Qian Xunji only had time to see a Clear Sky Hammer dozens of times larger than normal hurtling straight at him from the side. Everything in its path was reduced to rubble, and he could feel the intense threat contained within that strike.
Because the Clear Sky Hammer's attack covered such a wide area, Qian Xunji had no time to retreat and could only raise his sword before him.
Clang!
A crisp metallic collision rang out.
Qian Xunji bent his knees and braced himself against the ground, only barely managing to stop after being driven back several hundred meters.
That blow not only sent his blood and energy churning, but also carved two deep trenches into the ground.
"You broke through?"
Feeling the aura around Tang Hao that far surpassed an ordinary Titled Douluo, Qian Xunji's expression gradually turned grave.
Level eighty-nine and level ninety.
They seemed to be separated by only one level, yet the difference in strength was enough to turn the world upside down.
And after absorbing a Spirit Ring, that increase would become even more immense.
After driving Qian Xunji back with one strike, Tang Hao slowly stepped in front of his wife and son, dragging his injured arm and limping along.
He no longer shouted, nor did he question them in fury. Even his breathing was steady and without the slightest ripple.
Yet that calmness was far more suffocating than anger.
"I give up, Ah Yin. It seems I won't have the chance to live with you any longer. Promise me you'll take Chuan'er and live well."
Tang Hao smiled as he watched Qian Xunji gradually rise into the air, activating both his Martial Soul Avatar and ninth spirit skill.
His eyes were filled with resolve, coldness, contempt, and the willingness to stake everything on one final gamble.
One after another, the Spirit Rings around him began to crack with sharp "crack, crack" sounds, the fractures spreading across the entire rings.
Ring Detonation!
This was the Clear Sky Sect's secret technique, and Tang Hao's final trump card.
Though this move could unleash terrifying destructive power, its backlash on the user was equally immense.
Not to mention that he was already severely injured.
It could be said that Tang Hao had truly begun fighting for his life.
Elsewhere, the weakened Ah Yin suddenly felt an immense surge of life force continuously pouring into her body.
She slowly opened her eyes and quickly recognized the Mutated Blue Silver Grass, whose concealment abilities were exceptionally strong.
This Blue Silver Grass had clearly cultivated for only ten thousand years, yet the concentration of life force within it was even more terrifying than that of the eighty-thousand-year Blue Silver King in the Blue Silver Forest.
The Mutated Blue Silver Grass returned little Tang Chuan to Ah Yin's side, then continuously transferred the life force within its body into hers.
The subjects of the Blue Silver Emperor were born with the instinct to dedicate everything to their emperor, even if it meant sacrificing their lives.
But unfortunately, she was too weak. The injuries inflicted by a Titled Douluo were not something a mere Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast like her could heal.
Thus, before long, the Mutated Blue Silver Grass visibly withered and fell unconscious.
Ah Yin lightly clenched her fist and realized that she had regained the strength to stand.
She slowly rose to her feet and carefully placed the Mutated Blue Silver Grass into little Tang Chuan's arms.
Little Tang Chuan had no idea what was happening. After crying himself to sleep, he even tightly hugged the Mutated Blue Silver Grass.
Ah Yin etched that sight deeply into her heart, her eyes brimming with reluctance and longing.
With a gentle wave of her hand, countless Blue Silver Grass blades formed a cradle, tightly protecting the two as it silently fled into the distance. When she turned around, there was no hesitation left in her eyes, and a brilliant glow began to burn around her.
White World.
"Drip, drip."
Ning Rongrong had been focused on the Heavenly Screen when she suddenly felt several scalding tears fall onto the back of her hand.
She froze for a moment, then turned to look at Xiao Wu in her arms, only to find that Xiao Wu was already crying uncontrollably, her face pale as paper.
Ning Rongrong immediately became flustered. "Xiao Wu, what's wrong? Don't cry. If you cry now, I'm afraid I won't be able to stop myself from crying too."
Yet Xiao Wu did not react. She merely stared blankly at the Heavenly Screen and murmured, "She's sacrificing her soul. She's actually sacrificing her soul!"
"What?"
"Sacrificing her soul? What does that mean?"
Everyone looked utterly bewildered.
Dai Mubai asked in surprise, "Is this soul sacrifice different from Tang San's mother's sacrifice?"
"It's different." Xiao Wu's delicate body trembled. "Tang San's mother sacrificed her lifetime of cultivation and life force. In that case, she could retain her complete soul and return to her Blue Silver Grass form. Later, she would only need to accumulate cultivation again and reshape her human form to be reborn."
"But sacrificing one's soul is the most tyrannical form of sacrifice."
"Not only does she have to sacrifice her Life Origin, she also has to sacrifice her soul."
"And this kind of sacrifice can ignore all rules. Whether it is a Spirit Ring or a Spirit Bone, their fusion will succeed without fail."
Liu Erlong subconsciously swallowed, then carefully asked, "Then... what is the price?"
"Once this method of sacrifice is used, that Soul Beast will never be reincarnated for all eternity."
The Shrek group instantly fell into dead silence.
Xiao Wu began to sob softly. "Why? They've already tried so hard, but Spirit Hall still refuses to let them go. Do Soul Beasts truly deserve to die? Don't they have the right to live?"
Tang San opened his mouth, yet he did not know how to comfort her. Even the usually lively Oscar and Ma Hongjun were uncharacteristically silent.
Flender let out a deep sigh, adjusted his glasses, and looked toward the Shrek Seven Monsters.
"Since ancient times, if Soul Masters wanted to grow stronger, they had to kill Soul Beasts and absorb Spirit Rings. This is the absolute rule by which the Soul Master system operates."
"From that perspective, Spirit Hall did nothing wrong. It's just that they targeted our family and friends, so we cannot accept it."
"Think about it. If the one sacrificed in the White World just now had not been Tang San's mother, would you still feel so miserable?"
"Of course not. We are strangers to her. At most, we would sympathize with her. Trying to fundamentally solve the issue of Soul Masters and Soul Beasts coexisting is nearly impossible."
"So the only thing we can do is cultivate diligently and increase our strength."
"So that when we encounter something like this in the future, we will have the courage to stand up and tell them to get lost."
After that bowl of motivational advice, the Shrek group finally recovered from their low spirits.
Not far away, Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo smiled in satisfaction. "It seems sending Rongrong to Shrek Academy for training was indeed a very wise decision."
"Yes. When Rongrong left three years ago, she was only a level-twenty-six Soul Grandmaster. Now, she has already reached the Four-Ring Soul Ancestor realm, and even her martial soul has evolved into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Other than Shrek, what academy has such ability?"
"Of course, Tang San deserves the greatest credit. If he had not brought out the Immortal Herb, Rongrong might not have received such an opportunity."
"The only pity is that there was only one such immortal treasure!"
Ning Fengzhi shook his head regretfully.
As the two spoke, Sword Douluo suddenly seemed to remember something and slapped his forehead.
"Ah, I almost forgot. That Tang Chuan in the Black World seems to have joined Spirit Hall. What will happen to my Rongrong? Can her martial soul still evolve?"
Although the Ning Rongrong of the Black World belonged to a parallel world, both were equally dear to him. Sword Douluo could not help feeling worried.
When he thought about how the Heavenly Screen might later show White World Tang San giving Rongrong an Immortal Herb while Black World Ning Rongrong received nothing, it was simply too heartbreaking.
"Uncle Sword, you're thinking too far ahead. There isn't even any sign of it yet."
Ning Fengzhi shook his head helplessly and continued watching the Heavenly Screen.
The Black World's story was also about to reach its final conclusion.
Before you continue