Douro Continent

Chapter 702 The Rakshasa God Appears

The gentle energy lifted the avalanche, and Tang San smiled and said, "Your Majesty need not do this. How could I possibly accept such a grand gesture from you?"

Xue Beng insisted, "Teacher, if you can't accept this, then no one can. This bow from Xue Beng is not only for myself, but also for our million-strong army and the millions of people of the Heaven Dou Empire." His words were sincere and heartfelt, and Tang San could tell that Xue Beng spoke from the bottom of his heart.

Xue Beng stood up, looking at Tang San, whose face was now gentle and devoid of any energy fluctuations. Tears welled up in his eyes. "Teacher, do you know? Just yesterday, I was still prepared to fight to the death. Now I can finally say it. When we learned that a god had appeared on the Spirit Empire's side, I was prepared to die. I prayed in my heart, praying that you would come back, but the great battle was today, and I knew my prayers were a luxury. But you really came back. You, who had become the Sea God, appeared before all the warriors when the Heaven Dou Empire needed you most, leading the Heaven Dou Empire to victory with your invincible divine power, breaking through Jialing Pass. I had longed for this scene, but I never expected it to come so quickly, so directly. Teacher, I really don't know how to thank you. If you were willing, I would even be willing to give you the throne."

"Your Majesty, please don't." Tang San stretched out his hands to support the avalanche that was about to fall again, a warm smile on his face. He could have easily stopped the avalanche from bowing down with his own power, but he still stretched out his hands as a sign of his respect for the avalanche.

Tang San smiled and said, "Today's complete victory was not achieved by me alone; everyone here played a crucial role. Especially the old monster, his Azure Phosphorous Serpent King Poison even startled me."

Dugu Bo said irritably, "Little monster, don't think you can laugh at this old man just because you've become a god. I'll beat you up just the same way."

Tang San laughed and said, "Old monster, so what if I have no strength left? My father, uncle, and teacher are all here. Even if you want to beat me up, it's not your turn!"

As he spoke, Tang San released his grip on Xue Beng, turned around, and knelt down before Tang Xiao, Tang Hao, and Grandmaster. No matter how powerful he was, no matter if he was human or god, some things would never change. His most respected teacher and dearest father would always be his elders.

Seeing Tang San kneel down, Xue Beng followed suit, and this time, Tang San did not stop him. With Xue Beng kneeling, the generals naturally could no longer stand, and they all knelt down in unison.

At this moment, Tang Hao's eyes were only on Tang San. Looking at his son with his long hair and handsome face, his gaze was somewhat lost in thought. This most renowned iron-willed man in the soul master world was now brimming with tears. Not long ago, he had only wanted his son to live an ordinary life. He still vividly remembered Tang San cooking porridge for him every day when he was a child. Back then, there was only a small amount of rice in the family. Every day, Tang San would cook the porridge, drinking only the thin, watery liquid on top, leaving the more filling rice for himself. He was not even six years old then!

Now, his son has grown up. He is so outstanding, surpassing even his father, far exceeding him. At this moment, Tang Hao feels not joy, but guilt—a debt he has owed his son for the past few decades. Everything his son has achieved today is almost entirely due to his own hard work. Others see his current god-level strength, but how many see the sacrifices Tang San has made over the past twenty years behind that level? Tang Hao can fully imagine how many times Tang San has faced death, how many times he has teetered on the brink of annihilation.

Suddenly standing up, Tang Hao stepped forward, grabbed Tang San from the ground, and pulled him into his steely embrace.

Given Tang Hao's personality, he would never be able to utter those sentimental words of apology, but his embrace and the tears that welled up in his eyes had already told Tang San a great deal.

Tang San also embraced his father's strong body. He didn't cry, but his lips were tightly closed, and the excitement in his eyes was no less than that of Tang Hao.

Despite living two lives, Tang Hao remained Tang San's only father. A father is always a towering figure in a son's heart. Every child's first hero is their father. Tang San was no exception. Even when Tang Hao was a drunkard, Tang San never looked down on his father. A father's approval is always what a son desires most.

