Smack!
"Argh!"
A tremendous sound rang out — that golden hand shot straight for Xuan Zi.
Sensing the terrifying danger within it, Xuan Zi's expression changed. He quickly dodged to the side, pulling back the hand that had been reaching for Jiang Jue.
But that golden hand seemed to have its own lock, chasing Xuan Zi straight on.
A scream burst forth, and Xuan Zi's figure was sent flying backward, slamming into the imperial wall and leaving behind a human-shaped dent.
As the giant hand withdrew, a dark-green figure suddenly appeared in the air above the arena, radiating an unparalleled aura. His arrogant gaze swept across those below, pausing briefly on Jiang Jue.
"Bastard! Old Poison Freak, how dare you humiliate me like this!"
Xuan Zi's furious roar came from within the imperial wall. A massive earth-yellow phantom of a bull appeared, and like a cannonball, Xuan Zi shot out from within the wall, hovering in midair to face off against Du Bushi at a distance.
Yet faintly, there was a glimmer of white moisture in Xuan Zi's eyes.
Why were his eyes often filled with tears?Because Du Bushi's slap was given with such deep affection.
Pain. Such pain!
Xuan Zi stared at Du Bushi, fury surging. That old poison freak hadn't given him even the slightest face.
"Xuan Zi, bullying someone from my Body Sect — am I wrong to act against you?"
"Who? Who's one of your Body Sect people?"
Xuan Zi sneered, earth-yellow soul power gathering in his hand once again.
But Du Bushi wasn't one to indulge him. Dark-green soul power surfaced on his palm, clearly preparing to smack Xuan Zi again.
"Gentlemen! Wait a moment!"
On the imperial wall, Xu Jiawei's eyes lit up the moment Du Bushi appeared — finally, things were getting back on track. This was the script he was familiar with.
"Could I trouble you both to give me some face…"
Star-like radiance shone from Xu Jiawei's body as he slowly rose into the air, addressing Du Bushi and Xuan Zi.
Du Bushi's eyes flicked toward the spectator stands — the two figures he cared about were no longer there. Now his job was to buy time.
"Seems they've already made their move."
He turned back to Xu Jiawei and gave a slight nod, signaling for him to continue.
Seeing Du Bushi nod, Xu Jiawei felt steadier. After some thought, he asked,
"I wonder — Senior, you said someone here belongs to your Body Sect. May I know who that is?"
Du Bushi shook his head slightly, a cold voice sounding out.
"Do you not know that every soul master in the world with a body-type martial soul is family to my Body Sect? What I can't stand most is someone bullying my family!"
"Oh~? How so? Is there some rule that states this?"
Xu Jiawei very much wanted Du Bushi to just leave with Jiang Jue already, but appearances had to be maintained. Later, if the Sun Moon Empire asked, everything could be pushed onto the Body Sect.
By then, he could simply spread his hands and let the Sun Moon Empire trouble the Body Sect — a beautiful two-birds-one-stone plan!
Hearing Xu Jiawei's words, Du Bushi's gaze darkened. Watching Lang Ya and Yu Tao sneaking toward the arena, he said coldly:
"Rules? I never learned many words, nor do I understand rules. But since I was a boy, I knew one thing — whoever has the bigger fist is the one who's right. So here…"
"My rules are the rules!"
The moment he finished, Du Bushi's aura exploded outward violently.
Intense dark-green light surged skyward, dyeing half the heavens dark-green. Du Bushi's body suddenly swelled, in the blink of an eye magnifying more than tenfold.
His dark-green skin bulged into massive, granite-like muscles, his lower half covered only by a pair of shorts protecting his vital parts.
Two yellow, two purple, two black, three red!When those nine soul rings appeared, the overwhelming pressure seemed to crush even the air into fragments.
"Don't think for a second I fear you. My treasured blade is still as sharp as ever!"
Xuan Zi roared, eyes solemn, and soared into the sky as well. Intense yellow light burst from him, his powerful aura erupting in full force.
A heavy yellow glow also propped up a piece of the heavens, the earth-yellow and dark-green separating clearly high above like two distinct realms.
On the arena, Jiang Jue looked at the two facing off in the air, a sharp gleam flickering in his eyes. Everything was unfolding just as he had planned.
"Elder Long should be tied up by Mu En by now. I just don't know what method Mu En used…"
…
In Star Luo City, in a small tavern near the outskirts —
Long Xiaoyao suddenly stood up, as if sensing something, his face darkening, eyes filled with disbelief as he stared at the man across from him.
