Strange Happenings in Suotuo City, Waves of Alarm Across the Land

The first light of dawn pierced the night, staining the horizon a pale white.

The purple-gold heavenly chasm that had stretched tens of thousands of miles across the sky the previous night, as though it would cleave the entire firmament of Douluo Star in two, had gradually vanished behind the clouds high above before dawn, leaving only a faint, dark-gold imprint of law across the horizon. But the monstrous waves it had stirred up were only now erupting in full force across every corner of the continent.

Spirit City, the Pope's Hall.

Atop the towering, magnificent hall, a breathtakingly beautiful figure stood motionless at the edge of a white-marble terrace, dressed in a brilliant gold gown inlaid with purple and wearing the Nine-Curved Purple Gold Crown.

She held the Pope's Scepter, encrusted with countless gems. Her fair, delicate face was no less majestic for its beauty, and her deep eyes watched coldly as the lingering traces of another world faded at the far end of the sky.

Below the terrace, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei knelt on one knee, not daring to breathe too loudly.

"Have you gotten to the bottom of it?"

Bibi Dong spoke in a soft, pleasant voice imbued with a chill and authority that froze one to the marrow.

Yue Guan hurriedly lowered his head and reported respectfully, "Your Holiness, the phenomenon of the sky splitting appeared without warning at midnight last night. Gui Mei and I immediately used Spirit Hall's communications network to check with the branches in thirty-six major cities across the two empires. According to urgent reports from the bishops in each location, streaks of light and fragments of strange mountain rock fell from the heavenly chasm in no fewer than a hundred places, with the greatest concentrations in the Balak Kingdom in the southern Heaven Dou Empire, the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, and the edge of the Far North."

Beside him, Ghost Douluo Gui Mei, his entire body shrouded in black mist, added in a hoarse, chilling voice, "Your Holiness, I just personally examined a fragment of glazed stone that fell a hundred li outside Spirit City. It contains a strange energy completely different from the Soul Power of our Douluo Continent. Its attributes are extremely pure, yet the Soul Power of heaven and earth is constantly rejecting and wearing it away. If my guess is correct, the illusory image that appeared behind the heavenly chasm last night was very likely another plane of existence in the midst of collapse, or perhaps some ancient divine miracle left behind in the mortal world!"

"Another plane of existence... a relic of a divine miracle..."

Bibi Dong slowly curled her slender fingers around the Pope's Scepter, gripping it tightly as a hard-to-conceal flash of fervor and apprehension passed through the depths of her eyes.

As a ruler who had already learned secrets of the Rakshasa God Trial, she knew better than anyone what terrifying might lay behind the word "god."

Yet even the Rakshasa Divine Sense she had experienced seemed dim and insignificant compared with the majestic, world-creating heavenly might that had poured down when the sky split open the previous night.

If Spirit Hall could gather all the "divine objects from beyond the heavens" that had fallen across the continent, it could not only utterly overwhelm the Upper Three Sects and the two empires, but might even help her take that crucial step ahead of time and free herself completely from the restraints imposed by Qian Daoliu and the Angel Clan!

"Pass down my papal decree."

Bibi Dong turned around, a cold light shining in her eyes beneath the Nine-Curved Purple Gold Crown. "Order every Spirit Hall Branch on the continent to mobilize all its members from today onward and closely monitor the impact sites around all major cities and Soul Beast forests! Anyone who discovers a strange stone from beyond the heavens, an exotic treasure, or a creature from another world of unknown origin is to bring it back to Spirit City at any cost! If any of the major sects or imperial factions dare obstruct us or compete for them... kill them without mercy!"

"As you command!" Yue Guan and Gui Mei solemnly accepted the order in unison, then turned into two phantoms and vanished from the hall in an instant.

Almost at the same time, within the Heaven Dou Empire, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's castle, a place resembling a fairyland, was likewise ablaze with lights.

Ning Fengzhi, the refined and gentle sect master, stood before the sand table in the council hall, holding a secret report that had just been sent back by carrier pigeon from the sect's Agility Hall.

Beside him stood Sword Douluo Chen Xin, dressed in white, his hair and beard also white, his sharp edge held in reserve as he narrowed his eyes at the southern horizon beyond the window.

"Fengzhi, within the fluctuations that tore apart the sky last night, there were several strands of sword intent and elemental sharpness that were truly astonishing."

Chen Xin spoke calmly, a barely perceptible wisp of Seven Kill Sword Qi flickering at his fingertips. "In particular, there was a streak of purple lightning that fell toward the border between the Balak Kingdom and the Star Dou Great Forest. Although its presence was still weak, the purity of its sword-dao origin was something I have rarely seen in my lifetime."

