As time dragged on, that eerie blood-black light gradually faded, slowly thinning until it vanished entirely. Tang San's figure rose from the bed, astonishingly steady. In this moment, he seemed almost restored to his old self, far removed from the pathetic state of breathlessness and collapse he'd been in before.
Though blood loss still made his face pale, the corpse-like blue-violet tint had gone, replaced by an unsettling, faint flush. His eyes, once dull and shadowy, had regained clarity—though a trace of coldness lingered, deep and hard to wash away. Yet overall, his spirit had recovered almost completely.
Even more astonishing, his aura, previously unstable after his external soul bone had been forcibly removed, was now not only solid, but had broken through the bottleneck of the fortieth level.
"Haha...haha..."
Tang San lowered his head, gazing at his own hands, feeling the soul power surging within his body. At last, he couldn't suppress a brilliant, low laugh. The laughter started quietly, then grew louder, brimming with the thrill of revenge and twisted excitement.
All this time, that old man had relied upon his position as an Elder and the cultivation of a "Title Douluo" to mock him, repeatedly looking at him with such scornful eyes.
Now, however, he—Tang San—had made that man a stepping stone to reach greater heights. Both his flesh and his soul power—all had become part of Tang San.
Enjoy it! It's an honor to have met you!
After laughing maniacally, Tang San turned a cold gaze towards the corpse at his feet. Hardly anything remained but a shriveled layer of skin wrapped around broken bones.
The Fifth Elder, in his desperate flight, had burned almost all his vital energy and blood. Yet after being wounded by Chen Yi and Yang Wushuang, not a trace of the original source was left.
Even so, the remaining life energy and physical essence of a Title Douluo was a huge tonic for Tang San—a noble soul foundation, albeit damaged.
Tang San licked his slightly cracked lips, his eyes flickering with flames of greed and ambition.
Like an old car running dry on oil, he'd recovered almost all his injuries, and even broken through his bottleneck.
If I could take in a complete Title Douluo...? What if I devoured even more of them?
Such wild, terrifying thoughts sprouted in his heart like weeds.
On top of that, in the Clear Sky Sect, there were five elders with the title of Douluo, and hundreds of disciples with high soul power.
They are… all my food!
Tang San's body shivered—not out of fear, but from intense excitement and desire.
If he really succeeded, if he caught up to or even surpassed so-called geniuses like Chen Yi or Qian Renxue, even breaking through the Title Douluo rank—was it truly impossible?
He alone knew where the Clear Sky Sect's current "heritage" came from.
When Tang Xiao secretly passed on that forbidden art, he didn't say it outright, but from the vague hints, and seeing how quickly the Elders advanced after the sect closed its gates, Tang San had already guessed the truth.
If those old men could do it, why not me, Tang San?
I possess twin martial souls. My talent is absolutely extraordinary—my only flaw has been bad luck. But now, with this secret technique, Clear Sky Sect is my ladder to the heavens, a gift from the gods!
…
In the distance, concealed within the dense canopy of a tree rich with branches and leaves, Chen Yi's eyes—shimmering with faint amethyst-gold light—pierced through hundreds of meters, seeing clearly through walls and observing everything in the little house.
He saw every step of Tang San devouring the Fifth Elder, noted even the faintly crazed look that surfaced on Tang San's face in that moment.
So I see…
No wonder, even with limited resources, the elders of the sect broke through to Title Douluo one after the other within just a few years.
Though the secret technique the Fifth Elder used to escape was clever enough to fool most pursuers, before Chen Yi's spiritual power and dragon-winged speed, he was left far behind.
From the moment the Fifth Elder rushed into that cabin, Chen Yi had silently crept close, witnessing all that transpired within.
Tang San devouring and absorbing his own sect's wounded Elder—this confirmed all the old doubts that had festered in Chen Yi's heart for years.
