Three more Titled Douluo appeared!
Though the sudden emergence of such powerful enemies was shocking, the Heaven Dou side did not lose composure. After all, since Ning Fengzhi's breakthrough, the amplification of his Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda could now reach more than eighty percent—enough for one Titled Douluo to fight as if two.
Including Bone Douluo, their side had three Titled Douluo in total. With Ning Fengzhi's support effectively doubling their strength, they were equivalent to six Titled Douluo—more than enough to handle three Spirit Douluo and three Titled Douluo on the opposing side.
Although the enemy Titled Douluo were well-coordinated, they still lacked that unique human vitality and will. After several exchanges, they had already fallen behind—and one of their Spirit Douluo had been slain.
"Brother, looks like we're safe now," Xiao Wu said with a sigh of relief. Even for her, the oppressive aura of so many Titled Douluo was overwhelming.
However, Li Chang'an merely shook his head gravely. "Stay here and don't move. I'll be right back."
As soon as his words fell, his figure blurred—leaping several times in succession before vanishing entirely.
The others barely had time to react when another aura emerged from the mountainside—one darker and deeper than any before. It was far more terrifying than that of an ordinary Titled Douluo.
Someone else was hiding there!
The world seemed to twist. The students suddenly realized that the space around them had split apart, as if isolated from the rest of reality. Everything fell silent—no sound, no motion—just an eerie stillness.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin unleashed his full power, his sword pointing straight toward the hidden foe. Yet his strike was like a blade sinking into a swamp—it met resistance so absolute that it failed to cut through at all.
Meanwhile, Li Chang'an, borrowing the power of the donghuang bell, crossed the mountain in just two steps. In his hand, the Taibai Sword transformed into its true form—the Pangu Axe.
Seven soul rings rose around him:
Black, Black, Black-Red, Red, Red, Red, Red!
The black-haired youth stood tall, long hair flowing behind him. In his left hand he held an ancient bell; his right gripped the ink-black handle of the Pangu Axe. With one stride, he shattered the air itself.
This—this was Li Chang'an's full strength.
"This one's strange. Leave him to me! You handle the rest," Li Chang'an's calm voice echoed in the minds of the three Titled Douluo and Ning Fengzhi. A heartbeat later, he appeared before the cloaked enemy.
The black-robed figure was in the midst of dissolving Sword Douluo's previous attack. His face was hidden, but the overwhelming pressure of a Rank 97 Titled Douluo could not be concealed.
"Who are you?" the man demanded, shock flickering in his voice. Someone had actually traversed space to reach him?
"I'm the one who's going to capture you," Li Chang'an replied coolly. "The Abyss, isn't it? Which layer's lord are you?"
Even as he spoke, his hands didn't stop moving—the first, second, and fourth soul rings lit up simultaneously.
"Heavenly Cleave! Thunder Moon Slash!"
Two mighty soul skills erupted at once, boosted by his fourth soul ability, Phantom Shadow, which maximized his attack speed and power. Each skill was fueled by a ninety-thousand-year soul ring, their destructive power terrifying to behold.
Then, a spark flashed in Li Chang'an's eyes.
"Time Freeze!"
Two forces imbued with divine laws struck at once. Space trembled as time halted around the black-robed man.
"…Hmm? No reaction? Guess you're not human," Li Chang'an muttered.
The time stop lasted barely a second—but that was enough. Two devastating attacks landed point-blank.
"You—"
That single syllable was the last word the cloaked enemy ever spoke.
He never imagined Li Chang'an would open with such overwhelming, relentless power—one ultimate technique after another, with no repetition or hesitation.
The Phantom Shadow ability had already pushed Li Chang'an's speed to its peak. With the enemy frozen for just one second, both of Li Chang'an's attacks struck simultaneously, leaving the enemy's body visibly disintegrating.
"Die!"
Despite the severe damage, the Abyssal being fought back with sheer force. His hands morphed into demonic claws, his form turning spectral as he lunged at Li Chang'an.
"Humph."
Li Chang'an didn't dodge. He didn't even move. He simply said in a low, commanding tone:
"This space forbids the existence of soul-based lifeforms."
"Y—"
Before the enemy could finish, his body turned to ash—erased from existence.
At the same time, every black-clad fighter below collapsed, lifeless—their animating force gone.
Li Chang'an, knowing the word-law backlash was coming, retreated quickly.
He barely made it back to his carriage before a tremendous mental shock slammed into his spiritual sea—power equal to that of a half-god-level being.
The backlash had arrived!
Fortunately, Li Chang'an's spiritual power was already at the half-divine level. Though the impact was immense, he merely felt a brief headache—and nothing more.
"So even the backlash from Word-Law Manifestation doesn't affect me anymore… Did I just break the system? Or is this a bug?"
He had no time to ponder. Moments later, Ning Fengzhi, the three Titled Douluo, and Qian Renxue entered his carriage. The situation was dire—they needed to understand exactly what had happened and who the enemy was.
After half a day of discussion, they left with grim expressions. The truth was clear: foreign forces were infiltrating the Douluo Continent. The Abyss—vast and boundless—was stirring once more.
Li Chang'an wasn't sure why the Abyss had suddenly become active again, but he had a theory. This time, all the attackers were native soul masters, their bodies controlled by Abyssal power. That made them nearly undetectable. Without his intervention, the ambush might have succeeded—possibly even sparking a continental war.
Capturing one alive was nearly impossible. Abyssal entities could withdraw instantly unless their entire layer was destroyed. Only by annihilating an entire layer could one truly erase them.
The Heaven Dou Empire's spirit master delegation pressed on, encountering no further ambushes. To ensure their safety, Qian Renxue mobilized three thousand armored soldiers from nearby cities, as well as several spirit master reinforcements from the capital.
Meanwhile, a secret investigation into potential Abyssal rifts and hidden infiltrations began quietly behind the scenes.
At last, the convoy reached Spirit City.
Because of Spirit City's special regulations, Xue Qinghe ordered the Ironclad Army and the Royal Knights to camp outside, leading the fifteen academy teams into the city herself.
For Li Chang'an, Hu Liena, and a few others, Spirit City was familiar territory. But for newcomers like Ning Rongrong and her companions, it was their first time witnessing this legendary city.
Though it had been expanded several times over the years, Spirit City was still smaller than major capitals like Heaven Dou City or Soutuo City—barely a third their size. Yet its majesty and spiritual aura left everyone in awe.
Even the wealthy and composed Ning Fengzhi couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
This was a city that had not existed naturally—it was built entirely by the Spirit Hall from the ground up. To construct such a marvel was no simple feat.
Most remarkable of all was its shape—not square like other cities, but hexagonal, with six walls. Every wall was guarded exclusively by Spirit Hall spirit masters in uniform.
Each wall bore enormous spirit cannons, their black barrels cold and menacing—the latest inventions of the research division: Grade-Four Soul Cannons.
On the center of every wall was a massive relief carving, identical to the emblem of Spirit Hall, each representing one of six mighty martial souls.
Spirit City—heart of the Spirit Hall, and now the focal point of the entire continent's gaze.