"Damn… you…"
At the peak of the Divine Mountain—
A gray-robed, golden-haired figure flashed past.
The killing intent in Bibi Dong's purple eyes was almost solid enough to touch.
Her slender fingers clenched tight.
Only after a long moment did she slowly lower herself back onto the throne.
Her sleeve swept outward.
The crack on the light screen slowly healed.
This sudden, world-shaking upheaval—especially that radiant divine sword descending from the heavens—sent waves of uproar through the crowd.
Someone even shouted excitedly, "Angel God!"
But the moment Bibi Dong's twelve jade ornaments swayed and her gaze swept forward—
Yue Guan and Guimei bowed slightly, silently accepting her command.
—The faith of Spirit City needs only one Pope.
...
"This aura…"
Dugu Bo's green-red vertical pupils shrank, his tone filled with uncertainty.
"I am now a Super Titled Douluo…"
"For someone to cleanse my poison with nothing but their aura—"
"And to make me feel awe like a towering mountain—"
"There is only one person who fits that description—
the invincible one who retired over ten years ago—
Qian Daoliu!"
The peak of the Divine Mountain continued to shine.
Poison mist vanished the moment it touched the radiance.
Yet Dugu Bo remained seated atop the serpent's head, face cold and unyielding—
showing not the slightest intention of retreating from the sky's mightiest being.
Because of that youth—Li Zhexian.
It was because of Li Zhexian
that Dugu Bo shed the title of "weakest Titled Douluo"
and finally glimpsed the scenery of the Heavenly Ridge Assembly.
Despite their age difference, they became close friends.
Every time the youth returned from his travels, he would first visit Dugu Bo,
bringing fine wines and delicacies from all around the continent.
Snakes may be cold—
But Dugu Bo was not.
"If anything happens to Li Zhexian…"
His chilling voice rolled across the Divine Mountain:
"Even if you, Qian Daoliu, personally appear—
this old man will risk life and death to drag…
two-tenths of Spirit City down with me!"
A billowing wake of green poison mist stretched dozens of meters behind him—
like a poisonous cloak, awe-inspiring and oppressive.
...
"The old poison freak actually dares speak to Qian Daoliu like that?!"
The third elder Tang Cang and fourth elder Tang Yuan of the Clear Sky Clan turned pale.
They tried desperately to maintain the sect's dignity—
but the panic in their eyes could not be hidden.
"The… the Worship Hall…"
"Didn't they withdraw from worldly affairs?!"
"Are they preparing to reappear on the continent?!"
They exchanged a look—
and saw deep, deep regret in each other's eyes.
The Clear Sky Clan had re-entered the world far too early.
...
Inside the secret realm—
Li Zhexian and Ning Fengzhi were discussing their next move when the entire realm suddenly shook violently.
Clouds churned like an enraged sea, the dark-purple heaven cracking inch by inch.
Pure light-attribute Spirit Power poured down through the rift.
The entire Rakshasa Secret Realm seemed on the brink of collapse.
Chen Xin and Feng Bailong looked up, their faces filled with shock.
Li Zhexian suddenly felt heat surge from his chest.
And then—
He saw a beautiful angelic silhouette falling from the radiance.
Boom!
There was no time to think.
And he could not care that the scythe-wielding shadows still prowled the city.
Sword light flashed beneath his feet—Li Zhexian shot out of the building, racing toward the point where Qian Renxue fell.
"Zhexian!"
"Zhexian, wait!"
Chen Xin, Feng Bailong and the others shouted anxiously.
But the youth's silhouette was resolute—
and impossibly fast.
The next instant—
From three directions across the city—
came once again the chilling sound of scythes scraping across stone.
Clang—!
BOOM—!
Sword-qi, thunder, and bone-dragon roars exploded together.
With the amplification of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Chen Xin, Gu Rong, Feng Bailong, and Yu Yuanzhen shot forward to intercept the three scythe shadows.
"Youngsters are wonderful!"
"As elders, isn't it our job to give them a safe path?!"
A fierce battle erupted once more.
The four didn't fight to kill—
only to delay.
...
In the sky above—
Sword-qi howled.
Thunder crashed.
The bone dragon beat its wings, weaving among the three shadows.
