They were an organization in Black Seal City that specialized in human trafficking, and peripheral members of the Blood Sect!
"You... What are you trying to do?"
Seeing this, Ning Rongrong hurriedly backed away in fright and instinctively called on the powerful backing she had:
"I... I'm the princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"
"My father is Ning Fengzhi, and I have two Titled Douluo grandfathers!"
"If you dare touch me, my father will kill you!"
"Also, I'm rich! I have lots of money!"
Speaking, she frantically dumped a huge pile of Gold Soul Coins out of her Storage Soul Tool. They gleamed golden and instantly covered the ground.
However, she saw no fear in their eyes. Instead, she saw an even greedier look.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? Never heard of them. Probably some little family from a backwater mountain village."
The one-eyed man leading them picked up a Gold Soul Coin and squeezed it with a little force.
Crack!
The Gold Soul Coin turned to powder.
"Tch, so many impurities. It's not even as good as the lowest-grade gold coin."
The one-eyed man disdainfully scattered the gold powder, then let his gaze roam unabashedly over Ning Rongrong's graceful figure. He licked his lips.
"But this little beauty is a real prize."
"Such tender skin, and there's a very special energy fluctuation around her. She's absolutely perfect as a living cauldron!"
Hearing the words "living cauldron," Ning Rongrong didn't understand what they meant, but instinctively sensed that something was wrong.
"Stay back! I'm going to call for help!"
"Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!"
In her panic, Ning Rongrong summoned her Martial Soul. A dazzling, seven-colored pagoda appeared in her hand, with two yellow Soul Rings shimmering around it.
"Oh? It can glow, too? It's quite a pretty little thing."
The one-eyed man sneered, and his figure vanished from the spot.
The next second—
Smack!
A sharp slap rang out.
Ning Rongrong was sent flying. Her dazzling Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was instantly dispelled, half her face swelled up, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
"What kind of circus trick is that?"
Then the one-eyed man grabbed Ning Rongrong by the hair and forcibly lifted her up, sneering.
"How dare you show off this useless energy with no offensive power whatsoever?"
"In the Black-Corner Region, weakness is a sin!"
"Take her back! A top-grade beauty like this will fetch a good price at the auction house. Those old geezers who cultivate dual cultivation techniques love young ladies with tender skin!"
"No! Let go of me! Dad, Sword Grandpa! Save me!!"
Ning Rongrong struggled with all her might, but against the one-eyed man's strength, which rivaled a Da Dou Shi's, she was like a chick caught in someone's hand, utterly powerless to fight back.
Meanwhile, on Douluo Continent.
At the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
"Ah!!!"
Sword Douluo Chen Xin watched as the princess he'd held in the palm of his hand since she was little was dragged away by her hair like a dog, to be sold off as some kind of living cauldron. He went completely mad.
"Kill! I'll kill them!"
For a moment, terrifying sword qi rampaged through the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, destroying countless buildings.
Ning Fengzhi, meanwhile, spat a mouthful of blood onto the table. He watched helplessly as his daughter was taken, powerless to do anything. It was as if every last ounce of his strength and spirit had been drained away.
"It's over..."
Forget their strength—even the wealth they prided themselves on was worthless in that world.
As for the status they had always been so proud of, it was even more of a joke there.
Compared with the first two, who had immediately met their doom upon arrival, Bibi Dong was in a somewhat better situation.
At that moment, she was at the foot of a mountain range shrouded in clouds and mist.
This place wasn't as chaotic as the Black-Corner Region or as noisy as Qingshan Town. Instead, it was filled with an unnerving stillness.
"Cough, cough..."
Bibi Dong leaned against an ancient tree, her face pale.
Even as a Level 99 Limit Douluo, the moment she arrived in this world, she felt as though she were carrying a mountain on her back.
The Soul Power in her body flowed sluggishly, as if a rushing river had turned into thick mercury.
"Is this the suppressive force of a higher-dimensional world..."
Bibi Dong felt the terrifying concentration of spiritual energy in the air. Her eyes held both fear and deep longing.
"If I could cultivate here, I'd definitely become a god within a year!"
She looked at the jade slip that had come from her Novice Gift Pack.
The jade slip gave off a faint glow. Not only did it conceal the aura that marked her as someone from another world, it also showed her a path leading up the mountain.
"A sanctuary..."
Bibi Dong looked up. Deep in the clouds, she could just make out a corner of a Heavenly Palace floating high above the nine heavens.
Even from this far away, her two top-tier Martial Souls began to tremble.
