Other than changes to his soul bones, Xu Yang's Martial Soul had also undergone another evolution. The Sun Martial Soul had become even more akin to a true sun. Most importantly, the connection between him and his Martial Soul had undergone a fundamental shift.
If, before, his Martial Soul was like a weapon—easy to control but still separate from him—then now, it was an extension of his body. He could move it at will, and most importantly, its power no longer harmed him. Even the Sunfire, which used to be difficult to control, could now circulate through his body along with his soul power to temper his physique.
With this new change, Xu Yang had begun integrating Sunfire into both the Great Sun Manual and the Great Sun Golden Body, using it to temper his soul, body, and soul power all at once.
He couldn't even begin to imagine how powerful he would become in the future with this form of cultivation.
Another critical change was his cultivation speed. After breaking through to the Spirit Sage realm, his innate talent as an Ultimate-type Spirit Master had been fully unlocked. He could clearly feel that his speed of cultivation was now ten times faster than before. He even felt like he could increase one soul power rank every two months.
It had to be noted that at Xu Yang's current level—Spirit Sage—every rank required exponentially more soul power than the previous stages. To still improve at such a pace showed just how terrifying the cultivation efficiency of an Ultimate-type Spirit Master could be.
Of course, this absurd efficiency was unique to Xu Yang alone. He had already formed a Golden Core, and the level of soul power it produced was not something other Spirit Masters could compare to.
For ordinary Spirit Masters, progressing beyond Spirit Sage meant soul power increased by maybe one-fold compared to Spirit Emperor—not even close to his hundred-fold transformation.
And these were just the changes in soul power, soul bones, and Martial Soul. He hadn't even carefully examined what had changed in his body and spiritual sea.
Hoo—
Xu Yang let out a long breath and slowly rose to his feet. But the moment he opened his eyes, he was stunned.
The sunflower field where he had begun his seclusion was gone—completely obliterated. In its place was a barren wasteland. The land around him had been upheaved in spiral layers, all centered around where he stood.
"Xu Yang!"
"Brother Yang!"
Before he could even figure out what had happened, two anxious voices called out. He turned and saw two figures pouncing toward him.
Acting on instinct, he caught them in his arms. Only then did he realize it was Dugu Yan and Ning Rongrong. Both girls clung to him tightly, tearstains still visible at the corners of their eyes.
"Xu Yang, I thought I'd never see you again. Do you even know how terrifying the commotion was when you were breaking through? I thought I was going to lose you…"
"Exactly! Brother Yang, you broke through without telling us anything. We were worried sick! I don't care—you have to make it up to us. You're taking us shopping!"
…
Hearing their grumbling in his arms, Xu Yang finally understood—this barren land was his doing, and he'd been in seclusion for over two months.
Even Chen Xin had broken through to Rank 99 during that time, officially becoming an Ultimate Douluo.
As for the upheaval at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, they had publicly announced it was caused by Chen Xin's breakthrough, and no factions had doubted it—after all, he had already proven his power during the Spirit City incident.
"Brother Yang, you look even more handsome after your breakthrough! Your skin is so perfect it makes me jealous. When I get stronger, you have to teach me your methods... but wait, don't you feel like something is missing?"
As Ning Rongrong spoke, her cheeks flushed red as she covered her mouth, giggling.
Dugu Yan also giggled beside her.
Something felt off to Xu Yang. When he looked down, he realized—his clothes had been completely disintegrated during the breakthrough, turned to molecules and absorbed.
He was stark naked.
His cheeks turned slightly red, but he didn't feel too embarrassed. He calmly pulled a fresh set of clothes from his storage ring and dressed himself. Then, casually draping an arm around each girl's waist, he led them back toward the sect.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was much quieter these days. Most of the younger generation with weaker cultivation had been relocated, leaving only the veteran experts behind. It was all part of a ploy to mislead the outside world.
Xu Yang brought Dugu Yan and Ning Rongrong into the bustling streets of Seven Treasure City. On the surface, nothing had changed—shops still stood in neat rows, and the marketplace buzzed with activity.
The girls didn't really plan to buy anything—they just wanted to spend time with Xu Yang.
They knew he'd be leaving soon to hunt for his seventh spirit ring, which would have to be at least a 100,000-year-old spirit beast, and the journey would take considerable time.
After some strolling and shopping, Ning Rongrong suddenly asked, "Brother Yang, can we come with you on your spirit beast hunt this time?"
Dugu Yan also looked at him with hopeful eyes.
As time passed, she increasingly felt a growing distance from Xu Yang—not in terms of emotion, but in power. It was a gap that left her feeling helpless.
Back when they were in the academy, she had thought Xu Yang was just ahead temporarily, and that she would catch up eventually—especially with her own talent and the help of celestial herbs. But reality had proven otherwise. The gap between them only grew wider, to the point that she could no longer see even the hope of catching up.
In her heart, a feeling had taken root: this man might just be the one with the greatest chance to become a god in all of Douluo Continent's history.
After the Spirit City incident, that feeling only grew stronger.
"Even though I'd love to take you two along, this time I'm targeting a Golden Crow spirit beast that's over 200,000 years old. With your current strength, you probably wouldn't even be able to get close…"
He didn't finish the sentence, but the message was clear: this spirit beast hunt was too dangerous.
"…Alright."
Although Ning Rongrong sometimes acted spoiled, she was calm and level-headed when it truly mattered. She understood that this was not something to argue about.
"Let's head back," Dugu Yan suddenly said.
"Alright."
Xu Yang nodded, and the three of them returned to the sect. Upon arrival, Dugu Yan and Ning Rongrong excused themselves, saying they had something to take care of. Xu Yang didn't overthink it.
He went to greet his teacher and Madam Ning before returning to his own quarters.
But the moment he entered his room, he sensed something was off. His spiritual sense swept the room—and he nearly had a nosebleed.
Lying on his bed were Dugu Yan and Ning Rongrong, dressed in extremely revealing outfits. The atmosphere was full of subtle temptation, and his inner fire was immediately ignited.
"Yan-jie, is this really okay…?" Ning Rongrong asked shyly, tugging at the edge of her outfit. Her cheeks were red as cherries. She had never dressed this provocatively before—much less seduce a man alongside another woman.
"What's not okay about it? We're both going to marry him eventually anyway," Dugu Yan replied, snaking her body like a serpent as she wrapped herself around Ning Rongrong. She gently placed her hand on Rongrong's, teasing with a playful smile. "Or… is it that you don't want to marry him? Do you have someone else you like?"