Having gotten what he came for, Victor prepared to leave with Xiao Wu in tow.
But just as they turned toward the exit, the grand doors of the Pope's Palace burst open. A middle-aged man with striking blond hair strode through, followed by an entourage of powerful figures.
"Bibi Dong, you just, " The man's words died in his throat as he took in the scene before him. His eyes widened. "What on earth happened here?"
This was none other than Qian Daoliu, the Grand Priest of Spirit Hall!
Moments ago, he'd been meditating in the Worship Hall when he sensed an explosion of pressure from a level ninety-nine Peerless Douluo emanating from the Pope's Palace. The aura was unmistakable, it belonged to Bibi Dong.
Has that woman finally lost her mind?
Without hesitation, Qian Daoliu had gathered all the Worship Elders and rushed here to investigate.
But nothing could have prepared him for what he found.
Bibi Dong knelt on the floor before a stranger, a young man. Her body trembled violently, drenched in sweat. Her face was flushed deep red, and she gasped for breath like someone who'd just run a marathon. Her expression was one of complete exhaustion, as if she'd been utterly drained.
Given the angle at which Qian Daoliu stood, certain... unfortunate associations came to mind.
Fortunately, Bibi Dong had no idea what he was thinking. If she had, she might have attacked him on the spot.
"What I do is none of your concern," Bibi Dong spat, her voice dripping with undisguised disgust.
Her mood was already foul after losing her hundred-thousand-year spirit ring. Seeing someone with the Angel Martial Soul made things infinitely worse.
"You, !" Qian Daoliu's hands clenched behind his back, knuckles white.
To him, her tone suggested she was defending some illicit affair, as if she were saying, What I do with other men is none of your business.
If she weren't Xue'er's mother, he would have killed her long ago.
Victor ignored the entire exchange. He took Xiao Wu's hand and headed straight for the exit, not sparing Qian Daoliu or his followers so much as a glance.
Just as they reached the doorway, a burly middle-aged man from Qian Daoliu's group stepped forward and blocked their path.
Victor tilted his head slightly. "Is there something you need?"
"Boy, you can leave if you want," the man said, pointing at Xiao Wu. "But she stays."
The moment the words left his mouth, the auras of every Worship Elder locked onto Xiao Wu. Several Super Douluo and even the Peerless Douluo himself focused their attention on her, their eyes glinting with unmistakable greed.
Xiao Wu, however, didn't seem the least bit intimidated. Instead, she stuck her tongue out at them mockingly.
Bibi Dong, who had been struggling to stand, suddenly shot to her feet as if injected with adrenaline. Her eyes gleamed with barely concealed excitement as she looked between Qian Daoliu and the Worship Elders.
Fight. Please fight.
It would be perfect if they all killed each other.
With the Worship Hall destroyed, no one would be able to check my power!
She could barely contain her anticipation.
"Oh?" Victor's lips curved into a cold smile. "So you're interested in my little maid too?"
Spiritual power gathered in his right hand, condensing into a translucent longsword. With his left arm, he pulled Xiao Wu close against him protectively. Then he pointed the blade directly at the man blocking his way, and beyond him, at Qian Daoliu and all the Worship Elders.
His voice rang out, cold and absolute, "I'm taking her today. Let's see who dares to stop me!"
The master is so handsome!
Even more handsome than Tang San, and a little bit bad, I really like that!
Xiao Wu leaned against Victor's chest, her face flushed pink, her eyes practically glowing with hearts.
She truly was the love-brained heroine of this continent.
Show her even a little bit of kindness, and she'd immediately fall head over heels. In the original story, Tang San had chased after Er Ming to save her, and that single act of bravery made her fall completely in love with him.
But now? Victor was pointing his sword at an entire hall of Titled Douluo just to ensure she could leave safely. Wasn't that infinitely more romantic than Tang San chasing down a giant ape?
At this moment, Xiao Wu felt something special stirring in her heart.
So what if I'm a maid? Who says a maid can't fall for her master?
Maybe... maybe I could even become the mistress of the house someday!
"Boy," the burly man sneered, "being a hero requires actual strength."
In his eyes, Victor was nothing more than a hot-blooded fool who'd never witnessed the true power of a Titled Douluo. Probably thought he could get away with anything just because he was Bibi Dong's kept man.
"Then let me show you whether I have the strength or not!"
The instant Victor's words fell, an overwhelming pressure exploded from his body. The shockwave that followed swept across the entire Pope's Palace like a tidal wave, sending everyone flying.
Qian Daoliu and the Worship Elders barely had time to react before they were hurled backward. Several new holes appeared in the magnificent walls of the palace.
Bibi Dong watched the destruction with barely concealed glee. Far from being upset, she looked absolutely delighted.
Yes! Keep fighting!
Kill them all!
Victor shot forward, carrying Xiao Wu as he pursued the airborne figures.
By the time Qian Daoliu and the others managed to stabilize themselves mid-air, they looked up, and froze.
A massive silver sword energy, ten thousand feet long, descended from the heavens. It split the sea of clouds and came crashing down toward them at an angle!
Everyone's eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
"Everyone, defend against this attack!" Qian Daoliu roared.
He was the first to summon his martial soul. An angelic figure materialized behind him, and nine soul rings appeared beneath his feet, two yellow, two purple, five black.
"Seventh Soul Skill: Angel Avatar!"
"Fifth Soul Skill: Holy Sword!"
The other Worship Elders followed immediately, releasing their own martial souls and launching their most powerful attacks to counter the descending blade.
Unfortunately, none of them had even established their foundations. How could they possibly block this strike?
This was merely a casual sword slash from Victor.
The silver energy cut through their combined attacks like a hot knife through butter, maintaining its momentum as it crashed down on Qian Daoliu and his group. The sword strike didn't just hit them, it cleaved the entire Spirit Hall in two!
Even the towering angel statue in the distance crumbled to dust.
When the dust finally settled, a thousand-foot-long sword scar marked the ground, cutting a path straight through Spirit Hall's courtyard.
Near the edge of that scar, Qian Daoliu and the Worship Elders lay sprawled on the ground, covered in blood.
Victor raised an eyebrow. "You managed to avoid that? Surprising."
It was clear that Qian Daoliu and the others shouldn't have been able to dodge the strike with their current strength. But at the critical moment, Qian Daoliu had borrowed power from somewhere, most likely the divine legacy left behind by the Angel God.
"I'd like to see how many times you can borrow the Angel God's power," Victor murmured.
He raised his sword again.
But just as he was about to strike, a golden light streaked in from the distance.
"Please stop!" a clear voice rang out.
Victor paused, looking at the small golden angel hovering before him. Her arms were spread wide, shielding Qian Daoliu and the injured Worship Elders below.
Her?
Qian Renxue!
He hadn't expected her to be at Spirit Hall today.
At the same time, Qian Renxue recognized Victor. It was the mysterious senior who'd saved her and Xue Ke in the Sunset Forest.
"Please stop, Senior!" Qian Renxue knelt in mid-air, her eyes reddening with emotion. Her beautiful face showed both anxiety and desperation. "I don't know how my grandfather and the others have offended you, but I, Renxue, am willing to apologize on their behalf!"