Broken tail

"Boom!"

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Collision after collision erupted between Xiao Bai and Ren Tao, the powerful shock waves clearing the battlefield around them.

All around them, the mass battle between the Demon Soul Great White Sharks and Evil Spirit Orcas erupted at the same time. Almost instantly, blood stained the entire stretch of sea red.

"Asura... Hell!"

Tang San's emotionless voice rang out coldly. A ring of white light spread with it, carrying an aura of cold and terror that made Ren Tao shudder despite himself.

This was Tang San's domain, Asura Hell. But even without this Divine Slaughter's Domain, the place was already hell.

The corpses of Demon Soul Great White Sharks and the mangled bodies of Evil Spirit Orcas drifted everywhere in the water.

As he fought Xiao Bai, Ren Tao also erupted with an unprecedented thirst for battle and murder-something utterly unimaginable in peacetime.

But now, trapped in hell with blood filling his vision, it was kill or be killed!

The struggle for survival had never been so brutal. Along with it erupted an intense sense of humiliation and defiance.

"Who are you to say we've defiled the ocean?"

"Who are you to call yourselves righteous and me evil, leaving me to die with a blackened name?"

Ren Tao roared as he struck with all his strength, but his momentum kept dwindling. The battle was going terribly for the Evil Spirit Orca Group. Although Xiao Bai was no match for him, the Evil Spirit Orcas around him kept dying.

The Hell White Tiger in the sky, Ma Hongjun's Blazing Phoenix, and Oscar and the others were no pushovers. Worse still was Tang San's Blue Silver Overlord Spear, appearing and disappearing like a ghost, impossible to guard against. Almost every strike harvested another life.

Watching the number of his kin dwindle, Ren Tao knew that the Evil Spirit Orca Group's defeat and destruction were all but certain today.

But why had the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King still not appeared?

While battling Xiao Bai, Ren Tao heightened his spiritual power and scanned his surroundings, trying to locate the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.

But the vast ocean stretched endlessly, and all around was silent. Where was any trace of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King?

At last, under the combined assault of the Shrek Seven Devils and the Demon Soul Great White Shark Group, the Evil Spirit Orca Group's numbers plummeted at a visible pace. An Evil Spirit Orca died every second, and each one was surrounded by at least three or four attacking Demon Soul Great White Sharks.

Suddenly, Ren Tao's eyes widened. His attack slowed for an instant, allowing Xiao Bai's teeth to tear a chunk of flesh from his chest and abdomen before she slammed into him and sent him flying.

Ren Tao had seen something that made his heart pound with dread-

Old Seventeen, who had split off earlier with a group of the pod's "little ones," the orca calves, had actually returned!

"You idiot! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Furious beyond measure, Ren Tao let out a roar that seemed to tear his liver and guts apart.

"We'll defend our king to the death! We live and die with our pod!"

The foolish, self-righteous loyalty on Old Seventeen's face left Ren Tao speechless.

Even in the thick of battle, he felt utterly helpless at that moment. Those who brought ruin upon themselves could not survive it. Was the Evil Spirit Orca Group truly doomed to extinction today?

"We'll defend our king to the death! We live and die with our pod!"

The surviving Evil Spirit Orca Group shouted in unison, though to Ren Tao, the sound was bitterly ironic and heartbreaking.

Weren't you supposed to be evil, bloodthirsty monsters? What was this now?

"Wooo-"

Ren Tao grumbled inwardly, but his body did the exact opposite. An intense surge of energy suddenly erupted from his enormous body, so powerful that even Xiao Bai, right beside him, was thrown away.

The Evil Orca King's body kept swelling. The metallic sheen on his skin was rapidly replaced by an ashen gray. The immense energy fluctuations seemed to seal off the entire sea, slowing every Evil Spirit Orca and Demon Soul Great White Shark in the water.

Old Seventeen's return and the Evil Spirit Orca Group's loyalty had completely disrupted Ren Tao's plan. To reduce the casualties and preserve some of the pod's bloodline, he had no choice but to stake everything on one desperate move.

