join the Church of MissRaven and become a Sequence 9: Reader p atreon.com/KeyofStars for more chapters
In a dim and desolate void, a figure slowly emerged. Though there were no points of reference, one could sense the immensity of his form.
He wore armor covered in dark red magic patterns, and his body was wreathed in a dark red light, the color of dried blood. A haze of blood enveloped him, making it impossible to see his face clearly.
The mountain-like figure emitted a thunderous voice:
"Two more suitable candidates have appeared. That makes four in that world. Heh heh, it seems my divine seat will soon be up for grabs."
He chuckled softly, a hint of lightness in his voice.
… … … …
"Xiao San."
A deep voice echoed in Tang San's ears. Tang Hao had silently appeared in front of him at some point.
Three years had passed, and he seemed even older. Tang San keenly sensed the same quality on his father that he possessed: the aura of the Asura Domain.
"Dad, do you also have the Asura Domain?" Tang San's gaze remained icy, a lingering effect of the condensed killing intent that he couldn't fully control.
Tang Hao nodded, a faint smile on his face. "Well done. You didn't disappoint me. Come with me."
Tang San quickly followed in his footsteps.
"You might not know this from being in the City of Slaughter, but in these three years, many things have happened in the outside world, a transformation unseen in centuries…"
"If we want to take revenge on the Spirit Hall, now is the best opportunity. You must grow stronger as quickly as possible, or it won't be so easy once everything is settled," Tang Hao said as he walked.
"What happened?"
Tang Hao told Tang San everything that had happened in recent years, one event after another.
Ferocious beasts appearing, the Spirit Hall besieged, soul beasts slaughtering cities, empires at war… Tang San was dumbfounded by these major events.
He wondered if the knowledge he had learned before was all fake. He couldn't help but ask:
"Ferocious beasts? Are there really such terrifying soul beasts?"
"Yes, this is also the first time I've learned that such monsters actually exist in the Star Dou Great Forest."
Tang San suddenly asked anxiously, "What about Xiao Wu? Is Xiao Wu alright?"
"She's in a safe place now. You don't need to worry. By the way, Xiao San, tell me honestly, how much do you hate Duke Amon?" Tang Hao said seriously.
Tang San recalled the past. His animosity towards Amon mainly stemmed from greed for the immortal herbs, but he was tricked instead, which accidentally led to Xiao Wu's exposure. He replied:
"I don't harbor that much hatred. Many things stemmed from my own actions. What I find most difficult to accept is his humiliation of Xiao Wu during the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament."
Tang Hao said in a deep voice, "Duke Amon is a very terrifying figure. Almost every major event that has happened in recent years is connected to him.
"Moreover, his shadow seems to be present on battlefields in all directions. One can't help but wonder if he intentionally guided the situation to its current state.
"You can hate him, but you must never show it. Without the certainty of a single, fatal blow, you can only bury everything in your heart, understand?"
Seeing Tang Hao's particularly serious expression, Tang San nodded. After hesitating for a moment, he asked:
"Dad, have you heard of the Amon family? I met someone in the City of Slaughter who looked exactly like Amon. He claimed to be his older brother, named Gehrman Sparrow. He was trapped in the City of Slaughter because he was hunting down Amon but was tricked instead."
"The Amon family…" Tang Hao pondered for a moment and said:
"Information about the Amon family has been circulating in recent years. It's said to be a very ancient hidden family, but due to Amon's activities, they have gradually appeared in the sights of other forces."
Tang San nodded. "What I learned from Gehrman is about the same. Amon wasn't originally called Amon, but Jacob.
"'Amon' is the name of their family's first ancestor, and it's also the name of each generation's patriarch. Upon becoming the patriarch, they change their name to Amon. There should be many secrets we don't know about."
After a pause, he changed the subject and continued, "Isn't it time to tell me about the past?"
Three and a half years of training had transformed Tang San from a boy of less than fifteen years old into a young man of eighteen, and his strength had greatly improved. He was truly beginning to step into the world of the strong.
"You are still too far away from truly standing at the top of the Soul Master world. You need even greater improvement," Tang Hao's expression returned to its former cold and stern state.
"When will I be considered to have met your requirements?" Possessing two great domains, Tang San felt that he was already excellent enough.
Tang Hao replied indifferently, "When you have washed away all the superficiality, internalized all the killing intent, and completely mastered the Asura Domain, I will tell you everything. Only then will you initially have the qualifications to face those things and those people."
Wash away all the superficiality… Tang San chewed on this phrase, nodded, and then asked:
"Do you know where Amon is? Gehrman said that telling Amon about his situation would earn a soul bone of no less than 50,000 years as a reward."
