The vast majority of those present were top-tier powerhouses in terms of strength.
Especially after the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King and the Demon Empress revealed themselves, everyone within the entire imperial palace fell silent. The already tense atmosphere now carried an additional layer of stillness.
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King—a 990,000-year soul beast—was known to all, without exception. Add to that his wife, the Demon Empress, whose aura clearly indicated strength at the level of Super Douluo or above.
Bo Saixi was the first to charge forward. Her Sea God martial soul condensed the Sea God's Trident.
Veins bulged on Bo Saixi's forehead as she shouted fiercely, "You, the chief culprit who destroyed Sea God Island—you actually dare appear before me today. I will take you both down together!"
The Sea God's Trident in her hand erupted with terrifying energy, instantly locking onto the Demon Empress and the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.
"Sea God's Thirteen Forms—Unfixed Wind and Waves."
Seawater surged and rose, swirling at extreme speed around the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King and the Demon Empress, as if to seal them in place and fully prepare for the next attack.
"A boring attack." The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King snorted coldly.
Blue-purple energy gathered, forming blue light spheres around the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King. Countless electric arcs spread outward, creating a ring-shaped thunder shield. The extreme heat brought by the lightning dispersed the soul power Bo Saixi had infused into the water, rendering her attack ineffective.
"One should return courtesy in kind." Using the water vapor Bo Saixi had condensed, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King controlled it to form raging, surging waves. The people below, sensing the terrifying aura, all released their martial souls to withstand the rampant aftermath.
The intersecting water and lightning waves rapidly converged into a massive blue dragon, devouring everything in its surroundings as it charged toward Bo Saixi.
Under the post-attack lag, Bo Saixi could only use her martial soul to forcibly block.
"Boom!"
She was pushed back several hundred meters before finally coming to a stop.
Just as the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King and the Demon Empress prepared to press the attack, crimson sword qi shot up from below, cleaving the sky's cloud layers in two. The bloody, murderous aura dyed the high-altitude clouds red.
"Tang Chen, you want to block me?" The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's gaze turned icy and sharp. "Don't forget—you once swore an oath on your martial soul in the Star Dou Great Forest that you would not be enemies with our Deep Sea Demonic Whale clan."
Tang Chen's expression changed abruptly. Back then, when he was blocked by the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King in the Star Dou Great Forest, not only had he handed over the Azure Bull Python's soul bone, but he himself had sworn not to become enemies with the other party.
Tang Chen took a deep breath. "I hope the two of you will not get involved. This matter has nothing to do with your Deep Sea Demonic Whale clan. Let the well water not interfere with the river water—how about it?"
"My wife owes a favor to the Star Dou Great Forest. This time, they called us here." The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's voice turned cold. "As for how my wife came to owe that favor, you—the chief culprit—should know very well!"
"You…" Tang Chen was rendered speechless.
Back then, he and Bo Saixi had hunted the Demon Empress, only for her to be saved by Di Tian of the Star Dou Great Forest, which led to the subsequent chain of events.
"It seems you've remembered." The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King sneered. "What's wrong? Are you going to make a move? My purpose this time is simply to repay the favor."
"Bi Ji hopes we protect the Heaven Dou Empire, so my wife and I came together."
"Tang Chen, leave the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King and the Demon Empress to me. You handle things below." Bo Saixi regained her composure, suppressing her rage over Sea God Island's destruction, and reminded Tang Chen.
The plan took priority. Everything else could wait.
After all, Tang San's eighth trial was to take the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's life. Letting these two jump around for a few more days didn't matter—as long as they were dealt with when the time came.
Tang Chen took a deep breath and descended below.
Bo Saixi, meanwhile, kept a wary eye on the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King and the Demon Empress.
"Golden Crocodile Douluo, you have betrayed the human race and colluded with the Star Dou Great Forest. Do you still deserve to call yourselves the sacred land of soul masters?"
As he landed, Tang Chen immediately began questioning Golden Crocodile Douluo, who appeared to have recovered considerably thanks to Bi Ji's treatment.
"For your justice, I have my own justice—that's all there is to it. Moreover, we are maintaining peace and stability on the continent far better than you sects who only talk and do nothing." Golden Crocodile Douluo laughed heartily.
"Let's speak plainly: we are now cooperating with the Star Dou Great Forest—so what? We are seeking a way for humans and soul beasts to coexist peacefully, a cultivation method that does not require killing soul beasts.
"Therefore, for the future of the continent, we have chosen to cooperate with Miss Bi Ji of the Star Dou Great Forest. Is there a problem with that?"
