Haagen-Dazs Kingdom, Sino City.
Tieling Village.
This was a remote village built among the mountains.
However, due to the abundant supply of ironwood in the surrounding area, which was excellent for making house beams, Tieling Village still had over a hundred households.
But at this moment, the once lively village was eerily silent.
All the houses had been reduced to ruins, some even set ablaze.
Raging flames burned fiercely, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Bloodstains were scattered everywhere.
"Reporting to Her Majesty the Queen of the Underworld, all the villagers have been gathered at the village entrance!"
In front of a collapsed house, a man in a black robe bent over respectfully and flatteringly as he reported to a purple-clad figure.
Standing there was Bibi Dong, dressed in a regal purple robe that accentuated her tall and fiery figure. Her originally orange hair had turned a dark purple, and her beautiful yet eerie face bore an intense and complex gaze as she stared at the ground.
There lay a few strange tools—
a curved-beam plow, a seed-drilling cart, and a winnowing fan.
Ever since she accepted the Nine Trials of the Rakshasa God, activated the dark attributes of her Soul Devouring Spider Emperor martial soul, and gained the ability to devour souls to enhance her cultivation, Bibi Dong initially only knew how to crudely consume souls.
But over the past two years, through continuous devouring and practice, she had learned how to access her victims' memories while consuming their souls.
It was precisely because of this ability that she was able to lead over 400 evil soul masters and fallen soul masters, massacring and offering blood sacrifices to the nomadic and barbarian tribes across the Northern Cold Plains and the Extreme North Plateau for over a year—without ever being discovered.
During this time, she also lured more fallen soul masters into her ranks, gradually expanding her army of darkness.
Currently, their numbers had exceeded a thousand.
Looking at the curved-beam plow, the seed-drilling cart, and the winnowing fan on the ground, Bibi Dong recalled the memories she had just accessed from a few villagers she had devoured.
These tools were actually provided by the great Pope of Spirit Hall himself.
To improve the lives of commoners, he had allowed the local Spirit Hall branch to lend them to nearby villages with no interest.
This realization filled Bibi Dong's heart with an overwhelming sense of grief and sorrow.
Because it reminded her of the time she spent in Spirit City.
The reason she once fell for that useless man, Yu Xiaogang, was largely due to his proposal of the "Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls."
At the time, he claimed that these so-called core competencies were fundamental knowledge aimed at benefiting commoner soul masters.
This had made her believe that Yu Xiaogang was not only diligent and studious but also possessed a heart full of kindness and compassion.
But now…
Now that she had seen his true face—
selfish, hypocritical, cowardly, and utterly incompetent—
Bibi Dong realized that his grand theories were most likely nothing more than empty words to mask his own weakness!
He could only talk!
In contrast…
Her teacher, Qian Xunji, never preached about kindness, yet he had waived interest for commoners renting these precious farming tools.
He had even sent Spirit Hall deacons to personally teach these villagers agricultural techniques that could drastically increase crop yields.
He had provided tangible help to improve the living conditions of commoners.
'Teacher is the one who truly cares about the people with kindness and compassion!'
At that moment, a storm of hatred and resentment erupted within Bibi Dong, causing her to clench her jade-like hands tightly.
'Damn you, useless Yu Xiaogang! It's all because of you!'
'If not for you, I would still be in Spirit City, cherished by my teacher and cared for by Grandpa Qian! I would have never suffered such darkness and torment!'
'But because of you, I've fallen to where I am today!'
'Before, I couldn't find any news about you…'
'But now, in the Haagen-Dazs Kingdom, I've finally found your whereabouts!'
'Just wait…'
'I'll make sure you experience every bit of the pain I have suffered!'
'I'll make sure you die a miserable death!!!'
Bibi Dong's mind roared with twisted and maniacal fury.
Hearing the report from her subordinate, she shifted her gaze away from the farming tools.
Her stunning yet sinister face turned ice-cold as she walked toward the village entrance.
At the village entrance—
The evil soul masters under Bibi Dong's command had already tied up all the villagers and gathered them together.
Greedy and hungry eyes stared at the trembling villagers.
After all, to the evil soul masters, these people were nothing more than cultivation resources.
Upon arriving at the village entrance, Bibi Dong immediately summoned the grotesque and horrifying Soul Devouring Spider Emperor, its entire body glowing a sickly green.
She began devouring the villagers' souls.
"You damn evil soul masters! Spirit Hall will avenge us!!"
As their souls were being consumed, some villagers endured the excruciating pain and let out furious roars.
But Bibi Dong remained indifferent.
She knew very well that with Spirit Hall's strength,
if they truly focused all their efforts on eliminating her,
neither she nor her army of evil soul masters would stand a chance.
But so what?
She had already lost everything.
She had endured unimaginable darkness and torment.
Life and death no longer mattered to her.
The only thing keeping her alive now—
was revenge!
Revenge against that worthless Yu Xiaogang!
Revenge against the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!
Revenge against this entire world!
'Why?!'
'Why was I the one who had to suffer such darkness and torment?! Why?!'
She wanted to make this world experience the same pain she had suffered!
Bibi Dong had once been kind.
But after enduring endless horrors and torment at the hands of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and those fallen soul masters, she had fully embraced the darkness.
To her, when she was suffering,
no one had come to save her.
The world had been so cruel to her.
So why should she show kindness to the world?
She would become the strongest soul master!
She would lead her army of evil soul masters until they were unmatched in this world!
She would return the world to an era where evil soul masters reigned supreme!
And when that time came, she would march upon Spirit City—
forcing her teacher and Grandpa Qian to regret not forgiving her.
She would make them apologize to her, and then… forgive her!
A twisted, ecstatic thrill surged through Bibi Dong's heart as she imagined the scene.
If her teacher and Grandpa Qian could forgive her,
she was willing to personally destroy this army of evil soul masters—
for the sake of Spirit Hall's greater glory!
As for what came after?
She hadn't thought about it.
Right now,
life and death no longer mattered to her.
After Bibi Dong finished devouring all the villagers' souls,
the remaining evil soul masters pounced on the lifeless bodies like ravenous wolves,
devouring every last scrap of flesh until not even bones remained.
But just then, a few evil soul masters with the ability to fly suddenly rushed over and reported—
"Your Majesty the Queen of the Underworld! Those two Clear Sky Clan bastards are here again!"
Hearing this, Bibi Dong's delicate brows furrowed tightly in irritation.
'Those two from the Clear Sky Clan again…'
'They just won't go away!'
_____
Author's Note (the fanfic author's, not mine):
Curved-beam plow: Used for plowing fields.
Seed-drilling cart: A farming tool that can simultaneously open furrows, plant seeds, and cover them with soil, greatly improving sowing efficiency.
Winnowing fan: A tool used to remove husks, chaff, and shriveled grains from harvested crops.