"You finally came, Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Ning Rongrong." Tang San rose from cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Skill. His long blue hair draped over his shoulders, yet it gave off an eerily enchanting beauty.
Compared to his image in the original story, this Tang San appeared far more mysterious and dangerous.
Though his appearance was bewitching, the faint aura he emanated showed that he was already an absolute powerhouse at the Limit Douluo quasi-god level.
"It seems you've been waiting for me a long time." Ning Rongrong's calm gaze fixed on Tang San. There was no ripple in her eyes.
"Bo Saixi's death was also orchestrated by you, wasn't it? God King Tang San—you really are detestable."
"As expected, you guessed it." Tang San's tone held no surprise. "I always thought you were the Nine-Colored Goddess, but only after meeting you this time did I confirm—you're not her. The real Ning Rongrong's personality rarely pays attention to such details."
"And even after being married to Oscar for many years, she still had feelings for me…"
"Trying to disturb my state of mind is useless, Tang San. Whatever karma exists between me and the Nine-Colored Goddess, I will go to your world and sever it. I am simply myself—just as you are not the Tang San of this world."
"Yes, parallel worlds." Tang San gave a light laugh. "The ability to know time, to understand the past and future—perhaps that's exactly why you can change things."
"This place is ultimately not my original world. But an exception like you should not exist."
"For the peace of the parallel world, you must die."
"Big words are easy for anyone to say." Ning Rongrong gave a calm smile, her tone flat.
"You predicted I might come to assist the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, so you deliberately had Bo Saixi draw away the Demon Empress and Lan Fozi Child. You also counted on their pride to buy yourself time to absorb the soul ring."
"Bo Saixi should have had some backup measure. The moment she fell, you sensed my arrival. Am I right?"
Tang San clapped his hands and laughed:
"Not bad, not bad. If I hadn't completed the Sea God's Eight Examinations, I might not have been your match. The current me has already surpassed Limit Douluo."
"Just because of your eight red and one brilliant gold soul rings?"
Ning Rongrong sneered, circulating her zhenqi.
"Trace-less."
In the next instant, her figure vanished from Tang San's sight.
Tang San's pupils contracted sharply. Quasi-god-rank soul power erupted from him.
The Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track was pushed to its limit.
A residual image was left behind in the sky.
Tang San retreated like lightning, his body instantly withdrawing a thousand meters away.
The moment he stopped, a lock of blue hair drifted down from his forehead, as though sliced by a razor-sharp blade.
Cold sweat beaded on Tang San's forehead. He murmured to himself: "What terrifying speed."
Faster than even Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. If not for his God King-level reflexes, he might have been decapitated.
Ning Rongrong stood at the spot where Tang San had dodged from. Her gaze remained calm as water.
"You run pretty fast, huh!"
"Since the Seagod's Trident returned to your hands, with your abilities, you've probably seen some scattered image fragments." Ning Rongrong sneered.
"You deliberately stayed behind to wait for me. Do you really think you have a chance of winning?"
"Don't get too cocky, Ning Rongrong." A vein throbbed on Tang San's forehead in an angry "井" shape.
"Come on!" Facing Tang San's fury, Ning Rongrong's tone remained completely even. She raised a finger and made an internationally recognized gesture.
"I'll give you the chance. Let me see the strength of God King Tang San. Today, either you die or you die."
"Come at me! Face me head-on!"
"Mere native—don't get too arrogant!"
The Seagod's Trident in Tang San's hand erupted with intense soul power fluctuations, transforming into a deep blue beam that shot straight toward Ning Rongrong.
"Clang—"
The Seagod's Trident was effortlessly blocked. Tang San couldn't advance even an inch.
With a light sweep of the Glazed Sacred Sword in Ning Rongrong's hand, she forced Tang San back once again.
After retreating several steps, veins bulged on Tang San's wrists. He roared with full force:
"Seagod's Thirteen Forms—Unfixed Storm!"
Countless seawater turned into vines, wrapping toward Ning Rongrong from all directions.
"An attack of no consequence."
