Rumble—!!
The thunderous roar of boulders tumbling down shook the valley. It was followed by the whinnying of warhorses and the students' cries of alarm.
The Royal Knights' orderly escort was instantly cut in half by several enormous boulders crashing down from the sky. As dust billowed, countless black-clad assassins with veiled faces swooped down from the steep cliffs on either side like bloodthirsty locusts.
"Enemy attack! Everyone, brace yourselves!"
The commander of the Royal Knights roared himself hoarse, but the carefully planned rockslide had split the knights off at the front. They couldn't rush to the rear in time.
Shrek Academy, at the very end of the convoy, was instantly isolated.
"Why... why are they only attacking us?!"
Oscar stared at the black-clad figures closing in from every direction, his face pale and his legs trembling.
He wasn't the only one. Everyone noticed something strange.
The assassins had surrounded the entire rear of the convoy, but they weren't attacking the Godwind, Blazing Fire, or Heavenly Water Academies—or even some of the smaller academies. They had simply encircled them, deliberately leaving gaps in their ranks.
Only Shrek Academy's carriage was completely surrounded, the killing intent almost tangible.
"Because I'm their target!!"
Tang San swept aside the carriage curtain and rushed out, his eyes bloodshot.
He understood now.
This was a purge targeting the remnants of the Clear Sky Sect!
"Protect Xiao San!!"
Flender and Zhao Wuji roared in unison, instantly releasing their Martial Soul Avatars. The Cat Eagle and Vajra Bear took up positions on either side of Tang San, shielding him between them.
"Heh. Two Spirit Saints? That's a bit troublesome."
A leading elder among the black-clad assassins sneered. Eight Spirit Rings lit up around him—two yellow, three purple, and three black.
A Soul Douluo!
"Everyone, listen up! We need the head of that brat called Tang San. As for everyone else... kill them all!"
"Kill!!"
Hundreds of black-clad Soul Ancestors, backed by the Soul Douluo's overwhelming presence, surged toward Shrek Academy like a meat grinder crashing into a broken boat.
High above the valley, on a rocky outcrop with an excellent view.
Unlike everyone else, Yu Tianyu wasn't panicking. Seated on his horse, he even held a glass of red wine that had appeared from who knew where, looking as relaxed as if he were watching a performance.
Huo Wu stood beside him, watching the battle below with concern.
"Hey, aren't you going to help? Those are Spirit Hall assassins, aren't they?" Huo Wu might have been proud and haughty, but she was still an academy student and had little respect for such an underhanded attack.
"Help whom?"
Yu Tianyu took a sip of wine, the corner of his mouth curling in amusement. "That rat in the street?"
"Look."
Yu Tianyu pointed below.
Tang San was locked in a desperate struggle. Flender and Zhao Wuji were fighting with everything they had, but the enemy had numbers on their side and worked together with exceptional coordination.
Just as a black-clad Soul Ancestor's blade was about to strike Ning Rongrong (a substitute in the original; here, assume she was with the group or caught up in the attack)...
"Godly Zhuge Crossbow! Fire!"
Tang San roared. The mechanical Hidden Weapon in his hand spat out a deadly spray of black bolts.
Thud, thud, thud!
More than a dozen assassins fell at once, bolts piercing their throats.
"Good!" Dai Mubai cried, overjoyed. "Xiao San's Hidden Weapons are incredible! We can fight back now!"
Shrek Academy's spirits soared. A glimmer of confidence flashed in Tang San's eyes, too. The Tang Sect Secret Arts really were the foundation that would let him survive in this world! With these Hidden Weapons, he could fight even against thousands of enemies!
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
Yu Tianyu shook his head from his vantage point. "How adorably naive."
"Huo Wu, want to see fireworks?"
Yu Tianyu snapped his fingers.
An invisible, incredibly subtle magnetic force spread from his fingertip, instantly covering the battlefield below.
Tang San was preparing to reload his crossbow and land a vicious Sand-Shooting Shadow on the Soul Douluo leading the assassins when—
A sudden change took place!
"Die!"
A cold glint flashed in Tang San's eyes as he pulled the trigger.
