"What! What did you say!" Upon hearing the child's words, Tang San's eyes instantly turned bloodshot. His hands gripped the child's shoulders so tightly he nearly lifted him off the ground.
Terrified by his reaction, the child burst into loud sobs. The other children following behind immediately scattered in all directions, shouting as they ran, "Help! Help! The scary uncle eats kids!"
Snapped back to his senses by their cries, Tang San quickly set the child down and fled before any adults could gather.
He sprinted toward the execution ground, his pace growing increasingly frantic. Xiao Wu was now his only reason to keep living.
In the few short years he had been away, nearly all his family and friends in this world had been slaughtered. And now, even Xiao Wu was about to...
The thought made him run even faster. Just then, dark clouds gathered overhead, and a torrential downpour began. His foot slipped in the mud, sending him sprawling face-first, but he scrambled back up and kept running.
After about ten minutes, Tang San finally reached the execution ground. A sizable crowd had already gathered, their attention fixed on the center of the site—a raised platform about two meters high.
At the center of that platform, tied to a thick iron pillar nearly two meters in diameter, was a young human girl.
She wore prisoner's garb, with no visible wounds, but her face was gaunt and exhausted. Even her normally neat hair was now a tangled mess.
"Xiao... Xiao Wu." Tang San couldn't help but whisper the name he had longed for day and night. Fortunately, the noisy crowd drowned out his voice.
As if sensing his presence, Xiao Wu lifted her head and looked in his direction. With great effort, she shook her head weakly.
The movement exposed the deep, bloody gashes around her neck—marks left by the shackles.
Tang San understood. She was warning him not to try saving her.
But how could he possibly obey?
Almost at the same moment, the crowd across from him parted, making way for a group of extravagantly dressed figures.
At the forefront was Xue Beng, the newly crowned emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire. Close behind him were Fang Chang and an elderly man, followed by a procession of nobles and high-ranking officials.
Fang Chang's gaze swept over the crowd before settling on Xiao Wu. She was his trump card against Tang San—as long as she was here, Tang San would have no choice but to take the bait.
The group ascended the northern side of the execution platform and took their seats on the prepared chairs. Xue Beng occupied the central position, with Fang Chang seated to his right.
"Emissary of the Spider God, shall we begin?" Xue Beng asked respectfully.
Now a devout follower of the Spider God Cult, he treated Fang Chang with utmost reverence.
"Mm. Proceed." Fang Chang gave a slight nod.
At his command, Xue Beng raised his right hand. A red-robed official on the platform saw the gesture and immediately announced the start of the execution.
The crowd erupted in cheers. Over the past six months, the soul beasts had caused endless chaos, plunging both empires into turmoil.
The Heaven Dou Empire, under the protection of the Spider God Cult, had fared slightly better. But the Star Luo Empire to the south had nearly been annihilated by the soul beasts. In such times, the public execution of a 100,000-year soul beast was a spectacle the people eagerly welcomed.
"Hurry up and kill that beast!"
"I want to see if she turns back into her true form after death!"
"The meat of a 100,000-year rabbit must be delicious!"
The spectators pointed and jeered at Xiao Wu, their voices blending into a cacophony of cruelty.
Their words stoked Tang San's fury, but he felt utterly powerless.
The commoners were insignificant, but the platform was heavily guarded, with numerous powerful figures in attendance.
Tang San never expected Emperor Xue Beng himself to oversee the execution. With such a grand setup, his chances of rescuing Xiao Wu were nearly nonexistent.
At a glance, the platform was surrounded by at least 500 soul masters—mostly elite imperial guards.
On the platform itself, there were at least three Soul Douluo-level experts. And that mysterious Spider God Emissary was likely a Title Douluo, if not stronger than Tang Hao.
Moreover, through the effect of his Blue Silver Domain, Tang San could sense that many among the "commoners" were actually disguised soul masters.
Even at his peak, breaking through such defenses would be nearly impossible. Now, with his injuries still lingering, the situation was even more dire.
After his fall from the cliff, his external wounds had healed thanks to his "Spring Breeze Rebirth" ability, but his internal injuries still hampered him.
The wooden platform shuddered as a massive executioner—standing over 1.9 meters tall and weighing at least 300 pounds—approached Xiao Wu.
With one enormous hand, he pressed her head down, exposing her slender neck. Under his grip, her head looked like a teapot being handled carelessly.
The executioner accepted a broadsword and a jug of wine from his assistant. He took a swig, then spat a mouthful onto the blade.
Wiping the blade clean with his sleeve, he turned to the red-robed official, awaiting the final order.
Seeing that preparations were complete, the official hurried to Xue Beng's side.
"Your Majesty, we are ready to proceed. Shall we...?"
Xue Beng seemed hesitant, but the thought that Xiao Wu was a soul beast steeled his resolve. He glanced at Fang Chang.
"Spider God Envoy, then we shall...?"
"Execute her." Fang Chang yawned, utterly indifferent to Xiao Wu's fate. He was certain Tang San would appear today.
Even if he didn't, once he learned that Xiao Wu had been executed by the Heaven Dou royalty, his hatred would ensure he'd seek vengeance later.
And when he did, Fang Chang would be waiting.
"Understood." Xue Beng nodded deferentially before turning back to the official with a stern expression.
"Proceed. The people are watching."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" The red-robed official rushed back to his position, grabbed a command token, and flung it onto the platform.
"Execute!"
The executioner, now that formalities were complete, raised his blade high and aimed for Xiao Wu's exposed neck.
With no other choice left, Tang San leaped from the crowd and hurled three walnut-sized hidden weapons.
Three streaks of cold light shot forth—one striking the executioner's hand, another the blade, and the last his head.
The sword clattered to the ground, and the executioner swayed before collapsing heavily onto the platform.
"Assassin!"
Instantly, the 500 guards encircled Tang San, while the disguised soul masters among the crowd—nearly 200 of them—summoned their martial souls and charged.
Tang San had intended to rush the platform, grab Xiao Wu, and escape. But just as he reached the edge, a bolt of lightning struck him down, sending him crashing back.
Now, stranded below the platform and still over ten meters from Xiao Wu, he found himself surrounded by hundreds of soul masters—trapped in a hopeless dead end.