A Fireworks Display

The newcomer had crescent-shaped eyes and looked no older than a teenager. Her large eyes were innocent and adorable. Her hair was tied into twin buns, adding to her youthful vitality. She wore a short top and skirt that exposed her fair arms and slender legs.

The young girl's laughter was like silver bells, crisp and pleasant. Though pure and clear, it carried a hint of seduction. "Handsome, how come I've never seen you before? How old are you this year?"

She stepped through the air with lotus-like grace, slowly drawing closer to him.

Yet he remained seated cross-legged atop the flower bud, without even lifting his eyelids.

The girl lightly moved before him. Her eyes looked innocent, yet were in truth deep and weathered.

As she drew closer and closer, just as her crimson lips were about to touch his fair cheek, an incomparably powerful killing intent and sharp aura sliced straight across her neck. Her expression changed, and her body turned illusory. Like the chime of a silver bell, she swayed aside and avoided the strike meant to take her life.

The innocence on her face vanished without a trace. With a gloomy expression, she touched her neck in lingering fear and complained, "Big brother, you could at least warn me before attacking."

Tang Wulin merely gave a contemptuous smile.

The girl's gaze turned cold. Nine soul rings shone beneath her feet—six black and three red. It was already an immensely powerful ring configuration.

She held a bell in her palm. Black mist pulsed around it as though it were breathing. Every fluctuation of the mist seemed to bring with it the shrill howl of ghosts.

One of the Holy Spirit Cult's Four Heavenly Kings, Dark Bell, Nanali.

Nanali sighed regretfully. "I was originally going to spare your life because you're rather handsome, make you into my toy and have some fun with you. Yet you insist on being so tactless."

Tang Wulin mocked, "You?"

Nanali snorted angrily. "You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!"

Her pale hand suddenly swept out, flinging the bell into the air. It rapidly expanded, while the soul rings beneath her feet flashed continuously. The bell began to shake wildly, unleashing wave after wave of nearly tangible soundwaves. They even attempted to pass through Tang Wulin's Blue Silver Domain and rush directly into Heaven Dou City.

When the power of Fear Bell was wielded by a rank 96 Super Douluo, it was undeniably formidable.

But Nanali had yet to devour tens of thousands of resentful souls as she had in her previous life, and had not yet reached rank 98.

Tang Wulin would have needed some effort to kill her, but stopping her was no more difficult than lifting a hand.

A blue halo rose, and the soundwaves vanished like clay oxen sinking into the sea.

Tang Wulin casually pressed forward with his hand. Nanali, however, recoiled at high speed, her expression drastically changing. Points of light lit up around every joint of her body as pieces of battle armor attached themselves to her. Her aura surged, yet she still felt as though the entire world were rejecting her.

The closer one was to the laws, the more severely one would be affected by such pressure.

Fortunately, Nanali was not yet an Extreme Douluo. Otherwise, that single press from Tang Wulin would have locked her in place, leaving her unable to move. Of course, if she truly had been an Extreme Douluo, she would not have given Tang Wulin such an easy opportunity to wield the power of the laws.

Tang Wulin had not expected to bind her in a single move. He extended his fingers and drew circle after circle in the void. Brilliant golden rings drifted toward Nanali.

They were clearly slow, yet the rings faintly contained the power of laws. They formed a whole of their own, impossible to evade.

Nanali let out a shriek. The bell trembled, and rings of soundwaves instead enveloped her body. Black mist spread out as she attempted to block the circles, but it was useless.

I can't be controlled! A trace of terror flashed through her heart. If he controls me, I might truly die here! The Holy Spirit Cult has made a grave miscalculation of this man's strength!

Run!

Nanali did not hesitate. Gritting her teeth, she pushed both palms forward. The bell solidified into a physical form and blocked the circles before her.

Just as the circles were about to pass the bell and rush toward her, Nanali tapped a finger forward. All nine soul rings shone at once, and the bell instantly exploded, tearing open tiny rifts in space.

Nanali curled up in pain, not daring to linger for even a moment. Turning into black mist, she drilled directly into a spatial rift and vanished without a trace.

Unfixed Storm landed upon the rift she had left behind, stabilizing it.

A sharp yet lingering aura appeared at Tang Wulin's side.

A longsword shot from its sheath, and the Passionate Douluo, who had been lying in wait for a long time, gave a cold smile. "At last, we've hooked this fish."

Tang Wulin looked at him. "Be extremely careful."

Zang Xin smiled casually. "Don't worry."

Then, this Extreme Douluo transformed himself into a sword and entered the rift, disappearing from sight.

Unfixed Storm dissipated. The rift in the void closed under the repair of the laws' power.

From beginning to end, Tang Wulin had not even left the enormous flower.

Watching Zang Xin depart, Tang Wulin closed his eyes once more.

