Chapter 218: Reunion with Yu Tianheng
Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City.
At the city gates, Luo Ling and Hu Liena arrived after seven days of travel.
Two years had passed since Luo Ling last left here, yet Heaven Dou City had changed—it was now heavily guarded and tense.
He raised an eyebrow as he watched the long line of citizens waiting to enter and the stern soldiers checking everyone at the gate.
"Xiao Ling, something's off," Hu Liena murmured, frowning slightly.
Heaven Dou City, the empire's capital nestled deep within its heartland, was supposed to be tranquil during peacetime. This level of vigilance was far from normal.
"It has changed," Luo Ling agreed. "But we can learn the reason soon enough."
With a shrug, he headed straight for the gate.
Rather than queue up, he walked directly toward the guards.
From his pocket, he produced the aristocratic token bestowed upon him by Emperor Xue Ye.
After the Grand Spirit Master Tournament, Xue Ye had conferred upon him the title of Marquis—a rank surpassed only by dukes and princes.
The gate guards, seeing Luo Ling and Hu Liena bypass the line, started to shout but froze as they saw the marquis's crescent insignia shining in his hand. Their faces turned pale.
"L—Lord Marquis!" one stammered, instantly switching to a deep bow.
"I'm Luo Ling," he said evenly. "It's been a while since I last visited the capital. What's going on?"
At the mention of his name, the guard's eyes brightened in recognition. After a moment of recollection, his posture grew even more respectful.
"So it's Marquis Luo Ling! You've been away for a year or more, my lord. There have been… troubling events."
The guard explained everything in detail, and Luo Ling quickly pieced the story together.
A year ago, people in Heaven Dou City had started vanishing without trace—even spirit masters, including students from the advanced academies.
Emperor Xue Ye had ordered a thorough investigation, but no clues surfaced.
Then entire civilian families were found slaughtered in their homes, their blood staining the walls—but their bodies were missing.
Eventually, even members of the royal knight order began disappearing in numbers. Fear spread through the capital like wildfire.
Luo Ling narrowed his eyes.
Disappearing citizens…
He immediately recalled what he had sensed a year ago while in the City of Slaughter—Emperor Xue Ye performing the Blood Demon Ritual.
As an eighty-eighth-rank Spirit Douluo desperate to break through to Titled Douluo, it would make grim sense if he began sacrificing spirit masters in secret.
Back then, Luo Ling had felt a surge of divine offerings from the direction of Heaven Dou City. He had thought it was Yu Xiaogang's doing—now it seemed Emperor Xue Ye's hand was likely behind it.
The question was: had the emperor succeeded?
Shaking his head slightly, Luo Ling thanked the guard and entered the city with Hu Liena.
The streets were no longer vibrant as he remembered. Royal Knights patrolled in constant rotation, and many shops stood shuttered. The string of disappearances had clearly driven people away.
Their arrival immediately drew many gazes. Both were strikingly attractive, but Hu Liena carried an unmistakable aura of coldness that set her apart.
Even though Luo Ling had spent years suppressing the killing aura within her, since emerging from the Hell Road, she had obtained the Killing God Domain.
The murderous pressure it exuded required her constant restraint.
Civilians who met her eyes instinctively stepped aside, giving the pair an unobstructed path through the street.
Hu Liena frowned, realizing the people's reactions were directed solely at her.
"Tone down your killing intent," Luo Ling murmured softly.
She blinked, then nodded, comprehension dawning on her face.
Although she reduced her aura, its effect was limited. The crowd still parted around them like waves avoiding a storm.
They continued walking—until several familiar figures appeared ahead.
A black-haired youth with a solid build led the group. Beside him were a red-haired, heavyset man and a tall, handsome young man.
Luo Ling stopped for a moment, surprised. Of all people to meet upon his return…
Yu Tianheng, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar.
He remembered hearing after the tournament that Ma Hongjun and Oscar had joined the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Judging by their appearance and attire, that rumor had been true.
The three also noticed Luo Ling and Hu Liena. Their steps faltered.
"It's been a while, my friends," Luo Ling said with a light smile as he approached them.
Yu Tianheng and the others exchanged glances before coming forward. "Brother Luo Ling—after the tournament, it's been, what, two years?"
Yu Tianheng studied him closely. Through the Blood Demon Ritual, his own spirit power had reached Rank 55—a speedy advancement by any measure.
But even so, he dared not treat Luo Ling lightly. Two years ago, Luo Ling had already been a Spirit Emperor with a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring; even now, Yu Tianheng knew he wouldn't stand a chance.
"Yes, two years," Luo Ling replied, his gaze sweeping over the trio. His vast spiritual perception rendered their levels transparent to him.
Yu Tianheng had indeed reached Spirit King, while Ma Hongjun and Oscar hovered just below that threshold.
To climb so quickly in such a short time—they had clearly engaged in numerous sacrifices of flesh and blood.
Luo Ling chuckled inwardly. Their dark devotion had, indirectly, strengthened him as well. The life force they had offered through the church's rituals had helped push him to level seventy in the City of Slaughter.
Only two more spirit rings now separated him from Spirit Sage.
"Luo Ling!"
"Brother Ling!"
Ma Hongjun and Oscar both greeted him hesitantly. Their feelings were complex—two years ago, Luo Ling's actions had ruined Yu Xiaogang and Tang San, nearly bringing doom on them all. Yet, they still held him in wary respect.
Luo Ling smiled thinly. "Your power has grown well. Impressive progress."
Then his voice dropped, calm but edged with warning. "But some things are best left untouched—lest they bring calamity upon you."
All three froze. Their faces stiffened immediately.
They had, after all, been dabbling in forbidden rites.
"Luo Ling… what are you implying?" Yu Tianheng said tensely.
"Nothing," Luo Ling said, eyes glinting faintly. "Just a reminder. Yu Xiaogang and Tang San both became pariahs—Evil Spirit Masters hunted across the land. You were once their comrades; best not to follow their path."
He smiled lightly, waved a hand, and walked away with Hu Liena.
Behind them, Yu Tianheng, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun stood motionless, uneasy expressions on their faces.
After a long silence, they, too, turned and left in haste.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Bankai10