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Thirty thousand Spirit Masters stood in their ranks. They all wore black robes with the emblem of Spirit Hall embroidered on their chests. The design featured a golden scepter crossed with a silver longsword, and the insignia of the Seraphim floated above it. This was the military crest designed by Bibi Dong during her life. After she died, the Hall of Worship kept it as the symbol of the Spirit Empire.
At the very front of the military line, six figures walked side by side. The leader was a large old man with snow-white hair and a white beard. His face looked very firm. Nine Spirit Rings circled his body: two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red. It was a complete set of nine rings.
Every time he took a step, the ground shook a little bit, as if the earth itself opened up to let him pass. This was Gold Crocodile Douluo, the only remaining powerhouse of the older generation in the Hall of Worship. He was a rank ninety-eight Super Douluo. Since Bibi Dong was dead, he had become the main ruler of the Spirit Empire.
Next to him walked a tall woman with a cold and elegant face. She looked like she was only in her twenties. However, her golden eyes showed a deep sadness and experience that did not match her young age. This was Hu Liena, the direct disciple of Bibi Dong and the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall. After Bibi Dong died, Hu Liena miraculously broke through the Spirit Douluo bottleneck and reached rank eighty instantly.
Nobody knew how she did it. They only knew she spent three months alone in hiding. When she came out, she was already a Spirit Douluo. Her personality changed completely. She lost her old charm and now carried only a cold intent to kill. For this battle, she had volunteered to lead the vanguard.
The other four Titled Douluo lined up on both sides. Each of them was a powerful master between rank ninety-two and rank ninety-four. Their energy felt as vast as the deep ocean. Behind them, the thirty thousand Spirit Masters stood in neat square shapes. At the front were five thousand attack system Battle Spirit Masters. In the middle were twenty thousand mixed Spirit Masters of different types. At the back were five thousand support system and food system Spirit Masters, along with many large Soul Guidance Cannons.
On top of the high walls of Star Luo City, the Marshal of Star Luo wore bright platinum battle armor. He held a twelve-foot long spear as he stood at the highest point of the gate building. His Spirit was also the Evil Eyes White Tiger, but his spirit power was only at rank eighty-six. Next to him stood the only four Titled Douluo of the Star Luo Empire.
The Duke of White Tiger was a rank ninety-two master from a side branch of the Dai royal family. His hair and beard were turning gray. He held a White Tiger Battle Saber with a very serious face. The Imperial Guard Commander was a rank ninety-one master with the Pojun Spear Spirit.
His face was cold and he stayed completely quiet. There were also two old worshippers. One was a rank ninety-three master with the Sky-Breaking Wolf Spirit. The other was a rank ninety-one master with the Mysterious Ice Turtle Spirit. Both of them were over a hundred years old. Their strength was fading, but they still stood up straight on the city wall.
The Duke of White Tiger looked out and spoke quietly. "They're here." He gripped his long spear tightly, making his knuckles turn white.
Below the city walls, Gold Crocodile Douluo stopped moving and looked up. His sharp eyes passed right over the front lines of the soldiers and landed directly on the Marshal of Star Luo.
"Star Luo Empire, the Spirit Empire doesn't want to cause useless bleeding. Open the city gates and surrender to us. Lock up your weapons, and I promise that not a single person in this city will be hurt."
The Marshal of Star Luo took a deep breath and shouted back. "Senior Gold Crocodile, the Star Luo Empire has minded its own business lately. Why did you bring an army to invade us?"
"Minded your own business? The people of the Heaven Dou Empire killed our Empress Bibi Dong. This hatred can never be fixed. Do you think I don't know that your Star Luo Empire has been secretly helping them? Today, I'll only ask you one thing. Will you surrender or not?"
The Marshal of Star Luo fell silent. He knew that the fate of the Star Luo Empire was set, no matter what they chose. Surrendering might let them live a little longer, but the Spirit Empire would never let any member of the royal family go. If they didn't surrender, they could at least die with honor.
"We won't surrender." His voice wasn't very loud, but everyone heard it clearly.
Gold Crocodile Douluo narrowed his eyes a little bit. He didn't look surprised at all. He nodded his head and spoke calmly. "Then, as you wish. Attack."
Those two simple words were like opening the gates of hell. The thirty thousand Spirit Masters released their Spirits at the exact same time. Suddenly, the bright lights of many different Spirit Rings mixed together, making half the sky light up. Thousands of Spirit Abilities exploded all at once. They hit the walls of Star Luo City like the sky was falling down.
"Defend the wall!" the Duke of White Tiger roared. His White Tiger Spirit immediately took over his body. Right after that, a white shield of light rose up from the city wall. It barely managed to block the first wave of heavy attacks. But the second and third waves of attacks followed right behind it. Loud explosions kept going off. The thick city walls shook violently. Bricks and stones broke into small pieces, and the air filled with dark dust.
