Wrapping up

Huo Yuhao, Snow Empress, and Gu Yuena stared solemnly at the spot where the God of Slaughter and the others had disappeared.

The many powerful members of the Spirit Pagoda who were watching the battlefield were also surprised by this outcome.

They had clearly cornered the God of Slaughter, and were just a hair's breadth away from completely eliminating the two powerful figures of the Holy Spirit Cult, when an unexpected twist occurred: a demon not mentioned in the intelligence suddenly appeared and forcibly rescued the Demon Empress and his companion.

"Damn it, I was so close!"

Seeing this from afar, the Fist Emperor Douluo slammed his fist into the rubble beside him, sending debris flying. His face was filled with resentment. "I didn't expect the Holy Spirit Cult to have such a powerful figure. When did they get involved with the Demon Plane?"

The Soul Suppressing Douluo to the side pondered for a moment, a glimmer of understanding flashing in his eyes. "A few months ago, an Evil Spirit Master attacked Yuanen Yehui reserve member of the Dark Department, and her mother Yehui. However, Yuanen Yehui was protected by a powerful figure and was not taken away. But her mother has been missing since then, suspected of being captured by the Holy Spirit Cult."

"Both of them possess Fallen Angel Martial Soul, which is probably why they were targeted by the Holy Spirit Cult. And this powerful figure from the Demon Plane may have also made contact with the Holy Spirit Cult because of Yehui."

"I see."

Upon hearing Soul Suppressing Douluo's analysis of the cause and effect, Fist Emperor Douluo immediately understood.

He had heard of the special nature of the Fallen Angel Martial Soul, so he naturally understood the logic in the Soul Suppressing Douluo's words.

"Actually, I did consider the Holy Spirit Cult's intentions at the time, and I also thought about the possibility of facing the Demon Plane in the future. But I never expected that there would actually be a God Rank powerhouse in the Demon Plane."

The Soul Suppressing Douluo sighed, "It seems the Demon Plane is stronger than we imagined. We must prepare to face the Holy Spirit Cult, the Abyss Plane, and the Demon Plane in the future."

The Fist Emperor Douluo and those around him nodded solemnly.

Seeing the somewhat heavy atmosphere, Hua Yichen smiled and said, "Although this battle was not a complete success, the main force of the Holy Spirit Cult Sect in Heaven Dou City has been defeated, and the core of the Blood River God-Slaying Grand Array has been completely destroyed."

"The God of Slaughter was severely injured by our ancestor, so he certainly won't be able to cause any trouble in the short term. As for that demon who suddenly appeared—although it was unexpected, his appearance at least allowed us to uncover one of the Holy Spirit Cult's trump cards. This battle has already been a great victory; there's no need to be so serious."

Upon hearing this, the others nodded in agreement, their solemn expressions easing slightly as they revealed a hint of a smile.

Yes, their biggest goal for this trip was to completely drive the Holy Spirit Cult out of Dou Ling, and now that it has been basically accomplished, they should be happy.

On the other side, Qian Gu Dong Feng hesitated for a moment before approaching Huo Yuhao and the other two. Seeing their serious, thoughtful expressions, he said in a low voice, "Ancestors, you have been through many battles; you may go and rest first. Leave the remaining cleanup and the search for the God of Slaughter God of Slaughter the others to us. Once we have ascertained their whereabouts, I will report back immediately."

He believed the three men had such expressions because the God of Slaughter and the Demon Empress were rescued by the demon at the last moment, and they were unhappy that they had failed to eliminate the threat completely.

But actually----

Huo Yuhao withdrew his gaze from the distance, exchanged a knowing look with Gu Yuena and Snow Empress, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Do as you wish, but you don't need to worry too much about the God of Slaughter."

Upon hearing this, Qian Gu Dong Feng, seeing the smile on Huo Yuhao's face, was slightly taken aback, wondering why his ancestor would suddenly smile. The God of Slaughter had been rescued, and the Demon Plane had interfered—shouldn't this be infuriating?

However, he didn't ask any further questions; if his ancestor wanted to tell him, he would have done so clearly.

He nodded in agreement and turned to handle the remaining tasks.

