformation.
Unlike ordinary body tempering, Tidal Body Tempering involved the divine power of the Sea God. This divine energy not only tempered the body but also allowed even soul bones to be strengthened. This was somewhat similar to the blood river in the Killing City.
Time passed, and Yang Xiong's soul power and physical energy were completely exhausted. His body felt as if it had been hammered countless times. Every bone in his body seemed to ache, and even the soul bones he had absorbed began to show signs of backlash. The waves pushed him to his limits, bringing his attributes to their maximum potential.
The most crucial was his external soul bone, the Xuanming Armor. The relentless impact seemed to rapidly increase the age of the soul bone, pushing its limits to an extreme degree.
After an unknown amount of time, Yang Xiong's willpower reached its peak, but the waves showed no signs of stopping. Finally, his mind began to fade, and he lost consciousness.
When Yang Xiong awoke, he found Ning Rongrong holding him, her expression filled with worry, as if afraid he would be injured again.
At this moment, Yang Xiong felt completely numb, his entire body devoid of sensation, as though thousands of needles were stabbing every cell. It felt as if he were in hell.
Ning Rongrong, seeing that he had woken up, quickly spoke, "Little Bear, you're finally awake. I was so worried about you. You were in such a bad state."
Yang Xiong forced himself to sit up. "Rongrong, how do you feel now? How did everyone do in the Tidal Body Tempering?"
Ning Rongrong and the others exchanged looks, their eyes filled with a sense of desolation. "We're all gradually recovering, but most of us could only last around two hours. It's going to be difficult going forward."
It was now clear that Tidal Body Tempering was one of the most difficult and painful trials among all the challenges they had faced.
Everyone present had at least reached the Black-level Four Trials, with the highest being the Red-level Seven Trials. But even then, they had barely lasted half the required time. If this continued, they wouldn't be able to pass the trial.
Among them, only Yang Xiong had managed to last the full fourteen hours required for the Tidal Body Tempering trial, but the road ahead was still very long, as this trial would last an entire year.
Yang Xiong fell silent for a moment before asking, "Oscar, how are you now? Have you started recovering your soul power?"
Oscar nodded, "I've recovered a bit of soul power. If I want to fully recover, it'll take about six or seven more hours."
Oscar had absorbed the soul bone of the 100,000-year-old Thousand-jin Ant Emperor, which significantly enhanced his body's recovery ability, especially with the excellent power-type soul bones, particularly the trunk soul bone that protected his entire body.
Yang Xiong took out some healing herbs that he had obtained from the Ice Fire Yin Yang Eye or the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
"Oscar, recover your soul power as quickly as you can. Once your soul power is sufficient, try to make more Super Recovery Sausages. From now on, everyone should carry a few sausages during the Tidal Body Tempering trial. This will help recover your soul power and extend how long you can endure."
Oscar didn't hesitate, "Alright, Big Brother Yang, I'll make as many sausages as I can."
Oscar, now a Soul Saint, had very little soul power consumption when using his first soul skill, so he could make a large amount of sausages every time.
Yang Xiong then looked at everyone. "I know this is painful for all of you, but from my experience with body tempering, the effect of training at times like this is the best. Tidal Body Tempering has no side effects and is better than any treasure. It can even help your bodies grow stronger again, and its effects are better than increasing your soul power."
Ning Rongrong and the others nodded. They had absolute trust in Yang Xiong.
Yang Xiong then looked at Oscar. "Oscar, your martial soul is unique. You may have a shorter endurance at first, but after every round of tempering, using your soul power will be highly beneficial for both your body and your martial soul."
Oscar smiled. "Thanks for the reminder, Big Brother Yang. From now on, I'll make sure to prepare more sausages and take care of everyone's logistics."
After the Tidal Body Tempering, Poseidon had arranged for a large amount of food to be delivered, and everyone regained their strength by consuming it.
Yang Xiong's recovery was exceptionally fast. After just a few hours, the pain had mostly subsided, and he was able to move freely.
Yang Xiong called over Shui Bing'er and Fire Dance, the two who had suffered the most among his group, but who also had the greatest opportunity for improvement.
Yang Xiong looked at Shui Bing'er first. "Sister Bing'er, how are you feeling now? Is there any discomfort in your body?"
Shui Bing'er seemed much stronger than before. "Yang Xiong, it's strange. After Tidal Body Tempering, my recovery seems faster than the others. I think I can adapt to the trial's requirements soon."
Yang Xiong nodded. "Your martial soul is the Ice Phoenix, which has strong ice attributes. In a way, it's related to water attributes. Tidal Body Tempering involves not just the waves, but also the Sea God's divine power. As a Red-level Seven Trials participant, this should be related to your attributes."
"This is an excellent opportunity for you. It might help your Ice Phoenix become perfect and enhance your foundation to an unprecedented strength."
Shui Bing'er thought for a moment. "Thank you for your guidance. I'll give my all in training."
After Shui Bing'er left, Yang Xiong looked at Fire Dance. "Fire Dance, how did you feel about Tidal Body Tempering today?"
Fire Dance didn't hesitate. "Teacher, it was my first time with Tidal Body Tempering. I'm still adjusting, but next time I'll be able to endure longer. I'm sure I can meet the trial standards."
Yang Xiong's expression turned serious. "Your standard isn't just eight hours a day. My requirement is that by the later stages, you should endure at least twelve hours a day, if not longer. The average time must reach ten hours."
Fire Dance's face changed in shock, but she quickly became serious. "Teacher, I'll do my best. I'll meet your requirements."
Yang Xiong smiled. "With your talent and martial soul, ten hours a day will be nothing. Do you remember when I told you about your martial soul's second awakening?"
"From my research over the years, the second awakening of a martial soul must occur in a life-and-death crisis. Tidal Body Tempering is the perfect environment for this. Perhaps after this, your strength and talent will undergo a qualitative change, even rivaling the most top-tier martial souls in history."
...
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Cortez10