Page 492

"Xiaoya, no matter what decision you make, I will be by your side." Beibei comforted Tang Ya, taking her fair hand and smiling slightly.

After the Sun Moon Empire unified the Douluo Continent, suppressing anything related to Tang San had become politically correct. Bei Bei and Tang Ya had also tried to promote the Tang Sect in Shrek City, but the results were disappointing. The obstacles they encountered were greater than they had anticipated.

Ten years of hard work and dedication ultimately amounted to nothing. In the end, they were forced to leave Shrek City and come to Heaven Dou City, the birthplace of the Tang Sect.

The only consolation for Tang Ya and Bei Bei was that the Tang Clan's residence in Tian Dou City was still intact. This was because Xu Zihuang had helped Tang Ya reclaim it from the Iron Blood Sect years ago.

"Beibei, thank you."

Tang Ya's eyes regained some of their light, and she gently pursed her red lips, a charming and playful smile appearing on her pretty face. It was as if she had returned to twenty years ago, to the time when they first met at Shrek Academy.

"Over the past ten years, I've actually come to a realization. I will no longer be so obsessive about promoting and expanding the Tang Clan, doing something I know is impossible. I believe my parents are still here, and they would definitely say the same thing to me. It's time to live in the present. Now, I only hope to pass on this Tang Clan mansion that my parents left me to our children. After that, let's go see Tianhuang one last time."

Beibei scrutinized Tang Ya for a moment, and a sense of relief suddenly appeared on her smile. Then she muttered in a resentful tone.

"Tianhuang is three years younger than us, and his children are all over ten years old. Poor me, I'm still a virgin."

"You little brat, what do you mean by that?! Do you think I'm not—" Tang Yaxing glared at him, pouting and scolding him playfully.

Beibei quickly stopped Tang Ya, preventing her from uttering those two words.

"Xiaoya, watch the occasion. How can you still be so out of touch?"

Tang Ya gave a soft hum, but she also knew that the problem lay with her all these years. She silently tightened the grip of her right hand, which was intertwined with Bei Bei's.

Just then, Tang Ya, turning her head, noticed a limping middle-aged man pushing a grilled fish cart passing by them. Judging from the man's wrinkled skin, he looked very old, and his graying black hair tangled around his face. His deep blue eyes were much more weathered than those of his age.

However, the grilled fish on the grilled fish cart was very clean and smelled delicious.

"Uncle, two grilled fish, please." Despite her advancing age, Tang Ya's love of food remained unchanged. Having only eaten some dry rations on her way to Tian Dou City, she couldn't resist the aroma of grilled fish any longer. She stopped the limping middle-aged man with a beaming smile, her mouth watering.

The limping middle-aged man subconsciously raised his head to look at Tang Ya and Bei Bei, a slight ripple seeming to appear in his numb eyes. Bei Bei keenly noticed this, her brows furrowing slightly.

Tang Ya, however, was focused on the grilled fish and didn't notice anything.

After taking two grilled fish and paying for them, Tang Ya, Bei Bei, and the lame middle-aged man passed each other.

Tang Ya handed one of the grilled fish to Bei Bei and immediately took a bite.

"Delicious! Beibei, you should try some too, this grilled fish tastes really good!" Tang Ya's eyes lit up, and she ate with gusto, her mouth dripping with oil. Then, she seemed to realize something and suddenly turned around. For some reason, she felt that the taste of the grilled fish was somewhat familiar.

But the lame middle-aged man pushing the grilled fish cart had already disappeared into the dense crowd.

Tang Ya looked away and asked Bei Bei beside her, "Bei Bei, doesn't this grilled fish taste familiar?"

"You've eaten countless kinds of delicious food over the years, so it's not normal for them to taste similar," Bei Bei teased, her deep eyes regaining their clarity.

Tang Ya blushed slightly and glared at Bei Bei.

"Hate!"

Beibei smiled without saying a word and left with Tang Ya.

