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"This is truly a terrifying ability."
Looking up at the middle-aged man swirling and descending in the whirlwind, Yu Tianheng suddenly felt that it might not be a good thing for a girl with such an unstable mind to control such powerful forces.
Without Tang San's restraint, wouldn't Gu Yuena freely wreak havoc on cities?
Dugu Yan felt the same way.
However, if Tang San knew what the two of them were thinking, he would surely think they were overthinking it. Without his restraint, Gu Yuena wouldn't cause such widespread destruction. Her identity alone is a significant issue. If she recklessly used her power and attracted unwanted attention, even the divine realm might notice, which would spell trouble.
At this moment, Tang San was staring at the middle-aged man spinning in the whirlwind, thinking, "This body is quite impressive to endure this long. But using greed, anger, and delusion like this? I don't even know where to begin criticizing... Is it his method that's wrong, or is this all the effect can do?"
"Am I going to die?"
The middle-aged man felt the air tearing at his body, causing excruciating pain. But soon, the pain faded as blood continuously seeped from his wounds, leaving his face pale and numb.
Yet, his mind remained clear, recalling his past and questioning himself, "Was I wrong?"
In this life after transmigrating:
In childhood, he had parents, and though they were poor, they managed. After awakening his martial soul with a level one soul power, his parents and village chief were delighted, but he wasn't satisfied...
He entered the primary academy, where he was bullied by stronger students and noble children. No matter how eloquent he was, a punch from those kids was more effective than any argument. Normal children wouldn't listen to his reasoning...
At fifteen, he was expelled from the primary academy for not reaching level ten soul power...
He tried to join the Spirit Hall but was rejected.
At twenty, he reached level ten soul power and hired a small hunting team with his savings to help him acquire a spirit ring. After obtaining the ring, a spirit bone emerged, inciting greed among the team members. He discovered his martial soul, the Triangular Prism Crystal, could absorb others' greed, anger, and delusion to enhance himself fully.
Tempted by power, he fell and became an evil soul master...
At first, he only targeted bullies and villains. But as he played with more lives, he grew indifferent to human life and began picking victims based on his whims, spiraling out of control...
At twenty-five, seeking a spirit ring, he ventured into the Infinite Desert and discovered a hidden path to the core area, encountering this world's protagonist for the first time...
At thirty-one, his cultivation reached level forty-nine, but he hit a bottleneck and couldn't break through to level fifty. He began indiscriminately attacking soul masters, nobles, and remote villages, drawing the attention of the Spirit Hall, including Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan.
For two years, he hid, devouring countless lives without breaking through. Instead, his Triangular Prism Crystal grew more solid, almost like a real object.
Frustrated, he decided to explore the Golden Ancient Tree again, hoping its immense energy and vitality would help him break through.
Last time at the Golden Ancient Tree, he obtained a map-type soul tool marking the main city of the Golden Civilization and the precise locations and routes of the Infinite Desert.
The underground river near Shura Town No. 3 was his goal from the start, not just a place where Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan cornered him. It took time to find the entrance...
"After all I've been through, how could I be wrong?"
His memories ended abruptly, and he roared in anger, flames blazing in his eyes. He released his martial soul, pouring all his blood, soul, and soul power into it, shouting through gritted teeth.
"I only wanted wealth, status, beauty, power, and strength. What's wrong with that?"
On one side of the Triangular Prism Crystal, patterns quickly formed the word "Greed."
"Why do others have such great talent and high innate soul power? Why do I have only level one innate soul power? I'm a transmigrator! I should be above everyone!"
Another side glowed, forming the word "Anger."
"The people I killed deserved to die: bullies, corrupt officials, selfish soul masters. Why can they have so much wealth and status while I walk in darkness?"
The last side revealed a large "Delusion."
At that moment, his body exploded, turning to ashes in the wind. The unique Triangular Prism Crystal split into three characters: "Greed," "Anger," and "Delusion." They shot out of the glass column without damaging it, as if they weren't physical.
Seeing the "Three Poisons" rushing toward him, Tang San quickly used his spiritual power to defend and asked Electrolux for help. But even divine sense couldn't stop them... "Stop" wasn't precise; even divine sense couldn't touch them, as if they were conceptual entities.
Gu Yuena wanted to intervene but could only watch helplessly as the three characters entered Tang San's forehead and vanished.