Seeing this, Snow Empress turned her gaze to Huo Yuhao and said softly, "The plan is going smoothly. Now we just need to wait for Old Yi's message."

You've exhausted yourself, go and rest. Leave things here to us."

Huo Yuhao nodded.

Although there are backup hidden energy sources, the mental exhaustion from fighting to this extent is undeniable, and time is definitely needed to recover.

Moreover, he gained a great deal from the battle with the God of Slaughter, and he needs time to sort out and consolidate his knowledge so that his cultivation and understanding of the Laws can be further improved.

Huo Yuhao didn't say anything more, turned around and landed on the ground, walking towards the temporary camp set up by the Spirit Pagoda.

Along the way, he could feel the gazes cast by many Dou Ling residents in the distance, some filled with fear, some with confusion, and some with the relief of surviving a disaster—a stark contrast to the relaxed and joyful mood of the people in the Spirit Pagoda. The residents of Heaven Dou City were undoubtedly experiencing complex emotions.

These ordinary people experienced a rollercoaster of emotions in a single day: first, they were terrified by the sudden attack on the Spirit Pagoda; then, they witnessed the Holy Spirit Cult's powerful figures suffer defeat after defeat; and finally, even the God of Slaughter they worshipped was forced to flee in disarray.

The enemy, whom they saw as an "evil invader," instead protected Heaven Dou City and blocked the sword beam that was powerful enough to destroy the city.

They didn't know what awaited them next, nor how to deal with these "intruders."

Fear, gratitude, confusion, and unease intertwined, transforming into silent gazes that followed Huo Yuhao's figure.

Seeing this, Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow, wondering if he should think of a way to appease the residents, when he suddenly sensed two familiar auras and couldn't help but glance at the Dou Ling Palace in the distance.

It seems he doesn't need to worry about it anymore; the most suitable candidate has already arrived.

Dou Ling Palace.

In stark contrast to the emotions of the Spirit Pagoda and the residents of the Dou Ling Battlefield, the high-ranking members of the Dou Ling within the Dou Ling Palace were filled with despair.

"The God of Slaughter has been defeated— the Holy Spirit Cult is finished—what good can come of those of us who depend on them?"

A high-ranking member of the Dou Ling slumped to the ground, his face ashen, muttering to himself. His words were like a dull knife, cutting into the hearts of everyone present.

Their allegiance to the Holy Spirit Cult and the God of Slaughter was undoubtedly due to the latter's power, leaving them with no other choice. However, the despicable deeds they had committed for the Holy Spirit Cult over the years, and their assistance in fighting against the Federation, Holy Spirit Cult undeniable.

Now that the God of Slaughter has been defeated and the Holy Spirit Cult's power in Heaven Dou City has crumbled, will the Spirit Pagoda let these "accomplices" go?

At this moment, everyone wished that the cooperation with the Evil Spirit Master had never happened, and that when the Spirit Pagoda descended, they would surrender without any hope of winning by God of Slaughter. At least that way, their chances of survival would be much greater.

"Your Majesty, what should we do now?"

An elderly attendant, watching the unstoppable advance outside the palace, swiftly wiping out the Mecha troops and the Titled Douluo of the Dou Ling Spirit Pagoda, looked pale-faced at Emperor Xue Yunlong, the Dou Ling.

Xue Yunlong sat on the dragon throne, his aged face obscuring his expression, but the knuckles of his hands gripping the armrests were white from clenching them.

He remained silent for a long time, then let out a long sigh.

"We are no match for the Sun Moon Empire of yesteryear. We lack the strength to confront the Federation head-on, nor are we qualified to associate with wolves like the Holy Spirit Cult. What is destined to happen will eventually come."

Upon hearing his seemingly resigned statement, the attendants and other high -Dou Ling faction panicked.

"Your Majesty! Are we just going to sit here and wait to die?" the attendant asked in a panic.

An elderly member of the Dou Ling Imperial Family, looking completely lost, spoke up, "Yes, we should talk to the Spirit Pagoda now, help them stabilize the situation, and get the Dou Ling to join the Douluo Federation. Perhaps we can still reconcile."

