"..."
At the mention of Xiao Wu, the red light in Tang San's eyes finally began to fade.
He gave Shui Yue'er a long, deep look, then glanced at Dai Mubai's corpse.
His gaze was as cold and venomous as a snake's.
"Retreat!"
Tang San had to grit his teeth so hard they nearly cracked before he could force out the word.
The Heaven Dou army withdrew like a receding tide.
The enormous Golden Ranking List in the sky trembled once more.
Its majestic voice rang across the entire continent.
[Power Ranking, No. 19—Chen Xin!] [Level: 97!]
The scene shifted.
An elderly man dressed in white, with an air of transcendent elegance, appeared on the Sky Screen.
It was Sword Douluo, Chen Xin.
Then the screen showed a scene that broke everyone's heart.
The Soul Hunting Operation.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect faced annihilation.
Chen Xin fought alone with his sword against four Titled Douluo from Spirit Hall.
To protect the sect and cover Ning Fengzhi and Ning Rongrong's retreat, he fought with everything he had.
In the end, his right arm was severed.
Blood stained his white clothes, but he still stood proudly, like a sword that could never be broken.
The scene shifted back to reality.
On the walls of Jialing Pass, Ning Rongrong watched Chen Xin sheathe his sword and stared at the empty sleeve hanging at his side. Tears streamed down her face.
"Grandpa Sword..."
But the Sky Screen didn't end there.
This was only the past.
An even more shocking scene slowly unfolded.
The picture grew dim and oppressive, as if the end of the world had arrived.
It was Jialing Pass in the future.
Bibi Dong had already become a god, her Rakshasa God's might overwhelming all beneath the heavens.
Tang San was on the brink of death.
At that desperate moment, two figures shot into the sky.
It was Chen Xin and Gu Rong.
"Bonehead, let's go!"
"Old Sword, don't you dare steal my kill this time!"
They exchanged a smile, sharing an understanding forged across life and death.
The next instant, the Seven Kill Sword fused with the Bone Dragon Martial Soul.
In mortal bodies, they charged the lofty gods above.
Even though they knew they were flying straight into the flames.
Even though they knew they were doomed to die.
In that moment, their figures seemed mightier than the gods themselves.
Boom—!
A god-tier attack descended.
The Seven Kill Sword shattered, and the Bone Dragon was pulverized.
The two Titled Douluo dissolved into a rain of blood and bone, leaving not a trace behind.
They had given their lives to buy Tang San a sliver of hope.
The scene froze on the blood rain drifting through the air, filled with unbearable sorrow and valor.
"No!!!"
Ning Rongrong let out a heart-wrenching cry and collapsed to the ground, sobbing until she nearly passed out.
She knew it was a future that hadn't yet come to pass.
But it felt so real, and the pain of losing her loved ones was so unbearable that she could hardly breathe.
Grandpa Sword and Bone Grandpa had died saving someone else.
They had died so horribly that not even a scrap of them remained.
City Lord Mansion, Skywater City.
The atmosphere in the hall was somewhat peculiar.
Di Tian watched the scene on the Sky Screen, a flicker of emotion passing through his golden eyes.
He set down his teacup and sighed softly.
"He was certainly a loyal and noble man."
"Too bad he chose the wrong people and put his faith in the wrong fate."
Di Tian's voice held a touch of mockery, along with a trace of regret.
"Everyone else could have lived, but those two most loyal old fools had to die."
"The human world really is full of schemes at every turn."
"Beneath the so-called halo of the gods lie the bones of loyal subjects and righteous heroes."
Neuvillette, seated at the head of the table, turned his gaze slightly.
He hadn't expected the Beast God to have such a clear-eyed view of things.
This was nothing but a plot-driven death.
To make the protagonist's suffering seem more tragic, to spur him into unleashing his power, the lives of supporting characters ceased to matter.
"That, too, is the price of 'justice,' I suppose."
Neuvillette's tone was as calm as still water.
Just then,
Bi Ji, who had been meditating cross-legged, suddenly erupted with an astonishing aura.
She opened her eyes, alarm filling her emerald-green gaze.
"Oh no!"
"I broke through too quickly and triggered a Heavenly Tribulation!"
Before she had even finished speaking,
the clear sky above the City Lord Mansion darkened beneath a sudden mass of clouds.
Heavy tribulation clouds churned as thunder boomed within them and purple bolts of lightning lashed wildly.
It was a destructive tribulation meant for Ferocious Beasts.
Bi Ji's face turned deathly pale.
Her cultivation had surged, but she hadn't been prepared to face a tribulation at all.
The lightning was coming down too fiercely. If it struck here in Skywater City, it could destroy half the City Lord Mansion.
"My lord, let me go outside! I can't let this hurt—"
Bi Ji made to rush out in a panic.
But then,
a slender, powerful hand gently came to rest on her shoulder.
Neuvillette stood up and straightened the tie at his collar with his other hand.
He looked as calm as if he'd merely noticed a light shower outside the window.
"You are our guest."
"In Skywater City, no thunder will fall without my permission."
Neuvillette walked slowly to the hall's entrance and looked up at the tribulation clouds.
Beside him, Furina sat with her legs crossed, holding a small cake in her hand.
At the sight of him, her mismatched eyes sparkled. Her long, slender legs swung back and forth in the air, and her fair skin gleamed under the lights.
"Oh my, Neuvillette's showing off again."
"Is this the dignity of the Chief Justice?"
"What a delightful little sideshow."
She teased him, but her eyes were full of pride.
Neuvillette paid no heed to her antics and simply raised the cane in his hand.
"Grand Ceremony of Eternal Flow."
Boom—!
As his low voice rang out,
the Hydro in all of Skywater City surged to life.
Nine enormous phantoms of water dragons roared out of thin air.
They weren't formed from ordinary Soul Power, but were pure manifestations of the laws of water.
Each dragon emanated an ancient, noble aura, as though it were a ruler of the deep sea from ages past.
The nine dragons circled and soared into the heavens.
At last, they converged in midair, forming a colossal azure sword of water.
The sword stretched across heaven and earth.
It held back the raging tribulation lightning that was about to crash down.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—!
The terrifying lightning struck the water sword, but vanished into it like a stone sinking into the sea, unable to stir even a ripple.
Water might overcome fire, but in Neuvillette's hands, water could suppress thunder as well.
It was an absolute show of power.
Bi Ji stared blankly at his silhouette.
She watched the man who held his cane in one hand, keeping a tribulation capable of laying waste to the world at bay with nothing but a supernatural vision.
Her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
Such strength, such composure, and such a reassuring sense that he could protect everything.
To Soul Beasts who revered the strong, it was the deadliest poison of all.
Bi Ji clasped both hands to her chest, admiration practically spilling from her eyes.
In a corner nearby,
Ice Empress, who had been quietly watching, saw Bi Ji's expression and pouted helplessly.
She tugged on Snow Empress's sleeve and whispered:
"It's over, Snow Empress."
"Another fangirl has been born."
"Did we look that silly when we first fell for him?"
Before you continue