Enveloped by black tentacles, Ma Hongjun was plunged into darkness, even the flames of his Fire Phoenix Martial Soul were swallowed by the blackness.
"Heh heh..."
An evil voice once again entered Ma Hongjun's mind.
Ma Hongjun thrust his Dragon Soul Spear in all directions, but the tentacles were like soft cotton.
"Want to be powerful? This god can give you power."
Suddenly, a will appeared in Ma Hongjun's mind, without any sound, but its meaning was clear.
"Empty your mind, accept my divine inheritance, and I will make you the ruler of the mortal realm."
The powerful and evil will tempted Ma Hongjun to empty his mind.
The black tentacles had already enveloped him; as long as Ma Hongjun relaxed his mind, countless black energies would erode his body.
"A god is nothing but a slave under your control; don't even think about enslaving me."
Ma Hongjun began to resist, trying to ignore the meaning conveyed by that will.
This was the time to test his will.
Ma Hongjun's willpower was naturally exceptional; his rigorous training from childhood, even enduring the agitation of the purple flames, had cultivated his powerful perseverance.
Resisting the will is simply about sticking to one's principles.
It all comes down to whether you have a complete self.
Becoming a god was a thought Ma Hongjun had long harbored. In the original story, Ma Hongjun didn't achieve the first-level fire god status, only the second-level phoenix god status.
In this life, Ma Hongjun is even stronger and more outstanding; becoming a god is no problem for him.
Therefore, at this moment, the will of the evil god's descent merely gave him a choice.
Of course, it carried an element of coercion.
The evil god is unlike other gods; he's called an evil god because he doesn't play by the rules. He doesn't seriously choose his successor like other gods.
Like Xiang Chengsheng, Xiang Chengwang, Wei Sen, and others who have appeared now, who are his successors, or rather, are all his divine slaves?
Moreover, Ma Hongjun doesn't feel he has anything in common with the evil god. The path he walks is far removed from the evil god's, so how could he gain the evil god's favor?
Controlling him is impossible.
Ma Hongjun began to fiercely resist that will, also calming himself down. Now trapped in the evil god's statue, his power was suppressed.
"Since you won't cooperate, then this god will destroy you."
Ma Hongjun's resistance seemed to enrage the evil god, who intended to kill him.
The tentacles began to contract, attempting to seal Ma Hongjun within the statue.
Just then, the Dragon Soul Spear suddenly shone brightly with golden light, and the golden dragon soul emitted a high-pitched roar.
"You dare touch my man!"
A thunderous roar exploded in Ma Hongjun's mind, instantly dispelling the evil god's descent.
"Martial God, so it was the one you chose, hehe~ hehe~ I've finally found him."
With that, the evil god's will vanished, the encirclement formed by the black tentacles shattered, and Ma Hongjun regained his sight.
"You've been detected by the Evil God. Be extra careful from now on.
I brought you to Douluo Continent, breaking the rules of the boundary wall, and you've been resisted by the other God Kings. They can no longer favor you.
Whether you can inherit the title of Martial God depends on your own efforts now.
I'll keep an eye on the Evil God; you just need to be careful of his evil slaves. I hope you grow quickly.
Go to the Fire Domain, the place of the Fire God's inheritance. He will give you help and guidance."
...
"Brother..."
"What's wrong, brother!"
"Brother, wake up!"
Ma Hongjun slowly woke up and saw Ning Rongrong looking at him with worry.
"I'm fine, Rongrong."
Ma Hongjun looked around the sacrificial hall again. Now the hall was in ruins, and the statue of the Evil God was gone.
"Martial God!"
What kind of god is this? He didn't seem to have heard of this god in Douluo Continent.
"I came to Douluo Continent because the Martial God intervened behind the scenes."
Ma Hongjun pondered for a moment and roughly figured out some things.
In the original work, there was no intervention from the Evil God. It was very likely that the Martial God broke the boundary barrier and chose a successor across time and space.
Then the Evil God noticed and, wanting to disrupt the God of War's plans, began developing his own power on the Douluo Continent.
