"Wait—Slave?" Tang Hao froze for a moment. Immediately, the slave-gene of the sect was triggered. He glared furiously at Tang Xiao and demanded:
"Tang Xiao, you actually turned them all into your Slaves?
They were all seniors of the sect, elders, and Tang Tian—he was our father! If you have a grudge against me, then come for me directly. How could you do something so inhuman?"
Facing Tang Hao's accusation, Tang Xiao only sneered coldly and said:
"Tang Hao, I admit I'm a beast. But what right do you have to scold me? Clear Sky Sect declined because of you. Our father—he died under your Clear Sky Hammer. I merely made use of scraps, reviving them as my Slave, so they could still be of some use."
"I—" Tang Hao's dark face flushed faintly red. Indeed, he had no grounds to blame Tang Xiao.
Tang Xiao waved to his Slaves and said, "Do it."
Tang Lie, Tang Tian, Tang Kai, and the rest of the Slaves surrounded Tang Hao.
Tang Hao instantly felt something was wrong. Supporting his crippled body, he tried to drag himself back while stammering uneasily:
"You… what are you all trying to do?"
"My Slaves have long been starving," Tang Lie sneered.
Thus, Tang Hao was completely encircled by the Clear Sky Sect Slave, who carried both hatred and fury.
Tang Hao dragged his crippled body, his dark face filled with grief and fury. In his two lifetimes spanning tens of thousands of years, he had never suffered such humiliation.
He glared venomously at Tang Xiao sitting upon the chieftain's throne and said:
"Tang Xiao, falling into your hands, I accept my fate. But don't get too full of yourself. My son Tang San will definitely avenge me."
Tang Xiao blinked, then chuckled coldly:
"Oh? Tang Hao, if you hadn't reminded me, I would've almost forgotten. Where's that obedient little nephew of mine? Don't tell me he's dead like you?"
Hearing Tang Xiao's sudden interest in Tang San, Tang Hao instinctively covered his mouth, cursing himself inwardly:
Damn it, why did I talk too much? Now Tang Xiao's attention is on Xiao San.
Tang Xiao saw his reaction, and his dark face twisted into a grimace. He demanded:
"Speak! Where's my nephew now?"
"You'll never get me to tell you," Tang Hao retorted.
Tang Xiao sneered:
"Tang Hao, do you even understand what Slave means? I am your master. Your body and will are both under my control. The reason you still resist me is because I want you to feel my domination clearly, to taste pain. But that doesn't mean your will is free. Tell me—where's my nephew, you damn Slave!"
Tang Hao's body stiffened. Against his will, he revealed everything—Tang San was currently undergoing the Asura God Trials.
After finishing, Tang Hao came back to his senses.
"So, that's how it was. My nephew actually killed his father during the Asura God Trials for the sake of a woman. Truly, like father, like son," Tang Xiao said, his expression odd.
"So what? As long as Xiao San becomes a god, I'll gladly give up my life. But don't get too smug, Tang Xiao. You only picked up a Rakshasa God inheritance. Rakshasa is merely a first-class god. My son Tang San is inheriting the godhood of a God King—the Asura God. Against my son's Asura Godhood, your Rakshasa Godhood only has one fate—to be slaughtered!"
Now that things had reached this point, Tang Hao had no more reason to hide anything. He mocked viciously:
"Oh, and I almost forgot. You really think you got something precious? Rakshasa's position was nothing more than a stepping stone the Asura God left for his son. You picked it up like treasure—pathetic."
Tang Hao's words were filled with secrets, leaving Tang Xiao's expression shifting darkly. He lost the mood to continue torturing Tang Hao.
He ordered the Clear Sky Sect Slave to drag Tang Hao away for "service," then strode down to the Rakshasa God Temple hidden in his tribe's underground chambers.
Walking inside, he asked aloud:
"Rakshasa God, Tang Hao says your Rakshasa Godhood was just set up by Asura God as a stepping stone. Is that true?"
"Do you believe it?" the Rakshasa God's voice echoed.
"I want proof," Tang Xiao pressed.
"Currently, both Rakshasa and Asura are first-class godhoods, both belonging to the Evil alignment. There's no higher or lower between them. However, because their sources are related, if in the future you are defeated by the Asura God's inheritor, your godhood will be devoured by Asura. His position would then advance to God King. Conversely—"
Tang Xiao's eyes lit up:
"Conversely, if I defeat Asura and devour him, my Rakshasa Godhood could also advance to God King?"
