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Tang Chen's white clothes moved in the wind as he held the trident. He turned into a light beam and stepped across the sea to leave. On Sea God Island, all the Sea Spirit Beasts came to the surface at the same time. The Seven Sacred Pillar Douluos stood in the distance, watching him leave in silence.
The High Priestess whispered softly, "The sky over the Douluo Continent is going to change."
In the southwest part of the Douluo Continent, inside Suotuo City, everything was dark. This was once a lively trading city with tens of thousands of people. Outside the city gates was a bright maple forest where travelers rested every autumn. Now, the forest was completely dead. The trees were grey-black, the leaves were yellow and dry, and the roots had been drained of all life by an evil power. The sky was overcast with no birds or insects. A foul smell filled the air.
The city gates were open, guarded only by two corpses lying on the ground. They had no physical wounds, but their faces were frozen in horror. Their souls were gone, drained away completely.
When Tang Chen stepped into Suotuo City, he paused. He had rushed back from Sea God Island by following the faint connection through the Blue Silver Grass to find this city destroyed by Tang San. Seeing the actual scene made his eyes turn cold.
Dead bodies lay scattered along the street. Vegetable vendors, merchants, women, and young children were all dead. Their souls had been forcibly pulled out. Some died while running, some were holding loved ones, and others were on their knees begging for mercy. Tang San had spared no one.
Tang Chen walked forward carefully. The stones beneath his feet were cracked, and the withered grass looked burned by fire. An old locust tree had fallen over with peeled bark, its dead leaves covering a stiff bird. The well water had turned pitch black, and the heavy aura of Rakshasa Divine Power hung over everything.
Tang Chen tightened his grip on the Sea God Trident. "Tang San," he said quietly, but the temperature around him dropped instantly.
Just then, he heard a faint sound from a broken house. Tang Chen flashed forward and appeared behind a ruined wall. A little girl was curled up behind a water vat. Her face was pale, and she was shaking with fear. A thin line of black Rakshasa Death Qi wrapped around her body, slowly eating away at her remaining life.
Tang Chen squatted down gently. The little girl shrank back in fear.
"Don't be afraid," Tang Chen said softly. He raised his hand, and a vine of Blue Silver Grass grew from his palm to gently wrap around her wrist. Cyan-gold light flowed into her body, bringing color back to her cheeks.
The girl stared at him blankly. "Big Brother... a black monster came with a scythe... it took Daddy and Mommy away... they were crying in the sky..."
Tang Chen's eyes shook. "Are there any other survivors?"
"I don't know," she cried softly. "Everyone stopped talking... even the City Lord stopped... Big Brother, is my Mommy dead?"
Tang Chen stayed silent. He could heal injuries and fix broken bodies, but he could not bring back souls that had already been devoured. He gently placed his hand on the girl's head. "Sleep for a while."
The Blue Silver Grass pushed out the remaining black death energy from her body. The evil energy screeched as it left her, but Tang Chen destroyed it with a flick of his finger. The girl relaxed and fell into a deep sleep. He placed her safely on a clean couch before stepping back into the street.
Tang Chen raised his right hand, summoning the Blue Silver Emperor. A bright cyan-gold light shot into the sky. "Blue Silver Emperor, Life Domain, activate!"
Countless Blue Silver Grass vines sprouted from the cracks in the street, covering the ground in cyan-gold light. Strands of gentle life force spread across the dead city. The old locust tree began to sprout green leaves, the well water cleared up, and the withered maple forest outside began to grow new buds.
Yet, Tang Chen's expression remained dark. Nature could be restored, but the lost souls were gone forever. Looking at the dead bodies around him, his eyes turned cold. "Tang San, you are no longer human."
He slammed the Sea God Trident into the ground. The blue-gold Seagod's Light and the cyan-gold life power merged together, falling like gentle rain over the city. The terrified faces on the corpses slowly relaxed as the evil aura was purified, allowing them to rest in peace.
Night fell over Heaven Dou City. The once lively Shrek Academy was now quiet and closed off due to the ongoing wars and the news of Tang San's evil actions. The old trees rustled in the wind, and the academy gates remained shut tight.
Deep inside the academy, candlelight flickered in the meeting hall. Flender sat in the main seat with a gloomy face. Liu Erlong stood by the window with her arms crossed, her eyes full of anger. Zhao Wuji leaned against a pillar silently, while Qin Ming stood nearby with a grave expression.
In the far corner sat Yu Xiaogang. His face was pale and thin, making him look much older. However, a tiny flash of dark purple light occasionally flickered deep in his eyes without anyone noticing.
Several reports rested on the table, listing cities that had been completely wiped out.
Zhao Wuji slammed his fist onto the table. "Bastard! How crazy has Tang San become? Slaughtering cities and devouring souls... is he even human anymore?"
Liu Erlong said coldly, "He isn't the same Tang San we used to know."
Qin Ming added quietly, "The reports say he used those souls to bring back Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Tai Long, Bibi Dong, Yue Guan, and Gui Mei. But they aren't really alive. They have no minds and act like undead puppets."
Hearing the names of his former students, Flender trembled. Ma Hongjun had been his personal disciple, a boy he hoped would grow into a powerful Phoenix Douluo. Now, the boy was dead and turned into a puppet. Flender took off his glasses with shaking hands to wipe them. "Tang San... what have you done to Shrek?"
Suddenly, a cold wind blew through the hall, dimming the candles and dropping the room's temperature. Zhao Wuji stood up fast. "Who's there?"
Slow, quiet footsteps echoed from the dark hallway outside. Liu Erlong summoned her Red Dragon Spirit, and Qin Ming stepped in front to protect the others. Yu Xiaogang stayed in the corner with his head down, a strange, tiny twitch at the corner of his mouth.
The doors burst open as dark fog rushed inside. A black-robed figure walked in slowly, holding the Rakshasa Demonic Scythe. A purple-black mark pulsed on his forehead, and his eyes burned with green flames. It was Tang San.
Everyone fell silent. The old Tang San was gone, replaced by a pale, evil creature that looked like it had crawled out of hell.
Flender stood up slowly. "Tang San, you actually dare to return?"
"Dean, it's been a long time," Tang San replied calmly, showing no shame or regret.
Liu Erlong yelled, "Tang San! Are the rumors true? Did you slaughter those cities and turn Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun into undead puppets?"
Tang San looked at her coldly. "Teacher Erlong, don't say it like that. I didn't destroy them. I brought them back. Once I become strong enough, I can restore them completely. As long as I inherit the Rakshasa God position, I can reverse everything."
Qin Ming glared at him. "So you kill innocent people and steal their souls for power?"
Tang San took a step forward, dragging his scythe on the floor. "The souls of the weak don't matter anyway. They're always ruled by the strong. They might as well become my power. After I become a God, I will reshape the entire Douluo Continent, and Shrek will be the center of the new world."
Flender's eyes lost their last bit of hope. "Is this why you came back?"
Tang San held up a dark purple token carved with images of bones and scythes. "I've created a new power called the Rakshasa Divine Court. It will replace Spirit Hall, Star Luo, and Heaven Dou to rule the continent. Since you were my teachers, I'm giving you a chance. Join the Rakshasa Divine Court and take the trial. Kill, devour souls, and offer sacrifices. If you pass, you'll gain divine power, evolve your Spirit, and maybe even become a demigod."