Looking at the old man below who had spoken those words, Xue Yunlong couldn't help but let out a low laugh, a laugh full of bitterness and mockery.

Are you joking at this moment?

Would the Spirit Pagoda need them?

"When the God of Slaughter was still in power, he even launched an attack on the Spirit Pagoda. Now that the tide has turned, you expect to gain forgiveness with a few words of weakness? When did you become so naive?"

The old man's face turned ashen. He opened his mouth, but ultimately could not utter another word.

Silence fell over the hall once more.

However, the deathly silence lasted only a few breaths.

"Your Majesty! I have said long ago that the Holy Spirit Cult is not to be trusted, and the God of Slaughter is not to be relied upon! If only you had listened to me back then—" A military officer in the hall suddenly spoke, his voice gradually rising from a trembling tone.

"Shut up!"

Another person beside him interrupted him sharply, "That's not what you said when you were accepting benefits from the Holy Spirit Cult! You got your share of all the offerings and resources. Now you want to stay out of it?"

"You one"

"Enough!" another voice interrupted sharply, "What's the use of saying all this now? Your Majesty, you were the one who approved the cooperation with the Holy Spirit Cult. Now that things have turned out this way, we insignificant people can't just be left to fend for ourselves—"

Looking at the crowd below, shirking responsibility and behaving in a disgraceful manner, Xue Yunlong remained expressionless.

Their death is imminent, what harm is there in letting them indulge themselves a little?

"It's really ugly." Just then, a detached voice came from outside the hall.

The next instant, accompanied by a sweltering heatwave, the hall's doors and protective shield shattered into pieces, and a Mecha flew backwards into the hall, creating a large crater inside.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw three imposing figures standing at the palace gate. Their faces immediately turned pale.

"How could the strongmen, Mecha, and Soul Tool on the outer perimeter have been breached so quickly? Weren't they barely holding on just now?" An officer subconsciously looked towards the palace wall, his lips trembling.

".

Upon hearing this Ji Xuanqiu, one of the three figures at the door, coughed lightly, somewhat embarrassed.

He led the experts from the Spirit Pagoda to attack the Dou Ling Palace, which shouldn't have taken so long, but he slacked off to watch Huo Yuhao's battle with the God of Slaughter.

Huo Yuhao only quickened his pace when these two appeared beside him as the battle was about to end.

Thinking of this, he glanced at the two people beside him— Rong Tianling and Rong Lingji.

He was unfamiliar with the latter, but he certainly knew the former, the new Lord of the War God Temple.

However, he did not expect that the Lord of the War God Temple, who was supposed to arrive later, would arrive on the Dou Ling Continent ahead of time.

Rong Tianling noticed Ji Xuanqiu's gaze but didn't pay it any mind. She simply looked at the high-ranking members of the Dou Ling faces, and murmured the same sentence again.

"How pathetic. Now that you've made your choice, why put on this act? You should have expected this day when you decided to cooperate with the Holy Spirit Cult."

Xue Yunlong glanced at the subjects around him, closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes and slowly walked down the imperial steps, each step steady and powerful.

He went straight to Rong Tianling, looked at him, and felt a sense of familiarity, but he quickly suppressed it and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty is the new War God Temple, isn't that right? You are mistaken. The Holy Spirit Cult is powerful, Dou Ling is not Federation; it doesn't have that kind of strength. Facing the Holy Spirit Cult, we have no ability to resist, nor do we have any other choice."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the cowering ministers in the hall. "Either you confront the Holy Spirit Cult Holy Spirit Cult and immediately be considered an enemy, your Dou Ling will be bloody. Or you feign compliance and prolong your life. Your Majesty, which would you choose?"

The hall was completely silent.

"I am not making excuses for myself."

Xue Yunlong took a deep breath, his gaze falling on Rong Tianling, his eyes sharp. "A crime is a crime, I admit it, and I am prepared to die. But you need not humiliate us with this."

Rong Tianling narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing this father he had never met before with a complicated expression.

She was more principled than she had imagined—but she used it in the wrong place.

