Soul Land V: Rebirth of Tang San

"Why 'again'? This Jin Miaolin standing before him, back then with the support of the Tree Ancestor's Power, had also slain the Diamond Elf King."

"No, was the Diamond Elf King truly killed by the Tree Ancestor's Power? At this very moment, Xu Anyu suddenly felt a huge question mark form in his mind."

"Just now, when he thrust his spear through the body of the Dark Demon Great Demon Emperor, he hadn't encountered the slightest resistance. But before that, the Dark Demon Great Demon Emperor had been completely restrained by Tang San! What kind of power was this? To control an Emperor to the extent that they couldn't move a muscle? Only now did he finally understand—during the final confrontation of the Contest for the Emperor's Position, Tang San hadn't even used his full strength. If back then he had still harbored some disbelief, now, at this very moment, he was thoroughly convinced."

"But it wasn't just him who found this unbelievable. Pretty Girl looked at the Asura God's Sword in her hand, then at Tang San, who was smiling and nodding at her. 'I've slain an Emperor?' she thought. 'Did I really kill an Emperor? The Dark Demon Great Demon Emperor fell at my hands?'"

"The darkness in the sky gradually dissipated, replaced by a blood-red hue that spread across the heavens. The fall of an Emperor brought torrents of blood rain, and mournful dragon roars echoed through the air."

"The only Emperor of the Dragon Clan had fallen, slain above Crystal City."

"This battle, taking place under the watchful eyes of all in Crystal City, had been witnessed by the entire Dragon Clan. The three Quasi-Emperors who had just claimed the top three positions in the Contest for the Emperor's Position at the Ancestral Court had, together, slain the Dark Demon Great Demon Emperor."

"Even the Dragon Clan Great Elder Liu Weichao was utterly stunned, staring at the sky in disbelief. The strong warriors of the Darkness Dragon Clan were frozen with fear, terror written across their faces. The Emperor, whom they previously thought invincible, had actually fallen. Had truly fallen."

"With the truth before their eyes, there was no room for doubt. The shock of this reality was made even more poignant by the blood rain."

"Xu Anyu caught the Bead of Misfortune and the Demon Weapon Long Knife as they floated through the air. At this moment, Tang San had already approached him. 'Brother Xu, congratulations,' Tang San said."

"Xu Anyu's lips curved into a faint, bitter smile. 'To be honest, I imagined countless times in my mind when I might one day be able to kill him, but I never thought I could actually achieve it. Brother Jin, from now on, you are a great benefactor to the Dragon Clan and a good ally we can rely on. On behalf of the Dragon Clan, thank you, Brother Jin, and thank you, City Lord Mei.'"

"Pretty Girl just nodded slightly at him. The next moment, she transformed into a beam of silver light and disappeared without a trace. She didn't enjoy the feeling of blood rain falling from the heavens."

"Tang San said in a deep voice, 'Although the Dragon Clan now temporarily has no Emperor, unity under a single voice is the most vital thing for the future of the race. Brother Xu, you're going to be very busy next. Not just with Crystal City, but also with Black Dragon City—that place will need you to take charge. And you must ascend to Emperor as soon as possible to have the authority to hold everything together. The promise I made to you back then has now been fulfilled.'"

"Xu Anyu was initially taken aback but quickly understood the meaning behind Tang San's last sentence."

"After the Contest for the Emperor's Position ended, Xu Anyu had once told Tang San that he hoped there would still be some space left for him when Tang San and Pretty Girl ascended to Emperor. At that time, Tang San had readily agreed. And now, with another Emperor dead, that space was undoubtedly there! This Emperor's rank, after all, was even higher than that of the Diamond Elf King."

"For the Dragon Clan as a whole, the fall of an Emperor was undoubtedly a massive calamity. Yet, as Tang San said, for the future of the Dragon Clan, unity was paramount."

"Tang San said, 'Brother Xu, I won't linger much longer. Later, I will send two Demon King-level Elders to assist you. When you are reorganizing Black Dragon City, I hope you can locate the remains of my clan's Elder and return them to us. Afterward, I will head to Jiali City to formally propose marriage to City Lord Mei. The union of our two major cities should have its wedding ceremony held in the Ancestral Court. At that time, please join us for a drink.'"