"What kind of existence lives there?"
Bibi Dong gritted her teeth and straightened her somewhat damaged imperial robes, struggling to maintain the dignity of a pope. Then she carefully followed the path indicated by the jade slip up the mountain.
She had a feeling.
This was her only way to survive, and the greatest opportunity of her life!
What she didn't know was that inside the Heavenly Palace high above the nine heavens, Lin Feng was watching the Douluo empress climbing the mountain with great interest through the system.
"Bibi Dong..."
"You're certainly much smarter than those two good-for-nothings."
"Since the system sent you to my mountain gate, I'll give you a chance."
"Besides, the sect is short a sweeper."
Lin Feng smiled faintly, then waved his hand.
The Mountain-Protecting Mist that had shrouded the mountain path—powerful enough to slaughter a Dou Huang expert—instantly split open, revealing a narrow passage.
At the foot of Heavenly Palace Mountain, in the Central Plains.
Every step Bibi Dong took felt like she was moving under a heavy load.
The mountain path looked ordinary, but every stair contained a hint of the Dao's profound meaning, pressing down on both her soul and body.
"Huff... huff..."
After fewer than a hundred steps, the Limit Douluo who had stood high above everyone on Douluo Continent and could even stand against a divine inheritance was already drenched in sweat. Her clothes clung tightly to her graceful figure, outlining its breathtaking curves.
"How is this possible..."
Bibi Dong's heart was swept by a storm.
"I am a Level 99 Peerless Douluo, with a demigod's body! How can climbing a mountain be this exhausting?"
"What kind of mighty being's sanctum is this?"
She didn't dare use her Martial Soul Avatar, or even release much Soul Power.
Just a moment ago, she'd seen a gigantic flying beast try to pass overhead. The instant it came within a hundred meters of the mountain, an invisible force had instantly shaken it to dust!
The aura that creature gave off had absolutely rivaled that of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast!
If even a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast could be instantly killed, what was she, a so-called Limit Douluo, worth?
All she could do was climb!
Filled with reverence for the unknown, Bibi Dong gritted her teeth and slowly made her way upward, one step at a time.
Meanwhile, on Douluo Continent.
Everyone in Spirit Hall held their breath, staring fixedly at the figure on the screen as she struggled up the mountain.
"Your Holiness..."
Hu Liena covered her mouth, tears welling in her eyes.
In her mind, her teacher had always been dignified and composed, overwhelmingly powerful.
She had never seen her look so wretched, gasping for breath like a mortal, barely able to straighten her back.
"There's something wrong with that mountain."
Qian Daoliu stood before the Worship Hall, his gaze profound. "Every stone on that mountain seems to contain laws more advanced than Angel Divine Power."
At last, after climbing for a full two hours,
Bibi Dong finally passed through the thick sea of clouds and reached a platform halfway up the mountain.
The view before her suddenly opened up!
A towering stone gate stood before her. Carved on it were two large characters, written with soaring strokes:
[Heavenly Palace]!
Bibi Dong merely glanced at the two characters, and her eyes began to sting, as if her soul were about to be dragged inside and ground to pieces. She hurriedly lowered her head, not daring to look directly at them.
"What is that?"
Just then, she noticed a medicinal plot beside the stone gate.
A few weeds seemed to be growing haphazardly in the plot.
But when Bibi Dong saw a little plant among them radiating a violet glow, she froze.
"T-this aura..."
"Could this be one of the legendary Immortal Herbs? No, this herb is countless times more precious than an Immortal Herb!"
Long ago, Yu Xiaogang had shown her an illustrated guide to Immortal Herbs. They were miraculous treasures that fortified the body and nurtured vitality, priceless treasures according to the Grandmaster's description.
Yet now, this priceless treasure was growing like a weed by the roadside. Beside it, an unknown rabbit was even nibbling on it!
Crunch, crunch.
The rabbit ate an Immortal Herb that would drive Titled Douluo mad in two or three bites, then burped in satisfaction. A golden glow appeared around its body, and its aura soared in an instant.
"Gulp..."
Bibi Dong swallowed, her worldview shattered into pieces.
Immortal Herbs fed to rabbits?
What kind of divine place was this?!
Just as Bibi Dong was so stunned that she began to doubt her own life, an old yet vigorous voice suddenly came from behind the stone gate.
"Where did you come from, young lady? Why are you sneaking around?"
Bibi Dong jolted and looked up.