It had to be said that the Holy Spirit Cult had partially achieved its goal.

Nanali had drawn his attention away, weakening his control over Heaven Dou so that the evil soul masters could take action.

But unfortunately, the Holy Spirit Cult was still too foolish.

Since the Tang Sect had long since learned of their objective, how could Tang Wulin possibly have been their only preparation?

Even if the Blue Silver Domain's control weakened, the Tang Sect Battle Soul Hall's members on the ground were no pushovers.

However.

The main event had arrived.

Tang Wulin gazed into the distance at the horizon.

Night had long since fallen completely.

When darkness blanketed the earth, streaks of dazzling light effortlessly drew everyone's attention.

The terrifying energy fluctuations made every soul master in Heaven Dou City turn pale in alarm and scatter in all directions.

Only the ordinary people, who had no idea what was happening, stared in confusion at the flashes in the sky.

Until the lights drew closer and closer.

Until more and more people clearly saw that the fixed-mounted soul-guided cannon shells, once seen only on Federation propaganda channels, had now appeared above their heads. Even the ordinary people screamed and began to flee in panic.

On the streets, a small child pointed at the sky and curiously asked his parents, "Are those shooting stars?"

His parents looked up, their faces deathly pale.

Where could they possibly run?

They could only rush into an underground parking garage and shield their child tightly beneath them. Though their hands shook with fear, they still protected their bewildered child without hesitation.

Some of the Tang Sect Battle Soul Hall fighters stopped retreating. No matter how their team leader shouted at them, they turned a deaf ear.

The fighters who had stopped exchanged glances, then silently tore off their masks. Smiling in mutual understanding, they rushed toward the civilians, released their soul power to protect them, and shouted for them to evacuate in an orderly manner.

The team leader gritted his teeth, tore off his mask as well, and stood alongside his team members.

Soldiers.

Members of the mecha corps.

Some tried to fly into the sky to intercept the shells, only to discover that they could not break through the flight altitude limit. They could only descend and join the evacuation effort.

The bombs drew closer and closer.

They had drawn so close that they had already broken through the anti-air fire blockade and were about to cross the flight altitude line, entering the airspace near the ground.

They had finally arrived.

Tang Wulin looked at the soul-guided bombs, each radiating terrifying fluctuations, and let out a long breath.

He stood up.

The flower beneath his feet bloomed completely. Pieces of dazzling four-word battle armor emerged, and a lofty dragon roar rang out. A golden dragon that blotted out the sky crossed through space, stretched across Heaven Dou, and roared in fury.

Overwhelming power erupted. The Blue Silver Domain rose up, the phantom of the Golden Ancient Tree flashed past, and an enormous pillar of light shot into the heavens. In an instant, a dense and solid protective barrier enveloped Heaven Dou City.

Devour Heaven and Earth fully unfolded. With the Golden Ancient Tree's assistance, Tang Wulin alone held up Heaven Dou's barrier.

The Golden Dragon Spear swept out. The giant dragon circled through the skies, with the Shadows of a Thousand Dragons surrounding it as though dancing in worship.

The golden dragon soared, raised its head, and let out a long roar. The thousand dragons followed their king, releasing earth-shaking dragon cries at the unwelcome intruders who had challenged the dignity of one above them.

A blue-gold halo encircled the entirety of Heaven Dou City. Beneath the shadows of the thousand dragons, everyone was stunned.

The murderous soul-guided bombs were intercepted outside the hastily raised barrier. The occasional shell that slipped through was sent flying by a dragon's tail, bursting into dazzling fireworks in the sky.

"Bang—bang! Bang bang bang—"

The explosions came one after another without end.

Though the protective barrier trembled and dimmed, it still blocked every fixed-mounted soul-guided cannon shell.

The despairing crisis had, in such a dramatic fashion, turned into a fireworks display.

The brilliant fireworks lingered in the sky for a long time.

The golden dragon glanced back and gave a low rumble.

Its body steadily shrank until it became a person.

The thousand dragons once again danced for their victorious king's return, before finally turning into streams of light that fell upon his wrist and formed a multicolored bracelet.

The figure lowered his head, seeming to glance at something, then vanished into the air.

Yet the protective barrier still stood beyond Heaven Dou City, protecting the city's residents within its shield.

A young couple emerged from the underground parking garage with their child in their arms, their hearts still pounding with the relief of surviving disaster.

The young child had no concept of danger. His eyes shone brightly. "The fire is so pretty!"

The residual heat and shockwaves left by the soul-guided bombs still burned in the sky.

The woman's nose stung. Tears filled her eyes, but her lips curved into a smile as she softly echoed her child's innocent wonder. "Yes, it's beautiful."

The man wrapped his arms around them, as though holding his entire world.