"Dad, you and Mom gave me life, a debt of gratitude I can never repay with my entire life. My life belongs to you, and everything I have is yours."

Tang San understood Tang Hao's thoughts and comforted his father in the most direct way.

Tang Hao raised his head, firmly grasped Tang San's shoulders with both hands, gazed at his son's handsome face, and nodded vigorously, "You are your father's pride."

Although Tang San had been trying his best to control his emotions, when he heard Tang Hao say those words, he could no longer hold back his tears and they streamed down his face.

"Little San, you are also a source of pride for your teacher, a lifelong source of pride." Grandmaster walked to Tang Hao's side. Looking at Tang San, the excitement in his eyes was no less than that in Tang Hao. He had raised a god!

Tang Hao released his hands, took a slight step back, and handed Tang San to Grandmaster. Tang San knelt down again, before Grandmaster. When Grandmaster tried to help him up, Tang Hao grabbed him, saying, "Grandmaster, this is what you deserve. You've given far more to Xiao San than I have. I'm a terrible father, but you are the best teacher I can be. Without you, there would be no Xiao San today."

Once the master was captured by Tang Hao, how could he possibly break free? He could only watch helplessly as Tang San respectfully performed the three bows and nine kowtows to him.

Tang San didn't stand up immediately. He looked up at Grandmaster, his eyes filled with tears, and said, "Teacher, there's something I've wanted to say for a long time. But I always felt I wasn't qualified enough. Because I hadn't reached the pinnacle of a Soul Master. I've been waiting for this opportunity. Now, I've finally broken through level 100 and inherited the Sea God's divine power. It's time."

The master was stunned for a moment; he clearly didn't understand what Tang San wanted to say to him.

Tang San's eyes were already red. "Teacher, you have lived a lonely life without any children. You have devoted all your heart and soul to me. Although you are not my biological father, in my heart, you have long held the same position as him. Father, please accept Tang San's bow."

As he spoke, Tang San bowed down again, kowtowing three times heavily to the ground. Previously, he had bowed to his teacher, but this time he was bowing to his father. Just as Tang Hao had said, Grandmaster had sacrificed far more for Tang San than he had for himself. Finally, in his most glorious moment, Tang San spoke the words that had always been hidden in his heart.

Xiao Wu had silently come behind Tang San when he first knelt down, and now she knelt down with him.

Grandmaster stared blankly at Tang San, his body swaying. If Tang Hao hadn't been supporting him from behind, he probably would have fallen. His lips trembled and quivered as he looked at Tang San, unable to utter a single word. He slowly raised his hands, his voice trembling with emotion, and placed them on Tang San's broad shoulders, sobbing uncontrollably.

His entire life flashed through the master's mind like a series of paintings. As a child, he suffered discrimination from his peers because of his mutated martial soul, and he never even dared to lift his head. This fostered a silent personality. When he watched his peers grow up step by step, possessing the unique martial souls of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, he felt an overwhelming envy. At that time, he even became somewhat withdrawn. It was precisely because of this that he quietly left the clan, before he had even reached adulthood.

Later, he met the love of his life. The girl came from the Spirit Hall, but he didn't know her identity when she entered his life. Although his spirit had mutated, he possessed wisdom beyond that of ordinary people, and an unparalleled understanding of spirits. Gradually, they fell in love. First love is always the most beautiful and unforgettable. In the Grandmaster's heart, that stunning woman was his goddess. Even after they were together, he dared not be intimate with her, fearing the slightest profanity.

That woman was not Liu Erlong, but the current Empress of the Martial Soul Empire, Bibi Dong.

They spent a full two years together, arguably the happiest two years of the Grandmaster's life. He shared all his brilliant ideas about martial souls with Bibi Dong, and every day with her was carefree and joyful. At that time, he believed that Bibi Dong was an angel sent by heaven to compensate for the flaws in his martial soul—an angel who belonged only to him. It was precisely because of Bibi Dong that he emerged from the shadows in his heart, determined his future path, and devoted himself to the profound study of martial souls.

However, his happiness was short-lived, and the tragedy continued. One day, the goddess of his dreams suddenly appeared before him and coldly told him that she was only with him to extract his knowledge of martial spirits, and that everything between them was over. Those simple words shattered the master's heart. That deep wound has yet to heal.

