Without a shred of hesitation, Tang San used Instant Transmission to appear before the two Soul Kings huddled together. While in a dazed state, their bodies were as fragile as paper before the formidable piercing force of his Eight Spider Lances. Their life force drained rapidly the moment the lances pierced them. Tang San's heavily depleted Soul Power recovered swiftly through this very act of consumption. Once he could truly utilize the Eight Spider Lances' draining ability, Tang San himself possessed extraordinary endurance in battle. He didn't even need to unleash the potent poison on the lances; the mere act of draining could turn a pierced opponent into a desiccated husk.
This process took Tang San two seconds.
To save time, Tang San didn't even bother to shake the two husks off his Eight Spider Lances before using Instant Transmission again to appear before another Soul King. The piercing thrust was just as inevitable. By the time he completed the action, only three Soul Masters from the Gengxin City Martial Soul Main Hall remained alive. These three, including Miles, regained their senses and, ignoring the surrounding carnage, unleashed their most powerful Soul Skills almost instantaneously.
Perhaps driven by the instinct for self-preservation, the Soul Power they released at that moment actually broke through the suppressive limits of the Death God's Domain. When life itself was threatened, their latent potential erupted to its absolute maximum.
Three dried corpses were flung from the Eight Spider Lances, forming a barrier before Tang San, but he did not retreat as his opponents anticipated. Instead, he charged straight forward, meeting the full-force combined attack of two Soul Kings and one Soul Emperor head-on.
A brilliant, golden light enveloped Tang San's body. All of the opponents' attacks vanished as if swallowed by the void, like a drop in the ocean. Reflected in his cold, azure eyes were the terrified gazes of his enemies.
The three opponents, attacking from three different directions to combine their assault, suddenly found Tang San standing directly before one of the Soul Kings. The three seconds of absolute invincibility provided by his Invincible Golden Body were more than enough for Tang San to accomplish many things. While the three opponents were stunned by the fact that he stood unharmed under their combined, powerful Soul Skill bombardment, his Eight Spider Lances had already pierced through that particular Soul Master's chest.
At the same instant, purple-gold light erupted from Tang San's eyes—Purple Demon Light! The flash was gone in a blink, and the last Soul King's head simply exploded into a fine mist of blood. Purple Demon Light had been timed perfectly for the gap when his opponent's Soul Skill was expended. How could he possibly defend against it?
Miles was on the verge of madness. The opponent's terrifying destructive power, the blood-red sixth Soul Ring, and the fact that he stood unscathed after enduring their full-force, above-level attacks—all of these had pushed his internal fear to its absolute peak. When fear reaches a certain level, it ceases to be mere fear; it becomes true insanity.
But Tang San didn't even give him the chance to go mad.
At the final moment before the Invincible Golden Body expired, Tang San vanished once again in the terrifying flash of Instant Transmission. Both were Soul Emperors, but how could Miles possibly compare to him? Even a Soul Douluo-level powerhouse might not be able to confront Tang San directly. Although Tang San's Soul Power was now more than eighty percent depleted, the ultimate outcome of this battle would not change.
This time, after Instant Transmission, Tang San did not appear behind his opponent. He materialized directly in front of Miles. The second Soul Skill, Parasitism, which consumed very little Soul Power, was unleashed. It forced the frenzied Miles into sudden stillness. Tang San's eight spider lances then utilized this moment of restraint to press against his body.
They didn't pierce through, nor did they drain; they merely lightly broke the skin. Venom was released. Instantaneous paralysis left Miles completely rigid.
"This... this... Elder... Tai... Tang's... order?" Miles stammered in a hoarse, trembling voice. Even now, he still believed Titan was an Elder of Spirit Hall, and Tang San merely his subordinate.
Tang San smiled, a very cold smile. Set against the backdrop of corpses strewn all around, his expression, reminiscent of the Death God's own smile, extinguished any last shred of hope within Miles.
"This is my own decision. Interest repaid from Spirit Hall. The moment you tried to toy with my Xiao Wu, your fate was sealed. Goodbye."