Tang San immediately closed his eyes, focusing on the upper dantian. He could "see" the words "Greed," "Anger," and "Delusion," but his spiritual power couldn't touch them, as if they existed in another dimension.
Next, the words "Greed," "Anger," and "Delusion" began to transform, turning into crystalline human figures with faces identical to Tang San's.
One had a cunning expression, another looked furious, and the third seemed dazed yet strangely resolute.
Instantly, Tang San became alert. Beside him, Electrolux also concentrated his divine sense, ready to control these bizarre entities at any moment.
"Tang San, this is the price you must pay!"
The middle-aged figure slowly emerged from the three crystals, expressions of greed, anger, and delusion alternating on his face. "We had no personal grudge. Why push me to the brink?"
"Police and criminals have no personal grudges either; it's a matter of duty." Tang San noticed that this figure could be detected by his spiritual power. With a thought, his Sea of Spirit manifested three hundred sixty-five stars, forming the Great Zhou Tian Star Array.
These were spiritual thoughts refined by the cosmic meditation method, bright and vast, using them as the core of the array to completely strip the figure from the three peculiar crystalline human forms.
"No! Impossible! What kind of technique is this?" The middle-aged soul was continuously torn apart and expelled by Electrolux from Tang San's upper dantian, maintaining the purity of his spiritual power.
Tang San calmly said, "The Great Zhou Tian Star Array."
The middle-aged figure froze, finally raising his middle finger at Tang San. "I lost fair and square, but isn't it a bit unfair for a celestial from the wilds to come to this... little Douluo World?"
"I hate this!"
"I'm so unwilling! Why are you the protagonist?"
As he spoke, the middle-aged soul completely dissipated into nothingness. The three crystalline human figures now no longer just reflected Tang San's face; they transformed entirely into his likeness, then merged into a three-headed, six-armed form, sitting in a meditative posture with faces full of cunning, anger, and obsession.
"Protagonist? I have always been kind to others, diligently studied, and adapted to this world's rules while striving to keep my heart unchanged. Being a 'protagonist' doesn't cover it all... But still, thanks for the gift..."
Just as Tang San was about to mock the dead soul, he suddenly felt a shift in perspective, finding himself inhabiting the peculiar three-headed, six-armed crystal body and realizing he could absorb the thoughts of greed, anger, and delusion.
"Tang San, is that you?" Electrolux cautiously asked from a distance.
"It's me. After that soul disintegrated, this three-headed, six-armed crystal body came under my control, and I can manage the three thoughts of greed, anger, and delusion." With a thought, Tang San reappeared, the three-headed, six-armed form's faces slowly closing their eyes, expressing joy, anger, and resolve.
Eelctrolux examined Tang San for a while, relieved to see he was truly unharmed, then scrutinized the crystal body. "This thing is the manifestation of that guy's martial soul. It's amazing—it can absorb resentment, anger, greed, and obsession. It's almost like a natural deity! But an evil one!"
"Indeed."
Tang San nodded but remained wary of this ability. He didn't intend to use it much, as the three thoughts of "greed, anger, and delusion" are inherently negative, requiring "precepts, concentration, and wisdom" to suppress and eliminate them.
Precepts signify a moral, normative lifestyle that harms no one, cutting off the attachment born from excessive fondness for external things;
Concentration pertains to internal cultivation and self-restraint, reflecting inwardly to avoid the outward volatility and resentment that arise from unreasonable demands on others;
Wisdom involves understanding the true nature of life and the universe, transcending ignorance, and disentangling oneself from illusions of causality, comprehending the essence of life's cycle, and maintaining a fearless and unobstructed mind.
Tang San had been regulating himself through precepts and concentration during his training and research, but achieving a "fearless and unobstructed mind" with wisdom was still beyond him.
If he were a natural deity or demon embodying the concepts of greed, anger, and delusion, it wouldn't matter. But as a human, he inherently possessed these three thoughts and couldn't entirely avoid them. Using these powers recklessly could amplify his own greed, anger, and delusion, significantly affecting his temperament.
At that point, it would be uncertain whether he controlled these thoughts or they controlled him.
"As you said, these powers shouldn't be used lightly. It's too easy to lose oneself." Electrolux once again grew cautious of these eerie abilities...