"By now, Xu Anyu's thoughts had regained some stability. Smiling, he replied, 'Of course. I will prepare a grand gift to celebrate your union. Brother Jin, although words cannot convey the depth of my gratitude, I must still sincerely thank you. Everything you've done for the Dragon Clan will be remembered forever. From today onwards, Brother Jin, you are the honorary city lord of Crystal City. Whenever you need, my clan will be at your command.'"

"Tang San laughed heartily and said, 'Brother Xu, you flatter me. I wouldn't dare say 'command.' As always, may our two clans watch over and support each other. Give my regards to the Great Elder on my behalf.'"

"Having said that, he waved at Xu Anyu, and the Ferocious Dragon flapped its dragon wings, carrying Tang San as it soared into the distance."

"Watching Tang San leave, Xu Anyu found himself still unable to calm his emotions. Then he suddenly realized something and opened his mouth to call out in Tang San's direction, but it was already too late."

"Tang San had helped him slay his greatest enemy, yet the Bead of Misfortune and the Demon Weapon Long Knife had ended up in his own hands. These spoils of war should have been shared with Tang San—or perhaps entirely given to him."

"The Great Elder Liu Weichao and numerous strong members of the Dragon Clan had already taken to the sky, arriving by Xu Anyu's side."

"The expressions on all the Dragon Clan Elders were unusual at that moment."

"One of their Emperors had fallen. If before, people had merely regarded the three Quasi-Emperors as possessing strength close to that of an Emperor, now, the circumstances had changed. They could truly be said to possess the power to slay an Emperor."

"Defeating an Emperor and killing an Emperor were entirely different concepts. The three of them, working together, had managed to kill the Dark Demon Great Demon Emperor. This meant that even before ascending to Emperor, they each had the strength to contend with weaker Emperors."

"Suddenly, Liu Weichao raised his voice and declared, 'We pay respects to the Dragon Master!'"

"Hearing this, the other Elders immediately came to their senses. They all bowed together and loudly said, 'We pay respects to the Dragon Master!'"

"When the Dark Demon Great Demon Emperor was still alive, Xu Anyu had barely managed to become the city lord of Crystal City. But now that the Dark Demon Great Demon Emperor was dead, Xu Anyu, being a Quasi-Emperor, was undoubtedly the number one figure within the Dragon Clan, making him the rightful Dragon Master."

"Xu Anyu took a deep breath to steady his emotions and then addressed the Elders, 'Thank you all for your support over the years. I, Anyu, will not let you down and will surely lead our clan to new heights of glory.'"

"At this moment, his spirits lifted as well. Though there were still many aftermath issues to handle, particularly in Black Dragon City, there were no more obstacles within the Dragon Clan. The immense mountain that had weighed on him for so long had finally been shattered. Everything would now proceed smoothly."

"The warriors of the Darkness Dragon Clan were temporarily held in Crystal City for containment. After discussing with Liu Weichao, Xu Anyu decided to quickly proceed to take over Black Dragon City to ensure the complete submission of the Darkness Dragon Clan. At the same time, preparations had to be made to report the fall of an Emperor to the Ancestral Court—a fact impossible to conceal."

…

"'Are you heading to the Ancestral Court now?' Pretty Girl asked, startled, as she looked at Tang San."

"Tang San nodded and replied, 'With an Emperor fallen, news will reach the Ancestral Court immediately. I need to go and make my position known. You should head back to Jiali City and wait for me. Once I leave the Ancestral Court, I'll go straight to Jiali City.'"

"'Alright,' she replied. 'I really didn't expect that I would actually have the power to kill an Emperor. But just now, you used Disorderly Storm. Won't the Dragon Clan notice anything suspicious?'"

"Tang San smiled and said, 'Even if they do, it doesn't matter. We are a great benefactor to Xu Anyu and an even greater one to the Dragon Clan as a whole. With the Dragon Clan now without an Emperor, they will inevitably suffer from significant pressure. Under such circumstances, they will be desperate for our support. Even if they suspect something, they will have no choice but to accept it. And certainly, they would never report anything negative about us to the Ancestral Court. The situation is now very much within our control.'"

"Pretty Girl sighed and said, 'I never thought we could challenge an Emperor so soon.'"

"Tang San smiled faintly and said, 'This is only the beginning.'"

…