Douluo Continent: The Twin Sons of the Styx River, Shaking the World and Destroying the Heavens

Chapter 206 Xuanzi is arrested
As Zheng Zhan took out several bottles of rare medicines emitting a rich medicinal fragrance from his soul tool and handed them to the Sect Master of Yan Yu, he said in a deep voice, "As the judge, I am responsible for their deaths. The compensation they deserve will not be shortchanged, and we will do our best to provide them with follow-up medicines. We will not mistreat the children."

The Sect Master of Yanyu took the medicine bottle, his knuckles turning white from the force, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible: "This old man... thanks you."

He carefully picked up his unconscious eldest son, Yan Yalong, turned and left, his shadow stretching long in the setting sun, exuding an indescribable loneliness. He didn't even dare to look at his six tragically deceased nephews and nieces again, as if each glance would tear the wound in his heart open even more painfully.

The referee ultimately declared Haotian Sect the winner, a result that was never in doubt. However, this victory was like a boulder thrown into the crowd, stirring up countless complaints and discontent.

"We won, but the methods were too ruthless. This wasn't a competition; it was a massacre!"

"The Haotian Sect wasn't like this before, how did such a ruthless girl emerge from them?"

"Although the Flame Prison Sect was defeated, their defeat was pitiful..."

At this moment, the soul communication device on Zhang Peng's waist suddenly vibrated and emitted a faint buzzing sound.

He raised an eyebrow, reached out to answer the call, and held the communicator to his ear. The next second, Zhongli Wu's deep and urgent voice came through, carrying an unquestionable command: "Tang Wutong's temperament is extremely compatible with our sect, and she has the potential to become a saintess. I have taken a liking to her. After the competition, we will discuss how to snatch her away."

"Huh?" Zhang Peng was stunned, tilting his head instinctively, almost thinking he had misheard. "Sect Leader, you... have taken a liking to someone from the Haotian Sect again? But she's clearly a water-attribute cultivator, and just now I vaguely sensed a light-attribute aura. This doesn't quite fit our sect's style..."

"And don't be careless," Zhang Peng added into the communicator, his tone carrying a hint of warning. "That girl is no ordinary person. To be able to withstand the Yan Yu Sect's combination attack with a replica of the Sea God's Trident and unleash such near-divine power, it would be strange if she didn't have some kind of backing. Besides, Yan Shaozhe and the ten elders of the Haotian Sect are protecting her like the apple of their eyes. If they really want to take her away, it will probably cause quite a stir, and it won't be easy."

The fact that Haotian Sect advanced in such a brutal manner in its first battle was like a heavy blow to the hearts of all the participating teams.

The participating teams this time consisted mostly of sects and families from the original Three Kingdoms. Witnessing the Yan Yu Sect's dismal end, many felt a chill run down their spines. The elders leading the teams approached their disciples and clan members, earnestly admonishing them: "In the future, if you encounter Shrek Academy or Haotian Sect members, avoid them if possible. If you absolutely cannot avoid them, remember that survival is paramount; winning or losing is completely unimportant!"

For a time, the names of Haotian Sect and Shrek Academy became taboo on the field. Their domineering and tyrannical style made other sects secretly wary of them.

Ironically, the Sun Moon Empire, which had always been considered an "opponent," was now trying its best to stop the fighting and maintain order on the field thanks to the efforts of Zheng Zhan and others. One side was ruthless despite claiming to be orthodox, while the other side was a former enemy but was now trying to restrain the conflict. This scene undoubtedly became a dark comedy full of irony, leaving the onlookers with mixed feelings.

Meanwhile, outside a small village on the outskirts of the Sun Moon Empire, several figures were engaged in a thrilling chase.

Xuanzi staggered, yet still struggled to escape forward with all his might. The fluctuations of his soul power were chaotic and violent, faintly revealing the devouring aura of the Gluttonous Power and the Gluttonous Martial Soul. Although he had become a vessel for the Gluttonous Power, his consciousness had not dissipated—in fact, it could be said that he had willingly stepped into this situation, coexisting with that evil power.

Behind her, Xia Die's figure followed closely, her purple skirt billowing in the wind, her eyes filled with undisguised coldness and determination.

Not long ago, students of St. Freya Academy received a series of messages while traveling: several villages on the border of the Sun Moon Empire had been massacred, and the victims died in bizarre ways, as if their life essence had been devoured by some force, leaving not even their souls behind. These messages made Xia Die's heart tighten, and she immediately came to investigate herself.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they arrived near the village, they ran into Xuanzi, who was causing trouble, and caught him red-handed.

"Xuanzi, stop!" Xia Die's voice was as cold as ice, amplified by her soul power, and resonated throughout the surroundings. "The tragedies in those villages, were you responsible? Then come back with me."

Xuanzi whirled around, a flicker of struggle crossing his face before being replaced by a ravenous ferocity. He grinned, revealing a sinister smile: "So what if it is? This power... is quite delicious..."

Xia Die closed in a few more inches, her voice as cold as frost: "If it weren't for the fear of hurting the surrounding villagers, you wouldn't have the right to say another word to me."

"Xuanzi, do you think I can't do anything just because you're hiding near the villagers as a shield?"

