This little white rabbit was an unusually lustful one. Roughly every fourteen days she would go into heat for one or two days, and after mating, she would give birth to a litter in about thirty days. She lived her life with this kind of cycle, regularly and without change.
For Tang San, however, this was simply torture.
Among soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest, rabbits were practically at the very bottom. Tang San's soul could only pray that this rabbit would run into a predator, die quickly, and end this disgusting trial.
But, unexpectedly, this rabbit's luck was extraordinarily good. Whenever she encountered predators, she would always manage to escape danger, and when foraging she often stumbled upon rare treasures hidden within the forest that accelerated her cultivation.
And so the little rabbit lived on, day after day, year after year—digging burrows, foraging, mating, reproducing, evading predators. Tang San lost track of time. He had become numb. He no longer knew how many litters this rabbit had borne.
The only thing he knew was that a large portion of the lively rabbits jumping about in the forest were either her children or her descendants.
Centuries flashed by. As the rabbit's cultivation grew stronger, Tang San suddenly realized that this once-ignorant rabbit had begun to develop consciousness.
A soul beast typically required ten thousand years before it could break free of savagery and instinct to possess self-awareness.
"In other words… without me noticing, this rabbit has actually reached the ten-thousand-year level of a soul beast?" Tang San said in shock.
The little white rabbit began to possess wisdom. Her habits changed from before—she became chaste, no longer going into heat, her desire to reproduce diminished, and Tang San finally felt some relief.
Then one day, the little white rabbit suddenly sensed a call of kinship.
Hopping along, she followed this call until she came upon another white rabbit about her own size. From this rabbit, she felt the bond of family.
"Mother, are you my mother?"
"Yes, child, I am your mother. My name is Ah Rou," the rabbit said.
Like the little white rabbit, Ah Rou had also borne many children. But the vast majority had either perished at the hands of predators or died of old age before gaining intelligence. After developing her own awareness, Ah Rou had never truly regarded those rabbits as her children. But when she sensed that one of her true-blood offspring had also awakened intelligence, she observed her for a long while, and only then did motherly love stir within her heart.
"Mother, that's wonderful! I have a mother!" the little white rabbit exclaimed excitedly, hopping in circles around Ah Rou, sniffing her scent. "Mother, your name is Ah Rou, then what should my name be?"
"Child, Mother has already thought of a name for you. You shall be called Xiao Wu," Ah Rou said.
"Xiao Wu—wonderful! Xiao Wu is Xiao Wu! Xiao Wu has a name!" Xiao Wu said, overjoyed.
In this tender scene of mother and daughter recognizing one another, someone's soul was splitting apart.
"Xiao Wu? Could it be that what I just experienced was Xiao Wu's past?" Tang San's soul recalled the countless years of experience he had endured. He thought of how nearly all the rabbits in the forest were related by blood to this little white rabbit. If this were true, then in both this life and the last, Xiao Wu's "man" was not only him, but also countless other rabbits. He was completely devastated. Tang San refused to believe it. His eyes turned red, his breath grew ragged like a furious bull, and he roared:
"No, impossible! This must be fake! Xiao Wu could never be like this, absolutely not!"
But no matter how much Tang San refused to believe, every scene that followed only confirmed that this little white rabbit was indeed the Xiao Wu from his memories.
Upon becoming a ten-thousand-year soul beast, Xiao Wu's chances of survival in the perilous forest increased greatly, but she still faced many threats. Yet it was as though the world itself favored her.
By fortune, she befriended two soul beasts who had just stepped into the ten-thousand-year stage, their consciousnesses newly awakened and still naive—one was the Titan Giant Ape, the other the Azure Bull Python. Xiao Wu gave them names: Da Ming and Er Ming.
With these two powerful younger brothers acting as her protectors, Xiao Wu could strut about the forest with impunity.
Soul beast cultivation didn't always match their age. The stronger the bloodline, the faster the cultivation. After several thousand more years, while Xiao Wu was still struggling at the ten-thousand-year level, the two of them—thanks to their superior bloodlines—quickly advanced, ultimately becoming hundred-thousand-year soul beasts and guardians of the Lake of Life, the visible overlords of the Star Dou Great Forest.
