Yu Xiaogang's Reputation Ruined, Achievement Reward!

Yu Xiaogang's reputation was in ruins, and he had earned an achievement reward!

Strip him of his title?

And hang him on the walls of Spirit City?

No! Absolutely not! If they did that, I'd never be able to show my face again!

Yu Xiaogang struggled violently. At first, he had nearly given up, since no amount of struggling could break free from the grasp of Yue Guan and Gui Mei, two Titled Douluo.

Now, he couldn't afford to care about that. Just imagining what might happen was enough to fill his body with endless strength, driving him to resist with all his might.

"Keep still!"

Yue Guan barked.

Feeling Yu Xiaogang's struggles intensify, he tightened his grip. The sharp crack of dislocated bones rang out clearly.

Yu Xiaogang sucked in a breath. Cold sweat poured down his forehead, and his eyes bulged like a bull's.

"I, Yu Xiaogang, am an honorary elder of Spirit Hall! You can't treat me like this!" he snarled.

After spending his entire life chasing fame and reputation, Yu Xiaogang couldn't accept the punishment of being hung on the city wall.

Qian Renyu paid no heed to Yu Xiaogang's growl. He glanced coolly at Yue Guan and Gui Mei.

"The decree has been issued. Why haven't you carried it out yet?!"

Yue Guan and Gui Mei both shuddered, then glanced uneasily at Bibi Dong.

They watched Bibi Dong for her reaction as they escorted Yu Xiaogang toward the exit of Pope's Palace.

Bibi Dong drew a deep breath and stared intently at Qian Renyu, the punishment he had ordered echoing in her ears.

"So that's your punishment?"

"Yu Xiaogang was right. He is an honorary elder of our Spirit Hall!"

"Whether or not what he did amounted to betraying Spirit Hall, do you want to plunge the Hall into turmoil by treating a former benefactor this way?!"

Bibi Dong shouted.

Her body blurred into a streak as she blocked Yue Guan and Gui Mei.

Yu Xiaogang wasn't the only one who couldn't accept this punishment. She couldn't accept the thought of him being punished like this, either.

After his reputation was ruined, Bibi Dong couldn't imagine how she could ever rekindle things with Yu Xiaogang.

Even if she seized the throne again, even if she ascended as empress, she would still be condemned. The only way to avoid that would be to kill everyone in the world.

But there were countless people in the world. Bibi Dong knew killing them all was impossible.

Qian Renyu walked up to Bibi Dong without stopping. As he passed her, he murmured:

"How Yu Xiaogang is dealt with is my decision!"

"If you want to stop me, first make your own position clear. Then you can say whatever you like!"

"Someone without even a defined identity has no right to dictate terms to me!"

Yue Guan and Gui Mei breathed a long sigh of relief. Qian Renyu's presence smothered the pressure surrounding Bibi Dong, and the two felt as though a huge weight had crashed off their chests.

Daring not to linger in Pope's Palace, they hurriedly took Yu Xiaogang toward the walls of Spirit City.

Qian Renyu watched Yue Guan and Gui Mei leave. He paid no attention to Bibi Dong's reaction and followed them toward the city wall.

Seeing Yu Xiaogang's reputation collapse would make for a bit of entertainment.

Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes, cold killing intent flickering through them again and again.

A dragon had its scales; touch them, and it would rage.

People had their own scales, too. Yu Xiaogang was Bibi Dong's.

Bibi Dong gripped the Pope's Scepter tightly, her teeth grinding with a sharp squeak.

Hearing Qian Renyu bring up her "identity" again made her want to unleash all her strength and kill him on the spot.

"Damn it! Damn him!"

"The papal throne! I have to take it back as soon as possible!"

"He's only just taken power, and he's already completely disregarding the title I bestowed on Yu Xiaogang!"

"He didn't kill Yu Xiaogang outright, so he must still be wary of my other identity. If I succeed, I can turn everything around!"

Bibi Dong raged inwardly.

Her body trembled, her fury threatening to burst through the heavens.

Suppressing her anger, Bibi Dong glared once more in the direction Qian Renyu had gone.

She didn't linger. Once she knew Yu Xiaogang's life wasn't in danger, she promptly returned to her quarters.

Half an incense stick later.

On the towering walls of Spirit City.

Soul Masters and merchants streamed past in great numbers.

The Spirit Master Tournament finals were underway, and Soul Masters from all over the continent had come to watch.

