As Zhong Tian sent batch after batch of deeply sinful nobles into the Eighteen Levels of Hell, Tang San's mind began to stir in the Divine Realm.
For Tang San, the Underworld's judgment certainly made him angry, but what truly concerned him were the noble factions that were about to lose their protection.
These people had lorded it over others on the Douluo Continent for years, so they could hardly have lacked resources and influence.
Their accumulated wealth, the powerful Soul Masters they kept in their service, and their connections to the great empires and sects were enough to form a force that could not be underestimated.
If he could bring these forces together, he would not be left isolated and helpless when he faced the Underworld!
What was more, as the fearsome reputation of the Eighteen Levels of Hell continued to spread, the nobles of the Douluo Continent would only grow more afraid.
With the shadow of death hanging over their heads, what did they need most?
Not wealth! Not status!
They needed a backer who could shelter them and spare them from judgment!
And he could be precisely that backer!
At the thought, a gleam flashed through Tang San's eyes.
Since Zhong Tian wanted to judge those nobles, Tang San would get ahead of him and save them before he could act.
That way, the nobles who were lucky enough to escape judgment would be deeply grateful to him.
When the time came, he would only need to guide them a little to draw them firmly into the Divine Realm's camp.
As for how many crimes these nobles had committed in the past...
Tang San did not intend to waste much time on that question.
In his view, the most important thing now was to swiftly strengthen his own forces.
As for so-called good and evil, right and wrong, they could be dealt with after the Underworld had been defeated.
As long as he could preserve the Divine Realm's standing and stop Chen Yuan from expanding the Underworld's influence, what did paying a small price matter?
Besides, countless ties already existed between these nobles and the Divine Realm.
Now that they were being judged, if he stood by and did nothing, wouldn't he be watching the Divine Realm's foundation in the mortal world be uprooted bit by bit?
That was something Tang San absolutely could not accept!
"In that case, don't blame me for showing no mercy."
Tang San muttered to himself, his gaze gradually growing firm.
"Zhong Tian, you want to use judgment to win the people's hearts, but I'm going to snatch these people right out of your hands!"
"As long as enough nobles support the Divine Realm, no matter how strong the Underworld is, it won't be able to take control of the entire Douluo Continent so easily!"
With that thought, Tang San made his decision.
Just then, Xiao Wu, who was beside him, noticed the change in his expression.
As the partner who had accompanied Tang San for many years, Xiao Wu was naturally very familiar with his thoughts.
With just one glance, she guessed what Tang San was plotting.
"Third Brother, are you planning to recruit the nobles Zhong Tian has judged?"
Xiao Wu spoke slowly, a questioning look in her eyes.
Hearing this, Tang San did not hide it and nodded outright.
"That's right."
"Zhong Tian has begun judging the nobles, and they're bound to panic."
"As long as we act before they lose all hope and save them from judgment, they'll understand who can truly protect them."
"When that time comes, we can use their strength to rebuild the Divine Realm's foundation in the mortal world."
A confident look appeared on Tang San's face.
"These nobles have spent years building up their power. They must have accumulated considerable resources."
"If we can bring them all over to our side, they'll make a substantial force."
"And since they fear Zhong Tian's judgment, they certainly won't want to see the Underworld continue to expand."
"As long as we make our position clear, they'll know what choice to make!"
Xiao Wu nodded gently when she heard this.
Given the current situation, Tang San's idea was not without reason.
After all, Zhong Tian had driven those nobles into a dead end.
When they discovered that they could not escape the scrutiny of the Good and Evil Reward and Punishment Token no matter what they did, they would naturally be desperate to find another way out.
If the Divine Realm were willing to lend a hand, it was indeed possible for the two sides to quickly reach an agreement.
Even so, Xiao Wu still had a trace of doubt.
"Third Brother, quite a few of those nobles really have committed unforgivable crimes."
"If we openly oppose Zhong Tian's judgment to recruit them, and word gets out, won't it damage the Divine Realm's reputation?"
It was not that Xiao Wu was unaware of the struggle between the Underworld and the Divine Realm.
But she had always felt that, when it came to some things, right and wrong had to be distinguished.
If they were willing to stand beside those who had committed countless evil deeds for the sake of gaining strength, what fundamental difference was there between the Divine Realm and these nobles?
In response to Xiao Wu's question, however, Tang San merely smiled.
"Xiao Wu, you're oversimplifying things."
"Now isn't the time to discuss whether these nobles are guilty."
"The real problem is that if we allow Zhong Tian to continue passing judgment, it won't just be the nobles' standing that's shaken next, but the Divine Realm's influence on the Douluo Continent as well!"
"Are you willing to stand by and watch Chen Yuan keep expanding the Underworld until he has the entire Douluo Continent in his grasp?"
Tang San's voice grew more forceful.
