Although Tang San was not afraid of the Angel Martial Soul, he still had to treat Lu Kai's strength with caution.
Lu Kai's overall power should be weaker than Feng Xiaotian's. Their spirit ring configurations were similar—both had ten-thousand-year rings—but the difference between a Spirit Elder and a Spirit King was still significant.
Moreover, Feng Xiaotian possessed a self-created spirit ability, while Lu Kai seemed to walk the traditional path of a soul master. Without the bonus of a self-created technique, Tang San was confident he could rely on the secret techniques of the Clear Sky Hammer to defeat him.
Of course, while defeating Lu Kai, he also needed to preserve enough soul power to face the next opponent.
Every member of the Spark Team was strong. In Tang San's mind, his expectation for himself was to do his utmost to eliminate Lu Kai, heavily drain another opponent, and—if possible—knock that one out as well. That way, he would have fulfilled his task, and Dai Mubai could then take the stage to finish the job, creating a clear advantage for Shrek Academy.
"The two sides have one minute to release their martial souls. After one minute, the match will officially begin," the referee announced.
Tang San was the first to summon his weapon. Out came his trusty… snot—cough!—Clear Sky Hammer. Its rings gleamed purple, purple, purple, yellow.
Lu Kai also released his martial soul—Holy Light Guardian Angel. His rings were purple, purple, purple, black.
Golden radiance shone behind Lu Kai as a humanoid martial soul clad in armor appeared. His angel was clearly male, with only a single pair of wings, a noticeable difference from the six-winged Seraphim.
When Tang San saw his opponent's spirit ring configuration, a flicker of envy crossed his eyes. He had originally planned for his Clear Sky Hammer to have the exact setup of purple, purple, purple, black, with each spirit beast being an immensely powerful strength-type. But thanks to "Brother Hai" messing with him, things hadn't gone that way.
The result was that, despite being a twin martial soul wielder, his second martial soul's configuration wasn't even as good as someone else's first. Tang San was practically suffocating with jealousy.
Clang, clang, clang! The gong sounded. The match officially began.
Tang San immediately began stacking the Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique.
"Blacksmith," Lu Kai said with a sunny smile, "do you know why I said my martial soul has a bit of a connection with yours? It's because of my fourth spirit ability."
As he raised a finger, his black spirit ring lit up. Lu Kai declared:
"Fourth Spirit Ability—Holy Light Twin Whips!"
The angel clenched its hands, and from each palm formed a golden hilt. From the ends of those hilts extended whips forged of condensed light.
The angel swung both whips down onto the floor with a resounding crack.
Whip-crack! The two lashes tore across the tiles beside Tang San, gouging deep scars into the arena floor.
Tang San's hammer-stacking paused involuntarily. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead. He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing, his peripheral vision catching the terrifying whip marks.
For some reason, an ominous feeling gripped him. This fourth spirit ability of Lu Kai's seemed to heavily restrain him.
Quickly brushing aside the unease, Tang San activated his Purple Demon Eye, staring at Lu Kai with vigilance as he continued stacking the Chaotic Cloak.
But that first strike had only been an appetizer. Lu Kai commanded his angel to lash out, sending both light whips snapping toward Tang San.
Seizing the moment, Tang San swung the Clear Sky Hammer against one whip, stacking another Cloak strike. But he failed to notice the second whip circling behind him.
CRACK!
"Unhh—aaaghhhhhhh!!" Tang San let out a bloodcurdling scream. The whip tore open his back, shredding his clothes to reveal scorched-black skin split by a gaping wound.
Agony blazed across his body, his mind reeling. The strike had not only slashed his flesh but also lashed his very soul, leaving a deep spiritual wound.
The attack shattered his hammer-stacking sequence completely.
"In front of me, you dare try stacking your Cloak Hammer? Dream on. Dance like a clown for the audience instead," Lu Kai mocked with disdain.
The angel spun its twin whips again, sending them lashing down at Tang San.
Sensing danger, Tang San hastily stepped into Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to evade.
But Lu Kai's eyes suddenly glowed with a streak of violet—Purple Demon Eye!
He instantly predicted Tang San's next move. The second whip lashed out, striking directly at the spot where Tang San was retreating.
CRACK!
"Unhh—aaaghhhh!!"
The whip struck his leg with perfect accuracy. Tang San shrieked in pain, collapsing to one knee.
Shaking, he forced himself up again, face darkened, sweat pouring like rain down his body.
Now, facing Lu Kai several dozen meters away, a shadow of fear had taken root in Tang San's heart.
No… I can't just sit here waiting to be beaten. I must fight back!
Taking advantage of the angel's brief pause, Tang San swung his Clear Sky Hammer down onto the ground before Lu Kai.
