There Was a Second Test

Lin Yuan paused, then continued,

"Next time, keep your eyes open. If you run into a mad dog like Tang Hao again, this Baby Dragon won't necessarily show up at just the right moment to save your lives."

Hearing that, everyone fled as if they had been granted a reprieve.

The Evil Soul Masters had lost their strongest soul, but their trip had still been a success.

And they had to report what had happened here to the Demon Empress.

That had been thrilling. Far too thrilling.

After sending every faction away, Lin Yuan turned his gaze on Shrek's survivors, led by Ya Li.

"You people of Shrek! The greatest power on Douluo Continent, lording it over the continent for tens of thousands of years. How many geniuses have you taught?

"No, that's not right. How many geniuses have you recruited?

"After all, their talent was something they were born with. Whether you actually nurtured it is another matter entirely.

"In any case, disaster struck, and not a single person was willing to help you. That says plenty about what kind of people you are.

"And what shocked this Baby Dragon most was what you just did.

"I told each of you to cut him once, and you actually did it?

"Couldn't you have resisted?"

"What?"

Everyone from Shrek froze at his words.

Weren't you the one who forced us to do it?

Why are you saying this now?

Lin Yuan spoke again:

"You were the subjects of my test.

"This Baby Dragon made a few threats. If you'd truly refused, could I have grabbed your heads and forced you to carve him up?

"I just wanted to see which of you had the guts not to hurt him.

"I thought you people of Shrek would be the least likely to do it, that you'd be the first to refuse. If you'd refused this Baby Dragon, I might even have thought better of you. But no—you stabbed him with the most enthusiasm, and the most viciously.

"His wife died shielding you from that cannon, and this is how you repaid him?

"Anyone with a shred of humanity should have refused this Baby Dragon. You're worse than beasts."

Lin Yuan's tirade left Ya Li and the others unable to raise their heads. He was the one responsible for all this, yet he had turned the tables, taking the moral high ground and berating Shrek until they wanted to sink into the earth.

The soul masters who had not yet left heard him too, and their eyes filled with contempt for Shrek. How shameless.

Lin Yuan noticed that quite a few soul masters nearby were secretly recording.

He had done it on purpose.

Before long, Shrek Academy would be pilloried and mocked across the continent.

Meanwhile, Tang San had finally reached the Far North. As soon as he arrived, he headed toward the coordinates Lin Yuan had given him, spreading his divine sense to search.

"Xiao Wu, Xiao Wu, where are you?

"I'm here to save you. Don't be afraid, Xiao Wu. I'm here."

But when he landed in the middle of the icefield and saw the person who was supposed to be Xiao Wu, he froze.

It was not Xiao Wu at all. Before him stood the Blue Silver Emperor, Ah Yin—his mother.

Tang San stared in disbelief.

His mind went blank, robbing him of all ability to think.

Ah Yin looked at him. Though she was now only a soul, drops of bloody tears slid from her eyes.

That was how deeply she hurt. Her grief was so great that even her soul wept blood.

"Mother, why is it you? Where's Xiao Wu? Where is she?"

A chill swept through Tang San's heart.

The Heavenly Screen broadcast the scene to the Divine Realm at the same time.

Every god who saw it was stunned.

The reversal had come without warning. Tang San had gone to save Xiao Wu, so why was the Blue Silver Emperor here instead?

At that moment, Ah Yin finally gave up on Tang San.

She knew he had not come to save her. That was why she was so desperate.

"Xiao San, he played you.

"The Golden Dragon King is a devil. He's been lying to you and toying with you from the start.

"He put me in the Far North and Xiao Wu in the Far South, then told you it was the other way around—that I was in the Far South and Xiao Wu was in the Far North.

"So when you chose to save Xiao Wu, you actually saved me.

"But I know you didn't come to save me."

Ah Yin's voice was faint, yet every word cut deep.

Then she went on.