A trace of gravity appeared on Ning Fengzhi's gentle face, and he sighed softly. "You're quite right, Uncle Jian. A great upheaval is coming. Whether this phenomenon from the heavens is a curse or a blessing remains unknown, but Spirit Hall will never let this chance to plunder divine objects from beyond the heavens pass. Rongrong slipped out a few days ago. Judging by how far she could have traveled, she should be nearing Suotuo City in the Balak Kingdom by now."

At the mention of his youngest and most beloved daughter, a flash of concern crossed Ning Fengzhi's eyes. He promptly instructed the sect deacon waiting outside the door, "Send word at once to the sect's covert agents in Suotuo City and the surrounding merchant associations. Have them search with all their might for relics from beyond the heavens that fell within the Balak Kingdom, and keep an eye on Rongrong's movements in secret. If they discover any treasures of great value or unusual changes, they are to report to me immediately using the highest-grade communications Soul Tool!"

As undercurrents surged among the continent's leading powers over the heavenly chasm that had split the world the previous night, Suotuo City, a major city of the Balak Kingdom and one of the areas at the heart of the upheaval, erupted into a frenzy with the first rays of morning sunlight.

The streets of Suotuo City were bustling even on ordinary days, but as soon as the gates opened today, several times the usual number of Soul Masters from all walks of life poured in.

There were Soul Hunting mercenary groups clad in combat garb and carrying swords and sabers, retainers and guards from nearby noble households, and even quite a few deacons in Spirit Hall's standard white robes hurrying through the streets and alleys.

Outside taverns, teahouses, and auction houses, Soul Masters were everywhere, whispering excitedly to one another about "treasures fallen from beyond the heavens" and "relics of the gods."

In a second-floor guest room of a rather finely decorated inn in Suotuo City's central district.

Tang San sat cross-legged on the bed by the window. As purple Qi rose in the east outside, he slowly drew back the faint purple light swirling in his eyes and let out a long breath of turbid air.

"Brother, have you finished cultivating the Purple Demon Eye? Come and take a look! The innkeeper's man just brought this carrier-pigeon letter. It looks like Grandmaster sent it through an emergency channel from Nuoding City!"

Xiao Wu, her long hair tied in a scorpion braid, sat at the table swinging her straight, slender legs. She held a letter sealed with wax, and her large, bright eyes were full of curiosity and a trace of lingering fear.

The terrifying pressure that had accompanied the shattering of the sky the previous night might have been only a shock on the level of laws to Tang San, but to Xiao Wu, a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit who had taken human form, it had been like facing some primordial sovereign above the Divine Realm and all beasts. It had frightened her into hiding under the covers for half the night, not daring to close her eyes.

"A letter from Teacher?"

Tang San's expression turned serious. He immediately got off the bed, walked over, and took the letter from her and opened it.

"Xiao San, an unusual phenomenon descended from the heavens last night, throwing the Soul Power of heaven and earth into disorder. According to information circulating within Spirit Hall, a great many strange crystals and fragments that do not belong to any known system on the continent fell from the rift in the sky, especially around the Balak Kingdom and the Star Dou Great Forest. Though such objects from beyond the heavens may contain opportunities, they will surely draw countless high-level Soul Masters and even the major sects into a storm of blood. You and Xiao Wu have only just arrived in Suotuo City, so remember to be careful in word and deed, and go to the south of the city to apply to Shrek Academy as soon as possible. Until you have absolute strength, do not get involved in the struggle for the divine objects from beyond the heavens. Once I have dealt with the matters at hand, I will come to Suotuo City to join you in a few days."

After reading the letter, Tang San rubbed his fingers together and released a wisp of Mysterious Heaven Skill internal force, shattering the paper into tiny scraps.

"Teacher is right."

Tang San walked to the window and looked down at the Soul Masters of all kinds hurrying along the street below, greed in their eyes. "In just one night, the number of Soul Masters in Suotuo City has nearly doubled. Among them are quite a few presences at the level of Three-Ring Soul Elders or even Four-Ring Soul Ancestors. And..."

He paused, his brows drawing tightly together. "When I cultivated the Purple Demon Eye and Mysterious Heaven Skill this morning, I noticed that besides the Soul Power we're familiar with, there seem to be several kinds of extremely violent and unfamiliar free-floating energy in the air. My Mysterious Heaven Skill can't absorb that energy at all. If I force it in, my meridians feel as though they're being pricked by needles."

"I felt it too!"

Xiao Wu jumped down from her chair and walked over to Tang San, patting her newly developing chest as lingering fear gripped her. "After those multicolored meteors fell last night, the air around us felt strange. There's a presence that keeps giving me goosebumps all over. Brother, let's hurry and get something to eat, then settle on a place to stay today before asking around about that Shrek Academy."

"All right, we'll do as you say." Tang San gently stroked Xiao Wu's head, though the utmost vigilance remained in his eyes.