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Word Count: 3,060 Words
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Nangong Wan stared at the dark sky with bloodshot eyes, but the departing figure never once looked back.
During those late nights when they had drunk and laughed together, Death Abyss Douluo had declared countless times that they were kindred spirits found across high mountains and flowing waters, brothers who would face life and death as one!
Nangong Wan had believed every word without question!
He had always thought Death Abyss Douluo was securely in his pocket!
Yet Death Abyss Douluo had kicked him straight into the gutter!
Why? Aren't you an Ultimate Death Super Douluo? Even if you couldn't defeat the Seraphim, you shouldn't have lost in a single exchange!
The Seraphim and Evil Spirit Masters were natural enemies. All the crowd could see, under everyone's watchful gaze, was the Seraphim blazing with radiant light while Death Abyss Douluo fled in disgrace!
So what if Death Abyss Douluo's acting was terrible? Bound by traditional thinking, who could possibly imagine that holy and evil were one and the same!
People would sooner suspect themselves of being Evil Spirit Masters than ever doubt the Seraphim!
Nangong Wan racked his brains but couldn't figure it out. And he had no time left to think. His chaotic thoughts were severed as golden sword light tore across the sky, and in one clean stroke, the Holy Spirit Cult's Second Elder lost his head!
Before his consciousness scattered completely, Nangong Wan's lips trembled as he spitefully cursed the friend to whom he had once bared his heart:
"Death Abyss Douluo, you heartless, faithless scum...
A disgrace among Evil Spirit Masters...
Even as a ghost... I won't... let you... go..."
Vengeance Douluo and Masquerade Douluo watched Nangong Wan die so effortlessly. They knew all too well that the two Angels would never spare an Evil Spirit Master alive. Despair twisted their faces as they roared:
"Members of the Duskwater Alliance, fight them to the death!"
The Duskwater Alliance elites were Evil Spirit Masters personally raised by Nangong Wan. They charged toward Linglong Pavilion without a shred of hesitation, utterly fearless in the face of death.
Ning Fengyu let out a cold snort. The Azure Emperor Douluo put away all trace of playfulness and unleashed her Life Unending Domain. A warm aura of life spread across the entire field as green-gold vines tore savagely through the ground like massive pythons, coiling toward the Evil Spirit Masters.
"Damn it, the Sky Azure Vine Emperor!"
Vengeance Douluo's eyes nearly split with fury. He recognized this unique, one-of-a-kind top-tier life-attribute Martial Spirit instantly. Even more terrifying was the blood-red 100,000-year spirit ring positioned last among Ning Fengyu's nine rings!
Their spirit power ranks were roughly comparable, but at the Titled Douluo rank, Evil Spirit Masters lost their natural advantages entirely. A 100,000-year spirit ring bound to a 100,000-year spirit bone provided an astronomical boost to a Spirit Master, tantamount to ascending a level overnight.
There was already an inherent gap between the Vengeance Soul and the Sky Azure Vine Emperor. Ning Fengyu seized the upper hand in an instant, suppressing Vengeance Douluo while still having strength to spare for the other small-fry Evil Spirit Masters.
Ye Guyi's longsword trembled in her grip. Her angelic wings unfurled as she plunged into the Evil Spirit Master ranks, feathers shedding brilliant gold-white mist. Sacred radiance rendered her entire form almost translucent. She leveled her blade forward, and holy sword light slashed down relentlessly upon those steeped in evil.
ROAR—
Holy Dragon Judgment crashed down from the heavens. The tremendous impact shattered the ground into a deep pit crisscrossed with dense, web-like cracks. Masquerade Douluo's head exploded like an overripe watermelon!
Ling Bai didn't pause for a heartbeat. He stepped over the filthy remains on the ground, and the Angel Sword flicked upward to skewer the corpses of Nangong Wan and Masquerade Douluo. Another deft twitch of the blade sent both men's Storage Spirit Guidance Devices flying neatly into his hand.
Masquerade Douluo's little hoard was hardly worth mentioning, but Nangong Wan was another story entirely. The man was the Duskwater Alliance Leader. If the Holy Spirit Cult were a country, Nangong Wan would have been the minister overseeing the entire nation's treasury.
Death Abyss Douluo could testify: Nangong Wan took kickbacks every single day!
Of course, no matter how wealthy Nangong Wan had been, he couldn't compare to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Ling Bai had never particularly cared for spirit gold coins; money was just a string of numbers. The real prize was the Class 9 Stationary Spirit Cannon shell Nangong Wan carried on his person: Annihilation Storm!
