"What do you want… to release her?" Goku's tone was calm as he looked at Hun Tiandi. In his eyes, Hun Tiandi was already a dead man. If not for Ruo Lin's safety, he would have struck long ago. Though Goku had absolute confidence in his strength, Ruo Lin's soul was bound by that strange, eerie chain. If Hun Tiandi willed it, her soul would scatter instantly. Even with Goku's power to revive the dead, against soul annihilation he was helpless. He could not risk it.
'If only I had brought Ruo Lin into the Inner Academy as well.'
Goku sighed inwardly. All the women he cared about were already within his dimensional ring, but through one careless oversight, Ruo Lin had been left outside. And now, because of that single lapse, he was being threatened by someone he saw as no more than an insect. The feeling was unbearable.
Hun Tiandi's gaze flickered as he stared at the Nascent Emperor Pill in Goku's hand, his voice low and sharp.
"You know what I want. Hand over the pill."
Goku's lips curved in a faint, mocking smile.
"Exchange an Emperor-tier Nascent Pill for a single woman? Do you think I'm a fool? Hun Tiandi, you've got nerve—I'll give you that. To gamble your own life on a hostage. I almost admire your courage."
Hun Tiandi's expression stiffened. A chill swept down his spine.
'Could I have misjudged? Is she truly not his weakness?'
Ruo Lin's face grew pale, her expression dim.
'Of course… how could I compare to something like the Emperor Nascent Pill? Anyone would make the same choice.'
And yet… Though she tried to rationalize it, her heart ached with disappointment and sorrow. The faint stirrings of warmth she once felt began to freeze over.
Hun Tiandi's face twisted with a cruel grin.
"Oh? So I was mistaken? You really don't care for her? Then having her buried with you will be just as well."
The chain rattled as it tightened, dragging at Ruo Lin's soul. Pain spread across her face, her body trembling.
"You win. Let her go." Goku frowned, but without hesitation tossed the Emperor Nascent Pill toward Hun Tiandi.
Hun Tiandi caught it eagerly, his aura surging wildly, dark mist thickening as he trembled with excitement.
"Heh heh… looks like I gambled correctly after all…"
"You idiot! That's the Emperor Nascent Pill—you can't give it away just for me!" Ruo Lin's eyes widened, her heart flooding with warmth even as she cried out.
But before she could continue, Goku cut her off with a faint smile.
"To me, that pill isn't worth a single strand of your hair."
Ruo Lin's pupils shrank. Her heart skipped violently, her pale cheeks flushing a soft crimson. The words left her flustered, her breath uneven.
"Y-You… idiot. Don't think saying something like that will make me happy… I-I'm not one of those naïve girls you can just fool with sweet words…"
Yet even as she protested, her heart betrayed her. Goku's willingness to sacrifice something so precious for her touched her more deeply than she wanted to admit.
Watching from the Ring world, Xiao Yu pouted in annoyance.
"Tch! Looks like Mentor Ruo Lin's fallen for him too."
"What do you mean 'too'? Are you saying you have as well?" Ya Fei teased with a sultry smile.
Xiao Yu flushed scarlet, stammering. "D-Don't tease me! We're all in the same boat, aren't we?"
Ya Fei only laughed softly, her mature figure swaying with an alluring charm. "It's true… the longer we're around him, the harder it is not to be drawn in. Even I can't help but… like him a little."
---
Meanwhile, Hun Tiandi wasted no time. Without hesitation, he tilted back his head and swallowed the Emperor Nascent Pill whole.
"Has he gone mad…?" Zhu Kun stared in shock. To consume such a thing raw—wasn't that courting death?
Almost instantly, Hun Tiandi's body flared with radiant light. Waves of terrifying energy surged outward, shaking the space around him. For a short while, his strength would skyrocket—but soon after, the overwhelming power of the pill would turn on him, threatening to destroy both body and soul.
Yet Hun Tiandi did not hesitate. Passing Ruo Lin to the two elders at his side, he tore open a scroll, summoning a pitch-black space passage. With one last twisted grin, he stepped into it.
"Strongest of the continent… once I refine this pill and ascend into the Dou God's realm, I'll return to settle things. Until then, don't act rashly. Otherwise, that beautiful woman will die before your eyes. Hahaha!"
With mocking laughter, he vanished into the dark passage.
Goku's gaze lingered only a moment before turning to the two black-robed elders still holding Ruo Lin. His voice was icy.
"Your leader has the pill, and he's escaped. Now… hand her over."
