Douluo: Transforming Xiao Wu into a Zerg Queen Was Just the Beginning

Tang Hao's bloodshot eyes stared at Old Jack, who now lay peacefully with his eyes shut tight, as if merely sleeping.

His hands trembled uncontrollably.

"Huff…"

"Why… why did it turn out like this?"

Thud!

Tang Hao threw aside his Clear Sky Hammer and collapsed to his knees, falling forward onto Old Jack's body.

With shaking hands, he reached out and clutched the elder's withered palm.

Rustle.

Old Jack's body, like a sand sculpture shaped into a human form, had reached the end of its life. The moment Tang Hao touched him, his body crumbled into ash, scattering little by little before his eyes.

It started with the hand…

Then the arm…

Then the torso…

And finally, the head.

"No!!"

"No—!"

"Don't do this!!"

Kneeling on the ground, Tang Hao watched helplessly as Old Jack turned into a pile of pale gray dust, like flowing sand. His eyes were filled with heartbreak.

He reached out both hands, desperately trying to hold onto Old Jack's head, to stop him from disappearing entirely.

His eyes, bloodshot and burning, stared into Old Jack's shut lids, hoping they would open.

Rustle…

Old Jack's head slowly turned to ash as well, slipping through Tang Hao's fingers and falling silently to the ground.

In that moment…

The world fell into utter silence.

All that remained on the dark purple Zerg creep was a loose scattering of pale ash in the shape of a human.

Tang Hao collapsed forward, pressing his hands against the ground, his expression twisted with grief.

This man—this proud, unyielding warrior—now let tears fall silently down his face, dampening the soil beneath him.

He tried to gather the ashes in his hands, but they only slipped through his fingers again, disappearing like dust on the wind.

"…Heh… hahahahahaha!"

Suddenly, Tang Hao laughed hysterically, his face a chaotic mess of tears and sorrow.

"I should have known… I should have known!"

How could there be such a thing as an old man suddenly gaining power out of nowhere?

The truth was right before him—nothing more than a puppet corrupted by some vile force, its soul long gone.

He should've realized it from the beginning.

The moment he severed Old Jack's head, the real Jack had already died!

Why?

Why did it take him this long to realize?!

Why did it only become clear when the real Old Jack was completely, utterly gone?!

Screech—!

A sudden disturbance broke the silence.

From within the ashes where Old Jack had disappeared, a crimson Zerg larva squirmed out.

The blood-red creature rested on the ground, facing Tang Hao, as if mocking him.

Or perhaps it was frightened—frightened by the terrifying pain and wrath etched into Tang Hao's face.

Without warning, the larva burrowed into the purple creep and vanished.

Tang Hao stared blankly at the spot where it disappeared.

"So… it was you… all of you," he muttered.

Buzz—!

Tang Hao slowly stood, his eyes glowing red as he surveyed the cave around him.

The walls, floor, and ceiling were coated with the sticky purple-black Zerg creep, encasing the space like a fleshy prison.

The Clear Sky Hammer—towering and massive—floated into the air and landed back in his grip.

Nine spirit rings reappeared behind him, circling in ominous light.

He tightened his grip.

A blinding radiance burst forth from the rings.

"Great Sumeru Hammer!!!"

BOOM!!!

An earth-shattering explosion echoed through the cavern.

Tang Hao raised the Clear Sky Hammer and smashed it against the wall of the Zerg-infested cave!

THUD—!

In an instant, the mountains near Holy Soul Village trembled.

At the back of the mountain, a massive open pit appeared, newly formed.

Within that pit, Tang Hao—covered in filth, his face gaunt—dragged himself out step by step, hammer still in hand.

Within several dozen meters around him, the Zerg creep on the ground rapidly withered and vanished.

But when Tang Hao raised his head and looked farther ahead—

All he saw was an endless stretch of dark purple creep spreading out like a sea, blanketing everything in sight.

His lips trembled slightly.

His eyes filled with exhaustion… with unbearable grief… and with an icy, murderous intent.

And yet, a trace of fear crept quietly into his heart.

The setting sun pierced through the shattered jungle, casting a blood-red light into the ravaged land.

It fell upon the pale ashes in the pit behind him.

The crimson and white hues mingled in Tang Hao's eyes, painting this bleak world with a brief stroke of tragic beauty.

He stared at the ashes—now tinged red.

And then his vision faded to black.

His sturdy frame collapsed heavily to the ground.

Screech—!

Countless crimson larvae burst from the Zerg creep and surged toward Tang Hao, surrounding him.

Yet something on Tang Hao's body made the larvae halt in fear.

They surrounded him—but dared not approach.

Rumble…!

On a nearby clearing, the earth split open.

A hunched figure slowly emerged from the newly-formed fissure and walked up to Tang Hao's unconscious body.

Narrowed eyes glimmered with a kind, grandfatherly smile.

"Hehehe… Ah Hao, rest well for now."

Spirit Hall — Qian Renxue's Palace

Within her chambers, Qian Renxue tossed and turned restlessly in bed, her brows furrowed tight.

"Hah…"

She abruptly sat up and checked her body for abnormalities.

After a moment…

She murmured in confusion, "Strange… there's nothing wrong."

But still, something felt off.

It was as if something inside her mind was constantly agitating her spirit.

A heat, a restlessness, filled her entire body.

And it only grew stronger with time—like some hidden force was trying to tell her something.

Qian Renxue narrowed her eyes.

This had never happened before.

Ever since returning from the Star Dou Great Forest… nothing had been the same.

Even Snake Spear Douluo had no answers.

And a portion of her memory seemed to have vanished entirely—as though erased.

As if… something—or someone—was actively blocking her.

Suddenly, her heart trembled.

She had inherited the Seraphim Spirit. According to her grandfather, her martial soul carried the consciousness of the Angel God—a divine blessing from the heavens.

Could it be…?

Was all of this orchestrated by the Angel God?

But why?

Why would he do such a thing?

Qian Renxue fell into deep thought.

Creak—!

Suddenly, the sound of the bedroom door opening was heard.

Qian Renxue shouted, "Get out! I don't need treatment!"

At the same time, Qian Renxue frowned tightly.

It's obvious that nothing serious is wrong with me, and these healers from the Spirit Hall can't figure out what's wrong, yet they keep harassing me nonstop. It's so annoying!

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