Feeding on the same origin…
It resembled some corrupt, forbidden art—devouring one's own bloodline and kindred energies to forcibly advance. Maybe Tang San's Blue Silver King Martial Soul would evolve—but perhaps would become forever tainted as well.
Tang Xiao—for the so-called revival of the sect, you handed this evil art to Tang San.
When Clear Sky Sect's secrets are exposed and everyone turns against you, will you regret today's decision?
Chen Yi's mind raced as he again looked toward the cabin.
At that moment, Tang San was cleaning up the scene with a strange grin on his face.
The root was the ancestors of the Evil Soul Masters… Unexpectedly, in this worldline, after circling so far, the sect had started again down the dark, bloody path of degeneration.
Perhaps this is your fate.
Watching Tang San wipe away the last traces, carefully stowing the remains in his soul guiding pouch, light flickered in Chen Yi's eyes.
In the end, he made no move.
He shook his head lightly, and his figure faded away like a ghost, melting into the shadows of the forest, becoming an unobtrusive amethyst-gold streamer heading back the way he'd come.
Tang San, this path is your choice.
But do not disappoint me.
…
With lightning speed, Chen Yi soon caught up to Yang Wushuang, Shui Bing'er, and the others. When they saw Chen Yi return unharmed, Shui Bing'er and Dugu Yan distinctly breathed in relief.
Yang Wushuang took a step forward, scanning Chen Yi with sharp eyes to confirm he was unhurt and breathing steadily, then asked in a low voice,
"Young Sect Master, did the thief from Clear Sky Sect capture you?"
Shui Bing'er and the others looked on with worried expressions.
Chen Yi met their gazes, first shaking his head, then nodding. This contradictory action confused everyone.
"He's dead."
When Yang Wushuang heard this, he didn't seem particularly surprised. That thief had been gravely wounded—his surviving and escaping had been a miracle. His death was only to be expected.
Yang Wushuang only regretted that, out of respect for those killed by the Po family years ago, he hadn't been able to slay him himself.
"It's a pity he died so easily," Yang Wushuang muttered.
Chen Yi continued,
"But, he didn't die by my hand."
"Oh?"
Yang Wushuang raised his brows.
Chen Yi recounted how he had tracked and secretly observed, focusing on Tang San's process of using evil techniques to devour the Fifth Elder, curing his own wounds and breaking through the bottleneck.
"And thus, he was killed by his own junior of the sect, and became a 'comfort' to further that person's cultivation."
Hearing this, a deep sigh escaped Yang Wushuang.
"Tang Cang... In the end, he was still an old man," Yang Wushuang murmured wistfully.
"In the old days with Clear Sky, he was always known for his fiery temper and extreme behavior. Never thought, after all these years, he'd fall so far."
"Clear Sky... Heh, the longer you live, the more you return to what you once were. If Tang Chen's spirit saw his descendants fall this low, who knows if he'd leap from his coffin in fury?"
He stopped, a sharp glint in his gaze as he looked at Chen Yi.
"Young Sect Master, since you were close by, why did you not deal with Tang San as well? That boy has a fierce heart, outstanding talent, and now vile means. Letting him live will spell trouble in the future!"
Shui Bing'er and the others clearly shared this worry. Tang San could devour elders from his own sect—what mercy would he show strangers given the chance?
Chen Yi's eyes were calm as he gazed off at the distant sky. His voice was even and cold.
"If Clear Sky Sect is confirmed to be devouring kin with evil secret arts, it will become the greatest disgrace beneath the sky, never tolerated by the world of soul masters."
"Having this handle on them—why rush to stain my own hands?"
He turned to face Yang Wushuang, deep light flashing in his eyes.
"Elder Yang, have you heard this saying?"
"Young master, please enlighten me."
Chen Yi spoke slowly, his tone detached, as if he understood the world and was waiting to see its turnings.
'You see him build a tall tower,
See him feast honored guests,
And finally watch…
The tower collapse!'
….