*Splurt—* A burst of blood mist erupted. No draining, only the purest form of piercing violence. The sight of eight thick spider lances instantly tearing through a human body seemed to plunge Tang San back into the bloody streets of Slaughter City. The pain and bitterness that had accumulated in his heart fully exploded within this act of slaughter. He would never forget the utter helplessness he felt when Xiao Wu sacrificed herself to save him. He had sworn to master life—his own life, and the lives of others.
Having undergone the baptism of Slaughter City, the sight of these corpses did little to shake Tang San's composure. He tossed aside Miles' body and calmly collected all the Hidden Weapons he had left embedded in these Spirit Hall Soul Masters. Only now, from the distance, did the expected fierce glow of fire finally rise.
Swallowing another Recovery Sausage and gazing at the distant flames, the violent aura within Tang San gradually dissipated. Spirit Hall's power was immense, but its reach was equally vast. While direct confrontation was impossible, undermining them from the sidelines was feasible. With Tang San's strength, as long as he didn't encounter opponents with extremely potent restrictive abilities, even if he couldn't achieve outright victory, self-preservation was more than assured.
Ever since learning the truth of his parents' grudge, he had formulated a strategy of gradual erosion. Today was merely a beginning, just the start. The debt owed by Spirit Hall—for his parents, for Xiao Wu, and for the Clear Sky School—he would collect, little by little.
Noisy footsteps sounded from the distance. While the commotion here wasn't particularly loud, the dazzling and macabre display of light and blood was bound to attract the attention of Gengxin City's authorities. Treading through the bloody scene, Tang San gradually melted into the shadows.
The next morning, explosive news spread through every street and alley of Gengxin City. The Gengxin City Martial Soul Main Hall had been reduced to ashes by a great fire during the night. Including the Hall Master, Bishop Miles, a total of thirty-four Soul Masters were found dead on the streets of Gengxin City, their deaths occurring in bizarre and varied ways. That particular street was dyed a permanent red.
What was Spirit Hall? It was a powerful force that even the two great empires dared not offend lightly. In a city like Gengxin, a Martial Soul Main Hall boasting over thirty Soul Masters wielded unimaginable authority; even the city officials dared not provoke them. For the entire hall and all its personnel to be utterly destroyed in a single night—such an event was unheard of, not just in Gengxin City, but across the entire Soul Land.
In an instant, the atmosphere in Gengxin City became incredibly tense. The officials, shocked into action, initiated a thorough investigation, sealing the city gates and prohibiting entry or exit. They conducted house-to-house searches for the culprits.
Of course, everyone knew this was merely a formality. Someone capable of killing over thirty Spirit Hall Soul Masters would not be easily apprehended. The only truly useful thing the officials could do was immediately report the situation to Spirit Hall and await their instructions.
Among the populace of Gengxin City, the common folk were largely applauding the destruction. Given Miles' character, countless civilians had suffered under the Martial Soul Main Hall's oppression. With the hall destroyed, the number of people rejoicing spanned nearly the entire city.
And no one noticed that at dawn, the sealed city gates had quietly opened, and two carriages had already slipped away. With Lou Gao's status, who would dare stop him from leaving the city? Furthermore, just the night before, the Blacksmith Association had formally announced that Si Long would inherit the position of Association President.
On the return journey, the Shrek Five Monsters shared one carriage, while the two Divine Blacksmiths, engrossed in studying Hidden Weapons, occupied the other. Master-level blacksmiths Si Yu and Si Kai had not accompanied Lou Gao to the Tang Sect; as Si Long had just become the Association President, they needed to provide strong support. They had already arranged with Tang San to travel to the Tang Sect in one month, once the Association's situation stabilized.
Ma Hongjun complained somewhat, "Third Brother, I brought back so many valuables from Spirit Hall yesterday. Why did you make me hand it all over to the Blacksmith Association? That was a considerable fortune!"
The Martial Soul Main Hall had been burned, and naturally, Ma Hongjun hadn't returned empty-handed. The sheer quantity of valuables he brought back was staggering.
Tang San smiled faintly. "That was all the lifeblood of Gengxin City's people. Such money is too hot to handle. Handing it to the Blacksmith Association, letting them gradually return it to the populace, is the right course. Besides, didn't the Association repay us? Last night, those auction items, including the two divine artifacts, were sold to us at fifty percent price. Isn't that enough? This harvest has already exceeded my expectations. We can't be too greedy, can we?"
