40th Place, 100,000-Year Spirit Ring, Golden Crocodile?! Crocodile King Descends, Indestructible! (Seeking Follow-ups!)

She commented softly, her tone devoid of ripples, though it carried a hint of seriousness.

"If these two were to join forces, with the wind fueling the fire, I fear even a level 98 powerhouse would be forced to drink the cup of regret. The human world is truly not to be underestimated."

Gu Yuan looked at the Sky Screen, a playful curve tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"This isn't over yet."

He tapped his fingers rhythmically against the tabletop.

"If I'm not mistaken, the next sixth place, and even the positions higher than that, will continue to be Martial Soul Hall's home turf."

"Oh?" Gu Yuena turned her head to look at Gu Yuan. "It seems the waters of Martial Soul Hall are even deeper than I imagined."

"Deep?" Gu Yuan chuckled, a flash of golden light crossing his eyes. "They are merely remnants of an old era. Na'er, you must know that on this list, the one who can truly claim the title of 'invincible' has yet to appear."

Gu Yuena nodded thoughtfully, then, as if thinking of something, her lips curled slightly upward:

"Are you referring to... yourself?"

Gu Yuan shrugged, neither confirming nor denying, his gaze drifting vaguely toward the Sky Screen as he thought to himself:

The true climax of this list has only just begun.

I wonder what kind of expression that old fellow Qian Daoliu will have when he sees all his brothers exposed?

Just as the masses remained immersed in the suffocating sensation of three consecutive Worships appearing on the list, the imagery on the Sky Screen suddenly froze.

The swirling wind and fire vanished in an instant, replaced by a terrifying pressure so heavy it made the soul tremble.

Deep within that golden light screen, it felt as if an ancient behemoth was slowly awakening.

"ROAR--!!!"

A low, heavy roar, as if traversing the primordial ages, slammed heavily into everyone's heart.

In the image, the phantom of a giant Golden Crocodile King over a hundred meters long spanned the space between heaven and earth.

Every scale on its body shimmered with a cold, metallic luster, and those icy, slit pupils radiated a tyrannical disregard for all living things.

Beneath this giant crocodile phantom, an old man with white hair and beard, dressed in gold-patterned robes, stood with his hands behind his back.

He did not intentionally release his aura, yet the surrounding space warped slightly due to his mere existence.

Following that, nine soul rings rose slowly from beneath his feet.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black...

Just as the pitch-black radiance of the first four ten-thousand-year soul rings was already enough to induce oppression, the appearance of the ninth soul ring instantly detonated the entire Douluo Continent!

It was a vivid, soul-captivating—red!

[Top Ten Hidden Powerhouses, Sixth Place]

[Golden Crocodile Douluo]

[Identity: Martial Soul Hall Worship Hall, Second Worship.]

[Martial Soul: Golden Crocodile King.]

[Level: Level 98 Peak Assault System Douluo.]

[Commentary: The Crocodile King descends, indestructible as diamond. The most senior existence in Martial Soul Hall, his strength is recognized within the hall as the "second strongest," second only to the Grand Worship, Qian Daoliu. Possessing a hundred-thousand-year ninth soul ring, his defense and bite force are considered the best on the continent.]

"A... hundred-thousand-year soul ring?!"

"Level 98?!"

At this moment, whether it was the royal families of the two great empires or the Upper Three Sects, the faces of all the high-ranking officials turned as pale as paper.

If the previous level 97 Worship was still within their realm of understanding, then level 98, combined with that hundred-thousand-year soul ring symbolizing absolute power, had completely shattered the balance.

This was not just a powerhouse; this was an existence bordering on invincible!

"Martial Soul Hall... to think they were hiding so deeply..."

The teacup in Ning Fengzhi's hand had fallen to the floor and shattered at some point, but he remained completely unaware.

He stared fixedly at the words "recognized second strongest" on the Sky Screen, a deep sense of powerlessness surging in his heart.

However, just as the entire continent trembled at the terrifying strength of Golden Crocodile Douluo.

On the second floor of a teahouse in Suotuo City.

"Pfft."

Gu Yuan looked at the large characters "recognized second strongest" on the Sky Screen and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The laughter carried a touch of disdain, mixed with the playfulness of one who remains sober while all others are drunk.

"What? Is there something wrong with this evaluation?"

Gu Yuena withdrew her gaze from the Sky Screen, her purple eyes looking at Gu Yuan with a hint of inquiry.

"Level 98, a hundred-thousand-year soul ring—such a configuration is indeed rare among human soul masters."

"Aside from that so-called 'Grand Worship', could there really be anyone stronger than him?"

"Of course there is."

Gu Yuan gently wagged his finger, a mysterious arc curling at the corner of his mouth, his eyes shimmering with the light of someone who saw through everything.

"Na'er, this list claims he is the 'acknowledged' second strongest, but that word 'acknowledged' is quite nuanced."

"Above Golden Crocodile, aside from that Grand Worship Qian Daoliu who has long since ceased to concern himself with worldly affairs, there is actually a true viper hidden within Martial Soul Hall."

A viper?

Gu Yuena was slightly taken aback, ripples flowing through her purple eyes:

"You mean... the current Pope?"

"Exactly, Bibi Dong."

When Gu Yuan spoke this name, his tone grew slightly more solemn.

"The world knows that the Pope of Martial Soul Hall wields monstrous power, yet few know her true strength. Even those old fogies like Golden Crocodile, blinded by seniority and prejudice, have severely underestimated the terror of that mad woman."

Gu Yuan picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and spoke slowly:

"Twin Martial Souls, two top-tier domains, and a full set of peak-quality spirit bones. In terms of talent, she is the most underestimated person on the Douluo Continent. Although Golden Crocodile has a spirit power as high as level 98 and possesses a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring, if it truly came down to a life-or-death struggle and that woman unleashed all her methods, Golden Crocodile's old bones would likely be torn apart until not even a scrap remained."

Gu Yuena flashed a look of surprise upon hearing this. Although she had perceived the human world through her divine sense, Bibi Dong seemed to be shrouded by some kind of deity, causing her not to pay much attention.

"And furthermore..."

Gu Yuan set down his teacup and cast his gaze toward the bustling crowd outside the window, where people were fiercely discussing the prestige of "Clear Sky Douluo" Tang Hao.

"There is one greatest lie in this world."

"The entire continent spreads the tale that Tang Hao of the Clear Sky Sect is the youngest Title Douluo in history, achieving the title at forty-four and shaking the world with his might."

At this point, Gu Yuan scoffed, his eyes filled with mockery:

"But in reality, this record was broken long ago; it's just that no one knows it."

"The true youngest Title Douluo in history is none other than that very Bibi Dong sitting high upon the Papal Palace."

"She stepped into that realm even before Tang Hao. While Tang Hao was still feeling smug about his bit of fame, she was already secretly accumulating power sufficient to overturn the entire world."

Gu Yuan turned his head, looked at Gu Yuena, and said softly:

"Therefore, the further we go down this Sky Screen ranking, the more interesting it becomes."

"When that woman's name truly appears at the forefront of the list, even surpassing those elders..."

"I imagine the expressions on the faces of those old stubborn fools within Martial Soul Hall will be ten thousand times more spectacular than they are now."