Chapter 761: Don't Look Back

Light flickered as Tang San and Mei Gongzi reappeared inside the relay array within the cave outside Black Dragon City.

Tang San didn't continue teleporting with Mei Gongzi to Golden Valley. At this moment, his emotions were truly indescribable.

During the entire tribulation and Mei Gongzi's evaluation, he had every detail perfectly calculated. Every part of the process was under his control, and he had even managed to cross the tribulation without using all of his trump cards, achieving all his goals without any real danger.

But even he couldn't have anticipated that after his tribulation, he would enter such deep meditation for so long, giving the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor the chance to strike against the human settlement.

Countless lives had likely been lost under their surprise attack. This was the attitude of demons toward humans; if they couldn't control them, they would destroy them.

At that moment, he even felt a sense of fear—not because of the Demon Emperors, but because he didn't dare to face what awaited him. He didn't know how many of his companions he would find dead when he returned.

His master, Wu Bingji, Du Bai, Gu Li, Cheng Zicheng, the students and teachers of Redemption Academy, and the people who had gathered in the human settlement... How many of them had been crushed under the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's assault?

As she stood beside Tang San, Mei Gongzi's eyes were also dull and lifeless.

Her evaluation had been a resounding success, and she had officially become the city lord of Kali City. Tang San had crossed his tribulation and was now so powerful that he could even stand against the Emperors. Yet, the human settlement was gone.

What was the cause of all this? Naturally, it was the fact that she had been too eager to establish that settlement.

The fact that she had passed the evaluation had made the Demon Emperors believe she should further transition into a demon and sever ties with humanity. Even her own grandfather, the White Tiger Demon Emperor, felt the same, and supported the actions of the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor.

If she hadn't inherited the position of the Peacock Demon Clan leader and the city lord of Kali City, so many humans wouldn't have come to seek refuge. They had come with so much hope, but the final result was doom.

If they hadn't come, at least they would have still been alive, but now...

The two of them stood speechless, the joy of their reunion having completely vanished in that moment. The air seemed to grow heavy.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, it's all my fault..." Mei Gongzi finally lost control of her emotions, tears pouring down her face.

Tang San quickly pulled her into his arms. "It's not your fault, it's mine. I didn't think things through enough. I misjudged those Emperors. I assumed that powerful beings would disdain to harm weak ones. I underestimated their cruelty, and I underestimated the wariness they feel toward us."

Mei Gongzi collapsed into Tang San's arms, crying loudly. At that moment, her emotions had completely broken down.

While comforting Mei Gongzi, the seeds of hatred erupted fiercely in Tang San's heart. T

he Ancestral Court—what a vile place. And the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor... no, every Emperor... They all see humans as nothing but ants that could be crushed at any moment. But worry not. Whatever you do to humans, you will suffer tenfold, a hundredfold in the future!

In the end, he had shown mercy. He had only returned half the lotus seeds to the plane. Yet his mercy had only fueled the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor’s cruelty.

After a long while, Mei Gongzi’s sobbing finally began to subside.

"Tang San, what... what should we do?" Mei Gongzi asked softly. She truly didn’t know what to do or how to face this.

Tang San gripped her shoulders. By now, he had calmed down.

"Little Mei, listen to me. Now is not the time for us to wallow in guilt. No amount of regret or remorse will change anything. There’s no medicine for regret in this world. What's done is done, and all we can do now is face it. Whether we grieve or run away, it won’t make a difference. So don’t look back. What we need to do is protect those of our people who are still alive, help them grow stronger, and give them the power to truly stand against demons and nymphs. And when we are strong enough... then we must avenge our fallen comrades!"

When he spoke the final two words, Tang San’s eyes glinted with a cold light, not hiding the intense killing intent radiating from him.

Hearing his words, Mei Gongzi regained a little composure and nodded slightly, though she still silently wept.

Tang San took a deep breath and said, "We’ll have to separate for a bit. I should stay by your side, but right now, I need to go back. No matter what the situation is over there, I have to go and face it. At least with me there, no more harm will come to them."

"What about me?" Mei Gongzi asked, feeling somewhat lost.

Tang San sighed. "I’ll send you back in a bit. You must return to the White Tiger Demon Emperor. From his perspective, he didn’t do anything wrong; he was protecting you. Now that he has witnessed my strength, you must reassure him. We can’t let him turn against us, because the one thing we lack right now is time. Only by growing stronger will we have the chance to stand against the Ancestral Court. Plus, you’ve worked hard to pass your evaluation and gain the position of city lord. Whether we seek revenge or help humanity, we’ll need that title. Doing well as city lord is the bravest thing you can do for our fallen comrades. Do you understand?"

Mei Gongzi looked at him through her teary eyes. "I... I want to go back with you too. I..."

Tang San gently kissed her forehead and held her tightly. "I know, I understand. I know what you're feeling. But right now, you have to stay in the Ancestral Court for another two months. Once the hundred days are over, I'll take you back. If we leave now, and the White Tiger Demon Emperor becomes truly angry, the disaster we and our people will face will be incomparable to what already happened. What I fear most is seeing demons and nymphs launch a full-scale massacre of humanity. We absolutely cannot be the spark that ignites that."

"Mhm." Mei Gongzi nodded tearfully.

Tang San took a deep breath. "What you can do for our people is to cultivate and keep improving yourself. Make yourself stronger. Only when we both become Emperors can we truly protect them. Do you understand?"

"Mm." Mei Gongzi nodded again.

Tang San gently stroked her long hair, and only when he held her did his heart feel even a little comfort.

"I'll send you back. You need to get your mindset right. First, you have to keep the White Tiger Demon Emperor steady."

Silver light swirled, enveloping them. With the Spacetime Lighthouse, long-distance teleportation like this was now effortless for Tang San; when the light flashed again, they had returned to the White Tiger Hotel.

Yes, they hadn't teleported directly to the White Tiger Palace. That was on the White Tiger Sacred Mountain, and a direct teleport there would cause too much commotion. Also, for such a long-distance jump, the teleportation array in the White Tiger Hotel was much more convenient.

In the familiar room, Tang San pulled Mei Gongzi into the bathroom, letting her wash her face.

With the cool water wiping off the tear streaks on her face, Mei Gongzi's emotions slowly calmed down. Although her face was still pale, her heart had quieted significantly.

"How are you? Did you get hurt just now?" Mei Gongzi asked softly.

Tang San shook his head. "My healing ability is really strong now. The injuries weren't serious; I'll be fine soon."

Thanks to his Immaculate Golden Body, he didn't need to use the Nirvana Rebirth of the Immortal Flame Phoenix clan unless things got really serious. The injuries caused by the White Tiger Demon Emperor had already healed. This was why Tang San dared to stand against the Emperors.