With such formidable backers, Xiao Wu could dominate the forest freely.
Even as overlords, they remained loyal sycophants, constantly searching for treasures within the forest to offer to Ah Rou and Xiao Wu, hastening their growth. At the same time, they sheltered the entire Soft-Boned Rabbit clan, so that many who should never have reached even a hundred years were forcibly raised to the ten-thousand-year level.
Thus Tang San's soul watched helplessly as crowds of rabbits gathered around Ah Rou and Xiao Wu, crying out:
"Ancestor! Ancestor! Ancestor!"
Under the service of the two great guardians, Ah Rou was the first to advance to the hundred-thousand-year level. Yet reaching this stage required enduring the terrifying heavenly tribulation—a catastrophe for Soft-Boned Rabbits. Ah Rou chose to transform into a human to avoid the calamity, and Xiao Wu too became a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
Only then did Tang San feel his consciousness being pulled out of that space.
At last, he appeared within the Shura God Temple. In the center of the temple, upon the divine throne, sat a vague, indistinct figure.
"Tang San, what do you feel now?" Huo Yuhao asked.
Tang San pulled back his tangled emotions, looked toward the Shura God, and asked: "Respected Shura God, was that truly Xiao Wu's past?"
"Yes," Huo Yuhao replied. "A Soft-Boned Rabbit's cultivation does not start at some lofty level. Each one must pass through a savage stage during which its body is not governed by consciousness."
Hearing the "Shura God's" explanation, Tang San fell into silence. That meant that whether in this life or the last, Xiao Wu's body had never been pure from the beginning?
"Enough," Huo Yuhao said. "So, Tang San—as someone who loves her deeply, now that you know what occurred in her ignorant past, what will you do? Will you accept and forgive her? Or will you choose to abandon her? Please, make your choice."
Tang San closed his eyes, recalling every tender moment he had shared with Xiao Wu in his past life. Finally, he opened his eyes again.
He said:
"Respected God of Shura, before this junior Tang San makes his choice, please allow me to correct one mistake in your words."
Huo Yuhao said:
"Oh? Speak."
Tang San replied:
"My soul was attached to Xiao Wu's past self. You allowed me to witness her innocent years, but at the same time, you also let me see Xiao Wu after her wisdom had awakened!"
"In the stage when she had no intelligence, she was driven by instinct, following the laws of nature. At that time, she could not truly be called Xiao Wu. Only after she gave birth to intelligence did she become Xiao Wu." Tang San continued:
"In the stage without wisdom, her body acted by instinct. That was not Xiao Wu's fault. And ever since her consciousness awakened, Xiao Wu has never repeated those mistakes. Therefore, I believe—though Xiao Wu's body may have been tainted, her soul is pure and flawless!"
After a moment of silence, Huo Yuhao said:
"You are, of course, free to think so. So then, what is your choice?"
"I love her, so I must accept her past." Tang San's voice was resolute.
Clap, clap, clap.
Huo Yuhao applauded, then descended from his divine seat. Coming before Tang San, he patted his shoulder and said:
"Not bad. Very well said. If you are willing to believe this way, I am satisfied. Congratulations, you have passed the third trial of the Shura God. Continue in this manner."
The words had barely ended when Tang San felt divine power surge into him, forcibly raising his realm from a level 71 Soul Saint to level 76.
At the same time, the Shura God's sword sheath appeared, manifesting within the Shura God's temple.
Elsewhere on the continent, Er Ming was thinking about Xiao Wu when he suddenly felt a mysterious summoning. His body collapsed into green particles of light, flying far away.
"Xiao Wu—it's Sister Xiao Wu calling me. Xiao Wu, I'm coming!" Er Ming cried excitedly as his body broke apart.
That stream of green light entered the third slot of the ten lattices.
The sheath came and went as swiftly as a storm.
Encouraged, Tang San asked Huo Yuhao:
"Respected Shura God, may I ask what the fourth trial will be?"
Huo Yuhao replied:
"No rush. The fourth trial will activate once you reach the Contra realm. You may remain here to cultivate, and also use the God-bestowed spirit ring to obtain your eighth ring."
