The battlefield was tense, every breath heavy with anticipation. Spirit Hall's elite forces had surrounded Shrek Academy, their formations precise, their intent unmistakable: seize Xiao Wu's soul ring at all costs.
"Hand over the soul beast," Bibi Dong's voice rang out, icy and unwavering, "or face destruction."
Before any of her troops could advance, the air behind them shimmered, bending unnaturally, as if reality itself quivered. A subtle hum filled the space, felt more than heard, yet no one paid immediate attention.
Then a figure stepped through. Tall, imposing, and radiating an aura so overwhelming it seemed to distort the very air around him. His combat suit shimmered deep cobalt blue, etched with silver patterns that flickered faintly like starlight. Dark silver hair framed a face of calm authority, and crimson eyes burned with quiet intensity.
Tang San was the first to sense it—a pulse of spiritual energy unlike anything he had ever encountered.
The figure's voice cut through the tense silence, calm yet commanding:
"If you want to harm my brother, you'll have to go through me first."
The words landed like a thunderclap. Spirit Hall's forces froze mid-step. Xiao Wu's eyes widened, and Tang San staggered, taken aback by the raw power emanating from the newcomer.
The distortion behind the figure flickered and began to close, leaving only a faint trace of the rift. Yet the battlefield could no longer ignore him.
Bibi Dong's expression shifted subtly. Her trained perception detected something unusual—an aura unlike any Douluo she knew. Strong, disciplined, yet strangely… foreign. Something about it didn't fit the patterns she had seen in this timeline.
"Who… is he?" she murmured, suspicion creeping into her calm demeanor.
The figure stepped forward, his movements precise, deliberate. Every step seemed to carry the weight of inevitability. A faint blue aura began to glow around him, pulsating with immense spiritual energy. Spirit Hall's elite, even those confident in their own power, felt an unshakable dread.
Tang Yin raised his hands slightly. The air thickened and shimmered as Clear Sky Cloak activated—a radiant, sky-blue armor enveloped him, flickering like liquid light.
A Spirit Hall warrior lunged, spear aimed for his chest. Tang Yin didn't flinch. The spear struck his armor—and shattered, sending a shockwave outward that knocked several soldiers off their feet.
Tang San's jaw dropped. "That… that power…"
Tang Yin moved like a storm. He struck the ground, sending a seismic tremor through the battlefield. The attack, Soul Shattering Strike, obliterated the ridge of earth beneath the Spirit Hall troops, scattering them like leaves in the wind.
Xiao Wu clutched Tang San's arm. "He's… he's protecting you… him…?"
Tang Yin's crimson eyes locked on Tang San. In that moment, no words were needed—the unspoken bond between them spoke louder than any voice.
Bibi Dong's lips curved into a small, intrigued smile. She didn't understand the full extent of his power—she only knew he was unlike anyone she had faced before. Every motion, every pulse of spiritual energy, radiated perfection.
Tang Yin's voice rang out again, steady and resolute:
"I fight to protect those I care about. Anyone who stands against them will face me."
And with a single, measured step forward, he reshaped the battlefield. The rift behind him closed almost entirely, leaving only the faintest trace of its passage.
The era of Tang Yin in this timeline had begun—silent, mysterious, and unstoppable