The power of a Class 9 Stationary Spirit Cannon shell needed no explanation. Even a Super Douluo would drop to their knees from a direct hit. Ling Bai couldn't afford to give Nangong Wan the slightest chance to detonate Annihilation Storm for a mutual kill. He had activated the Harbinger Zhen spirit bone skill Traceless Phantom at the very first instant and killed Nangong Wan with lightning-like speed.
In truth, Ling Bai had considered whether to seize this opportunity to eliminate the Sun Moon Empire's three Class 9 Spirit Guidance Masters as well, but ultimately abandoned the idea.
Starsky Douluo Ye Yulin's raw power ranked among the Sun Moon Empire's top five, arguably top three, on par with Illustrious Virtue Hall Master Jing Hongchen. He especially excelled with high-altitude Spirit Guidance Devices.
If Ye Yulin used the Sun Moon Divine Needle to transmit a long-range message to Xu Tianran in the Mingdu Imperial Palace, things would become far more complicated. Killing the Holy Spirit Cult's Evil Spirit Masters to stockpile Yin-Yang Complement spirit core energy remained the first priority. Ling Bai wanted no unnecessary complications.
The Seraphim's luminous silhouette blazed. The Angel Sword's glow swelled until the brilliant blade was blinding against the darkness, too intense for anyone to look upon directly.
Ling Bai raised the Angel Sword high. His six angelic wings swept upward, then beat down with explosive force. Layer upon layer of sacred sword light gushed outward like a fountain, shredding the Evil Spirit Masters on the ground one after another.
"Hey, Aunt Yu, stop! Hurry up and stop!"
Ling Bai caught the Sky Azure Vine Emperor piercing through Vengeance Douluo's chest from the corner of his eye. His heart clenched as if sliced by a knife. His six wings snapped once, sending him streaking forward like lightning, and before Vengeance Douluo could draw his last breath, the Angel Sword fell and claimed his life in a single stroke, drawing in the spirit power feedback.
"Stay away from the Evil Spirit Masters!"
Ling Bai waved Ning Fengyu off, gesturing for her to cool her heels somewhere else.
Don't waste what you won't eat!
Every grain of rice is hard-won!
"I see you've truly gone mad from hunger."
Ning Fengyu rolled her eyes at him, then landed imposingly before the huddled Alto Chamber of Commerce members.
"Y-you... you... what do you want?!"
An Litong's teeth chattered so badly he stuttered three times through a single sentence.
He could hardly be blamed. From his perspective, tonight had been one twist after another.
Facing the Duskwater Alliance, he had planned to join forces with Linglong Pavilion, only to encounter a Pavilion Master content to slack off and send a single representative to the Spirit Guidance Tournament.
Believing all hope was lost, An Litong had steeled himself for a fight to the death against the Duskwater Alliance. The result? Ye Guyi turned out to be a Holy Angel, the natural nemesis of Evil Spirit Masters, and single-handedly swept away three Evil Spirit Emperors.
Then the situation shifted yet again. Nangong Wan had thrown his weight around like a dog relying on its master's strength, flipping the table with Death Abyss Douluo as his backer. But Linglong Pavilion played an even more outrageous card: the Seraphim!
Checkmate!
In An Litong's eyes, Ning Fengyu was no longer a glamorous, captivating Pavilion Master. She was a female tyrannosaurus who could crush Evil Douluo with sheer power!
"President An..." Ning Fengyu began languidly.
"I don't deserve that title, I don't deserve it! Your Excellency can just call me Little An!"
A small smile touched Ning Fengyu's lips. An Litong bowed and scraped, smiling obsequiously. Not a single person among the group he'd brought was a Titled Douluo. If Linglong Pavilion grew murderous, Ning Fengyu and Ling Bai could scatter their ashes to the winds without breaking a sweat.
"Everyone from the Alto Chamber of Commerce, hand over your Storage Spirit Guidance Devices, and I'll let you live."
Ning Fengyu spoke without batting an eye.
Among the three long-established criminal forces lurking in Mingdu's underbelly—the Duskwater Alliance, the Common Alliance, and the Alto Chamber of Commerce—not a single one was clean. Unlike our Linglong Pavilion, which simply dealt in smuggling and followed the money!
Linglong Pavilion had already cleaned out the Alto Chamber of Commerce's home base. Now she was demanding their last remaining assets, breaking their bones and sucking out the marrow, not leaving behind so much as a needle or thread!
"Many thanks, Your Excellency!"
