Chapter 295. I gave you a chance, but you were useless!
Life is precious, dignity is more valuable, but for the sake of faith, both can be abandoned!
For Tang Chen, today he was beaten into a broken-backed dog, his lover begging the thieves to spare him.
Tang Chen was willing to die to preserve his honor, but his death also meant the complete demise of the Clear Sky Sect's hope.
Tang San was the hope for becoming a god, but he was the key to guiding Tang San to inherit the Asura God position. If he died, whether Tang San could inherit the Asura God position in the future would be questionable, and even if he did, he would face many detours.
Therefore, Tang Chen had to leave behind his broken life to guide Tang San on the path to godhood. This was the Clear Sky Sect's only hope for a comeback, and he couldn't extinguish this hope for the sake of his own dignity.
Poseidon saw Tang Chen lost in thought.
Could it be that Tang Chen was a coward who clung to life, even unwilling to sacrifice himself for me?
Although this was what Poseidon wanted to see, seeing Tang Chen hesitate, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.
"Ten."
During Tang Chen's moment of contemplation, Qian Xunji's countdown ended.
Qian Xunji kicked the dagger aside, grabbed Tang Chen's hair, and said, "I gave you a chance, but you were useless! I gave you a chance, and you were useful!"
He shook Tang Chen's head, and finally, with a forceful slam, slammed Tang Chen's head heavily onto the ground.
A spiderweb-like crack appeared on the ground.
"Ancestor Tang Chen!"
"Grandpa!"
"Great-grandfather!"
Seeing the pride of the Haotian Sect, Ancestor Tang Chen, so humiliated by Qian Xunji, the Haotian Sect disciples' eyes turned red, panting heavily as they glared at Qian Xunji. If looks could kill, Qian Xunji would have been subjected to a thousand cuts and slicing.
Tang Chen, supporting himself, struggled to lift his head. His face was a bloody mess, his eyes filled with grief and humiliation.
"I, Tang Chen, have roamed the world for so many years. Even when I was parasitized by the Crimson Nine-Headed Bat King, I never suffered such humiliation. But right now, everything is for Xiao San to become a god, for the future hope of the Haotian Sect. Tang Chen can only put aside his dignity and endure, endure, and endure some more."
"Pope Qian Xunji, then... can you let our Haotian Sect leave?" Tang Chen asked with difficulty.
"Let your Rat Sect leave, sure, after all, this is the condition I agreed to for Poseidon." Qian Xunji looked down at Tang Chen lying on the ground and said, "You can leave now. As for the others, I will kill them all."
Hearing Qian Xunji's words, Tang Chen's eyes turned red, he was panting heavily, and he roared angrily, "Qian Qian thief, you broke your promise!"
However, the response to Tang Chen was that Qian Xunji kicked Tang Chen in the mouth, sending him flying dozens of meters, blood and teeth flying out along the way.
Qian Xunji laughed, "I only promised Poseidon to let you and the Rat Sect go, but I didn't say whether all the rats would be released, half, or just one."
"In my opinion, even if only one rat remains, the Rat Sect is still alive, right?"
Tang Chen and the entire Clear Sky Sect, upon hearing Qian Xunji's words, were enraged, their eyes red and their breath ragged. They were already conjuring up Clear Sky Hammers in their hands.
Since the Spirit Hall wasn't going to let them go today, they would fight to the death to make the Spirit Hall lose a few teeth.
However, Qian Xunji's next words caused a dramatic turn of events.
"But, letting all of you go isn't impossible," Qian Xunji said.
Upon hearing Qian Xunji's words, Tang Chen's eyes lit up. He asked, "What do you want to do?"
Qian Xunji said, "You crawl over here from that place, inch by inch."
Saying this, Qian Xunji stood on tiptoe and said, "Come before me, kiss my boots, and then—"
"Admit you're a coward, that you willingly offered Poseidon to me, and that I'll let you and the Rat Sect go. Admit the Clear Sky Sect is a Rat Sect, a bunch of dead rats from the sewers, and I'll let you all go."
Hearing Qian Xunji's words, the Clear Sky Sect members were enraged.
"No, no, no, Ancestor Tang Chen, the Spirit Hall is humiliating us like this, let's fight them!" One of the rats couldn't bear it any longer and stepped forward.
The next moment, several cold glints flashed, and his body was sliced into pieces!
"Any rats who want to commit suicide, feel free to step forward. I welcome them. I can take this opportunity to disregard my agreement with Poseidon and simply evaporate you all from the Douluo Continent," Qian Xunji sneered.