"First Spirit Ability, Snot Strike! Second Spirit Ability, Snot Bind!" Tang San roared.
The Clear Sky Hammer flattened, expelling sticky mucus that splattered forward toward Lu Kai.
In response, Lu Kai acted swiftly. His angel whipped both lashes in rhythm, cutting through the streams of slime with slicing cracks, shredding them into countless sticky droplets—and whipping them right back at Tang San.
Unprepared, Tang San was immediately drenched head to toe in his own mucus attack.
When he realized what had happened, he touched the slimy goo clinging to his skin and nearly vomited from disgust.
But when he lifted his head again, Lu Kai was already launching another round of strikes.
Twin light whips lashed toward him once more.
No, no, no! Not again!!
Tang San hurriedly tried to dodge with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, but as he stepped forward—
Slip!
His foot landed on a patch of mucus. With a wet slide, Tang San's darkened body sprawled across the ground.
The whips followed immediately. CRACK, CRACK! They tore into his back, ripping bloody welts across him.
"Unhh—aaaghhhh!!"
Groaning, Tang San tried to push himself up from the ground, but his mucus-slick hand slipped, sending him crashing back down again.
"You want to stand? You should've said so earlier—I'll help you," Lu Kai sneered.
The angel flicked one whip, wrapping it tightly around Tang San's leg, yanking him upside down into the air.
Then the other whip lashed down mercilessly across his shoulder. CRACK! Blood sprayed as his darkened body convulsed under the strike.
"Unhh—aaaghhhh!!"
Lu Kai's Angel Twin Whips lashed out—one whip hoisted Tang San upside down into the air, while the other repeatedly struck his pitch-black body. Each crack of the whip spun him around like a top, drawing anguished screams from his mouth.
In the stands, Flender finally snapped out of his shock. He jumped to his feet and shouted to the referee:
"Referee, we surrender! Our Shrek team member, Tang San, admits defeat—"
Before his voice even fell, another whip cracked down on Tang San. His scream echoed through the arena, and then he crashed heavily to the ground.
By now Tang San's body was already covered in bloody welts, his appearance utterly tragic. His eyes blurred with dizziness as he looked down from the stage. What he saw almost made him cough blood—a heartbreaking scene: Yu Tianheng had one arm around Xiao Wu's slender waist, sighing emotionally in his direction.
The searing pain in his flesh, the torment in his spirit, and the devastation in his mind struck him all at once. Blood surged up his throat, and Tang San spewed out a mouthful of clotted blood before finally losing consciousness.
He was carried away on a stretcher. Fortunately, he had already passed out. If he were awake to see Xiao Wu not even glancing at him, but instead leaning happily against Yu Tianheng, with Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar wagging their metaphorical tails around her—who could guess what kind of despair Tang San would have felt?
After Tang San's fall, Dai Mubai was next to take the field.
Though he didn't crumble as miserably as Tang San, he still couldn't withstand Lu Kai's Angel Light Whips for long. After a few hard-fought exchanges, he too was eliminated.
Following him, Yu Tianheng entered. Leveraging his Spirit King advantage, he managed—at the cost of tremendous energy—to defeat Lu Kai.
But then the next opponent stepped forward: Lin Chen.
Lin Chen revealed himself to be a level 51 Spirit King, making him the fourth Spirit King of the Spark Team. What's more, his martial soul had evolved into the mighty Golden Sacred Dragon. With its bloodline superiority, the Golden Sacred Dragon completely suppressed Yu Tianheng's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Without suspense, Yu Tianheng was soundly defeated.
After Yu Tianheng's loss, Er Ming entered the fray. His Titan Giant Ape did have some power to contend with the Golden Sacred Dragon, but in the end he too fell to Lin Chen.
Once Er Ming was eliminated, the rest was no surprise. The match ended with Spark Academy defeating Shrek Academy, keeping their undefeated streak intact.
A blur of vision—
He couldn't quite see the man's face clearly, but he seemed very young. He wore a denim outfit, cowboy hat on his head, and a whip hanging from his belt. He walked ahead, and Tang San instinctively followed.
Where is this? Wait… this is the God Realm!
Tang San took in a deep breath, inhaling the immortal spiritual qi that could grant eternal life.
He looked up at the sky—yes, this was truly the sky of the God Realm.
So I've arrived in the God Realm…
But where exactly?
Ahead lay an expansive plain.
At the edge of the field, a boundless whiteness spread out before him—cotton blooming in vast waves.
Tang San recognized the crop instantly. Godfluff Cotton, the primary material used for the robes favored by the upper echelons of the God Realm.
