Gui Mei sighed, stepped forward, and blocked Yue Guan.
"Chrysanthemum Guan, he really can't be touched, even if the one giving the order is the Pope's disciple."
"You should understand better than I do what's going on in Spirit Hall right now. The continent is about to undergo a great upheaval, and even within our hall, there are many discordant voices."
"Do you understand?"
When he finished speaking, Yue Guan's expression turned rather grim. He naturally knew what Gui Mei meant.
Those old geezers in the Worship Hall were apparently about to come out and stir up trouble.
He had followed Pope Bibi Dong all this time, and now he had also become Tang San's Guardian Daoist. From the outset, he had stood on the Pope's side.
"Xiao San..."
Yue Guan furrowed his brows and looked back at Tang San, seemingly asking what to do next.
Tang San glanced at Dai Mubai, completely unconcerned.
"It doesn't matter."
"Let him go. I'd like to see who in Spirit Hall would take a liking to a castoff even the Star Luo Empire didn't want."
As soon as those words came out, Dai Mubai's face changed. Humiliation filled his heart. What Tang San had said was more infuriating than beating him up, practically killing him with words.
Yet Dai Mubai opened his mouth, but couldn't get a single word out.
The facts had already slapped him hard in the face!
Back when the Shrek Seven Monsters expelled Tang San from Shrek, they had been full of confidence, believing that with the experience of having lived another life, they could get ahead of Tang San.
Who could have expected that now, each of them was worse off than the last? Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing had been cast out by their families, and had only barely managed to survive by selling information about Xiao Wu.
Ma Hongjun was even more plagued by Evil Fire, and his life was clearly in danger.
Only Ning Rongrong and Oscar were doing somewhat better.
After thinking for a moment, Dai Mubai glared fiercely at Tang San, then turned and called for the Shrek Seven Monsters to leave.
Ning Rongrong hesitated. Only after seeing Tang San nod did she choose to follow.
Dai Mubai didn't know what was happening behind him. He bit his finger and secretly steeled himself.
Just you wait, Tang San!
In your previous life, didn't you become a God King because the Asura God took a liking to you ahead of time?
In this life, I have a God supporting me too. There's no guarantee I can't succeed!
Immortal Herbs and Soul Bones were all beside the point. The God's Trial was their final chance to turn things around.
Watching them leave, Hu Liena yawned.
"Well, what's the situation now? Is it over?"
"Just so we're clear, if you're going to get chewed out, you can take it yourself. I don't want to come along."
"If there's nothing else, we'll be off. We won't disturb you two lovebirds. I expect you have plenty to talk about, right?"
Hu Liena gave Tang San a flirtatious look and giggled.
Tang San pinched her cheek. "Say a little less. You two go back first. Isn't the Soul Hunting Operation about to begin? Tell the Pope there's no need to attack the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
Hu Liena raised an eyebrow. "What, are you involved with that girl too?"
Tang San didn't answer. He hurriedly waved his hand, and had Xie Yue take Hu Liena away as she kicked her legs repeatedly where she stood.
Soon, everyone from Spirit Hall had left. Only Xiao Wu, Er Ming, Yue Guan, and Tang San remained.
After everyone had gone, Yue Guan stepped forward with concern.
"Xiao San, I respect your choice, but the Soul Hunting Operation is imminent, and Spirit Hall is about to make a big move. You should understand that."
"His Holiness the Pope sent you to the Heaven Dou Empire for a reason. At a time like this, you..."
Tang San shook his head. "I understand what you mean, but that woman is too stupid. I really have no interest in dealing with her."
"With Soul Power that powerful, yet she stayed in the Heaven Dou Empire for so long. It's simply unbelievable."
As he spoke, Tang San looked at Xiao Wu. "Xiao Wu, what do you want to do now?"
Throughout the conversation just now, Xiao Wu hadn't said a word. She had kept her head lowered in silence, and no one knew what she was thinking.
Hearing Tang San ask her this, Xiao Wu suddenly threw herself into his arms and cried her eyes out.
"Brother San, it wasn't that I didn't want to leave with you earlier. It's just that this was the first time I'd encountered something like this, and I didn't know what to do. Please don't blame me, okay?"
Hearing this, even Tang San, who had seen and heard so much, couldn't help twitching the corners of his mouth.
So that was why she hadn't said anything. He'd thought it was something else.
But when he thought about it, it made sense. Xiao Wu was a Soul Beast who had taken human form, and was rather simple-minded to begin with. In the original story of her previous life, she had spent most of her time idle, so it was normal for her not to be very calculating.
"Besides, for some reason, there always seems to be a voice in the back of my mind, guiding me on what to do."
Xiao Wu suddenly remembered something and looked up at Tang San, tears still glistening at the corners of her eyes.
"It was that voice that stopped me from leaving with you, and even made me return to Star Luo after the tournament. That voice always feels so familiar to me, like..."
She had only begun to rack her brains for an answer when Tang San interrupted her.
"No need. I can more or less guess who's been guiding you."
"Have you felt any kind of summons lately?"
At this, Xiao Wu nodded firmly. "Yes!"
"It... wants me to sacrifice myself!"
As she spoke, Xiao Wu's gaze grew more and more resolute, even somewhat fervent.
"I think this really is a good way. Through my sacrifice, Brother San, your strength will improve rapidly, and you'll soon become a God, right?"
"Once you become a God King, everything can be changed again. Isn't that right?"
Hearing this, Tang San took a deep breath and looked into the distance. He had confirmed it: the one who had been guiding Xiao Wu all along was the Asura God King. There could be no one else.
It seemed the Asura God King's plan was to make him walk the same path Great God King Tang had walked and continue inheriting the Asura God Position.
But if that was the case, why hadn't he let Xiao Wu leave with him?
In that case, the Asura God King couldn't calculate everything either. Perhaps he was afraid Xiao Wu's identity as a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast would be discovered and end up affecting him instead.
Tang San was absolutely certain that joining Spirit Hall had been his own idea. No one else had planned it behind the scenes, and even a God King couldn't necessarily keep tabs on every aspect of the Douluo Continent.
Not to mention, looking at things now, it was clear that something serious had gone wrong in the Divine Realm. That was why so many things had happened.
Er Ming, standing to one side, grew more and more confused as he listened. When Xiao Wu went so far as to say she would sacrifice herself, he became so anxious he could barely keep himself from shouting.
No, big sis, what the hell is going on?
This human barely said a few words, and you're already offering to sacrifice yourself? That's not how you give yourself away for free!
Before Er Ming could anxiously interrupt, Tang San embraced Xiao Wu, stopping her from sacrificing herself.
"You don't need to sacrifice yourself."
"Why care about that voice? Just be yourself."
As he spoke, Tang San held Xiao Wu close and looked out toward the scenery beyond the Star Dou Great Forest, speaking each word distinctly.
"Even without your sacrifice, I can still become a God King, and I won't stop there."
"The sights you never got to see in your previous life-I'll take you to see them from now on!"
Before you continue