Hearing Qian Xunji's words, the other rats immediately shrank back.
Some rats looked at Tang Chen with pleading eyes, hoping he would make the right choice and save their lives.
Tang Hao, Tang Xiao, and Tang San, however, had different attitudes.
Tang Xiao, unaware that Tang San had a chance to inherit the position of the Asura God, said to Tang Chen, "Grandpa, you don't need to care about us. Death is death, who's afraid of who?"
Tang Hao remained silent, his eyes filled with guilt and pleading as he looked at Tang Chen.
He knew Qian Xunji's conditions were difficult for Tang Chen, but in Haozi's heart, Tang San's position was undoubtedly more important. He hoped his grandfather could be patient for Tang San's sake, allowing everyone to pass this test. Once Tang San inherited the Asura God's position, all the humiliations imposed on the Clear Sky Sect by the Spirit Hall would be repaid a thousandfold, ten thousandfold.
At this moment, Tang San deeply hated his own weakness. If he possessed the combined strength of the Sea God and Asura God from his previous life, he wouldn't be so oppressed by the Clear Sky Sect, powerless to do anything. At this moment, his desire for power was intense; he wished he could immediately possess the Asura God's position. However, Tang Chen was the key to unlocking the Asura God's trial; he couldn't die here.
Tang San's eyes were filled with guilt and pleading as he looked at Tang Chen. He felt guilty for hoping his great-grandfather would compromise to save him, and he pleaded for Tang Chen to agree to Qian Xunji's request, to let everyone pass through this ordeal for now, and to settle scores with the Spirit Hall later when he obtained the Asura God position.
Tang Chen noticed this as well.
Once a person crosses the line, there is no line left. After Tang Chen's dignity was trampled on, he had no dignity left. His only belief was revenge, and the only hope for revenge was for Tang San to inherit the Asura God position. Therefore, saving himself and saving Tang San became Tang Chen's only thought.
Through his blood-stained tears, he said to the people of the Clear Sky Sect, "Clear Sky Sect, it is I, Tang Chen, who have wronged you. Today, let me, Tang Chen, use this old and decaying body to continue your legacy."
As he spoke, Tang Chen stretched out his hand and crawled slowly towards Qian Xunji. From the air, it looked like watching a worm wriggle.
Tears welled in his eyes, and filled with humiliation, Tang Chen crawled step by step to Qian Xunji's side, kissing Qian Xunji's boots, and bowed his head, saying,
"I was a coward. I am willing to offer Poseidon to Your Holiness the Pope in exchange for my life and the Haotian Sect's survival. We, the Haotian Sect, are the Haotian Sect, a bunch of dead rats in the sewers. Please, spare my Haotian Sect."
At the end, Tang Chen lowered his head, his eyes flashing with extreme resentment.
Tang Chen, who had lived a life of integrity and uprightness, had now fallen so low as to bow his head and beg for mercy from a junior.
"Qian Xunji, this humiliation will be avenged by my Haotian Sect! Anyone who insults my Haotian Sect will be killed without mercy!"
Hearing Tang Chen's words, Poseidon was shocked. She hadn't expected him to be so humble; it shattered her image of him as an incomparably domineering and arrogant figure.
Although it was Poseidon's own decision to stay and let the Haotian Sect and Tang Hao leave, the thought of Tang Chen offering himself to Qian Xunji to save his own life caused her a pang of pain. Tang Chen shouldn't be like this. Had he changed?
Qian Xunji didn't care what Tang Chen was thinking. He smiled slightly and said, "Rats of the Rat Sect, and everyone from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the two great empires, did you all hear what that old dog Tang Chen, that spineless scoundrel, said? Coming to my Spirit Hall to cause trouble, this is the price!"
"Seeing how much you wag your tail and beg, I'm in a good mood. Get lost, take your rats back to your rat hole, and better yet, hide there for the rest of your lives and never come out," Qian Xunji said. Hearing this, the Haotian Sect members' eyes turned red, and they were panting heavily, but none of them dared to stand up and charge at the Spirit Hall.
The brothers Tang Hao and Tang Xiao came to Tang Chen, helped him up, and then led the Haotian Sect away from the Spirit Hall.
The Haotian Sect, which had come in a grand and imposing manner, now returned like Tang Chen, like stray dogs.
