Chen Feng said nothing more.
He let her clutch his sleeve.
Their figures gradually disappeared into the depths of the valley.
Just then, the Chat Group panel unfolded before Chen Feng.
Little Witch: [Big Brother Group Leader, is Xiao Wu safe now?] Poison Fairy: [Chen Feng has already taken Xiao Wu out of Spirit City.] Fiery Chili Pepper: [There are no pursuers outside Spirit City for the time being.] Loves Carrots: [Xiao Wu is safe now.] Little Witch: [That's good.] My Cat Is White and Big: [Her Holiness the Pope, you're still not sending anyone after them?] Her Holiness the Pope: [I said I would not hunt Xiao Wu.] I Have No Mother: [You'd better remember those words.] Her Holiness the Pope: [It is not your place to remind me how I conduct my affairs.]
Chen Feng did not join the argument.
His gaze fell on the synchronized image that had suddenly appeared in the group.
It showed the battle before the Papal Palace in Spirit City.
Tang Hao still held the Clear Sky Hammer.
A crimson glow covered the entire massive hammer.
After the Ring Detonation, Tang Hao's strength had reached an utterly terrifying level.
Even with Bibi Dong, Chrysanthemum Douluo, and Ghost Douluo joining forces, they were still forced back by the Clear Sky Hammer.
More than half of the white jade steps before the Papal Palace had shattered.
Golden petals lay scattered across the ground.
Black ghostly shadows were torn apart by the hammer's wind.
Bibi Dong staggered backward again and again, each step leaving behind deep cracks.
Tang Hao swung the Clear Sky Hammer and smashed it forward once more.
"Heavenly Hammer Nine Absolutes, Tremor!"
A massive hammer phantom descended from the sky.
The petal domain released by Chrysanthemum Douluo shattered on the spot.
Ghost Douluo turned into a black shadow and swept past the edge of the hammer phantom.
Bibi Dong raised both arms.
The Death Spider Emperor's eight forelimbs crossed before her, and purple-black poison light condensed into a thick barrier.
Boom!
The Clear Sky Hammer crashed into the barrier.
A powerful shockwave spread outward.
Bibi Dong slid back more than ten meters.
Her purple papal robe was whipped up by the fierce wind.
She raised a hand to hold down her robe and steadied herself again.
All the Soul Masters before the Papal Palace looked toward Bibi Dong.
Tang Hao stopped as well.
"Bibi Dong."
"Is this all the strength you have?"
Bibi Dong did not answer.
She lifted her eyes toward Tang Hao as the Death Spider Emperor in her palm slowly drew itself in.
The next moment.
An even more enormous surge of Soul Power spread from within her body.
Of her original nine Soul Rings, eight rose at once.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black.
The eight Soul Rings lined up behind Bibi Dong.
The eighth black Soul Ring shone far brighter than before.
Immediately after.
The Soul Power pressure of a level 98 Titled Douluo abruptly enveloped the entire Papal Palace plaza.
The surrounding Soul Masters all changed expression.
Several Soul Douluos retreated at once.
Even the defensive barrier maintained by the red-robed bishops rapidly warped beneath that pressure.
The Clear Sky Hammer in Tang Hao's hand froze in midair.
As he watched the Soul Power fluctuations around Bibi Dong, his expression changed for the first time.
"Level 98?"
Bibi Dong raised the Papal Scepter.
"Tang Hao."
"Did you think I was only Level 97?"
The Death Spider Emperor phantom behind her rapidly expanded.
Its eight spider legs stabbed into the ground at once.
Deep purple light spread across the white jade flagstones, covering the entire plaza in the blink of an eye.
Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo arrived at Bibi Dong's side at the same time.
The Soul Power of the three of them connected once more.
The Chrysanthemum-Ghost Domain overlapped with the Death Spider Emperor Domain.
The space around Tang Hao froze again.
This time.
Even the red radiance on the Clear Sky Hammer visibly slowed.
Bibi Dong raised her hand.
The eighth black Soul Ring abruptly lit up.
"Eighth Soul Skill, Spider Emperor Clone."