An Litong decisively presented his Storage Spirit Guidance Device with both hands, then urged his subordinates to hand over theirs. Their movements were swift and orderly, without the slightest hint of resistance.
First, he had no idea the crystals had been stolen. Second, the Duskwater Alliance would have taken both their wealth and their lives, while Linglong Pavilion only wanted their wealth. That alone was a tremendous stroke of fortune for the Alto Chamber of Commerce.
Chi—
Ye Guyi finished off the last Duskwater Alliance Evil Spirit Master and flew to Ling Bai's side with flushed cheeks.
Ling Bai ate the meat while she drank the soup. The spirit power within her body had shot up, reaching the threshold of Rank 70. She was just one seventh spirit ring away from officially becoming a high-rank Spirit Master.
This wasn't as simple as a minor jump to Rank 71 or 72. With the repeated spirit power feedback from slaying Evil Spirit Masters tonight, Ye Guyi's cultivation had leaped at least five full ranks.
"Ling Bai, we eliminated evil for the people and upheld justice! We did it!"
Ye Guyi couldn't contain her excitement. Three great Evil Douluo had died miserably, and the Duskwater Alliance had been wiped out. The fruits of this single battle were nothing short of terrifying!
"It's a pity Death Abyss Douluo escaped..."
She let out a regretful sigh. Death Abyss Douluo was the Angel Clan's great enemy. Letting him escape would surely become a future calamity.
"It's fine. Next time, I'll definitely take his head myself," Ling Bai replied calmly.
"Mhm, mhm! I believe you!"
Ye Guyi had clearly transformed into a full-blown Seraphim fangirl. Her sword slashed through the air with he-ya, he-ya sounds, carving two streaks of gold-white sword light across the sky. Her eyes sparkled like stars as she gushed:
"An Ultimate-attribute Super Evil Douluo!
They say Death Abyss Douluo defeated Shrek Academy's Taotie Douluo!
Neither the Body Sect nor the Illustrious Virtue Hall could handle him!
Yet you heavily wounded him with a single sword strike!
When we get back to Nine Treasure City, could you teach me? I want to slay evil and uphold righteousness like you, restore clarity to the Douluo Continent, and revive the Angel's glory!"
Ling Bai gazed at Ye Guyi's crystal-clear, starry eyes, so reminiscent of a wide-eyed university student from his previous life, and at the righteous aura radiating from her entire being. He tilted his gaze forty-five degrees toward the sky and cleared his throat:
"Sure. Come find me in the secret chamber when we're back, and I'll teach you a few moves."
Just then, Ning Fengyu floated into the air humming a little tune, flush with her bountiful spoils. She smiled down at them and called:
"Xiao Bai, Guyi, let's go. We'll meet up with the old man and Xiao Tian in the western suburbs."
...
Late night. Holy Spirit Cult Headquarters.
A sinister figure entered the Holy Spirit Cult's underground sanctum. An Evil Spirit Master on guard looked up, and his body trembled as he dropped into a deep bow.
"This subordinate greets the Vice Cult Leader!"
"At ease," Death Abyss Douluo replied coolly.
After finishing the staged showdown with his main body, Death Abyss Douluo had raced here without pause. His identity as the Holy Spirit Vice Cult Leader ensured that every checkpoint along the Sun Moon Empire's blockade waved him through without question. Seizing this narrow window of time, he moved with singular purpose, heading directly for the Holy Spirit Cult Headquarters!
Scorpion Tiger Douluo, Black Demon Douluo, and Malevolent Ghost Douluo—the three Titled Douluo stationed at headquarters—rushed out at the commotion. They relaxed only when they saw it was Death Abyss Douluo. Scorpion Tiger Douluo Zhang Peng stepped forward.
"Vice Cult Leader, did everything go smoothly with the Second Elder?"
Among the Holy Spirit Cult's upper echelon, it was no secret that Death Abyss Douluo had personally gone to oversee the Spirit Guidance Tournament.
"Nangong Wan, that despicable wretch! He betrayed the Holy Cult!"
Contrary to the three Titled Douluo's expectations, Death Abyss Douluo flew into a rage the instant Nangong Wan's name left his lips. His voice seethed with barely contained fury:
"The Cult Leader devoted his heart to cultivating him, entrusting him with command of the Duskwater Alliance. Yet Nangong Wan harbored wolf-like ambitions all along! He defected from the Holy Cult and became an informant for the three great empires!
