Golden Ranking's Twentieth Place Revealed! Causing a Sensation!

Immediately afterward, the Heavenly Screen blazed with light.

Golden radiance flowed like a god wielding a brush, sketching a lifelike moving image in the sky.

It was an incomparably massive giant crocodile!

Its entire body was covered in dark-golden scales. Every scale seemed forged from divine metal, gleaming with an eternal luster and brimming with explosive power.

Its savage head opened and closed its bloody maw, revealing fangs that seemed capable of effortlessly tearing apart mountains and rivers!

Its vertical pupils were pure gold, without the slightest impurity, yet they exuded the most primal, ferocious savagery and majesty.

A wild, domineering aura seemed poised to pass through the Heavenly Screen and suppress the entire world!

Golden Crocodile King!

Even as a mere image, its kingly aura of looking down upon the world made countless soul masters' hearts tremble, slowing even the circulation of their Soul Power.

New gilded words appeared one by one beside the image, carrying supreme majesty.

[Spirit Ranking, twentieth place: Golden Crocodile King!]

[Owner: Golden Crocodile]

[Comment: A top-tier Beast Spirit, with attack, defense, and strength all perfected to the extreme. Evolved from the Golden Crocodile, itself already among the finest Beast Spirits, while the Golden Crocodile King is an unmatched king among the Golden Crocodile Clan, possessing the potential to continue evolving. Overall evaluation: worthy of twentieth place on this ranking!]

[Reward: The owner's Soul Power rises by one level! The age of all Spirit Rings increases by one thousand years!]

Spirit City.

Inside the Worship Hall.

When he saw the final ranking on the Heavenly Screen, even Qian Daoliu, as deeply composed as he was, could not stop himself from widening his eyes. His wrinkled face was filled with astonishment.

"Golden Crocodile King... only ranks twentieth on the Spirit Ranking?"

"Dead last?!"

A tempestuous wave surged through Qian Daoliu's heart.

No one understood better than him what caliber of Spirit the Golden Crocodile King was!

It was one of the continent's finest Beast Spirits. In terms of overall combat power, compared to the Six-winged Angel of his Angel Clan, it merely fell short in sacred attributes and flight ability.

Such a powerful Spirit was actually... only the final place on the ranking?!

This completely overturned everything he knew.

Meanwhile, Golden Crocodile Douluo, standing below the hall, had gone utterly stiff.

His usually resolute, cold face was now filled with confusion and shock, as though he were a petrified statue.

"Twentieth..."

Golden Crocodile Douluo muttered, his voice so low it was nearly inaudible.

"I... am only twentieth?"

This was a devastating blow to him.

He had absolute confidence in his Golden Crocodile King Spirit, inherited from an ancient exotic beast!

In his eyes, even if it could not enter the top five, it should at least have ranked among the top ten!

Yet now, reality had delivered him a resounding slap across the face.

He was merely the gatekeeper.

"Second Worship's Golden Crocodile King only ranked twentieth?"

Light Feather Douluo, a thin old man with exceedingly sharp eyes, could not help speaking up, his tone full of disbelief.

Mighty Lion Douluo, a burly man built like an iron tower beside him, also said in a muffled voice,

"How is that possible? Second Brother's Spirit is unquestionably the strongest in our Worship Hall aside from the Great Enshriner's Angel Spirit!"

"Exactly. There are actually nineteen Spirits ranked above the Golden Crocodile King?"

"When did so many monsters emerge on this Douluo Continent?"

The other Elders also began discussing among themselves, every face filled with shock.

The way they looked at Golden Crocodile Douluo now held a trace of sympathy in addition to their former reverence.

Their discussion pierced Golden Crocodile Douluo's pride like needles.

He took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart. A flash of gloom passed through his golden eyes.

"It seems..."

Golden Crocodile Douluo slowly spoke, his voice hoarse.

"We have been frogs at the bottom of a well."

"The waters of this Douluo Continent run far deeper than we imagined."

The moment his words fell—

Boom!

An incomparably brilliant pillar of golden light pierced through the dome of the Worship Hall and accurately enveloped Golden Crocodile Douluo.

Sacred, vast, and surging energy crazily poured into his body!

"Aaargh!"

Golden Crocodile Douluo threw back his head and let out an uncontrollable roar as every bone in his body crackled.

He could clearly feel the Soul Power bottleneck that had stagnated for decades being shattered with overwhelming force!

Level 98 Peak...

Level 99!

A terrifying aura, far stronger than before, erupted from his body and swept through the entire Worship Hall!

The air within the hall seemed to solidify. Apart from Qian Daoliu, the other Titled Douluo were forced back again and again by that Momentum, horrified expressions appearing on their faces.

This was the pressure of a Peerless Douluo!

The golden light faded.

Golden Crocodile Douluo slowly opened his eyes. Feeling the Soul Power rushing through his body like rivers and seas, as well as the clearly deeper glow upon his nine Spirit Rings, he wore an expression of wild delight.

A long-cherished wish, fulfilled in a single day!

"Congratulations, Golden Crocodile."

Qian Daoliu's voice sounded at just the right moment. Looking at Golden Crocodile, whose aura had surged tremendously, a gratified smile appeared on his face as well.

"You have finally taken this step too."

"Thank you, Great Enshriner!"

Golden Crocodile Douluo excitedly dropped to one knee, his voice trembling slightly.

Although his Spirit's ranking had been disappointing, the tangible benefits had swept away all his frustration.

Qian Daoliu nodded, then swept his gaze across all the Elders present. His expression became solemn.

"Everyone."

His voice was deep and powerful.

"The appearance of this ranking foretells a great upheaval on the continent."

"And at present, the greatest uncertainty lies at Jialing Pass."

"That woman Bibi Dong is far too ambitious and scheming. Qian Yu is alone over there and outnumbered. I fear he will suffer."

Qian Daoliu paused, a resolute gleam flashing through his eyes.

"Golden Crocodile, Light Feather, Mighty Lion... all of you, leave with me at once for Jialing Pass!"

"Assist Qian Yu and stabilize the battle situation!"

"Yes, Great Enshriner!"

All the Elders answered in unison, their voices shaking the hall.

At the same time.

Jialing Pass, Central Military Tent of the Spirit Hall Empire.

Bibi Dong had originally been reclining lazily upon the magnificent Pope Throne, one hand supporting her smooth chin as she watched the miracle upon the Heavenly Screen with great interest.

She wore a purple-black Pope Robe embroidered with intricate, sinister Demon Marks in golden thread. It tightly wrapped her mature, voluptuous delicate body, yet only added to her restrained allure.

The hem of her robe was slit extremely high. With her casual seated posture, her long, jade-like legs wrapped in black Spiderweb Stockings were crossed together, revealing breathtaking curves and radiating fatal temptation.

However, when the words "twentieth place" appeared, the laziness and amusement on her face vanished without a trace.