At the other end of the street, a middle-aged man with a limp used the money he earned from selling grilled fish to buy a bottle of the cheapest ale, which he then gulped down several mouthfuls. Numbed by the cheap alcohol, he alternated between crying and laughing. His figure was颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it implies a state of listlessness, decadence, and apathy) and forlorn.

Once upon a time, he considered himself extraordinary, believing he could become a super strongman to avenge his mother. But after entering the so-called number one academy on the continent, he suffered repeated setbacks and began to lament the injustice of fate.

He left the academy and betrayed his sect, all in pursuit of power. But in the end, it was all just a joke.

While returning home to pay respects to his mother, his martial soul was destroyed by his enemy. He survived by sheer luck, but then, due to unintentionally provoking a powerful soul master, his leg was forcibly broken.

His story begins with grilled fish and will end with grilled fish.

Chapter 561 No Regrets

Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy

After Xu Zihuang led the Sun Moon Empire to unify the Douluo Continent, almost everything at Shrek Academy was scrapped and started from scratch.

The statues of the original Shrek Seven Devils at the main entrance of Shrek Academy were all destroyed, and even Sea God Lake was filled in and expanded into the new campus of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. Even the Sea God Pavilion was forcibly demolished by the Sun Moon Empire, leaving only the Golden Tree behind.

All influence from Tang San is being erased. Moreover, the Sun Moon Empire has revealed the crimes Tang San committed back then.

Tang San overthrew the Spirit Hall and destroyed the City of Slaughter, yet did nothing about it, directly leading to the continent being ravaged by evil spirit masters for thousands of years. Perhaps in Tang San's eyes, the living beings on the continent were merely tools to achieve his plans. In Xu Zihuang's memories of his previous life, ten thousand years later, Tang San even deliberately brought the Abyss, plunging the continent into misery once again.

The Sun Moon Empire's establishment of the Angelic Temple on the continent to search for and eradicate evil spirit masters stands in stark contrast to Tang San's actions. It is foreseeable that Tang San will be forever infamous in future generations.

The Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy naturally abandoned the original Shrek Academy emblem, replacing it with the golden sun and silver moon pattern symbolizing the Sun Moon Empire's royal family.

Golden sunlight pierced the sky, pouring down from the clouds. Bathed in its dazzling golden light, the grand Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy gained an air of magnificence. Especially striking was the towering gold and silver cloud-topped building erected on the ruins of the former Seagod Island, its tip seemingly reaching into the heavens.

Zhang Lexuan wore a bright silver long dress, embroidered with luxurious silver moon patterns, which accentuated her perfect figure. The passage of time had not left any trace on her stunningly beautiful face; a pair of silver-rimmed glasses perched on her fair and delicate nose added to her intellectual beauty.

The top floor is Zhang Lexuan's private dean's office. The office spans over 500 square meters, and every corner utilizes the Sun Moon Empire's most advanced soul-guiding technology. One wall is entirely constructed of transparent, deep blue crystal.

Zhang Lexuan rose from her chair and walked to the crystal wall, gazing quietly into the distance. Ten years had passed, and Shrek City had nearly doubled in size, but whether the name Shrek City could continue to endure remained uncertain.

Over the past decade, she has also figured out her true origins. Her mother was indeed from the royal family of the Sun Moon Empire, and she had a very close blood relationship with Kong Deming.

The reason the Sun Moon Empire had failed to unify the continent before, besides its fear of Shrek Academy, was largely due to the long-standing instability within its royal family. In the year that He Caitou's father ascended the throne, a civil war erupted within the royal family. The member who rebelled possessed the Martial Soul of Silver Moon, thus implicating the entire Silver Moon family.

This is also due to historical reasons. The only martial soul originally inherited by the Sun Moon Empire's royal family was the Sun. The Silver Moon Martial Soul and the Purple Emperor Annihilation Dragon Martial Soul were forcibly acquired later through marriage alliances.

Ten thousand years ago, the soul guidance technology on the Sun Moon Continent was far less advanced than it is now. Just like on the Douluo Continent back then, everything was determined by martial souls. Those who mastered the inheritance of powerful martial souls naturally made the rule of the Sun Moon Empire's royal family more stable. However, because of the different martial souls inherited by members of the royal family, different factions could easily emerge.