Tang Hao paused. Even with his composure, he couldn't help but be moved:
"I don't know what's going on between those two brothers. Since you would say that, then you must think there's a high probability that this promise will be fulfilled. But the key now is that Duke Amon's whereabouts are hidden. No one knows where he is.
"He's the target that the Dark Dragon Di Tian is determined to kill. All the soul beasts are hunting him down. He's also the target of the Star Luo Empire. The Star Luo Emperor specifically issued the 'Star Kill Order' against him, promising generous rewards. Therefore, he won't show himself openly and stay in one place for long."
Tang San's expression became strange. He thought to himself: Amon is really restless. He just escaped Gehrman's pursuit, and now he's being hunted down by ferocious beasts and the Star Luo Empire. Could it be that he enjoys being chased and beaten?
… … … …
Hu Liena walked along a small path in the forest. She didn't know her location and could only move forward blindly.
A white-ringed crow preened its feathers with its beak.
The soul and body influence each other. The soul controls the body's actions, but the body's secretion of hormones can also subtly change the soul's behavior.
After being parasitic on this crow for a long time, the Worm of Time had been greatly affected. Sometimes, it even forgot that it was a person.
But that wasn't a problem. After all, it was just an avatar, and the underlying logic wouldn't change. If necessary, it could recover at any time under the call of Amon's main body.
"Girl."
A somewhat sharp voice sounded.
"Elder Chrysanthemum," Hu Liena exclaimed in surprise, looking at the figure in white.
Yue Guan smiled and said, "Congratulations, you've proven your excellence by successfully walking out of that hellish place. Come back with me. His Holiness the Pope will surely be very happy to see you return safely."
Hu Liena suddenly noticed a lot of bloodstains on Yue Guan's white clothes, and her expression changed.
She knew that Yue Guan was a very clean person and couldn't stand being dirty unless it was an especially urgent situation.
"Elder Chrysanthemum, your clothes… what happened?"
"Oh… this? Haha, I'm almost used to it. Don't worry, it's not my blood," Yue Guan smiled. "You're still a careful girl."
Yue Guan paused for a moment and said, "This was splattered on me when I fought my way out of Spirit City. It's just some blood, not too bad."
Fought his way out of Spirit City? Hu Liena was a little confused and didn't understand what Yue Guan was saying for a moment.
Could it be that Elder Chrysanthemum had betrayed the Spirit Hall?
Just as this thought arose, she heard Yue Guan continue to say:
"You need to be mentally prepared. The current Spirit City is in a bad situation. Although it can't be considered critical, it's quite troublesome. Even the Grand High Priest doesn't have a very good solution."
A few days later, Yue Guan brought Hu Liena near Spirit City.
"Be careful. We might run into those beasts next. You need to be mentally prepared."
Although she had been told some basic information about the situation facing the Spirit Hall, Hu Liena still felt a surge of anger when she saw the soul beast horde surrounding Spirit City.
"Concentrate your mind and restrain your aura! I've already notified Old Ghost to come and pick us up. Don't be careless. If the beast horde notices us, even if we are two Titled Douluos, it won't be easy to escort you through. Some of the soul beasts are very strong, probably at the 100,000-year level," Yue Guan whispered as a reminder.
Hu Liena nodded and said softly, "I understand, Elder Chrysanthemum."
A moment later, the shadows at their feet suddenly moved. Large patches of shadow gathered, forming a blurry figure.
"We're counting on you next, Old Ghost," Yue Guan said to the newcomer.
"I understand. His Holiness the Pope is also closely watching this place. If there's a situation, she will lead people to provide support," Ghost Douluo, shrouded in shadow, nodded.
The shadows surrounding him suddenly spread out, enveloping Yue Guan and Hu Liena. Then, the figures of the three of them began to become somewhat illusory.
"Let's go. Don't make too much noise," Ghost Douluo said.
"Hoo…" A baboon with white-ringed eyes and brown fur suddenly made a strange cry. It didn't know Hu Liena's location, but it knew the location of the white-ringed crow.
Several ten-thousand-year soul beasts approached, seemingly waiting for its instructions.
"Hoo hoo…" It made strange noises while pointing in the direction of Hu Liena.
The soul beasts understood and immediately began to gather their companions. Under the command of the white-ringed baboon, they ran towards Hu Liena and the others.
Noticing the movements of the soul beasts, Yue Guan suddenly whispered, "Not good, they've discovered us."
"Forget about hiding. Move forward at full speed. We must enter Spirit City before they surround us."
After a thrilling and exciting battle, they finally shook off the soul beasts and successfully entered Spirit City.
"Caw…" The white-ringed crow flew and circled in the air, exchanged a glance with the white-ringed baboon, and then returned to Hu Liena's side.
join the Church of MissRaven and become a Sequence 9: Reader p atreon.com/KeyofStars for more chapters