After a long while, the 70,000-year Scaled Beast, 75,000-year Mighty Gorilla, 80,000-year Iron-Armored Rhino, and 80,000-year White-Armored Earth Dragon—one top-tier strength-type soul beast after another—were consumed by Tang San. He weakened them with poison, then brutally slaughtered them with his Clear Sky Hammer, absorbing their soul rings and devouring their corpses.
"Level 95 and a little more. Not a waste of my efforts. All of them were peak strength-type beasts. Absorbing their rings and devouring their bodies has boosted me greatly. Next, it's time to head into the true core area."
He shook his head with a sigh. "A pity none dropped a soul bone. Fate is unfair, heaven shows no justice."
Retracting his Eight Spider Lances, he pressed forward deeper into the forest.
After a long trek, the forest opened, revealing a beautiful lake.
"So the core of Star Dou Forest is actually a lake!" His heart trembled at the sight, but then his eyes hardened. On the shore lay a massive golden crocodile, over 15 meters long, basking lazily.
"A 90,000-year Golden Crocodile King." His Purple Demon Eye activated, sweeping the area. In the distant woods, he spotted a shabby wooden hut. On the rack outside hung faded, pink garments, stained and weather-beaten.
"That's Xiao Wu's clothing." Tang San's pupils shrank, dread flashing in his mind. "Could it be…?"
His eyes instantly reddened. He turned back toward the crocodile and charged.
"Beast!" His roar shook the air as the Clear Sky Hammer appeared in his grip. "You dared harm Xiao Wu, invade her territory—your death is deserved!"
"Roar!" The Golden Crocodile King answered, bellowing in fury.
Deep within the Lake of Life, Di Tian stirred. "A human has entered the core region." He strode to the roots of the golden ancient tree, laying his hand upon it. Closing his eyes, his spiritual power linked through the tree, spreading outward. Thanks to Yang Yunhai's nurturing, the ancient tree had gained awareness, allowing it to serve as a conduit with the outside world.
Images flickered across his vision until they settled upon Tang San battling the crocodile. His gaze fixed upon the sinister sigil at Tang San's brow.
"A god-inheritance candidate… with the Clear Sky Hammer? Could this be the Tang San the Child of Nature spoke of?" His heart tightened, and he silently observed.
Time passed. Finally, Tang San smashed the Golden Crocodile King to death, blood staining the lake.
"A 90,000-year beast. Worthy of becoming my seventh ring. And… a soul bone as well?"
Without hesitation, he absorbed both ring and bone.
On the other side, Di Tian frowned. "Should I kill him now?" Yet he restrained himself. At such a critical moment, he could not expose himself beneath divine scrutiny. With gods involved and Tang San marked by one, even striking might not succeed. Better to report to Yunhai later.
Still, anger simmered. "Damn it. Such a variable at this time…"
When the absorption ended, Tang San opened his eyes—his face dark.
"What's going on?" His soul power had stalled at peak level 95, refusing to advance.
"Too fast an increase?" He frowned, but his expression eased.
"In that case, I'll investigate for Xiao Wu's trail around here first. Then search the lake's edge for the Titan Giant Ape." His eyes turned to the mist-shrouded waters. Even as a level 95 Titled Douluo, plunging recklessly into waters where a 100,000-year beast might lurk was too great a risk. Besides, Titan Giant Ape and Xiao Wu were land-dwellers.
His Eight Spider Lances pierced the crocodile's body with a wet sound. The corpse shriveled as he drained it.
"Damn it!" Di Tian clenched his fists in fury.
Finished, Tang San began searching the hut and its surroundings.
"Xiao Wu… were you truly killed?" His face sank to its darkest, heart plunging into despair. He scoured but found nothing. Leaving the hut, he soared above the forest, circling the lake's edge.
"Good thing he didn't plunge straight across. Otherwise, even at the cost of exposure, I'd have had to act." Di Tian let out a silent breath.
Days passed. Aside from a few high-ranked beasts, Tang San found nothing. No Titan Giant Ape.
"Could someone else have beaten me to it?" His eyes sharpened. "Bibi Dong. She also has twin martial souls. As Spirit Hall's Pope, her second martial soul would need 100,000-year rings. With Spirit Hall's resources, combing Star Dou Forest and hunting them wouldn't be difficult."
