At this very moment, Tang San had just emerged from the Slaughter City and was preparing to leave, eager to return to Heaven Dou City as quickly as possible.
The seven-year promise he had made with the Shrek Seven Devils had already passed by over five years ago—by now, he was long overdue.
I wonder how Dai Mubai is doing now. At his age, he's probably already married to Zhu Zhuqing. If they were quick, they might even have a little tiger cub by now.
And Oscar—did he finally catch up to Ning Rongrong? Given how close they were, it shouldn't have been a problem.
Then there's that fatty Ma Hongjun—is he still as chubby as ever? Or is he getting beaten up in some brothel again, waiting for us to bail him out?
And Father… His injuries were already severe when he sent me here four and a half years ago. I don't know if they've gotten worse.
As for Xiao Wu… She's probably gone to the Star Dou Forest. With Da Ming and Er Ming protecting her, she should be safe.
Memories of his past adventures with his companions flashed through Tang San's mind, and he couldn't help but smile.
But the next second, his smile froze. He quickly ducked behind a rocky outcrop, cautiously observing the situation outside.
Outside Slaughter City—where there had once been a small inn guiding people into the city—now lay a massive crater. And from within that crater, spider soul beasts were crawling out in an endless stream.
What's going on? Tang San frowned. Slaughter City was located in a remote part of the continent, far from any major spirit beast forests. Why were there soul beasts here? And such high-level ones at that.
Tang San's soul power was still at Rank 52. Because soul power was suppressed within Slaughter City, his growth had slowed.
But among the spider soul beasts before him, many were already over ten-thousand-year level, with a few at several thousand years. And they were all crawling straight toward Slaughter City.
Faced with this situation, Tang San felt both anxious and fearful. He wanted to return to Slaughter City to investigate, but he was afraid of being discovered by these spider spirit beasts.
After a brief moment of deliberation, Tang San decided to leave from the other side of the mountain, attempting to bypass the spiders.
But after circling the mountain several times, he was shocked to discover that the entire area was completely surrounded by the spider soul beasts.
What in the world? Why are there so many spiders here? The more Tang San thought about it, the stranger it seemed. What exactly has happened on the continent in the four or five years I've been gone?
Just then, the sounds of intense battle erupted from the direction of Slaughter City. The spider soul beasts surrounding the area surged forward, flooding into the city.
These spider soul beasts were, of course, all under Fang Chang's command. After wiping out the Star Luo Empire, nearly the entire continent had fallen under his control.
In the past, he had been wary of deploying his spider army on a large scale, fearing it would alert the outside world. He had also been cautious of Tang Chen, who resided within Slaughter City. That was why he had held back from launching a full-scale assault.
But now, none of that mattered anymore. The time was ripe, and so he had personally led his spider army to attack, hoping to find Tang San here.
Inside Slaughter City, chaos reigned. Although the soul power of Fang Chang's spider army was also suppressed upon entering, their physical prowess far surpassed that of ordinary humans. Coupled with their overwhelming numbers, they quickly gained the upper hand.
The fallen humans of Slaughter City were powerless to stop the spider army's advance. They could only flee toward the Slaughter King's domain, seeking his protection.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before the Slaughter King, surrounded by a crowd of fervent followers, arrived to block Fang Chang's spider army.
The moment they met, the Slaughter King raised a blood-red sword and slashed toward Fang Chang, who stood at the forefront of the spider army, radiating the strongest aura.
But before his blade could descend, the Slaughter King suddenly felt the scenery shift before his eyes. His pupils constricted sharply.
He was now trapped within Fang Chang's Spider God Domain, his face filled with disbelief.
W-What?! How can you still use soul skills here?!
The Slaughter King's greatest advantage was that within Slaughter City, he alone could use soul skills. But now, Fang Chang could too—rendering his edge useless.
Fang Chang, however, was not surprised. Slaughter City's suppression of soul power was similar to the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's "Life and Death Arena"—it had little effect on him.
Because his skills were stored within his system, not in soul rings.
Seeing the Slaughter King's morale plummet, Fang Chang clasped his hands above his head. A 40-meter-long icy greatsword materialized once more, wreathed in flames and lightning.
He was opening with Dragon-Slaying Strike!
The Slaughter King recognized the terrifying power of this move and desperately tried to block it. But the Dragon-Slaying Strike carried a trace of heavenly tribulation energy, which was especially effective against evil entities like him.
The Slaughter King held out for only a brief moment before the blade slashed diagonally across his body—from his left shoulder down to his right thigh.
A high-pitched, inhuman shriek tore from his throat as his soul power spiraled into chaos.
The current Slaughter King was nothing more than the Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King forcibly fused with a human body. After suffering such a grievous wound, the bat king could no longer suppress the original will of Tang Chen, resulting in this spiritual turmoil.
Seizing the moment, Fang Chang raised a hand—five Ice-Fire Demon Spears instantly materialized.
With a downward gesture, the spears shot forth, piercing the Slaughter King's legs, arms, and throat, nailing him firmly to the ground.
As the Slaughter King's life force rapidly drained and his resistance weakened, Fang Chang activated his Devour skill, consuming both the Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King and Tang Chen's soul.
Due to the fact that all the immortal herbs from the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well had been consumed by Fang Chang, Tang San no longer possessed the Bloody Swan's Kiss—meaning he couldn't destroy Slaughter City as he had in the original timeline.
Yet ironically, the moment he left, Slaughter City was destroyed by Fang Chang instead.
Meanwhile, Tang San, seeing the spider army drawing closer, chose the weakest point in their encirclement. He recklessly scattered a barrage of hidden weapons, forcing his way through.
Back in Slaughter City, Fang Chang had slaughtered nearly all the fallen inhabitants—yet there was no sign of Tang San.
The only familiar face he encountered was his former disciple, Tang Lin'er.
She recognized Fang Chang's aura from afar and ran toward him, completely ignoring the terrifying spider soul beasts around him.
Surprisingly, she had been doing quite well here. According to her, she had achieved 99 consecutive victories in the arena. Had Fang Chang arrived any later, she would have entered the Hell Road.
It was at this moment that the smaller spiders relayed a message—a man skilled in using strange, poison-laced weapons had escaped.
Fang Chang immediately understood. That has to be Tang San.
Without hesitation, he ordered the spider army to pursue the fleeing man at all costs—alive if possible, dead if necessary.