"I can only say that Tang San's mind is exceedingly deep. He deliberately left a subtle mark on Hu Liena, a 'dark pawn' if you will, so that when Hu Liena eventually discovered his true identity, she'd already be prepared to accept it. The key was to make sure Hu Liena fell in love with him during their trials in the City of Slaughter!"
Hu Liena: ???
"The more I think about it, the more issues I see here. Hu Liena unwittingly fell right into his trap, even requesting that Tang San remove his mask. Once she saw his transformed appearance, she was completely captivated and even asked for his name."
"Tang San naturally didn't reveal his real name and instead called himself 'Tang Yin.' A keen observer could guess the meaning—possessing the Clear Sky Hammer spirit and using the character 'Yin' from Ah Yin and Blue Silver Emperor… fitting, right?"
"Of course, this is my 'God's eye view' analysis, so it's easy to judge her in hindsight. At the time, Hu Liena was deeply involved, and it's true that those in the midst of events often lack perspective."
"Her flaw is being a looks-obsessed, impulsive fool just like Bibi Dong in her youth!"
Bibi Dong: …
In the grand hall, Hu Liena felt the air chill as Bibi Dong's icy aura rose. Oh no… Su Ming is really out to finish me off, she thought desperately.
Meanwhile, in her room, Qian Renxue couldn't help but chuckle. Poor Hu Liena, her fixation on looks and impulsive decisions are coming back to bite her. The description of Bibi Dong as a "theory master" was spot on; Hu Liena's foolishness was hard to deny.
"Your Highness," Ghost Douluo suddenly appeared before Qian Renxue.
"Ghost Elder," Qian Renxue said, surprised. "What brings you here instead of resting in the Hall?"
Ghost Douluo explained, "The Pope has summoned you. She said it's a matter of utmost importance for the honor of Spirit Hall."
Qian Renxue nodded, intrigued. Spirit Hall's honor? This sounds serious.
Then, Ghost Douluo enveloped them in concealment as they headed to the Spirit Hall.
"Later, Hu Liena naturally asked if Tang Yin came from the Clear Sky Clan and why he was in the City of Slaughter."
"As I recall, Tang San delivered a tale of woe, saying he was an outsider abandoned since childhood, unsure if the Clear Sky Clan would ever accept him back."
"And Hu Liena, ever the romantic fool, believed him immediately, even extending an invitation to join Spirit Hall once they left the City of Slaughter together!"
"Unbelievable."
"Has Hu Liena really learned nothing from her time with Bibi Dong? The Clear Sky Clan has been in seclusion for ages, and the only two Clear Sky Clan members left outside are Tang Hao and Tang San!"
"Technically, Tang Chen is also out there, but it's understandable that Hu Liena wouldn't know that."
"Considering Tang San had already shown his Clear Sky Hammer, the fact that Hu Liena still believed him proves the old saying true: love can make people incredibly dense."
"Hu Liena's mistake isn't unique. Bibi Dong and even Qian Renxue made similar blunders, while Xiao Wu was the most egregious case, dedicating her life to being Tang San's support, his loyal 'tool' to do whatever he needed."
Xiao Wu: …
Xiao Wu was a bit stung but had grown numb to Su Ming's commentary. Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong, however, couldn't help but chuckle at her expense.
"At that point, Tang San's story was riddled with holes. Anyone who knew Clear Sky Clan's history or Tang San's background could have seen through it, but not Hu Liena."
"After both achieved a hundred consecutive victories, they decided to embark on Hell Road, their final trial in the City of Slaughter, for the Killing God Domain."
"Curiously, the Slaughter King was so wary of their success that he offered to let them bypass Hell Road and grant them the Killing God title, along with unrestricted access to the city."
"At the time, I couldn't fathom why the Slaughter King feared these two obtaining the Killing God Domain. Though they were descendants of Bibi Dong and Tang Hao, both Killing God titleholders, that alone shouldn't have threatened his position."
"Later, I learned that the Slaughter King was no longer the original Slaughter King!"
"Long ago, the Slaughter King had actually been Tang Chen—Tang San's great-grandfather and rival to Qian Daoliu. He was also, in some sense, the lover of Bo Saixi."
Tang Chen?!
Seeing Tang Chen's name, both Bibi Dong in Spirit Hall and Bo Saixi in Sea God Island reacted instinctively, their presences intensifying, especially Bo Saixi's.
It had been centuries since she'd last heard any word of Tang Chen. She'd assumed he'd perished.
Could he have been the Slaughter King all along? A disquieting premonition rose within her. She still held feelings for Tang Chen; if something had happened to him, she feared the worst.
As for the diary's content, her insight told her it required some sort of "price" in return. Given its focus, she suspected the price might involve… a relationship with Su Ming. Though she respected Su Ming's character, skill, and even appearance, her long-buried affection for Tang Chen was still strong.
"No need to worry," the system interjected to itself. "Tang Chen will soon meet his end."
"Tang Chen had come to the City of Slaughter by chance after leaving Sea God Island, knowing it was one of the few places to seek godly inheritance."
"The City of Slaughter is not merely a place to imprison evil soul masters. Since ancient times, there has been a legend that this city is a legacy site left behind by a powerful figure who ascended to godhood. That god later became known as the Asura God—one of the five enforcers who shamelessly opened back doors for Tang San. Hmph!"
