"Ning Fengzhi, accompanied by Uncle Jian and Uncle Gu, pays his respects to Your Majesty." Ning Fengzhi walked up to the steps before the throne and bowed slightly. "I was shocked to hear of the upheaval in the palace last night. The Fourth Prince and the prince consort tragically lost their lives. I was heartbroken to hear the news."
"I have come with my two uncles to offer our condolences, and also... if Your Majesty has need of anything, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is willing to offer what help it can."
Xiao Yu's prediction had been right. The appearance of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was bound to attract the attention of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. And here they were.
Xue Ye looked at the three men before him, representatives of the strongest ally of the Heaven Dou Empire, and felt a tangle of emotions.
He waved a hand, his voice hoarse. "Sect Master Ning, Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, I appreciate your concern. Please, be seated."
Once the three had taken their seats, Xue Ye let out a long sigh and recounted what had happened the previous night.
"...That is what happened." Xue Ye's voice trembled almost imperceptibly. He looked at Ning Fengzhi. "Sect Master Ning, that beast... has gone too far. It treats the Heaven Dou Empire as if we were nothing! But its strength... sigh!"
Ning Fengzhi listened in silence, his expression shifting from grave concern to contemplation.
"We understand the situation now." Ning Fengzhi rose and gave Xue Ye a slight nod. They had come in haste, and would leave just as quickly.
"A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, with its intelligence awakened. It was weakened somewhat yesterday, and should have had enough time to recover by now. To keep it from escaping, we'll set out at once and avenge Your Majesty."
With that, Ning Fengzhi nodded again and said no more.
Chen Xin and Gu Rong rose as well and calmly walked out of the hall.
Their destination was the heart of the Royal Soul Beast Forest—the Giant Tree Peak!
Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong flew through the air at great speed, heading straight for the towering, iconic tree in the heart of the Royal Soul Beast Forest.
The closer they got, the more clearly they could sense the lingering pressure in the air—a blend of divine, icy, and scorching forces. Even the two Super Douluo furrowed their brows.
"What a powerful aura. It's mixed, yet stable, with ice and fire coexisting... Truly extraordinary." Sword Douluo Chen Xin's gaze was as sharp as a blade as he sensed the energy fluctuations lingering in the air.
"Hmph. Extraordinary or not, it's still a beast. It dared to run wild in the imperial capital. Today, I'll show it what happens." Bone Douluo Gu Rong gave a cold snort, the space around him faintly distorting.
Ning Fengzhi's expression was grave, but he said nothing.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in his hand shone with a gentle light. He had already boosted the abilities of the two guardian Douluo.
He was determined to succeed. A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was beyond measure in value, whether for the sect's strength or for research.
Soon, the platform atop the towering tree came into view. But when the three stopped in midair before it, the sight gave them pause.
The platform was not surrounded by beasts standing ready to defend it, as they had expected.
There was only one figure.
The enormous Holy Wing King—Xiao Yu, or rather, Xiao Yu in his Spirit Feather Divine Guard form—hovered silently at the center of the platform.
His massive body was sleek and powerful. His feathers, covered in mysterious patterns of starlight, icy blue, and crimson, shimmered beneath the sunlight filtering through the canopy.
His deep eyes calmly watched the three uninvited guests approach. He showed not the slightest surprise, as if he had been waiting for them.
The platform was eerily empty.
The five giant eagle Soul Beasts, whose auras had also reached the ten-thousand-year level and who had joined in the palace revenge the night before, were nowhere to be seen!
Not even the slightest trace of their presence could be detected, as if they had vanished into thin air.
The unnatural silence made their hearts tighten more than an army of thousands would have.
"Oh? Sect Master Ning of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo." Xiao Yu's mental voice rang clearly in their minds, steady and calm, without the slightest hint of tension at being surrounded by powerful enemies.
"You three have come together, and in quite a show of force. Is it because of last night's events, or... have you come for the Soul Ring and Soul Bone of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?"
"You know who we are?" Ning Fengzhi raised an eyebrow. They had never met this beast before, so how had the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast recognized them?
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is the continent's strongest auxiliary sect. I've long heard of your reputation." Xiao Yu offered no further explanation, leaving them unable to fathom his intentions.
Ning Fengzhi suppressed his surprise. His gentle face took on a measured look of gravity and authority. "Holy Wing King, last night you killed a prince and a prince consort at the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, gravely wounded an imperial enshrined expert, and injured Poison Douluo. Your actions were brutal and have shaken the entire court."
"The Heaven Dou Empire is an ally of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. We cannot stand by and do nothing. As for the Soul Ring and Soul Bone, that notion makes a mockery of the stature of the continent's foremost auxiliary sect."
"Stature?" Xiao Yu seemed to find that amusing.
"Spare me the high-minded talk, Sect Master Ning. You know very well why Xue Beng and Xue Xing died. They sent people to ambush me first and gravely wounded my companions. That was a blood feud. I merely repaid them in kind and settled the score."
"As for Dugu Bo, he struck first. He was simply outmatched, and he has no one to blame but himself. You're here today because you covet my power. Why hide it?"
Chen Xin stepped forward, a formless sword aura instantly spreading out and locking onto Xiao Yu. "You vile beast, all bark and no brains! Whatever the reason, trespassing in the imperial palace, slaughtering the royal family, and gravely injuring a Titled Douluo are heinous crimes! Surrender, and you may suffer less."
Black mist swirled around Gu Rong. Faint cracks appeared in the space around him with a creaking sound, and his cold gaze fixed firmly on Xiao Yu. "Why waste words on it? Let's just take it down! I'd like to see whether the bones of this feathered beast are as hard as its mouth!"
Before the words had left his lips, Gu Rong attacked!
The space before him suddenly collapsed. A gigantic, ferocious claw made of gleaming white bones tore through space, dragging at Xiao Yu with a terrifying force of suction and a stench of decay. It was one of Gu Rong's signature techniques—the Bone Prison Cage Claw!
Facing a Super Douluo's furious strike, Xiao Yu's eyes narrowed, but he showed no fear.
"Buzz—!"
"Ice Fire Storm!"
He crossed his wings and struck with all his might!
Boom!
A massive tornado more than ten meters in diameter materialized out of nowhere!
Hiss—BOOM!!!
The Ice Fire Storm slammed into the Bone Prison Cage Claw!
A deafening energy explosion echoed through the clouds! Violent shock waves swept outward like a tsunami, shearing a layer off the giant tree branches at the platform's edge, branches harder than steel!
The Ice Fire Storm was indeed astonishingly powerful. It actually tore cracks into Gu Rong's seemingly indestructible bone claw, while the violent energy scattered its dark green aura of decay, producing a piercing corrosive hiss.
"Hmph! You've got some tricks!" A trace of surprise flashed through Gu Rong's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by an even fiercer look. "But before absolute power, flashy tricks are useless!"
Before you continue