Tang San then asked:
"What about Xiao Wu and my father? Where are they?"
"They are within this divine assessment. You will see them again in later trials." After saying this, Huo Yuhao left the Shura temple.
Tang San could only sit down and begin cultivating diligently.
Meanwhile, inside the sword-sheath space of the Shura God—
Er Ming appeared there, and immediately saw Tai Long and Bu Le cultivating spirit fusion techniques together with Xiao Wu.
Tai Long greeted him:
"Oh, Er Ming, so you've also become a shareholder of the Shura God now."
Er Ming absorbed the information of the space and understood his circumstances. He said:
"Yes. I now represent ten percent of the Shura God's divine power."
"Come join us, little brother Er Ming. Let's practice the spirit fusion technique together," Xiao Wu warmly invited.
"Let's prepare a great gift for that brat Tang San," Tai Long added with a grin.
Meanwhile—
Years had passed. The City of Slaughter had long become Tang Xiao's domain. He had completed several of the Rakshasa God's trials in succession and absorbed the city's sins, propelling his cultivation directly to the realm of Ultimate Douluo.
"The time has come!" Tang Xiao stretched his body, gazing down at the tireless Slaves laboring below his temple. "It is time to expand my Slave Legion."
Ever since taking on the divine trials, Tang Xiao had nurtured a grand ambition: to create a world belonging only to him and Ah Yin, where all others would be nothing but lowly Slaves.
But for now, his army was still insufficient to confront Spirit Hall head-on.
Since Spirit Hall controlled the mainland, Tang Xiao's gaze shifted naturally toward—Seagod Island.
While cultivating, he ordered his Slaves Legion to build coastal ports and warships, preparing for an overseas expedition.
"Once I destroy Seagod Island and combine the power of my Slave Legions from the Clear Sky Sect and the City of Slaughter, I will surely be able to ignite a continental war. Even Spirit Hall will kneel before me, becoming my Slaves. Once I crush Spirit Hall and unify the continent, Tang Hao—and that bastard child you forced Ah Yin to bear—will also become the lowest of my Slaves!" Tang Xiao spoke with utter confidence, as though the outcome was already secured.
Months later, Tang Xiao led his Slaves expedition fleet across the seas.
On the vast ocean, a soul-hunting ship drifted by. A Sea Soul Saint was guiding his junior disciple in hunting a spirit ring.
Suddenly, they spotted a massive fleet emerging from the horizon, advancing straight toward Seagod Island.
"Second Uncle, what is that?" The young sea soul master was stunned by the overwhelming sight.
The Sea Soul Saint's expression darkened:
"Only Spirit Hall's heretical followers, who defy the Seagod, could muster such a fleet. Last time, the High Priest cast thousands of their soul masters into the depths of the sea. Have they still not learned their lesson? How dare they invade the sacred ocean?"
"These mainland heretics are vile!" the youth spat in disgust.
The Sea Soul Saint solemnly said:
"Child, remember this—Seagod is the highest faith in existence. We sea soul masters are the noblest of all, the firstborn children of the Seagod. We are destined to spread His faith. For now, we must wait. But one day, we will march to the mainland, slaughter every heretic, and purify the defiled Douluo Continent. The Seagod's faith will shine across the world!"
"Yes, Second Uncle. When I grow up, I will definitely go to the mainland, kill every heretic, and cleanse the land. Anyone who dares not believe in the Seagod deserves only death!" the young sea soul master vowed firmly.
The ship turned toward Seagod Island to report the incoming threat. But ahead of their bow, a black mist suddenly appeared. From within it, a scythe thrust out, cutting open space itself.
A figure stepped forth—skin dark as coal, limbs long and twisted. Tang Xiao emerged, wielding the Rakshasa Demon Scythe, standing tall at the ship's bow.
"Who are you?" The Sea Soul Saint asked warily.
"My name is Tang Xiao." He pointed the Rakshasa Scythe at the man and sneered:
"The Seagod you worship is nothing but filth. Instead—become my Slaves."
As he spoke, Tang Xiao stretched his hand toward the two sea soul masters.