Soul Land 2: Body Sect

Chapter 356: Grand Finale (Part 1)

"It really is you," Tang San nodded slightly, with a faint, almost unnoticeable coldness in his eyes.

The phrase "It really is you" had two meanings. One, it confirmed Dugu Qianjue's identity. The other...

The moment Tang San saw Dugu Qianjue, he suddenly realized that all the failures of his plans on the Douluo Continent were no coincidence. This person in front of him had done it on purpose!

How could there be so many coincidences? When all the "coincidences" pile up, the events become inevitable!

The destruction of Shrek, the downfall of Tang Sect, the loss of faith in the Sea God, the deaths of Tang Hao and Ah Yin...

All of these were linked to Dugu Qianjue; there was no escaping that fact!

Thinking along these lines, Tang San was left with a burning question in his heart. He didn't hesitate to ask directly, "My name has echoed through the ages on the Douluo Continent. I defeated the evil Spirit Hall and liberated the entire Douluo Continent. Both land and sea have praised the name of the Sea God."

"Why did you oppose me? And why did you go to such lengths to sabotage my plans?"

"Defeated the evil Spirit Hall?" Dugu Qianjue repeated those words in a low voice, his expression growing more and more peculiar, until he couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.

"You really know how to make yourself look good! Defeated the evil Spirit Hall?"

"You sought revenge out of selfish desire, but then gave yourself the title of 'just and righteous.' You wanted to look like a hero while actually being a villain. You went so far as to manipulate Douluo Continent for your own faith, and I didn't care. But to try and fool me with this act? You're really taking me for a fool!"

Dugu Qianjue's face was full of mockery as he looked at Tang San, his sarcastic tone making even the God of Destruction and the others curious.

After all, besides the former Sea God and Asura God who granted Tang San his divine trials, no one in the God Realm really knew the details of his past.

The God of Destruction and the others wanted to know what exactly Tang San had done to make Dugu Qianjueso scornful.

The most telling thing was that, after Dugu Qianjue finished speaking, Tang San's expression darkened, but he didn't deny it!

He accepted it!

"Details, please?" The God of Destruction rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

Not only was the God of Destruction and his crew eager to hear more, but even the other gods watching from the sidelines had assumed a "grab the popcorn" posture.

It was juicy gossip about the Sea God!

Tang San's face changed dramatically. He instinctively glanced around, his expression growing more and more sinister. The things that happened back then were bad enough in reality, but if Dugu Qianjuewere to embellish them in public, his entire image in the God Realm would be ruined!

At that thought, Tang San didn't hesitate any longer. He instantly hurled the Sea God's Trident toward Dugu Qianjue.

Sea God's Thirteen Strikes – No Return!

A deadly move right out of the gate!

"He's mad, look at him, he's mad!" Dugu Qianjuelaughed mischievously, pointing a finger at Tang San.

In comparison, the enraged Tang San looked like a clown.

The God of Destruction burst into laughter as well. He raised his hand and unleashed a massive attack, knocking the Sea God's Trident back towards Tang San. As he charged towards Tang San, he shouted back at Dugu Qianjue, "Don't stop, keep going! I'll hold him off for you, little punk!"

"Keep talking, make sure to tear off that hypocritical mask of his and stomp on it a few times!"

"Hahaha… this feels great!"

The black-purple thunder around the God of Destruction turned almost blood-red, a sign that he was unleashing his full power. He was having the time of his life, bombarding Tang San with a smooth combo of devastating attacks.

After passing on his godhood, the God of Destruction's endurance had weakened a bit, but without the restrictions of his godhood, he felt stronger by the second, a sensation he hadn't experienced in millions of years.

Right now, more than anyone, the God of Destruction wanted to enjoy an all-out battle!

"Fighting is the best!!!"

Dugu Qianjue shook his head, smiling wryly, and asked Xue Linglong and the Goddess of Life, "Do you want to hear more?"

Without hesitation, they both nodded.

The Seven Deadly Sins Gods quickly pulled out a table filled with watermelon, drinks, and snacks, sitting in perfect sync as they prepared to enjoy the show.

All that was missing was for them to shout: "Bring it on!"

"Ah, the events of ten thousand years ago regarding Tang San... it's a long story!" Dugu Qianjue pulled out a jade folding fan, striking a pose like a storyteller.

Tang San, seeing this, grew desperate. He kept using the Sea God's Thirteen Strikes over and over, launching all kinds of attacks at the God of Destruction as if they cost him nothing.

"Shut up!"

"Heh, the more you don't want me to talk, the more I will! The fact that you're so against it just proves I'm right!" Dugu Qianjue smiled slyly, then pointed into the air, transmitting the basic rules of Douluo Continent into the minds of the gathered gods.

This included what spirit power was, the process of spirit awakening, and the conflict between humans and spirit beasts, among other basic information.

"To understand the story, you'll need to know this background!"

Seeing the thoughtful expressions on everyone's faces, Dugu Qianjuesnapped open his fan. "Now, let's begin!"

