Above the sea of blood, the gale gradually subsided, and the dark red waves spread outward in concentric circles, as if softly mourning the fierce battle that had just taken place.
Tang Feng's chest heaved violently, his face as pale as paper. The full release of the God of Slaughter Assault had almost drained all of Tang Feng's Soul Power.
On the other side, Tang Lie was also panting heavily, sweat rolling down his forehead.
" Feng'er, hurry... go and take a look!" Tang Lie's voice was hoarse, but he couldn't hide his excitement.
The two mustered their last breaths and rushed to the center of the sea of blood. There, the King of Slaughter —no, it should be said that it was Tang Chen —was floating on the crimson surface, his face so pale it was almost transparent, his killing aura completely gone, leaving only an extremely weak and frail body.
Tang Lie scooped Tang Chen up and carried him to the shore. His eyes instantly reddened, and his voice, though choked with emotion, was loud and clear. "Uncle! It's me, Tang Lie! Wake up!"
Tang Feng landed to the side, his face full of questions. "Grandpa, who... who is he?"
"This is your great-grandfather's elder brother, Tang Chen, the former sect leader of our Clear Sky Sect!" Tang Lie turned around, tears welling in his eyes. "When the former sect leader disappeared, I was not even forty years old. I had been missing for over thirty years. I never imagined I would be trapped here, ending up like this!"
Tang Feng Tang Feng deeply shaken. Although he had never met this legendary old sect master, he had heard countless times from the sect elders speak of the invincible Tang Chen on land. To meet him in this way was utterly astonishing.
Without a second thought, Tang Feng quickly took out a golden seventh-grade Dragon Ganoderma from his Storage Soul Tool. The Dragon Ganoderma Leaf resembled dragon whiskers, radiating a warm and moist life aura.
"Grandpa, this is a seventh-grade Dragon Ganoderma. It has the effect of quickly restoring vitality and Soul Power. Let me help the old sect leader take it!"
Tang Lie's eyes lit up. "Great! With this miraculous medicine, we can definitely save Uncle's life!"
Tang Feng gently placed the Dragon Ganoderma near Tang Chen's lips and crushed it with his Soul Power. The medicinal juice immediately turned into a thin golden stream and seeped into Tang Chen's mouth. Tang Lie also immediately sat down cross-legged, placed his palms on Tang Chen's back, and used the last bit of Soul Power he had left to channel it like a warm current to help the old man absorb the medicinal effects.
As the golden medicinal power and Soul Power merged, a rosy hue gradually returned to Tang Chen's pale face, and his parched meridians began to fill with moisture. About a quarter of an hour later, Tang Chen's eyelashes trembled slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes.
Those eyes, initially confused, then cleared, finally fixed on Tang Lie's face, and her lips trembled. "You... you are... Lie'er?"
"It's me! Uncle, you're finally awake!" Tang Lie's voice choked with emotion. "What have you been through all these years?"
Tang Chen smiled weakly, his gaze falling on Tang Feng again. Sensing the young man's aura, his eyes lit up. " The Clear Sky Hammer... Good, good! The sect has a worthy successor!"
Tang Chen took a deep breath, sat up with the help of the two, and slowly began to speak, "Back then, in pursuit of the divine inheritance, I ventured alone into the Slaughter City, gained the favor of the Asura God, and was subjected to God Trials."
"At first, everything went smoothly. I won battle after battle with the Clear Sky Hammer, and became somewhat careless and overconfident. During the Eighth Trial, I encountered the residual divine thought of the Rakshasa God. That divine thought clashed with the Asura God Trial, tormenting my will day and night. I fought desperately, but I was still corrupted by the Rakshasa's evil energy, and my mind gradually deteriorated. I was completely consumed by evil thoughts and parasitized by the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King, becoming its puppet."
"For so many years, the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King has been relentlessly corroding my body, trying to truly possess my flesh and absorb all my energy. But my true nature still exists, constantly fighting against it, vying for control of my body. Until just now, your attack briefly caused it to lose its mind, and I seized the opportunity to expel it from my body. Unfortunately, it's all too late, too late..."
At this point, a deep pain and guilt flashed in Tang Chen's eyes. Tang Lie gripped Tang Chen's hand tightly and said in a deep voice, "Uncle, you've suffered so much. Now that the Nine-Headed Bat King has also been severely injured, you are finally free!"
Tang Chen looked at Tang Feng, her gaze gentle and gratified. "Child, what's your name?"
"Uncle, this is my grandson Tang Feng, who is also the current young sect leader!" Tang Lie said with satisfaction.
