Douluo Dalu: Three-Headed Dragon King

In the blink of an eye, Xiao Wu arrived at Nuoding City.

The first time she entered the human world, she came to this small southwestern city in the Heaven Dou Empire and stayed for a full six years with Tang San at the Nuoding Primary Soul Master Academy.

Though she had lived in the Star Dou Great Forest for a hundred thousand years, those memories couldn't compare to the six years she had spent with Tang San. Staring at the bustling crowd around her, Xiao Wu couldn't help showing a smile of nostalgia, lost in memories of their days at the academy.

'I'm Xiao Wu, the "Wu" from dancing.'

'I don't care at all, so what are you afraid of? Still afraid I'll force myself on you?'

'You still want more? But I'm not giving you another chance.'

Thinking of Tang San's shy expression back then, the old bunny Xiao Wu couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm alive again, San-ge. Just wait, I'll come find you no matter what." Her sweet and lively smile drew attention from passersby, but she didn't care at all and turned toward the outskirts of Nuoding City, heading straight for Holy Soul Village.

The distance from Holy Soul Village to Nuoding City wasn't far. She followed the country path she had once walked. The further she went, the fewer ox carts she saw, and soon Xiao Wu reached her destination.

More than ten years had passed, but the appearance of the village hadn't changed much. Yet, it was no longer filled with the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking. There were fewer people walking between the cottages, and most puzzling of all, many once-fertile fields were now overgrown with weeds, completely barren.

Looking at the large stone etched with the characters "Holy Soul Village" and then at the desolate homes in the distance, Xiao Wu murmured, "Is this still the same Holy Soul Village I once visited? Where did everyone go?"

She followed the familiar road into the depths of the village, arriving at the front of the old blacksmith's shop. Back in her academy days, Tang San had brought her here, and they became sworn siblings. Over the years, the once-tidy house was now covered in weeds, its roof half-collapsed. In a few years, it might be swallowed entirely by the forest.

An old man passing by saw Xiao Wu standing in front of the ruined house and couldn't help but warn her. "Young lady, this isn't a safe place. If you have no business here, best not to stay."

Xiao Wu had grown into a poised young woman. The old man didn't recognize the girl who had briefly lived in Holy Soul Village many years ago.

But Xiao Wu clearly remembered the time she had spent here with Tang San. Her eyes lit up as she excitedly said to the old man, "Grandpa, wasn't Holy Soul Village once the wealthiest village for miles around? Why is it so desolate now?"

The old man looked her over and let out a long sigh. "Young lady, you must've been here before. Do you know the former village chief, Old Jack?"

"Of course I do. Chief Jack was famous for his kindness. Holy Soul Village thrived thanks to his tireless efforts."

"Old Jack died a few years back, right at the door of that blacksmith's shop. One blow through the heart…"

"How could someone kill him in broad daylight? Didn't the Spirit Hall hunt them down?" Xiao Wu's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Sigh…" The old man looked to the distant horizon and sighed again. "No one knows who did it, and the Spirit Hall isn't omnipotent. They couldn't catch the killer out of thin air. After Old Jack died, strange things kept happening in the village. Livestock went missing all the time. Even the Spirit Hall's steward was at a loss. People began to move away, and only us old fools who don't fear death stayed behind."

"What? Chief Jack is dead, and livestock went missing too? Could the killer still be lurking nearby all this time?"

"That's what everyone thinks, but soul masters never found the culprit. My old dog, Ah Huang, was with me for eighteen years. Most of his fur was gone, skin and bones, barely a few pounds of meat. Yet even he was stolen last night…" The old man flushed with grief as he recalled it, tears streaming down as he cursed the thief.

Xiao Wu stood silently to the side. Though her stay in the village had been short, she had spent months with Old Jack and couldn't help cursing in her heart: 'Bastard. To torment Holy Soul Village like this—you deserve to die!'

After the old man calmed down, Xiao Wu looked at the ruined blacksmith shop and anxiously asked the question she most wanted answered. "Grandpa, after the blacksmith left, did anyone else live here?"

The old man wiped his tears and said gravely, "Ever since he left, this place has been abandoned. No one's lived here for over a decade. When Old Jack was still around, he'd clean it up now and then. After he passed, it only took a few years for it to fall into ruins."

'San-ge never came back? Where is he now? With so many people on the Douluo Continent, how can I find him?' A wave of sadness surged through Xiao Wu's heart. She thought, 'I'm sorry, Chief Jack. I have to go find Tang San now. I don't have time to investigate your killer…'

After bidding the old man farewell, Xiao Wu turned and headed toward Heaven Dou City. As the empire's largest and most prosperous city, perhaps there she could find news of Tang San.

At the same time, deep in the forest behind Holy Soul Village, the crippled Tang Hao lazily rolled over.

His disability seemed to have deepened his degeneration. He was filthier now than he ever was as a blacksmith. His matted hair was like a bird's nest, his clothes unwashed and greasy. Nearby was a pile of animal bones reeking of rot. A few filthy rats scurried among the remains, but Tang Hao paid them no mind.

Picking up a dog leg with barely any meat left, he gnawed while muttering, "I went to all that trouble to sneak into Holy Soul Village and only caught an old mutt. Barely a few bites of tough meat. Next time I'll have to look somewhere else for food…"

Even though he still had the strength of a Soul Saint, his ability to hunt spirit beasts had greatly diminished. Ever lazy, Tang Hao had started targeting livestock in Holy Soul Village to save effort. In just a few years, he had practically emptied the village. But in his eyes, he was a noble member of the Clear Sky Clan, while the villagers were mere lowly commoners. Eating a few chickens, pigs, or dogs didn't count for much. The fact that he didn't kill the villagers was already his mercy.

