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A month passed in a hurry. The city of Heaven Dou remained as busy as ever, but the atmosphere inside Tianxing Academy was filled with a new kind of energy. Since the shocking ambush outside Spirit City, the world of Spirit Masters had changed.
During that battle, Bibi Dong suffered a physical body collapse. Her severe injuries had not yet healed, which forced Spirit Hall to pull back its power for a while. Taking advantage of this opening, Dugu Bo, Sword Douluo, and Ning Fengzhi joined forces.
They managed to protect the students of Tianxing Academy and bring them safely back to Heaven Dou City, though the journey was filled with many scares.
Once the students were settled, Dugu Bo did not rest for a single moment. He used all his connections and every channel he knew to search for news about Tang Chen and Xiao Ruier. He looked into the movements of Spirit Hall and searched for any strange signs in the Star Dou Great Forest.
He did not want to miss even the smallest clue. However, Tang Chen and Xiao Ruier seemed to have vanished into thin air. No matter how hard he looked, he found nothing. This made him feel extremely anxious and helpless.
While Dugu Bo worried, Tianxing Academy reached a peak of fame that no one had ever seen before. By winning the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament, the academy became a legend.
The golden title of being the champion academy attracted the attention of countless young Spirit Masters and powerful families across the continent.
Every day, the entrance of Tianxing Academy was crowded with people. There was an endless stream of students coming to register or ask about joining. The prestige and size of the academy grew at a very fast rate. It was quickly becoming the top academy on the continent.
In stark contrast to the busy gates of Tianxing Academy was Shrek Academy. It was also located in Heaven Dou City, but it looked very different now. Because its core disciple, Tang San, was confirmed to be an Evil Spirit Master and had disappeared during the tournament, the reputation of Shrek Academy was ruined. The once proud name of the monster academy had become a stain that everyone wanted to avoid.
The old campus was now deserted, showing signs of decay and sadness. Weeds grew tall on the training grounds where students used to practice. Dust filled the dormitory buildings, and spiderwebs covered the windows.
The entire academy was empty, looking like a ghost domain that had been abandoned by time itself. One family rejoiced while another grieved, and the balance of power on the continent was quietly changing.
Far away from the cities, deep within Slaughter City, the Hell Slaughter Arena was filled with a dark energy. The foul air was thick with the scent of blood and madness. The roars of the people in the stands sounded like the howls of wild beasts.
In the center of the arena, the dark red ground was soaked with both old and fresh blood. A young man with grim eyes and tattered clothes stood there. He held a pitch black Clear Sky Hammer and was fighting against nine other vicious opponents. This young man was Tang San.
However, the way he fought was not like a normal member of the Clear Sky Sect. His style appeared incredibly sinister and disgusting. Every time Tang San swung the Clear Sky Hammer to strike an enemy or the ground, the hammer did not let out a powerful shockwave. Instead, thousands of pale, wriggling maggots would splash out from the weapon. These maggots rained down on the enemies around him.
One of the fighters yelled in horror, "Ugh! What is that thing? Get away from me! That is so disgusting!" The surrounding enemies looked at the attack with fear and hatred.
Even though the splash did not feel very strong, it was so insulting and foul that they all moved back. They dodged clumsily because they were afraid of being touched by the crawling creatures. They would rather face a sharp blade than be covered in those maggots. This gave Tang San a moment to breathe and take control of the fight.
Tang San sneered as he watched them struggle. He said, "Hmph, you are all just a bunch of trash." A cruel and bloodthirsty light shone in his eyes. He immediately moved his body using Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, making him look like a phantom.
His left hand moved quickly, and Blue Silver Grass shot out from the ground like venomous snakes. The grass was no longer a vibrant blue full of life. It was now a dark red color, almost black. it carried strong toxins that could melt skin or paralyze a body. The grass silently began binding the other fighters.
Since he could not use his Spirit Abilities in this place, Tang San combined the traits of his Spirit with his knowledge of poison and hidden weapons. He had created a very vicious way to fight at close range.
One of the fighters was caught by the Blue Silver Grass and fell to the ground instantly. Before the man could even try to struggle, Tang San brought his Clear Sky Hammer down. With a whistling sound and a splash of maggots, the hammer crashed into the man's head. His brains splattered across the red floor.
The slaughter continued in a very efficient and cruel way. By using the disgusting interference of his hammer and the deadly control of his grass, Tang San acted like a reaper harvesting lives. In a very short time, the other nine fighters had all fallen. They lay in pools of blood, completely lifeless. The Hell Slaughter Arena became quiet for a moment before the crowd began to cheer even louder than before.
Tang San stood among the pile of bodies and looked at them with a cold gaze. He did not leave the arena right away. Instead, he slowly knelt down and placed his hand on a body that was still warm. Suddenly, a strange change happened.
The skin of the corpse shriveled up and turned gray. The blood inside the body was pulled out by a mysterious force. It turned into red mist that flowed directly into Tang San's palm. He did this to every single one of the nine bodies. When he was finished, a faint red color appeared on his pale face. The chilling aura around him felt even stronger than before.
In this place, there were no rules. Only the strong could survive. Tang San was struggling to live and become stronger in the most sinister way possible. The Clear Sky Hammer in his hand seemed to grow even darker as it was stained by the blood of his enemies. As the last body turned into a shriveled husk, Tang San was the only one left standing.
After a short silence, the people in the stands began to shout and howl with madness. These people had lost their humanity long ago. They loved chaos and blood. They gave the winner a title that was full of mockery and malice.
They shouted together, "Maggot Burst King! Maggot Burst King! Maggot Burst King!" The sound echoed throughout the entire arena. The title was simple and crude. It came from the way Tang San used his hammer.
Because every attack caused maggots to explode everywhere, the image was stuck in their minds. They ignored his deadly skills and only focused on this disgusting trait.
Tang San gripped his Clear Sky Hammer so hard that his knuckles turned white. A muscle on his face twitched. He felt a deep sense of humiliation. He thought to himself about his past. He was a genius of the Tang Sect in his previous life and the son of the Clear Sky Douluo in this life. He had never suffered such a bad name before. But in Slaughter City, dignity was worth nothing. Survival was the only thing that mattered.
He raised his head and looked at the insane faces in the crowd. He pushed his anger deep down into his heart. He whispered to himself, "The Maggot Burst King... fine. When I get the Slaughter God Domain and leave this place, I will make everyone pay for this humiliation a hundred times over. Tang Chen, you just wait for me. I will definitely kill you to avenge Xiao Wu."
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, the Star Dou Great Forest remained a place of great danger. However, by the Lake of Life, everything was peaceful and quiet. The life energy in the air was so thick it looked like mist.
An energy cocoon had been hanging there for over a month. The light from the cocoon began to fade, becoming gentle. Suddenly, the eyes of the youth inside the cocoon opened wide. He had been asleep for a full month, and now he was finally awake.