"Coexist peacefully? Do you think anyone on the Douluo Continent actually believes that?"
Tang Chen was clearly amused to the point of anger by Golden Crocodile Douluo's words.
Back when you killed Tang Hao, you kept calling him a traitor to the human race.
Now that you've been caught, you turn around and argue.
Do you double-standard so blatantly—does Qian Daoliu even know?
"Bi Ji, do you really trust Spirit Hall? Be careful not to lose both your wife and your army, handing yourself over in the process. A Emerald Swan over 500,000 years old—no soul master would remain unmoved."
"Especially since it's the inherently evil Spirit Hall."
"Evil…" Golden Crocodile burst out laughing. "Yes, yes, yes—we at Spirit Hall are inherently evil, while your Clear Sky Sect is inherently righteous. Happy now?"
"Attack!"
Before he even reached the ground, Tang Chen shouted loudly.
Whether it was the four sacred pillars or the two Clear Sky Sect elders, they all launched simultaneous attacks toward Xue Ke's position.
Retreating was impossible. This was their last chance to plunge Heaven Dou into chaos.
Only in this way could the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect be left without an excuse to intervene. Tang Chen and Bo Saixi had transmitted the message to the elders and sacred pillars through secret methods.
"Create an opportunity for Xue Beng to kill Xue Ke."
Golden Crocodile clearly hadn't expected the other side to launch a sudden assault.
But as a 99th-ranked Title Douluo who had recovered quite a bit under Bi Ji's treatment, he could still hold off these people—especially with the Worship Hall elders present.
However, Tang Chen suddenly dove from high in the sky at a shocking speed.
Up above, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King had just moved to intervene when Bo Saixi blocked his path. As a quasi-god powerhouse herself, holding him off for a short while was no problem.
All the worshipers from Spirit Hall also actively engaged.
Golden Crocodile Douluo transformed into a giant golden crocodile. Its massive tail swung in an attempt to use a divine dragon tail sweep to fling Tang Chen away, while Bi Ji activated her rebound skill, Emerald Light Defense, to block the opponent.
Yet Tang Chen was, after all, at quasi-god level. With a light sweep of the Asura God Sword in his hand—
A wave of blood-red energy surged skyward.
Golden Crocodile and Bi Ji both spat blood from their mouths and were sent flying.
Tang Chen roared toward Xue Beng behind him: "If not now, then when!"
He himself could not act—that was absolutely forbidden.
The people from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were likely nearby. If Xue Beng made the move, he might not necessarily be stopped. But if Tang Chen did, there was an agreement in place—not quite the same as the oath with the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King,
But the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's power was too great. Whether exploiting loopholes or carding bugs, Xue Beng had the chance to kill Xue Ke and take that position.
Sure enough, led by Zhu Zhuyun—a Soul King—along with two Soul Emperors, all belonging to Xue Beng's forces, the three simultaneously attacked Xue Ke.
"Wings of Wind."
The three agility-attack system soul masters struck empty air. A pair of wings sprouted from Xue Ke's back, allowing her to fly directly into the sky.
The bracelet on her wrist began to transform, turning into a soul guide device.
A soul power projectile burning with flames shot out.
It flew at extreme speed toward Xue Beng.
"Ah!"
Xue Beng's strength was nowhere near Xue Ke's—especially against her soul guide device. He was instantly taken out.
"Damn it!"
Tang Chen had been a bit careless, thinking success was already in hand.
He hadn't expected…
Golden Crocodile acted again, killing all three of Xue Beng's attackers—including Zhu Zhuyun.
However, he failed to notice that in Zhu Zhuyun's eyes before death, her lifeless pupils flickered with faint, shifting fluctuations.
Tang Chen paid no attention to the three who died.
"Damn it!"
Tang Chen truly hadn't expected Xue Ke to possess two such powerful soul guide devices—not only an attack-type one but also a flight-type soul guide device he had never seen before.
Tang Chen gritted his teeth and acted directly, launching an attack toward Xue Ke.
Heaven Dou must fall into chaos—this was the principle.
Xue Ke must die.
From the Asura God Sword, a crimson sword qi slashed toward the sky.
In the blink of an eye, it reached Xue Ke.
"Tang Chen, do you really not take the original agreement seriously? Provoking us again and again—do you truly think the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect doesn't exist?"
An abrupt voice resounded through the heavens. The blood-red sword qi dispersed into specks of light.
Before Xue Ke, three figures appeared.
(End of chapter)