When
The reason he held back on using Soul Skills was that he feared hurting Xiao Wu. But the rage in his heart had reached its peak — no matter what, he would tear this person who dared to defile Xiao Wu into shreds.
The purple-robed figure heard the sound from behind and reacted swiftly. At the same moment Tang San launched himself forward, her body twisted like a swimming fish, and in a single flash she had slipped five meters away with Xiao Wu in tow, narrowly dodging Tang San's lunge.
But who was Tang San? In his extreme fury, his own potential had fully erupted. The lowest Eight Spider Lance on his right side slammed into the ground for leverage, while the lowest one on his left drove into the earth as a support. His entire body executed a powerful spin in midair, his momentum undiminished, and once again he was right in front of the purple-robed figure.
The razor-sharp Eight Spider Lances thrust straight toward her body. This time, Tang San had unleashed his full power — his speed was like lightning itself.
The purple-robed figure was a Soul Master, but in the span of such a brief moment, Tang San simply hadn't given her the chance to release her Martial Soul. The Eight Spider Lances were already upon her.
Facing a life-or-death crisis, the purple-robed figure did something that somewhat confused Tang San. She shoved hard, sending Xiao Wu's body flying toward the bed to one side. Having no time to retreat herself, she raised her right leg and kicked straight at Tang San's chest — a classic move to attack what the enemy must defend.
Unfortunately, though her reaction was fast, she was still a step behind Tang San. Her kick might have threatened what he needed to protect, and her leg was long, but the Eight Spider Lances were longer still — at three meters, how could her leg possibly reach them?
Just as at least four Eight Spider Lances were about to pierce through the purple-robed figure's body, Tang San finally got a clear look at her face. The moment he saw her, the red in his eyes faltered, and his attack slowed by half a beat.
What lay before him was not some burly, savage pirate. It was a woman with a well-proportioned figure. She appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, strikingly beautiful — a high nose bridge, large eyes, and a head of short purple hair that gave her a sharp, clean-cut look. She exuded a bold, martial air. At this moment, those beautiful purple eyes were filled with shock as she stared at Tang San.
A woman? This was Purple Pearl? It was precisely because these two thoughts crossed his mind that Tang San's movements had hesitated. Purple Pearl was genuinely formidable — sensing that her opponent's ferocious, unstoppable attack had faltered, she seized the momentum from her kick to flip her entire body through a single rotation in midair. As she spun, she shrugged off her outer robe and flung it directly at Tang San, using the force to propel herself backward.
Discovering the opponent was a woman relieved much of the resentment Tang San felt. He chose not to pursue further. In a flash he was at Xiao Wu's side, scooping her graceful body into his arms. A long robe was pulled from the Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlit Night in the same instant and wrapped around her.
Xiao Wu's soulless body was visibly panicked. Sensing Tang San's aura all at once, she let out a soft whimper and clung tightly to his waist, refusing to let go. Her chest heaved violently — she had clearly been badly frightened.
Tang San had temporarily spared the opponent, but she had no intention of letting him off.
As the leader of the Purple Pearl Pirates, Purple Pearl had reigned across these waters for over a decade. When had she ever been reduced to such a pathetic state? Nearly killed under Tang San's assault, the stunningly beautiful captain was instantly furious.
"Who dares cause trouble in my Purple Pearl Pirates' territory?" From Purple Pearl's vantage point, all she could see was Tang San's long blue hair falling loose. It concealed his face entirely, and Tang San was looking down at Xiao Wu — only those Eight Spider Lances on his back, bristling with barbs and savage in appearance, truly alarmed the Purple Pearl captain. Instinctively she channeled her Soul Power and released her Martial Soul.
Sensing the fright Xiao Wu had suffered, Tang San's fury blazed anew. Thinking of how his companions had been restrained outside, he slowly raised his head and spoke in a frigid tone: "I'm here to kill you. Not just you — I'll slaughter every last one of your Purple Pearl Pirates. Not a chicken or a dog will be left alive."
When Purple Pearl looked up at Tang San's face, she too was momentarily stunned. In her eyes, Tang San had a full forehead, a straight nose, and well-proportioned lips. His handsome features were suffused with a cold killing intent, and a purple-gold light flickered in and out of his blue eyes. Yet within that murderous aura there was also a certain refined elegance — every movement he made appeared smooth and effortless. In all her life, Purple Pearl had never encountered such a person.