"Xiao San, I know I failed you as a mother.

"After giving birth to you, I didn't raise you properly.

"But I had no choice back then. To keep you safe, I had to sacrifice myself to your father.

"I gave up my life and soul to buy you both a chance to live.

"I have a clear conscience about that.

"Later, when I was resurrected, you immediately had me shed my human form, become the Blue Silver Emperor again, and take root in Douluo Continent. You made me devour the Core of Life so you could rule Douluo through me.

"For ten thousand years, I had no freedom at all. Like a tireless tool, I worked for you without stopping.

"In the end, to carry out what you'd asked of me, I even gave my life to shield Shrek from two shells fired by the God-Slaying Cannon.

"Xiao San, the truth is, my life has been hard.

"But all the suffering of these twenty thousand years combined can't compare to the wound you've dealt me now!

"My heart hurts so much!

"I'm your birth mother.

"You refused to save me and chose your wife instead.

"But I don't hate you.

"Because right now, you must be hurting just as much as I am!"

"Aaaaaah!"

Tang San could not take in a single word.

His eyes bloodshot and his breathing ragged, he gripped the Sea God Trident and lashed out wildly, like a man driven mad.

He shattered every stretch of ice for miles around.

"Golden Dragon King, come out! Golden Dragon King!"

Tang San had completely lost himself. Watching through the Heavenly Screen, the gods of the Divine Realm broke out in cold sweat.

The Golden Dragon King was vicious beyond belief, a devil in all but name.

Beside him, even the most evil being in the world would seem kind.

Who could bear this?

Whose conviction could survive it unbroken?

The person he had saved was not the one he had meant to save, and she knew he had not come for her.

He had lost the moment he made his choice.

Everything that followed was tragedy, and he would be the one left defeated.

Just then, Lin Yuan's soul descended.

"Heh, heh, heh. Congratulations, Tang San. You saved your mother."

"No! No! I don't want this!" Tang San roared, his eyes red. "I wanted to save Xiao Wu! Give her back to me! You broke your word, you shameless bastard!"

"Who broke his word? I always keep mine.

"I only said I'd release the person you saved.

"I never said I'd release the person you wanted to save.

"So since you saved the Blue Silver Emperor, congratulations on rescuing your mother. Your reputation as a devoted son is safe.

"But I'm afraid your wife has to die."

With that, Lin Yuan moved to act.

"Don't!" Tang San's knees buckled, and he dropped before Lin Yuan. "I'm begging you. Please don't kill her. I'll do anything you ask. Anything."

"Anything? But my word is law.

"Whoever I say I'll release, I release. Whoever I say I'll kill, I kill.

"However—"

Lin Yuan stopped. Hope flashed across Tang San's face as though he had caught hold of a lifeline.

"However what?"

"I can give you another choice."

An utterly wicked smile curled Lin Yuan's lips.

"Kill the Blue Silver Emperor—your mother—with your own hands, and I might tell Xiao Wu that you were trying to save her and only rescued the Blue Silver Emperor by mistake. Then at least she won't hate you when she dies.

"Well, Tang San? Trade your mother's life so your wife won't hate you before she dies. What will you choose?"

Lin Yuan had struck straight at Tang San's heart.

He could feel Tang San nearing collapse. This should be enough to shatter his conviction.

Once Tang San made his choice, Lin Yuan would drop the final blow: he had never intended to kill Xiao Wu or the Blue Silver Emperor.

He had been playing Tang San all along.

That would break Tang San completely.

And everyone in the Divine Realm would see what he had done and recognize his true nature.

Tang San was a killer. What humanity did a killer have? For Xiao Wu, could he really not bring himself to kill his own mother?

Every god in the Divine Realm held their breath, waiting to see what Tang San would choose.

They all thought it impossible that he would take the second option.

Who would sacrifice his mother's life just so his wife would not resent him before she died?

Who would choose that?

Only a monster would.