Although Grandmaster could find many flaws in Bibi Dong's words, she truly left him. He finally learned her identity: the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall, the successor to the next Pope. He had no choice but to believe everything Bibi Dong said. That night, Grandmaster got drunk for the first time, to the point of unconsciousness. He didn't even want to wake up again.

Later, he encountered Liu Erlong and Flander, which was also a tragedy. The second woman he fell in love with turned out to be his own cousin. When he left Liu Erlong, all he could think about was death. Yes, only death. When he wanted to end his life, another belief sustained him. He wanted to prove to the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex family before he died that he was not a useless person.

From that moment on, the Grandmaster devoted all his energy to the research of martial souls, neglecting sleep and meals. Only when researching could he escape the pain of the past. Until the day he met Tang San. The Grandmaster clearly remembered the excitement he felt when he saw Tang San's innate full soul power and determined his twin martial souls. He knew his opportunity had arrived; through this child, he might be able to prove himself to his family. Thus, Tang San became his disciple.

If at the beginning, Grandmaster's primary motivation was to prove himself to his family, then as time went on, Tang San's place in his heart grew increasingly important. Even Grandmaster himself didn't know whether he had always considered this child as his disciple, or if their relationship was something deeper.

Time had passed, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan no longer existed. As the Grand Preceptor of the Heaven Dou Empire, he no longer needed to prove anything to anyone, yet his heart remained empty. Despite being with Liu Erlong every day, the shadow in his heart always lingered. Until this moment, when Tang San called out the word "father" to him, the Grandmaster's last line of defense finally crumbled. He had finally found the meaning of his life again after thirty years. For his son, for his own son, he was willing to give his life.

"Good child, good child..." The master stroked Tang San's head with a trembling voice, tears streaming down his face. His stiff facial muscles were even twitching slightly.

Frankly, Tang Hao, standing behind him, was even somewhat envious, but not jealous. If Tang Hao's kindness towards Tang San was that of giving birth to him, then Grandmaster's kindness towards Tang San could be described as that of raising and educating him. A teacher for a day is a father for life. Tang San's calling him "father" couldn't be more fitting.

The master was overwhelmed with emotion, and it was Liu Erlong who stepped forward to help him pull Tang San up. Liu Erlong wiped away the tears on the master's face; she cried too. After all these years, who could understand the bitterness in the master's heart better than her?

Flander whispered, "Xiao Gang, this is great news, you should be happy!"

The master nodded vigorously, looking at Tang San, who was much taller than him and had already been helped up by Liu Erlong. He said in his special voice, trembling, "Little San, can you call me that again?"

"Dad—" Tang San suddenly stepped forward, hugged the master tightly, and once again uttered that call that made the master's heart tremble.

"Good, good, good! Even if I die the next moment, my life, Yu Xiaogang, will not have been in vain. Son, I have a son now, hahaha, hahahaha..."

Amidst the laughter, the master's face suddenly turned pale, his laughter abruptly stopped, and he slowly collapsed into Tang San's heart.

Tang San was shocked and quickly hugged the master, placing one hand on the master's chest.

A sorrowful cry, the feeling of finally achieving enlightenment, caused the master to go from great sorrow to great joy. His emotions surged violently, and the pent-up emotions of many years erupted completely at this moment. His fragile heart finally shattered and broke. His life force flowed away as rapidly as a river bursting its banks.

"Dad—" Tang San exclaimed in surprise.

The master nestled into his arms, his breath barely a whisper. "Little...San..., thank...you. Although...my...life...has...come to...the...end...,...but...to die like this...I...really...never...expected...to...help...me...kill...Bibi Dong...This...is...my...last...wish..."

"No, Master, you won't die, you won't die!" In the midst of the crisis, he even reverted to that familiar form of address. Tang San's eyes changed; at this moment, his pupils had turned completely sapphire blue. The pent-up emotions within the Grandmaster erupted suddenly along with the rupture of his heart meridian. This was undoubtedly a certain death situation. However, do not forget that the one who had just acknowledged him as his father and knelt before him was a god.

