Chapter 206: Tang San's Divine Consciousness vs. Xuan Zi
As the smoke and dust gradually settled, the ground around Xuan Zi had been blasted into a massive crater, tens of meters deep and several kilometers in diameter, by the terrifying explosion.
At the bottom of the pit, Xuan Zi knelt on one knee, his black robe shredded into tatters. His exposed skin was covered in charred marks and cracked flesh, making him look bloodied all over.
"Pfft—" Xuan Zi spat out a mouthful of blood, his aura suddenly weakened. What angered him the most were his nine soul rings.
A sound like shattering glass echoed, and one of the golden lines on his 500,000-year soul ring silently broke, dissolving into golden specks that disappeared into the air.
Moreover, his first 100,000-year soul ring's crimson color was gradually fading, turning into a shade of red mixed with black. This indicated that his first soul ring had fallen below the 100,000-year level, now only at 90,000 years.
The other eight soul rings also experienced varying degrees of decline, though none had dropped to a lower tier.
The desperate counterattacks of the Sea God Pavilion elders had inflicted significant damage on Xuan Zi. Just as the Golden Tree's essence had enhanced his soul rings, the loss of that essence now reduced their ages.
In a sense, Xuan Zi had become a walking Golden Tree. If someone could kill him now, he would even drop soul rings and soul bones...
Severely injured and with the essence of the Golden Tree largely consumed, the benefits he had gained from devouring the elders of the Sea God Pavilion were entirely spent in the explosion.
"Damn it... I shouldn't have let old feelings hold me back. My momentary hesitation has made me so miserable." Xuan Zi's face was grim.
Yes, even though he was ruthless with the Sea God Pavilion elders, killing them instantly if possible, he only did so if they attacked him first. He had initially only immobilized Elder Song instead of killing her directly. If he had struck immediately, she wouldn't have stood a chance against him.
His brief moment of 'mercy' had prompted the remaining elders to self-destruct.
"Hmph!" Xuan Zi snorted coldly, reaching out with his right hand. A powerful suction force instantly pulled two figures towards him through the air.
A young man and a young woman—Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao.
During the explosion, Xuan Zi had protected them with his soul power, but as a Soul Ancestor and Soul Saint, their cultivation levels were still too low. Both were heavily injured and unconscious.
Why save them?
Huo Yuhao's intense hatred and anger had caught Xuan Zi's attention, saving his life. As for Ma Xiaotao, her evil fire had almost become uncontrollable after breaking through to the Soul Saint level, making her a prime candidate to become an evil soul master.
No, under Xuan Zi's influence, this 'potential' would become 'inevitable'.
Just as Xuan Zi prepared to completely destroy Shrek to vent his anger, a savior finally arrived, albeit a bit late.
As Tang San's divine consciousness awakened, he immediately saw Xuan Zi glowing like a beacon, due to the overwhelming essence of the Golden Tree within him. To Tang San's eyes, Xuan Zi looked like a walking sun.
Next, Tang San saw the nearly destroyed Shrek City and Shrek Academy. Only about one-third of Shrek City's residents had survived, and only ten percent of the students had made it through. None of the inner court students survived, including those Du Qianjue had met like Han Ruoruo and Wu Ming. Zhang Lexuan was fortunate enough to be away on a soul beast hunt.
Such severe losses were almost tantamount to total destruction.
Even though Tang San was now just a wisp of divine consciousness, he felt his blood pressure soaring, almost blacking out. Shrek Academy might no longer provide as much faith as before, but it still gave him the most faith on the Douluo Continent.
Even the sea soul beasts didn't offer as much faith as Shrek Academy did.
With Shrek Academy destroyed, it was almost like losing an arm for Tang San!
"To dare destroy Shrek, you have chosen the path of death!" Tang San's divine consciousness appeared before Xuan Zi, his face dark and eyes gleaming with murderous intent.
"Who!" Xuan Zi jerked his head up, his emotions instantly turning to fear.
Another expert?!
Someone in Shrek City who could avoid his detection until they spoke?
