"What do you mean, people from Spirit Hall?" Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and the others immediately grew wary.
Qian Yu furrowed his brow slightly.
He hadn't expected to deal with people from Spirit Hall again so soon.
And they were from Bibi Dong's faction, at that.
"This is going to be tricky," Qian Yu murmured.
"Kid, didn't you hear me when I told you to stop?" The Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo had landed in front of Qian Yu and the others with three young Spirit Hall members.
The red-clad youth was the one speaking.
His armor was scorched black and battered, with several places split and curled at the edges. His palms bore red, burn-like marks, and the fire Soul Power around him flickered weakly as he kept his labored breathing low.
He had clearly just come through a fierce battle.
The silver-clad youth and the girl in purple weren't in much better shape.
As he spoke, the red-clad youth reached for the Shadow Moon Demon Wolf.
Qian Yu wasn't about to let him get away with it.
"Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo, is this how you let your Spirit Hall people run wild?" Sword Douluo wasn't one to lose his temper easily, but seeing the red-clad youth act without honor and try to snatch Zhu Zhuqing's Spirit Beast, he immediately struck.
A blade of sword energy shot toward the red-clad youth.
It was about to stop him.
The Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo weren't pushovers either. The two of them joined forces, using their Soul Power to withstand Sword Douluo's attack.
"Sword Douluo, I advise you to take your people and leave quietly. The Spirit Hall Saintess and her companions are hunting for Spirit Rings. Bystanders should stay out of the way." The Chrysanthemum Douluo furrowed his brow and exerted himself to block Sword Douluo's attack.
"As expected, they're the Spirit Hall Golden Generation." Qian Yu sighed inwardly. Only the Spirit Hall Golden Generation could have the Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo, both Titled Douluo, escorting them as they hunted for Spirit Rings.
"What a load of crap! Hunting Spirit Beasts is first come, first served. We injured this Spirit Beast, and now you're here to snatch it. Spirit Hall sure throws its weight around!" As the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Rongrong had never had to put up with anyone trying to steal her Spirit Ring. She immediately stood up and shot back at the Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo.
At the same time, she summoned the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to make her identity as an heir of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect clear.
Sure enough, the moment the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda appeared,
the Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo and the Spirit Hall Golden Generation all jolted in unison. "A direct heir of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
"The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?" What made them most wary was Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
This was far too important.
It could affect a whole series of Spirit Hall's plans down the line.
The three members of the Golden Generation exchanged glances. Fortunately, all they showed was a fierce eagerness to fight.
The Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo exchanged a look. They immediately understood that they had to send this news back to Spirit Hall and report it to the Pope, Bibi Dong.
"Forget first come, first served. Can't you see that this Spirit Beast is injured?" The red-clad youth had a fiery temper and immediately snapped back at Ning Rongrong. As he spoke, he summoned his Martial Soul, the Flame Lord, and released his level-40 Soul Ancestor strength toward Ning Rongrong, a Support System Soul Master.
"You, you..." In the Douluo Continent, strength ruled above all. Ning Rongrong, a Support System Soul Master, was nearly scorched by the blazing flames.
Dugu Yan stepped forward, summoning her Azure Spirit Snake Emperor Martial Soul and her level-40 Soul Ancestor strength. She shielded the Support System Soul Master, Ning Rongrong, with all her might. At the same time, the Azure Spirit Snake Emperor released icy Soul Power that bore down on the red-clad youth's Flame Lord. She even gained the upper hand. Before long, the red-clad youth could no longer withstand the Azure Spirit Snake Emperor's Soul Power and staggered back several steps.
"You, you..." Now it was the red-clad youth's turn to be at a loss for words. He still wanted to summon his Martial Soul and fight Dugu Yan directly.
"That's enough, Yan. Your Martial Soul is inferior to hers." The girl in purple stopped the red-clad youth, Yan.
"Nana, don't worry. I'm just exhausted from the fight I had a moment ago. I let her get the upper hand because I was careless."
"Don't worry. In a real fight, I'll make sure she begs to live and begs to die."
Yan panted heavily and thumped his chest as he assured Hu Liena. The girl in purple was none other than the Spirit Hall Saintess, Hu Liena, which meant the silver-clad youth was Xie Yue, the final member of the Golden Generation.
That was what Qian Yu thought.
"Enough. Yan, step back." The Chrysanthemum Douluo was the one speaking.
He had initially been pleased to see Yan come forward and put pressure on the group led by Sword Douluo.
After all, it wasn't the place of veteran Titled Douluo like them to interfere in clashes between the younger generation of the Douluo Continent.
Besides, Spirit Hall's group clearly had the advantage in strength.
But he hadn't expected the unheralded Dugu Yan to have reached level 40, the Soul Ancestor realm, at such a young age—and for her Martial Soul to be of even higher quality than those of the Spirit Hall Golden Generation.
That was enough to put them on guard.
"Sword Douluo, since we're all here so the younger generation can hunt for Spirit Rings, why don't we follow the rules of the Douluo Continent and let them fight it out? The winner gets this Shadow Moon Demon Wolf." The Chrysanthemum Douluo didn't want a direct confrontation with Sword Douluo. He and the Ghost Douluo were also responsible for protecting Hu Liena and the others; they couldn't leave the three of them in danger over a single Spirit Beast.
Sword Douluo looked at the Spirit Hall Golden Generation, all of them Soul Ancestors at level 40, and couldn't help frowning.
"What's the matter? Too scared to fight? Weren't you acting all high and mighty just now?"
Yan piled on again.
"Who says we're scared?"
"But I'm a Support System Soul Master. Surely you're not going to fight a Support System Soul Master like me?" Ning Rongrong chimed in again.
"Hmph. I'm not about to bully weaklings like you. How about this: send out the strongest person among you to fight me one-on-one. If you win, the Spirit Beast is yours." Yan couldn't resist Ning Rongrong's verbal provocation.
"Yan..." Hu Liena and Xie Yue tried to stop him, but it was already too late.
The Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo also wanted to stop Yan, but his impulsive tongue left them at a loss.
Sword Douluo, Dugu Yan, Xiao Wu, Ye Lingling, and Zhu Zhuqing gave Ning Rongrong a thumbs-up.
There was no helping it now; the challenge had been accepted.
"Xie Yue, you'll represent us in the fight." The Chrysanthemum Douluo directly assigned the task to one of the three.
Yan curled his lip off to the side, but under the Chrysanthemum Douluo's death glare, he stamped his foot.
"Xie Yue, beat them and bring glory to Spirit Hall!" Yan cheered him on.
"Brother, good luck!" Hu Liena cheered Xie Yue on too.
"Sword Douluo, we've chosen our fighter. Xie Yue of Spirit Hall will take the field. What about you? Will you choose the young woman with the Azure Spirit Snake Emperor Martial Soul?" The Chrysanthemum Douluo seemed certain Sword Douluo would pick Dugu Yan.
After all, based on the Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo's observations, Dugu Yan had the highest cultivation among Qian Yu and the others.
Hu Liena and the other two thought so as well.
What they didn't know was that Qian Yu had long since used Spirit Simulation to conceal his cultivation, while also hiding Xiao Wu's aura as a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
Otherwise, the moment the Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo—or Sword Douluo—first laid eyes on Xiao Wu, they would have captured her and kept her captive.
They would save her for obtaining a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and Spirit Bone later.
"Qian Yu, you'll fight this battle!" To the Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo's surprise, Sword Douluo gave them a sinister, eerie smile.
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