There were over a dozen Titled Douluo lying in ambush at the Spirit Guidance Tournament, more than half of them Super Douluo! The Body Sect's Du Busi, Vajra Douluo, Shrek's Taotie Douluo Xuanzi, Martial God Douluo Xian Lin Er...
This Seat had the will to slay the traitor but lacked the strength to reverse the heavens!
Vengeance and Masquerade fell on the spot. I alone escaped. And that cur Nangong Wan has revealed how hollow the Holy Cult truly is. He's leading them here as we speak!"
The thunderous news left every Evil Spirit Master stunned. Panic rippled through the ranks.
"Vice Cult Leader, what do we do?!"
"Fight them! I'll be the vanguard!"
"You reckless fool! We should retreat while we still can!"
Voices clashed from every direction, the argument spiraling out of control. Even the three Titled Douluo were momentarily at a loss, staring helplessly at Death Abyss Douluo.
Zhang Peng cupped his fists. "Brother Death Abyss, you are the Vice Cult Leader. Before he departed, the Cult Leader entrusted the Holy Cult to you. Whether we fight or retreat, you make the call!"
"Exactly, exactly!"
Black Demon Douluo and Malevolent Ghost Douluo hastened to agree.
"In this hour of life and death for the Holy Cult, with all of you trusting me so deeply, I shall take up the responsibility!"
Death Abyss Douluo composed his features into an expression of profound compassion and spoke in a solemn voice:
"With so many Titled Douluo bearing down on us and the enemy fully prepared, I cannot lead my brothers and sisters to meaningless deaths!
Evil Spirit Masters' lives matter too!
The thought of any one of you dying at another's hands tears my heart apart!"
Nine spirit rings rose beneath his feet, ring by ring. The gray ring blazed with light, and a pitch-black Spectral Gate swung open.
"I want every last one of you to survive, but let's be realistic. Ordinary Evil Spirit Masters simply can't outpace Titled Douluo who hunt like wolves and tigers!
But I have a plan!
This is a pocket dimension I personally refined. Everyone line up and pass through one by one. On my own, I'm fast and present a small target. I can absolutely carry all of you safely to the Cult Leader's side!
As long as the green hills remain, we need not worry about firewood! We'll rise again, take revenge on Shrek, flatten the Body Sect, and flay the traitor Nangong Wan alive!"
"The Vice Cult Leader's great kindness... this subordinate will never forget it!"
Who said Evil Spirit Masters had no hearts? Every Evil Spirit Master below the Titled Douluo rank was moved to tears. Heavens above, where else could they find a leader who cared this much for his subordinates? This was surely a blessing cultivated over three lifetimes!
"There won't be any... problems in this pocket dimension, will there?"
Someone asked timidly. The next second, the person beside him smacked him hard on the back of the head.
"Have you lost your mind? Evil Spirit Masters don't trick Evil Spirit Masters! Would the Vice Cult Leader ever harm us?!"
Words became deeds at once. The Holy Spirit Cult's Evil Spirit Masters formed an orderly line, stepping through the Spectral Gate one after another and into the Spectral Demiplane.
After Black Demon Douluo and Malevolent Ghost Douluo had gone through, Zhang Peng clasped Death Abyss Douluo's hand and spoke from the heart:
"Vice Cult Leader, you're a good man. I offended you many times in the past. I'm truly sorry."
"A small matter. I forgot about it long ago."
Death Abyss Douluo patted Zhang Peng on the shoulder. Zhang Peng held his gaze for a long, earnest moment, then turned and stepped through the Spectral Gate.
"Hm?"
The instant he crossed the threshold, Zhang Peng's eyes fell upon the towering, hideous Death Abyss Bone Dragon. Beyond it, Spectral Creatures blanketed the terrain as far as the eye could see. He was just about to marvel at what a miraculous pocket dimension this was when his weathered face froze solid!
Every last Holy Spirit Cult Evil Spirit Master had been bound by Spectral Creatures. They hung limply, one after another, eyes drowning in bottomless despair. Black Demon Douluo and Malevolent Ghost Douluo lay pinned beneath the Death Abyss Bone Dragon's massive claws. With the very last of their fading strength before losing consciousness, they screamed for Zhang Peng to run!
The Spectral Gate slammed shut behind him. The truth crashed down on Zhang Peng all at once. The Death Abyss Bone Dragon lunged and an endless tide of Spectral Creatures surged from every direction, but he cursed like a madman regardless:
"DEATH ABYSS DOULUO, F*** YOUR ANCESTORS!
YOU'RE THE F***ING TRAITOR!!!"
Reserve rations successfully acquired!