Immediately afterwards, the sky shone brightly.
Golden light flowed, as if a god were wielding a brush, sketching a lifelike and dynamic picture in the air.
That was an enormous crocodile!
Its entire body is covered with dark golden scales, each scale as if forged from divine metal, shimmering with an immortal luster, and full of explosive power.
The grotesque head, with its gaping maw revealing sharp teeth that seemed capable of easily tearing mountains apart!
His vertical pupils were pure gold, without a trace of impurity, yet they exuded the most primal, ferocious ferocity and majesty.
A wild and domineering aura seemed to pierce through the sky and suppress the entire world!
Golden Crocodile King!
Even though it was just an image, the domineering aura that looked down upon the world made countless soul masters feel a chill in their hearts, and their soul power circulation became sluggish.
Beside the scroll, new gilded characters appeared one by one, exuding supreme majesty.
[Martial Soul Ranking, 20th: Golden Crocodile King!]
[Owner: Golden Crocodile]
[Comment: A top-tier beast spirit, its attack, defense, and strength attributes are all at their peak. Evolved from the Golden Crocodile, it is already a top-tier beast spirit, and the Golden Crocodile King is a king among kings, one in ten thousand, possessing the potential for further evolution. Based on overall assessment, it ranks twentieth on this list!]
[Reward: Holder's soul power increases by one level! All soul rings' age increases by one thousand years!]
...
Wuhun City.
Inside the offering hall.
When he saw the final rankings on the screen, even the deep-seated Qian Daoliu couldn't help but widen his eyes, his wrinkled face filled with astonishment.
"The Golden Crocodile King... is only ranked twentieth on the Martial Soul Ranking?"
"Last place?!"
A storm raged in Qian Daoliu's heart.
He knew all too well what quality the Golden Crocodile King's martial soul was!
Those were the top-tier beast spirits on the continent. In terms of overall combat strength, compared to the six-winged angels of his angel race, they only lost in terms of divine attributes and flight ability.
Such a powerful martial spirit... is only ranked last on the list?!
This completely overturned his understanding.
The Golden Crocodile Douluo standing below the prince was completely stunned.
His usually resolute and stern face was now filled with bewilderment and astonishment, like a petrified statue.
"The twentieth..."
Golden Crocodile Douluo muttered to himself, his voice so low it was almost inaudible.
"I... am only twentieth place?"
This was a huge blow to him.
He has absolute confidence in his Golden Crocodile King Martial Soul, which he inherited from an ancient mythical beast!
In his opinion, this martial spirit should at least be in the top ten, if not in the top five!
But now, reality has given him a resounding slap in the face.
He was just a goalkeeper.
"The Golden Crocodile King, who is the second most revered deity, is only ranked twentieth?"
Beside him stood the Light Feather Douluo, an elderly man with a thin frame but extremely sharp eyes, who couldn't help but speak up, his tone full of surprise and doubt.
Beside him stood the Lion Douluo, a burly man as imposing as an iron tower, who also spoke in a deep, booming voice:
"How is this possible? Second Brother's martial spirit is undoubtedly the strongest in our Hall of Worship, second only to the Grand Elder's Angelic Martial Spirit!"
"Yes, there are actually nineteen martial souls that can rank ahead of the Golden Crocodile King?"
"When did so many monsters appear on the Douluo Continent?"
The other worshippers were also discussing among themselves, each with a look of shock on their faces.
The way they looked at Golden Crocodile Douluo had changed from the usual awe to a hint of pity.
The whispers of the crowd stung Golden Crocodile Douluo's pride like needles.
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and a dark glint flashed in his golden eyes.
"It seems..."
Golden Crocodile Douluo spoke slowly, his voice hoarse.
"We've been looking at the sky from the bottom of a well."
"The waters of Douluo Continent are much deeper than we imagined."
The moment he finished speaking.
boom!
A dazzling golden beam of light pierced through the dome of the Hall of Worship and precisely enveloped Golden Crocodile Douluo.
A sacred, vast, and boundless energy surged wildly into his body!
"Ughhhh!"
Golden Crocodile Douluo let out an uncontrollable roar, his bones cracking and popping.
He could clearly feel that the bottleneck of his soul power, which had been stagnant for decades, was being broken through in a devastating manner!
Peak level 98...
Level 99!
A terrifying aura, far surpassing anything before, erupted from his body and swept across the entire hall!
The air inside the hall seemed to freeze. Apart from Qian Daoliu, the other titled Douluo were forced to retreat repeatedly by this aura, their faces showing horror.
This is the overwhelming pressure of a peerless Douluo!
The golden light dissipated.
Golden Crocodile Douluo slowly opened his eyes, feeling the surging soul power within his body like a vast ocean, and the noticeably deeper light on his nine soul rings. A look of wild joy appeared on his face.
My long-cherished wish has finally come true!
"Congratulations, Golden Crocodile."
Qian Daoliu's voice rang out at the right time. He looked at the golden crocodile whose aura was surging, and a smile of satisfaction appeared on his face.
"You have finally taken this step."
"Thank you, Your Excellency!"
Golden Crocodile Douluo knelt on one knee in excitement, his voice trembling slightly.
Although his martial soul ranking was not satisfactory, the tangible benefits swept away all his frustration.
Qian Daoliu nodded, then his gaze swept over all the worshippers present, and his expression became serious.
"Gentlemen."
His voice was deep and powerful.
"The emergence of this list foreshadows a major change in mainland China."
"Right now, the biggest variable lies at Jialing Pass."
"That woman Bibi Dong is too ambitious and has a wicked heart. Qian Yu is all alone over there, weak and vulnerable. I'm worried he'll suffer."
Qian Daoliu paused, a resolute glint flashing in his eyes.
"Golden Crocodile, Light Feather, Lion... all of you, set off with me immediately for Jialing Pass!"
"Help Qianyu stabilize the battle!"
"Yes, Your Excellency!"
All the worshippers responded in unison, their voices resounding throughout the palace.
...
at the same time.
Jialing Pass, the central command tent of the Martial Soul Empire.
Bibi Dong was originally leaning lazily on the magnificent papal throne, resting her smooth chin on one hand, watching the miracle in the sky with great interest.
She wore a purple-black papal robe, embroidered with intricate and eerie magical patterns in gold thread, which completely covered her mature and voluptuous body, yet added to her ascetic beauty.
The hem of her robe was slit very high, and as she sat casually, her long, slender legs, encased in black spiderweb stockings, were crossed, revealing a breathtaking curve that exuded a deadly allure.
However, when the words "twentieth place" appeared, the languidness and playfulness on her face vanished instantly.
(End of chapter)