This inevitably led to turmoil.

Zhang Lexuan's mother was implicated in the internal strife within the Sun Moon Empire's royal family. She fled all the way to the Heavenly Soul Empire, where she eventually changed her name and married a minor nobleman, giving birth to Zhang Lexuan.

As Elder Mu said, tracing back to their roots, Zhang Lexuan and Xu Zihuang share the same clan. However, their blood ties are not particularly close, as they are separated by countless generations.

Not far behind Zhang Lexuan, space suddenly distorted. Xu Zihuang, dressed in a gold and silver robe, quietly appeared there.

Xu Zihuang's appearance remained the same as ten years ago, but as his understanding of his own divine position and abilities deepened, the ethereal feeling he gave off became increasingly intense. Of course, this was also due to his attainment of a second divine position.

The strange phenomenon of dark clouds gathering and thunder raging across the continent was caused by his reshaping of the position of the Thunder God.

However, his second divine position is not purely that of the God of Thunder; he also incorporates his own abilities and insights. His true second divine position is called the Annihilation Thunder God.

Upon attaining the status of the Annihilation Thunder God, eight black halos appeared behind Xu Zihuang. This signified that the Annihilation Thunder God's divine position was far more powerful than that of an ordinary first-level deity, possessing the potential to evolve into a Supreme God-King.

As for the other two unusual phenomena, they were due to Ye Guyi, who inherited the Angel God's robes, and Ning Tian, ​​who received the inheritance of the God of Love.

Thor perished on the Douluo Continent in ancient times, and Xu Zihuang could only recreate him, which also consumed the faith power of the Douluo Continent. This is almost equivalent to a kind of alternative self-created godhood.

However, the situation with the Angel God was different. Although Qian Renxue's divine position was shattered ten thousand years ago, her lineage had not actually been severed.

Xu Zihuang, carrying Ye Guyi across time and space, obtained the inheritance of the Angel God from Qian Renxue. Later, Ye Guyi used the power of faith to restore the Angel God's divine position.

The God of Love, whom Ning Tiancheng achieved, is also a first-level deity. The lineage of the God of Love resides within the Valley of Love and Destiny.

Ning Tian's talent is no less than Ning Rongrong's back then, and she also possesses the Qiluo Tulip, a spirit with 100,000 years of cultivation. Ah Yin's divine-level spirit ring and spirit bone further enhance her foundation.

Later, Xu Zihuang took Ning Tian through endless time and space to train and temper his mind. In the end, as expected, Ning Tian successfully became a first-level god, the Goddess of Love, without any major incidents.

Sensing Xu Zihuang's arrival, Zhang Lexuan silently turned around and met his gaze. A slight ripple stirred in her usually calm and gentle eyes.

She has been bound by all sorts of constraints throughout her life. Since her entire family was wiped out, she has never lived a day for herself.

Initially, Zhang Lexuan was bound by hatred, but she was also bound by her promise and gratitude to Elder Mu as she begged him to avenge her. Although Elder Mu later told her he hoped she could let go of that promise, she still poured her heart and soul into Shrek Academy, wanting to repay Elder Mu's kindness. In the end, at Elder Mu's request, she became the dean of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.

Over the past decade, Xu Zihuang would often visit her privately, chatting like senior and junior students from back then. Xu Zihuang never offered her any words of advice, but she knew in her heart that Xu Zihuang was the only one who understood her, or rather, that he empathized with her because of their similar experiences.

"Senior Sister, that's enough." Xu Zihuang slowly walked to Zhang Lexuan's side, taking in the magnificent view of the entire Shrek City through the deep blue crystal wall.

"Are you prepared to spend your entire life bound like this?"

Zhang Lexuan pursed her red lips and pondered for a long time, without giving a direct answer to the question. Then she noticed Xu Zihuang's expression, and her heart skipped a beat, as if she had guessed something.

"Tianhuang, you..."

"I'm leaving," Xu Zihuang said calmly, his eyes opening and closing.

