Lan Fozi drew closer to the Star Dou Great Forest.
She didn't know how long her mother could hold out, but she knew that reaching the forest's core might bring a chance for rescue.
Suddenly, Lan Fozi stopped, her pupils contracting as she stared at the figure that appeared abruptly.
As a 100,000-year soul beast, this was the first time she felt such overwhelming pressure, akin to a bloodline suppression.
"Who are you?"
"You don't recognize me?" The young man blocking Lan Fozi frowned. "Then why do you have my scale?"
"You… you are…" Lan Fozi froze, then her expression turned ecstatic.
Thud
She dropped to her knees.
"Senior, I've finally found you! Please save my mother! Bo Saixi is trying to kill us!"
Lan Fozi recounted her and her mother, the Demon Empress's, ordeal with a hoarse voice.
"Bo Saixi?" The young man appeared beside her in an instant. "Give me the scale."
Taking the scale from Lan Fozi, he infused it with soul power, reading the etched memory traces.
"Good, good, Bo Saixi!" He returned the scale to Lan Fozi. "Take this dragon scale to the core of the Star Dou Great Forest and find Bi Ji. Leave the rest to me."
"I'll do my best to save your mother."
With that, the young man soared into the sky.
A long, resonant dragon roar followed.
His body expanded, transforming from human form into a massive black shadow.
In an instant, black claws emerged from the thick mist.
Then, his entire form broke through the fog, revealing a thousand-meter-long black dragon in the sky.
It turned into a streak of black light and vanished into the distant horizon.
…
"Evil Deep Sea Demonic Whale, your fate ends here."
A single sword strike sent the Demon Empress flying. Bo Saixi and Tang Chen looked down from above.
"Pfft—!"
Struck by the Asura God Sword, the Demon Empress spat out several mouthfuls of blood, her eyes filled with crimson rage.
"Damn… damn it."
"The divine power of the Asura God Sword can even prevent me from self-detonating."
"Curse it!"
Blood seeped through her clothes at her shoulder, a wound from the Asura God Sword.
The sword's power rampaged within her, preventing the Demon Empress, who intended to self-detonate, from doing so.
"Demon Empress, I'll give you one last chance," Tang Chen said. "Sacrifice yourself to my great-grandson, and I, Tang Chen, promise not to touch your daughter."
Given Tang San's current state, absorbing a 100,000-year soul beast would be difficult, especially since the Demon Empress was a soul beast of several hundred thousand years, making it even more challenging.
Having been possessed by the Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King before, Tang Chen was cautious about powerful soul beasts.
Tang San was only level 66, achieved through absorbing blood essence.
If the Demon Empress willingly sacrificed herself, Tang San could likely break through to level 70 and absorb a 100,000-year soul ring for his seventh ring.
As for whether his second martial soul would take a soul ring, Tang Xiao planned to wait until Tang San reached Soul Sage and grew stronger before deciding. Regardless, they had to force the Demon Empress to agree to the sacrifice.
"Demon Empress, what's there to consider?" Tang Chen's tone was icy. "Sacrifice for my great-grandson, and I'll spare your daughter. Isn't that a fair deal?"
Xiao Wu was untouchable—she was Tang San's childhood sweetheart and possibly his future wife.
But other 100,000-year soul beasts were, in Tang Chen's eyes, nothing more than soul rings and soul bones for Tang San.
No matter how evil, he would ensure the Clear Sky Sect rose again.
Tang San becoming a god was the fastest and best way.
"Hahaha, hahahahaha!" The Demon Empress burst into laughter after hearing Tang Chen, ignoring the blood spilling from her mouth. "Humans! Do you take me for a fool?"
"You won't touch my daughter, but that doesn't mean Bo Saixi won't," the Demon Empress sneered. "You dared to conspire together to take my husband's soul ring and soul bone."
"And now you talk about terms? Isn't that laughable?"
"I've never seen such shameless people."
Her voice echoed through the air. Tang Chen's forehead veins bulged, his face contorted with rage.
"You'd better think carefully. My great-grandson could become a god. If you don't make amends, how will your Deep Sea Demonic Whale Clan survive?"
"Demon Empress, you wouldn't want…" Tang Chen trailed off, snorting coldly. "Hmph, be smart and sacrifice yourself. For that, we'll leave a path for the Deep Sea Demonic Whale Clan to live."
"Life and death are fated; wealth and honor are in the heavens. If you want my soul ring and soul bone, come and take them!" The Demon Empress staggered to her feet, her body swaying.
"Hmph, you won't shed tears until you see the coffin." Tang Chen, holding the Asura God Sword, landed on the ground. Bo Saixi followed, the pressure from their divine weapons under soul power making the already weakened Demon Empress's face grow paler.
"Demon Empress, there are plenty of soul beasts over 100,000 years!" Tang Chen slowly raised his Asura God Sword. "Even if the soul ring is unusable, your soul bone has good value."
"And your daughter, hmph, let's see if she's as stubborn as you!"
Terrifying soul power concentrated at the blade's edge, a faint blood-red aura rising into the sky.
The red and white sky seemed torn apart.
"Asura God Sword…"
Before Tang Chen could finish, a massive golden crocodile shadow plummeted from the sky, kicking up clouds of smoke.
"Sixth Soul Skill—Frenzied Golden Crocodile!"
A ferocious roar accompanied a powerful mental attack.
It surged like a raging shockwave.
Bo Saixi and Tang Chen's expressions changed, Tang Chen's skill interrupted by the sudden assault.
"Limit Douluo!"
They leaped back to evade.
Caught off guard, they were still affected by the prepared energy.
After halting the mental shockwave, they were pushed back hundreds of meters.
They looked at the massive golden crocodile shadow in its martial soul true body state, radiating piercing golden light.
Tang Chen's expression darkened, and he said coldly, "Golden Crocodile Douluo, Second Worshiper of the Martial Soul Hall, aren't you afraid of death?"
If it were Qian Daoliu, fine, but a mere Limit Douluo at pseudo-demi-god level daring to snatch prey from a tiger's mouth? It was like lighting a lamp in a latrine.
They had planned to deal with Golden Crocodile later, to cripple one of the Martial Soul Hall's arms.
Before they could act, Golden Crocodile dared to steal the soul beast. It was intolerable.
"What grand airs, Tang Chen, Bo Saixi," Golden Crocodile Douluo scoffed, arms crossed. "I, Golden Crocodile Douluo, have no interest in soul beasts, but I'm quite happy to make trouble for your Clear Sky Sect."
"Don't forget, you attacked the Martial Soul Hall first and tried to kill our Young Master."
"Your Clear Sky Sect and our Martial Soul Hall are already irreconcilable."
"Stopping you now, isn't that only natural?"
"Good, good, good," Tang Chen laughed in fury. "I was going to let you, old crocodile, live a few more days, but it seems you're seeking death."
"Very well!" The Asura God Sword gleamed with menace as Tang Chen said coldly, "Today, I'll use your head to honor my grandson Tang Hao's spirit in heaven."