Outside the blast radius, Xiao Se had his soul perception and clairvoyant sight fully activated. Even so, a trace of disappointment crossed his face.
Under his gaze, at the very last moment, Tang Ritian forcibly endured his injuries and detonated his spirit rings, using self-damage in exchange for a burst of power, barely resisting the Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus—
And then fleeing.
"What a pity…"
Xiao Se sighed softly, deactivating his secret arts before turning back toward Soto City.
"Big brother, you're not going to chase him?"
Long Kui's gentle voice sounded again from within the sword seal.
Xiao Se shook his head.
"He just blew his rings. His combat strength is temporarily spiked. There's no need to waste your precious soul power wrestling with a madman at his peak. Killing him wouldn't be worth it.
There will be plenty of chances later."
There was another thing he did not say:
He had already planted a seed of doubt in Tang Ritian's heart.
If there was one thing Tang Ritian cared about, it was his wife and his son.
And Tang San, as a man who had lived two lifetimes, had grown up starved for love and desperately yearned to be cherished.
One day, when Tang Ritian stopped treating him as a son because he believed Tang San had "devoured" his original child's soul—
And Tang San finally learned the truth…
That breakdown—
Just imagining the scene was deliciously dramatic.
Better than killing him outright.
Didn't Tang San always like to wear a mask of justice in everything he did?
Fine.
Xiao Se would drag him down from that pedestal and turn him into someone everyone rejected.
Let him taste what it meant to be shunned by all.
On the other side, as Xiao Se flew back toward Soto City, Tang Ritian had already returned to Shrek Academy.
When the blood-soaked, flesh-torn Titled Douluo suddenly appeared on the grounds, Flender, Zhao Wuji, and the others froze in shock.
"Clear… Clear Sky Douluo, you—"
Flender stammered, his face pale with fear.
Tang Ritian's voice was flat.
"Where are Xiao San and Xiao Wu?"
"Uh…"
At the mention of Tang San and Xiao Wu, Flender's expression twisted.
He pointed toward a shabby hut behind him and gave a bitter smile.
"Xiao San is injured. Xiao Wu is inside taking care of him."
Tang Ritian nodded slightly. After a brief silence, he said,
"Take them away from here for a few days.
That boy you met today is dangerous.
He may come looking for you."
At this, Tang Ritian's eyes swept over Flender and the others, his voice dropping a few degrees.
"What happened today—none of you… are allowed to speak of it.
If anyone leaks a word…"
His killing intent flared.
"Don't blame me for being ruthless."
With that, he leapt—and vanished into the night.
He didn't take Tang San with him.
Because if what that youth said was true—if Tang San truly had been possessed—
Then how was he supposed to face his dead wife?
Right now, he just wanted to return and quietly spend time with Ah Yin.
"…Flender, this…"
Zhao Wuji swallowed hard and turned to the dean.
Flender shook his head, sighing.
"Pack up. We're leaving this place."
Zhao Wuji frowned.
"You'd really abandon Shrek Academy?"
"What else can we do?"
Flender's smile was bitter.
"It's my fault. My poor discipline dragged disaster to our door. You saw it yourself—even the Clear Sky Douluo couldn't do anything to that boy.
What can we do?
Maybe that kid was right.
Our teaching philosophy really is flawed.
When I first proposed 'If you don't dare cause trouble, you're mediocre,' it was meant to encourage them to be brave, to not fear combat.
But now?
It's become their excuse to act rampantly.
This time, we kicked an iron wall.
All we can do is hope that boy is magnanimous enough not to lower himself to our level. Otherwise… we really might have to move the academy."
With another weary sigh, Flender seemed to age yet again.
Sunset Forest
At the peak of a funnel-shaped valley in the center—
A green-haired, green-robed, green-eyed old man knelt on one knee before a breathtaking woman, his aged body trembling slightly.
She had near-perfect features, wearing a black gown with gold trim and a nine-curved purple-gold crown on her head. Tall and slender, with skin like jade, she looked no older than her early twenties at first glance.
Yet between her brows lingered a mature charm far beyond such an age, a unique air that set her apart from any ordinary beauty.
Above all, the sacred and noble aura radiating from her naturally compelled others to want to kneel and worship.
She was none other than the current Pope of Spirit Hall—
Bibi Dong.
A woman regarded as a living legend across the Douluo Continent.
"Dugu Bo."
Her cool, elegant voice flowed into the old man's ears like a winter breeze, sending shivers down his spine.
"Your Holiness, please give your command."
The green-robed elder—Dugu Bo—took a deep breath. He still didn't dare lift his head as he replied respectfully.
"In the past year, has anyone come here?"
Bibi Dong asked, indifferent.
Dugu Bo shook his head.
"Under your orders, I've guarded this place for more than ten years. Aside from Your Holiness… no one has ever arrived here."
At that, a faint, barely noticeable disappointment flashed through Bibi Dong's beautiful eyes.
She lifted her slender hand lightly.
"Enough. The usual rule—go back. Return in three days."
"Yes, Your Holiness…"
Dugu Bo nodded, almost trembling. When he wiped his forehead, it was soaked with sweat.
He retreated from the valley as quickly as dignity allowed.
The pressure from this woman was simply too frightening.
He himself was a Titled Douluo—a rank 91.
Yet in front of her, he didn't even dare stand straight.
He had no doubt—
If Bibi Dong chose to act…
He would die in a single move.
That was the terror of the undisputed number one in today's Spirit Master world—
Spirit Hall's Pope, Bibi Dong.
Lowering her eyelashes, Bibi Dong's body radiated a purple glow. When it faded, she vanished from her spot and reappeared inside the valley below.
Within the valley, there was a steaming hot spring.
Thick vapors rose into the air.
This hot spring was perfectly divided in two—one side milky white, the other fiery red.
One half exuded bone-chilling cold.
The other half radiated heat comparable to molten lava.
Cold and hot intertwined, creating a breathtaking, otherworldly sight.
Not far from the spring stood a small wooden house.
Between the house and the hot spring, flowers and herbs of many colors filled the ground.
Bibi Dong walked to the side of the wooden hut. From her sleeve, she took out a jade bottle and gently dripped a bit of strange green liquid onto a few special plants growing closely together.
Then she pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The interior of the hut was simple—
A bed, a dressing table, a standing coat rack, a bamboo table with chairs.
Decorations hung from the walls, adding a warm, homey atmosphere to the place.
Gracefully, Bibi Dong sat before the dressing table.
She removed the nine-curved purple-gold crown from her head and slipped off her gold-trimmed robe, hanging both neatly on the coat rack.
Then she changed into a plain white dress.
With a wave of her slender hand, red light flashed and a red-and-white flower appeared in her palm—its petals vivid and alive with spiritual energy.
She brought it to her nose and gently inhaled its fragrance.
On that noble, untouchable face… a sudden softness emerged.
"Not for godhood…
Just to wait for you, in this mortal world."
Her crisp, beautiful voice echoed through the valley—
Lonely.
Mournful.
And heartbreakingly sad.
(End of Chapter)
[There are over 175 chapters available on my Patreon. Please consider checking out the full novel collection and purchasing it there. Uploading chapters here may be a bit slower, but on Patreon you can access the complete story, and I will continue adding more chapters based on your needs and demand - P@tr3on "RinBlaze"]
[Every 15 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]