"Mu En!"
Across from him, Mu En calmly held a metal fork, slicing a piece of beef.
"Old Dragon, no need to get worked up. Calm down. Sit."
"Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down? You tricked me!"
At that, black light flared around Long Xiaoyao's body — but opposite him, Mu En's expression hardened as he slowly set down the metal fork.
"Old Dragon, you're still as impulsive as ever. Haven't you noticed something feels off with your body?"
Long Xiaoyao frowned at that, and immediately realized — his soul power was sluggish.
"Don't worry, it's just a little trick. Some Tang Sect poison — for the likes of us Limit Douluo, it's harmless. Just expel it with soul power."
"But… it takes time and focus."
A gleam flashed in Mu En's clouded eyes. He'd discovered that while the Tang Sect had declined, some of their underhanded tricks were still very effective.
As for how he learned them — the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy shared the same founder. Since they were family, learning a few things didn't count as stealing.
Mu En waved his hand, a wave of light attribute power flaring out, disrupting Long Xiaoyao's black glow. In the past, he might not have been Long Xiaoyao's match, but now holding him back was no problem.
"Mu En, I treated you like a brother!"
Long Xiaoyao looked at Mu En, suppressing his rage, and spoke.
"Treated me like a brother? I treated you like one too!"
"But do you remember what you did back then? Don't you know a brother's wife is off limits?!"
"Not to mention — after all these years, you still don't know I don't even eat beef!"
Mu En's veins bulged as he pointed at the shredded beef on the plate, growling low.
Long Xiaoyao fell silent.
Mu En picked up a piece of beef with the metal fork, placed it onto Long Xiaoyao's plate.
"I know you like meat. Come, let's keep eating."
At the same time, Mu En glanced out the window.
"This time everything's been arranged so clearly. There shouldn't be any problems — especially with Xuan Zi there."
But thinking of Xuan Zi, Mu En couldn't help but feel uneasy, as if something bad was going to happen.
…
"Xuan Zi, after all these years, you haven't improved at all."
"For me to beat you is still just a matter of breathing."
Above the arena, in the sky —
Thunderous booms rang out continuously, but the once evenly split dark-green and earth-yellow was now mostly dominated by dark-green, with earth-yellow compressed into only a small area.
Below the arena, the Heavenly Fiend Douluo and Giant Hammer Douluo held up a soul power shield, guiding the evacuation of the audience — though it was still somewhat chaotic.
Meanwhile, Jiang Jue had already reached the edge of the arena, eyes flickering — he was waiting for his chance.
"Jiang Jue, come down quickly!"
Meng Hongchen called out anxiously from below, urging Jiang Jue to hurry down.
Jiang Jue's eyes narrowed slightly, sensing two fast-moving figures approaching him from the side. He spoke, but no sound left his lips.
Meng Hongchen blinked, then tears glistened in her beautiful eyes.
What Jiang Jue had mouthed to her was:"Meng, wait for me to return, and I'll show you all the brilliance the world has to offer!"
She had known Jiang Jue would leave eventually — she just hadn't expected it to be this soon.
The next moment, two men wearing black hoods appeared on either side of Jiang Jue, whispering low:
"Jiang Jue, come with us. We're the good guys."
"Idiot! Who wears black hoods and calls themselves the good guys?"
Lang Ya sighed inwardly at Yu Tao's words, quickly adding:
"Relax. We're your future family. We're taking you home now."
As he spoke, silvery-white ripples spread out from Lang Ya, washing over Jiang Jue.
Looking at the two, Jiang Jue of course understood who they were. Everything he'd done up to now, all of this scheming, had been for this very moment.
Now it was time to close the net!
But the act still had to be played — so Jiang Jue immediately assumed a defensive stance.
"Who are you?"
"Just take a nap. When you wake up, everything will be fine."
As Lang Ya moved, his soul ring lit up. Jiang Jue instantly felt his spirit grow weary, a drowsiness tugging at him.
But the next moment, a pure surge of spiritual power pulsed from the Soul-Refining Banner. Jiang Jue's mind jolted, and he was instantly awake again — though he could not reveal it yet.
"Bold!"
At that moment, Elder Lin flew onto the arena platform, a ninth-level soul-guided ray-gun aimed directly at the two. He truly hadn't expected Jiang Jue to draw so many people out.
"This is bad — there's a Title Douluo here!"
Yu Tao and Lang Ya both shouted at the same time:
"Run!"
"Sect Master, save us!"
(End of Chapter)