At this moment.
Not only did Qian Renxue perk up her ears.
Even Bibi Dong and Qian Daoliu, who had been secretly listening from the shadows, held their breath.
Shui Bing'er cleared her throat and imitated Furina's haughty tone.
"Back then, Lady Furina was showing off that Radiance of Still Waters to the dean, saying she was the greatest duelist in the world."
"Then guess what the dean said?"
Qian Renxue instinctively pressed her. "What did he say?"
Shui Bing'er's expression changed, turning profound and imposing in an instant. Though she was only imitating him, she still captured something of Neuvillette.
"The dean had that thick code in his hands."
"He simply said:"
"'The blade is responsible for cutting down sin, while the law is responsible for defining what sin is.'"
"'The sword in your hand is the sharp edge of flowing water; the book in mine is the source of flowing water.'"
Boom!
Those words exploded in Qian Renxue's mind like a clap of thunder.
The blade cut down sin; the law defined it.
That simple sentence instantly opened up an enormous gulf between their realms.
One was an executor.
The other was a lawmaker.
That was the true bearing of a God King!
In the shadows, Bibi Dong felt her hands and feet turn cold.
She gripped the Iudex's Cane tightly, her knuckles turning pale from the force.
If what Shui Bing'er said was true...
The "Grand Ceremony of Eternal Flow" in Neuvillette's hands was not merely a divine artifact. It was a tangible embodiment of the world's "rules."
Picking a fight with someone like that?
That wouldn't just be courting death; it would be acting as if she had a death wish.
"Pass down my orders."
Bibi Dong suddenly spoke, her voice somewhat hoarse.
Ghost Douluo, standing beside her, jumped in fright and hurriedly bowed in acknowledgment.
"Your Holiness the Pope?"
"Destroy every plan we had to target Skywater City."
Bibi Dong drew a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turbulent shock in her heart.
"Also, spread the word: from now on, whenever we encounter anyone from Skywater City, we give them a wide berth. No conflicts."
"And one more thing..."
Bibi Dong's gaze passed through layer upon layer of buildings and settled on the stunning golden-haired figure in the plaza.
That thought surfaced in her mind once more, more forcefully than before.
It was absurd, and more than a little unbelievable.
But if she could truly form a connection with Skywater City...
"Perhaps sending Xue'er to Skywater City for an exchange of knowledge wouldn't be a bad idea."
"Since Neuvillette can accept Snow Empress and Furina, one more Qian Renxue shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Once the thought took root, it spread like weeds.
If she could use a marriage alliance to win over this powerhouse who wielded the highest rules, unifying the continent would be as easy as getting Neuvillette to say the word.
Even if all she could do was keep him neutral, that alone would be a tremendous boon to Spirit Hall.
As for dignity?
What was dignity worth in the face of absolute power?
Just as the various factions harbored different intentions and the undercurrents churned...
The Golden Ranking List high in the sky finally stirred.
The golden light that had filled the sky began to contract violently, eventually converging into a single point of the most dazzling Ultimate Light.
Then...
That point of light burst open with a roar.
There was no earth-shaking boom. Only the sound of endless waves, like an eternal tide, rang out across every corner of the Douluo Continent.
Whoosh—
Whoosh—
Everyone instinctively looked up.
Above the Sky Screen, an inverted ocean had appeared, though no one knew when.
Its waters were clear to the bottom, yet fathomless.
At its center, a massive code slowly emerged, carved entirely from deep-blue crystal and exuding an ancient, mysterious, and noble air.
Unlike the divine artifacts revealed before it, it radiated no murderous sharpness.
It simply floated there, like an eternal, unchanging truth.
As its pages turned by themselves, golden characters flew out of the book and merged into the world around them.
With each character that settled into place, the laws of the Douluo Continent seemed to grow a little more stable.
This was the number one divine artifact.
This was Neuvillette's book.
[Divine Artifact Ranking List, First Place!]
[Supreme Divine Artifact—Grand Ceremony of Eternal Flow!]
[Holder: Skywater City Lord, Neuvillette!]
As these words appeared, it seemed the entire world bowed before them.
The Golden Ranking List did not stop. The powers of this code began to reveal themselves to the world one by one.
[Authority One: Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Ancestor.]
[Under all heaven, all is the king's land; to the farthest shores, all are the king's subjects.
The holder of this book is the source of all waters and the ruler of all waters.
He can forcibly strip away, control, and suppress all water-attributed power in the world.
Before the holder, the strength of any water-attributed Soul Master, Soul Beast, or even deity will be reduced by ninety percent, and they will be unable to use any water-element skills.]
At this, the Soul Masters of Sea God Island collapsed to the ground.
Bo Saixi's face turned deathly pale. The Iudex's Cane clattered to the ground from her hand.
Strip away all water-attributed power?
Reduce strength by ninety percent?
What was the point of fighting?
It meant that before Neuvillette, every Sea Soul Master—even with the Sea God himself present—would become a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
[Authority Two: Water Spirit Pulse.]
[This code records the lifelines of the world's living things. Activating this authority draws upon the water elements of heaven and earth to create a terrifying Elemental Tide pulse.
The pulse ignores defenses and strikes directly at the soul and essence. Each pulse inflicts massive true damage on the enemy and imposes a powerful "weakened" effect, lasting until the target's vitality is completely depleted.]
[Authority Three: Wrath of the Sea Soul.]
[Using the code as a medium, summon ancient Sea Souls. Instantly summon three "Spirits of Source Water," each with the strength of a Limit Douluo, to fight by your side. The Spirits of Source Water cannot die. As long as the code exists, they can revive without limit.]
Three... summons with the strength of Limit Douluo?
And they couldn't die?
Reading this, Qian Daoliu felt his throat go dry.
If he, the so-called "invincible beneath the heavens," encountered these three Spirits of Source Water, he probably wouldn't even get a chance to escape.
This wasn't a divine artifact.
It was an entire army of Limit Douluo carried at one's side!
But this still wasn't the end.
The true terror was always saved for last.
[Taboo: Vicissitudes of Life.]
[Time and the passage of years both lie within flowing water. The holder can expend divine power to forcibly reverse or accelerate the flow of time in a designated area.
With a single thought, oceans may become fields, and beauties may turn to dust.
The holder can also revive withered trees and bring the dead back to life (provided the target's soul remains intact).]
[Taboo: Eternal Fragrance of Ten Thousand Generations.]
[Passive divine skill. The holder receives the blessing of the "Ancient Dragon Body," granting a lifespan as long as heaven and earth, an eternally imperishable body, and immunity to all forms of instant death, curses, and the rules of aging.
As long as a single drop of water exists in the world, the holder will never perish.]
Before you continue