The fields stirred a familiar memory in him, and soon it clicked—
Wait a second. Isn't this part of the industries under my Asura God Palace?
(Tang San, being a dual god, usually resided in the Sea God Palace, but the Asura God Palace was also his. He owned both.)
As one of the Five Great God Kings of the God Realm, Tang San had inherited not only the power and legacy of the Asura God upon his ascension, but also his vast estates. Using this as a foundation, Tang San continued to annex lands from lesser gods until he became the largest landowner and farm master in the entire God Realm.
His estates numbered beyond count, and the wealth they generated supported the lavish lifestyle of the Asura God Palace.
By rights, as a lofty God King, Tang San should have been spending his time in the Asura God Palace, at the God Realm's central council, or taking Xiao Wu to sample celestial delicacies. He had no need to bother with these lowly estates.
Yet, one day fifty years into his reign, after exhausting himself handling affairs of the God Realm, he recalled Tao Yuanming's idyllic verse about "gathering chrysanthemums by the eastern fence."
On a whim, he disguised himself and took Xiao Wu with him on a private tour of his rural estates.
That day, they sat on a small hill not far from the manor, gazing at the divine cotton fields. Endless waves of Godfluff Cotton rippled across the land. Divine servants worked tirelessly, plucking cotton into woven sacks. Behind them stood overseer priests of the Asura God Palace, whips at their waists, glaring fiercely.
Whenever a servant slowed in their cotton picking, the whip lashed mercilessly, drawing screams from their throats.
On that hill, Tang San and Xiao Wu plucked a stalk of wild Chrysanthemum Celestia from the grass. Tang San lifted it to his nose, inhaling its delicate fragrance. The pastoral scene filled him with romantic inspiration. He wanted to recite a verse, and though he couldn't compose a new poem, words slipped from his mouth:
"Gathering chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, I leisurely behold the southern mountain."
"Wow, Third Brother, did you write that yourself?" Xiao Wu asked in admiration.
He nodded solemnly. "Yes. Inspired by this countryside scene, I composed this poem." He gazed at the vast cotton fields, at the countless silhouettes toiling like ants, and at the overseers swinging their whips, remarking with deep emotion.
"Wow, Third Brother, you're amazing."
The memory tugged at Tang San's heart. He turned toward that spot—and sure enough, a small hill stood there. That was where he and Xiao Wu had once enjoyed that romantic, rustic moment together.
Why am I here? Could it be… I've become a god again, returned to the Asura God Palace, revisiting the old places?
Suddenly—
A whip cracked across his back, making him howl in pain.
"What are you gawking at? Get over here!" the cowboy overseer snarled, brandishing his whip.
Tang San raised his arm in agony, only to realize his skin was pitch-black. He froze.
In that instant of hesitation, another whip lashed across his body. Tang San screamed again.
"You—you dare whip me?" His eyes reddened, his breath ragged. He was about to summon his martial soul and fight to the death—only to realize with horror that none of his strength was accessible.
"Well, well. So this black wretch has some spirit, eh? Asking me if I dare whip you? You're begging for it!" The cowboy sneered, yanking his whip tighter as he stepped up to Tang San. One lash after another rained down.
At first, Tang San clenched his teeth, stubbornly enduring. But eventually the pain broke him.
"Stop—stop whipping me! Spare me, please… forgive me!"
The cowboy said:
"Ah San, remember this well. This is the divine cotton field of Lord Asura God. Since you've come here, you must remember your identity and status—you are nothing more than a production tool of the great Lord Asura God. This is your mission, and it is also your honor. You'll work honestly and diligently, picking cotton from dawn till dusk, from dusk till dawn, understand?"
Asura God? Who is the Asura God? Shouldn't I be the Asura God?
Tang San's mind filled with a huge question mark.
Just as he sank into thought, the cowboy priest cracked his whip across Tang San's face. A burning lash mark instantly appeared on his darkened cheek, the pain fiery and sharp.
"What are you daydreaming about? Did you hear what I said or not?"
"Yes, yes, I heard it." Tang San lowered his head, enduring the pain, and replied.
The cowboy priest brought over a huge burlap sack and shoved it into Tang San's hands.
"This cotton field is your responsibility. By sunset, if this sack isn't filled, I'll whip you to death. Now get to work!" He raised his whip threateningly.
"Yes, yes, yes." Tang San hurriedly took the sack and went into the field to pick cotton.
It was exhausting work. Whenever Tang San felt like slowing down or catching his breath, he would suddenly hear the sound of whips slicing the air. Looking back, he saw the cowboy standing there, swinging both whips in a rhythmic dance, glaring at him viciously.
Terrified, Tang San dared not slack off and picked faster and faster.
So he worked in that vast field of white cotton, his dark skin standing out starkly against the sea of white.
