[Notice: If no one enters the camp within an hour, the entire camp will be judged as having failed the mission!]

Klee covered her face, sobbing as she ran toward the Favonius Cathedral.

Left behind were a bewildered Lumine and Emergency Food, along with—the stunned living beings of the Douluo Continent!

"Wait, this treasure—it's actually a bomb?"

"No, wasn't it supposed to be that Gnosis thing?"

"Aren't we completely screwed now?"

Just as the crowd stood in shock and confusion, the majestic voice of the Heavenly Dao resounded at that very moment!

[Detected that Heaven Dou Empire contestant "Ma Hongjun" has lost combat capability and consciousness; task failure confirmed. Now teleporting back to the Douluo Continent.]

[Task failure penalty: All members of the Heaven Dou Empire have their spirit power levels reduced to the first level of their current Spirit Master rank. For all future contestants, mental power and divine sense strength will be reduced by fifty percent!]

[The Teleportation Gate is now open again. All factions may send contestants into the gate to carry out the mission!]

[Note: If no one enters within one hour, the entire faction will be judged as having failed the mission!]

As the voice faded, the Heaven Dou Empire's Teleportation Gate suddenly flashed with red light. Ma Hongjun's charred body was ejected like a glob of burnt, elderly phlegm, rolling onto the ground.

This scene was seen clearly even by the members of the Spirit Empire atop the walls of Jialing City.

"This—"

Inside the Heaven Dou Empire's command tent!

Xue Beng felt alright; he was only a Spirit King, and his spirit power had merely dropped to level fifty-one.

But.

Tang Xiao, the five great elders of the Clear Sky Sect, Dugu Bo, Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, Oscar, and the many other Title Douluo present were not so fortunate!

Especially Tang Xiao!

Before he could even grasp the meaning of that voice, a sensation like a leak sprang from within his body. His spirit power, which had been at the peak of level ninety-seven, plummeted like a deflating balloon. In less than two and a half minutes, it had dropped all the way to level ninety-one!

Likewise.

Dai Mubai, who had been at the peak of level ninety-five, and the rest of the Title Douluo saw their spirit power levels crash down to level ninety-one as well.

It was as if they had just stepped into the Title Douluo stage after absorbing their ninth spirit ring.

"This—"

"How could this happen!?"

"Why has my spirit power dropped to level ninety-one!?"

After a brief silence, the many Title Douluo nearly erupted!

One had to realize!

Aside from the four elders of the Clear Sky Sect, almost every Title Douluo of the Heaven Dou Empire was at least level ninety-two; not a single one of them was a level ninety-one Title Douluo!

But right now—

Tang Xiao suddenly raised his head, his fierce gaze fixed coldly upon Yu Xiaogang. "Grandmaster, what was it you were saying just now?"

Yu Xiaogang: "..."

Tang Xiao's words were like a soul-piercing interrogation.

Yu Xiaogang's expression instantly stiffened!

Under the weight of this mission penalty, his own spirit power level had also—he opened his mouth, but could not utter a single word. "This—"

"Enough, that's enough!"

Liu Erlong could no longer stand by. "Who could have known that the treasure the little girl spoke of was actually a bomb!"

"What kind of decent person uses a bomb as a treasure?"

Tang Xiao let out a cold laugh. "Since you didn't know that, then what were you saying just a moment ago?"

"What, was it not enough to send my nephew to his death on an adventure, and now you want to use your own students as fodder?"

Flender was not pleased by this. "His Excellency Xiaotian, aren't you being a bit excessive with those words?"

Liu Erlong chimed in as well, "Exactly. Everything we do is for the Heaven Dou Empire; how did it turn into 'sending them to their deaths' in your mouth?"

"That's only because you were lucky enough not to die!"

Tang Xiao snorted coldly. "Among all those who have participated so far, only my nephew has truly sacrificed his life for the nation!"

"Yu Xiaogang, are you trying to turn my entire Clear Sky Sect into martyrs?"

Once these words were spoken, the Shrek Four Monsters, who had originally intended to mediate, and even the Heaven Dou Emperor Xue Beng, fell silent, not daring to make a sound.

If this were merely a matter of differing stances, they might have been able to argue a point or two, but when it came to the entire family becoming martyrs—they hadn't forgotten that Tang San still bore the surname Tang!

Speak up for the Clear Sky Sect?

But Yu Xiaogang was, after all, Tang San's teacher, their mentor!

Therefore.

The best course of action was to shut his mouth and say nothing.

"This—"

Tang Xiao's words had truly left Flender and Yu Xiaogang speechless. After struggling for a long time, both men turned red in the face, yet they couldn't squeeze out a single word.

"Alright, alright!"

Liu Erlong let out a cold snort. "Fine, next time the three of us will go, will that satisfy you?"

As she spoke, she grabbed Flender with one hand and Yu Xiaogang with the other, dragging them toward the Teleportation Gate.

"Hey, Erlong, calm down, calm down!"

This scene scared the wits out of Yu Xiaogang.

He was a strategist, and strategists were not meant to be on the battlefield!

However.

Just at that moment!

[Contestant Chen Fan of the Star Dou Great Forest faction has entered the Teleportation Gate.]

[The Teleportation Gates for all other factions are now closed!]

"Star Dou Great Forest faction? Chen Fan? Wait, wasn't he with the Spirit Empire faction?"

"No, isn't this the guy who achieved a perfect clear in the second round? How did he switch to the Star Dou Great Forest faction?"

"Could it be that the Spirit Empire kicked him out?"

The sudden announcement stunned the entire crowd, leaving many with faces full of bewilderment.

It had only been a short dozen hours since the second round, so it was impossible for anyone to have forgotten him.

Therefore—

Why would he appear in the Star Dou Great Forest faction?

Across the Douluo Continent, the high-level combatants of every faction exchanged glances, looking at one another in confusion, completely unable to grasp what was happening.

Yu Xiaogang, however, felt his eyes light up!

If this Chen Fan could defect from the Spirit Empire, then—could I have a chance to recruit him into the Heaven Dou Empire faction?

Furthermore, he is a level 99 peak Peerless Douluo. If I could take him as my disciple, then—wouldn't that mean I have cultivated two gods?

Thinking of this, Yu Xiaogang felt an unprecedented rush of pleasure surge straight to his crown!

Cultivating two gods!

Just the thought of it made him feel as if he were floating on air, reaching the absolute pinnacle of ecstasy!

"My Lord, this matter—"

In the forbidden zone of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The Beast God Di Tian watched this scene, a golden light flashing in his golden eyes as he silently asked in his heart.

"It is of no concern."

Hearing the voice of the Silver Dragon King, Di Tian swallowed the words that had reached his lips.

Since the Silver Dragon King said it was of no concern, then—it should be fine, right?

At this moment.

Chen Fan appeared on the side of the Favonius Cathedral, seemingly at the same landing spot as Ma Hongjun before.

However.

The Favonius Cathedral was currently bathed in the twilight of a setting sun—

"Hm?"

The moment Chen Fan landed, he immediately unleashed his vast, ocean-like spiritual power.

The formidable spiritual power of a level 99 peak Peerless Douluo was not something Ma Hongjun could compare to. Almost instantly, he sensed a verdant figure darting out from within the Favonius Cathedral—