As the dark golden lightning struck, everything around seemed to freeze in place.
Such lightning should not have appeared in Fang Chang's tribulation. However, undergoing dual tribulations was unprecedented, and with Bo Saixi, a Limit Douluo, forcefully resisting the tribulation to save her clansmen, the calamity had escalated further.
Under these compounding factors, the tribulation had transformed into a divine punishment, leaving even Bo Saixi feeling a chill down her spine.
Fang Chang also sensed the unusual atmosphere. He slightly raised his head and quickly confirmed that his "Revival" skill was still active. Only then did he relax a little.
The dark golden lightning arrived in an instant. Bo Saixi unleashed the full power of a Limit Douluo and even borrowed a portion of power that did not belong to her. Her spear, infused with all her strength, clashed with the lightning.
In that moment, Fang Chang's eight spider legs turned to ash, and what remained of his body was sent flying far away from Bo Saixi.
Bo Saixi didn't fare much better. Her red robe was scorched black by the lightning, riddled with holes, and reduced to tatters.
The spear in her hand, a weapon second only to divine artifacts, shattered upon contact with the dark golden lightning. The blade fragmented into seven or eight pieces, and the shaft broke into several sections.
After the lightning passed, Bo Saixi struggled to kneel on one knee, using the longest remaining piece of the broken spear to barely support herself. Her eyes swept over the sea soul masters behind her.
The scene was desolate. The sea was devoid of any crimson, yet it was littered with the bodies of sea soul masters, creating an eerie sight.
At a glance, out of the hundreds of sea soul masters who had left the island with her, fewer than twenty or thirty remained alive. Even among the remaining four Title Douluos, two had perished.
Seeing this, her heart ached, and her vision darkened. The broken spear could no longer support her body, causing her to collapse backward and slowly sink into the sea.
On the side of the sea spider tribe, the three sisters—Little Gold—had long received Fang Chang's order to retreat as soon as they saw the calamity clouds.
The moment the clouds appeared, they led their tribe in a swift retreat. By the time the dark golden lightning struck, they were already more than ten miles away from Fang Chang and Bo Saixi.
Even so, they were still affected. Some of their tribesmen were injured by the electric currents transmitted through the seawater, and the three sisters suffered some shockwaves while defending against the impact.
When the storm subsided and the calamity clouds dispersed, they cautiously led their tribe back toward the scene.
By then, the remaining soul masters from Sea God Island had already taken the severely injured Bo Saixi back into the island, not daring to come out again.
The young spiders of the sea spider tribe happily feasted on the aftermath. For them, these remains were as nourishing as soul beasts.
About half an hour later, a white light enveloped Fang Chang's broken body. Under the protection of the three sisters, his damaged form gradually repaired itself.
After a long while, Fang Chang, now fully recovered, slowly opened his eight eyes and glanced at the three sisters around him.
Name: Fang Chang
Race: Netherworld Soul-Chasing Spider
Soul Power: 307,245 years
Evolution Points: 1,036,195
HP: 237,800/237,800
Strength: 67,802
Attack: 71,413
Defense: 108,700
Speed: 74,625
(Stats boosted by the "Domination" skill)
After experiencing the surge in soul power and the benefits of the dual tribulation, Fang Chang's soul power had now reached 300,000 years, placing him in the ranks of a Fierce Beast.
Thinking of this, he willed his body to shrink rapidly from its ten-meter length, gradually taking on a human form. Finally...
In the Douluo world, some exceptionally gifted soul beasts could take on human form after reaching over 200,000 years of soul power and surviving two tribulations.
Soul beasts who transformed through this method retained some of their original features but largely resembled humans.
Of course, there were exceptions, like the demon shark Xiao Bai, who, despite having just over 100,000 years of soul power, gained the ability to transform into a human form due to the Sea God's blessing.
Soul beasts with this ability could appear in human form outside of combat and instantly revert to their soul beast form during battle, making it highly practical.
Fang Chang now stood at around 1.7 meters tall, with a slightly lean build and a face with sharp features, resembling a man in his twenties at first glance.
However, in addition to his normal pair of arms and legs, he had two extra pairs of hands growing from his rib area.
Above his normal eyes were six small red dots, which, with a thought, transformed into six smaller eyes, restoring his vision to a state similar to his spider form.
These changes made him look somewhat unnatural no matter how you looked at him.
Fortunately, the "Flexible Size" skill could still be used on parts of his body even in human form.
He quickly used the skill to shrink the extra pairs of hands to one-tenth their size, then fashioned a simple robe out of spider silk to cover them, making him appear slightly more normal.
The three sisters, Little Gold, curiously examined Fang Chang, occasionally poking him with their slender spider legs, clearly fascinated.
If not for the fact that Fang Chang's aura and demeanor remained the same as the mischievous spider they knew, they might not have recognized him.
After indulging in the novelty of being human, Fang Chang's body expanded again, quickly returning to his original spider form. It was simply more convenient to be in this form when among his tribe.
He established a mental connection with the three sisters, but with his increased power, it felt more like he had created a group chat, allowing them to hear each other's thoughts simultaneously, rather than establishing separate channels as before.
The three sisters found this experience fascinating, as it was their first time being able to hear each other's thoughts in this way.
"How are the sea soul masters from Sea God Island?" Fang Chang asked immediately.
"Most of them are dead. A few escaped," they answered almost in unison.
"What about Bo Saixi? The one who fought me, their leader," he continued.
"She was taken back by the other sea soul masters," Little Gold said uncertainly. "But we saw her sink into the sea with you after that last terrifying lightning strike. She must be badly injured."
That's good, Fang Chang sighed.
In the final moments of his life, he had clearly sensed a power that did not belong to this world. He guessed it was that power that helped Bo Saixi withstand the terrifying lightning.
The "Revival" skill was great in every way, except for the fact that during the time he was "dead," he felt completely disconnected from the world, unaware of what was happening and unable to finish off his enemies.
Fang Chang hesitated for a long while, looking at Sea God Island, but ultimately decided to retreat for now.
Sea God Island might still have some hidden trump cards left by the Sea God. Moreover, Bo Saixi wasn't completely dead yet, and attacking the island head-on still posed significant risks given their current strength.
Besides, his goal had already been achieved. This battle had cost Sea God Island at least 70-80% of its strength, and Bo Saixi would take a long time to recover.
This bought his sea spider tribe precious time to grow.
More importantly, Tang San's Sea God Nine Trials would likely be impossible to complete now.