Chapter 43: Your Majesty, I Am Not Lying

Drinking the blood of ten thousand people, eating the flesh of ten thousand people, swallowing the souls of ten thousand people, and after enduring eighty-nine days, the Ginseng Fruit had finally matured!

The moment it reached maturity, a beam of crimson light surged into the sky, piercing straight through the dense dark clouds that blanketed the firmament!

In a dense forest not far outside the City of Douling, the Soul-Devouring Spider Emperor, currently recuperating from its injuries, abruptly snapped open its eyes and gazed at the pillar of bloody light. Its eight compound eyes seemed to perceive the densely packed vengeful spirits and the endless wails contained within it.

That was not the most crucial part. The instant the pillar of light appeared, it felt as though something within its body had undergone a transformation, yet when it searched closely, it found nothing at all.

"What on earth has that fellow done?! No, this place is not safe to stay for long." Fearing the unknown dangers that might soon manifest, the Soul-Devouring Spider Emperor quickly scrambled to its feet and fled deeper into the distance.

On the other side, Xuanzi, who stood closest to the Ginseng Fruit Tree, roared at the top of his lungs, "Stop him!"

He did not know whether the Ginseng Fruit was real or false, but preventing the Emperor of Douling from consuming it was unquestionably the right course of action!

The phantom of a Taotie beast materialized behind him, releasing a terrifying aura of pressure toward the Emperor of Douling. Simultaneously, the others around him unleashed their most formidable soul skills.

"Golden Knight, stop them."

"Roar!"

A muffled, bizarre roar suddenly echoed behind the crowd. Someone felt a chill down their spine and swiftly spun around to face the enemy, only to see the figure clad in golden armor hurling a fierce punch straight at them.

"Fourth soul skill: Netherworld Displacement!"

That person's figure abruptly vanished, replaced by the Netherworld Douluo, who raised his Netherworld Shield to take the brunt of the peerless, forceful blow head-on.

Seeing the ferocious-looking Golden Knight Douluo, who was completely indistinguishable from those monsters, the Netherworld Douluo attempted to use words to awaken whatever consciousness might still linger within him. "Wake up, Golden Knight! You are not supposed to be like this!"

However, the will of the Golden Knight Douluo had long since sunk into darkness. Upon hearing these words, his expression remained entirely unchanged, filled only with boundless madness and killing intent.

He had lost his martial soul—the innate possession of everyone on the Douluo Continent—but in exchange, he had acquired a matchless physique. No matter how terrifying the attacks hurled at him by the crowd were, any injury healed instantly.

Someone slashed a blade across his neck, yet it produced only the clanging sound of metal meeting metal, leaving everyone utterly aghast.

This kind of power was at least at the Super Douluo level!

While they engaged the mutated Golden Knight Douluo in battle, Xuanzi pressed forward to halt the Emperor of Douling's insane act.

"Stop me?"

Turning his head, the Emperor of Douling saw that Xuanzi was already within arm's reach, yet he showed no panic. Instead, he burst into laughter and said, "You cannot stop me!"

As those words fell, Xuanzi drove his hand like a blade straight through the Emperor of Douling's chest, channeling all his strength into his grip to instantly crush his heart and displace his internal organs!

Even so, to his shock, the Emperor of Douling continued to look at him with a smiling expression, as if these actions had no effect on him whatsoever.

The Emperor of Douling mocked, "I told you, it's useless."

Just as his voice faded, a massive root lashed out, sweeping the Emperor of Douling up and dragging him directly into the pillar of crimson light.

Inside the beam of light, the battered and broken Emperor of Douling beheld the Ginseng Fruit. Having matured, it had shed its infant form and transformed into a youth. Its face was identical to his own, yet with a mere blink, it shifted into the face of someone else entirely.

Countless faces flickered and changed incessantly, mirroring the endless wails and curses of the vengeful spirits ringing in his ears. The Emperor of Douling spread his arms wide and laughed maniacally.

"Hahahaha! Come! Consume me! Let me ascend to the throne of eternity!"

"I shall be the eternal emperor..."

"Splurt!"