Before Xuan Zi stood a figure bathed in golden light, with sea-blue hair cascading to his waist, a handsome face marred by cold killing intent, dressed in a luxurious blue robe adorned with gold. Most striking was the over two-meter-long golden trident in his hand.
"Ancestor... Tang San?" Xuan Zi's eyes widened in unprecedented fear.
The figure before him matched the central statue in Shrek's entrance hall—the Sea God Tang San.
So the legends were true?
Tang San had really become a god and could return to the Douluo Continent?
Tang San was revered and admired by everyone at Shrek, including Xuan Zi, who had massacred the Sea God Pavilion elders like chickens. Faced with Tang San, fear ingrained in his DNA surfaced instantly.
Xuan Zi felt lost, forgetting that he was now almost a god himself.
Honestly, without external restrictions, Xuan Zi might have created a godly position of the Devourer with the Golden Tree's help.
But he didn't know that!
Moreover, the divine consciousness of Tang San before him couldn't exert god-level power, only the peak power below it.
After briefly sensing Xuan Zi's aura, Tang San's face darkened.
Why?
Because his divine consciousness couldn't completely handle Xuan Zi!
He couldn't kill Xuan Zi to vent his anger!
Looking back at the now obliterated Golden Tree, the original spot flattened, or rather the entire Sea God Island sunk.
Ah Yin's presence... Gone.
"Mother!!" Tang San's eyes reddened, his colors shifting to a mix of red and white.
Scarlet blood, pale killing intent. This was the power of the Asura God.
Ah Yin's soul presence had vanished. Even with his god-king-level divine consciousness, Tang San couldn't sense Ah Yin, meaning she was truly dead!
Not even Tang San could resurrect her!
"You truly deserve death!" Tang San spat through gritted teeth, raising the Asura Sword, now transformed from the Sea God Trident.
Locked onto by the Asura God's killing intent, Xuan Zi felt an unprecedented terror.
If he ever wrote his name in the genealogy, it would be on the first page.
But he didn't want this treatment!
Facing Tang San's killing intent, Xuan Zi forgot his fear, his Taotie martial spirit instantly possessing him.
Nine soul rings flashed, and his aura rose to rival Tang San's divine consciousness.
"Bold! Not only do you refuse to submit, but you also dare to resist?" Tang San's red eyes glared at Xuan Zi, raising the Asura Sword.
"I don't care if you're really Tang San. I gave my life to Shrek and got treated like a joke!" Xuan Zi gritted his teeth, his negative emotions growing.
"Why? Why did I give so much to the academy and get treated like this?"
"I owe Shrek nothing! If this is how they treat me, then Shrek has no right to exist!"
Does Tang San care about your grievances? Dream on! You're Tang San's dog for life! No matter your grievances, keep them to yourself. Bite your master, and he'll blow your head off!
"Spare me your sob story. I don't want to reason with you. You're not worth listening to." Tang San said coldly, looking at Xuan Zi like a dead man.
Indeed, Xuan Zi was close to death with Tang San on his case.
"Die, you ungrateful beast!"
A bloody light slashed down. Tang San, to maintain his godly aura, burned his divine consciousness, channeling the resulting power into this one Asura Blood Sword strike.
The sword strike was impressive!
To the dead Shrek elders, at least, it was a sweet moment of revenge.
Facing Tang San's deadly strike, Xuan Zi used all his power, drawing on all the Golden Tree essence he had devoured. His soul rings changed from one black and eight red to three purple, three black, and three red.
Poor Xuan Zi's nine-red-soul-ring experience was short-lived, shrinking significantly under successive blows.
The Asura Sword Qi pierced through Xuan Zi, further wounding his already injured body, with a power like an incurable disease clinging to him.
Xuan Zi had a taste of Silver Dragon King Gu Yue classic fate.
Though nearly dead, Xuan Zi survived! But terrified, he fled without looking back, carrying Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao with his soul power.
Shrek's internal war had ended. The once-prosperous first city on the continent was reduced to rubble.
Shrek Academy was completely destroyed!
(End of Chapter)