Seeing Tang Xiao's eagerness to die, Tang San was momentarily stunned. He had never encountered such a shameless request in his life.
However, since the man was so desperate for an end, Tang San didn't mind providing a ride, it was the perfect time for him to keep that slovenly drunkard, Tang Hao, company in the afterlife.
Seeing the cold, eager expression on Tang San's face, Tang Xiao was struck dumb. This was completely different from what he had expected! According to his logic, even if Tang San wasn't heartbroken, he should have at least hesitated or shown conflict. Instead, Tang San's reaction made it clear: he genuinely wanted to send his uncle to join "Tang Hao."
After a moment of heavy silence, Tang Xiao took a deep breath and said resolutely, "Little San, you are Brother Hao's child, which makes you my child as well. Even if you kill me, I will not hold a grudge against you."
Before he could even finish the sentence, a thin, needle-shaped hidden weapon flickered from Tang San's hand. It flew with pinpoint accuracy, piercing Tang Xiao's chest.
The moment it struck, Tang Xiao's expression twisted. He could feel a specialized poison immediately beginning to corrode his internal organs. 'This little beast... he actually dared to attack?'
"Tang Xiao, you've misunderstood one thing," Tang San said, his voice like ice. "I never believed I did anything wrong. I gave that man chances, but he repeatedly targeted my Master and my Mother, crossing every bottom line I have."
Tang San paused, his tone turning even more sarcastic. "He never fulfilled his responsibilities as a father, yet he had the audacity to strike me with such self-righteousness and blame everything on my Master. Even if I were given another chance, I would kill him again."
Tang Xiao stared at him, his eyes filled with disbelief. 'Could it be that Brother Hao truly was in the wrong?' He hesitated for only a second before dismissing the thought. In his view, even if his brother had made mistakes, it didn't warrant patricide. He shifted the blame: if Lin Mu were a qualified teacher, he would have taught the boy filial piety, not how to murder his own father.
Seeing Tang Xiao's incorrigible nature, Tang San wasn't surprised. He had only spoken those words because Tang Xiao was already a dead man; an ordinary person without Soul Power stood zero chance against his specialized toxins.
Within seconds, Tang Xiao's limbs gave way. He collapsed to the ground with a dull thud, gasping for air that wouldn't come.
"Tang San..." Tang Xiao opened his mouth, but the words died in his throat. A flicker of genuine terror flashed in his eyes, but there was no room left for regret. Within a few breaths, his vital signs vanished completely.
Tang San looked on with an unmoved gaze. He left the corpse where it lay, intending to let his Master handle the cremation upon his return.
The next morning, Lin Mu returned to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Seeing Tang Xiao dead from poisoning, he was slightly surprised but didn't offer any criticism. Since the man insisted on dying, his remains could at least serve as nourishment for the Blue Silver Emperor.
With a flick of his hand, Lin Mu summoned the Qilin Fire, reducing the body to fine white ash. The five remaining elders watched from a distance, sighing with a mixture of grief and regret. Their Sect Master had been utterly ruined by the folly of Tang Hao.
Over the following month, Lin Mu focused on Tang San's training. He pushed the boy to master the Clear Sky Nine Absolutes and perfect the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Technique. This was all preparation for their next destination: Slaughter City.
With Tang San's current strength and his arsenal of hidden weapons, achieving a hundred victories in the Slaughter Arena would be trivial. Even Hu Liena had managed it, which, in Lin Mu's eyes, proved how weak the majority of the Soul Masters within the city truly were. The only real challenge was surviving the Hell Road.
However, without the burden of protecting Hu Liena, Tang San's journey through the Hell Road would be significantly easier.
While Lin Mu intended to escort Tang San to the entrance, he had no intention of entering himself. He already possessed two powerful domains, the Qilin Domain and the Elemental Domain. The Deathgod Domain held no allure for him. As for the Asura God inheritance, he remained disinterested, having already committed to forging his own path to godhood.
Furthermore, he knew the Asura God had already set his sights on Tang San. Even if Lin Mu entered, he likely wouldn't gain that specific deity's approval.
'If I had to choose a seat in the God Realm,' Lin Mu mused, the Thunder Atlas Armor would be more suited for the position of the God of Destruction. Based on his system's patterns, once his main quest reached 100% completion, he would likely unlock an armor set even stronger than the Thunder Atlas Armor. Since inheriting the God of Destruction's position didn't feel quite right, creating his own divinity remained the superior option.
A month passed in the blink of an eye. Tang San had essentially mastered the Clear Sky techniques, greatly enhancing his explosive combat power. Once Lin Mu confirmed he was ready, they prepared to depart.
Before leaving, Lin Mu turned to Dugu Bo. "Dugu Bo, these elders are your responsibility. If any of them attempt to escape, execute them on the spot."
"Rest assured, Master," Dugu Bo replied with a respectful bow. "This old servant will keep a very close eye on them."
Lin Mu then summoned the Hurricane Armor, transforming into a violent gale that swept Tang San up. They became a streak of light, disappearing into the horizon toward the borders of the empire.
Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang and his companions had finally slunk back to Shrek Academy.
"Brother Flender... long time no see."
In the Dean's office, Yu Xiaogang tried his best to maintain his usual stoic composure, but Flender immediately saw through the facade. Looking at his old friend, whose appearance had drastically changed and whose voice sounded thin and strained, Flender's eyes widened in shock. Only a few months had passed, how had Yu Xiaogang fallen so far?
"Xiaogang... what on earth happened to you?" Flender asked, his voice filled with genuine concern.
"It's a long story, Flender. Please, don't ask," Yu Xiaogang said, his face twisting with bitterness. "We need to leave Heaven Dou City immediately. If we stay, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan will surely send experts to capture me."
The thing Yu Xiaogang hated most wasn't his physical state, but the fact that he hadn't yet proven his "unparalleled wisdom" to the world. He viewed his recent failures as a temporary setback. Sooner or later, he vowed, he would step on Lin Mu's head.
Hearing that Yu Xiaogang wanted to flee again, Flender frowned. "Xiaogang, why not just apologize? You're family; I'm sure they won't be too hard on you."
"Apologize? I've done nothing wrong!" Yu Xiaogang retorted with misplaced confidence. "They are just short-sighted fools. I will settle the score with them eventually!"
Flender sighed, feeling helpless against his friend's stubbornness. "Fine. What do you need from me?"
"I need to borrow some money."
"How much?"
"Not much," Yu Xiaogang said casually. "Two hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins should suffice."
Flender's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He jumped up, shouting, "Two hundred thousand Gold Spirit Coins?! Do you think I'm the Pope of Spirit Hall?!"
"Brother Flender," Yu Xiaogang frowned, his voice dropping into a manipulative tone. "If it weren't for me, would the Liu Erlong have given you such a massive academy? And now you can't even part with a little gold?"