"This world is not my final destination."

Zhang Lexuan was slightly taken aback, but quickly calmed herself down and wasn't too surprised. She knew that Xu Zihuang leaving Douluo Continent was inevitable.

However, upon hearing the news, she felt a sense of emptiness, as if she had lost something in an instant.

"Then where will I end up?" Zhang Lexuan murmured to herself, a bitter and self-deprecating smile appearing deep in her eyes as she recalled her past experiences.

Like Xu Zihuang, who also suffered the tragedy of her entire family being wiped out in her childhood, she remained steadfast in her goal and reclaimed everything that was rightfully hers. Yet, she never truly lived for herself.

Just then, Zhang Lexuan seemed to be touched by something, her delicate body trembled slightly, and she involuntarily looked at Xu Zihuang.

Even she herself didn't realize that Xu Zihuang had already left a deep impression on her. Compared to Beibei, Xu Zihuang was undoubtedly far superior. The change in her mindset back then was also due to Xu Zihuang's appearance.

The companionship they've shared over the past decade has fostered a deep connection between their hearts.

While Zhang Lexuan was still in a daze, Xu Zihuang grabbed her fair and smooth wrist and pressed her against the crystal wall.

Xu Zihuang knew exactly what he wanted. He had always harbored feelings for his senior sister, Zhang Lexuan, and could act as he pleased without needing to suppress himself. Given Zhang Lexuan's personality, she certainly wouldn't actively break this bond, especially considering the significant age difference between them. Moreover, Zhang Lexuan had other concerns as well.

The usually dignified and gentle Zhang Lexuan, experiencing such contact from a man for the first time, adopted a slightly humiliating posture. A captivating blush instantly spread across her cheeks, making her appear even more shy. She instinctively wanted to struggle.

"Heavenly Emperor—"

"Senior Sister, stop deceiving yourself and follow your heart." Xu Zihuang smiled gently and then leaned down to get closer to Zhang Lexuan's beautiful face.

His words seemed to possess an invisible magic, causing Zhang Lexuan to stop struggling, her eyes becoming hazy. In the instant their breaths mingled, Zhang Lexuan's entire body stiffened, but then relaxed, completely unguarded.

Zhang Lexuan was thinking about Xu Zihuang's impending departure from Douluo Continent, and that today would be their last meeting. Her emotions still prevailed; she decided to treat this as a final indulgence before parting, not wanting to have any regrets.

Chapter 562 Meeting with Beibei and Tang Ya

Sunset and moonrise.

The silver moon hangs high in the night sky, casting a hazy, veil-like glow.

Her long, black hair cascaded over Zhang Lexuan's fragrant shoulders, sliding down her fair skin. Ten years had passed, and she had long since broken through to the Super Douluo realm. Although she was more than ten years older than Xu Zihuang, her appearance and the smoothness of her skin were no different from when she was in her twenties. The passage of time had only given her a unique charm, making it impossible for anyone not to be captivated by her beauty.

Xu Zihuang sat on the soft, wide sofa, his arms around Zhang Lexuan, his hands gently caressing her smooth skin. After a moment, he lowered his head and pressed his face against Zhang Lexuan's snow-white neck.

Feeling the warm breath on his neck, Zhang Lexuan couldn't help but tremble slightly. But thinking that her relationship with Xu Zihuang had already crossed this line, she relaxed. However, she still felt a sense of unreality.

"Zihuang," Zhang Lexuan murmured, subconsciously changing how she addressed Xu Zihuang.

However, Xu Zihuang preferred the title of "Senior Sister," and cupped Zhang Lexuan's cheek with one hand, their breaths mingling once more.

"What's wrong, Senior Sister?"

Zhang Lexuan's consciousness became hazy again, and she completely forgot what she was about to say.

Xu Zihuang stopped teasing Zhang Lexuan and said with a smile, "Senior Sister, I know what you're thinking. I am indeed preparing to leave the continent, but I have never thought of separating from you. From today onwards, you can no longer regret it. With the divine position I have inherited, I am qualified to bring you into the divine realm with me."