The immense power of the sea god surged forth like a tide, instantly enveloping the master's body completely and solidifying it within his divine power. This froze all of the master's bodily functions in that instant, preventing any further changes and forcibly keeping him alive.

"I will never allow anything to take your life," Tang San said, each word deliberate and resolute.

The power of the Sea God began to enter the Grandmaster's body. Every ounce of this power was softened as much as possible under Tang San's control. When the power completely merged with the Grandmaster's body, Tang San's expression turned solemn. The heart meridian is undoubtedly one of the most vulnerable parts of a person's body. To save the Grandmaster's life, he had to help him restore his heart meridian. The Grandmaster's heart meridian had become extremely fragile due to the pent-up energy within him. Although the pent-up energy had dissipated, the damage to the Grandmaster's heart meridian was still very severe.

With a clang, the Sea God Armor reappeared on Tang San's body. To save Grandmaster's life, Tang San had given it his all. He couldn't afford to take any risks; he had to use the safest method to help Grandmaster's heart meridian regenerate.

The power of the Sea God slowly contracted, and Tang San gently channeled his purest life force into Master's body. At the same time, he raised his right leg, removed the Sea God's armor, and with a flick of his finger, a stream of blue-gold blood flowed out. Tang San concentrated and gathered this blood without wasting a single drop, then slowly poured it into Master's mouth, guiding it towards his heart meridian with Tang San's Sea God power.

Tang San's right leg once possessed the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone. Although this soul bone is now part of the Angelic Armor, its existence means that the blood in Tang San's right leg still retains the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone's power—like a wildfire that cannot be extinguished, but rather reborn with the spring breeze. After the soul bone evolved, Tang San's ability not only did not weaken, but was further enhanced as his body became a god. Therefore, the blood drawn from his right leg is undoubtedly a supreme healing treasure. That is the blood of a god.

The power of the blood of the gods is undoubtedly extremely strong. Under normal circumstances, if the master were to consume it, his body would probably explode and die because he could not withstand the enormous energy of the blood of the gods. But now there is no need to worry about this at all. Tang San fully activated his Sea God power, dissolving every bit of energy in his blood and integrating it into the master's body. All changes were under the control of Tang San's divine sense.

Tang San's method was simple, direct, and extremely effective. In order to prevent the master's bloodline from being broken for too long, he first used his divine power to simulate the heart meridian and connect the two broken ends, so that the master's bloodline flowed along his divine power. Under his deliberate urging, the master's vitality was reactivated.

After the divine power was restored, with the infusion of Tang San's blood, which possessed immense vitality, the Grandmaster's heart meridian slowly grew under his close supervision.

To prevent the same situation from happening again, Tang San spared no effort in helping Master stabilize all his meridians, slowly dispersing the energy contained in his blood and fully integrating it into Master's meridians under the gentle control of the Sea God's power.

This is definitely a meticulous and difficult process, and even if Tang San, the Sea God, were to complete it, he would need to be careful and cautious.

For a full half hour, the council hall was completely silent, everyone watching with bated breath.

Finally, as the blue light on Tang San's hand slowly subsided, Grandmaster let out a long sigh and slowly opened his eyes; his complexion had regained its rosy hue.

An indescribable feeling of comfort spread to every corner of his body. The master clearly felt that his meridians were many times more flexible than before, and even his soul power had increased by at least five levels.

Tang San helped the master to his feet, stopping him from speaking. "Dad, don't say anything now. Don't get too emotional. Just rest for a day, and you'll be fully recovered by tomorrow. Then, we can have a proper talk."

Seeing the concern in Tang San's eyes, Grandmaster smiled and nodded. Liu Erlong and Xiao Wu quickly stepped forward to support him. Tang San escorted Grandmaster to the entrance of the hall before turning back. Grandmaster's body was perfectly fine, and he had even left a wisp of his divine sense on him so that he could reach Grandmaster's side immediately should anything happen. He couldn't leave here yet. Although Jialing Pass had fallen, many things remained unresolved, especially the escaped Qian Renxue, who remained a thorn in Tang San's side.

