Xu Mingxi's body defenses were shattered, Qian Daoliu's Angelic Holy Sword revealed its sharpness, and the combined attack from the Titled Douluos was immense.
"Nothingness."
Xu Mingxi had deliberately withheld this divine soul skill in his previous battle with Tang Chen, saving it for this very moment.
Under Qian Daoliu's horrified gaze, Xu Mingxi's body gradually became ethereal, evading the fatal strike. The holy light of the angel could still damage him—but it wasn't lethal.
Just as Qian Daoliu was about to swing his sword again, Sword Douluo and the others launched their attacks.
The combined strike from so many super Douluos was too much for Qian Daoliu to withstand. The golden robe covering his body was instantly torn apart. Sharp sword energy and elegant yet deadly petals cut deep wounds into his flesh.
Coordinated control from the other masters and Xu Fangxing temporarily immobilized him. He could only watch helplessly as Xu Mingxi's figure appeared not far away.
Was he going to fail like this?
He looked unwillingly at the distant Xu Mingxi, who was gasping for breath and clearly exhausted. This was clearly their best opportunity. The Spirit Empire had sacrificed so much to create this situation.
Golden Crocodile Douluo had nearly given his life for this—holding off multiple super Douluos alone, before falling into the sea. His life or death was still unknown.
Qian Daoliu gently raised the Angelic Holy Sword in his hand, still intending to try one more strike to eliminate Xu Mingxi, the greatest threat to the Spirit Empire.
But just as he began to condense the Holy Light, Xu Mingxi removed his mask—and revealed an ugly, disfigured face underneath, ravaged by the destructive energy of Xu Zilong.
Behind that dignified mask and powerful aura was a truly grotesque face. Who could have injured the Star Crown Douluo so badly?
Qian Daoliu was so stunned that his hand faltered for half a beat. By the time he snapped back to his senses and tried to strike, a sharp pain suddenly erupted from his chest.
He looked down in agony and saw a beautiful jade hand piercing straight through his chest—gripping his still-beating heart.
So the Star Crown Douluo had only been trying to distract him just now. He had even dared to reveal such a disfigured face in front of the world.
Qian Daoliu's lips curved into a bitter smile. He had been too eager to kill Xu Mingxi and remove all obstacles for the Spirit Empire. In that moment of carelessness, he had paid the ultimate price.
He didn't need to turn around to know who had done it. Who else could have gotten so close to him unnoticed? It could only be Bibi Dong.
He slowly turned to look at her—Bibi Dong, who was trembling slightly after taking her revenge. Struggling, he uttered his final words:
"Yes, our Qian family wronged you. You had to do this. You can take my life, and you can destroy the Spirit Empire...
But Xue'er is your daughter. She didn't know what happened back then. Please let her live in peace."
"Qian Daoliu, stop pretending! My peaceful life was completely destroyed by your Qian family!"
Bibi Dong roared hysterically, pulled her hand out from his chest, and gently flicked away the filthy blood.
But Qian Daoliu caught a glimpse of hesitation in her eyes. Clearly, Xue'er still held a place in her heart.
That's good. That's good. Xue'er still has a chance, and so does the Qian family.
As Sword Douluo and the others approached, Bibi Dong stopped speaking. She grabbed Yu Xiaogang and Tang San and fled the scene.
Those who could have stopped her were either gravely injured or exhausted. The rest posed no threat and could only watch her escape.
Moreover, compared to her, the sect leaders and others were more concerned about Xu Mingxi's injuries. They surrounded him, watching Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen below, whose breaths of life were slowly fading.
Xu Mingxi did his best to recover his wounds and spirit power inside a protective circle, but his eyes never left Qian Daoliu, who had a massive hole in his chest and was bleeding heavily.
Only when more than half his spirit power had recovered, and it was certain that Qian Daoliu was truly dead and had no hidden tricks left, did Xu Mingxi drop his guard and slowly fly over.
After checking to confirm that Qian Daoliu was truly dead, Xu Mingxi showed slight dissatisfaction. Bibi Dong had killed him. A peerless Douluo like that should've been part of his divine trial.
Didn't this mean that if he simply cultivated a few more years to reach level 99, he could become a god right then and there?
"Forget it, there's no point thinking too much. It's better to use this time to attack the Spirit Empire and gain more faith."
With that, Xu Mingxi fired the Flaming Sun Cannon, disintegrating Qian Daoliu's body completely. His ashes fell into the sea, washed away by the tide.
Then, Xu Mingxi turned his gaze to the three remaining figures below—Tang Chen, Poseidon (Bo Saixi), and Tang Hao.
He and the other Titled Douluos slowly landed on the ship. Seeing Tang Chen cradling Poseidon in a daze, Xu Mingxi couldn't help but feel admiration.
The man holding Poseidon tightly hadn't harmed her even during their intense battle. If it had been him, he would never go this far for a woman. Even with only two years left to live, he would seek hope of prolonging his life.
"Senior Tang Chen, how about ending your life yourself? I'll take your body and Senior Bo Saixi's back to Clear Sky Sect and bury you together."
"Really? Thank you..."
Tang Chen, now completely exhausted, no longer had the strength to lift the Clear Sky Hammer. Being buried with Xixi was his final wish. As for the younger generation—it wasn't anyone's fault that they were killed.
He personally arranged Bo Saixi's clothes, brushed her silver hair neatly, and gently embraced her once more.
Looking at the person he loved most in life, Tang Chen smiled, and quietly let go of the last remnants of life.
"Senior Tang Chen, Senior Bo Saixi, rest in peace."
Using his spirit power, Xu Mingxi lifted their bodies, gently placing them into the coffin Ning Fengzhi had prepared and sealing it shut.
Afterward, Xu Mingxi led his team to retrieve Huo Quan and immediately set off for Star Luo Mountain. Although he had prepared many contingencies, he still felt uneasy about the sect's safety.
As for Tang Hao—abandoned by Bibi Dong and unable to fight or flee—he was blasted to pieces by Xu Mingxi's fully powered Flaming Sun Cannon.
One of the twin stars of the Clear Sky Sect, the once pure and righteous father of Tang San, had finally met his end, vanishing from the world with deep hatred toward the Spirit Empire and the Star Crown Sect.
Shura God could not interfere with the world of the dead, and a soul master stuck at level 91 for life had nothing left to fear.
The end of the book is already on my Patreon [patreon.com/Devsen]