Shendu felt helpless.
He'd known Zhong Su would cause trouble, but he hadn't expected him to do it so often. The turmoil over changing the rules of Soul Master cultivation had barely passed, and now he was pulling another stunt.
At the thought of having to spend divine power on him again, Shendu's heart bled.
"Zhong Su's gotten a little too full of himself, but he shouldn't have recovered enough strength to reach the divine level. He can't stir up much trouble," Shendu said calmly.
Bibi Dong stood there, composed, the Pope Staff in her hand. "What do we do now? Should we go to Thunder City and pay him a visit?"
"Pay him a visit? He's not worthy." Shendu sneered, making no effort to hide his contempt.
"The weak have no right to say things like that. It seems Zhong Su needs to be taught a lesson."
Of the Eight Demons, Shendu was the strongest, with Zhou Lan likely second. Zhong Su could only be called a strong contender for third place; he couldn't claim the seat outright.
Po Kong and Di Kui were both strong contenders, too.
But Shendu had lost his strength, and his body was sealed in the form of a statue. He was also reluctant to use his divine power, so for now, there really was nothing he could do about Zhong Su.
He could only rely on a scheme.
"Don't worry. Isn't Qian Daoliu at Spirit Hall? Even if I don't reveal myself, Zhong Su still won't be able to beat him. That guy Qian Daoliu may be the bottom rung among Peerless Douluo, but he should still be a little stronger than Zhong Su is now."
Shendu told Bibi Dong to stay calm.
Bibi Dong nodded. She had come to inform him of the news, and when it was clear Shendu had nothing more to say, she turned and left.
In the secret passage, Bibi Dong strolled along the carpet, her thoughts churning.
Did Shendu simply not want to reveal himself, or was he unable to? He claimed to fear the Immortal Gods, but they hadn't even shown their faces, and he was already this afraid. That didn't make sense!
Could it be that the ones he feared weren't the Immortal Gods at all, but the other demons?
A flash of lightning crossed Bibi Dong's mind, and suddenly everything became clear.
The leader of the Eight Demons, immortal and omnipotent—Shendu had just attracted a challenger.
Mortals would always covet the power of gods. Without exception.
In the secret chamber.
"Dai Xieyue." Shendu's voice was hoarse as he watched Dai Xieyue stand before him, visibly excited.
"Master!" Dai Xieyue bowed respectfully.
"Well done. What reward do you want? Speak."
"This subordinate only hopes to serve you forever, Shendu, and carry out your orders!" Dai Xieyue knelt on one knee, declaring his loyalty with fervor.
I know how loyal you are. I'm the one who brainwashed you, after all.
Shendu was growing impatient, so he casually picked a reward for him. "In that case, I'll raise your strength to level 81!"
A red beam shot from the statue's eyes and fell on Dai Xieyue. He pressed his hands together, grateful for Shendu's gift.
Inside him, his surging Soul Power flowed like water from a pipe, continuously pouring into a reservoir until it was full.
Crack—
With a crisp sound, Dai Xieyue broke through the barrier and became an 81st-level Soul Douluo.
He opened his eyes and stared excitedly at his hands. Dark Soul Power swirled between them, and black-and-red Soul Rings rose beneath his feet. His presence surged like a rainbow.
"Thank you, Shendu!" Dai Xieyue knelt on one knee, the arrogant air between his brows growing ever stronger.
If Shendu hadn't already reshaped his mind, it would have been hard to imagine this man submitting to him.
"Go on. Keep finding the Talismans for me. Bring me the Dragon Talisman as soon as you can." Shendu spoke a few words, then fell silent.
Dai Xieyue bowed respectfully and left.
With his corrupted Martial Soul and Soul Skills, his ruthless nature, and the boost from his mask, he was more than a match for an ordinary Titled Douluo.
Who would have thought that I, Dai Xieyue, would become a Titled Douluo one day!
Dai Xieyue left Spirit Hall, still overwhelmed with excitement.
Once, he had craved strength so desperately because of that throne—the ridiculous, cruel system for choosing an heir.
He raced through the world of shadows.
Though he had been split in two, he hadn't forgotten what came before. He would repay every humiliation he had suffered.
"The Star Luo Empire. Dai Weisi, my dear big brother—I've missed you so much. How have you been?" Dai Xieyue sneered, quickening his pace.
A few days later.
His destination: the Star Luo Empire.
An invisible shadow slipped between the shadows of two great trees, moving so fast that no one noticed.
He hadn't found the Talismans in the Heaven Dou Empire, so it made perfect sense to look in the Star Luo Empire, too.
Dai Xieyue reassured himself again. He really had searched all over the Heaven Dou Empire, but there was no trace of the Talismans. The only one he had found was the Tiger Talisman, and Shendu had already given him instructions about it. He couldn't take it.
There was no other way!
Shendu's concern was well-founded. If Dai Xieyue took the Tiger Talisman, would he also take the Book of Antiquity?
If he didn't, wouldn't it seem as though some hidden mastermind was pushing Tang San and the others to grow stronger?
So it was better to split them up.
By sheer coincidence, Dai Xieyue was doing exactly what Shendu wanted. He was heading to the Star Luo Empire to search for Talismans, so he wouldn't run into Tang San and the others.
At Shrek Academy, Tang San had returned and was still lying in bed, recovering from his injuries. The Immortal Herbs were naturally stored in his medicine pouch.
Since the medicinal herbs had to be personally refined into pills before they could be taken, and eating them raw would make one's body explode, everyone listened to him and waited quietly for him to recover before he made pills for them.
In the room, Tang San lay in bed while Xiao Wu and several others gathered around him.
"Don't worry, Third Brother. With me here, the team will be just fine." Oscar raised a thumb, showing two rows of pearly white teeth.
With Tang San out of the picture, Shrek Team had found a new backbone: Oscar.
It was all thanks to the Talisman in his hand.
The Talisman Oscar had found bore the image of an ox. It could grant a person boundless strength, and it also seemed to greatly enhance their physical abilities, allowing them to wield that power.
He was now known as Shrek Hercules.
"Congratulations, Oscar." Tang San's face was pale, but he managed a weak smile.
"Just focus on recovering, Third Brother!" Oscar stopped showing off when he saw Tang San's condition.
"That's right, Third Brother." Xiao Wu clasped his hand worriedly, tears about to spill from her eyes.
After they had visited Tang San for a while, they all left the room together. Their training was waiting for them.
Inside the room, Tang San sat up. The pallor and weakness vanished in an instant, and his eyes turned vicious and savage.
"Hmph. The Talisman can only be mine. You dared to show off in front of me, Oscar. You've earned your death."
He clenched his fingers tightly.
He had driven the other Tang San away before, and that man had barely escaped with his life. But he believed the other would come back.
Shrek meant too much to Tang San. That guy would definitely return to take revenge on me.
Hmph. I'll wait for you. When you come back, I'll make sure you die without a burial place.
Tang San is mine. The Book of Antiquity, the Immortal Herbs, and the Talismans are all mine. His eyes were venomous as he plotted against the other man.
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