———

In the grand hall of Heaven Dou's imperial palace, gold and jade gleamed under ornate architecture. Above hung a jade-carved swan, its long elegant neck stretching toward the distance, symbolizing the Snow family's inherited spirit—the Emerald Swan. In the center of the hall, a majestic throne carved from gold and jade stood tall. Behind it was a massive screen painting depicting the full map of the Heaven Dou Empire.

Qian Renxue and Yu Tianming sat leisurely on a luxurious bench that resembled a royal couch. Two Titled Douluos—Porcupinefish and Serpent Spear—stood respectfully nearby.

The heir to the Spirit Hall and the young master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan had already walked the same path—this was common knowledge among Spirit Hall elders. Though Yu Tianming had long been close to both Ning Rongrong of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and Dugu Yan, granddaughter of the Poison Douluo, the elders held no dissatisfaction with his divided affections.

On the contrary, rumors that Yu Tianming was also a divine candidate like Qian Renxue had made every elder in Spirit Hall completely satisfied with him.

Yu Tianming narrowed his eyes, nibbling on fruit as he asked beside him, "Xue'er, your cultivation has progressed quickly. You've completed the first eight Angel God trials and reached the Titled Douluo level. How much longer until you complete the final trial?"

"Thanks to the two immortal herbs you gave me, I should be able to pass the final trial within three years and become a true god. I even faintly sense that I might surpass the original Angel God's limits."

Yu Tianming nodded. Since Qian Renxue absorbed the Lovesick Heartbroken Red and the Star Luo Spirit Orb, her Six-Winged Angel had advanced further, gaining control over starlight and balancing hardness and softness. Though the core attributes of holiness, flame, and light hadn't grown significantly, her spirit was nearing an evolution.

The Angel God, like the Sea God, was a deity of faith, maintaining order on the Douluo Continent and protecting basic rights, but didn't actively gather believers. If they could now gather widespread faith, perhaps the Angel God could surpass its old limits and reach the heights of a God King like the Asura God.

"Xue'er, if you can become the Angel God soon, we need to accelerate the unification of the Heaven Dou Empire. Only by unifying the continent before you become a god and consolidating all faith can we ensure the Angel God advances further."

Qian Renxue nodded. "With support from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, and Spirit Hall, the integration is nearly complete. All the smaller kingdoms around Heaven Dou have been fully absorbed. With our rapid growth, the Star Luo Empire can barely contain itself. A war may erupt at any time."

"Star Luo's army may be strong, but this world ultimately follows the law of the strong. If the Dai Clan starts a war, it'll be the perfect chance to bring the whole continent under our control."

Qian Renxue shook her head slightly. "Tianming, you don't know. That woman's been pressing me to establish the Spirit Empire. But if we merge with Spirit Hall now, the truth about replacing the royal Snow family will come to light. It could jeopardize our plan for unification…"

Yu Tianming shook his head. "With the support of the three strongest powers—Blue Lightning, Seven Treasure, and Spirit Hall—those foolish nobles have already been eliminated. If anyone dares object when we change our banner now, we'll just send them to hell and stabilize the Spirit Empire once and for all."

Qian Renxue finally nodded. She stood, her golden hair flowing behind her, then slowly walked to the center of the hall. Turning to the two loyal Titled Douluos, she ordered:

"Serpent Spear, report to the Supreme Pontiff. The Heaven Dou Empire will soon become the Spirit Empire. Have her ready the soul masters of Spirit Hall."

"Porcupinefish, go spread rumors among the nobility that Xue Qinghe plans to give the empire to Spirit Hall. Watch their reactions. If anyone openly objects, no need to report—handle it yourself."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" ×2

As the two Titled Douluos left, only Yu Tianming and Qian Renxue remained in the massive hall.

Qian Renxue smiled faintly, brushing her hair back and lifting her skirts as she stepped lightly back to Yu Tianming's side. In a low voice, she said, "I heard that recently, Yu Xiaogang was killed by Zhao Wuji on the northern border over a theory dispute."

Yu Tianming already knew the truth, but played along. "Oh? How did you hear about it?"

"That crazy woman wrote to me about it. She wanted me to use Heaven Dou's full force to investigate. Can you believe it? She fell in love with that useless waste decades ago. Tianming, I heard Yu Xiaogang is your uncle. Will you avenge him?"

Yu Tianming shook his head. "You know our relationship was never good. Besides, his death isn't Zhao Wuji's fault. What matters now is whether Bibi Dong's Rakshasa inheritance will go awry."

"Oh? That waste's death could affect the Rakshasa God's inheritance?"

"The Rakshasa God is the ultimate evil deity. Bibi Dong qualified for the inheritance not only due to talent, but because of her overwhelming hatred. Yu Xiaogang's death may dramatically affect that resentment…"

"You're saying her hatred could grow stronger, accelerating the inheritance? The Rakshasa God is already among the strongest of first-tier gods. If she inherits it first, she'll be a dangerous wildcard."

Yu Tianming shook his head. "Or maybe she'll let go now that he's gone…"

———

While Yu Tianming and Qian Renxue discussed the effects of Yu Xiaogang's death, Tang San was already crossing central Heaven Dou, heading directly for the waterfall where Tang Hao had secluded himself.

(End of Chapter)

---

This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on Patreon.

Support me if you like this Fanfiction.

Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_

(Remove comma for dot.)

Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.