Tang San Appears

Second Refinement: Soul Refining Hate Fire Burning!

When the last bone had been scraped away by baleful force and remolded by murderous energy, Tang San did not even have time to catch his breath before an irresistible force pressed him into the deepest part of the blood pool.

This was no longer blood plasma, but Vengeful Soul Blood Marrow—condensed from the purest and most venomous lingering obsessions accumulated over endless ages.

A bizarre sensation, ice-cold to the bone yet scorching enough to burn the soul, instantly enveloped him.

Countless twisted faces frantically bit and burrowed into his soul.

"Hatred! Hatred! Hatred!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"Pain! Death! Destruction!"

The mutterings of hundreds of millions of vengeful souls were like the most vicious curse, madly battering the remaining dam of Tang San's sanity.

He felt like a stubborn piece of iron cast into Purgatory's furnace, his soul repeatedly hammered and tempered amid endless resentment and curses.

Fragments of Tang San's memories—the grief of Xiao Wu's sacrifice, the bonds of Shrek, the despair and humiliation of being crushed like an ant by Duanmu Ci—

were torn to pieces beneath the bites of the vengeful souls, only to burn frantically in the flames of hatred.

Each time they were torn apart, that bone-deep "hatred" forcibly fused them back together.

Each tempering made his divine soul more solid, colder, and more... pure.

The will of slaughter shone with an increasingly dazzling blood-red radiance within the furnace of Vengeful Soul Blood Marrow.

The bloody flames in his eyes were no longer burning, but had become like frozen, icy blood crystals.

Third Refinement: Thought Severing Killing Path Proving!

When Tang San's consciousness had nearly sunk completely into the Vengeful Soul Blood Marrow, sustained only by an undying hatred, a dark-red sword light tore through the blood pool and violently dragged him out!

Before him was no longer a blood prison, but a crimson wasteland formed from the pure Law of Slaughter.

At the center of the wasteland, a smaller projection of the Asura Demon Sword, radiating the same terrifying aura, floated silently.

Around the demon sword, several phantom figures condensed from the lingering memories deep within his soul slowly emerged!

The first phantom had flowing blue hair and gentle yet resolute eyes—Xiao Wu!

Her phantom reached out to Tang San, her eyes filled with endless longing and sorrow.

"Brother... come back... don't lose yourself..."

The second phantom was Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, his hair and beard entirely white, his eyes full of heartache and concern.

His lips moved as he called soundlessly, "Little San... hold on to your true heart..."

The third phantoms were Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun, who had fought beside him. Their phantoms stretched out their hands, as though trying to pull him back to his former companions...

These phantoms were the last remnants of human weakness and attachment left deep within his soul, which had been frantically eroded by the will of slaughter!

They were the final stumbling blocks on the path toward pure slaughter!

"Kill!"

"Sever them!"

"Only slaughter is eternal!"

The Asura God King's cold, emotionless will viciously stabbed into Tang San's core of slaughter!

The floating projection of the Asura Demon Sword hummed and trembled, radiating deadly temptation and urgency!

Tang San's face, covered in demonic markings, twisted violently. Within those eyes frozen with blood-red ice crystals, Xiao Wu's gentle reflection and the Asura Demon Sword's grim, icy gleam fiercely wrestled against each other!

The last sliver of consciousness that belonged to "Tang San" screamed and struggled!

He seemed to see Xiao Wu's tear-filled eyes when she sacrificed herself, and hear the calls of his companions from the past...

"Argh—!!!"

Tang San's arm, covered in demonic markings, abruptly rose, his five fingers clamping tightly around the floating projection of the Asura Demon Sword!

Puff! Puff! Puff!

There was no hesitation, not the slightest delay!

Blood-red sword light instantly pierced through Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's phantom, filled with heartache!

It shredded apart the phantom arms of Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun that had tried to hold on to him!

At last, the cold sword tip flowing with bloody light stopped before the chest of Xiao Wu's gentle and sorrowful phantom.

Xiao Wu's phantom looked quietly at him. There was no fear in her eyes, only endless sorrow and... a trace of relief?

Tang San's hand gripping the demon sword, that hand covered in dark-red demonic markings, trembled slightly.

"Brother..." Xiao Wu's phantom softly called, like a final sigh.

"Roar—!!!"

His response was a howl erupting from deep in Tang San's throat, like that of a dying beast!

In that roar, the last trace of warmth that belonged to a "human" was completely crushed and burned away!

The blood-red sword light pierced straight through the heart of Xiao Wu's phantom without the slightest obstruction!

Like shattered glass, the phantom silently dispersed into the winds of the crimson wasteland.

The instant the phantom vanished completely, the last glimmer of struggle in Tang San's eyes went out.

In its place appeared two scarlet vortexes, as though condensed from the abyss of a blood prison itself!

There was no impurity left, no weakness left—only the purest, most absolute will to slaughter!

Clang—!

The Asura Demon Sword projection in his hand let out a clear, murderous ring!

The Law of Slaughter across the entire crimson wasteland surged toward him like subjects paying homage to their king!

More intricate dark-red divine patterns emerged on their own, radiating a terrifying aura that made gods and demons tremble!

A vast divine power surpassing that of an ordinary Divine Official and approaching that of a Third-level God erupted from his body, mixed with the purest Asura killing intent!

"The third refinement is complete." The Asura God King's cold, emotionless voice echoed through the blood prison, carrying a trace of cruel satisfaction.

"You are now qualified to wield the shadow of Asura Authority and become the God Realm's blade."

His immense projection of will turned slightly, as though piercing through endless space to lock onto the lower realm.

"Go, my blade. Your blood feud and the altar of your rebirth both lie on the other side."

A vortex gate formed from thick, viscous blood light slowly opened before Tang San.

Beyond the gate came the familiar yet unfamiliar aura of the Douluo Continent...

Tang San—or rather, this newly tempered sword of Asura—slowly raised his head.

His scarlet vortex eyes fixed unblinkingly on the depths of that blood-light vortex. There lay the end point of his hatred—Spirit Sacred Capital!

And there was the target his power longed to devour—Duanmu Ci!

Spirit Sacred Capital.

Duanmu Ci's eyes were tightly shut.

Suddenly!

Upon the divine throne, Duanmu Ci's tightly closed eyes snapped open.

His gaze locked onto the eastern horizon of the Sacred Capital!

There, space was suddenly torn apart!

A blood-red figure radiating endless slaughter and divine power hurtled toward Spirit Sacred Capital at terrifying speed.

Wrapped in a storm of destruction, it charged fiercely out from afar!

It crashed heavily into an empty training ground outside the Sacred Capital's outer city, and the ground instantly fractured like a spiderweb.

Amid the billowing dust, the figure slowly straightened.

Dark-red demonic markings writhed madly across its deathly pale skin like living creatures, exuding a ferocious aura that made hearts tremble.

Beneath the tattered clothing was a body brimming with explosive strength.

Most soul-freezing of all were those eyes—the pure will to slaughter had become almost tangible.

In his hand, he tightly gripped a phantom demonic sword condensed from thick blood light. Asura God King's runes flowed across its blade, radiating a formidable aura capable of severing laws!