"Please, elaborate!" The Goddess of Life, the Seven Deadly Sins, and even the bystander gods called out in unison.

It truly had the atmosphere of a bard's tale.

"Ten thousand years ago, there were only four gods with true inheritances on the Douluo Continent: the Asura God and Rakshasa God, along with the Angel God and Sea God, who both ascended through faith."

Dugu Qianjuebegan his tale.

"The story begins with the year Tang San was born. As some of you may have learned from the information I shared, there was a long-standing conflict between human spirit masters and spirit beasts on Douluo Continent."

The gods nodded in unison. Even those who hadn't seen Dugu Qianjue's shared information were listening intently, filling in the blanks with their imagination.

"Tang San's mother wasn't human but a Blue Silver Emperor who had cultivated for 100,000 years and taken human form. Right before she gave birth to Tang San, her location was leaked. The lure of a 100,000-year spirit ring and spirit bone was immense for spirit masters, so it was no surprise that she was hunted down."

"And who was leading the hunt for Ah Yin? None other than Qian Xunji, the contemporary pope of the Spirit Hall, who also happened to be the descendant of the Angel God."

"There's also a curious coincidence. The time when Ah Yin was discovered just so happened to be when Tang Hao reached level 90, exactly when he needed a spirit ring. So, was there more to this than meets the eye...?"

"I don't know!" Dugu Qianjue laughed slyly.

The gods all exchanged knowing smiles, full of implied meaning. After all, they were all ancient beings; who could say for sure if there was more to the story?

It was all up to their imagination.

Tang San, however, feared exactly this. Dugu Qianjue had a habit of mixing lies with truth, stuffing it all together until it was impossible to tell what was real!

Tang San's face had turned as black as night. But with the God of Destruction blocking his way, using a weakened Sea God position, Tang San was practically being toyed with. There was no chance of stopping Dugu Qianjue.

"In the end, Ah Yin sacrificed herself to the newly ascended Tang Hao, who then unleashed his fury, heavily injuring Qian Xunji and forcing him to retreat."

"And here comes another important figure: Bibi Dong!"

With a wave of his hand, Dugu Qianjue shared Bibi Dong's treacherous actions and her role in the story with all the gods.

This time, he didn't even leave out the gods watching from the sidelines—this was critical information, after all.

"Bibi Dong, while Qian Xunji was gravely injured and defenseless, took the opportunity to finish him off!" Dugu Qianjue raised an eyebrow. "So in a way, she avenged Tang San!"

"By that point, the conflict should have been over, since the main culprit was dead. But Tang Hao and Tang San, in an amusing twist, decided to place all their hatred on the Spirit Hall and the Angel God, wiping them out completely."

"Even later, Bibi Dong, who became the God of Rakshasa, and Qian Renxue, the new Angel God who spared him several times, were both killed."

"There's a unique type of soul master on Douluo Continent called 'Evil Soul Masters.' Thousands of years ago, they were referred to as 'Fallen Ones.' As you might guess, they were always suppressed by the Spirit Hall. Even the City of Slaughter, which holds the legacy of the God of Shura, was essentially a prison Spirit Hall used to contain those fallen ones."

"Undeniably, Spirit Hall wasn't without its flaws, but its role on Douluo Continent was crucial. It not only kept the Fallen Ones in check, but it also acted as a defense against potential attacks from soul beasts and awakened martial spirits for children all across the continent."

At this point, Bi Ji chimed in: "I can vouch for that. Back in the day, Spirit Hall caused us soul beasts a lot of trouble."

"Indeed, the transformation of humans from mere prey to beings who could rival soul beasts owes a great debt to the Angel God of Spirit Hall," said Bi Ji, who had long lived in the Star Dou Forest and knew better than anyone present.

"Heh, but what happened after Spirit Hall's downfall?" Du Qianjue took over the conversation and glanced at Tang San, who stood tall and dignified, yet cold and detached.

"No one was there to help children awaken their martial spirits anymore. The commoners, unless they paid exorbitant fees or sold themselves into servitude to the nobles, couldn't even awaken their martial spirits."

"And as for the Fallen Ones, the Evil Soul Masters... It gets more amusing. Before Tang San left the City of Slaughter, for some unknown reason, he destroyed it, claiming that such an evil place should not exist."

"Isn't that ridiculous? The City of Slaughter was created to contain criminals. It was because of that place that the outside world had no criminals. But Tang San destroyed it and let all the criminals loose!"

"Should the City of Slaughter have remained?" Tang San roared in rage, his once-gentle facade crumbling as his true emotions erupted. "Even without Spirit Hall, the Shrek Academy, which upholds my ideals, is still eliminating Evil Soul Masters!"

"Oh right, right, the Evil Soul Masters, who were once weak thousands of years ago, somehow grew so strong that even Shrek Academy couldn't handle them. It took the entire upper echelon of the Sun-Moon Empire to be sacrificed just to finally wipe them out," Du Qianjue mocked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "This is what you call 'eliminating' them?"

