Chapter 243: Poseidon's Trident
Inside the cave, white mist filled the air, swirling and steaming like an ethereal haze from a fairyland.
Upon closer inspection, the mist carried traces of steam, forming waves of heat that moistened the dry stone walls.
"This again... Every single time, I have to go through some kind of suffering," Chen Xuan grumbled in frustration. It felt like he had a masochistic constitution—every evolution was accompanied by pain.
Right now, his entire body was flushed red, emitting steam as if he had been thoroughly cooked.
He felt like he was submerged in a magma pool rather than standing in a cool cave.
Chen Xuan's expression changed. The burning sensation in his lower abdomen intensified, and a fiery glow ignited as if something was about to erupt.
Hiss!
In the end, it really happened—he spewed flames from his mouth, while red-hot gas streamed from his nostrils, scorching the air and spreading throughout the cave.
Inside, the heat waves grew more intense, and the white mist thickened, filling the entire passageway like an enclosed furnace.
When Chen Xuan opened his eyes, his vision improved slightly. The mist billowed, turning the surroundings into a vast white expanse where nothing could be seen clearly.
Sweeping his gaze downward, he vaguely saw that the stone walls and rocky ground had turned red-hot, resembling heated iron plates.
He felt dizzy. Fortunately, the extreme heat did not affect him directly; otherwise, he'd be cursing nonstop—he definitely didn't want to be cooked alive.
The cave remained engulfed in white mist, the heatwaves searing, while the rock walls radiated intense temperatures like smoldering iron.
Chen Xuan was drenched in sweat, his clothes completely soaked, his body burning up—it was almost like being in a sauna.
This process lasted for a long time. A full day and night passed, yet his transformation was still incomplete.
Meanwhile, his kaleidoscope eyes were still undergoing a phase of adaptation. His body was adjusting to the new ocular power, expelling any adverse reactions.
Time flowed by. In the blink of an eye, a month had passed, and the cave environment gradually changed.
The once glowing, fiery walls slowly cooled down, returning to a stable temperature.
The dense mist in the air, once thick and overwhelming, began to dissipate. Nature absorbed it bit by bit, leaving behind only sparse, lingering wisps.
"Is it finally over?" Chen Xuan wondered. As the temperature dropped, his skin returned to its original fair, flawless state—smoother and softer than even many girls'.
With time, his pores stopped expanding and slowly shrank back to normal size. No more steam escaped from his body.
He examined himself internally and found that a cluster of energy remained in his lower abdomen, burning like a flame. Though its temperature was high, it did not radiate outward.
The fiery energy released tiny strands of flame, which seeped into his flesh, bones, and organs, igniting them with a soft crackling sound.
Surprisingly, this time he did not feel any pain. Instead, a warm current nourished his internal organs and limbs, making him feel comfortable rather than distressed.
The scattered flames seemed to refine and purify his body, performing some sort of profound tempering process.
"Hm?"
Just as Chen Xuan was about to get up, his expression changed slightly—he felt unusually heavy, unable to move as if shackled by invisible chains.
The flames, though refining his body, also restricted his movements. He couldn't even move a single finger—his hands and feet were tightly bound, rendering him completely immobile.
Then, the ancient fruit tree began to glow, releasing a suction force. With a swoosh, it pulled his spiritual form into its depths, locking the passage behind him and severing his connection to his physical body.
"Not again!" Chen Xuan was furious. This was driving him insane—once again, he was thrown into a confined space against his will.
He frantically channeled his spiritual energy, his soul radiating with dazzling light as he desperately tried to re-establish the energy link with his body and escape.
But reality was cruel. No matter how hard he struggled, exhausting more than half of his soul power, he still failed. He couldn't break free.
Slumping to the ground, he panted heavily. No matter what he tried, he was completely locked inside this spiritual realm, unable to return to his body.
"Damn it, I give up. Does every fruit have to be like this?" Chen Xuan cursed. He was utterly exasperated. He had no idea how long he would be trapped this time.
Just like in the Star Dou Great Forest, he was once again plunged into an agonizing period of waiting.
His physical body was still evolving—absorbing the fruit's immense energy. Flames tempered his flesh and organs, leaving behind traces of refined energy, subtly altering his constitution.
The evolution process continued slowly. Meanwhile, Chen Xuan's consciousness remained confined within the small world behind his heart, trapped for an indeterminate amount of time.
Seasons passed. Time blurred. Even Chen Xuan himself lost track of how long he had been in this state. Eventually, he forgot the passage of time altogether.
Beyond the Cave
Time flew by, ruthless and unyielding. A whole year had passed, bringing drastic changes to the continent's power dynamics.
The newly established Seven Great Sects, backed by Bibi Dong, had grown tremendously. Almost every sect had fallen under the rule of the Spirit Hall, vastly increasing its soul power influence.
This faction had been accumulating strength for years, laying down countless schemes. Now, it finally emerged in full force, reigniting the flames of war.
On this day, the Spirit Hall declared its ambition to unify the entire continent—any who stood in their way would be eliminated without mercy.
No longer just a sect, the Spirit Hall had now proclaimed itself a sovereign state—the Spirit Empire.
The continent would not remain at peace. A world-shattering war was on the horizon.
The two great empires, Heaven Dou and Star Luo, along with their numerous vassal states and affiliated sects, faced immense pressure from the powerful Spirit Empire. In response, they finally chose to form an alliance.
Once, these two nations had been bitter enemies, waging countless wars against each other. But now, a greater foe loomed over them. Old grudges and past bloodshed were temporarily set aside in the face of a common threat.
In the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, Qian Renxue carefully considered Chen Xuan's advice. After deep contemplation, she made a monumental decision—to establish her own faction.
She would neither belong to Heaven Dou nor the Spirit Hall.
In secret, she would amass her own power, growing in the shadows while observing the battles from afar. She would wait for the perfect moment to strike—seizing both the Spirit Hall and the two empires of Heaven Dou and Star Luo in one decisive move.
She would be the one to unify the continent—not that woman.
Meanwhile, on Sea God Island
Tang San, Dai Mubai, Oscar, Ning Rongrong, Ma Hongjun, and Bai Chenxiang had spent three to four years undergoing trials, significantly increasing their strength. Now, they were preparing to return to the Douluo Continent.
Through the Sea God's inheritance trials, they had all reaped immense benefits—not only had they advanced two whole realms, but even their spirit rings had evolved. None of them had century-old rings anymore.
Tang San, in particular, had gained an unparalleled opportunity. He was recognized by Poseidon and several other divine entities, skyrocketing his soul power. He had now become a Rank 90 Title Douluo.
Furthermore, he obtained a divine weapon—the Poseidon's Trident, bestowed upon him by the Sea God, Poseidon.
At the same time, in a remote mountainous region outside Heaven Dou City
In a vast mountain range, a hundred-zhang-high peak suddenly lit up with a red glow.
A surge of soul power erupted, shaking the entire mountain.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, dust and debris filled the air as massive boulders were blasted away from the cave entrance.
Chen Xuan stepped out from within, basking in the dazzling sunlight—finally, he had returned to the world.
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