"Correct," the Rakshasa God confirmed. "So whether you become his stepping stone, or he becomes yours, depends entirely on who wins. The victor becomes king, the loser nothing."
Tang Xiao gripped the Rakshasa Scythe tightly, his eyes blazing:
"Then it will certainly be my Rakshasa Godhood devouring his Asura Godhood! My dear nephew… obediently let your uncle swallow you whole!"
Knowing his true rival was currently undergoing god trials, Tang Xiao no longer wasted time tormenting Tang Hao. Torturing someone without hope was meaningless. He decided instead to wait until Tang San became stronger—then defeat him in front of Tang Hao, devour him, and turn him into a Slave, forcing Tang Hao to taste despair without end.
Meanwhile, after killing his father, Xiao Wu never again appeared in the god trials. Tang San devoted himself fully to the assessments.
After years of effort, Tang San completed the final trial:
Asura God's Eighth Trial cleared. Reward: +10% Asura God affinity, 100,000-year Nether Jade Tiger left leg bone, 100,000-year Nether Jade Tiger right leg bone!
Two shining leg bones descended from the heavens and fused into Tang San's legs.
At last, his soul bone set was complete. As the final piece merged, Tang San's entire body erupted with a radiant green light from within.
Tang San roared skyward:
"Soul Bone Armor—Unite!"
In the next moment, all of his soul bones manifested—the 100,000-year Nether Jade Tiger left and right arm bones, the 100,000-year Nether Jade Tiger left and right leg bones, the 100,000-year Emerald Turtle torso bone, the turtle shell external soul bone, and the 100,000-year Green-furred Baboon Ram head bone.
All of them connected into one, forming a heavy green armor that clung to Tang San's body.
"I feel incredible." Tang San spread his arms wide, releasing the terrifying aura of a level-99 Limit Douluo without restraint.
Meanwhile, the Asura God's sword sheath rose into the air. A stream of emerald light flew from beyond space and merged into the sheath, filling its final slot.
At last—Asura God affinity reached 100%!
The sheath fell into the hands of the massive green-furred turtle-backed gorilla.
The Tang San of today was no longer the same Tang San of the past. He was only a single step away from becoming the Shura God and ascending to the throne of the Shura God.
Though his appearance had a somewhat "green" aura, Tang San was quite satisfied with his current state.
After receiving his reward, Tang San immediately turned to the Shura God, who sat high in the Shura God Temple, and said:
"Lord Shura God, I have completed the Eighth Trial. May I ask if the Ninth Trial can now be initiated?"
Huo Yuhao pointed at Tang San and said:
"Look at you, so impatient. You just completed the Eighth Trial. Shouldn't you take some time to settle yourself first?"
Tang San replied:
"But, Lord Shura God, I, Tang San, feel that my foundation is already extremely solid. There's no need for further settling."
"That's true," Huo Yuhao said. "The Ninth Trial can be initiated at any time, but not here. You must travel to the center of the continent, to a fortress called Isaac (Yǐsà). There, you will begin the final trial of the Shura God."
"There's even such a rule?" Tang San was a bit dumbfounded.
He wanted to ask why, but the next moment he was already transported back to the Shura God altar in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Huo Yuhao left him with only one last sentence:
"I will await you in the Shura Domain established at Isaac, future Shura God Tang San."
Tang San's heart was filled with questions, but obediently, he walked out of the great forest and headed toward his destination.
Originally, Tang San planned to head straight to Isaac. But as soon as he entered the human world, he was immediately attracted by the astonishing new changes within it.
Soul tools had begun to spread widely across the human world. In some large cities, soul-guide lamps illuminated everything, turning them into cities that never slept.
Soul-guide trains connected city to city.
Old buildings were torn down, and towering new ones rose in their place.
Every city had a giant tower.
And every tower bore the name Spirit Transmission Tower . Each day, countless human soul masters entered these towers.
"Spirit Transmission Tower?" Tang San was instantly reminded of unpleasant memories.
If he remembered correctly, wasn't this supposed to be the Spirit Transmission Tower that Huo Yuhao established ten thousand years in the future?
Huo Yuhao, as the child of destiny, had been born with the mission to bring reconciliation between humans and soul beasts—using the new soul-spirit system to heal the rift between them.
But for Tang San, this was absolutely unacceptable. If humans and soul beasts reconciled, with no more conflict between them, then how would the child of destiny he planned—the Golden Dragon King's heir—ever seize the Dragon God's divine position?
