Two years had passed since Tang San reappeared in the world, having forsaken godhood and returned to the mortal realm. The world had not forgotten him. Whispers echoed through the continents—from Spirit Hall's central temple to the icy walls of the Extreme North. Tang San, the unrivaled prodigy, had returned. And he was not idle.
At the foot of Skyshadow Peak, the newly restored Tang Clan compound had transformed into a thriving stronghold. Stone buildings stood in place of ruins, hidden weapon forges burned day and night, and hundreds of disciples now trained in the courtyard. While not all had spirit rings or formidable battle strength, each was drilled in discipline, in forging, in observation. Tang San had built his clan upon foundation rather than fame.
He remained reclusive, rarely leaving the inner chambers. There, within the deepest cavern below the mountain, he cultivated the forbidden technique known as the Primordial Breathing Method. It was ancient, alien, and absolute—a technique not meant for this era. It refined the user's talent year by year, increasing spirit energy absorption subtly. Yet the true horror lay in its exclusivity: anyone besides the original practitioner who attempted it would perish from internal collapse.
Because of this, Tang San told no one.
With two years of practice, he had pushed the technique to its second tier. His talent had increased by 2%, but the impact was massive. Every hour spent cultivating yielded more than before. Moreover, a revelation had come.
In the face of diminishing spirit beasts and a desire to raise his rings above the 300,000-year mark, Tang San devised a terrifying path—the Spirit Ring Rebirth Method. It required one to first kill a powerful beast and obtain its ring as normal. Only then could the user destroy the ring, absorbing its essence back into the spiritual sea to forge a new ring of higher quality—should the physical and mental foundation support it.
It was dangerous. Painful. Nearly suicidal. But he had succeeded.
Both of his souls, Blue Silver Emperor and Clear Sky Hammer, now bore nine spirit rings—each over 300,000 years. The later rings had crossed into the mythical 1,000,000-year threshold. It took immense sacrifice, including battles in the uncharted edges of the world, but he did not rush. He moved with clarity.
Tang San also devised multiple techniques through constant experimentation, forging the future of the Tang Clan:
Ninefold Unity Strike: A fusion art where all nine rings' power was channeled into a single devastating blow.
Silent Needle Mirage: A hidden weapon that mirrored illusions mid-air, confusing even titled douluo.
Chain Reversal Array: A formation technique that turned attacks back upon their source using micro-adjusted energy absorption.
Artificial Spirit Ring Forging: A method to craft pseudo-spirit rings using rare materials and medicine, capped at 100,000 years with 80% power. It served as a last resort where spirit beasts were scarce, requiring immense physical strength to withstand.
He offered none of these techniques freely.
If someone brought enough benefit, he might consider trading. Otherwise, the Tang Clan's secrets remained sealed.
Still, rumors spread. The strength of his new disciples. The mysterious arrays and forging tools. The improvement of spirit power among those who stayed. Slowly, other forces took notice.
From the distant halls of Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong remained silent. Qian Renxue, hiding behind the veil of heaven, observed through divine remnants. Tang San was not their concern—yet. But they remembered.
From the outer regions of the Sun Moon Continent, several mechanical clans sent emissaries, curious to observe the hybrid spirit weapon designs emerging from the Tang Clan. Most were turned away. One returned half-blinded by a hidden formation.
Among neutral factions, rising geniuses emerged. A twin-sword martial spirit user named Lin Mu from the east defeated three sect heirs in a row, seeking entrance to the Tang Clan. Another, a young girl named Yueqin from the Southern Lakes, came wielding a mirror-type spirit said to reflect karma.
Tang San accepted neither, yet kept watch.
His old companions had not left him. Oscar, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Ma Hongjun—they remained mortal, by choice or by fate. They stayed elsewhere, living quiet lives. Tang San valued them. He would answer their call. But he walked alone.
The cultivation system remained as it was:
Rank 99: Demigod.
Rank 100: 1st-Level God.
Rank 110: 2nd-Level God.
Rank 120: Super God.
Beyond that, no path was clear.
To ascend, one needed a godhood—one not borrowed or gifted, but forged. Tang San refused shortcuts. Slowly, patiently, he walked the path of ultimate refinement. He had once stood at the peak, but now he rebuilt his climb.
He found a rare medicine in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well—a lotus that improved his talent by 10% in one use. That alone saved him a decade of effort. Yet the further he went, the harder the climb. He accepted it.
As the Tang Clan's name began to stir across the continent, countless factions watched. Some in fear. Some in hope.
But none knew what Tang San truly sought.
Not revenge. Not dominance.
But perfection.