Thinking it over, she said in Youyou voice, "Evil Spirit Master are never born out of thin air. Why is it that the Holy Spirit Cult is thriving in Dou Ling and Star Luo Empire, but struggles to survive in the Douluo Federation?"

"As I've traveled, I've discovered that the living environment of the Dou Ling Empire bears some resemblance to the scenes described in records from Ten Thousand Years Ago. For Ten Thousand Years, has Dou Ling ever popularized the various common knowledge about Evil Martial Soul, or restricted the development of Evil Spirit Master?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Yunlong opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Restricting the development of Evil Spirit Master —they certainly didn't do that in their generation.

As for before—probably not. After all, their Dou Ling didn't have an organization like the Spirit Pagoda specifically for commoners to awaken their Martial Soul, so it was naturally difficult to find the owners of those Evil Martial Soul at their source.

Thinking of this, Xue Yunlong's face turned pale.

He had already understood what Rong Tianling meant.

"There are no born Evil Spirit Master. If Dou Ling and Star Luo Empire could teach those Evil Martial Soul masters properly, just like the Douluo Federation, you might have a powerful force today instead of being dominated by the Holy Spirit Cult," Rong Tianling said.

If the three great nations of Douluo Star had restricted the development of Evil Spirit Master and guided those possessing Evil Martial Soul to the righteous path from the root, how could the Holy Spirit Cult have grown to its current size?

Without those Evil Spirit Master as a foundation, before the emergence of the God of Slaughter, with only a few high-ranking figures like the Demon Empress, could Star Luo Empire and Dou Ling truly not restrain the Holy Spirit Cult?

The Demon Empress is very strong, but he is not strong enough to suppress an entire country by himself.

The Holy Spirit Cult is ultimately a hidden danger originating within the nation, and a case in point that it completely backfired on the country. This cannot be dismissed simply as "we couldn't defeat the Holy Spirit Cult."

Rome wasn't built in a day—why weren't you doing this all along?

"However, this is not solely your fault; the past rulers and higher-ups of Dou Ling Dou Ling bear responsibility."

Looking at Xue Yunlong, who was clenching his fists and unable to refute, Rong Tianling said in a low voice, "However, no matter how helpless you sound, it doesn't change the fact that you watched over 20 million lives in the Dou Ling Sect go to their deaths without doing anything. Don't tell me you were completely unaware of the Holy Spirit Cult's blood sacrifice plan."

Xue Yunlong took a deep breath. "I've said it before, I admit my guilt. If you wish to act on behalf of Heaven, you are welcome to do so."

The ministers held their breath; some even closed their eyes.

Rong Lingji stood to the side of the palace gate, glanced at his adopted daughter, raised an eyebrow slightly, but said nothing.

Rong Tianling remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head, his tone as cold as ice. "In terms of bloodline, you and I are ultimately inseparable."

It's not appropriate for me to take action. Let the people of Dou Ling, who were almost harmed by you, judge your crimes.

Xue Yunlong subconsciously ignored the second half of the sentence; he stared at Rong Tianling, his mind blank.

"Blood relation—you, are you Yun'er and my descendant?"

When he first saw Rong Tianling, he felt that the other person seemed somewhat familiar. Now, upon hearing the other person's words, he immediately understood where that sense of familiarity came from.

The hall erupted in chaos.

Some people who felt that Rong Tianling looked familiar also thought of one of Xue Yunlong's concubines, and their eyes widened.

"Is this Lord of the War God Temple a descendant of His Majesty and Consort Yun?"

"Then we're saved—"

Before the words were finished, a terrifying pressure suddenly enveloped the hall, silencing everyone's voices.

Rong Tianling spoke coldly, her tone like ice. "I am the Lord of the Federation's War God Temple, not your lifeline."

Her gaze swept over the ministers whose expressions had drastically changed, finally settling on Xue Yunlong. She said, word by word, "I'm not here today to claim kinship, nor to exonerate you. I simply want to use this identity to quickly appease the people of Dou Ling and end the turmoil in Dou Ling."

"If you have even a shred of conscience left, then cooperate with me and do one last thing for the people of Dou Ling."

A bitter smile appeared on Xue Yunlong's face.

"I see."