The Legend of the Dragon King

She… Isn’t this the girl I fought in the Hall of Heroes? She appears more mature in this sculpture though; the one I fought was when she was a young girl.

This is the Flute Cauldron Douluo, Xiao Xiao? One of the numerous titles she held was being a member of the Spirit Pagoda’s founder’s generation of the Shrek Seven Monsters. Her Three Cycles Soul Cauldron and Nine Phoenix Flute twin martial souls were famed for their strength.

Then the other sculptures should be of the remaining Shrek Seven Monsters in her generation, right?

Tang Wulin’s excitement soared as he recalled all his favorite tales of the Tang Sect that had been imprinted in his heart.

The most famous were the first generation of the Shrek Seven Monsters, in particular, the illustrious Thousand Hands Douluo Tang San, leader of the Shrek Seven Monsters and founder of the Tang Sect.

After that was the next generation that existed 10,000 years ago, the generation of Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao, founder of the Spirit Pagoda. He rebuilt Tang Sect from its crumbling husk of an organization back to its former glory. Tang Sect never stopped shining majestically throughout the world from then on.

Despite their achievements though, the federation had a less-than-kind view of them. After all, the Spirit Ice Douluo had led his comrades to force the Sun Moon Empire into a peace treaty.

There were even some that said that the following generation’s great emperor was the Spirit Ice Douluo’s illegitimate child. No one knew whether this doubtful story was true or not, however.

Ah! The person beside Xiao Xiao should be Caitou, right? Then the ones over there should be the Mysterious Underworld Douluo, Xu Sanshi and the Demon Rabbit Douluo, Jiang Nannan. The one at the front with shining eyes and six spirit souls should be the Spirit Pagoda’s founder, the legendary Spirit Ice Douluo, Huo Yuhao.

Legends said that he had a million-year Skydream Iceworm as one of his spirit souls. He also had two of the ten great soul beasts of the time, the Glacial Heaven Snow Empress and the Frost Jade Scorpion Empress. The hundred-thousand-year Arctic Bear King and hundred-thousand-year Eight-Pointed Frozen Grass were also among his array of spirit souls. There was no mistaking his claim as the most legendary figure of the time!

Unfortunately no one knew what happened after his earth-shattering, heaven-turning battle with the Beast God, Di Tian. The Beast God vanished while the Spirit Ice Douluo and his wife, the Dragon Butterfly Douluo, disappeared altogether. Perhaps only the other five members of that generation’s Shrek Seven Monsters would know where the two had gone.

Tang Wulin felt as though he were right there with them as he gazed upon the sculptures and recalled the legends of their epic adventures.

Tang Wulin’s eyes glowed brighter when he switched his gaze to the sculptures on the right. If the left are the Shrek Seven Monsters from 10,000 years ago, then the right should be the original Shrek Seven Monsters!

The sculpture of the Civet Douluo, Zhu Zhuqing—one of the original Shrek Seven Monsters and a founding member of the Tang Sect—stood at the very back.

In front of her was Ning Rongrong, the Nine Treasures Douluo. There were rumors that said she transformed her auxiliary-type martial soul, the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, into the Nine Treasures Glazed Pagoda. With it, she had brought the sect 10,000 years of prosperity. The bloodline of the Nine Treasures Glazed Pagoda was rare even in ancient times. Now it was merely a legend of eras long gone. Many other powerful martial soul bloodlines of the ancient era shared a similar fate and were lost with the passage of time.

The Demonic Fire Phoenix Douluo, Ma Hongjun with his flaming phoenix, stood before Ning Rongrong. As one who bore the exalted title of being one of the Shrek Seven Monsters, it was only natural for his Demonic Fire Phoenix to be known as a martial soul that stood at the world’s peak.

In front of him was the Food God Douluo, Oscar. What’s that revolving around him? Is that a sausage? Ah! That’s right! I heard his nickname was Big Sausage Uncle!

Standing further along the line was a man with a regal air, the White Tiger Douluo, Dai Mubai. It was said in the stories that he was the strongest member of the Shrek Seven Monsters for a long time.

Tang Wulin finally looked at the two most magnificent sculptures in the forefront.

He didn’t know why, but a shiver ran down his spine the moment he set his eyes on them. An incomprehensible feeling of warmth and longing filled him.

His gaze rested on the girl in a pink dress first. Her sculpture was carved exquisitely, every line and curve capturing her essence and filling her with a spark of life. Her long scorpion braid hung down her back while her large, beautiful eyes accentuated her sweet smile.

Even though spirit souls hadn’t existed in that era, a pair of rabbit ears popped out from the top of her head. She was the co-founder of the Tang Sect and the only member in the entire history of the Shrek Seven Monsters to be a human-transformed soul beast—Soft Bone Douluo, Xiao Wu!

