Who doesn't want to take another step forward?

However, facing this final threat and warning from Tang Zhen, Sea Dragon Douluo merely responded with an even colder sneer.

He could not even be bothered to waste more words on Tang Zhen, turning his head directly to look at Qian Xunji, who had been standing by as a spectator, and asked in a flat tone:

"Pope, what do you say?"

"Shall we strike?"

His gaze was terrifyingly calm, as if he were inquiring about a trivial matter.

Upon hearing this, the inscrutable smile that had always hung on Qian Xunji's face finally vanished completely.

He gently straightened the cuffs of his papal robes with elegant movements, yet a sliver of biting cold light flashed within his deep eyes.

He raised his head, looking not only at the Clear Sky Sect members who were already bristling with tension, but also at Tang Zhen, whose face was livid and who was poised for battle, and then, slowly and with absolute clarity, he spat out two words:

"Strike."

"BOOM--!!!"

These two words were like a bugle call for war, instantly igniting a powder keg that had been stretched to its absolute limit!

The moment Qian Xunji's voice fell, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei, who had been standing silently behind him like phantoms, saw their figures suddenly blur!

"Swish!"

"Swish!"

A total of eighteen soul rings lit up simultaneously on the two of them, the brilliant radiance instantly illuminating half the plaza!

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black!

A standard top-tier configuration; the terrifying pressure of Title Douluos was unleashed without reservation!

"Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum!"

"Ghost!"

Accompanied by two low shouts, a massive phantom of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum bloomed behind Yue Guan, emitting peerlessly sharp golden radiance.

Meanwhile, Gui Mei's figure seemed to dissolve completely into the shadows, with strands of eerie ghostly energy permeating the air, and the sounds of ghosts wailing and wolves howling could be faintly heard.

At the same time, the dozen or so Martial Soul Hall Soul Douluo experts, who had long been poised for action, also roared in unison.

The light from their soul rings flared, and various powerful martial souls instantly possessed them or manifested.

Terrifying soul power fluctuations linked together, slamming toward the Clear Sky Sect camp like a tsunami!

The first to strike was a blanket bombardment of long-range soul skills!

Fire, frost, wind blades, lightning, mental shocks...

Colorful, devastatingly powerful soul skills poured down like a torrential rain, aimed squarely at the most densely packed area of the Clear Sky Sect crowd!

"Enemy attack!! Form up! Defend!!"

Tang Zhen's eyes were split with rage as he let out an earth-shattering roar.

He had not expected the other side to strike the moment they spoke, and to launch such a ruthless, all-out assault right from the start!

"Clear Sky Hammer! Chaotic Cloak!"

The phantom of the Clear Sky Hammer behind Tang Zhen instantly solidified, transforming into a pitch-black, heavy giant hammer that fell into his grasp.

His soul power surged, and he swung the giant hammer, whipping up violent gales in an attempt to intercept the soul skills raining down from the sky.

The elders and elite disciples of the Clear Sky Sect behind him also reacted quickly after their initial shock.

Those who could stand here were all veterans of countless battles.

As Tang Zhen roared, they had already instinctively released their martial souls, either deploying defensive soul skills, brandishing weapons to parry, or quickly dodging.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM--!!!"

The deafening sound of explosions instantly resounded throughout the entire mountain gate plaza!

The light from the colliding soul skills was blinding, and the violent energy shockwaves spread crazily like ripples, tearing the stone floor apart inch by inch as smoke, dust, and debris shot into the sky.

In just the first exchange, the Clear Sky Sect had barely managed to hold their ground thanks to their numbers and reflexes.

However, several disciples with weaker cultivation were still caught by the aftermath of the soul skills, vomiting blood as they were sent flying backward.

Screams, curses, and the sounds of clashing soul power merged into a chaotic din.

And just as this chaos erupted, two ghostly figures had already pierced through the smoke and the glare of the soul skills, precisely locking onto their respective targets.

Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, his figure flickering like golden lightning, lunged straight at Sect Master Tang Zhen, who possessed the most formidable soul power and was currently swinging his Clear Sky Hammer in a desperate defense!

The petals of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum transformed into countless peerlessly sharp golden blades, slicing through the air with shrill whistles as they enveloped Tang Zhen from all directions.

Ghost Douluo Gui Mei, like a true phantom, flashed and appeared eerily behind Tang Hao and Tang Xiao, who were currently shielding the injured disciples!

Eerie, icy ghostly energy instantly shrouded the two, and countless ghostly tentacles reached out from the shadows, winding toward their limbs and necks.

He was not only incredibly fast, but his angle of attack was also devious and ruthless!

The elders of the Clear Sky Sect saw this and roared, wanting to step forward to intercept, but they were held fast by the dozen or so Martial Soul Hall Soul Douluos, who possessed powerful soul skills and worked with seamless coordination.

These Soul Douluos were clearly strictly trained; in groups of three, whether attacking, defending, controlling, or supporting, they split the Clear Sky Sect elders apart, preventing them from supporting one another and forcing them into a bitter struggle.

In just a fleeting moment, the plaza, once gripped by a murderous standoff, had transformed into a brutal battlefield of slaughter!

The radiance of soul skills illuminated the sky, roars and screams rang out incessantly, and blood began to spray.

Yet the two figures who were the true architects of this conflict—Sea Dragon Douluo and Pope Qian Xunji—remained standing where they were, not immediately joining the fray.

Sea Dragon Douluo watched the chaotic melee erupting before him with a calm expression, his eyes cold, as if he were observing a play that had nothing to do with him.

Qian Xunji stood with his hands behind his back, his papal robes immaculate and dust-free, a cryptic, faint smile once again gracing his face, though the depths of his eyes remained utterly indifferent.

Watching the battle unfold, Sea Dragon Douluo suddenly spoke, his voice calm as he asked:

"Pope, your Martial Soul Hall dominates the continent, with intelligence networks spread across the world. Over these many years... have you truly found not a single shred of information regarding Tang Chen?"

His gaze seemed to pierce through the slaughter before him, casting toward a more distant void.

Hearing this question, the smile on Qian Xunji's face faded slightly, and a look of genuine helplessness appeared on his handsome features.

He shook his head and sighed:

"Brother Sea Dragon, you are a man who stands at this level as well; you should understand."

"Tang Chen's cultivation is that of a ninety-nine-level Peerless Douluo. Such a realm is no longer mundane. If he wishes to hide his tracks and avoid the world, where in this vast world can he not go? Let alone our Martial Soul Hall's intelligence network, even if my father were to personally set out to investigate, I fear it would be difficult to find a trace of him."

Sea Dragon Douluo fell silent for a moment upon hearing this.

The sounds of shouting and the clashing of soul skills on the plaza seemed to drift far away from him.

His gaze was deep as he stared at the distant horizon, as if contemplating something.

After a long while, he spoke softly, his tone carrying a hint of uncertain speculation:

"Regarding Tang Chen's whereabouts... I do have two guesses."

"Oh?"

Qian Xunji raised an eyebrow, a look of intense interest appearing on his face: "I would like to hear the details."

For him, and for the entire Martial Soul Hall, the life, death, and whereabouts of Tang Chen were far more important than the survival of the Clear Sky Sect before them.

Because as long as Tang Chen, this Peerless Douluo, was not confirmed dead, he remained like a Sword of Damocles hanging over the head of the Clear Sky Sect, and over the heads of all factions that harbored designs upon it.

But once it was confirmed that Tang Chen was dead...

Then, there would be no need for Martial Soul Hall to even lift a finger; the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan themselves would be unable to resist pouncing to tear the Clear Sky Sect, now stripped of its greatest reliance, to shreds!

After all, as the saying goes: who wouldn't want to... take a step further?