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Spirit City, Hall of Worship.
Unlike the grand majesty of the Supreme Pontiff Palace, the Hall of Worship was more ancient and solemn. Ancient angel totems were carved onto the tall pillars, and soft golden light fell from the dome, illuminating the grave and worried faces of every worshiper within the hall.
The sudden fall of Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong had brought a catastrophic shock to the Spirit Empire. It was not just the absence of the highest authority, but the collapse of their spiritual pillar and strategic deterrence.
Had it not been for the timely intervention of Qian Daoliu, the High Priest who acted as a stabilizing anchor, using his absolute prestige and strength to forcibly suppress various restless internal forces and quickly supporting the legitimate Qian Renxue—who held the Angel God Trial—to ascend to the position of Supreme Pontiff, the Spirit Empire might have already disintegrated rather than just losing large swaths of territory.
Even so, the authority of the new Supreme Pontiff, Qian Renxue, was still in its early stage of establishment. The empire's borders were shrinking, people's hearts were wavering, and powerful external enemies were watching like tigers. The situation remained precarious.
At this moment, within the Supreme Pontiff Palace, the atmosphere still appeared very oppressive. Qian Renxue sat upright upon the throne that originally belonged to Bibi Dong. She had changed into slightly oversized Supreme Pontiff robes and wore a crown. Her exquisite face had shed some of its former youthfulness, gaining a touch of calm and majesty.
However, deep in her eyes, a trace of complex emotion that had not yet dissipated remained; Bibi Dong's death had left her heart feeling somewhat empty. Below her stood several worshipers led by Gold Crocodile Douluo, as well as several Elders, who were standing solemnly and reporting something.
Your Majesty, we have an urgent report from the front line. It isn't from the Heaven Dou or Star Luo borders, but from the northwestern area of the empire near the Gray Ridge Mountains. Three towns, including Graystone City and Black Iron Fort, along with all the villages and outposts along the way, were completely wiped out in just two days. Everyone was killed. According to the distant witnesses and the energy left behind, the killer is very likely the Slaughter King who fought the former Empress at Iron Wall Pass.
As soon as the elder finished speaking, the hall broke into loud chatter. Even the older worshipers who had seen many great storms could not keep their faces calm.
Slaughtering innocent civilians like that is an evil act that heaven won't allow!
Lion Douluo hair and beard stood up because of his great anger.
Why would the Slaughter King strike at our towns? Is it because of what happened to the former Empress?
Azure Luan Douluo frowned as he tried to understand the reason.
Qian Renxue squeezed the sides of her throne tightly with her hands, and her fingers turned white. She hated many things that Bibi Dong did, but her mother's death still made her heart hurt. Now that her old enemy was taking such cruel revenge on the people of the empire, a cold fury and a sense of duty rose up inside her.
Enough!
Gold Crocodile Douluo spoke in a loud, deep voice that stopped everyone from talking. He turned to Qian Renxue, bowed his hands, and spoke with strong determination.
Your Majesty, our Spirit Hall has always had a duty to keep order on the continent and destroy evil. This Slaughter King is acting like an ancient demon and killing innocent people, so we must eliminate him no matter his reasons. He's running wild inside our borders right now, and more of our people are dying every second. This is a direct insult to Spirit Hall and the Angel God. I request permission to personally lead a team of best fighters right now to kill this beast and bring peace to the dead.
Gold Crocodile Douluo's voice was very loud and full of confidence. In his mind, though Bibi Dong was strong, she had not fully finished using her god power. The Slaughter King was famous for being fierce, but Gold Crocodile was a Level 98 Peak Douluo with many powerful spirit skills and great fighting experience. He believed he could fight him, or at least drive him away and hurt him badly. Everyone in the hall looked at Qian Renxue on the throne. His plan was reasonable and seemed like the best choice they had.
Qian Renxue thought about it for a short time while golden light moved in her eyes. She knew how strong Gold Crocodile Douluo was, and she understood they had to fix this quickly, or the people would lose all faith in the empire.
Worshiper Gold Crocodile is correct. When monsters are killing our people, Spirit Hall can't run away from its duty. I'll grant your request, and you will go.
Regarding this matter, I should be the one to go personally.
Just then, a calm, old, but very powerful voice came from the deep part of the Hall of Worship, stopping Qian Renxue. A flash of golden light appeared, and a man stood in the middle of the hall without making any noise. It was the High Priest, Qian Daoliu. He wore a simple gold robe and had an old face, but his calm eyes looked very deep, showing a serious mood.
Grandfather?
Qian Renxue was surprised to see him. Gold Crocodile Douluo and the other worshipers also bowed quickly to greet him.
High Priest!
Qian Daoliu nodded to everyone and looked at Gold Crocodile Douluo as he spoke slowly.
Gold Crocodile, I know you're loyal and brave, but this problem isn't something you can solve easily. I learned what happened at the Iron Wall Pass battle through special ways. That Slaughter King has a weapon that is likely a Divine Artifact, and his special domain is so strong that it can stop the spirit skills of anyone who doesn't have the same domain, including Bibi Dong. Even when Bibi Dong used her full god power and her best spirit skills, she still couldn't win and could only run away in the end.
He looked at the shocked faces around the room and continued.
You all know how strong Bibi Dong was. Even though she didn't fully finish taking the god position, her fighting power was close to Level 99 with her god energy. Since the Slaughter King could fight her like that, he's definitely not a simple enemy. Gold Crocodile, you're indeed powerful, but your chances of winning against someone with a Divine Artifact are very low. If something goes wrong, you'll be in danger, Spirit Hall will lose a main leader, and the empire will fall apart completely.