As he spoke, Tang San's gaze fell with some worry upon Xiao Wu.
Currently, the situation in the carriage was somewhat unusual. Xiao Wu, who usually clung close to Tang San, was sitting next to Ning Rongrong, fast asleep with her head resting on Ning Rongrong's thigh.
The previous night, after Tang San returned, Xiao Wu had refused to let him approach her at all. Looking at Tang San, her eyes even revealed traces of fear. No matter how he tried to soothe her, she wouldn't allow him near. It was a sleepless night. Only as dawn approached did Xiao Wu gradually calm down.
Tang San could guess that without her soul, Xiao Wu's aversion to him was due to the lingering scent of blood on him. Although she had no consciousness, her senses remained sharp, and even now, she was unwilling to get close to him. Early that morning, before dawn, after everyone had packed their purchases and boarded the carriages, Xiao Wu had finally drifted off to sleep, nestled against Ning Rongrong, exhausted.
Hearing Tang San's words, Ma Hongjun scratched his head. "Makes sense. Holding onto that money wouldn't feel right. But what if we run into the same situation again? Just give it to the local authorities? Not every place has a Blacksmith Association."
Tang San thought for a moment. "We'll decide based on the circumstances. Giving it to the authorities is out of the question; that would only put it back into Spirit Hall's hands."
Oscar, sitting beside Tang San, chimed in, "I really envy Xiao Wu. Sleeping so peacefully, without a care in the world."
Ma Hongjun looked at Oscar with disdain. "You're just envious Xiao Wu gets to nap on Rongrong's lap, aren't you? Heh heh."
Oscar replied self-righteously, "What's there to be envious about? It's not like I haven't done that before. Uh..." Only after saying it did he realize he'd let something slip. Seeing the murderous look in Ning Rongrong's eyes, he immediately shut his mouth.
Seeing their expressions, Tang San couldn't help but smile. The killing intent that had begun to rise within him after the night's slaughter was gradually suppressed by the relaxed atmosphere shared with his companions. After all, although the experience in Slaughter City had been tempered and wouldn't affect his emotions thanks to the Moon Pavilion, it had never truly vanished. And this killing intent could not disappear; otherwise, his Death God's Domain would lose its effect.
Ning Rongrong pinched the soft flesh on Oscar's waist hard and glared at the chubby one. "You fat idiot, if you dare mock us again, don't even think about finding a wife. Tell me, if you wanted to pursue a girl in the future, would she believe you more easily, or me?"
Ma Hongjun's eyes widened. "Rongrong, you can't do this! All of you are paired up. I just finally found someone I want to pursue!"
Ning Rongrong snorted and tossed her head, refusing to look at him.
Ma Hongjun coughed twice. "Fine, fine, I won't mock you again. Let's change the subject. Heh heh. Rongrong, those two divine artifacts, you put them away yesterday, right? Bring them out for a look! Let's appreciate just how strong their defensive capabilities are."
At this mention, even Tang San's interest was piqued. After they returned yesterday, Lou Gao had kept his promise, and all the items won by Miles in the auction were now in their possession. Furthermore, thanks to the massive wealth Ma Hongjun brought back from Spirit Hall, these items were sold to the Tang Sect at half price. Naturally, this included the two artifacts known as divine-grade: the Eight Treasures Soft Armors.
Ning Rongrong nodded. A flash of light appeared in her hand, and two sets of the Eight Treasures Soft Armor materialized.
The men's armor, which they had seen at yesterday's auction, was blue, while the women's version was white.
Neither piece of soft armor bore any decorative patterns, and they felt surprisingly light when held. Ning Rongrong passed them directly to Tang San.
Tang San took both sets of soft armor. He picked up the men's blue one and gave it a gentle tug. The material stretched slightly under the force. When he released it, the armor instantly snapped back to its original shape. Remarkably elastic.
Letting out a long breath, Tang San praised, "Truly masterful craftsmanship! It's hard to imagine how Elder Lou Gao achieved this."
Oscar reminded him, "You should be calling him Elder Lou Gao now; he's part of our Tang Sect."
Tang San turned to Ma Hongjun beside him. "Use your Phoenix Flame to try burning it."
As he spoke, he held the blue men's armor in his palm and extended it towards Ma Hongjun.