But—
The Hidden Weapon didn't fire as he expected.
Instead, there was a muffled click.
It was the sound of the metal mechanism jamming and snapping.
Under the interference of Yu Tianyu's magnetic field, the Godly Zhuge Crossbow's precision springs and gears had shifted by a fraction of a millimeter. For such a finely made device, even that tiny misalignment was fatal.
"Boom!"
The Godly Zhuge Crossbow exploded in Tang San's hands!
Instead of flying toward the enemy, the sharp bolts burst apart and scattered, embedding themselves deep in Tang San's arms and hands.
"Argh!!"
Tang San cried out in agony, his hands drenched in blood. He stared at the Hidden Weapon, now a useless chunk of scrap metal, his eyes filled with disbelief and terror.
"How... how is this possible?!"
"I made this myself... How could it fail?!"
This was a mechanical Hidden Weapon the Tang Sect prided itself on! It had never failed before! Why had it broken at this life-or-death moment?
"So this is what you were relying on?"
The black-clad Soul Douluo—Golden Eagle—burst into laughter, seizing the opportunity. "Without those bits of scrap metal, you're useless!"
"Sixth Spirit Skill: Golden Eagle Thousand Feather Kill!"
A storm of golden feathers transformed into sharp blades and shot toward the stunned Tang San.
"Xiao San!!"
Flender's eyes nearly bulged with fury. He tried to rush to Tang San's aid, but two other Spirit Saints held him fast.
Despair.
A deep despair enveloped Tang San.
The technique he'd been so proud of had betrayed him. His teacher and the dean were tied down, and the shadow of death had already reached his nose.
Just then—
A cloud of green poison mist surged in from the side, instantly corroding the golden feathers.
"Who dares hurt my granddaughter?!"
A thunderous roar rang out.
A green-haired elder descended from the sky. Nine Spirit Rings revolved around him, and the terrifying phantom of a Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor blotted out the heavens.
Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo!
At the sight of Dugu Bo, Tang San's eyes, moments ago lifeless, suddenly lit up!
Hope!
It was the "Old Monster" he had sworn brotherhood with in Sunset Forest!
"Old Monster! I'm over here!!"
Ignoring the searing pain in his hands, Tang San frantically waved his unharmed hand and shouted, "Save me! These people are Spirit Hall assassins!!"
He was sure that given his relationship with Dugu Bo, the old man would rush to protect him at once. With a Titled Douluo on his side, he would be safe!
But—
What happened next was something he could never have imagined.
Dugu Bo acted as though he hadn't heard Tang San calling out. He didn't even glance his way.
The old monster's green eyes swept anxiously across the battlefield, then settled on the distant group from Exotic Beast Academy.
"Yiran! Yiran, where are you?!"
Dugu Bo flashed past Tang San, who was teetering on the brink of death, and rushed toward Meng Yiran, the granddaughter of Dragon Duke and Snake Grandmother and Dugu Yan's close friend.
"Get out of my way! Don't block my path!"
Dugu Bo waved his hand, sending a cloud of poison mist that forced several black-clad assassins blocking his way to retreat.
That very move happened to drive some of the attackers who had been surrounding Exotic Beast Academy toward Tang San!
"O-Old Monster?"
Tang San's hand froze in midair, his expression set.
Why?
Why was Dugu Bo ignoring him?
Weren't they sworn friends despite their age difference? Didn't Dugu Bo still need him to cure his poison?
What Tang San didn't know was that, at that very moment, Yu Tianyu's cold transmission was echoing through Dugu Bo's mind:
"Dugu Bo, do your job. Protect Meng Yiran and Dragon Duke and Snake Grandmother. As for Tang San... if you dare look at him again, or lift a finger to help him—"
"I'll detonate the Poison Pill inside your granddaughter immediately."
It was an absolute order.
Faced with a choice between his granddaughter's life and his so-called "sworn friend," Dugu Bo chose the former without hesitation.
"Arghhhhh!!"
More black-clad assassins swarmed in. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was cut apart strand by strand, and another deep gash was carved into his back.
Hope turned to even greater despair.
Being ignored by his most trusted ally hurt more than any physical wound!