Before he could finish, the Ginseng Fruit stepped forward, wrenched off his head, and began to devour it in huge bites!

After finishing the head came the limbs, followed by the internal organs, leaving not even a trace of blood foam behind!

Having consumed the entire Emperor of Douling, the Ginseng Fruit still seemed unsatisfied. Its pitch-black pupils, resembling abyssal voids, turned toward Xuanzi and the others outside. It slightly parted its lips, and a shrill cry issued from its throat!

"Yayayaya—!"

From the very moment the Emperor of Douling was consumed, Xuanzi had been frozen in shock, unable to comprehend how things had turned out this way.

Wasn't he supposed to achieve eternal life? Why had he willingly rushed to his death?

Countless questions flooded his brain until the Ginseng Fruit manifested an intense appetite for them, snapping him back to reality. The ring of deep red soul rings around him blazed with brilliant light!

"Ninth soul skill: Meteor Shower!"

Within the gradually dissipating dark clouds across the firmament, rays of earthy-yellow light ignited. The meteor shower descended like true divine might, blotting out the heavens and covering the earth with no end in sight!

Possessing nothing in its mind save for an endless craving for flesh, the Ginseng Fruit showed no fear whatsoever of Xuanzi's soul skill. It merely roared aloud to vent its hunger, generating a world-devouring suction force in its mouth that swallowed everything around it!

"Yayayaya—!"

The ghostly faces on the Ginseng Fruit Tree let out miserable shrieks as countless roots were torn apart and the massive trunk shattered into pieces!

In the end, the Ginseng Fruit Tree—which had devoured an unknown number of lives—collapsed with a thunderous crash, turning into fragments that fell straight into the mouth of the Ginseng Fruit it had nurtured.

Meanwhile, the meteor shower crashed into the pillar of crimson light, causing ripples to spread across it, yet failing to inflict the slightest bit of damage.

At this sight, Xuanzi's pupils constricted. The phantom of the Taotie merged with his body as a pair of bull horns sprouted from his head. His already robust physique expanded violently, and an aura of primordial antiquity exuded from him.

With a fierce stomp that shattered the earth, his figure instantly arrived before the pillar of crimson light. Thrusting both hands directly into it, he attempted to tear apart the barrier protecting the Ginseng Fruit with sheer brute force.

The Ginseng Fruit noticed Xuanzi as well. Sensing the rich blood Qi radiating from him, the gluttonous desire in the depths of its eyes surged even higher, and an irresistible suction force swept toward him.

Yet halfway there, it abruptly stalled!

"Yaya... Ah, ah—!"

The Ginseng Fruit, which had previously only emitted monstrous growls, suddenly produced human sounds. Its naive face, driven solely by appetite, distorted hideously. One of its hands instinctively clawed at its own head as a frantic cry burst from its throat.

"Get out! This is my body! You bunch of vile beasts!"

"Ah, ah, ah! Return my life to me!"

"Tyrant! You tyrant!"

Countless voices erupted from its mouth, belonging to men, women, the elderly, and the young. Most importantly, Xuanzi clearly distinguished the voice of the Emperor of Douling among them.

The Ginseng Fruit violently tore off a layer of its own facial skin, sending bloody fluids splattering in all directions, while its eyes were filled with madness and struggle.

Beneath the tender, fair skin, something seemed to be writhing. Painful, wailing faces crowded and struggled beneath the surface, as if countless vengeful spirits sought to tear this vessel apart from within to attain freedom.

"Ah, ah, ah! Get out! All of you, get out!"

The agonizing voice of the Emperor of Douling resounded amidst the chorus of endless vengeful spirits. He slaughtered and devoured every vengeful spirit that dared to charge at him, his once relatively clear consciousness gradually sinking into chaotic madness.

He roared, "Grand Preceptor! Grand Preceptor, where are you?!"

His voice was saturated with rage and despair.

It was not supposed to be like this! The real scenario should have been him taking possession of this body, attaining true rebirth and eternity, rather than being subjected to this agonizing struggle!

When that beautiful figure surfaced in his mind, boundless resentment welled up within him.

"Alchemist! You deceived me!"

"Your Majesty, I did not lie."