"Do you have no shame?"

Tang San, struck by Destruction God Thunder, coughed up blood. It was unclear if it was from the injuries or from being so infuriated by Du Qianjue's words.

"You... you!!" Tang San trembled, pointing a shaky finger at Du Qianjue, his face contorted with fury.

"What 'you'? I've never met someone as shameless as you!" Du Qianjue didn't hold back, pointing directly at Tang San's face and cursing him.

"Look at what you've done! Out of pure selfishness, you directed all your hatred toward Spirit Hall. After you destroyed Spirit Hall, you inherited the faith that belonged to the Angel God, but you didn't fulfill any responsibilities a god should have. You even schemed to let your father, Tang Hao, and your mother, A Yin, take control of the continent's consciousness and its life force, all so you could turn Douluo Continent into your personal playground."

"Under your reign, even the commoners have lost the basic benefits Spirit Hall once provided. They can't even awaken their martial spirits anymore, with all the resources being hoarded by your precious Shrek Academy."

"How can Shrek compare to Spirit Hall? That worthless academy! I regret not destroying it myself!"

"And you dare stand before me, talking about how much you've contributed to Douluo Continent?"

"How dare you, in front of someone who knows the truth, call Spirit Hall evil?"

"When compared to you, can Spirit Hall really be called 'evil'?"

Du Qianjue's relentless barrage of insults left Tang San covered in spittle, and for the first time, Destruction God didn't even touch him. Tang San's body continued to spurt blood as if he were a fountain.

Destruction God, taken aback by Du Qianjue's words, even stepped back, fearing Tang San might accuse him of something as well. After all, he too was stunned by Du Qianjue's harsh truths.

"How could Shura, that old schemer, have passed down the position of Law Enforcement God to such an irresponsible wretch?!" Destruction God cursed in anger, his once strong features twisted in disbelief. "If I ever see that old fool again in the universe, I swear I'll teach him why flowers bloom red!"

"And Poseidon! They're all scoundrels!"

The Goddess of Life stood silent, reflecting on how many times she had sided with Tang San against Destruction God. She felt an overwhelming urge to slap herself for being so blind.

High in the sky, Ji Dong and Lie Yan exchanged glances.

"Phew, it's a good thing we chose not to get involved in the affairs of the God Realm. Otherwise, we could've easily been dragged into this mess!" Ji Dong said, relieved.

He couldn't imagine what would've happened if they had helped Tang San. Would they have ended up aiding a tyrant, becoming accomplices in his crimes?

With his strong sense of justice, Ji Dong couldn't accept such an idea. He wasn't like Tang San, who was obsessed with resurrecting his lover at all costs. In both morality and emotions, Ji Dong had far more integrity than Tang San.

Lie Yan, smiling wryly, asked, "So, should we step in? Even though Poseidon is clearly losing, I really want to get my hands dirty."

Just seeing Tang San's face made her want to stomp on him a few times.

Ji Dong thought for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "It's best if we don't. We've never taken sides, and there's no need to start now. Unless Destruction God and Chaos God get into trouble, we should just sit back and watch."

"Watch as he rises to glory, watch as his empire flourishes, and watch as it all comes crumbling down."

Lie Yan nodded obediently.

Meanwhile, Dai Mubai and the others stood in silence. Now that they were older and more mature, they had their own thoughts. Looking back, they realized they had never had any true enmity with Spirit Hall.

For Oscar and Ma Hongjun, true commoner soul masters, they had even received help from Spirit Hall at times. They had only fought Spirit Hall because of Tang San.

Looking back now, they asked themselves: Was it really necessary to fight Spirit Hall?

The answer was no.

Standing quietly at the back, Ma Hongjun reaffirmed his belief. His desire to send Tang San straight to hell burned stronger than ever.

Betrayal felt so good!

The gods watching the scene were buzzing with chatter. How could they trust a Law Enforcement God who was so irresponsible, selfish, and hypocritical as Tang San? Would they one day become his pawns too?

In no time, the God Realm was filled with unease and suspicion.

The God of Fire glanced at Rong Nianbing, who stood nearby, and asked dumbly, "You didn't know about all this either, right?"

Rolling his eyes, Rong Nianbing replied, "Come on, where would I get this kind of information? I've already told you, I don't know much more than you do!"

"Alright then, it's clear now. Tang San is definitely someone to avoid. We better keep our distance!" the straightforward God of Fire declared firmly.

The other elemental gods all nodded in agreement.

Even the Goddess of Light, who once felt a kinship with Tang San because of his association with light, now made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him.

What nonsense about light? Her light had nothing to do with his!

Proud of her stance, the Goddess of Light thought to herself, "I represent true light and justice, not someone like Tang San who hides behind a facade of virtue while scheming in the shadows."

Feeling the disdainful and scornful stares from all around, Tang San gripped his Seagod Trident so tightly that the veins in his hand popped out.

"Shut up... Shut UP!!"

(End of chapter)