Just then, many passersby stopped on the wall, their strange gazes fixed on the person hanging there.

His hands were bound with thick hemp rope. His plain blue robes showed no hint of luxury, and he dangled there in full view.

His hair was cut short, with not a strand left to hide his face. Everyone could see him clearly.

Feeling all those strange gazes fixed on him, Yu Xiaogang's breathing grew ragged, humiliation sweeping over him.

"What's going on? Who is that? Why is he hanging on the city wall? This is Spirit City!"

"Shh, keep your voice down. Loose lips sink ships. He must have committed some terrible crime to be strung up like that."

"Exactly! You might not have noticed, but the two people who hung him up just now were Titled Douluo of Spirit Hall!"

"Hss—Titled Douluo personally hung him up? Did this guy commit some heinous crime?"

"You don't know? His name is Yu Xiaogang. He's the one who goes around the Douluo Continent swindling people with his 'Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls.' I heard he's also an honorary elder of Spirit Hall, which is why he got this kind of punishment."

"Hey, how do you know all that? Do you have an inside source? How could you know so much?"

"Of course I have an inside source! My second grandaunt's third nephew's son's classmate's great-aunt's brother-in-law's father works in Spirit Hall's guard force. That's where I heard it all."

"Brother, tell us more."

The chatter rose and fell around him.

People were naturally fond of gossip.

With Yu Xiaogang hanging there on the city wall, everyone passing by—or stopping to watch—was eager to indulge their curiosity.

Looking back through history, Spirit Hall had apparently never hung someone on the city wall like this.

Something so unexpected was bound to make people curious.

Yu Xiaogang was utterly despondent.

The people talking weren't exactly quiet, and he was a Soul Grandmaster, after all.

He could still make out quite a bit of what they were saying.

Hearing the people below discuss him, Yu Xiaogang felt as if the whole world were wicked.

Looking down at them, his humiliation neared the breaking point.

"For now, I can only endure these people pointing at me. Maybe they'll let me down once Xiao San and the others reach Spirit City!"

"But Xiao San and the others probably can't stand up to that Qian Renyu. The only one who might be able to is His Excellency Haotian."

"If His Excellency Haotian is willing to step in, then I might still have a sliver of hope!"

Yu Xiaogang's mind raced with anxious thoughts.

At the thought of Tang Hao, an eager look unconsciously crept into his eyes.

His ragged breathing, brought on by humiliation, now quickened with hope.

Qian Renyu watched all of this with indifference.

From some distance away, he saw Yu Xiaogang's expression change and let a faint, cold smile touch his lips.

[ Ding, congratulations to the host for achieving the "Punish Yu Xiaogang" achievement! Achievement reward is being issued!]

[ Ding, congratulations! You have obtained the affiliated ability "Redemption" of the Martial Soul "Divine Throne of Doom and Slaughter"!]

[ Ding, congratulations! You have obtained the exclusive ability "Redemption." Congratulations on mastering the Divine Throne of Doom and Slaughter Martial Soul and all of its abilities.]

[ Ding, congratulations! You have obtained the Divine Throne of Doom and Slaughter Martial Soul's affiliated ability!]

[ Ding, congratulations! You have obtained the Martial Soul's affiliated artifacts: the Sword of Doom and Slaughter and the Armor of Doom and Slaughter!]

An achievement reward?

Qian Renyu was slightly surprised.

The system's sudden notification pulled his thoughts away from Yu Xiaogang and back to himself.

"So punishing Yu Xiaogang counted as an achievement? And it let me master all the abilities of the Divine Throne of Doom and Slaughter?"

"Not only that, but after mastering all the Throne's abilities, I've now fully mastered it—and even gained the ability to transform the Throne?"

"The Sword of Doom and Slaughter and the Armor of Doom and Slaughter. Those two artifacts the Throne can transform into will be a tremendous boon to me!"

Qian Renyu murmured to himself. After one last glance at Yu Xiaogang, he turned and headed back to Pope's Palace.

Compared with Yu Xiaogang's situation, the two artifacts he had just gained from the Throne were far more important.

Back in Pope's Palace, Qian Renyu wasted no time. A red glow enveloped the entire building.

The next moment, the brilliant golden Divine Throne of Doom and Slaughter silently appeared from the void.

Qian Renyu looked at the brilliant golden Throne and sat upon it, placing both hands on its armrests. A dazzling light blazed in his eyes.

"Divine Seal, transform into armor!"