Two enormous Death Spider Emperors emerged from the purple poison light.
Each clone possessed most of the original body's power.
The three Death Spider Emperors spread their forelimbs at once and closed in on Tang Hao.
Tang Hao's expression darkened.
He had already detonated his ninth Soul Ring and could not use the same method again anytime soon.
Yet the Clear Sky Hammer's might showed no sign of retreating.
"Heavenly Hammer Nine Absolutes, Break!"
The massive hammer swept across.
One Death Spider Emperor clone was struck head-on and sent flying backward.
The other clone thrust out its spider leg from the side.
Tang Hao raised his left arm to block it.
Purple poison light instantly pierced through the Clear Sky Hammer's defense and landed on his shoulder.
Tang Hao's body swayed.
Seizing the opportunity, Bibi Dong thrust out all eight spider legs at once.
Tang Hao swung the Clear Sky Hammer, knocking away four of them.
The remaining four spider legs came down from different directions.
One pierced through his black robe.
Another grazed his chest, spraying blood.
Seeing this, Tang San immediately rushed forward.
"Dad!"
Bibi Dong lifted her eyes toward Tang San.
"You want to go over there?"
A Death Spider Emperor clone raised its forelimb and directly forced Tang San back.
Tang San swung the Clear Sky Hammer in his hand again and again.
But before a Titled Douluo, his attacks could not change the battle at all.
Xiao Wu had already left with Chen Feng.
Tang Hao was also being suppressed by Bibi Dong, Chrysanthemum Douluo, and Ghost Douluo working together.
The situation before the Papal Palace began to shift.
Bibi Dong raised her scepter.
The power of her eighth Soul Skill was fully unleashed.
The three Death Spider Emperors pounced on Tang Hao at once.
Tang Hao gripped the Clear Sky Hammer tightly and forcibly drove the Soul Power within his body.
But the backlash from the Ring Detonation had already begun to take effect.
His aura was weakening.
As Bibi Dong watched Tang Hao surrounded by the three Death Spider Emperors, she finally displayed the true power of a level 98 Titled Douluo.
"Tang Hao."
"Today, you will not leave."
Before the Papal Palace.
The three Death Spider Emperors surrounded Tang Hao at once.
Purple-black venom covered the ground.
Tang Hao gripped the Clear Sky Hammer and drove back two Spider Emperor clones in succession.
But the third Death Spider Emperor had already reached his back.
A sharp spider leg struck Tang Hao's back.
His black robe shattered on the spot.
Blood streamed down from the wound.
Tang Hao staggered several steps forward.
The Clear Sky Hammer in his hand slammed heavily into the ground, and only then did he barely steady himself.
The backlash caused by the Ring Detonation grew increasingly severe.
The Soul Power in his meridians had already begun to spiral out of control.
Bibi Dong stood at the center of her Death Spider Emperor True Body.
Level 98 Soul Power continued pressing down on Tang Hao.
"Tang Hao."
"Even at your peak, you still could not destroy Spirit Hall."
"Now, with old wounds plaguing you, you still dare to charge into Spirit City alone."
Tang Hao raised the Clear Sky Hammer.
"Whether I can leave or not, we'll find out after we fight."
The eighth black Soul Ring lit up.
Cracks rapidly appeared across its surface.
Bibi Dong immediately saw what Tang Hao intended to do.
"You still want to detonate a Soul Ring?"
"Can your body withstand it?"
Tang Hao did not answer.
The eighth Soul Ring exploded with a thunderous blast.
Massive energy surged into the Clear Sky Hammer.
The wound on Tang Hao's shoulder split open again, blood soaking half his black robe.
Yet he did not stop.
The Clear Sky Hammer swept out horizontally.
The purple-black spiderweb shattered from the center.
Two Death Spider Emperor clones were forced back at once.
Tang Hao took a step forward.
A huge hammer phantom shot straight toward Bibi Dong's true body.
Bibi Dong raised the Papal Scepter.
"Sixth Soul Skill, Eternal Wound!"
Two emerald-green blades of light shot out in crossing paths.
The light blades collided head-on with the Clear Sky Hammer.