Of course, Purple Pearl's resistance to handsome men was far stronger than that of ordinary women.
"I'd like to see just how you plan to destroy my Purple Pearl Pirates. Get the hell outside!" As she spoke, Purple Pearl shot backward in an explosive burst of speed, vanishing from the hut in a single flash. Tang San's heart lurched — he feared she might vent her anger on the other Shrek Five Devils. But with Xiao Wu in his arms, Instant Transmission was impractical. He slammed his right foot into the ground and gave chase at full speed.
However, Purple Pearl had no intention of making things difficult for the Shrek Five Devils or
A snake. The moment Tang San saw her transformation, he guessed her Martial Soul had to be related to snakes. Not an ordinary one, though — this had to be a
Two yellow, two purple, two black — six Soul Rings of optimal configuration materialized around Purple Pearl. Though Tang San could tell her true age was somewhat older than she appeared, judging by those Soul Rings and the sixty-eighth rank Soul Power that Jixiang had mentioned, this woman's strength was indeed formidable.
But so what? Sea serpents were venomous, sure — but they were still snakes. In a flicker of movement, Tang San handed Xiao Wu over to
In midair, Tang San's Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul burst forth, and six Soul Rings nearly launched from within his body — yellow, yellow, purple, black, black, and the terrifying red. The sight of those Soul Ring colors shook Purple Pearl to her core. In the next instant, a ring of white light erupted from Tang San's body.
When facing an enemy, Tang San never showed mercy. From the very start, he had released his Death God Domain.
Ever since gaining a deeper understanding of the Death God Domain under Sword Douluo's pressure, its power had grown far greater than before — particularly in terms of control. Within the domain's range, Tang San could now concentrate or disperse its effects at will. Facing a single opponent, he naturally focused every ounce of killing intent onto Purple Pearl. The Death God's Assault detonated instantly.
Purple Pell felt her entire body go cold. An incomparably frigid aura pierced toward her chest like a blade, yet this force was utterly invisible and intangible. Her body shivering with cold, terror rose unbidden. She instinctively retreated, her fighting spirit plummeting as the weakening effect of the Death God Domain took hold. Moreover, with the domain's enhanced power, the icy killing intent caused Purple Pearl's bodily functions to sluggish significantly. Her considerable strength — she could barely muster seventy percent of it.
Yellow-green light materialized out of thin air, forming a great net in midair that descended directly upon the sluggish Purple Pearl. Just as she attempted to use the unique properties of her Martial Soul to dodge, sixteen strands of Blue Silver Emperor erupted from the ground, weaving into a cage that locked her firmly inside. Net above, cage within. Purple Pearl realized with horror that she had absolutely no opportunity to evade. And she was no match in a head-on clash.
Brilliant golden light appeared on Tang San's right arm. Once both restraining skills had the opponent completely pinned, the Blue Silver Overlord Spear transformed into a golden streak that extended from his arm, thrusting directly at Purple Pearl. It was only at this point that the tremendous commotion finally drew swarms of pirates converging on the scene.
"Master, don't!"
"Third Brother, don't kill her!"
Two voices rang out almost simultaneously, and Tang San's Blue Silver Overlord Spear stopped right in front of Purple Pearl. The piercing pressure of its aura was so intense that Purple Pearl couldn't even make a sound.
True enough, Purple Pearl's strength was quite respectable — at the Soul Emperor level, she was genuinely one of the more capable ones. But she had run into Tang San. A man who dared to challenge Soul Douluo above his own rank.
If this had been at sea, perhaps Purple Pearl could have leveraged her Sea Soul Master attributes to put up a fight against Tang San. But this was land. Though their Soul Power levels were the same, when it came to real strength and combat experience, how could Purple Pearl possibly match Tang San? From the very moment Tang San had shattered the wall with a single punch, her momentum had been completely suppressed. Now it was an utter rout.
The one calling "Master" was naturally Jixiang, who had come rushing over with a face full of urgency.
A strand of Blue Silver Emperor drifted gently upward, coiling around Jixiang's body and pulling him to Tang San's side. Tang San's gaze swept over the surrounding pirates with imposing authority, and he spoke coldly: "Anyone who so much as says another word or takes a single step forward, don't blame me for showing no mercy."