Qian Xunji arrived outside Wuhun City, his gaze suddenly falling upon the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, the two great empires, and other forces. He sneered and said, "Ning Fengzhi, I've heard you've always emphasized that the three upper sects should be united. Today you've come with the Clear Sky Sect; could it be that you've come together to deal with the Wuhun Hall?"
Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi was immediately terrified. He hurriedly explained with a fawning expression, "Your Holiness, you misunderstand. We just came to see what's going on."
"Is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School still united with these rats?" Qian Xunji asked.
"No, no, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the Clear Sky Sect are two major sects. When have we ever been united?" Ning Fengzhi said obsequiously.
"Get lost."
Hearing Qian Xunji's words, these people felt as if they had been granted a pardon and quickly packed their things and left!
The Wuhun Hall returned to peace once more.
That night, Qian Xunji opened his door and went inside. Suddenly, a barrier of Sea God's power blocked his path.
Qian Xunji touched the Sea God's Barrier and looked at Poseidon inside.
"What do you mean? Are you going back on your word?" Qian Xunji questioned, pointing at the barrier.
"He's dead," Poseidon said, turning to Qian Xunji.
Qian Xunji: "???"
"From the moment he knelt before you, the once invincible, domineering man was utterly dead," Poseidon said.
Hearing this, Qian Xunji immediately understood Poseidon's meaning.
Qian Xunji smiled: "You mean, the Tang Chen you love is dead, so you don't care if I threaten you with the Rat Sect now, right?"
Poseidon acquiesced.
After a long silence, she finally spoke:
"Do whatever you want. You can't threaten me anymore anyway. I only married you as a test from the Sea God." Poseidon said, "You don't want us to die together, do you? It's better to coexist peacefully."
Qian Xunji frowned, remembering that he had gone too far. He had just messed with Tang Chen, and now Poseidon was heartbroken over him? This wouldn't do!
"So, you're using me as a tool to complete the Sea God's trial?" Qian Xunji smiled darkly.
"I admit I'm using you. I don't like you. Relationships require mutual need." Poseidon countered, "But aren't you using me to deal with Tang Chen too?"
"That's right. I don't have any feelings for you either." Qian Xunji smiled wickedly, "But I have desires!"
Poseidon's almond-shaped eyes widened.
He reached out and slapped the barrier of the Sea God's power. His angelic wings unfurled—crack!
The Sea God's barrier that Poseidon thought was impregnable shattered instantly with just a light tap from Qian Xunji.
Amidst the fragments of divine power, Qian Xunji approached.
Poseidon felt a suffocating pressure emanating from Qian Xunji, a pressure she couldn't describe. Despite being at the pinnacle below godhood, she felt as if she were facing an unshakeable mountain before Qian Xunji.
A sudden, inexplicable fear gripped Poseidon.
"What do you want?" Poseidon asked.
"Tang Chen's personality has undergone such a drastic change, aren't you surprised?" Qian Xunji spoke first, not immediately dealing with Poseidon.
Hearing Qian Xunji's words, Poseidon looked at him with surprise and suspicion: "What do you know?"
Qian Xunji smiled: "Do you want to know why Tang Chen has changed so much?"
"Why?" Poseidon asked doubtfully.
"I can tell you for free," Qian Xunji said: "Because of Tang San."
"Tang San has the potential to become the Asura God, and Tang Chen is the Grand Elder of the Asura God. Knowing this, even though he hates my Spirit Hall, he will still bet everything on Tang San," Qian Xunji laughed.
Upon hearing Qian Xunji's words, Poseidon suddenly understood.
So that's it! He wasn't dead! The Tang Chen she remembered wasn't dead!
No wonder Tang Chen, who had just wanted to die for his honor, had become so humble. To protect his sect, he would bow his head and endure humiliation no matter how much Qian Xunji insulted him.
In an instant, Poseidon's disappointment in Tang Chen vanished.
Not only that!
Besides his unparalleled domineering and arrogant demeanor, she gained another advantage in Tang Chen!
Hard work pays off; he endured hardship and humiliation, and his three thousand Tang hammers could destroy a thousand!
What an outstanding man! Poseidon couldn't help but feel guilty for her previous doubts about Tang Chen!
Wait—
Poseidon suddenly realized something. Qian Xunji knew Tang Chen's trump card: Tang San had the potential to become a Shura God. So why did Qian Xunji let Tang San and the others go, and why did he tell me about it?
Poseidon turned her head, facing Qian Xunji directly!
Qian Xunji looked at Poseidon with a wicked smile.
(End of Chapter)