The two exchanged uneasy glances. Goku's pressure was suffocating, robbing them of breath. After a long silence, one finally stammered:
"Our orders… are only to delay you. Once the clan leader refines the pill, she will be released…"
"Is that so?" Goku's eyes turned cold. "Then you won't get the chance."
Before either could move, their bodies stiffened. Their pupils went blank. In the next moment, both collapsed lifelessly to the ground—their souls annihilated in silence.
Zhu Kun shivered, scalp prickling.
'Two six-star Saints… snuffed out without a trace. Just how terrifying is his soul power…?'
Goku caught Ruo Lin gently in his arms, concern softening his expression.
"Are you alright?"
"I-I'm fine. I'm sorry… for causing you trouble."
Her cheeks burned crimson as her heart pounded wildly. For the first time in her life, she was pressed against a man's chest, his embrace firm yet protective.
A soft glow flowed from Goku's palm, entering her body. Instantly, her complexion brightened, the injuries to her soul healing completely.
"You should return to my world. Xiao Yu and the others are waiting there."
"…Alright."
At her nod, he sent her safely inside. His expression immediately hardened, all tenderness vanishing into cold fury.
"This is the first time I've ever been this angry… Insects of the Soul Clan… are you ready to face my wrath?"
His voice echoed like a death knell, and with it surged an aura of utter destruction.
The entire continent shuddered. The earth split open. Volcanoes erupted. Thunder and lightning tore across storm-filled skies. The world itself seemed to tremble under his fury, as though doomsday had arrived.
"Has… has a god's wrath descended upon us…?"
The crushing aura spread across every corner of the land, drowning it in fear. Commoners fell to their knees, weeping, repenting, praying.
Even the ancient, unshakable halls of the Dou God's Estate quaked violently. Walls cracked, towers collapsed—the whole domain trembling on the brink of ruin.
Zhu Kun sat frozen, face ashen, crushed beneath the closest waves of that terrible power. His body refused to move.
'This strength… it's beyond imagination. Could his rage really mean the end of the continent itself? What kind of monster have the Soul Clan provoked?'
---
Outside, Hun Tiandi staggered as the oppressive aura swept across the heavens. His face twisted, his earlier confidence wavering.
'Such power… can I really defeat this man? No… once I become a Dou God, I'll stand as his equal. I, Hun Tiandi, will never lose to anyone!'
Back within the estate, even the colossal stone statue of Tuoshe Ancient God cracked beneath Goku's unleashed fury.
Zhu Kun's eyes widened in disbelief. That statue was indestructible—he couldn't scratch it even with all his might. And yet, under nothing but the weight of Goku's aura, it was breaking apart.
'This strength… this is already beyond the Dou God realm. To shake the continent itself with just his presence… what manner of existence is this man?'
Then, a voice—ancient, aged, yet steady—resonated from the cracking statue.
"I never imagined… such an existence would appear in this world. Remarkable."
The air surged with searing heat. Flames coalesced, blooming into a massive lotus. Within it, an old man in dark robes took form, his presence overwhelming.
"Tuoshe!" Zhu Kun's voice trembled, his teeth grinding. The one who had imprisoned him for thousands of years now stood before them.
Goku's lip curled in disdain.
"So you're Tuoshe Ancient Emperor. You're uglier than I expected. And really… an old man sitting on a flower? That's disgusting."
"…You certainly don't hold back," Tuoshe said, his face twitching in embarrassment. In all his long life, no one had ever insulted him so bluntly. Were it not for the terrifying aura Goku radiated, he would have lashed out instantly.
"Enough nonsense. Hand over your legacy."
Tuoshe blinked, surprised. "With your strength, would you even need my legacy? If I'm not mistaken, you must be someone who shattered the void and descended from the upper realm…"
Zhu Kun froze, eyes wide.
'The upper realm? Then… to break through to Dou God means you can ascend beyond this world?'
"I'm not in the mood for chatter. Hand it over before I lose my patience." Goku's voice was sharp, his rage still simmering.
Tuoshe sighed, a bitter look on his face. "So be it. Against your strength, I have no choice."
The endless sea of flames churned, gathering into the shape of a glowing lotus seed the size of a fist.
"My legacy lies within this. Take it if you wish. Pass it to someone worthy, and my purpose will be fulfilled." With those words, his figure dimmed, then faded away.
With a thought, Goku drew the radiant lotus seed into his dimensional ring. He then turned toward the plaza, casually sweeping away every lesser Heavenly Flame bound to the stone pillars. Weak as they were, they were still true flames—and he saw no reason to leave them behind.
____
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