Chapter 52: Tang San—"I Don't Understand?!"
After entering a hidden stronghold through a formation, the Death God Envoy finally shook off Xuan Zi's pursuit. Still uneasy, he immediately summoned his twelve refined Corpse Slaves, preparing them to cover his retreat.
But soon, his gaze fell on Wang Dong.
"Heh heh… A disciple of Shrek, huh? You must have extraordinary talent. Lucky for you, I'll show mercy—leave a Corpse Slave brand on you, and from now on, you'll obediently serve me as one of my slaves!"
It was the gravest mistake he could have made. For he had no idea just how sinister the entity slumbering within Wang Dong truly was.
As he reached out to invade Wang Dong's spiritual sea—
An abrupt change erupted.
Within Wang Dong's spiritual sea, a sliver of divine consciousness left by Tang San was triggered. Instantly, it launched a passive defense while simultaneously sending an emergency signal back to Tang San's true body in the God Realm.
Overwhelmed by the suffocating pressure, the Death God Envoy was stricken with terror. He couldn't even run.
But who was he? He was the death god. Even that old geezer from Shrek couldn't outplay him, so how could he accept stumbling over a mere kid? So he gritted his teeth and became ruthless.
"Damn it! What the hell is this thing? You want to kill me? Fine—then I'll drag this brat down to the grave with me!"
A ruthless man made a ruthless choice.
Without hesitation, he detonated all twelve of his Corpse Slaves. The surrounding space quaked, the destructive force far beyond what a mere Soul King should wield. A terrifying chain of explosions rippled outward.
He was aiming for a one-for-one exchange. He didn't believe that a mere kid could be so sinister.
To make him obediently submit? Impossible! It's just Destiny; he'd almost died several times already!
The already heavily restricted Tang San's divine consciousness had to once again unseal and release a large amount of energy to deal with the Death God Envoy's actions outside.
Previously, at Shrek's Sea God Lake, this wisp of divine consciousness had already consumed some energy to protect Wang Dong from Ma Xiaotao's harm. Now, its energy was almost completely depleted.
The result of this was that after dealing with the Death God Envoy, the divine consciousness could only use its last shred of power to transmit the situation to the main body, leaving only a tiny bit remaining within Wang Dong, listless and no longer able to perceive the outside World at will.
"What... what happened here?"
Xuan Zi arrived too late. Confusion filled his eyes.
Yet seeing Wang Dong merely unconscious but unharmed, he sighed in relief.
As for the Death God Envoy? His body had already been obliterated, nothing but fertilizer scattered across the ground. Xuan Zi couldn't care less.
His heart ached with guilt. His only thought now was to rush back and protect the other students. He would not—he could not—let another mishap strike them.
This was a failure. His failure. If not for his negligence, if not for his laziness in "tempering" the youngsters, none of this would have happened.
Once he returned, he would step down. He no longer had the face to remain in this position.
'Evil Soul Masters… all of it is because of them. One day, I swear, I'll wipe every last Evil Soul Master from this world!'
But first, he had to ensure the children who still lived were safe, then return and accept judgment.
---
God Realm.
Exhausted after a long day's labor, Tang San had just been preparing to rest when his expression suddenly twisted. His breath came in heavy gasps, fury blazing across his face.
"Bastard, scoundrel, son of a bitch!!"
"Evil Soul Master, a mere evil Soul Master, actually consumed the divine consciousness fragment energy I sealed within Xiao Qi. You have found your path to death!!"
If he could originally sense the Son of Destiny through the wisp of divine sense on Xiao Qi, even if he couldn't control the God Realm's core, now there was no hope left.
But now, with the fragment nearly extinguished, even that fragile thread of perception was gone.
Before, it had been difficult but still possible to glean traces of Destiny. Now—there was no longer any hope.
Unless the Child of Destiny actively invaded Xiao Qi's spiritual sea, that pitiful wisp of divine consciousness would remain dormant, blind, unable to transmit even the faintest message back to him.
"What do I do now…?"
Every move he made was already under God of Destruction's constant surveillance. He couldn't send word to Douluo Star. Da Ming and Er Ming couldn't enter the God Realm, and thus couldn't learn of his plight.
Father?
No. Passing a message to his father was far too dangerous. His father was in the midst of invading Douluo Star's will, seeking to replace it and seize control of the plane itself. If exposed, the other gods would never stand idly by.
Mother?
Impossible as well. She was entwined with the very core of Douluo Star's life core. Neither of them could afford to draw the attention of the Gods.
In the end, Tang San realized he had stumbled into a deadlock. His grand arrangements on Douluo Star had all become useless.
"Why? Why has everything spiraled into this disaster?"
"I… I don't understand!"
"Just a few days ago, that vibrant, thriving state was still vivid in my mind. Why has it become like this in just a few days? Is plotting against the Child of Destiny destined to bring more misfortune than fortune to Xiao Qi?"
Tang San's fists clenched, his eyes bloodshot with rage and unwillingness.
"No. I refuse to let my ten-thousand-year plan collapse here! Douluo Star still holds a few contingencies. As long as I find the Child of Destiny, the advantage remains mine."
The Qiankun Wenqing Valley, Shrek… In those places, as well as within the Golden Tree, he had left behind threads of his divine consciousness.
If the Child of Destiny appeared there, he would still be able to detect him. Through subtle guidance, he could bring that person to his side and turn him into his greatest ally.
---
Clear Sky Sect.
"WHO?! Who dares hurt Xiao Dong?! I'll kill you—I'll slaughter you all!!"
Er Ming roared in fury, only to be restrained by Da Ming.
"Calm yourself. Xiao Dong will be fine. Did you forget? He left a divine seal in Xiao Dong's spiritual sea. That seal won't dissipate for a lifetime. He knows what he's doing—don't act recklessly."
Er Ming's face darkened.
"'He knows what he's doing, he has arrangements'—you always say that, big brother! But since Xiao Dong was born, has he ever fulfilled the duties of a father? Why should we listen to him for everything?!"
Then, his tone pleading, he said, "Big Brother, I'm still worried. I'm worried that Xiao Dong will just be left unattended by him. I want to go find Xiao Dong."
Da Ming shook his head firmly.
"No. He was clear—we must not interfere with Xiao Dong's growth. I agree with him. If you want to go… then defeat me first."
"Why are you like this? Who wants to fight a freak like you?"
"Come now… play with big brother a little. Let's spar."
"No way!"
—
End of Chapter