Qian Ye remained as indifferent as ever to Dugu Bo's offer of treasure.
"I told you, I'm not interested in your territory."
Qian Renxue watched from the side, her heart filled with complicated emotions.
Once, Tang San had been a towering mountain pressing down on her, the greatest obstacle on her path to godhood.
But before she knew it, she had become strong enough to defeat him with ease, leaving him far behind.
And it was all thanks to the mysterious master standing before her.
Who was he, really?
Qian Renxue became more and more certain that her master's identity was absolutely connected to the Angel God—and perhaps... he was even greater than the Angel God!
Seeing that Qian Ye remained unmoved, Dugu Bo grew anxious. He hurriedly turned to Qian Renxue and pleaded:
"My lady! Tang San is a man who holds grudges over the smallest slights. My granddaughter and I offended him today, and he'll certainly come after us sooner or later!"
"I beg you to show mercy and take us in. I, Dugu Bo, am willing to serve Spirit Hall with all my heart!"
At that, Qian Renxue didn't agree right away.
She instinctively looked to Qian Ye, seeking his opinion.
Qian Ye waved a hand.
"Do as you like."
Those two words sent shockwaves through Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan!
They had assumed this young man was, at most, an honored guest on equal footing with Qian Renxue.
But now it was clear that even Qian Renxue, the young mistress of Spirit Hall, had to heed his opinion!
Good heavens! Just what kind of exalted being was this young man?!
Only after receiving Qian Ye's tacit approval did Qian Renxue nod and say to Dugu Bo:
"Very well. From today onward, you will be an honorary elder of Spirit Hall."
"Thank you, Young Mistress! Thank you, my lord!"
Dugu Bo was overjoyed. He bowed again and again in gratitude.
At last, the heavy stone in his heart had fallen.
He knew Tang San's nature well. Even without the visions of the future, he would surely have come after him for joining Spirit Hall today.
But with this mysterious young man on their side, Dugu Bo felt that Spirit Hall couldn't possibly lose!
Star Dou Great Forest.
Gu Yuena still stood motionless beside the Lake of Life, the shock yet to fade from her silver eyes.
"That wasn't Soul Power gathering... It was a true resurrection..."
She murmured to herself, her voice tinged with confusion.
"Even a God King couldn't resurrect two demigod Dragon Kings out of thin air... Who is he, really?"
Di Tian and the other Ferocious Beasts stood behind her, not daring to breathe too loudly.
They had never seen their master so stirred—so utterly beside herself.
What had the man in the Golden List's vision done?
Elsewhere, at the Allied Forces Camp.
The atmosphere was jubilant.
"Hahaha! I knew Third Brother was invincible!"
"Exactly! Did you see? Those two Dragon Kings still bowed obediently before Third Brother!"
"Lord Sea God is mighty! With those two Dragon Kings helping us, crushing Jialing Pass is just around the corner!"
The people of Shrek and the allied forces' higher-ups were all celebrating excitedly.
They had seen the vision on the Heavenly Vault Golden List, too.
But the distance was too great, and the images were blurry. They had only seen the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the Dragon Kings roaring, a figure entering, and, at the end, the Dragon Kings submitting.
As far as they were concerned, in the world today, who else could command such power and make the Dragon Kings submit, if not their Sea God, Tang San?
Everyone was thrilled, as if they could already see the dawn of victory.
They were even looking forward to seeing how many Immortal Herbs Tang San would bring back this time, and how much stronger they would become.
Just then, a bedraggled figure staggered into view at the camp entrance.
It was Tang San, who had fled back.
His face was pale, his divine power exhausted. He couldn't even maintain his Sea God Divine Attire, and his clothes were torn to shreds and stained with blood.
"Third Brother! You're back!"
"Congratulations, Third Brother! You successfully subdued the Water and Fire Dragon Kings!"
Everyone surged forward to congratulate him.
At those words, Tang San's face went black as the bottom of a pot.
His chest tightened, and he nearly spat out another mouthful of blood.
Subdued?
As if I subdued them!
"Everyone, shut up!"
Tang San roared.
They jumped at his shout. Their smiles froze, and they exchanged baffled looks.
"Third Brother, what... what's wrong?" Dai Mubai asked cautiously.
