Chapter 358: Chapter 358: Gradually Surfacing

How severe were Bibi Dong’s injuries from this battle?

Everyone looked toward the strongest among them—Sword Douluo—as only he could truly perceive Bibi Dong’s power.

Instead, Sword Douluo turned to Tang Xiao and asked, "Sect Master Tang, how does the mysterious power Bibi Dong displayed in her last battle with you compare to what we saw today?"

Tang Xiao’s expression turned grave. "There’s no doubt Bibi Dong has undergone a God Test. That scythe must be the Divine Tool she obtained, and the powerful mysterious energy is Divine Power.

This is a force that surpasses Soul Power.

It is also the power that leads to becoming a god at level one hundred!"

Dugu Shuo, Dai Tian Jun, and the others listened quietly.

Tang Xiao continued, "Last time, Bibi Dong only used Divine Power for a single strike and didn’t wield that scythe. This time was different.

The amount of Divine Power she used was at least several times greater, indicating she has progressed much further on her path to godhood.

I believe her main reason for retreating was that the Divine Power required to wield the Divine Tool had been depleted, making it difficult to achieve further results. She left wisely!"

Sword Douluo nodded in approval and said to the group, "This might be our greatest achievement.

The injuries we inflicted on Bibi Dong likely pale in comparison to the damage caused by that hidden Evil Soul Master who stole her External Soul Bone.

After all, Bibi Dong has that recovery Soul Skill—ordinary injuries are merely a matter of Soul Power consumption for her.

Losing her External Soul Bone, much like Xiao San’s two experiences, must have come with a loss of vitality, which cannot be replenished quickly.

Additionally, the consumption of Divine Power affects her godhood advancement.

I estimate that these two factors combined will delay Bibi Dong’s cultivation by at least one to two years!"

Dugu Feng’s eyes lit up, and he strongly agreed inwardly, though he felt Sword Douluo had underestimated his devouring ability.

The Spider Emperor Wings were a Divine Tool, evolved with Devouring Golden Threads, making their devouring capability exceptionally powerful. Combined with the Core Pearl—a treasure no less valuable than a Divine Tool—the vitality devoured in that instant accounted for at least thirty percent of Bibi Dong’s total vitality.

Perhaps even Bibi Dong herself hadn’t realized the extent of her loss.

Replenishing vitality isn’t like restoring Soul Power; it’s the fundamental life force of a person, related to cultivation potential, talent, and lifespan!

Losing thirty percent of one’s vitality is like aging by thirty percent—the loss is far from trivial, especially since cultivation speed slows with age.

Such a loss can only be compensated by herbs of Immortal Herb caliber.

Tang San managed to maintain his cultivation speed because he consumed the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng, which replenished his physical potential.

But Bibi Dong likely isn’t so fortunate!

"At the very least, this should delay Bibi Dong’s godhood advancement by two years," Dugu Feng thought to himself.

According to the original timeline, Bibi Dong still had over two years until her ascension to godhood. Now, it would probably take at least four more years for her to achieve it!

Four years!

This immediately eased the pressure on Dugu Feng.

Dugu Feng was quite satisfied, but Ning Fengzhi and the others were not.

Ning Fengzhi frowned and asked, "Can we only delay her cultivation by one to two years?" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Even if it were two years, their side wouldn’t see any significant increase in strength during that time.

But even a slight increase in Bibi Dong’s strength could potentially turn into an overwhelming advantage.

Tang Xiao’s expression turned grave as he pondered for a moment before speaking, "Ning Zongzhu, while Bibi Dong is indeed concerning, she poses no immediate threat for now. I believe the hidden enemy is far more terrifying. That Evil Soul Master lurking in the shadows—even Bibi Dong cannot detect his traces. And have you noticed? This Evil Soul Master has been haunting us for over a decade. What exactly is his goal?"

Upon hearing Tang Xiao’s words, the others also fell into deep thought, realizing the truth upon reflection. This Evil Soul Master had been involved in numerous major events, drawing closer to them with each occurrence.

"Brother Tang, have you discovered something?" Dai Tian Jun probed cautiously.

Tang Xiao sighed, "This Evil Soul Master possesses a concealment ability that makes it impossible for us to detect his presence. That’s how he managed to steal Hu Liena’s, Xiao San’s, and even Bibi Dong’s External Soul Bones. This time, he provoked the conflict between us and Bibi Dong, reaping benefits from it. And what about the feud between the Clear Sky Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family? Back on the Soul Duel Stage, Yu Tianheng and Yu Tianxin died during the soul duel against Xiao San and Mubai. These two incidents turned us and the Yu Clan Chief into enemies, but everyone knows that Grandmaster is Xiao San and Mubai’s teacher—they had no motive to kill Yu Tianheng and Yu Tianxin. I firmly believe Xiao San and Mubai are innocent."

"At the time, we thought it was all coincidences. When Xiao San was absorbing his fourth Spirit Ring, the battle between us and the Yu Clan Chief also allowed this Evil Soul Master to profit secretly, stealing the External Soul Bones. Looking back now, it must have been this hidden Evil Soul Master who killed Yu Tianheng and Yu Tianxin, sowing discord to achieve this outcome."

"The death of the Yu Clan Chief remains an unsolved case, with the Spirit Master World generally blaming our Clear Sky Sect. But Ning Zongzhu and Clan Chief Dugu both know that we were at Blue Tyrant Academy protecting Xiao San during his recovery, never leaving Heaven Dou City. We couldn’t be more wronged."

"Recalling the experiences of the past decade now sends chills down my spine." Tang Xiao sighed helplessly.

"What kind of person is this, capable of manipulating all the forces on the continent so effortlessly?" Qingyang Douluo’s face darkened with suppressed fury and a trace of fear—the hidden Evil Soul Master was truly terrifying.

Dai Tian Jun and Zhu Lan Yun both gasped in shock. Though they hadn’t been involved in these events, merely hearing about them was frightening enough.

"Now is the time when undercurrents are most turbulent!" Dugu Shuo sighed.

Dugu Feng felt extremely strange inside—he was being condemned to his face. There’s a saying that only those who wrong you know how wronged you are. He naturally knew how wronged Tang San and the Clear Sky Sect were. But the path to Godhood was brutally competitive, requiring any means necessary. And this was only the beginning—there was still a long way to go! Dugu Feng sneered inwardly.

"Clan Chief Dugu speaks wisely. After this battle, this Evil Soul Master’s strength is gradually being revealed. Bibi Dong will likely become more restrained in her actions from now on, secretly guarding against this Evil Soul Master. We must also be cautious. What worries me most is the matter of attaining Godhood—how can we obtain Godhood Inheritance? Once Bibi Dong or the hidden Evil Soul Master reaches level 100 and becomes a god, no one will be able to stop them!"

"Previously, I believed gods were far beyond our reach—that no one could ascend to godhood. But now, I no longer hold that view.

Reports about gods are becoming increasingly frequent. It wouldn’t be surprising if a hundred-level god suddenly appeared before us one day!"

Ning Fengzhi immediately grasped the crucial point.

How exactly does one become a god?

Though all present were top-tier figures on the continent, none could answer this question.

(End of Chapter)