An old man in coarse clothes, holding a battered broom, was slowly making his way out of the gate.
He looked utterly ordinary, and she couldn't sense even the slightest trace of energy from him. He seemed like nothing more than a common cleaner.
But after all the blows she'd suffered, how could Bibi Dong still judge someone by appearances?
She quickly straightened her clothes, lowered her posture, and bowed slightly.
"This junior is Bibi Dong. I entered this blessed place by mistake. I hope Senior will forgive me."
This was the first time in her life she'd ever humbly referred to herself as a junior.
"By mistake?"
The sweeping old man glanced at Bibi Dong with cloudy eyes and said calmly,
"Without the master's permission, not even a Dou Sheng could enter this Mountain Protection Array. Since you made it in, it means the master has granted you an opportunity."
"Dou... Dou Sheng?" Bibi Dong didn't understand the realm, but from the name alone, she knew it had to be powerful.
"Since you've come, make the best of it."
The sweeping old man didn't give her a chance to think. He casually tossed the battered broom at her feet, pointed at the long stone steps, and said expressionlessly,
"Just right. The outer sect's handymen have been short-staffed lately."
"Since you're here, sweep all nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine steps clean."
"No food until they're clean."
Bibi Dong stared at the broom at her feet, completely dumbfounded.
He wanted her to sweep the floor?
The Pope of Spirit Hall, the greatest person on Douluo Continent, was supposed to sweep the floor here?!
A rush of humiliation surged in Bibi Dong's heart, and her fists clenched unconsciously.
"What? You don't want to?"
Seeing her reaction, the old man's brows lifted slightly. For an instant, a sliver of his otherwise unremarkable aura leaked out.
Boom!
In that moment, Bibi Dong felt as though the heavens themselves had collapsed on top of her!
The force of his presence was countless times more terrifying than the so-called divine might!
Crack!
Her knees buckled. Even though she poured every last bit of her Soul Power into resisting, she still couldn't stop herself from dropping to her knees!
The bluestone slabs beneath her instantly cracked.
"Pfft!"
Bibi Dong spat out a mouthful of blood. Her face was as pale as paper, and her eyes were filled with terror.
Just a wisp of his aura—this old man sweeping the floor had released only a wisp of his aura, yet it had nearly crushed a Limit Douluo like her to death!
"Th-this... is he a God King? No, even the God Kings of the Divine Realm aren't this powerful!"
Bibi Dong roared madly inside, then finally accepted reality.
Here, she wasn't the Pope. She was probably worth less than an ant!
"Th-this junior is willing!"
After speaking, Bibi Dong tremblingly picked up the broom.
"Mm, at least you know what's good for you."
Seeing this, the old man slowly withdrew his aura and returned to his frail, withered state. He tossed out a few words, then turned and walked away:
"Work hard. Sweep it clean, and I'll reward you with something."
At that, Bibi Dong, who had still been feeling humiliated, suddenly lit up.
A reward?
She could get a reward just for sweeping?
In that moment, the Pope's dignity, the face of a powerful expert—she tossed it all beyond the nine heavens.
"Don't worry, Senior. I'll sweep it spotlessly clean!"
The next second, Bibi Dong gripped the broom as seriously as if it were a scepter. She even began actively circulating her Soul Power to sweep up the dust.
Meanwhile, back on Douluo Continent, everyone was already frozen in shock.
Watching the once-mighty Pope, who had commanded the world, now sweeping the floor with all her might just to earn a reward—
All the Soul Masters felt their faith crumble.
"Th-that's really our Pope?"
"A level 99 Limit Douluo, reduced to guarding someone's gate and sweeping the floor?"
"The most important thing is, that old man sweeping the floor really does seem stronger than a god!"
"Heavens, what kind of sect is that? Even the one who sweeps the floor is an unparalleled expert. What kind of person must the sect master be?"
In that moment, both the so-called Heavenly Palace and its never-before-seen sect master were shrouded in mystery in the hearts of everyone on Douluo Continent.
At that very moment, elsewhere in the Black-Corner Region—
Ning Rongrong was locked inside a filthy iron cage, a thick iron chain fastened around her neck. Beside her was a group of slaves dressed in equally tattered clothes.
"Dad, Sword Grandpa, Bone Grandpa, come save Rongrong! Wuwuwu..."
"Stop crying! Cry again and I'll cut out your tongue!"
The guard mercenary lashed the iron cage with his whip. Ning Rongrong trembled all over and could only curl up in the corner, hugging her knees as she shook with fear.