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Dugu Yan frowned with worry as she looked at her grandfather. She asked anxiously if they were really just going to sit here and wait. She reminded him that the Heaven Dou Royal Family and the academy were on the same side now, and she worried about what might happen if they stayed silent.
Before she could finish her sentence, Dugu Bo raised his hand to stop her. He explained that waiting did not mean they were doing nothing. He said they were actually waiting for the right moment or for a specific variable to change the situation. Dugu Bo walked over to the window and looked out toward the Star Dou Great Forest with a deep frown.
He muttered that the most critical variable was that kid Tang Chen, but he had not returned yet. He noted that while Tang Chen's actions were often hard to predict, they both knew how much strength and skill he had. He believed that if Tang Chen were here, things would be very different.
Before he left, the boy said he was going to the Extreme North Land, and nobody knew exactly when he would be back. However, Dugu Bo knew his character well and felt sure that if Tang Chen heard about the trouble in Heaven Dou City, he would rush back as fast as he could.
Dugu Bo turned around and gave Dugu Yan clear instructions. He told her to pass down an order for the academy to enter the highest state of alert right away. He said no students should be allowed to enter or leave the grounds. He wanted her to strengthen the defenses, especially in the area where Ning Rongrong and the others were staying.
At the same time, he told her to send out their fastest scouts. He warned them not to get too close to the imperial palace but to watch everything from a distance. He told them to look out for any large groups of Spirit Masters moving around or any reaction from the Clear Sky Sect.
As for Ning Fengzhi, he told her to send a reply saying that Tianxing Academy was aware of the crisis and was on full alert. He wanted to let him know they were trying to find reinforcements.
He told her to tell him to be careful and not take any unnecessary risks, especially since Spirit Hall might have set traps. Dugu Bo sighed and said they really needed more time and someone strong enough to break this deadlock.
Even though Dugu Yan still felt uneasy, she realized her grandfather was being careful. She knew that against a giant like Spirit Hall, one wrong move could lead to total disaster. She nodded and said she would go arrange everything now before leaving the room quickly.
In the quiet room, Dugu Bo looked up at the dark night sky through the window and whispered to himself. He hoped Tang Chen would come back soon. He felt like the trouble in Heaven Dou City was about to turn into a bloodbath. He worried that without Tang Chen acting as a sharp blade, his own old bones might not be strong enough to hold things together.
Meanwhile, at the Crown Prince's Mansion, the assembly hall was silent. Qian Renxue sat alone in the main seat. Her fingers tapped the armrest as she thought about her next moves. She was calculating how to seize power now that she had control of the palace and what the Clear Sky Sect might do next.
The most important part of her plan was coming up, and she knew she couldn't make even one mistake. Suddenly, the heavy doors of the hall were pushed open. There was no announcement and no sound of footsteps.
Qian Renxue frowned and looked up. She saw several figures wearing large black robes walking in like ghosts. Their power felt deep and hidden. They moved without a sound, but they brought a heavy pressure that made it hard to breathe.
She wondered where the guards and sentries were. It was strange that not a single person had sounded an alarm. She didn't let her worry show on her face as she stood up. She used the gentle voice of Xue Qinghe, sounding just a little confused and annoyed. She asked who dared to intrude on her.
The tall person in the lead raised a hand and pulled back the hood. It revealed a face that was incredibly beautiful but very pale. There was a sense of majesty and gloom in her eyes, along with a bit of weakness like she hadn't fully recovered from her wounds. It was Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong. She was supposed to be in Spirit City resting.
Qian Renxue was shocked, and her calm act disappeared instantly. She almost spoke in her real voice as she asked why Bibi Dong was here instead of recovering in Spirit City. She never expected the Supreme Pontiff to show up in person and without any warning.
Bibi Dong's pale lips curled into a cold, mocking smile. She seemed to enjoy how shocked Qian Renxue was. She walked forward a few steps and sneered. She asked if she was supposed to be resting while the Clear Sky Sect was already coming out of hiding.
She said she couldn't miss a chance like this. Her voice got louder and was filled with a cold desire to kill. She said she had come this time to pull them out by the roots and destroy them all. As she spoke, the robed figures behind her threw off their covers.
Suddenly, several terrifying and powerful auras filled the hall. The air felt like it was freezing, and the furniture began to shake. The candle flames jumped in the wind of their power. Standing there before Qian Renxue were the most powerful Titled Douluos of Spirit Hall. They were the Priests. Every one of them was a Super Douluo at Rank ninety-six or even higher.
At the same time, in the deepest part of the Star Dou Great Forest, a red light moved across the sky. It looked like a firebird flying toward the center of the woods where the trees were so thick that no light could reach the ground.
The light faded as the huge Scarlet King landed on the floor. Tang Chen and Xiao Rui'er jumped down from its back. Tang Chen spoke to her in a soft voice, telling her to go back to the Lake of Life to rest.
He said that Senior Di Tian and the others must be waiting for her. He told her he was going to check on the two Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beasts. Xiao Rui'er nodded because she knew about his agreement with the Forest Kings. She told him to be careful and come back soon. She jumped into the trees and disappeared quickly.
Tang Chen watched her go and then headed toward a hidden cave under a cliff. When he got there, the air was thick with the smell of medicine and Spirit Beasts. He also smelled decay, as if something was dying.
Inside the cave, he saw the Sky Azure Bull Python. Its huge body was coiled up, and its green scales were falling off. Its skin looked black and rotten in places. The wounds on its neck and stomach from the poison of the Death Spider Emperor were oozing foul blood.
The Titan Giant Ape was in bad shape too. It leaned against the cave wall with a huge wound in its chest. Its breathing was heavy and full of blood. Its red fur was now dry and gray, and it looked completely exhausted. In just a few days, these two powerful kings of the forest were now close to death.
When they saw Tang Chen, their eyes lit up one last time. Da Ming spoke with difficulty, saying that he had finally returned. Er Ming struggled to lift his head and said they had been waiting for him because they couldn't hold on much longer.
He said that instead of dying for nothing, they wanted to sacrifice their power to him. He asked Tang Chen to take care of Xiao Wu and to kill Tang San. Yu Xiaogang would have been saddened to see such noble creatures in this state, but Tang Chen knew what he had to do.