"It's not over yet."
Watching Tang San's breakdown from above, Yu Tianyu swirled the wine in his glass.
"The show's just getting started."
Just as Shrek Academy was about to be wiped out—
A sword aura of unparalleled sharpness suddenly erupted from the other side of the valley, forcing the Soul Douluo back.
An elder dressed in white, as pristine as snow, flew through the air on his Seven Kill Sword.
Sword Douluo, Chen Xin!
Behind him came Ning Fengzhi, the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, holding a scepter with a grave expression.
"Grandpa Jian! Dad!"
Ning Rongrong burst into tears of joy.
Seeing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect finally intervene, Tang San—already covered in blood—felt the dying ember in his heart flare to life once more!
It wasn't over!
Uncle Ning still valued him after all! Even though he'd refused earlier, he had still come when Tang San's life was in danger!
"Sect Master Ning!"
Golden Eagle, the Soul Douluo, turned pale. "Does the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect really intend to openly oppose us? This comes from above!"
Ning Fengzhi didn't answer. He simply looked down at the carnage below.
His gaze fell on Tang San.
The young man was covered in blood, his eyes full of a desperate will to live. He was staring intently at Ning Fengzhi, like a drowning man clinging to his last lifeline.
"Dad, please save Third Brother!" Ning Rongrong cried.
Ning Fengzhi took a deep breath and was just about to tell Uncle Jian to save him.
Suddenly—
He sensed someone's gaze.
A mocking, warning gaze from above.
Ning Fengzhi jerked his head up toward the top of the valley.
Yu Tianyu raised his wineglass and toasted him from afar.
His lips moved silently, but Ning Fengzhi understood the word:
"Choose."
Just one word, yet it doused all of Ning Fengzhi's fervor like a bucket of ice water.
If he saved Tang San now, he would be making an enemy of Yu Tianyu once and for all—of the future Dragon God, and of the hope that could evolve the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
Was it worth it, for a remnant of the Clear Sky Sect who was doomed to die?
Ning Fengzhi's hand trembled.
He closed his eyes, then slowly opened them again. All that remained in them was cold reason.
"Uncle Jian."
Ning Fengzhi's voice was a little hoarse.
"Protect Rongrong."
"...We have no right to interfere in anyone else's affairs."
"What?!"
Sword Douluo Chen Xin stared at the sect master in disbelief. "Fengzhi, that Tang San..."
"That's an order!" Ning Fengzhi growled.
Sword Douluo clenched his teeth and sighed.
The force of the Seven Kill Sword in his hand receded. He drew a circle around Ning Rongrong alone, forming a protective barrier.
"Anyone who doesn't want to die, stay out of this circle."
Sword Douluo spoke coldly to the assassins.
As for Tang San, outside the circle—
He had been abandoned once again.
This time, it was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—the very force he had regarded as his support—that threw him away like trash right before his eyes, all for the sake of profit.
"Heh... hehehe..."
Tang San let out a shrill laugh, more painful to hear than crying.
The cruelty of reality shattered everything he believed in. What did talent or friendship matter? In the face of absolute power and profit, they were worth nothing!
"Had enough fun?"
Just as Tang San fell into utter despair and prepared to detonate his Eight Spider Lances in a desperate bid to take them down with him,
the clear sunlight in the sky suddenly turned soft and strange.
Petals drifted down from the heavens.
Each petal carried a razor-sharp aura, sharp enough to slice through metal and stone.
A voice rang out, impossibly seductive yet chilling to the bone:
"My, my, what a lively scene. You're dealing with a few children, yet you've managed to make such a mess of it. How embarrassing."
A figure appeared silently in the middle of the battlefield.
He wore golden armor, had skin as fair as a woman's, and held a Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum delicately between his fingers.
A Spirit Hall elder, a level ninety-five Titled Douluo—Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan!
The moment he appeared, a terrifying pressure that could make heaven and earth change color locked onto Tang San.
Thump!
Flender and Zhao Wuji were crushed to their knees by the pressure, coughing up blood. They couldn't even move a finger.
This was the power of a Titled Douluo!