"What we need to do now is stop the Underworld from expanding any further!"
"As for the nobles' crimes, they can naturally be dealt with once the situation has stabilized."
"If we can't even get past this hurdle, what right does the Divine Realm have to talk about the future?"
At this, Xiao Wu finally stopped arguing.
She could sense Tang San's determination.
And she understood even more clearly that the situation really had reached a point where they could not afford to delay.
As the two spoke, the other Shrek members gathered around them.
When they learned that Tang San planned to recruit the nobles ahead of time, they quickly understood what was at stake.
Dai Mubai was the first to voice his support.
"I agree with Little San!"
"There are already quite a few families in the Star Luo Empire that have close ties to us."
"If all those families are judged by Zhong Tian, it certainly won't be good news for us."
Dai Mubai's expression was especially solemn.
After all, his family was the imperial family of the Star Luo Empire.
Now that Zhong Tian had expanded the scope of his judgment to include the nobility, how could the Dai Family possibly remain entirely uninvolved?
If certain members of his family were found guilty and even sent to the Eighteen Levels of Hell, Dai Mubai might not only lose important loved ones, but also his foundation on the Douluo Continent.
Rather than sit and wait for matters to reach a point of no return, it was better to act as soon as possible.
Zhu Zhuqing did not object either.
Though she had long been dissatisfied with the struggles within her family, she could not remain entirely uninvolved when her loved ones were concerned.
At least in her view, if she could persuade those family members who had not yet been judged to stop in time, and the Divine Realm stepped in to mediate, it might be possible to avoid greater losses.
"Since we've decided, let's act as soon as possible."
Zhu Zhuqing spoke softly.
"Any further delay will only put us in a more passive position."
Hearing this, Dai Mubai immediately nodded.
Oscar and Ning Rongrong raised no objections either.
After all, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was also one of the top powers on the Douluo Continent.
Over the years, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had accumulated immense wealth, built a broad network of connections, and maintained considerable dealings with the great noble families.
If Zhong Tian expanded his judgment further, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would naturally be unable to remain entirely uninvolved.
Ning Rongrong did not want to see her sect fall into crisis, much less stand by and watch familiar people be sent into the Eighteen Levels of Hell.
As for Oscar, since he had decided to face the future alongside Ning Rongrong, he naturally would not choose to back down at a time like this.
Though Ma Hongjun had once scoffed at those nobles who committed countless evil deeds, he too could not remain completely indifferent when it came to his own loved ones.
He could support Zhong Tian in punishing evildoers, but that did not mean he could wish for his own relatives to end up in an irreparable predicament.
Besides, the Underworld and the Divine Realm now stood on opposing sides.
Under those circumstances, even if he had doubts, it would be difficult for him to truly side with Zhong Tian.
And so, the Shrek Seven Devils quickly reached an agreement.
They decided to act as soon as possible and try to draw those anxious nobles to the Divine Realm's side.
The task naturally required someone familiar with the various powers of the Douluo Continent and able to act on the Divine Realm's behalf.
Everyone's gaze soon fell on Yu Xiaogang.
Feeling Tang San's gaze on him, Yu Xiaogang immediately straightened his back.
He naturally understood what this meant.
If he could complete this task, he would not only help Tang San stabilize the situation, but also gain a higher standing in the Divine Realm's camp.
More importantly, Yu Xiaogang had always wanted to prove his abilities.
Now that the opportunity was before him, how could he let it slip away so easily?
"Little San, leave it to me!"
Yu Xiaogang patted his chest, looking utterly confident.
"When it comes to knowledge of the great powers on the Douluo Continent, I, Yu Xiaogang, won't lose to anyone!"
"Though those nobles are panicking now, they still have judgment of their own."
"As long as I explain what's at stake and let them know that the Divine Realm is willing to offer protection, they'll understand what choice to make!"
Yu Xiaogang's expression grew even more confident.
"Just wait for my good news!"
Tang San looked at Yu Xiaogang and finally gave him a satisfied smile.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Remember, we don't have much time. We must win over as many people as possible before Zhong Tian expands the scope of his judgment any further."
"As long as we can bring these forces together, we'll still have a chance to turn the situation around!"
Yu Xiaogang nodded firmly, then turned to prepare for action.
However, just as he made his bold declaration, a new change suddenly occurred in the sky.
The scene of Zhong Tian judging the nobles, which had still been playing, was abruptly interrupted by a mysterious light.
Immediately afterward, a grand and authoritative voice rang out across the entire Douluo Continent.
[Underworld Powerhouse Rankings, seventh place!] [Meng Po, Bibi Dong!] [In charge of the final checkpoint of reincarnation in the Underworld, creator of Meng Po Soup!] [Soul Power: level 156!] [On reincarnation's far shore, one encounter with Meng Po leads to a lifetime's regret!]