Tang Hao's body suddenly halted.
The emerald-green blades passed through the hammer phantom, leaving two crossing wounds on his chest.
Blood splattered.
Tang Hao staggered backward.
The red glow on the Clear Sky Hammer rapidly dimmed.
Chrysanthemum Douluo seized the opportunity.
The Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum bloomed in midair.
Hundreds of golden petals gathered into a long blade and slashed directly at Tang Hao's right arm.
Ghost Douluo also emerged from the shadows.
A black ghost claw descended toward Tang Hao's back.
Tang Hao forcibly turned around.
The Clear Sky Hammer blocked the golden blade.
But the ghost claw struck his back squarely.
Bang!
Tang Hao was sent flying dozens of meters.
His towering body crashed into the shattered white jade steps.
The Clear Sky Hammer slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground.
The Soul Power around his body became extremely chaotic.
Seeing his father fallen amid the ruins, Tang San immediately rushed over.
"Dad!"
Tang Hao braced himself against a stone slab with one hand and stood back up.
He glanced in the direction Xiao Wu had left.
The azure light of the Azure Lotus Sword could no longer be seen there.
"Chen Feng has taken Xiao Wu away."
"At least, she's safe for now."
Tang San came to Tang Hao's side.
"Dad, let's fight our way out together."
Tang Hao turned to Tang San.
"Little San."
"Hold on to me next."
Tang San had yet to understand what he meant.
Tang Hao's seventh Soul Ring had already begun to tremble.
Bibi Dong's gaze sharpened.
"Stop him!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo attacked at the same time.
Two streams of Titled Douluo Soul Power descended from either side.
Tang Hao reached out and grabbed Tang San by the shoulder.
The seventh Soul Ring exploded with a thunderous roar.
All its remaining power surged into the Clear Sky Hammer.
The enormous Clear Sky Hammer flew up from the ruins.
Tang Hao gripped the hammer's handle with both hands and smashed it upward above the Papal Palace with all his strength.
"Heavenly Hammer Nine Absolutes, Void!"
The hammer's shadow did not attack Bibi Dong.
It struck directly at the sky above Spirit City.
Boom!
The air was forcibly torn apart.
Violent Soul Power blasted outward in all directions.
All the golden petals released by Chrysanthemum Douluo were thrown off course.
The black palm condensed by Ghost Douluo was also pierced through by the Clear Sky Hammer.
Using the recoil from the Soul Power, Tang Hao took Tang San and flew toward the outskirts of Spirit City.
Bibi Dong raised her scepter.
The forelimbs of the Death Spider Emperor stabbed into the air.
One spider leg pierced through Tang Hao's right shoulder.
Tang Hao did not look back.
He forcibly endured the blow and continued fleeing with Tang San.
Chrysanthemum Douluo prepared to give chase.
But Bibi Dong raised a hand to stop him.
"Your Holiness the Pope."
"Tang Hao is already severely injured."
"If we pursue him now, we can surely keep him here."
Bibi Dong watched the black figures in the distance gradually shrink away.
"Tang Hao has detonated three Soul Rings in succession."
"His old injuries have also fully erupted."
"Even if he escapes, he will have to pay a tremendous price."
Ghost Douluo returned to the front of the papal platform.
"Should we send people to search for them?"
"Send Spirit Hall Soul Masters to determine where they went."
Bibi Dong withdrew her Death Spider Emperor True Body.
"Do not engage them head-on."
"Tang Hao has already lost."
"But a Clear Sky Douluo driven into a corner can still take quite a few people down with him."
The plaza before the Papal Palace gradually returned to calm.
The ground was covered in cracks.
More than half the white jade steps had collapsed.
The Golden Generation stood in the distance.
Hu Liena looked toward the direction Xiao Wu and Chen Feng had gone.
Inside the Chat Group.
Fragrant Fox: [Tang Hao escaped with Tang San.]
Poison Fairy: [Xiao Wu has already left Spirit City.]
Little Witch: [Where's Brother Chen Feng?]
Poison Fairy: [He's with Xiao Wu.]