She was supposedly a hundred-thousand-year soul beast that gained human form and became the Tang Sect founder’s lover. When her identity was revealed and others aimed for her life, the Tang Sect founder didn’t hesitate to protect her with his life. Yet, just when she was about to truly metamorphose into a human, the Soft Bone Douluo chose to sacrifice herself and become the Tang Sect founder’s soul ring.

Though the Tang Sect founder lived thanks to her sacrifice, all that remained of her was a corpse. Tormented by his loss, he sed a rare herb to just barely preserve the core of her life. He finally managed to resurrect her after undergoing many trials throughout the world, utilising every method he could think of and severing his own arm to return the soul bone he had received from her sacrifice.

Such a romantic tale of tragic love moved the hearts of countless people. It was also because of such a heart-wrenching story that the original Shrek Seven Monsters were the most renowned.

Tang Wulin took a subconscious step forward as he regarded the sculpture of such an eminent figure. His gaze wavered and his body began to feel feverish as he felt something calling out to him.

His heart in turmoil, he turned to look at the foremost figure. This striking man had long aqua-blue hair that trailed over his shoulders while a smile warm and serene. In his left hand waved a strand of blue-gold grass and a pitch-black hammer, and spread from his back were eight spider legs that were stretched out like an array of spears. An air of simplicity and mystery clung to him.

But it was the resplendent golden trident in his right hand that offset those previous airs. The head of the long trident had an elegant and regal design carved on it.

It was clear that the sculptures on the right were closer to the two words, ‘Tang Sect’, than those on the left. The closest one of all was the founder of Tang Sect.

There was no doubt that this was the ancestor as well as the founder of Tang Sect—the peerless figure who had ascended to godhood, praised as the strongest in all of history, the Thousand Hands Douluo, Tang San!

As Tang Wulin stared at Tang San’s sculpture, a sense of familiarity and security embraced his heart. Under the gentle gaze of Tang San, Tang Wulin felt his boiling blood settle down and a similarly pleasant smile found its way onto his lips.

These two generations of Shrek Seven Monsters had each created their own eternal legends in two different eras of the Tang Sect! They brought the Tang Sect to the zenith of glory and gave birth to a Tang Sect saying: ‘We are all Tang Sect. We are born to be peerless’. These two provocative phrases were actually hanging on the wall right beside the large ‘Tang Sect’.

“Three bows.” Wu Zhangkong’s sudden instruction roused Tang Wulin from his stupor.

Tang Wulin hastily straightened his back and fought back the urge to keep admiring the sculptures around him. The two of them respectfully bowed three times to the two large words ‘Tang Sect’.

Pride gushed from the depths of Tang Wulin’s heart. This was the pride of being a Tang Sect disciple.

This is the Tang Sect, the Tang Sect with over 20,000 years of history!

Seeing that they finished their three bows, the old man gave them an approving nod. “Now then, you two follow me.”

The old man led them to the left side of the hall.

Wu Zhangkong pulled on Tang Wulin’s hand, indicating for him to follow and quietly said, “This garden was established by the Tang Sect’s founder, Tang San. It’s also the place with the longest history in the Tang Sect. It was seized by someone else 10,000 years ago, but Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao took it back and used this place as the starting point to rebuild the Tang Sect up to what it is today. This isn’t the Tang Sect’s headquarters anymore, but it’s still a critical location to the Tang Sect. Every year the core disciples of the Tang Sect come here to pay their respects. The only reason you’re able to come here today is because your membership has been approved now.”

My membership has been approved? Then, I’m an actual Tang Sect disciple now! Tang Wulin was on cloud nine at the moment.

Old Man Zhao brought them into a side room.

Silence pervaded the simply furnished room. Only a seemingly timeless wooden bed which exuded an air of antiquity sat in the room.

The old man turned to face Tang Wulin, expressionlessly saying, “Get on the bed.”

“Huh?” Tang Wulin’s brain stopped working.

Wu Zhangkong quickly asserted the order. “Do what Branchmaster Zhao says.”

“Oh.” Tang Wulin replied blankly, then took off his shoes and climbed onto the bed, sitting cross-legged.

Old Man Zhao climbed onto the bed with him. When Zhao placed a hand on his shoulder, a slight floating sensation enveloped his body. A moment later, Tang Wulin found himself facing the other direction.

Old Man Zhao sat down behind him. “Pay close attention and loosen your body. Relax both your mind and body.”

As he complied with the old man’s instructions, two streams of soul power bore into his back, one firm while the other gentle.

It’s the Mysterious Heaven Method! His familiarity with the method allowed him to immediately recognize the root characteristics of the old man’s soul power. Yet, Tang Wulin had never faced such vigorous soul power before. He felt like a small boat drifting along the tides of the sea that was Old Man Zhao’s soul power.