The women: …
Clearly, Su Ming held quite a grudge against the Asura God. Given that this deity had indeed granted Tang San special treatment, they couldn't help but agree he seemed less than honorable.
"Because of this legend, Bibi Dong and Tang Chen both chose the City of Slaughter for their trials. They weren't just after the Killing God Domain but also hoped to inherit the Asura God's legacy."
"However, by the time Bibi Dong entered the City of Slaughter, she no longer had the opportunity to inherit this power. Tang Chen had already begun the God Trials, having completed the eighth trial of the Asura God. He only needed to pass the final trial to ascend."
"Unfortunately, after completing the eighth trial, Tang Chen was ambushed and parasitized by the Nine-Headed Bat King due to a moment of carelessness. That's why I said the current Slaughter King isn't Tang Chen but the Nine-Headed Bat King!"
Boom!
This revelation hit Bo Saixi like a thunderbolt. If Tang Chen had been parasitized, was he already dead?
Bibi Dong, on the other hand, felt a sense of clarity. She had previously suspected the Slaughter King was the Nine-Headed Bat King because of the obvious wings on his back. It seemed I was just a step too late back then, she thought, recalling how Tang Chen must have already been parasitized when she arrived.
Yet one point still puzzled her...
"Since the Slaughter King was no longer Tang Chen but the Nine-Headed Bat King, he wanted to prevent Hu Liena and Tang San from passing Hell Road and obtaining the Killing God Domain. It wasn't just due to their powerful backers but also out of fear of the Asura God himself."
"He understood that obtaining the Killing God Domain was a prerequisite for the first Asura God trial. Once they achieved it, the Asura God would take notice, which could spell danger for him—though that probability was low."
"After all, both Bibi Dong and Tang Hao acquired the Killing God Domain under his nose, and nothing happened to him, which is why he was willing to open Hell Road later."
"Still, I have to say the Nine-Headed Bat King's intelligence leaves much to be desired. He'd already parasitized the Asura God's heir—did he really think the Asura God wouldn't notice?"
"The Asura God simply couldn't be bothered. In fact, this might be what he wanted, having already chosen a better candidate: Tang San. And he'd been plotting for a long time. Why else would Tang Chen have been ambushed out of nowhere? It doesn't make sense!"
"That was my biggest question all along. After passing the eighth Asura God trial, Tang Chen should have had access to the Asura God's power and the Asura Divine Sword. How could a lowly Nine-Headed Bat King parasitize him?"
"From my understanding, Tang Chen's injuries and depleted spirit power after the trial shouldn't have left him that vulnerable."
"The Nine-Headed Bat King wasn't even strong. After parasitizing Tang Chen, he feared Tang Hao at ninety-five levels, not to mention Bibi Dong."
"Later, after Tang San cleared Hell Road, he destroyed the City of Slaughter. The Slaughter King then used the Asura Divine Sword to confront Tang San, who had the Sea God's Trident."
"Tang San was wary, seeing him as equal to Bo Saixi—a level ninety-nine Limit Douluo with some godly power. Even so, he defeated him, and Tang Chen briefly regained consciousness. But it was too late; the years of parasitism left him with little time to live."
"After a final meeting with Bo Saixi, he vanished completely."
"But that's not the main point. The fact that the Nine-Headed Bat King, wielding the Asura Divine Sword and Tang Chen's powers, still lost to Tang San proves what garbage he was. If it had been Tang Chen himself, Tang San would've stood no chance!"
"With both equipped with divine tools, the Asura Divine Sword would suppress the Sea God Trident. And if they matched Clear Sky Hammers, Tang San wouldn't stand a chance. As for domains, Tang San's extra Blue Silver Domain is inconsequential."
"Tang San's only advantage was his Tang Sect techniques and hidden weapons. But against Tang Chen's experience and boundless spiritual power, Tang San wouldn't even find an opening."
"So it makes no sense that Tang Chen, a top-tier figure, would end up parasitized like that."
"When Tang San killed the Nine-Headed Bat King, there was no spirit ring. That's when I realized… everything made sense!"
No spirit ring?
This revelation sent shockwaves through Bibi Dong and Bo Saixi. The lack of a spirit ring implied the Nine-Headed Bat King wasn't a true spirit beast but something else entirely, perhaps an extra-dimensional entity.
The other women, less familiar with this concept, were also surprised. The Nine-Headed Bat King wasn't of this world?
"It was all part of the Asura God's scheme!"
"After all, the Nine-Headed Bat King wasn't the only creature without a spirit ring. Hell Road's Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Serpent also left no spirit ring. Tang San even speculated that it wasn't native to this realm."
"He was right. The Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Serpent was an otherworldly creature the Asura God placed there specifically for trials."
Bibi Dong was taken aback. An entity from another realm?
When she had gone through Hell Road, she hadn't killed the Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Serpent, so she hadn't noticed. Back then, her goal had been simply to pass, not necessarily to kill the serpent.
"In other words, the Nine-Headed Bat King was also an extra-dimensional entity, another of the Asura God's placements. This realization raises several questions."
"Did Tang Chen know about the Nine-Headed Bat King's presence? If he did, why not kill or confine it during his trials on Hell Road?"
"The Nine-Headed Bat King may not have been strong, but it could have attacked him at any time. Given Tang Chen's experience, he would have taken precautions."
"But I'm more inclined to believe that Tang Chen had no knowledge of the Nine-Headed Bat King's existence!"
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