Xiao Wu sat up, her slightly disheveled hair clinging to her sweat-dampened neck. The flush had yet to fade from her pretty face, while the confusion in her eyes deepened. "Brother, what happened? Why did you suddenly stop?"
She reached out to touch Tang San's cheek, but he instinctively avoided her.
That instant of distance made Xiao Wu's heart tighten. She vaguely sensed that something was wrong—Tang San had never looked at her like this before. Shock was wrapped in flustered panic, as though the sky had fallen.
"Xiao Qi..." Tang San's voice was as hoarse as if it had been scraped by sandpaper, every word weighing a thousand jun. "Xiao Qi has disappeared."
"Xiao Qi?"
Xiao Wu froze for a moment, then her face abruptly turned deathly pale. She grabbed Tang San's arm, her fingertips whitening from the force. "What did you say? How could Xiao Qi disappear? Wasn't she training on the Douluo Continent? Could you have sensed it wrong?"
Tang Wutong was the daughter she and Tang San cherished most, her pet name Xiao Qi. Ever since their daughter descended to the lower realm to train, Xiao Wu had worried about her every day. If Tang San had not said that training would help Xiao Qi grow faster, she would never have been willing to let her child leave the God Realm for even a step.
"I can't be wrong."
Tang San shook his head, his tone so heavy it nearly crushed her. "The bloodline connection between us has been severed. Even the divine consciousness I left in her soul has completely lost contact. In this situation... there is only one possibility."
He did not continue, but Xiao Wu already understood. It meant death. It meant losing her forever.
"No... That can't be..."
Xiao Wu's voice began to tremble, and her eyes reddened instantly. "Xiao Qi is so powerful, and she had your divine consciousness protecting her. How could she..."
Tang San took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He quickly put on his divine robes, though his movements carried an impossible-to-hide urgency. "I have to make a trip to the Douluo Continent and find out exactly what happened."
Nothing could happen to Xiao Qi.
Not only because she was the daughter he shared with Xiao Wu, the treasure he held closest to his heart.
More importantly, Xiao Qi was a key piece in his plans—the Child of Destiny on the Douluo Continent had now emerged, and with the destiny surrounding the Star Dou Great Forest, Tang Wutong could not possibly have descended to the lower realm otherwise. He had intended to use this opportunity to draw the Child of Destiny to his side and scheme for the destiny of Star Dou.
Thus, whether for emotion or reason, he had to find Xiao Qi, even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance.
"I'm going with you!" Xiao Wu hurriedly rolled out of bed and moved to get dressed.
"You'll stay in the God Realm."
Tang San pressed a hand to her shoulder, his gaze resolute. "Someone needs to hold things down here. Besides... I'm not sure what I'll encounter in the lower realm. Taking you with me would only make things inconvenient."
Xiao Wu bit her lip. She knew he was telling the truth, but worry surged through her like a tide, nearly leaving her unable to breathe. As she watched Tang San's resolute back, she suddenly remembered something and hurriedly called out, "Brother, should we tell the God of Destruction first?"
The God of Destruction was a colleague on the God Realm Committee. Though he was stubborn by nature and often disagreed with Tang San, he cared deeply for Xiao Qi, even more than an actual uncle might. Xiao Qi also loved clinging to the God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life; they were very close.
"Normally, he might not agree to leaving his post without permission, but this time is different. It concerns Xiao Qi. He might..."
Tang San paused and looked back at Xiao Wu. Hesitation flashed through his eyes before he nodded. "You're right. It would be good to let him know. If I run into trouble on the Douluo Continent, there will be someone in the God Realm to provide support."
He turned and walked toward the hall's exit. His blue-gold divine robes cut a sharp arc through the morning light, his back straight yet carrying the grim heaviness of an approaching storm.
Xiao Wu stood where she was, watching his figure vanish into the clouds and mist. Her hands clenched tightly around the hem of her clothes as she prayed in silence.
Tang San did not delay in the slightest and headed straight for the God of Destruction's palace. The destructive aura outside the divine hall remained biting, but it could not halt his anxious steps.
At the same time, deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, at the Lake of Life.
The lake was emerald green like jade, so still that not a ripple disturbed its surface. It reflected the towering Ancient Wood along the shore and the swirling mist. Di Tian floated above the center of the lake, his enormous dragon claw lightly brushing the water and sending rings of ripples outward.
Bi Ji stood by the shore, her voice gentle but tinged with gravity. "We questioned every Soul Beast in the Core Area that is over fifty thousand years old. Not a single one admitted to killing a human with the Holy Dragon of Light Martial Soul. I also used life aura to inspect the outskirts of the forest. There really are no traces of Soul Power from that Martial Soul left behind."
Myriad Monster King toyed with a vine around his fingertips, confusion on his effeminate face. "According to Mu En, that youth was protected by a Soul Sage. Being able to deal with both of them at once without leaving any trace is not something an ordinary Soul Beast could accomplish. But our people truly did not make a move. Could it be..."
"Could it have been another force?" Xiong Jun rumbled, a vicious glint flashing through his crimson eyes. "Could it have been those Evil Soul Masters from the Holy Spirit Cult? They love doing this kind of sneaky business."
Di Tian remained silent. The golden vertical pupils in his eyes reflected the shimmering lake surface, while his thoughts raced.
Where exactly had that youth gone? He could not simply have vanished into thin air. Mu En insisted that Star Dou had done it, yet after all this investigation, they had not found even the slightest clue. This conflict had begun strangely and ended just as strangely, as if an invisible hand were pushing events from behind the scenes.
"No matter where he went, it no longer matters." Di Tian suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a cold smile. "What matters is that Shrek Academy has already suffered a severe blow."
Xiong Jun stepped forward, his claws gouging several deep marks into the ground. "What do we do next? Are we just letting this go? I haven't had enough fighting yet!"
"Why the rush?" Di Tian slowly turned around, his massive dragon head facing the Ferocious Beasts. "Do one thing—spread word indirectly that Shrek Academy suffered heavy losses this time, and that three senior elders have already fallen."
Bi Ji's willow eyebrows knit slightly in concern. "Wouldn't that be too obvious? Other forces may not believe it, given Shrek Academy's reputation."
"Whether they believe it is not important." Di Tian waved a dragon claw, calculation gleaming in his golden pupils. "I do not need all of them to believe it. I only need to plant a seed of doubt. Once the news spreads, someone will naturally be unable to resist probing and investigating."
What he wanted was to muddy the waters.
Shrek Academy was like a great mountain, crushing the other forces on the continent until they could barely breathe. Now that mountain had developed cracks, those forces watching like tigers would never let this opportunity pass. The Sun Moon Empire, the Holy Spirit Cult, even other academies... they would surely make their moves.
By then, Shrek Academy would be too busy dealing with itself to have the energy to trouble Star Dou. Meanwhile, they could use this opening to uncover the truth behind that youth's disappearance and gather strength at the same time.
"I understand."
Bi Ji nodded, the concern in her eyes fading and giving way to understanding. "I'll make the arrangements now."
With that, everyone departed one after another, leaving Di Tian standing there alone.
He raised his head to look at the sky above and murmured, "The Soul Beast Clan's counterattack has begun!"
Before you continue