Just as the Holy Spirit Cult became everyone's source of experience points, news of the deaths of important figures within the cult also reached the higher-ups.
For a time, panic spread.
Low-level Evil Soul Masters even began to defect.
After all, Evil Soul Masters were human, too.
Being human, they had seven emotions and six desires, and they felt fear and the dread of death.
Yet just as the resolve of all the Evil Soul Masters wavered, the true masterminds behind the scenes finally could not hold back!
Splash!
In the endless ocean, fierce waves suddenly surged.
One large and one small crystal whale slowly surfaced.
They transformed into a stunning young girl and an overwhelmingly gorgeous peerless beauty.
This was the Demon Empress and her daughter, Lan Fuzi.
"Mother, what happened?"
"An unpredictable power has appeared in the Star Dou Great Forest on Douluo Continent, and I must go inspect it in person!"
"Otherwise, the Holy Spirit Cult will perish!"
According to the plot of the original story, this true mastermind behind the Holy Spirit Cult should not have ventured out into the world nearly this early.
She was supposed to make her official appearance only when the Abyss Plane invaded.
Yet there was no help for it.
If the Demon Empress did not make a move at this moment, the higher-ups of the Holy Spirit Cult would be slaughtered to the last.
Especially after the death of the Ghost Emperor, the Hall of God of War and the Spirit Pagoda had actually torn up the alliance and started taking action against some high-level Evil Soul Masters!
Someone had to step out afterward to stabilize the situation.
Otherwise, in two months at most, the entire Holy Spirit Cult would likely be wiped from this planet by the populace!
"But Mother, I heard that is a sealed Dragon King. Is it really wise for us to oppose him like this?"
Lan Fuzi looked like a young girl, but as a soul beast capable of taking human form, her actual age was not small.
"Fuzi, this is why I need your help. We will split into two paths..."
In fact, the Demon Empress had long since heard the legends of that Dragon King.
From the first-generation Deep Sea Demonic Whale King onward, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale Clan had fantasized about transforming into true dragons one day and breaking through level one hundred to become gods.
Therefore, if that underground entity truly was a genuine Dragon King, the Demon Empress genuinely dared not confront it directly.
That was why she needed a double insurance.
That double insurance was her own daughter, Lan Fuzi!
"Mother, you can rest easy!"
"If I determine that he truly is the Dragon King, I will definitely help our family communicate well with him!"
"That's good. If it truly comes to the step where a choice must be made, the Holy Spirit Cult can be abandoned!"
There was nothing purely good or bad in this world to begin with.
All rules followed a set of unspoken regulations, and that was that interests came first.
Despite being the leader of the Holy Spirit Cult, the Demon Empress would undoubtedly side with the Dragon King if it involved the origins of the Dragon Clan and a choice had to be made.
Even the ancestral teachings of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale Clan were something the Demon Empress could not afford to violate!
"Good, keep this token safe!"
"If you run into anyone lacking eyes, take out my token!"
The Demon Empress showered absolute care upon her daughter, even going so far as to hand over the Holy Spirit Cult Leader's token.
"Understood, I will definitely hide my identity until I find the Dragon King!"
"Go!"
"This emperor should also go meet that untrustworthy old scoundrel, Qiangu Dongfeng!"
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Dragon Valley, the battle was still far from over.
Only now, the situation had completely changed.
The once-haughty Holy Spirit Cult scurried everywhere like rats crossing the street.
"Run!"
"Ghost Emperor is dead!"
"We are no match for these people!"
"Fall back!"
"We must notify the Cult Leader immediately!"
Some low-level Evil Soul Masters fled wildly, paying no heed even to their companions because they knew very well that staying behind now meant waiting for death.
On the other side, the Dark Hummingbird was being hunted down by several Titled Douluos, his complexion turning ashen to the extreme.
"Qiangu Dongfeng!"
"Must you truly drive us to absolute ruin?"
Up in the sky, Qiangu Dongfeng sneered.
"Evil Soul Masters deserve to be killed by everyone."
"Dark Hummingbird, you have committed evil for many years."
"Today is your retribution."
Hearing these high-sounding words, the Dark Hummingbird almost laughed out of sheer anger.
"Hahahaha!"
"What a fine 'Evil Soul Masters deserve to be killed by everyone'!"
"Then who was it that asked us to help handle those matters back then?"
"Who was it that needed us to solve troubles for you?"
"Qiangu Dongfeng, do you really think no one knows your secret?"
This single sentence caused the expressions of several powerful figures from the Spirit Pagoda to shift slightly.
What they feared most was for these matters to be exposed, as everyone used to cooperate in secret, after all.
Nobody actively turned hostile.
But now it was different.
Right here in Dragon Valley.
There was no telling how many live broadcast soul tools there were.
There was no telling how many people were watching.
Once Dark Hummingbird spilled certain things.
The Spirit Pagoda's reputation would inevitably suffer a huge blow.
"Don't waste words with him."
Qiangu Dongfeng's gaze turned cold.
"Kill him directly."
The next second.
Several powerful soul skills erupted simultaneously.
Dark Hummingbird's expression changed drastically.
Although he possessed great strength.
Yet facing an encirclement by so many powerhouses.
He simply stood no chance of winning.
Just as he prepared to fight to the death.
Suddenly.
The entire sky darkened.
It was not dark clouds.
Instead, a terrifying aura descended.
Everyone stopped fighting at the same time.
"What is going on?"
"This pressure..."
Qiangu Dongfeng looked up.
The expression on his face changed for the first time.
The next moment.
A cold, clear voice echoed across the heavens and earth.
"Qiangu Dongfeng."
"You have quite some nerve."
"You even dare touch people belonging to this empress?"
Boom!
The distant sea surface exploded.
Endless seawater surged into the sky.
A peerless, beautiful woman walked across the waves toward them.
The void behind her.
Faintly manifested a gigantic deep sea demonic whale.
That terrifying figure.
Caused every Titled Douluo present to feel a sense of suffocation.
"Who are you?"
Although the other party was a woman.
She still gave Qiangu Dongfeng a feeling of overwhelming terror.
Just what kind of power could make a rank-99 Limit Douluo like him feel so terrified?
Soon, Dark Hummingbird, who had been waiting for death nearby, provided the answer!
"Lord Demon Empress!"
"It really is you!"
"That's wonderful, our Holy Spirit Cult is saved!"
Over the past few decades, although there were constant rumors about that mysterious empress of the Holy Spirit Cult.
Yet not a single person had ever seen her true face.
And upon hearing Dark Hummingbird's cry.
The faces of everyone at the scene turned dark.
Because rumors had it that the Demon Empress had already reached the Pseudo-God Realm.
Her strength was comparable to a true god.
Seeing her today, it was indeed so.
"Old Thief Qiangu, I still overestimated the trustworthiness of you humans!"
"Compared to Tang San back in the day, your hide is even thicker than his!"
Holy crap!
The Demon Empress had such a powerful aura.
Yet before she could make a move against Qiangu Dongfeng.
She was spotted by the Dark Gold Dire Claw Bear on the ground!
"Ohoho, another formidable Evil Soul Master has arrived, none of you are allowed to fight me for this one!"
Perhaps having seen the grand prize Di Tian obtained.
This Xiong Jun had been consumed by envy, jealousy, and hatred.
He had been roaming around Dragon Valley the entire day, wanting to take down someone even stronger than Ghost Emperor.
He had originally thought this was just wishful thinking.
Yet he never expected that today they would deliver themselves right to his doorstep!
"You?"
"Where did this stupid bear come from? Don't get in the way!"
Before you continue