Within the secret chamber, blue-gold light drifted slowly down like starlight.
Ah Yin looked at the young man before her, whose blood was bound to hers and whom she had been parted from for decades. Her eyes instantly grew moist.
"Xiao'er..."
Her voice trembled, filled with pain and endless longing.
Without a moment's hesitation, Ah Yin stepped forward and pulled Tang Xiao tightly into her arms.
Tears slid down her cheeks, transforming into specks of shimmering blue light that vanished into the air.
"You've suffered so much all these years..."
Ah Yin's voice choked as she stroked Tang Xiao's cheek.
"It was all my fault. I couldn't protect you back then, and you had to endure so much out there all alone."
As he looked at the gentle woman, overjoyed and in tears for his sake, Tang Xiao felt the heart that had been hardened like iron through slaughter and battle...
He let his mother stroke his cheek and comforted her.
"Mother, I'm all right. Can't you see I'm standing here just fine?"
After their reunion, Ah Yin gradually regained her composure.
She took Tang Xiao's hand, her eyes filled with concern and curiosity, and asked softly:
"Xiao'er, hurry and tell me—how have you been getting by all these years?"
"After that heartless person abandoned you on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, you were left in the wilderness, where Soul Beasts ran rampant. You were so little back then. How did you survive?"
At Ah Yin's mention of the past, Tang Xiao remained calm.
The hard years he had spent struggling on the brink of death and rising amid bloodshed sounded almost inconsequential as he recounted them.
"It was nothing much, Mother. You don't need to worry."
"After I was abandoned, I relied on my Blue Silver Grass origin, trained hard, and avoided the powerful Soul Beasts."
"Later, as I grew stronger, I left Douluo Continent and went to Sun Moon Continent overseas."
"There, I founded an empire of my own. By now, I've unified the entire continent."
Tang Xiao spoke as if it were nothing.
Then he looked at Ah Yin's still-illusory body and continued:
"However, Mother, your body is still only in a spiritual state. Your soul hasn't truly fused with a physical body."
"To bring you back to life and reshape a perfect body, I'll need to take you to my empire."
"Deep within my empire lies a Source of Life that I opened up myself. Only there, with the life fortune of the entire continent, can I reshape your body perfectly, without leaving behind any hidden dangers."
After hearing Tang Xiao's words, Ah Yin stood frozen in place, her stunning face full of shock.
"You... you founded an empire?"
Though she had been confined to the secret chamber, she knew how difficult it was to establish an empire.
And her eldest son had not only survived after being abandoned—he had become a God King and even founded a vast empire overseas that had unified an entire continent?
It was beyond the limits of her understanding.
Yet before Ah Yin could recover from her shock...
Rumble!
A deafening boom suddenly rang out in the sky.
The words on the Gold Ranking began to change.
[Strongest Power Ranking, Fourteenth Place: Golden Crocodile Douluo!]
[Identity: Second Worship of the Spirit Hall Empire, Level 98 Super Douluo!]
[Martial Soul: Golden Crocodile King!]
As the Gold Ranking announced its results, all of Douluo Continent erupted into an uproar.
Spirit Hall Empire, Worship Hall.
"How is this possible?"
Green Kite Douluo stared at the golden words appearing in the sky and couldn't help crying out in shock, her beautiful face aghast.
"Second Worship has Soul Power at Level 98 and unfathomable strength. He's one of the very few top experts on the entire continent. How could he rank only fourteenth?"
Mighty Lion Douluo, standing beside her, also wore a dark expression, his eyes full of solemnity.
"Second Worship has been famous for many years. In terms of seniority and strength, hardly anyone in the empire can match him except Great Enshrined."
"This Heavenly Dao Gold Ranking is underestimating the foundations of our Spirit Hall Empire!"
In the center of the great hall...
An old man clad in golden armor stood silently, his frame as imposing as a mountain.
His long golden hair moved in the windless air, and a suffocating, terrifying pressure radiated from his entire body.
He was none other than Golden Crocodile Douluo, the Second Worship of the Spirit Hall Empire!
At that moment, Golden Crocodile Douluo stared at the glaring words "Fourteenth Place," his expression turning grim.
"I've spent my life cultivating and distinguished myself through a hundred battles. I served three generations of Spirit Hall's Popes, and yet I've been relegated to a lowly fourteenth place?"
Golden Crocodile Douluo's voice was low, his fury and indignation barely restrained.
In his own estimation, apart from Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen in their prime, there was no one in the world he considered worthy of his regard.
Fourteenth place!
For Golden Crocodile Douluo, who had been proud his entire life, it was a tremendous humiliation!
"Second Worship, please calm your anger."
Seeing Golden Crocodile Douluo fly into a rage, Green Kite Douluo hurried forward and said indignantly:
"This Gold Ranking is completely unfair!"
"You once led campaigns across the land, fought the former sect master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and even gravely wounded veteran Titled Douluo from forces such as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Your battle record is illustrious, and your reputation shook the world!"
"And now you've ranked only one place above Chen Xin, who just recently broke through to Level 98?"
"What has Chen Xin done to deserve being compared with you, Second Worship?"
At Green Kite Douluo's words, the other Worships in the hall nodded one after another. They clearly all thought the ranking was far too low.
However, after his brief shock, Mighty Lion Douluo was the first to calm down.
He clasped his hands toward Golden Crocodile Douluo and said respectfully:
"Second Worship, regardless, making the Strongest Power Ranking proves that the Heavenly Dao has recognized your strength."
"Besides, anyone who makes the ranking will receive an extraordinary reward bestowed by the Heavenly Dao. For our Spirit Hall Empire, this is certainly a cause for great celebration."
"Congratulations, Second Worship, on making the ranking!"
Hearing Mighty Lion Douluo's words, the other Worships in the hall came to their senses as well and bowed one after another.
"Congratulations, Second Worship, on making the ranking!"
Yet in the face of everyone's congratulations, Golden Crocodile Douluo showed little excitement.
"Though this is a joyous occasion, I can't put my mind at ease."
Golden Crocodile Douluo sighed.
"I've cultivated for a hundred years and weathered countless storms. I know how deep the waters of this world run."
"If even I, with my Level 98 cultivation, can only rank fourteenth on the Strongest Power Ranking..."
Golden Crocodile Douluo paused, a flicker of worry in his eyes.
"Then what kind of people are the ones ranked above me?"
"Could there truly be terrifying beings hidden on this continent, beyond anything we know?"
Golden Crocodile Douluo's words weighed down the atmosphere in the great hall.
Indeed.
Even a Level 98 Super Douluo could only rank fourteenth.
Just how powerful were the thirteen people ranked above him?
Before you continue