Chapter 300: Sooner or Later, You Will Regret It
The power of the three Qianjun Ant Emperors propelled Tang San up five levels. Only a month ago he had just claimed his sixth soul ring, and now he was striding toward Soul Saint.
A feral grin curled at the corner of Tang San's mouth. Once someone tasted unearned power, they could never turn back.
Standing beside him, Bo Saixi's heart pounded in her chest. In her century‑long life she had never seen such a smile—and she knew all too well what lay behind it.
She could only pray silently that Tang San would spare humanity and devour only soul beasts.
Though she despised mass slaughter of soul beasts, human lives took precedence. Besides, Tang San was the Sea God's chosen heir. In just a few years he would leave Douluo Star for the Divine Realm. Soul beasts surely wouldn't be wiped out in that time.
"High Priestess, shall we go?" Tang San's voice broke through her thoughts, his excitement barely contained.
"Let us depart," Bo Saixi replied, masking her unease with calm.
Despite her disappointment, she lacked the courage to defy the Sea God's will. She knew ushering in the ninth trial would cost her life.
Suppressing her fear, she grasped Tang San's shoulder. In an instant, the space around them warped and they vanished from the lakeshore.
A riotously colored butterfly drifted across the water before dissolving into mist.
"Devouring ability—Tang San has truly surprised me!" Xiao Yu murmured, reviewing Milo's report.
"Damn Tang San," Qian Renxue hissed. "This is the power of a fallen soul master. Sooner or later, I will kill him!"
Her blood boiled with righteous fury. The First‑Generation Angel God had ascended by slaying the continent's most formidable evil soul masters, earning the faith of countless Douluo and transcending to the Divine Realm.
Thus, the Spirit Hall was founded to eradicate all evil soul masters, and the Pope's pure Six‑Winged Angel martial soul wielded incredible power to purge darkness and elevate one's cultivation through cleansing malevolence.
The organization that upheld order in the soul master world and commanded immense prestige was destroyed by the magnanimous Tang San. Along with it fell the City of Slaughter, the continent's natural prison. In the millennia that followed, evil soul masters ran rampant across the Douluo Continent.
"Xiao Yu, I think we should immediately, under the banner of the Tian Dou Empire and Nine Stars Hall, declare Tang San a fallen soul master and call upon the entire soul master world to hunt down this evil soul master!"
Qian Renxue, trained since childhood by Qian Daoliu to eliminate evil soul masters, spoke without hesitation. And since Tang San was the son of her father's killer, Tang Hao, she would show no mercy. Let Tang San and his Haotian Sect be disgraced and cast out by all soul masters—that would satisfy her vengeance.
"Renxue, you're too hasty!" Xiao Yu shook his head. "We have no proof that Tang San devoured the life force of three Qianjun Ant Emperors in the Star Dou Great Forest. Even if we brought back their mummified corpses, Tang San could simply deny it.
"At the time, the only witness was Sea God Douluo Bo Saixi, High Priestess of Sea God Island. With that old rogue Sea God backing him, Saixi would never allow Tang San to become a pariah in the soul master world.
"And the demon butterfly watching him—that's far too sensitive. If we accuse Tang San on mere suspicion, Haotian Sect and the Star Luo Empire might turn the tables on us, and our own prestige would suffer."
Qian Renxue frowned. "So are we to stand by and let this scoundrel run free?"
"Of course not." Xiao Yu smiled, pulling her close. "I know Tang San too well. Outwardly he's righteous, but inside he's selfish and hypocritical—always convinced he's the best, unable to bear any setback.
"You and I are the mountains he dreams of conquering every night. Now he's devoured three Qianjun Ant Emperors and gained nearly five levels of soul power. He just claimed his sixth soul ring and will assault the seventh next. With this shortcut to rapid cultivation, do you really think he'll stop?"
He paused, a gleeful glint in his eye. "And mark my words, with how ruthless he is, sooner or later he'll target soul masters themselves. Then Haotian Sect, Star Luo Empire, and Sea God Island will all regret ever dealing with Tang San."
Devouring soul beasts and devouring soul masters carried very different crimes. Soul beasts were humanity's sworn enemies. If Tang San only drained beasts, Haotian Sect might salvage his reputation. But if he preys on soul masters, the entire sect would be nailed to the shame pillar of the soul master world—and their allies would be tainted as well.
Qian Renxue nodded thoughtfully. "We must keep a close watch on Tang San. Even if we can't catch him in the act, we must find ways to save innocent soul masters. If he turns on Haotian Sect or Sea God Island disciples, let them face him alone. Our job is to secure the evidence."
"Naturally," Xiao Yu agreed. "Cultivation is difficult enough. We help the innocents, but to our enemies we show no mercy. Those in Haotian Sect and Sea God Island—if they don't die by Tang San's hand, they will die by ours."
He nodded, then shifted his tone. "And what news from the Snow Night Emperor?"
(End of Chapter)
Get early access to my chapters and read more frequently by joining my Patreon! You'll unlock 20 chapters immediately and can enjoy up to 65 chapters weekly. Support my ongoing work and become part of my reader community.
Patreon: patreon.com/anish_44
Support via Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/anish_44