The Vampire of Slaughter City

[Tang Chen: Contributed no strategy, fought recklessly, failed to affect Golza in any way, and threw his life away. Combat performance: extremely poor. Penalty: five hundred years deducted from the age of every soul ring!]

[Qian Daoliu, Bo Saixi, Bibi Dong: Took part in tactical discussions throughout and briefly restrained Golza. Minor contribution. Reward: one thousand years added to the age of every soul ring!]

[Kong Yuanshan: The weakest participant, yet provided the most useful tactical ideas. Reward: two thousand years added to the age of every soul ring!]

Inside the Sun-Moon Empire Worship Hall, Kong Yuanshan watched the rewards appear on the Sky Curtain. There was no joy on his face, only disappointment.

He had wanted the technological weapons of the Ultraman Tiga World, not older soul rings. Unfortunately, the heavens had granted him no such reward.

[Deep Sea Demonic Whale King: Offered no tactical advice, but helped the team restrain Golza in the first half and attacked his eyes in the second, effectively disrupting his movements. Reward: Soul Power density increased by thirty percent!]

[Snow Empress: Took part in tactical discussions throughout, helped the team restrain Golza in the first half, and attacked his eyes in the second, effectively disrupting his movements. Reward: Soul Power density increased by forty percent!]

With the rewards and penalties settled, Faith Power surged across Douluo Star once more.

This was a fantasy world that revered strength above all else.

To every cultivator, cultivation, soul rings, and reserves of Soul Power were everything.

The Sky Curtain could directly strip away or enhance their strength. Countless Soul Masters and Soul Beasts came to regard it with awe, sending a steady stream of Faith Power into Su He's Divine Kingdom.

[Di Tian: Used his Ferocious Beast True Form to create an intimidating presence, restrained Golza for an extended period, and bought crucial time for Tiga to awaken. Best performance overall and MVP of this battle! Reward: Soul Power density increased by forty percent, plus the coordinates of a Giant of Light statue left on Douluo Star in ancient times!]

The moment Di Tian's reward appeared, it shook all of Douluo Star.

A map to a Giant of Light statue from Douluo Star's ancient past?

There had been Giants of Light on Douluo Star too?

Did that mean the Ultraman Tiga World shown on the Sky Curtain was actually Douluo Star in ancient times?

Seated on his divine throne, Su He smiled with satisfaction. Everything was unfolding as he had expected.

Inside a mountain in the Star Dou Great Forest Core Region, every Soul Beast in the forest over a hundred thousand years old had gathered around a towering statue.

Anyone—human or Soul Beast—who had watched the Sky Curtain closely could recognize it at a glance. It was a statue of Tiga, the Cosmic Corpse Dumper.

Bi Ji touched the cave wall.

"This cave was carved by hand. It must be at least ten million years old."

Curiosity got the better of Xiong Jun. He stepped forward and dragged a claw across the statue's surface.

"Xiong Jun! What are you doing?"

Zi JI bristled. In a flash, she appeared before him and kicked him hard enough to send him flying.

The Scarlet King followed close behind, crimson Soul Power surging around him. He glared at Xiong Jun, who had fallen to the ground, and roared, "You fool! Do you have any idea how precious this statue is? If you scratch it or damage it in the slightest, dying a hundred times wouldn't be enough to atone for it!"

In an instant, the other Ferocious Beasts, Da Ming, Er Ming, and the hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts gathered from every corner of the Star Dou Great Forest all fixed cold gazes on Xiong Jun.

Di Tian's gaze was sharper still, cutting and cold as a blade.

This was the reward he had earned after surviving one desperate ordeal after another.

More importantly, he had witnessed the power of a Giant of Light firsthand.

Possibilities raced through his mind.

If the Soul Beasts could control this statue and unlock the secret of becoming Giants of Light, then shattering the Divine Realm and restoring the Dragon Clan might no longer be distant dreams!

Di Tian was not alone. Most of the Soul Beasts present had the same thought.

Gu Yuena stepped forward and gently ran her hand over the spot Xiong Jun had scraped. "It's all right," she said, her cool voice calming the crowd. "The statue is sturdy. He didn't damage it."

At her words, the Soul Beasts finally relaxed and let out a collective sigh of relief.

Bi Ji studied the statue. "But we don't know how to become giants. Can Soul Beasts really become Giants of Light too?"

Zi JI nodded, worry filling her eyes. "Exactly! On the Sky Curtain, only Daigo could become a giant. What if the power of light only works on humans?"

Gu Yuena shook her head.

"We don't know yet."

"I'll seal the statue for now. From this point on, every Soul Beast must watch the Sky Curtain closely. Study every scene and find a way to become a Giant of Light."

"Yes! We will follow your orders, my lady!"

The Soul Beasts answered in unison, solemn and respectful.

In truth, none of them could ever become a Giant of Light. It was just an ordinary statue.

At the Spirit Hall's Worship Hall, Qian Daoliu had barely returned when he noticed the strange looks from the other worshippers. He remembered what he had done in the instance.

His face burned, and his expression stiffened.

He immediately announced that he was entering seclusion. Before anyone could say a word, he vanished from the Worship Hall.

It was much the same for Bo Saixi in the Sea God Temple.

Embarrassed by the odd looks from the others on Sea God Island, she too chose to enter secluded cultivation and stopped showing herself.

In the Far North, the Ice Empress rushed up to the Snow Empress the moment she returned and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

Eyes bright with curiosity and admiration, the Ice Empress held on to the Snow Empress and kept asking about the instance.

The Snow Empress gently stroked the Ice Empress's head and answered every question with patient care, her expression warm and affectionate.

Deep beneath the sea, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King returned to his waters. His wife, the Devil Emperor, and their daughter, Lan Fozi, gathered around him, their eyes full of admiration and reverence.

In the Sun-Moon Empire, the imperial family and senior officials turned out in force to give Kong Yuanshan a grand welcome upon his return.

In blood-soaked Slaughter City, Tang Chen returned and immediately set out to deal with the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King that had parasitized him for years.

Drawing on his memories and clues supplied by others in Slaughter City, Tang Chen soon found where the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King was hiding.

Boom!

The Clear Sky Giant Hammer crashed down. A heavy stone door shattered and collapsed, sending fragments flying.

Tang Chen flashed into the cavern first. Several other Titled Douluo from Slaughter City followed close behind, filing in one after another.

In the dim, deep stone chamber, a strange figure crouched over a stone platform, apparently feeding.

At the sound, the figure turned its head.

Gray-white skin clung to its bones. Deep-set eyes held blood-red slit pupils that glimmered with a cold yellow light.

High cheekbones rose above hollow, skull-like cheeks. Split lips exposed sharp fangs, and its twisted face had a batlike look.

Tang Chen's eyes narrowed. "Who are you? Where is the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King?"

"Hahaha..."

An eerie, chilling laugh rang through the stone chamber and echoed on.

The Vampire slowly raised a long-fingered hand. From its fingertips dangled a large, shriveled piece of bat. Its voice was mocking and arrogant. "You mean that lowly bat with a trace of my bloodline? I ate it long ago."

"I belong to the supreme Blood Clan, an ancient life-form beyond your comprehension."

Tang Chen frowned, confusion in his eyes. "Blood Clan? A Soul Beast?"