Yes, this was the self-destruction scene from the original story. The self-destruction of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was terrifying. With their current strength, even the Shrek Seven Devils could not claim they would escape such a blast unscathed.

But once this move began, Tang San would take out the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Spring, breach the energy barrier, and destroy the Evil Orca King's body, securing a complete victory for the Shrek Seven Devils.

Thus, this was the move that would decide victory or defeat-and Ren Tao's only chance.

What he was waiting for was the instant Tang San took out the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Spring.

A blue-and-gold figure drifted directly above the Evil Orca King's enormous body, his icy eyes devoid of emotion. The jade bottle containing the spring water that had taken dozens of Evil Spirit Orca lives appeared in Tang San's hand once more...

Now! Ren Tao all but stopped thinking, focusing all his spiritual power on the jade bottle in Tang San's hand.

And on the faint, elusive whale call in the distance...

An incomparably massive figure appeared within Ren Tao's spiritual perception. Using the commotion from the "Evil Orca King's" self-destruction as cover, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King had slipped in unnoticed.

This was the best moment. Although he might still fail to evade Tang San's senses, Tang San was now fully occupied with the "Evil Orca King." If the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King wanted to reap the fisherman's profit while the others fought, this was his last chance.

Ren Tao did not know whether to praise the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's cunning or curse his shamelessness, but it no longer mattered. Tang San was about to pour out the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Spring, while the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King had opened his enormous mouth, apparently preparing some powerful skill.

At that moment, time seemed to stop.

Ren Tao glanced aside and saw an Evil Spirit Orca whose tail had been bitten off, tumbling toward him.

"Go! Ram Tang San to death! If I survive, I'll name you our second king!"

Through a pulse of spiritual power, Ren Tao transmitted his intent to Broken-Tail Orca. Light suddenly blazed in the orca's previously dull, defeated eyes.

"Squeee-"

The stump where its tail fluke had been twisted in midair. It abruptly flipped over and charged toward Tang San.

Tang San's expression tightened, as though he had discovered something, and his gaze drifted toward the waters where the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King was hiding.

"Tang San! You two-faced cheating bastard!"

Ren Tao knew this was the moment that would decide life or death, with no room for the slightest mistake. He immediately shouted, voicing what many Douluo readers had felt.

For that half-second, Tang San's movements stopped.

Why? The Evil Orca King knew my name? And what did "two-faced cheating bastard" mean?

It certainly didn't sound like anything nice, but why did it seem to touch something deep in my soul?

Whoosh-

The wind hissed. Before Tang San could puzzle out the deeper meaning of the Evil Orca King's words, the battlefield had already been turned upside down.

Broken-Tail Orca was kicked away before it could hit Tang San. But a jet of water shot in from the side and knocked away the jade bottle containing the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Spring.

At the same instant, a wild, irresistible suction swept over every Demon Soul Great White Shark and Evil Spirit Orca on the battlefield. Even Tang San's Divine Slaughter's Domain was caught in its pull. Shuddering violently, it dissolved into wisps of white mist that rushed off in one direction.

"It's the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King! Fall back!"

In that moment of crisis, Tang San was the first to react. The power of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud surged out, forming an enormous dome of energy in front of him.

It also blocked the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's attack.

This was the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's skill: Devour!

Having fought the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King before, Ren Tao was the only one among all the people and Soul Beasts present who knew what this move was.

Even a Titled Douluo would not dare meet the tremendous power of Devour head-on.

The Evil Orca King was naturally no exception. But Ren Tao had never intended to escape. Instead, he swung his body and charged straight toward the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.

"Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, you bastard! Even if I die, I refuse to become a Soul Ring! Tang San, farewell!"

An enormous whirlpool swept toward him, bearing immense pressure and a haze of white mist, and swallowed the Evil Orca King's figure.

Only thunderous cries remained, echoing through the seawater.

"Our king..."

Those were the last words Ren Tao heard. Then his vision went black, and he plunged into a scorching, blood-reeking atmosphere.