Gold Crocodile Douluo opened his mouth to argue, but he thought about Bibi Dong's strength and felt a chill in his heart. He was brave, but he was not stupid.
Grandfather, are you going yourself?
Qian Renxue asked with a worried face. Qian Daoliu was the final support for Spirit Hall and her greatest help.
Yes, I am. This matter is too big, and the Slaughter King's goals might be dangerous. The weapon in his hand is very important, so I must go myself to see it and fix the problem. Little Xue, you just took the throne and your power isn't fully stable yet. Gold Crocodile and the others need to stay here to help you keep things peaceful inside and fight off the pressure from Heaven Dou and Star Luo. Leave this Slaughter King to me.
His tone was flat, but it showed absolute confidence. A Level 99 super Douluo who was known as Invincible in the Sky was going to take action himself. Qian Renxue knew this was the safest plan. She stood up and bowed deeply to him.
Then I'll trouble you, Grandfather. Please be absolutely careful.
Qian Daoliu nodded and said nothing more. In the next second, his golden body faded away under the light and disappeared completely.
Meanwhile, inside the Council Hall of Tianxing Academy in Heaven Dou City, the mood was completely different. It was not scary or murderous like Spirit Hall, but full of smart planning. The room was simple, and the main leaders of the Spirit Hall sat around a long table. Tang Chen sat at the head of the table. Dugu Bo sat on his left side, and Yang Wudi sat on his right.
Niu Gao sat right behind him, along with several new and useful members. They had just finished listening to the news about the continent, like the attacks by Heaven Dou and Star Luo, the new rule of Qian Renxue, and some strange news from the coast.
According to our hidden workers in coastal towns and news we bought from lucky pirates, three young Spirit Masters appeared near Purple Pearl Island two weeks ago. They moved secretly and were very cruel, matching the description of Tang San and his friends. They were last seen taking a boat into the deep sea, so it seems they've already gone out to sea.
Tang Chen raised his head slightly when he heard this. His face did not change much, but his energy became different. He stood up slowly.
Since Tang San has already gone to sea, then I need to make a trip out to sea too.
Kid, where are you going? The ocean is too big, and finding someone who is hiding there is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Besides, the situation on the continent just became stable. The Spirit Empire is hurt, but they're still dangerous. With Qian Daoliu there, the Spirit Hall needs you right now.
Dugu Bo was surprised and spoke with confusion in his eyes. Yang Wudi and Niu Gao looked at Tang Chen with the same questions, wondering why he wanted to leave now. Tang Chen did not answer Dugu Bo directly. He looked out toward the west.
I'm going to Sea God Island.
Sea God Island?
Dugu Bo raised his eyebrows because he only remembered that name from very old stories. He knew it was a powerful place far away, but nothing more. Yang Wudi and Niu Gao knew even less about the ocean. Tang Chen looked at them and explained simply.
Sea God Island is a huge island where Spirit Masters believe in the Sea God. They're very strong in sea battles and have a special legacy. Their leader, the High Priestess, is a Level 99 super Douluo with amazing power. The island stays away from the continent, but its power is very important.
A Level 99 super Douluo?
Yang Wudi and Niu Gao gasped when they heard this. They realized this was another enemy as strong as Qian Daoliu.
Kid, you suddenly want to go there, is it because of something special?
Dugu Bo asked as he looked at him. Tang Chen did not say a word, but a deep blue light shined in his eyes. A beautiful blue triangle pattern appeared on his forehead like a third eye. A strange sound echoed, and a blue light shot out from his forehead, forming an object in the air. It was the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud that the royal family gave him. Tang Chen looked at the beautiful item and spoke to them.
This item has a deep connection to Sea God Island, and it's a key to getting the Sea God legacy. Tang San and his friends are likely going there too, so I must go see what they're doing and check the island's attitude.
He used his mind, and the blue light became brighter. The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud grew much bigger, expanding more than a hundred times until it looked like a huge blue crystal room with ocean waves inside. It came down and covered everyone at the table, including Tang Chen. They could still see and hear everything outside through the blue walls. They felt like they were inside a safe blue crystal house.
This is its main power, and it's also its greatest. Once this shroud forms, it acts like a safe room to protect us. At the same time, when it covers us, it becomes invisible and has no physical form. It hides our bodies, our presence, and our spirit power completely. With it, we can find an excellent hiding spot in any dangerous place.
He paused to let them feel the strange effect. Then he waved his left hand, and the huge shroud shrank back to its normal size, entering the pattern on his forehead. Everything went back to normal, but everyone was still shocked. Tang Chen threw the shroud out again as a blue light, aiming right at Dugu Bo.
Dugu Bo felt the danger and wanted to jump back, but the light was too fast. It covered his body perfectly like a tight blue suit. Dugu Bo was shocked to find that his spirit power stopped moving completely. He could not move his body or even blink his eyes. Only his mind could still think.
This is its other function, the Cosmic Spirit-Fixing Shroud. It can stop anyone whose mental strength is lower than mine. It doesn't hurt the enemy, but it lets us leave easily. The shroud will always return to me even from far away.
Tang Chen used his mind again, and the blue light returned to his forehead. Dugu Bo could move his body now, but his face still showed shock. He moved his arms and smiled with a bitter look.
Good heavens, this thing is truly impossible to defend against. Even I couldn't react in time before being stopped for a moment.