That was why Tang San had used his daughter as a "trap," binding Huo Yuhao in a scheme so that before the soul-spirit system could be perfected, Yuhao was forced to leave the continent. As a result, the system left behind on the Douluo Continent was incomplete.
And so, instead of heading to Isaac immediately, Tang San lingered on the continent to investigate. Through this, he learned of the immense changes that had occurred during his years away from Douluo.
After the establishment of the Divine Order Alliance, its leader Yu Xiaogang launched massive construction projects and imposed heavier taxes, leaving the people in misery. Under the spark of the Spark Front, rebel armies rose across the continent, overthrowing the old feudal aristocracy of Heaven Dou and Star Luo.
Eventually, they merged with the Spirit Hall to form the Douluo Federation, establishing the Continental Supreme Council, and began widespread construction of Spirit Halls, Spirit Transmission Towers, and other infrastructure. Soul tools were also introduced and popularized through the Spirit Hall.
In this era, every child at six years old enjoyed the right to awaken their martial soul. Depending on their parents' contributions to the Federation, they could even exchange for higher-grade martial soul genes to improve their awakening. They could obtain artificial soul spirits at the Spirit Transmission Tower, or journey to the Star Dou Great Forest to contract with soul beasts, becoming soul-spirit soul masters.
With human-soul beast integration, the Spirit Transmission Tower also became a sanctuary for soul beasts, a place to reside before death or to evade heavenly tribulations. There, they could transform into soul spirits and wait for a soul master they recognized.
Because of the freedom of soul-spirit contracts, soul spirits would not die with their human hosts. Instead, they would return to nature, or voluntarily return to the Spirit Transmission Tower. Of course, some developed deep bonds with humans and chose to perish together when their master died.
"Heaven Dou and Star Luo have already been destroyed? The Douluo Continent is ruled by something called the Douluo Federation???" Tang San's mind was reeling. He muttered to himself:
"Spirit Transmission Tower, soul tools…"
If his memory was correct, weren't these all deeply tied to Huo Yuhao?
Ever since his rebirth, Tang San had suspected that somewhere—whether in Spirit Hall or elsewhere—there was another reborn like himself, creating variables.
He had always wanted to identify this source of disruption. But early on, Xiao Wu had been a gold-digger, constantly ordering him to forge iron to support her lavish spending habits. Tang San had barely crafted any hidden weapons, and much of Tang Sect's knowledge had been left unused. In the middle stages, Xiao Wu's martial soul fused with another man's, affecting Tang San deeply. Later, all of Tang San's focus was consumed by pursuing Xiao Wu, marrying her, raising children, and then on divine trials.
It wasn't until now that this long-ignored question resurfaced in Tang San's heart.
Could it be that this reborn was actually Huo Yuhao?
The thought drenched Tang San in cold sweat.
No… Impossible. It couldn't be Huo Yuhao. Rebirth had to follow the basic rules, didn't it? He, Tang San, had returned to his own birth era. His father, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Oscar—all their rebirths had also taken them back to their own younger selves. But Huo Yuhao? He was a person from ten thousand years later. How could he possibly be reborn into Tang San's era?
But if it wasn't Yuhao, then how could the current reality be explained? Soul tools, Spirit Transmission Towers—those were things from ten thousand years in the future! And many of the technologies now being used in the cities weren't supposed to appear until between ten thousand and twenty thousand years later.
For a reborn to come from ten thousand years later… unless… what, they lived until twenty or thirty thousand years and carried their memories back?
Unless—Tang San thought of another possibility.
Could it be that Qian Renxue's soul had been reborn into the past?
That was possible. After all, Tang San knew that after her death, Qian Renxue's soul had wandered through different eras. But he hadn't bothered to erase her final traces. To him, letting this defeated woman watch as he ascended to the highest seat of power, holding divine authority and ruling the continent, was a twisted kind of satisfaction.
And Qian Renxue's soul would indeed know about soul tools and the Spirit Transmission Tower. If she returned to the past, she would certainly bring sweeping reforms to the era.
But then, if Qian Renxue truly saw him as such a great threat, why wouldn't she move to eliminate him? And if she had been reborn, shouldn't the ruling power of the continent now be called the Spirit Empire? Why would it be called the Douluo Federation, with even her Spirit Hall absorbed into it?
The more he thought, the more contradictions he found. The more he thought, the more confused Tang San became.