The pirates fell silent at once, staring at Tang San with eyes full of fury.
This was the first time Jixiang had witnessed his master's true power. Seeing those six Soul Rings on Tang San's body — especially the red one — the shock in his heart was beyond description. In his understanding, though Purple Pearl wasn't the absolute strongest, she was still the most powerful person on this island. Purple Pearl's actual age was thirty-five — clearly much older than Tang San. Yet in the span of mere moments, the formidable Purple Pearl had been subdued by her same-rank Soul Emperor opponent. Beyond his worry, Jixiang also felt a hidden swell of pride deep inside.
"Master, please don't hurt her. Captain Purple Pearl isn't a bad person," Jixiang pleaded urgently.
Tang San looked at Jixiang, then at his companions. "These are the people I've been searching for. She's not a bad person? Did you not see the state they were in just now?"
"Third Brother, don't do it. He's right — this captain isn't all that bad." This time it wasn't Jixiang who spoke, but
"Hmm?" Tang San looked at Ma Hongjun with some surprise. Right now Xiao Wu was sitting in a daze, and apart from Ma Hongjun, everyone else seemed to have fainted.
Seven strands of Blue Silver Emperor reached out simultaneously, each coiling around one of the seven bodies and drawing them to his side.
"Fatty, what happened here?" Tang San studied Ma Hongjun's face, which was pale green with a faint blue tinge, and his brow furrowed deeply. Through the Blue Silver Emperor he could clearly sense that every person except Xiao Wu was extremely weak. Ma Hongjun was slightly better off — he could barely remain conscious. The six weakened individuals all shared a common trait: their bodies were freezing cold as ice.
Ma Hongjun struggled to look at Tang San and said with difficulty: "This... captain tied us up outside... so the sun could hit us better... had to stand with both feet on the ground... so the cold venom inside us could drain out through the soles of our feet..." After finishing those words, Ma Hongjun's head slumped and he too passed out.
A wave of confusion swept through Tang San's mind. He retracted the Blue Silver Overlord Spear slightly from his right arm and asked Purple Pearl in a deep voice: "Were you really trying to save them?"
"Save my ass! I was torturing them, plain and simple. Kill me if you've got the guts. Go on, do it! Do it already! If you don't dare, you're a cowardly son of a bitch! Come on!" The moment the pressure lifted, Purple Pearl — who had been boiling with pent-up fury — couldn't hold back her torrent of curses. As the pirate captain, her fierce temperament, once unleashed, left the surrounding pirates wearing distinctly awkward expressions.
As she spoke, this liberated Captain Purple Pearl was even preparing to unleash her Soul Skills for a last stand.
In terms of appearance, Purple Pearl was unquestionably the finest on the island. But her explosive temper was equally unrivaled. Her subordinates had always tiptoed around her — no one dared provoke her lightly.
Tang San was momentarily stunned by her outburst. However, having heard Ma Hongjun's explanation, his emotions cooled rapidly. After weathering so many storms, now that he had confirmed his lover and companions were safe, the calm, clear-headed Tang San had returned.
The Blue Silver Overlord Spear was leveled at her again. Its piercing aura forcibly interrupted the Soul Skill Purple Pearl was attempting to unleash — and of course, she could no longer speak either. She had told Tang San to kill her, but actually hurling herself onto that supremely sharp spear? She didn't quite have the nerve for that.
With a moment's peace at last, Tang San turned his gaze to the surrounding pirates. "Someone tell me — how did my companions end up here, and what happened afterward? I'll count to three. If no one answers, I'll kill your captain first."
The chilling Death God Domain was released once more — not to attack this time, but to make use of the vast killing intent it contained to convey a clear message to every pirate present: he was not joking.
Before Tang San could even begin his countdown, an elderly pirate stepped forward and said urgently: "Don't do it — I know what happened."
Tang San's cold gaze shifted to him. The old pirate dared not delay and recounted the full story.
It turned out that after the group had been blasted away by the Deep Sea Demon Whale's sudden eruption of power, they had fallen far out into the ocean. Although the Deep Sea Demon Whale hadn't pursued them, they had all been knocked unconscious by the impact.