"You've finally decided to step out of your little sanctuary, Angel Douluo—Qian Daoliu!"
An elder stepped forward, bathed in divine radiance, his expression calm. With a single step, his figure flickered, and he appeared in front of Bibi Dong and the others.
"Grand Worship, he..."
Golden Crocodile Douluo, enduring his internal injuries, approached the newcomer. Before he could finish his sentence, the elder waved a hand, silencing him.
"Step back. You are no match for him."
With another flick of his hand, a surge of sacred light flowed into Golden Crocodile Douluo's body. While not a healing ability, it significantly alleviated his wounds.
A flash of joy appeared in Golden Crocodile Douluo's eyes as he bowed respectfully before stepping aside. However, he did not go far; instead, he stood before the Spirit Hall, watching in silence, anticipating the moment when Qian Daoliu would utterly crush Chen Xiaoming.
The humiliation suffered by the Spirit Hall today must be repaid in full.
Bibi Dong gazed at the elder with resentment. Her relationship with him had always been strained. However, she chose to remain silent, suppressing her emotions, before retreating from the battlefield.
Chen Xiaoming paid no mind to their departure, his attention solely fixed on Qian Daoliu.
A Rank 99 Limit Douluo.
Throughout the entire Douluo Continent, there were only a handful of individuals who had reached this level. At present, only three were known to exist—Slaughter King Tang Chen, Qian Daoliu, the Grand Worship of the Spirit Hall, and Bo Saixi of Sea God Island.
"I once believed that Tang Chen would be my only worthy opponent. I never expected the continent to produce another figure like you."
A sharp light flashed in Qian Daoliu's eyes as he scrutinized Chen Xiaoming with a newfound solemnity.
Despite Chen Xiaoming's current outburst of Rank 99 soul power, his sheer strength was terrifyingly abnormal. Even compared to Tang Chen, the disparity was unfathomable.
"What is your purpose here today?"
The Spirit Hall had already suffered devastating losses. However, even with the Angelic Shrine right behind him, Qian Daoliu was uncertain whether he could guarantee the capture of the man before him.
From the depths of his heart, Qian Daoliu wished to avoid direct combat.
For Limit Douluo—himself, Tang Chen, and others—the ultimate pursuit was the path to Rank 100, the road to godhood.
In Qian Daoliu's eyes, for someone as young as Chen Xiaoming to have reached such heights, he could not possibly be uninterested in that final step.
"You're young, yet your cultivation has already reached my level. Do you not seek that last step?"
Seeing Chen Xiaoming remain unmoved, Qian Daoliu continued speaking, his words dripping with temptation.
"Oh? The last step?"
Chen Xiaoming feigned curiosity but inwardly sneered. He was eager to see what game Qian Daoliu was playing.
Below, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others perked their ears, eager to learn what this so-called "final step" entailed.
Could it be Rank 100, becoming a god?
But… did gods truly exist in this world?
"Rank 100—ascending to godhood. With your strength, do you truly have no interest in pursuing it?"
At a century old, Qian Daoliu had mastered the art of reading human nature. He refused to believe that someone as young as Chen Xiaoming, after learning about the path to godhood, would not be tempted.
"I know of a place where one can ascend. If you are willing to settle your grievances with the Spirit Hall, I will tell you where it is."
His words sent shockwaves through the crowd.
A land of godhood?
A place where one could break past Rank 99 and ascend?
Dai Mubai, Tang San, Ma Hongjun, and the others were utterly stunned.
So, gods were real?
Soul Masters could truly reach Rank 100 and become deities?
"Ow! Why are you pinching me?"
A sudden cry of pain broke the silence.
Fatty swatted Oscar away after being pinched.
Oscar, Dai Mubai, and the others exchanged glances.
Fatty felt pain… meaning this wasn't a dream.
But today's events had been more absurd than a dream itself.
First, they learned Xiao Wu wasn't human but a 100,000-year soul beast. Then, they witnessed Chen Xiaoming single-handedly mowing down ten Titled Douluo of the Spirit Hall like vegetables.
And now, an old man appeared, claiming there was a place where one could ascend to godhood.
Chen Xiaoming, who had been waiting for Qian Daoliu to make a move, finally couldn't help but laugh.
"So, this is your grand scheme, Qian Daoliu?"
His eyes swept across Qian Daoliu, having fully seen through the latter's intentions.
"The place you're referring to… is it Slaughter City?"
At the mention of Slaughter City, Qian Daoliu's calm demeanor faltered for the first time. He said nothing, but his gaze toward Chen Xiaoming deepened.
Chen Xiaoming not only knew about Slaughter City but also understood its significance as a place of ascension.
That meant… everything he had pretended not to know earlier was an act.
Qian Daoliu understood, but Tang San, Dai Mubai, and the others were utterly lost.
Slaughter City?
What was that?
Why had they never heard of such a place?
"Hmph, Qian Daoliu, don't take me for a fool."
Chen Xiaoming's sneer was ice-cold.
Slaughter City was a massive recruitment ground for the God of Asura, the enforcer of the divine realm. Unlike other gods, who hand-picked inheritors—such as the Sea God, Rakshasa God, and Food God—the God of Asura played a numbers game.
He'd mark as many candidates as possible and simply let them grow. Once they matured, he'd choose the most suitable inheritor.
Tang San had ended up with two divine inheritances because the God of Asura had intercepted the Sea God's chosen one. If the Sea God had been strong enough, he would have beaten the Asura God senseless for it.
"Qian Daoliu, you want me to go to Slaughter City so I'll run into Tang Chen, don't you?"
Chen Xiaoming shook his head, his gaze mocking.
"If we fight over a divine position, one of us will surely die."
"If I win, Tang Chen dies. If he wins, I die. Either way, Spirit Hall loses one powerful enemy."
"And if we both perish, you get rid of two threats without lifting a finger. Isn't that right?"
Having his scheme laid bare, Qian Daoliu merely raised an eyebrow before returning to his composed expression.
But now, his gaze had sharpened.
Boom!
A terrifying surge of soul power erupted.
Far beyond anything Golden Crocodile Douluo or even Bibi Dong had displayed.
A burst of golden radiance enveloped Qian Daoliu, his soul power surging.
At the same time, three pairs of immaculate white wings unfurled behind him.
The Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul!
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
A series of soul rings emerged beneath him, filling the sky with an overwhelming presence.
Black, black, black, black, black, black, black, black, red.
Eight black, one red.
A terrifyingly perfect soul ring configuration.
Chen Xiaoming, watching from below, merely smiled faintly, a trace of disappointment in his eyes.
"Is this all you've got?
"How… disappointing."
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