The gulf between mortals and gods!
"So you're Tang San?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo looked down at Tang San, who lay sprawled on the ground like a dead dog.
"Twin Martial Souls... a remnant of the Clear Sky Clan..."
"What a shame. You have a rather pretty face."
Chrysanthemum Douluo blew gently, and a petal floated from his hand. It moved slowly, yet carried an intent to kill as it drifted toward Tang San's throat.
"Under normal circumstances, I might have taken an interest in bringing you back as a specimen."
"But His Holiness the Pope ordered that you be killed."
It was over.
Tang San closed his eyes.
This time, there were no Hidden Weapons, no Poison Douluo, and no Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Only death.
Just as the petal was about to slice through Tang San's throat,
"BOOM!!!"
A pillar of blue-violet lightning descended from the sky without warning, striking the petal with pinpoint accuracy.
The petal shattered.
The immense shock wave sent all the black-clad men flying.
As the dust settled,
a tall, slender figure stood in front of Tang San.
His black cloak billowed in the wind, golden lightning coiled around him, and his mismatched eyes fixed coldly on Chrysanthemum Douluo.
Yu Tianyu.
Everyone was stunned!
Even Tang San froze. He opened his eyes and stared at the back of the man he hated most.
He... was saving me?
Why?
"Whose brat are you? You dare meddle in my affairs?" Chrysanthemum Douluo narrowed his eyes. His orchid fingers curled slightly, and a murderous glint flashed in his gaze.
"Team captain of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Yu Tianyu of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
Yu Tianyu calmly gave his name.
Then he did something no one could have expected.
He turned around and planted a foot on Tang San's face.
That's right—on his face.
"Ugh!" Tang San let out a humiliated groan as his cheek was pressed into the dirt and ground beneath Yu Tianyu's foot.
Keeping his foot on Tang San, Yu Tianyu looked up at Chrysanthemum Douluo and curled his lips into a defiant smile.
"Chrysanthemum Guan, you've got one thing wrong."
"This dog is mine."
"His life, his dignity, even the way he dies—all of it is up to me."
"I'll cripple him with my own hands in the finals and make sure he's disgraced."
"Until then, anyone who dares touch my toy..."
Yu Tianyu's aura erupted. The phantom of a Nine-Colored Giant Dragon behind him roared, shaking souls as it forcefully withstood Chrysanthemum Douluo's pressure!
"I'll knock their teeth out!"
He was audacious—unbelievably audacious!
He had not only humiliated Tang San but directly challenged a Titled Douluo!
Chrysanthemum Douluo's expression changed, and he was just about to lash out.
Suddenly, a faint voice reached his ear. It was Ghost Douluo's telepathic message: "Yue Guan, retreat! Dugu Bo and Chen Xin are watching. And... that kid's aura is strange. He may be connected to the Grand Pontiff—according to Qian Renxue's misleading intelligence. Don't invite trouble. Our goal is to win the finals."
Chrysanthemum Douluo gave Yu Tianyu a long, deep look, then glanced at Tang San beneath his foot.
"Not bad, kid. You've got guts."
"If you want to play with him in the finals, then I'll leave him to you."
"Retreat!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo waved his hand, and the Spirit Hall forces withdrew like a receding tide. They had come quickly and left just as fast.
The crisis had passed.
But Tang San felt even worse than if he were dead.
Because at that very moment, he was being trampled by the man he most wanted to kill.
"Did you hear that, you trash?"
Yu Tianyu lowered his head and looked down at Tang San, his voice like a demon's whisper.
"I didn't save you because I wanted to be your friend."
"It's because..."
"Isn't it more fun to crush you, this so-called 'twin martial soul genius,' like trash in front of everyone at the finals?"
"You'd better stay alive until then, my... toy."
Yu Tianyu lifted his foot and wiped the dirt from his sole on the grass in disgust.
Then, amid the complicated looks of everyone present, he laughed loudly and strode away.
He left Tang San alone, sprawled in the mud and blood.
He had survived.
But he would rather have died at Chrysanthemum Douluo's hands just moments earlier.
Because what lay ahead was the real hell.
Before you continue