The True Lord of Balancing Accounts in East Sea City

"...Master..., am I... still alive?" Tang Wulin tried to move, but the sudden strain on his injured internal organs caused a sharp, violent pain that extinguished the thought.

Long Yuan nodded. "Of course you are alive. A mere few Evil Soul Masters are nothing; I can extinguish them with a wave of my hand."

"However, it would be best if you didn't move around. Although your physical constitution far exceeds that of your peers, such heavy injuries still require time to recover."

"...Understood." Tang Wulin nodded with great difficulty. "Thank you, Master, for saving my life. This disciple will never forget your kindness..."

Long Yuan was startled, but he immediately composed himself. "Say no more. As my disciple, it is only natural for me to ensure your safety."

Tang Wulin remained silent. The effort of speaking had exhausted his strength, and he drifted back into unconsciousness.

It seems he has mistaken me for the one who saved him, Long Yuan mused. Which means he has not yet come into contact with Tang San, nor that divine consciousness avatar.

That was even better!

Long Yuan used his own divine consciousness to set a seal within Tang Wulin's Sea of Consciousness, ensuring that in the future, he would only be able to access his own Sea of Consciousness rather than venturing deeper into the hidden spaces where the seal resided!

In that case, whenever he breaks the seal in the future, I can take control directly and avoid any contact with Tang San. Then, I must strip the Sea God bloodline from his body as soon as possible to clear the path for my own bloodline power.

Bloodlines were trivial in ordinary worlds, but in this world of profound fantasy, they served as vessels for many things.

The fact that Tang Wulin could feel an immediate sense of trust the moment he saw Tang San was largely due to the power of the Sea God bloodline.

Even if Tang San said nothing, and the two had never even met, that innate, soul-deep resonance within their blood was enough to establish a foundation of trust.

Yet, once the issue of the Sea God bloodline was resolved, even if Tang San returned, he would never be able to deceive Tang Wulin.

When a father and son who lacked any bond of upbringing also had their bloodline connection severed, could they truly still be called father and son?

Moreover, even if Tang Wulin were unwilling to oppose Tang San, he had a contingency plan.

His fourth authority—Ascension—might nominally be an enhancement ability, but its essence symbolized the dominion of the Dragon God and the iron law of the Dragon Clan: the insurmountable hierarchy of bloodlines!

As the king of a lineage of the Dragon Clan, Tang Wulin, as one who inherited his blood, could never resist his rule. If it came to that, he would forcibly control the boy and launch a suicide attack against Tang San.

The Dragon Clan valued kinship, but it was also cruel and cold-blooded.

"Tang Wulin, my good disciple, I hope you do not disappoint me..." Long Yuan murmured, looking down at his disciple on the ground.

In the dense forest outside East Sea City, Cao Chun was flapping his wings, flying with all his might.

After leaving the urban area of East Sea City, Cao Chun immediately abandoned walking and switched to flight to escape.

"Hmph! This path is blocked!"

Just as Cao Chun was worrying about whether Pei Wen could escape, a voice suddenly rang out from ahead.

The next moment, a fire as scorching as the sun rose before him. A red-haired woman hovered there, her wings shimmering with a brilliance that made Cao Chun's eyes sting, forcing him to halt his flight.

Even so, Cao Chun kept his gaze locked on the figure held in her hand, refusing to look away even as his eyes burned with pain.

"Pei Wen!"

"Boss?!"

Indeed, the person Leng Yaozhu held was Pei Wen, who had fled in the opposite direction. He was charred black from head to toe by flames, his body hanging by a thread.

Leng Yaozhu had pursued Pei Wen for a long time before confirming that no one was coming to his aid, so she decided to stop waiting.

Facing a Limit Douluo like Leng Yaozhu, Pei Wen had no power to resist. In a single encounter, his martial soul was severely damaged by phoenix flames, and he was easily captured.

After seizing him, Leng Yaozhu confirmed the direction and accelerated, arriving ahead of time to wait for Cao Chun.

"Quite a deep bond, aren't you?" After hearing their emotional exchange, Leng Yaozhu sneered. "Cao Chun, Pei Wen, you were already wanted by the Federation. You had been on the run for so long that they had practically stopped hunting you, yet you dared to target the treasures of my Spirit Pagoda? It seems you are tired of living."

Seeing that their identities were exposed, Cao Chun stopped pretending. "What do you know?! We were just ordinary students back then. It was because of people like you that the blame for the Evil Soul Masters' massacre was pinned on us. Otherwise, why would we be wanted?!"

Leng Yaozhu raised an eyebrow. She knew why they were wanted, but hearing his tone, it didn't sound like a lie. It seemed they had truly been framed.

Who was the governor of that region back then?

Leng Yaozhu thought for a moment; it seemed to be someone from a military family?

However, she couldn't recall exactly which one.

"That is still no reason for you to dare attack my Spirit Pagoda."

Leng Yaozhu had no time to bicker with two dying men. If she did, it would be after the matter was settled; perhaps she could investigate properly and use this opportunity to win over that military family.

Cao Chun forced an ugly smile. "May I ask who you are?"

He knew he was in a hopeless situation. Since she could appear before him without him noticing, she was clearly someone he could never defeat.

"This Seat is the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, Leng Yaozhu." She spoke without hesitation; this was her confidence.

"Hahaha! To die at the hands of the famous Vice Tower Master of the Spirit Pagoda, this life of mine was worth it." Cao Chun laughed, though his eyes never left Pei Wen, who was held like a dead dog in her grip.

If I had been more ruthless back then, if I had firmly refused to let him consume souls and driven him away, perhaps he could have changed his name and lived a good life now?

Though they were the same age, their personalities were vastly different. Cao Chun had always acted as the older brother, taking care of Pei Wen in everything.

Slowly, their bond had evolved from friendship into something more akin to family—like brothers, like father and son.

Leng Yaozhu tossed Pei Wen aside toward Cao Chun, who caught him hurriedly and held him tight.

Pei Wen did not speak, but after years of being together, a single glance was enough for them to understand each other's meaning.

Cao Chun: "All that has passed..."

Pei Wen: "No need to say more. To be able to die together today..."

"A pair of 'star-crossed lovers,' indeed." Leng Yaozhu said with a stern expression, "Since the two of you have already confessed to multiple attacks on the Spirit Pagoda, stealing dozens of purple spirit souls, hundreds of yellow and white spirit souls, as well as a large batch of medicines and rare treasures..."

"Wait, I only took a few..."

Leng Yaozhu remained unmoved: "The verification is accurate. As the Vice Tower Master of the Spirit Pagoda, I must execute you both here!"

Having said that, Leng Yaozhu waved her hand, and the Heavenly Phoenix True Fire swept toward Cao Chun and Pei Wen, covering the sky and earth.

"Hahaha, I understand now. This is the tragedy of the weak; one cannot even find peace in death..." Cao Chun looked up and laughed, laughing until tears streamed down his face.

Whoosh—

The next moment, the flames swept past, leaving not even ashes behind.