Demon God Pillars, Activate!
Bibi Dong and Qian Daoliu exchanged a glance and flew forward together.
Sure enough.
On a stretch of open ground ahead, a massive city of purple-black rose from the earth.
Its walls stood hundreds of meters high, inlaid with dark purple patterns of light.
Things were moving both inside and outside the city, in enormous numbers.
They looked like neither humans nor Soul Beasts!
Seventy-two even more enormous pillars were scattered throughout the city.
Patterns of light flowed over the pillars, and the pressure they gave off was enough to make one's heart tremble.
Qian Daoliu gazed at the seventy-two pillars, a sense of unease rising in his heart.
"These pillars..."
Before Bibi Dong could speak, a voice drifted down from atop the city walls.
"Everyone, welcome to Heart City of the demon race!"
A beam of purple light descended from the sky and landed before the city gates. The light dispersed, revealing Baimon.
He adjusted his monocle and stood with his hands behind his back as the gates opened wide behind him.
Hagenti, An Luoxian, Xi Er, Saigong, and more than thirty Demon Gods of various forms flew out through the gates together.
They lined up with their arms crossed, looking down on the Spirit Hall army.
Bibi Dong instantly activated her Martial Soul. Nine Soul Rings arrayed themselves beside her as she stared coldly at Baimon.
"Hmph, I underestimated you. I didn't expect you to have so many Titled Douluo, but you defeated underlings still dare appear before me?"
Baimon burst out laughing when he heard that, laughing heartily.
"Defeated underlings, you say? Then come and try us."
As soon as he finished speaking, more than twenty Demon Gods behind him raised their hands in unison.
"Demon God Pillars!"
"Activate!"
Dark purple light poured from their palms, linking them to the seventy-two Demon God Pillars in the city.
Patterns of light burst from the pillars and streamed along invisible lines into every Demon God.
Their presences instantly grew stronger!
The dozens of Demon Gods who had only been at the level of ordinary Titled Douluo moments ago all surged in strength. Even the weakest now had combat power above level 95.
Sidi, Demon God of Emotion and holder of the twelfth pillar, stepped forward.
Sidi's Spiritual Power spread out, reaching Level 98 and even stepping halfway into the realm of a Level 99 Limit Douluo.
Bibi Dong's expression changed instantly.
Behind her, the Spirit Hall Soul Masters were pressed down by the combined might of dozens of Demon Gods.
In the blink of an eye, the entire army lay flat on the ground, unable to rise.
Bibi Dong gritted her teeth and braced herself against the pressure, her expression grim.
"How did they suddenly get so much stronger?"
Qian Daoliu frowned deeply.
"Is this their true strength?"
"Those pillars may be the source of their power."
Bibi Dong stared at the seventy-two pillars atop the city walls, her teeth clenched.
"Then I'll destroy them!"
All nine Soul Rings flared to life.
She drove her Soul-Eating Spider Emperor Martial Soul at full power.
Her entire body turned into a streak of purple light as she charged straight at Baimon.
Baimon shifted aside and raised a hand to block. Fist met palm, and a blast of air exploded outward, cracking the ground in a circle for more than a dozen zhang around them.
"Come on!"
Baimon adjusted his monocle and smiled casually.
"Your Holiness, there's decent force behind that blow, but you were a little hasty."
Bibi Dong ignored him.
She unleashed her Second Soul Skill and Third Soul Skill in succession.
Spider silk, venomous stingers, Abyss Slash.
Baimon dodged left and right, occasionally taking a blow or two head-on. He retreated half a step before slowly pressing forward again.
After more than ten exchanges, Bibi Dong grew more alarmed with every blow.
This guy was more than a little stronger than he had been half a month ago.
Speed, strength, reactions!
"Your Holiness, you used your Ninth Soul Skill once last time. Are you planning to use it again?"
Baimon smiled as he parried her attacks.
"I might not be able to withstand it this time."
Bibi Dong's chest heaved with anger, her teeth grinding audibly.
She turned to Qian Daoliu. "Great Enshrined! How much longer are you going to stand there watching?"
Qian Daoliu sighed and activated his Martial Soul.
The Angel Holy Sword formed in his hand. Golden light flashed as he charged in to fight Baimon.
Sidi, Demon God of Emotion, drifted down from the city wall and fixed a gaze on Qian Daoliu. Sidi suddenly smiled and waved a hand.
A pinkish-purple mist spread silently. Qian Daoliu lost focus for a moment, and before he could react, the scene before him abruptly changed.
The golden light faded, and the Angel Holy Sword vanished.
He stood by the sea, the breeze salty and damp. In the distance, a blue-haired woman stood with her back to him, her figure slender and her long blue hair blowing in the wind.
Qian Daoliu's heart clenched.
"Saixi..."
Bo Saixi turned around with a smile on her face, but she wasn't smiling at him.
Another person stood beside her, tall and black-haired, with a hand resting on her shoulder. The two spoke with their heads lowered. Bo Saixi smiled even more happily and raised a hand to pat the man's arm.
Qian Daoliu stared at the black-haired man for two seconds. Was it him?!
Tang Chen!
He opened his mouth, wanting to call out, but his throat was so clogged that he couldn't get a single word out.
The scene shifted. Bo Saixi, dressed in a bright red wedding gown, walked into the wedding hall holding Tang Chen's hand.
It shifted again. She cradled a swaddled infant while Tang Chen played with the child beside her, the family of three in perfect happiness.
Qian Daoliu stood where he was, his fists clenching tighter and tighter, his nails digging into his palms.
Back when he first met Bo Saixi, she had clearly felt some affection for him. But once Tang Chen appeared, she had eyes for no one else.
We agreed back then that we'd have a fair chance to compete.
She would marry whoever became a god first...
But my talent was limited...
He stepped back, withdrawing completely. After they parted that day, he never saw Bo Saixi again.
Yet after all those decades, the scenes were being shoved before his eyes frame by frame, and everything he had buried for decades came surging back up.
Resentment piled up layer upon layer, impossible to suppress.
The illusion shattered. Qian Daoliu opened his eyes, their whites covered in bloodshot veins.
Without a word, he plunged the Angel Holy Sword into the ground and charged forward, raining punches and kicks on Baimon without any method. He was like a completely different person from the composed Great Enshrined he had been before.
"Aaaaah!!!"
"Huh?"
Baimon took a punch to the shoulder and staggered back two steps, somewhat bewildered.
"What happened to this old man? Has he gone mad?"
Sidi chuckled from the side, offered no explanation, and stepped aside to watch the show.
Qian Daoliu's attacks grew more and more chaotic, and he no longer even bothered to defend himself.
In Baimon's eyes, Qian Daoliu was now nothing but a reckless brute, and Baimon injured him in just a few moves.
On the other side, Bibi Dong was tied up by several Demon Gods. When she caught sight of Qian Daoliu out of the corner of her eye, her expression changed.
"Great Enshrined! Calm down!"
Qian Daoliu didn't hear her at all.
Golden Crocodile Douluo, surrounded over there, turned to look and shouted anxiously.
"Big brother! Big brother, what's wrong with you?"
The other Enshrined shouted as well, but they were surrounded by Demon Gods and couldn't find a chance to rush over.
"Great Enshrined!"
The six Enshrined huddled back to back, resisting the attacks of more than a dozen Demon Gods around them.
Hagenti watched from behind with a frown, then stepped forward to remind him.
"Lord Baimon, His Majesty ordered that we must not massacre the human race."
Baimon turned to glance at him, an unsettling smile curling his lips.
"Hagenti, His Majesty never said we couldn't seriously injure them."
"Sidi, let's go!"