Tang Hao patted his son on the shoulder, "It's good that you're alright. Don't worry too much."

Tang San nodded silently. Xue Beng stepped forward and led Tang San to the main seat. Tang San didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly. After becoming a god, his status was completely different. He had an absolutely transcendent position in the Heaven Dou Empire. In addition, after the great war, his position in the hearts of the entire Heaven Dou Empire army was supreme. Xue Beng's actions were not inappropriate. Being overly modest at this time would be bad.

Xue Beng didn't even sit down; he just stood beside Tang San, and even then, his face was filled with pride. He now considered becoming Tang San's disciple the greatest stroke of luck of his life.

Tang San said, "I went to chase after Qian Renxue just now, but I was a step too late and couldn't find any trace of her. It's strange; she and those titled Douluo seemed to have vanished into thin air. Even my divine sense couldn't detect their presence. However, no matter what, as long as I'm here, she can't cause any trouble. Your Majesty, what are your plans next?"

Xue Beng said, "Teacher, now that we have breached Jialing Pass, we can say that the gates of the Spirit Empire have been opened. More importantly, we have almost completely annihilated the main force of the Spirit Empire's Soul Masters. It will be very difficult for them to organize an effective resistance again. However, the Spirit Hall has a deep foundation, and I think we cannot be too hasty. The army has been on the march for so many days, sleeping in tents in the open. I plan to let the army rest in Jialing Pass for a few days. Then we will directly contact the Star Luo Empire and send an elite force to help them attack the Spirit Empire's garrison from the rear. Once the Star Luo Empire's army has also successfully breached the pass, our two countries will agree on a relatively central location to form an allied force, and then we will completely destroy the entire Spirit Empire with overwhelming force, leaving no future troubles."

Hearing Xue Beng's words, everyone present nodded in agreement. This was undoubtedly the safest approach, leaving no opportunity for the Spirit Empire to exploit. The Star Luo Empire might not have a powerhouse like Tang San, but in terms of military strength, it surpassed the Heaven Dou Empire. With their cooperation, a simultaneous attack by the combined forces of the two empires would leave the Spirit Empire with absolutely no chance. At the same time, this opportunity could be used to eliminate the Spirit Empire's garrison blocking the Star Luo Empire's path, further weakening the Spirit Empire's overall strength. The outcome of the ensuing war would then be entirely predictable.

Tang San nodded and said, "Then let's do as His Majesty wishes. As for the Star Luo Empire, let our Soul Master Legion, along with the Tang Family Army and a few powerful warriors, go there. Too many people would be counterproductive."

Xue Beng's gaze swept over the group of powerful figures in the council hall. "I wonder which senior would be willing to go?"

Almost simultaneously, everyone said, "We will obey Your Majesty's orders."

Tang San smiled and said, "Actually, in my opinion, the old monster can go alone. As long as he can sneak into the enemy's garrison camp and launch another poison attack, the enemy will collapse on their own."

Dugu Bo said irritably, "Hey, mistress, are you making fun of me on purpose? I won't do that kind of thing again. Are you going to come with me and clean up my mess?"

Xue Beng said, "How about this, Sect Master Tang Xiao, you lead a hundred disciples of the Clear Sky Sect, along with the Soul Master Legion and the Tang Family Army, to go?"

Tang Xiao nodded and said, "Yes, sir."

Tang San said, "Brother Dai, you, Zhu Qing, and Fatty should go too. That way, we'll have a better chance of success. Your Majesty, you may not know this, but my elder brother, Dai Mubai, is a prince of the Star Luo Empire."

Xue Beng was startled. He looked at Dai Mubai, then at the deep meaning in Tang San's eyes, and his heart tightened slightly. He understood something.

Dai Mubai glanced at Tang San with some gratitude and said, "Alright, then we'll go with Senior Tang Xiao."

Tang Xiao said, "There's no time to lose. Our army suffered no casualties today. Let's set off first thing tomorrow morning to resolve this quickly and completely annihilate the Martial Soul Empire."