"Junior Tang Feng pays respects to the old sect master!" Tang Feng bowed respectfully.
Tang Chen smiled weakly, "Alright, alright! With you all here, I'm relieved."
"Uncle, once you've recovered your strength, come back to the Clear Sky Sect with us. With you in charge, we're sure to revive the sect and make a comeback in the Soul Master World!" Tang Lie said excitedly.
"Returning to the Soul Master World? A Lie, tell me, what happened to the sect?" Tang Chen asked anxiously.
Tang Lie gritted his teeth and said, "Uncle, more than ten years after you left the sect, Tang Hao... he fused with a Hundred-Thousand-Year Transformed Soul Beast, and was discovered by the Spirit Hall."
"Then- Pope Qian Xunji personally pursued Tang Hao. The transformed Soul Beast was ultimately forced to sacrifice itself to Tang Hao, helping him break through to the Titled Douluo, and then injured Qian Xunji. Qian Xunji died not long after returning to Spirit City. The Spirit Hall took its anger out on the sect, and its army stormed the sect to avenge him."
"Upon hearing the news, our elder brother, the sect leader, was so enraged that he died. Tang Xiao appointed sect leader in a time of crisis, and we fought a great battle against the Spirit Hall. In that battle, more than half of our clansmen were killed or wounded, and we were forced to announce the closure of the sect in order to barely preserve its legacy."
"Good... good Spirit Hall, good Qian Daoliu, how dare they bully our Clear Sky Sect!" Tang Chen chuckled softly, his crimson eyes burning with boundless rage. "Our Clear Sky Sect has dominated the continent for a thousand years, yet we've been forced to close our gates!"
Tang Chen looked up abruptly. "Where's Hao'er? How is he?"
Tang Lie said with a somber expression, " Tang Hao... he never appeared from beginning to end, not even during the sect war. It's as if he vanished into thin air, never returning to the sect, nor sending back a single word..."
Tang Chen closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his anger had turned into cold disappointment. " Hao'er is someone I watched grow up... how could he be so foolish! During the sect's bloody battle, he didn't even show his face!"
A violent cough interrupted Tang Chen, and blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. Tang Feng quickly stepped forward to help him up.
The light in Tang Chen's eyes gradually dimmed. He sighed, shook his head, and closed his eyes in anguish. "The sect's current state is all my responsibility. However, I cannot return to the sect with you."
Tang Chen reached into his robes and pulled out a small golden hammer, each end of which was inlaid with a black gemstone, making it look extremely exquisite.
" The Clear Sky Token!" Tang Lie recognized it at a glance.
Tang Chen placed the Clear Sky Token in Tang Feng's palm, a hint of helplessness and pain flashing in his eyes. His voice was low but firm. " The Clear Sky Token is now yours. You're only a teenager, yet you've already reached the Soul Emperor realm and passed the trials of the Slaughter City. Although I was arrogant back then, I was far behind you at your age. Your future achievements will undoubtedly be no less than mine. Good child, I'm proud of you, and you are also the pride of our Clear Sky Sect. The future of the Clear Sky Sect is entrusted to you."
"Uncle (Elder Master), what's wrong?" Tang Lie and Tang Feng asked anxiously at the same time.
"Although I have regained my freedom, the decades of parasitism and erosion by the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King have already gnawed my body into countless holes, making it unable to withstand the immense Asura Divine Power. My life is almost over. If I hadn't taken your herbs just now, I'm afraid I would already be..." Tang Chen said helplessly, turning to look east and continuing, "Moreover, I still owe someone a promise, and with the little time I have left, I must fulfill that promise."
Upon hearing this, a wave of sorrow washed over them. They both knelt on one knee, heads bowed, their unspoken words reduced to silent sobs. The Hell Road was silent, save for the sound of their breathing.
Tang Chen forced himself to stand up and beckoned to the two of them, "Get up... come with me."
Tang Chen led the two to the Dark Hall of the King of Slaughter. The hall was built of obsidian, and a chandelier made of countless skulls hung high in the dome, emitting a dim red light. The throne was carved from a single piece of blood jade, but at this moment it appeared cold and empty.
Tang Chen raised his hand, summoning the leader of the Terror Knight, " Blood Wing." This man was two meters tall, covered in blood-red heavy armor, with a palpable killing intent seeping from the gaps in his armor. He was clearly a powerful expert at the Titled Douluo level!
"From this day forward, ' Battle Asura ' will be the new ruler of the Slaughter City." Tang Chen sat on the throne of bones, his voice hoarse yet carrying an undeniable authority. "From now on, you will only obey Battle Asura. From this moment on, Battle Asura is your new king."