Spirit Hall's Entire Leadership Captured
After speaking, he paid Hagenti no further attention. He and Sidi charged forward again, one on each side, pinning Qian Daoliu to the ground and beating him.
Qian Daoliu had lost all semblance of technique by now and was holding on by instinct alone. His face was covered in blood, but he kept swinging his fists.
Elsewhere, Bibi Dong was being ganged up on by several Demon Gods. She could no longer stand, but she gritted her teeth and held on.
Two hours later, the battle was over.
Baimon dusted off his hands and glanced across the battlefield.
On Spirit Hall's side, Bibi Dong, Qian Daoliu, the six Enshrined, Ghost Leopard Douluo, and Demon Bear Douluo were all bound tightly in dark purple chains.
More than half the ten thousand Soul Masters had fallen. The several thousand who remained knelt on the ground, trembling as they begged for mercy.
Qian Daoliu lay bound on the ground, mumbling something indistinctly.
Beside him, Golden Crocodile Douluo struggled desperately against his chains. "Big brother! Big brother, wake up!"
Baimon walked up to the captives and looked down at Bibi Dong and Qian Daoliu, adjusting his monocle.
"Your Holiness, Great Enshrined, I'm afraid you'll have to stay in the Demon Clan's Heart City for a while."
"When His Majesty returns, I will hand you both over to him to deal with."
He turned and waved a hand at Hagenti.
"Let the remaining ants go. They can return and spread the word."
Hagenti nodded and gave the order to the Demon Clan army.
The several thousand surviving soldiers were released from their restraints and fled, scrambling and stumbling as they went.
As for Spirit Hall's top fighters, they were all held captive in the Demon Clan's Heart City.
The next day, the news seemed to sprout wings, flying throughout Spirit City and the empire's major cities.
Newsboys ran through the streets, shouting at the tops of their lungs.
"Extra, extra! Spirit Hall's army has been defeated! His Holiness the Pope, the seven Enshrined, and two elders—not one of them came back! They've all been captured!"
People crowded around the newsboys to grab papers. Those who couldn't get one pressed up against teahouse doors to listen to others read.
Halfway through the reading, the crowd erupted.
"What? Even the Pope was captured?"
"Even the Pope couldn't beat them? Where did those things come from?"
"I heard a giant city appeared in the Star Dou Great Forest, full of all sorts of bizarre creatures who call themselves the Demon Clan! Those Demon Gods are ridiculously powerful. Spirit Hall sent all its top fighters and still couldn't beat them!"
"It's over, it's over! Humanity is finished!"
"Let's move, quick! Get out of here, as far from the Star Dou Great Forest as possible!"
For a time, panic gripped everyone, and that very day, streams of people fleeing to other places clogged the main roads.
Feng Xiu mingled with the crowd, listening to their discussions, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
Those humans really dared to attack Heart City.
Still, Baimon does have some skill. He even managed to capture Qian Daoliu.
He stopped and raised a hand, making a slashing motion in full view of everyone on the street.
A rift split open in the void, and dark purple light poured out of it.
An old man carrying a bundle turned and saw it, his mouth falling open wide enough to fit an egg.
"Holy shit, what's going on?"
Before he had finished speaking, Feng Xiu had already stepped inside. The rift closed, and he was gone.
The street fell silent for a moment, then erupted.
"Did that man just... go inside?"
"Are my eyes playing tricks on me?"
The Demon Clan's Heart City.
Feng Xiu stepped out of the rift in the void and landed on the Demon God Emperor's throne.
Sensing Feng Xiu's presence, Baimon hurried into the hall from outside. Smiling, he adjusted his monocle and bowed.
"Your Majesty, you've returned! I was just about to report to you-"
"Treasure Sword City, Hagen-Dazs City, Longxing City-several cities have been retaken by the human race in succession."
Feng Xiu spoke first, his tone even.
"Baimon, you'd better give this emperor a reasonable explanation."
The smile on Baimon's face stiffened for a moment, and he hastily straightened up.
"Your Majesty, the human race assembled a large number of powerful fighters to attack us. I wanted to lure them here and catch them all in one net, so I deliberately feigned weakness and surrendered a few cities."
Feng Xiu leaned back on the throne, his expression betraying nothing.
"Oh? And what was the outcome?"
Baimon breathed a sigh of relief and smiled again.
"All the powerful fighters from the human race's Spirit Hall have been suppressed in the dungeon beneath the city. I am subjecting the human Pope Bibi Dong and Great Enshrined Qian Daoliu to severe torture, forcing them to reveal the whereabouts of the godhood."
Feng Xiu's expression darkened at once.
"What did you say!"
The Demon God Emperor's pressure descended without warning, shaking the floor of the entire hall.
Before Baimon could react, a dark purple hand reached out of the void, seized him by the neck, and lifted him into the air.
"Who gave you permission to torture them!" Feng Xiu's voice was not loud, but it filled Baimon with fear.
His neck in the hand's grip, Baimon's face turned bright red. He clawed at the hand from the void and forced out the words.
"Your Majesty... I... I only wanted to learn the godhood's whereabouts as quickly as possible..."
"As for the godhood, this emperor has his own plans."
Feng Xiu did not let go.
"Since when was it your place to act on your own?"
Baimon dared not argue further. Holding his breath, he nodded.
Feng Xiu stared at him for two breaths, then released his grip.
Baimon fell to the floor, clutching his neck and coughing several times. He knelt on one knee, not daring to rise.
"Lead the way." Feng Xiu rose from his throne.
"This emperor will go to the dungeon and see for himself."
Deep in the dungeon, water seeped through the stone walls, making it exceedingly dark and damp.
The six Enshrined and the two elders, Ghost Leopard and Demon Bear, were chained to stone pillars on either side. Every one of them was injured, and their Soul Power was sealed tight.
Blood covered half of Golden Crocodile Douluo's face, and he continued struggling and shouting toward the inner chambers.
"Big brother! Big brother!"
No one answered him.
The door to the innermost chamber stood half open. Bibi Dong and Qian Daoliu were bound to two cross-shaped iron frames, their wrists and ankles shackled with dark purple restraining chains.
Qian Daoliu's head hung low, blood still staining the corner of his mouth.
He had regained consciousness, but his injuries were too severe for him to break free.
His aged face looked even paler.
Bibi Dong was in slightly better condition. She raised her eyes and stared coldly at the Snake Demon God Andromalius in front of her.
Andromalius held a whip in his hand.
He had just finished a round of whipping and was pacing back and forth.
"Your Holiness, Great Enshrined, why go through this? Tell me where the godhood is, and you'll suffer less, while I can complete my assignment."
Bibi Dong's lips moved, and she spat out a mouthful of bloody froth. "Get lost."
Andromalius clicked his tongue and raised his whip to strike again. Suddenly, a voice came from outside the chamber.
"Stop."
Andromalius's hand froze. He turned and saw Feng Xiu walk in, with Baimon following behind him.
He quickly put away the whip and lowered his head in greeting. "Your Majesty."
Feng Xiu glanced around the chamber, his gaze lingering on Bibi Dong and Qian Daoliu for a moment. His voice was even.
"You two, get out. This emperor will interrogate them alone."
Andromalius froze for a moment and glanced at Baimon.
Baimon couldn't tell what Feng Xiu intended either, but he didn't dare ask. He lowered his head and gave Andromalius a look.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The two left the chamber, and the door closed behind them.
Feng Xiu walked up to Qian Daoliu and gave a casual wave of his hand. The restraining chains came loose with a click.