He dismissed the thought of Yang Yunhai. At Yunhai's age, he could not possibly absorb 100,000-year rings yet.
"Yes. It must be them." His eyes blazed cold.
"Otherwise, how could such a vast core region have no 100,000-year beasts? The Azure Bull Python might hide underwater, but the Titan Giant Ape? With that body, impossible."
"Then Xiao Wu…" His body trembled.
"Damn you, Spirit Hall, damn you Bibi Dong! To kill Xiao Wu, steal my rings—you and I are irreconcilable!"
After raging, he steadied his breath.
"Since I've hit a bottleneck, and found nothing here, I'll hunt Yu Xiaogang for the fourth trial. Then consolidate my power. After that, I can check Sunset Forest's poison miasma for a 100,000-year beast. If not, I'll return here to kill more 90,000-year ones." His figure vanished into the distance, heading toward Suotuo City.
"Arrogant whelp." Di Tian finally withdrew his spirit sense.
Several days later, at night south of Suotuo City—
So he came back here… Tang San landed silently at the former Shrek Academy.
"Dean Flender, long time no see." His figure flickered, appearing in Flender's room.
"Who—?" Flender jolted, then bowed cautiously.
Tang San smiled faintly. "Dean, after so many years, you don't recognize my voice?"
"You're… Xiao San?" Flender froze, then his heart sank.
"Yes." Tang San's smile thinned. "Dean, I came for one thing: Teacher's whereabouts. You, Teacher, and Teacher's wife were crippled because of me. I now have the means to heal."
Flender's heart softened. Perhaps Tang San still had conscience. He sighed with relief. "Xiao Gang is…" He revealed Yu Xiaogang's address, known through Liu Erlong's letters.
The words had barely left his lips before Tang San's expression turned ice-cold. "Flender, for old times' sake, I'll spare your life today."
Without another word, he vanished.
Flender's face paled, sweat chilling his back. He bolted outside, but Tang San was gone.
A few days later, at dusk in a quiet village—
The door slammed open.
"You are—!?" Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong looked up from their meal.
"Teacher, don't you recognize me?" Tang San sneered.
"Xiao San!?" Yu Xiaogang lit up with joy.
But Liu Erlong caught the killing intent in Tang San's eyes. She stood abruptly. "Xiao San, why are you here?"
"For revenge!" His hand lifted. Soul power exploded.
Yu Xiaogang froze. His disciple—his most beloved disciple—had come to kill him. Terror filled his eyes.
A wet boom! His body burst into a bloody mist, splattering the wall.
"Xiao Gang!" Liu Erlong's scream tore the air.
Tang San's gaze was icy. "Liu Erlong, for Xiao Wu's sake, and because you once cared for me, I'll spare you. But Yu Xiaogang tricked me into worshipping him, using me to test his baseless theories, causing my Blue Silver Grass to stall at rank 69. If not for my twin martial souls, I'd have been ruined. Today's vengeance is cause and effect."
He vanished into the night.
Liu Erlong collapsed to her knees.
"Rakshasa God Nine Trials, fourth trial complete. Reward: Rakshasa God affinity +10%. Fifth trial: raise all martial soul rings to nine, collect every soul bone. Time limit: one month." The cold voice echoed in Tang San's mind.
He scowled, then turned toward Star Dou Forest. Sunset Forest was too far.
"Better keep you busy here. Otherwise, the new Sea God, Dugu Yan, might kill you outright." In the God Realm, the Rakshasa God sneered.
Ten days later, in the Star Dou core—
"Phew." Tang San opened his eyes, exhaling.
"Level 96. Not perfect, but at least the bottleneck is broken."
"The Rakshasa God's fifth trial, complete. Reward: affinity +10%." The voice rang, and the sigil on his brow flared. Purple light formed a portal before him.
Without hesitation, he stepped through.
Back in a village's rear mountain—
"Erlong, my condolences." Flender sighed before a fresh grave. "Come with me. Though we can't have children, Qin Ming and Oscar are good kids, and Zhao Wuji too. We'll have family."
Erlong said nothing, then nodded faintly. Before them, Yu Xiaogang's grave was covered in lush green grass, swaying in the breeze.
(End of Chapter)
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