As the two crossed, the outcome was decided.
Ghost was in an utterly miserable state: not only was his soul power depleted, but he still carried old wounds from the holy light of the Sacred Spirit Pearl.
Even at his peak, he might not have beaten Tian Lin. Now, his chances were zero.
"Old Ghost!" Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes filled with tears. No one on earth had a deeper bond with Ghost. If it were him, Tian Lin mused, perhaps he could even move the Lovesick Heartbroken Red.
"Jun Tian Lin, I'll kill you—avenge old Ghost!" Chrysanthemum Douluo shouted.
"Chrysanthemum Douluo, I didn't want to kill you today. But if you insist, then go keep your old Ghost company!" Tian Lin raised his magic sword. He would show no mercy to someone seeking death.
At that moment, a vast black aura erupted from Ghost's corpse, suddenly wrapping around Tian Lin and the two divine beasts, immobilizing them.
"What's this?" Tian Lin was shocked. "I see… because his Martial Soul is a ghost, even after death he left a trace of consciousness. He detonated his Martial Soul, using himself to trap me and the two divine beasts, buying Yue Guan time to escape."
"Yue Guan, don't come back! Your soul power is gone. Even if Jun Tian Lin can't move, you can't kill him—his self-recovery is monstrous. My last bit of power won't restrain them for long. If you don't go, I'll die with regrets!" Ghost's voice came from the shadows.
"Go!!!"
Ghost's roar grew weaker and weaker. Yue Guan gritted his teeth, grabbed Hu Liena and Xie Yue, and fled. The Emperor Battle team didn't stop them; even a soul-powerless Title Douluo was not someone they could block.
"Chrysanthemum Douluo, forgive me. I'll go ahead. To have been brothers with you is the greatest blessing of my life!" Ghost's voice faded away. Seeing Yue Guan escape, he was at peace.
"Ghost Douluo, I admire the friendship between you and Chrysanthemum Douluo. It's no less than that of Tang San and Xiao Wu. If we weren't enemies, perhaps we could have been friends," Tian Lin said, gently waving his sword and dispersing the dark aura.
The two divine beasts shook their bodies, easily breaking Ghost's last restraints.
At this moment, Ghost was truly dead.
In fact, if Tian Lin had really wanted to stop them, Yue Guan would've died too. But the brotherhood between Ghost and Yue Guan moved him—he didn't want a Title Douluo to die with regrets.
He'd already killed Ghost himself and avenged his old grudge.
"Now then, let's talk about our business," Tian Lin said to the Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape. "Shouldn't you thank me?"
"You wretched human, you stole Sister Xiao Wu's ring and bone, and you want gratitude?!" the Titan Giant Ape pounded the ground in rage. Since Xiao Wu was in Tian Lin's hands, it couldn't attack—only vent its fury.
"Calm down, brother. We really should thank this human—he saved Sister Xiao Wu's life," the Azure Bull Python cut in. "When Sister Xiao Wu started to sacrifice herself, even if this human hadn't appeared, she'd have died for sure. Plus, she used the most extreme method—sacrificing even her soul. If successful, she would have been utterly annihilated, never to reincarnate."
"But because this human intervened, he used a powerful domain filled with life to preserve her last bit of strength, keeping her body intact, and used his sword to hold her soul, reuniting body and spirit."
"Now, Sister Xiao Wu has only lost her cultivation—but she's alive. That's far better than her soul being scattered forever."
Da Ming was much calmer than Er Ming, worthy of being the older brother. From the start, he hadn't shown hostility toward Tian Lin.
After all, those who forced Xiao Wu to sacrifice herself weren't with him. As for Tang San, Xiao Wu's intended target, he had nothing to do with him; Da Ming cared only about Xiao Wu.
"Glad you see things clearly," Tian Lin smiled. "How about this: I don't want to fight you now. I'll return Xiao Wu to you, and you promise not to harm anyone on my side. Fair deal?"
Da Ming nodded. "Fair enough. Return Sister Xiao Wu and you can leave. I swear on Lord Dragon God's name: neither I nor my brother will harm you."
"Deal. Here you go." Tian Lin tossed Xiao Wu over. The Titan Giant Ape gently caught her.
"Take good care of the little bunny. To think, after tens of thousands of years, neither of you could win her heart. Meanwhile, Tang San, whom she's known only briefly, already has her wrapped around his finger. Now's your chance to start over," Tian Lin laughed.
"Don't worry—with my brother and I helping her retrain, she'll recover her strength in no time. As for Tang San, we won't let him meet her again. He's offended too many people—not just those here, but even you. If Sister Xiao Wu stays with him, today's tragedy could easily happen again," the Azure Bull Python said.
The Titan Giant Ape nodded. "My brother's right. But kid, I won't allow you to harm Tang San at the Lake of Life. He's someone Sister Xiao Wu risked her life to protect—I won't let him die in front of her."
"Fine, but as long as I don't attack Tang San here, you won't interfere elsewhere, right?" Tian Lin nodded. No matter what, he wouldn't let Tang San leave the Star Dou Forest alive—if not now, then later.
"Doesn't matter. Helping him today is already the limit of our kindness. His fate from here on is no concern of ours," the Azure Bull Python said, never having liked Tang San much. Saving him was for Xiao Wu's sake—he wasn't about to be Tang San's babysitter forever.
"Good, then we'll take our leave." Tian Lin saluted, left a trace of aura on the unconscious Tang San, and quickly left the area with Ghost's corpse and the rest of the Emperor Battle team.
At this point, Oslo was tempering his body with the power of his new soul ring and bone. The absorption was a success; as long as he wasn't attacked, he could be moved.
Tian Lin took him not far—just to the golden cave, a safe place for him to finish absorbing the soul ring and bone.