Xia Die's voice suddenly rang out behind Xuan Zi, carrying a hint of cold mockery. Xuan Zi's heart skipped a beat, and he was about to turn around when the figure in front of him blurred, and Xia Die had vanished from sight. The next second, a gentle yet irresistible force came from the back of his neck—Xia Die had appeared behind him at some point, her slender hand moving with lightning speed, precisely striking the back of his head.

"Uh..." Xuanzi felt a roar in his mind, and the fierce aura of greed instantly dissipated. His body went limp, and he fell straight forward, crashing heavily to the ground and losing consciousness.

Xia Die grabbed Xuan Zi and flew away.

The atmosphere in the waiting area of ​​St. Freya Academy was somewhat heavy due to the brutal scene that had just unfolded on the field.

Jiu Li clenched her fists, her tone filled with indignation: "Shrek and Haotian Sect are too shameless! It's supposed to be a competition, but they're using such ruthless tactics! If we run into that Tang Wutong later, I'll make her taste the power of my attacks!"

Her companions around her nodded in agreement, clearly extremely dissatisfied with Tang Wutong's style of doing things, their eyes revealing a fighting spirit eager to try.

"Alright," Wang Dong'er said, her voice calm yet steady. "We'll run into Tang Wutong sooner or later. There's no point in talking about it now. Let her be smug for a while. The most important thing right now is to get in shape and prepare for the upcoming matches. When the time comes, we'll show our true abilities."

Her words calmed everyone down a bit. Jiu Li snorted, still unwilling, but said no more.

In his seat at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, Xiao Hongchen unusually put aside his usual casualness and lowered his voice to transmit a message to Meng Hongchen beside him: "Meng, if we encounter the Haotian Sect, I will fight them head-on with the Soul Guidance Cannon. The others are your responsibility. Give them some powerful poison."

"Don't worry, brother." Meng Hongchen twirled a strand of hair on his forehead, a faint smile on his face, but his words were cold and icy, a chilling light flashing deep in his bright eyes, "I not only want to poison those Haotian Sect Soul Masters, but I also want to take down that Tang Wutong as well, preferably so that she can never get up again."

Sensing the intense chill and killing intent emanating from his younger sister, Xiao Hongchen suddenly shuddered, pursed his lips, and remained silent, turning his attention to the arena. He knew all too well that Meng Hongchen's poison was now virtually incurable among those of the same level and unstoppable even across levels; that extreme poison was no joke.

He couldn't help but feel a glimmer of anticipation: if Meng could really poison that troublesome girl from the Haotian Sect to the ground, given the protective nature of Shrek Academy, Haotian Sect, and Tang Sect, they would definitely overturn the table on the spot, and then the competition would be quite exciting.

As his gaze swept over the Shrek Academy seats in the distance, Xiao Hongchen suddenly felt a strange loneliness welling up inside him. Treating these people as opponents was utterly boring and utterly uninteresting. Compared to what he and Xia Die had done over the past few years, what did Shrek's actions amount to?
Back then, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy was suppressed by these so-called "orthodox" schools for so many years, and was even forced to be "on par" with them, which was an immense humiliation. He narrowed his eyes slightly, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the edge of the soul tool, his emotions in his eyes complex and difficult to understand.

Xiao Hongchen's gaze swept around the high platform a few times before finally landing on Jing Hongchen. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind—besides this Soul Fighting Tournament, there was another, even more exciting event hidden underground in Mingdu recently.

He darted around, making sure his teammates weren't paying attention, then quietly transmitted his voice to Meng Hongchen: "Meng, the Mingdu Underground Soul Master Competition is about to begin. How about we disguise ourselves these nights and participate as ordinary soul masters from Mingde Hall?"

Meng Hongchen glanced at him sideways, already used to her brother's constant antics, and said with a hint of confusion, "Haven't we both won championships? You were the first one, and I was the second. A-Die isn't participating, and there's no one among the young Soul Masters in the country who can rival us. What's the point of going again?"

The Mingdu Underground Soul Master Competition is held annually, and has only been held twice so far. Its more flexible rules and direct competition have attracted many Soul Masters who dislike being constrained. However, in the first two competitions, the championship was a foregone conclusion whenever the brother and sister competed—after all, among their generation, it was almost impossible to find another Soul Master with their talent and resources.

“And then there’s more,” Xiao Hongchen lowered his voice, a calculating glint in his eyes, “those Shrek guys are so nosy and full of bad intentions. If they find out about the underground tournament, they’ll definitely come and get involved, and who knows what kind of underhanded tricks they’ll pull. And those persistent ghosts from the Holy Spirit Cult, they’re experts at exploiting loopholes in these gray areas, they might also try to stir things up.”

"So you had this plan all along. Those bastards definitely need to be guarded against." Xiao Hongchen had just nodded in agreement when his sister's next words caught him off guard, and black lines quickly appeared on his forehead. "Meng, you rascal, how can you be so mean to your own brother? Do I look that stupid?"

“That’s true.” Meng Hongchen glanced at him sideways, giving him a look that said, “You have no self-awareness at all,” and said casually, “I’ve been teasing you for so many years, aren’t you used to it?”

"You really are my good sister..." Xiao Hongchen turned his head away helplessly, his cheeks twitching slightly, his face darkening silently. He thought to himself: If it were anyone else, he would have already lost his temper, but it's his own sister, he can't hit her or scold her, he can only hold it in.

(End of this chapter)