Tang San clenched his teeth and said, each word sharp and deliberate:
"It was someone from Spirit Hall!"
"I ran into Qian Renxue there! She stopped me!"
At his words, the entire camp fell silent.
The joy on everyone's faces instantly turned to fear.
Someone from Spirit Hall?
Did that mean...
They suddenly remembered the figure in the Golden List's vision, the one who had made the Water and Fire Dragon Kings bow their heads.
A chill shot up from the soles of their feet and straight to their scalps.
Spirit Hall actually had someone that terrifying?!
Yu Xiaogang's expression turned grave as well. He stepped forward and offered a low-voiced reassurance:
"Xiao San, there's no need to panic."
"Don't forget, your Sea God Trident and Asura Sword are first and second on the Divine Artifacts List."
"Even if they have powerful people on their side, they're no match for you."
At those words, Tang San's expression eased a little.
A hint of pride rekindled in his eyes.
That's right.
My twin Divine Artifacts were far beyond ordinary ones.
"Teacher is right."
Tang San said coldly, "When the Divine Artifacts List—no, when the final Overall Strength Ranking is revealed, I, Tang San, will surely be number one!"
"By then, whether it's Qian Renxue or that mysterious man, they'll all be stepping stones on my road to godhood!"
The people of Shrek chimed in one after another, as if they had found their confidence again.
They all firmly believed that the final victor would be their Sea God, Tang San.
Jialing Pass, deep within Spirit Hall.
Inside a secret chamber, the figure who had been sitting cross-legged rose into the air.
Viscous, ink-dark purple divine power surged from her body like boiling magma, instantly filling the entire space.
Wherever the divine power passed, the walls, the floor, even the light itself were corroded and warped, transformed into pure evil and chaos.
"Ah..."
A satisfied, blissful moan slipped from the figure's lips.
Bibi Dong slowly opened her eyes.
What an eerie pair of eyes they were. In the depths of her purple pupils, countless resentful spirits seemed to wail, while a bewitching allure threatened to ensnare all who looked into them.
The papal robe she had worn was already torn apart by the violent divine power.
In its place was a close-fitting suit of dark purple divine armor. Its sleek yet sinister lines traced her mature, curvaceous figure, a flawless body brimming with strength.
Her long, straight legs were especially striking, encased in purple armor that made them appear even more taut and shapely, radiating fatal allure.
Evil runes shimmered faintly across the divine armor, reflecting the demonic markings that surfaced on her skin.
She lightly clenched her fist.
Boom!
Space groaned under the strain.
"So this is... the power of a god?"
Feeling the terrifying, inexhaustible power within her, Bibi Dong wore an entranced smile.
The sensation of having everything under her control was... simply wonderful.
Her ambition swelled wildly with her surging power.
Unify the continent!
Trample the whole world beneath my feet!
She would make everyone who had ever looked down on her or hurt her pay the most terrible price!
As for Spirit Hall...
A trace of coldness flashed through Bibi Dong's purple eyes.
"The Qian Clan..."
She murmured softly.
Although Qian Renxue was her daughter, so what?
Now she, too, had become a god!
She was the Rakshasa God, a First-Level God, equal in status to the Angel God!
From this day forward, there could be only one voice in Spirit Hall: hers, Bibi Dong's!
She lifted her head, her gaze seeming to pierce through layer upon layer of obstruction, all the way to the Golden List in the heavens.
"The Heavenly Dao Gold Ranking..."
A smile of anticipation played at the corner of her lips.
The previous rankings had let those weaklings from Shrek steal the spotlight, and for a time, they had made her worry about the course of the war.
But now, everything was different.
"As the mighty Rakshasa God, where will I rank on this list? And what heaven-defying reward will I receive?"
She could hardly wait.
Just then, the heavens stirred once more!
Golden light shone down upon the earth again, and a fresh line of large characters slowly appeared.
[The Rare Treasures List continues!]
Bibi Dong's pupils contracted.
It had started again?
She watched the sky with interest, eager to see what kind of treasure would be revealed this time.
Golden light swirled, then finally settled.
[Sixth on the Rare Treasures List: Rakshasa Demon Scythe!]
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