"Counterattack now!" the Marshal of Star Luo shouted. The Soul Guidance Cannons on the wall fired at the same time. Hundreds of bright light beams shot straight into the Spirit Empire forces, exploding into clouds of blood. However, the Spirit Masters of the Spirit Empire were trained very well. The attack system masters in the front row raised their defenses. The support system masters in the back row kept giving them helpful boosts. This kept their losses much lower than the defenders of Star Luo.
The night was completely dark at Shrek Academy. This school used to be full of happy laughter, but now it looked completely empty and sad. Even though the army of the Spirit Empire had not entered the Heaven Dou Empire yet, the dark shadows of war hung over the land. Most of the students had already been picked up by their parents. Only a few people stayed behind to guard the old buildings with a few teachers.
Flender stood at the main gate of the academy with his hands behind his back. He looked at the distant lights of Heaven Dou City, lost in his own thoughts. He had become old. The once smart, practical, and highly loyal Dean of Shrek Academy now had white hair at his temples. The corners of his eyes were full of deep wrinkles. After Bibi Dong died, Spirit Hall did not stop its growth. Instead, it became much more aggressive. When the news of the fall of the Star Luo Empire reached Heaven Dou City, Flender couldn't close his eyes to sleep for the whole night. Star Luo was gone now, so he wondered who would be next.
"Flender, go back and get some rest." A gentle voice said from behind him.
Yu Xiaogang walked up to his side. He wore simple gray clothes, and his face looked much thinner than before. His eyes showed a deep tiredness, but he still kept his calm and polite manner. Liu Erlong followed right behind him, dressed in tight martial clothes. Even though she was middle-aged, her brave spirit was still strong. She looked at Flender, said nothing, and gently placed a warm outer robe over his shoulders.
Flender shook his head. "I can't sleep. Yu Xiaogang, do you think Little San can really save Mubai?"
Yu Xiaogang stayed quiet for a moment before he answered. "It's hard to say."
The three of them fell completely silent. The cold night wind blew past, bringing the chill of early winter.
Right then, a dark shadow dropped down from the sky and landed in the open space right in front of the academy buildings. The three teachers became alert instantly. Their spirit power moved quickly, and their bright Spirit Rings appeared around them.
But the dark shadow didn't try to attack them after landing. Instead, the figure stumbled forward two steps and fell heavily onto its knees. "Teacher... Dean Flender... Teacher Erlong..." The voice sounded very rough, and the person was crying.
The three teachers gasped in shock at the same time. Under the pale moonlight, the figure slowly lifted its head. It was Tang San.
But this Tang San looked like a totally different person. His face was as white as paper, his body was very thin, his clothes were torn to pieces, and he was covered in deep cuts. The most terrifying thing was his eyes. Those eyes used to be clear and steady, but now they were covered by a strange layer of purple-black evil energy. It looked highly unusual and scary.
"Little San!" Flender shouted. He instinctively took a large step forward.
Liu Erlong reached out her hand to stop him. She watched the purple-black energy on Tang San's body with great caution. "Wait, something's wrong with his state."
Tang San didn't care about her caution. He just stayed on his knees on the ground, tears running down his face. "Teacher, I'm back. But I've failed all of you." His voice shook with deep regret and pain. To anyone who didn't know the truth, he looked exactly like a lost child who was truly sorry.
Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. "Little San, stand up first. Tell me what happened. Where are Mubai and Fatty?"
Tang San's whole body shook. He slowly lifted his head, and his tears came down even faster. His lips moved as if he wanted to speak, but he couldn't make the words come out. "They... they..." His voice was so blocked by loud sobbing that it was almost impossible to hear.
Flender felt his heart sink deeply. He said in an urgent voice. "What happened to them? Just tell us!"
"They're dead! Mubai and Fatty are both dead! Tang Chen killed them! That Tang Chen killed them both!" Tang San suddenly threw his upper body onto the ground. He hit the dirt with his hands and cried out loud.
"What?!" Flender shouted. His face changed instantly, and his body swayed. He almost fell over right there.
Liu Erlong quickly held him up, though her own face became completely white with shock.
Yu Xiaogang stared hard at Tang San. He spoke in a very heavy voice. "Explain this clearly. What exactly happened to them?"
Tang San knelt on the ground, crying without stopping. He began to tell the story in broken pieces. He told them that while the three of them were looking for Sea God Island out on the ocean, they ran into Tang Chen. He said Tang Chen's power was terrifying, and he tried to kill them the moment he saw them. He claimed that Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun risked their lives to block the enemy so Tang San could escape first. Tang San said he didn't want to leave, but the two of them pushed him away. When he looked back, he saw Tang Chen's Blue Silver Grass pierce right through their hearts.
At this point in his story, Tang San was crying so hard he could barely breathe. His whole body shook as he lay on the cold ground. "I deserve to die. I shouldn't have left them behind. I'm the one who caused their deaths." His voice sounded full of pain and self-blame. He kept hitting his head against the frozen ground until bright blood began to flow.