At noon, he was finally given a brief moment to rest. He was provided with a sweet, thirst-quenching Earth Dragon Watermelon and some fried Celestial Feather Chicken.
Staring at the food, Tang San couldn't help but recall his past in the God Realm. These were low-level rations—food only fit for minor priests and divine servants—things he would never even glance at. Yet now, he had fallen so low that this was what he was eating.
With tears in his eyes, he took a bite of the watermelon and a mouthful of the fried chicken. To his surprise, after such exhausting labor, even the food of mere servants tasted delicious. Tang San devoured the meal ravenously. Just as he was about to catch his breath, a shadow loomed in front of him.
It was the cowboy again. He cracked his whip into the ground beside Tang San.
"Finished eating, eh? Then get back to work! If you don't meet the production quotas set by the great Lord Asura God, I'll hold you personally responsible."
The whip rose threateningly. Tang San quickly stood up, lowering his head humbly.
"Yes, yes, I'll pick! I'll pick!"
Once again, unwillingly, Tang San returned to the fields.
By dusk, he was sore, exhausted, and covered with whip marks. But at least the sack behind him was finally filled with cotton.
Just when he thought he could rest at last, the overseer came again, carrying another burlap sack.
"This is tonight's quota. Fill it."
"There's more tonight?" Tang San asked in horror.
"Of course. After you finish at night, you pick during the day; after the day, you pick at night. Hurry up and work, or I'll whip you!"
Hearing this, Tang San cursed in his heart. Damn it, working 24 hours nonstop—what bastard came up with this system—
Then he suddenly froze. Wait… wasn't that bastard… himself?
Tang San suddenly remembered: the physique of God Realm beings was many times that of mortals.
They could work twenty-four hours a day without sleep and still remain fine. And so, when he was once a God King, he himself had implemented this 24-hour work policy—forcing the lowest divine servants of the Asura God Temple and the Sea God Temple to labor without rest in the farms.
The output—cotton, divine silk, and other raw materials—would be sent across the realms, strengthening ties with other divine systems and expanding his own influence, so he could replace the Gods of Life and Destruction.
Now, he was the one enslaved by his own cruel policy.
Bitterly, Tang San lowered his head and kept picking cotton.
In his sorrow, he raised his eyes toward a small hill nearby, and memories surfaced—sweet memories of him and Xiao Wu, of romantic days spent there.
What beautiful, pastoral scenery that was…
Suddenly, two figures appeared on that hill.
One was the woman he yearned for day and night—Xiao Wu. The other was the man he despised with all his heart—Yu Tianheng.
Tang San froze. Why are they here? And what's their relationship? His heart grew restless.
On the hill, Yu Tianheng bent down, plucked a wild Sky-reaching Chrysanthemum, and smelled it leisurely. Before him stretched the endless cotton fields, white as far as the eye could see. In the fields, a dark figure—Tang San—worked like an ant, while the cowboy priest, astride a fine horse with two whips at his waist, supervised him coldly.
Ah… what a beautiful pastoral scene.
The sight stirred Yu Tianheng's poetic mood. He opened his mouth, and out came:
"Plucking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, I gaze serenely at the southern mountain."
"Wow, Ah Heng, did you compose that yourself?" Xiao Wu asked in amazement.
Yu Tianheng nodded calmly. "Yes. Inspired by the scenery before me, I composed this poem." He gestured to the cotton fields below—the laboring figure and the cowboys cracking whips without rest.
"Wow, Ah Heng, you're amazing!" Xiao Wu said with admiration.
Down below, in the cotton fields, Tang San was dumbfounded.
This scene… he knew it all too well. Once, it was he and Xiao Wu who visited his farms, enjoying this same pastoral beauty. But now—his place had been taken by Yu Tianheng.
And he… he had become part of the farm itself.
Could it be… Yu Tianheng stole Xiao Wu's love, inherited the Asura God's throne, became master of this farm, while I was cast down as a laborer?
The crushing contrast overwhelmed him. From a lofty God King, he had fallen to such a pitiful fate. Tang San's eyes turned red, his breath ragged.
"No! This… all of this should be mine! It belongs to me!"
"You lowly slave, how dare you look up at the great Asura God and his Lady!"
The cowboy, noticing his unrest, spurred his horse forward. Raising his whip high, he lashed—
Snap! Snap!
The strikes fell mercilessly, making Tang San scream in agony.
"Ah—!"
Meanwhile, Yu Tianheng spread his arms wide, breathing in the fresh air, gazing at the dark figure below being whipped like a stray dog.
"What a beautiful pastoral scenery this is."
"Yes…" Xiao Wu nestled happily against him.