The dawn after the Sacrifice filtered through the windows of Shrek Academy and fell on Tang San, yet brought him not the slightest warmth.
He stood in the middle of the room, his hands hanging at his sides, fingers curled slightly. The warmth left behind by the pink Soul Power as it faded still lingered at his fingertips. The Soul Power surging through his body showed no sign of stopping. His fourth Soul Ring—the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, vivid red as blood—pulsed slowly with each breath, bringing him a sense of power unlike anything he had ever felt, and a chill that seeped into his bones.
Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun stood at the doorway, their faces deathly pale. None of them dared speak first. The resolute words Xiao Wu had spoken as she Sacrificed herself last night still echoed in their ears. Looking at Tang San, who stood before them unharmed, his presence even stronger than before, they felt their guilt and unease nearly crushed beneath their obsession with becoming gods, yet neither feeling would go away.
"Come in." Tang San didn't turn around. His voice was so flat it gave nothing away, but the sinister air around him made the three shiver despite themselves. Only after they entered did he slowly turn around. The grief-stricken expression he'd worn the night before was gone from his eyes, replaced by calculation and coldness. "From today on, we'll all give the same story. Xiao Wu was gravely injured in her match against Nebula Academy, and the damage was irreversible. I've sent her back to her clan to recover under the care of her elders. She won't be coming back for a while."
"Third Brother, can we really keep this a secret?" Oscar swallowed, his voice trembling. "Xiao Wu suddenly