Sweeping Through Three Pure Ones Hall

"Shut up... If you've got the guts, wait until I get up. See if I don't beat you into a cripple... You bastard."

Yan lay on the floor, roaring with all his strength. The poison in his body had already spread everywhere, numbing him so badly that he could not even stand.

"Oh, sorry. I take back what I just said. They weren't imitating people barking like dogs—they were imitating a dog barking like a dog. Thanks for correcting my mistake."

"Enough! Meng Xuanji, who do you think you are?! You've been insulting everyone here from the moment you walked in. Are you really going to make an enemy of all of us by yourself?!"

Xie Yue finally exploded.

It was the first time in his life that he had suffered such humiliation. He simply could not endure it any longer!

"Bloodmist Crescent Blade!"

Xie Yue summoned his martial soul and launched a surprise attack at Meng Xuanji, moving so quickly that the others could not react in time.

Just as the curved blade in Xie Yue's hand was about to slice across Meng Xuanji's throat, smack! A black tentacle shot out from beneath the floor, tripping Xie Yue and sending him sliding on his knees all the way to Meng Xuanji.

"Trying to ambush me? You think you're worthy?"

Bang!

Meng Xuanji kicked Xie Yue beneath the chin, then stomped hard on his face.

"I don't know why you people started targeting me the moment I walked in. I didn't want to do this, but some of you were talking far too much trash. Calling me an evil soul master? Heh, Xie Yue, when did you become as brainless as they are?"

"There are only ever two kinds of soul masters in this world: powerful righteous soul masters and weak evil soul masters. If you still have even a shred of reason, remember what I told you today."

Meng Xuanji's words were blunt and forceful, instantly suppressing half the fury in Xie Yue's chest.

More often than brute force, what conquered people was language—words as sharp and desolate as blades.

Meng Xuanji swept his gaze across the crowd again, then casually asked Xie Yue, "Where is Hu Liena? Doesn't she live with you in Three Pure Ones Hall?"

"Bastard, why are you asking about her... What makes you worthy... Urgh!"

Yan had barely thrown out a couple of insults when the Blue Silver Emperor beside him transformed into a heavy hammer and crashed into his chest! Yan coughed up blood wildly.

"When I'm speaking, dogs shouldn't bark. Otherwise, they get beaten."

Meng Xuanji looked down at Xie Yue beneath his foot.

"What's your choice? Will you be a stupid dog like them, or will you stand up and be human with me?"

"My sister... lives in Yangxin Palace beside the Papal Hall's residence. She is the Pope's student, so naturally she doesn't live with us."

Reason regained the upper hand in Xie Yue's mind. In the end, he chose not to oppose Meng Xuanji.

"Mm. Congratulations on making the right choice."

With that, Meng Xuanji removed his foot from Xie Yue's face and turned to leave.

"Stop! I won't let you disturb her, you bastard! I won't let you leave this place!" It felt as though Yan's chest were burning with raging flames. Under his extreme fury, the Flame Lord passively fused with Yan's body!

Clad in heavy molten armor, Yan struggled to his feet and glared furiously at Meng Xuanji.

"I won't let you speak to Hu Liena!"

As he spoke, Yan charged toward Meng Xuanji like a beast that had lost its mind!

"Yan! Calm down!"

"I can't calm down!"

Ignoring Xie Yue's warning entirely, Yan had only one thought in his mind: kill Meng Xuanji!

"Looks like dogs can go mad and bite people too. How annoying."

Meng Xuanji did not panic in the slightest. He merely raised an arm lightly, then brought it down with force.

Bang!

Three tentacles slammed into the ground at once! The barbed Dark Blue Silver Emperor pinned Yan firmly against the floor, madly draining his life force.

"Let me go! Let go!"

"Let go... you... bastard."

Gradually, Yan's body withered, and he completely lost the strength to resist.

Before leaving, Meng Xuanji did not forget to squat down in front of Yan and taunt him face-to-face.

Meng Xuanji gently lifted Yan's chin, watching him with a playful expression.

"Do you know what I'm going to do? Let me tell you—I like Hu Liena. So what can you do about it?"

"Not only do I like her, I'm going to live in the same room as her and sleep in the same bed. At night, I'll hold her in my arms and listen to her sing lullabies in my ear until I fall asleep. Every night, I'll touch her with my own hands, making her lie on the bed and call only my name again and again, unable to resist me. Once she calms down, I'll hold her and tell her not to pay attention to stray dogs by the roadside, so that from then on, she'll focus only on loving me."

"And you? Trash. All you deserve is to lie like a dog in some dark corner, envying the happiness I have. You'll watch with your own eyes as the goddess in your heart becomes a plaything in my palm, obeying my every word as she revolves around me every day, and losing all interest in you forever. Do you understand?"

Meng Xuanji's words were sharp and vicious. It was not that he did not know how to insult people—when he did, even he found himself ruthless.

"You! I!"

The weakened Yan could not even force out a complete sentence. He was so stifled with rage that he felt ready to explode on the spot!

"What? Want to hit me? Hehe, then I'll give you the chance."

Meng Xuanji snapped his fingers lightly, and several Blue Silver Emperor tentacles lifted Yan up, making him stand and face him directly.

Meng Xuanji spread his arms at Yan.

"Come on. I'm standing right here. Do you dare hit me? No, you don't, because you're a coward—a coward who doesn't even have the courage to admit he loves someone! If you dared to say in front of everyone that you liked Hu Liena, I'd at least respect you as a man."

"I... I..."

Yan could not say a single word for a long while.

At that moment, Yan had been utterly defeated by Meng Xuanji, both physically and mentally.

"If I were you, I'd hang myself from the ceiling, or hide like a sewer rat and never dare show my face before me again. Now I'm going to be with my woman. You can keep drinking your sorrows away here, trash."

With a sweep of his hand, Meng Xuanji sent the Blue Silver Emperor burrowing back underground. Then, radiating an incomparable presence, he strode out of the farce of a banquet.

Silence. Only deathly silence remained in Three Pure Ones Hall.

"Whew, that felt amazing! I never thought tonight could feel this good! The Dark Blue Silver Emperor's combat power is ridiculously strong."

Meng Xuanji was still savoring the thrill of controlling the Blue Silver Emperor in battle. That feeling of reigning over all beneath heaven like a monarch was simply every man's dream.

"When I rule the world in the future—no, when I 'protect' Douluo Continent—I definitely have to experience that feeling of being the only one in the world again. It's just too wonderful!"

Amid the bleak night wind, Meng Xuanji wandered alone through the gardens of Papal Hall. By chance, he suddenly heard a conversation coming from the flower bushes he was passing.

"I heard Papal Hall produced two geniuses with innate full soul power this year. If this continues, it may be harmful to the empire's future development."

"I heard Bibi Dong went to Elder Hall and still hasn't returned. Perhaps tonight is our best chance to act."

"That's right. For the empire's future, even if we have to risk our lives, we must kill these two monsters!"