Ning Rongrong gently raised her left hand. Strands of golden light gathered. The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda shimmered with soft radiance, steadily held in her grasp.
One soul ring after another rose from beneath her feet.
Gold, gold, gold, gold, gold, gold, gold, gold, gold.
"Purification."
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in Ning Rongrong's palm trembled slightly. Ring-shaped ripples spread outward. Wherever they touched the water flows released by the Seagod's Trident, the soul power within was completely shattered.
"Impossible!"
Tang San's eyes widened. His gaze locked onto the golden soul rings surrounding the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. He said in shock:
"You… how do you have so many hundred-thousand-year soul rings? This defies reason!"
Gold—representing hundred-thousand-year rings.
Ning Rongrong had indeed shown golden soul rings during the Soul Master Tournament, but one or two—even three—were within Tang San's expectations.
But nine hundred-thousand-year soul rings—this was simply unbelievable!
Nine hundred-thousand-year soul rings—was this even human?
Wasn't it the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda that had become a spirit?
Even if you slaughtered the Silver Dragon King, you couldn't gather this many hundred-thousand-year soul rings!
He had the advantage of twin martial souls, plus one hundred-thousand-year Deep Sea Demonic Whale King soul ring, and soul rings obtained from the Sun Moon Continent. He also had the experience of a God King.
Logically, the advantage should be on his side.
But this…
Even the abyssal memory fragments from the Seagod's Trident only gave him bits and pieces of images—none of which showed Ning Rongrong possessing such terrifying soul ring colors.
"Tang San, show your trump card. Since you've become a god, show the bearing of a god."
"Trying to hide your cultivation to catch me off guard—do you think you're the fool, or am I?"
"Fine, fine, fine, fine!" Tang San ground his teeth, his face ashen. "I underestimated you, Ning Rongrong. Even if your strength is greater and your soul rings are more impressive, you're still just a Limit Douluo."
"Whether in power, experience, or combat skill, I am above you."
"What do you have to beat me with?" Since he had already been seen through, Tang San no longer hid anything.
Waves began to rise at the position of his original nine rings—from nothing to something, as naturally as water finding its course.
Beneath the nine soul rings, another soul ring appeared.
This ring was different from gold—it was a blue-gold divine ring. In other words, Tang San had completed the nine examinations and even ascended to godhood on his own.
"Ning Rongrong, you should not exist in this world."
"You are an anomaly. I, Tang San, will completely eliminate you."
While Tang San was condensing his soul ring,
In a barrier at a relatively distant location, Lan Fozi Child's restraints were released.
"How about it? Calmer now?"
When the battle began, Ning Rongrong had already used a clone to bring Lan Fozi Child away from the battlefield.
"My parents are both dead. Everything is gone." Lan Fozi Child covered her face, overwhelmed with grief, occasionally letting out choked sobs.
"Then why didn't you notify me sooner?" Ning Rongrong asked in confusion.
"Father refused. He would rather face Tang San alone than ask for help from humans." Lan Fozi Child's voice cracked, tears brimming in her eyes.
"Sigh…" Listening to Lan Fozi Child's explanation, Ning Rongrong roughly understood what had happened to the Demon Empress and the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King. She couldn't help but sigh.
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's pride wouldn't allow him to seek help from outsiders. He had the Demon Empress take Lan Fozi Child and withdraw first.
He faced Tang San alone. Then the Demon Empress encountered the rested and waiting Bo Saixi, who pursued her.
With the Demon Empress's mere pseudo-demigod cultivation, how could she possibly be a match for a quasi-god?
She was slain in mere moments—only managing to let Lan Fozi Child escape in time. In her panic and grief over her mother's fall, Lan Fozi Child fled in every direction.
Only in the final moment did she remember the token. She even thought Ning Rongrong couldn't possibly arrive so quickly.
"Truly one unexpected thing after another!" Ning Rongrong sighed helplessly.
At that moment, in the empty space of the barrier, a spatial rift suddenly tore open.
A figure stepped out from within.
(End of chapter)