It seems that the flapping of his own wings, like a butterfly flapping its wings, has completely derailed the course of history.
He brought Ning Rongrong out again; the battle outside had ended.
The mansion, previously shrouded in black mist, was now bathed in sunlight. The fierce battle had raged until noon.
The ground was littered with severed limbs and blood.
The Tiger Soul Blade Clan was completely wiped out, and only a few surrendered members remained of the Lava Rock Clan.
Tiger Soul and Lava, two titled Douluo, one died and the other surrendered.
Ma Hongjun didn't witness Hu Xiao's final fate, but according to Dai Mubai's account, without the support of the black energy, Hu Xiao's strength rapidly declined. Although he ultimately self-destructed, the three Douluo forcibly dispersed his power, preventing more serious consequences.
Of the four titled Douluo, including Sword Douluo, only Poison Douluo suffered minor injuries; the others were unharmed.
Poison Douluo was, after all, only a level 92 titled Douluo, significantly weaker than the others.
This battle was a major loss for the Star Luo Empire. The once powerful four families now number only two, and the core strength was severely depleted.
From Soul Venerable to Soul Saint, over a thousand people died.
The battlefield is currently being cleaned up, and the commotion has attracted the attention of various forces in Star Luo City, with many people watching.
This is undoubtedly a major shock to the Star Luo Empire.
"Mubai, come here!"
White Tiger Douluo called Dai Mubai over, and the others followed suit.
At this moment, Lava Douluo knelt on the ground, covered in wounds, guarded by Spirit Cat Douluo.
White Tiger Douluo pointed at Lava Douluo and then said to Dai Mubai,
"You handle this matter!"
White Tiger Douluo's words immediately drew the attention of the soldiers, while the spies watching from the perimeter craned their necks and moved closer, eager to witness this spectacle.
Lava Douluo had surrendered; how to deal with him now rested entirely with the royal family.
White Tiger Douluo was throwing a problem to Dai Mubai to solve, partly to test and train him, and partly to give him an opportunity.
Dai Mubai was now the Crown Prince of Star Luo, the future emperor of the Star Luo Empire; he needed the decisiveness and resolve of a monarch.
Regardless of Dai Mubai's decision, he had to make a choice here:
kill,
or
spare!
Kill him, and it would be over.
Spare him, and Lava Douluo might be grateful for Dai Mubai's mercy today and become a great help to him in the future.
"Son, make your decision!"
The White Tiger Douluo, having just finished his killing spree, was at the height of his power, like a king of beasts, surveying his generals before finally fixing his gaze on Dai Mubai.
Dai Mubai's performance in the battle hadn't disappointed him, and he wanted to seize this opportunity to have Dai Mubai completely win over the hearts of his subjects.
Dai Mubai remained silent and unwavering, walking directly towards the Lava Douluo.
The Spirit Cat Douluo increased his control over the Lava Douluo, rendering him kneeling and unable to move.
The Lava Douluo's face seemed to age instantly, his hair and beard turning completely white.
This defeat had left him utterly devastated.
He felt like a puppet, his blind trust having cost him the fate of his entire family.
What resented him most was that Hu Xiao had concealed
his plans from him. As his only ally, Hu Xiao hadn't told him the whole story.
This made him feel like a failure, dying with deep resentment.
But now, he had nothing left;
his imperial dream was shattered!
Lava Douluo, utterly despondent, neither begged for life nor for death, simply staring calmly at Dai Mubai.
Dai Mubai, in turn, ignored Lava Douluo, for he had already made his decision from the beginning.
One act of disloyalty, and forever!
The Lava Clan had been slaughtered by him; the blood feud had been sown. There was no turning back between him and Lava Douluo. The White
Tiger possessed him,
its hand rising, its claws slashing.
Lava Douluo's head fell off.
The entire process was incredibly smooth, even Ma Hongjun was impressed by Dai Mubai.
The White Tiger was associated with killing.
Ma Hongjun had guessed Dai Mubai would make such a decision, but he hadn't expected such decisive execution.
Now, Ma Hongjun knew that
his former sworn brother had changed!
(End of Chapter)