Fiery Chili Pepper: [As long as Chen Feng is there, Xiao Wu won't be in danger.]
Her Holiness the Pope: [I will not continue hunting Xiao Wu.]
I Have No Mother: [You'd better keep your word.]
Her Holiness the Pope: [Don't push your luck.]
Group Leader: [This matter ends here.]
Group Leader: [If Spirit Hall continues hunting Xiao Wu, it will be another violation of the group rules.]
Bibi Dong looked at the message sent by the group leader.
The fingers gripping the Papal Scepter paused for a moment.
Her Holiness the Pope: [I understand.]
Outside Spirit City.
Deep within a mountain valley.
Chen Feng stopped beside a stream.
The Azure Lotus Sword flew through the woods.
Several dry branches were severed by sword qi and fell neatly onto the clearing.
Crimson flames rose from the sword's edge.
A bonfire was soon lit.
Xiao Wu sat on a blue stone beside it.
She hugged her knees with both arms, her gaze fixed on Chen Feng the entire time.
Chen Feng put away the Azure Lotus Sword.
"You've been staring for quite a while."
"Xiao Wu just wanted to confirm something."
"What is it?"
Xiao Wu stood up.
She walked before Chen Feng and carefully studied that familiar face.
"You're the group leader?"
"Hadn't you already guessed?"
"Guessing is one thing."
"Hearing you admit it yourself is another."
Xiao Wu recalled everything that had happened in the Chat Group.
The group leader knew of Tang San's past life.
The group leader could extract fragments of the future.
The group leader knew about the Icefire Yin-Yang Well.
The group leader could even restore Ah Yin's origin.
Chen Feng in reality had likewise risen time and again in ways that defied common sense.
Xiao Wu nodded softly.
"No wonder the group leader always knew about Chen Feng."
"Because you were the same person from the start."
Chen Feng looked at her.
"My identity cannot be revealed to the other group members."
"Xiao Wu will definitely keep it secret."
Xiao Wu raised her right hand.
"If Xiao Wu reveals the secret, then let Xiao Wu never eat carrots again for the rest of her life."
Chen Feng glanced at the scorpion-tail braid behind her.
"That oath truly is serious to you."
Xiao Wu lowered her hand.
"Of course."
"Carrots are Xiao Wu's favorite food."
She turned and walked to the stream.
Xiao Wu took several carrots from her Soul Tool and carefully washed them in the stream.
Chen Feng looked at what she held.
"Are you getting dinner ready?"
"This is Xiao Wu's thanks to you."
Holding the cleaned carrots, Xiao Wu returned to the bonfire.
She picked out the largest one and held it out before Chen Feng.
"Here."
Chen Feng did not reach for it.
"You're thanking your lifesaver with a carrot?"
Xiao Wu blinked.
"This is the most precious food Xiao Wu has."
"More precious than Gold Soul Coins?"
"Gold Soul Coins can buy lots of carrots."
Xiao Wu thought again for a moment.
She took out another money pouch from her Soul Tool.
"These are for you too."
Chen Feng accepted the pouch.
There were only a dozen or so Gold Soul Coins inside.
Xiao Wu immediately explained.
"Xiao Wu left in too much of a hurry and didn't have time to pack anything."
"Once Xiao Wu has money later, I'll make it up to you."
Chen Feng placed the money pouch back in her hand.
"Keep it yourself."
"What about the carrot?"
"Eat it yourself."
Xiao Wu sat back down beside the campfire.
She picked up a carrot and began taking small bites.
The red firelight fell across her face.
After a moment.
Xiao Wu suddenly spoke.
"Lord Group Leader."
"How should Xiao Wu address you in the real world from now on?"
"Just call me by my name."
"Chen Feng?"
"Mm."
Xiao Wu softly repeated it several times.
"Chen Feng."
"Brother Chen Feng."
She raised her eyes to look at the man in white.
"The second one rolls off the tongue better."
Chen Feng did not correct her.
Xiao Wu set the half-eaten carrot aside.
"Brother Chen Feng."
"Are you really willing to let Xiao Wu stay by your side forever?"
Before you continue