Early the next morning, led by Tang Xiao, and accompanied by powerful figures such as Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun, along with a 10,000-strong Tang Family Army of Soul Masters—including all disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School except for Sect Master Ning Fengzhi and the two Title Douluos—the army set off. Although the total number was less than 20,000, this army was arguably the most elite of the Heaven Dou Empire's million-strong army. Led by four Title Douluos, these 20,000 men were capable of directly confronting the Spirit Empire's entire Soul Master Army. With this force joining the Star Luo Empire, the situation on the battlefield would naturally be much easier to resolve.

Meanwhile, at Jialing Pass, Xue Beng ordered a period of reorganization and rest, and rewards for the three armies. The rest period was tentatively set at ten days. According to Xue Beng's plan, after ten days, the Heaven Dou Empire's army would begin its operation to clear out the remnants of the Martial Soul Empire in the surrounding cities, in preparation for the two empires to join forces.

However, less than three days later, things suddenly changed.

"Report—"

Inside the council hall, Xue Beng, Tang San, Marshal Ge Long, and Grandmaster were discussing a plan for dividing their forces to attack, all while looking at the sand table. Suddenly, a messenger rushed in and knelt down.

Avalanche frowned slightly. "What's the matter that you're so panicked?"

The messenger glanced at Tang San first. For any soldier in the Heaven Dou Empire, being able to see the Sea God up close was a great honor.

"Your Majesty, a force from the Martial Soul Empire is heading towards Jialing Pass."

"What?" Avalanche exclaimed in surprise, "Are they here to die? How many of them are there? How long until they reach the pass?"

"Your Majesty, the enemy force numbers less than 100,000. They appear to be the same Martial Soul Empire army that we defeated and that escaped from the fortress. They are not advancing very fast; they are still over a hundred li from Jialing Pass. Their target is directly towards us."

Tang San stood up, his brows furrowed slightly, and said, "Qian Renxue?" He couldn't think of any other reason besides Qian Renxue that would make the army of the Spirit Empire return to Jialing Pass.

Marshal Goron smiled slightly and said, "Your Majesty the Sea God, perhaps you have come to pledge allegiance."

Tang San said, "No matter what, let's go to the city and take a look. It's quite possible that a small group of troops would surrender, but there are nearly 100,000 people here. That's almost the total number of the Spirit Empire's troops that fled the other day."

The group quickly arrived at the top of Jialing Pass. Jialing Pass was mainly used to defend the Heaven Dou Empire. The walls closer to the Spirit Empire's side were not as wide or sturdy, but they were still at least at the level of a main city. When the Heaven Dou Empire's experts arrived at the top of the pass, they could see the Spirit Empire's army slowly approaching.

Judging by sight, this Martial Soul Empire army is disorganized and looks like a rabble. It has no morale whatsoever. Even if there were only 20,000 or 30,000 troops guarding Jialing Pass, let alone the Heaven Dou Empire's army guarding it, this army would probably not be able to break through the pass.

Marshal Goron laughed and said, "It seems my judgment was correct; they must have come to surrender."

"Aren't you afraid of biting your tongue in the wind?" Just as Marshal Ge Long finished speaking, a cold voice suddenly rang out from the top of Jialing Pass. Hearing this voice, others were merely surprised, but Tang San's expression changed drastically. Two beams of blue-gold light suddenly shot out from his eyes.

Two figures shot out from the scattered army of the Spirit Empire opposite them. They weren't heading towards Jialing Pass, but instead flew straight into the sky. The colors of the sky changed as they ascended, half golden-red and half dark purple, making Jialing Pass appear exceptionally eerie.

That cold voice rang out once more, "Tang San, come out and face your death."

Others might not be able to see clearly, but Tang San could clearly see who those two people were. Floating in mid-air, the one emitting a golden-red light that illuminated the sky was undoubtedly the Angel Goddess Qian Renxue. At this moment, her angelic divine armor had been fully restored, and she looked at him expressionlessly.

Beside Qian Renxue stood a woman shrouded in dark purple armor, her face pale and grotesque. From her silhouette and aura, Tang San could barely discern her identity. It was none other than Bibi Dong, the Empress of the Spirit Empire. More accurately, she should be called: Rakshasa Goddess, Bibi Dong.

(End of this chapter)