The storm created by seven Titled Douluo nearly erased the entire ruined city.
Shockwaves swept over the streets again and again, smashing walls, blasting apart debris, tiles flipping like waves.
And through this apocalyptic battlefield—
Li Zhexian became a series of blurred afterimages, dodging bombardment again and again with the winged Qian Renxue, rapidly closing the distance.
A thousand meters…
A hundred meters…
Ten meters.
The two fell into each other's arms.
There was no time for words.
Li Zhexian's clear shout rang through the entire city:
"Thank you, seniors, for shielding us!"
"Return to the houses at once!
When the waning moon appears again, we'll regroup!"
Responses came from all around.
Chen Xin and the others quickly disengaged from battle and retreated back into their respective courtyards.
Li Zhexian grabbed Qian Renxue's hand and blasted open the nearest house.
Inside were three small mud-walled, black-tiled rooms.
Qian Renxue parted her red lips, about to speak—
—but Li Zhexian gently stopped her.
"Wait a moment."
He gripped the Qinglian Sword and stood silently.
About one incense stick later—
Death qi and foul evil qi surged and condensed.
Three decayed figures formed within the black mist.
"Jie jie jie jie!"
"We are the Spirit Hall's—"
CLANG—!
Before they could finish—
Li Zhexian unleashed a sweeping killing sword intent.
The three undead—merely Spirit Saints—were annihilated instantly.
"Heh, must've eaten a few Spirit Hall elders to dare laugh like that."
Qian Renxue didn't understand, but she didn't ask.
Instead she grabbed his hand, looking him up and down.
"Zhexian, are you… are you hurt?"
Li Zhexian smiled and shook his head, then asked:
"Xue'er, how did you get into the Rakshasa Secret Realm?"
"Rakshasa Secret Realm?"
Qian Renxue blinked her golden eyes.
"I asked Grandpa to split open the secret realm with the Angel God Sword."
"Your grandpa…"
Li Zhexian instantly recalled that man known as "Invincible of the Sky"
He understood.
With Qian Daoliu's nature—
Unless it concerned the Angel God inheritance or the survival of Spirit Hall…
He would never act lightly.
To use the Angel God Sword…
Li Zhexian could fully imagine—
Just how the girl in his arms must have pleaded, or even threatened, to obtain that one strike.
All the words in his heart dissolved into silence.
He held her even tighter.
Qian Renxue's lips curved softly as she wrapped her arms around his waist in return.
After a moment's warmth—
Li Zhexian told her everything he had discovered inside the Rakshasa Secret Realm.
"You found the Blood of a God?! That's wonderful! Zhuqing…"
"When the waning moon disappears, the scythe-wielding shadows patrol the city—only the houses are safe…"
Li Zhexian nodded.
He brushed a lock of her golden hair back behind her ear.
"When the waning moon appears again, we'll go seize the Command Banners."
"Then find the Blood of a God—and leave this place."
...
Time passed quietly.
The clouds in the sky slowly thinned.
The two sat cross-legged, recovering their Spirit Power.
Suddenly—
Qian Renxue opened her eyes, brows knitting tightly.
"What's wrong, Xue'er?"
Li Zhexian sensed something as well and opened his eyes.
Qian Renxue lifted a slender finger.
A strand of light-attribute Spirit Power flickered at her fingertip.
Within that glow—
There was a trace of blackness, so faint it could barely be seen.
Even with Li Zhexian's eyesight, he needed to concentrate to notice it.
"I bear the Angel God Trials. I'm especially sensitive to this kind of evil aura."
Her voice grew serious:
"This Rakshasa Secret Realm…"
"Is silently eroding our bodies."
As she spoke—
Light flared from her fingertip.
That thread of black gas emitted a faint hiss—
And dispersed as black mist.
"Luckily I sensed it early. If it had rooted deeper, it would be like a bone-deep parasite—nearly impossible to purge."
"Zhexian, quickly check your condition!"
Li Zhexian focused his mind.
The Qinglian Sword appeared in his hand.
And his expression changed at once.
On the pure, jade-like spine of the sword—
At some unknown moment—
A faint ribbon of black qi had coiled itself around it.
...
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