When Flender heard this, he felt as if a bolt of lightning had hit him. His body shook violently, and his face turned from pale to grey, and then to a bright red. A blast of wild spirit power broke out from his body, making the air around him shake.
"Tang Chen! Tang Chen!" Flender ground his teeth together. His eyes were full of deep, burning hatred. That angry shout was full of rage and deep sadness. It echoed through the dark night sky for a very long time. Suddenly, Flender coughed up a big mouthful of dark blood and fell straight backward.
"Flender!" Liu Erlong screamed. She caught him in her arms quickly. She found that his face looked as pale as yellow paper, and his energy was completely messed up. His sudden, extreme anger had badly hurt his heart meridians.
Yu Xiaogang hurried forward. He pressed his finger against Flender's chest and sent his own spirit power inside to make his heart stable. Then he looked up at Tang San with a very complicated look in his eyes. "Is Hongjun really dead?"
Tang San raised his head. His face was covered in tears, and his eyes looked full of deep pain. "Teacher, I saw it with my own eyes. Tang Chen's Blue Silver Grass changed into a Clear Sky Hammer and smashed right into Fatty. He didn't even leave an intact body behind." His voice choked up again, and he couldn't say another word.
Yu Xiaogang became completely quiet. Even though he didn't love Ma Hongjun as deeply as Flender did, the boy had still grown up right under his care. That fat boy who loved to eat, play, and always smiled, the master of the Evil Fire Phoenix Spirit, was just gone like that.
Liu Erlong held the unconscious Flender tightly. Her eyes were bright red as she bit her teeth and said. "Tang Chen, good, very good!"
Tang San wiped his face, slowly stood up, and walked over to Yu Xiaogang. He dropped to his knees again with a loud thud. "Teacher, I have something important to tell you."
"What is it?" Yu Xiaogang asked.
Tang San took a deep breath, and his eyes showed a sudden look of determination. "Teacher, I know the Spirit Empire is going to attack the Heaven Dou Empire very soon. With the current strength of Heaven Dou, it simply can't stop them."
Yu Xiaogang frowned deeply. "What are you trying to say by that?"
Tang San looked up, staring right into Yu Xiaogang's eyes. "Teacher, let's join Spirit Hall."
As soon as those words left his mouth, the air around them seemed to freeze solid. Yu Xiaogang's pupils shrank down instantly, and Liu Erlong looked up fast, staring at Tang San in absolute disbelief.
"What did you just say?!" Liu Erlong asked. Her voice sounded as cold as a sharp knife.
Tang San didn't seem to feel her dangerous anger. He kept talking. "Teacher Erlong, I know you hate Spirit Hall. But think about it carefully. How strong is the Spirit Empire right now? They have more than a dozen Titled Douluo and an army of thirty thousand Spirit Masters.
The Star Luo Empire was destroyed in just one single day! How long can Heaven Dou last against that? Three days or five days? Teacher, you're a master of spirit theory. You must understand the result of this war much better than I do. Heaven Dou is completely set for defeat and destruction! Instead of dying with them, why don't we..."
"Why don't we surrender?" Yu Xiaogang cut him off. His voice sounded frighteningly calm.
Tang San was surprised for a second. Then he shook his head. "It's not surrendering. It's joining them. Spirit Hall needs real talent. You, Teacher, Dean Flender, and Teacher Erlong are all top-level Spirit Masters and great educators. If we join Spirit Hall, we can get much better resources and a higher social status."
A sharp slapping sound cut off Tang San's speech. Liu Erlong stood right in front of him. Her hand was still shaking a little bit, and her eyes were full of extreme anger and deep disappointment.
"Tang San, are those the words of a real human being? Your teacher and your dean taught you the way of the Spirit Master and how to be a good person. Did they do that just so you could come back and tell them to give up to their worst enemy? Besides, the Heaven Dou Empire has the full support of Tianxing Academy now. Not long ago, they even killed the Spirit Empire's Empress Bibi Dong. How could they possibly be unable to fight back against them?"
Tang San held his stinging cheek. A hidden cold light flashed deep in his eyes, but he quickly changed it back to a look of hurt and pain. "Teacher Erlong, I only want to get revenge for Fatty and Mubai!"
"Tang San, don't say another single word!" Liu Erlong screamed loudly at him.
Tang San's face changed slightly, but he quickly made his expression look normal again. "Teacher Erlong, times have changed now. Bibi Dong is already dead, and the Hall of Worship is in total charge of Spirit Hall now. They're completely different."
"How are they any different? Spirit Hall is always Spirit Hall. It doesn't matter who sits in that high position. They're all exactly the same type of bad people." Yu Xiaogang finally spoke up, his voice sounding very cold.
"If we don't join Spirit Hall, how can we ever get revenge for Fatty and Mubai?" Tang San asked.