TOP9: Qian Daoliu

Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.

On the throne, Xue Ye's face was grim.

"Spirit Hall. What a Spirit Hall."

The Heaven Dou Empire had no Titled Douluo, but it had a million iron cavalrymen and a vast army of Soul Masters. Thus, Xue Ye had not initially cared much about the Human Powerhouse Rankings the Sky Screen was about to reveal.

The strongest humans were nothing more than Titled Douluo.

But beneath the iron hooves of Heaven Dou's vast army, how long could a Titled Douluo possibly endure?

Besides, Titled Douluo were ultimately few in number. There were only a dozen or so across the entire continent, and once scattered throughout the land, even fewer remained in any one place.

Yet the first human powerhouse exposed by the Sky Screen was actually Spirit Hall's Pope, Bibi Dong—a possessor of Twin Martial Souls, a Level 99 Peerless Douluo, and the inheritor of the Rakshasa God.

Such a terrifying Bibi Dong could only rank at the very bottom of the Human Powerhouse Rankings.

What did that mean?

It meant there were still nine unknown powerhouses whose strength surpassed Bibi Dong's.

The Heaven Dou Empire knew nothing of these nine terrifying existences—not even a scrap of information.

As emperor, Xue Ye felt frustrated and enraged. Since when had his vast empire become so inadequate?

Just as Snow Empress began questioning her life, the civil and military officials below erupted into an uproar, their voices filled with shock, fear, unease, and panic.

"Good heavens! Who would have thought Bibi Dong possessed such terrifying strength? Not only is she a Level 99 Peerless Douluo, she is also the Rakshasa God's inheritor."

"This Bibi Dong is simply terrifying! Yet who could have imagined that she could only rank tenth on the Human Powerhouse Rankings? Just how powerful must the other nine be?"

"We're finished! Our Heaven Dou Empire does not even have a single Titled Douluo. If Spirit Hall chooses to make a move, we would struggle to withstand Bibi Dong alone, much less those other hidden peak powerhouses!"

"Exactly! In the past, Heaven Dou could still contend with Titled Douluo through the empire's million iron cavalrymen. But against an existence as terrifying as Bibi Dong, do the empire's countless troops truly still mean anything?"

Listening to the officials' discussion, Xue Ye furrowed his brow. Clearly, the noise had left him deeply irritated.

"Silence!"

At that moment, Ge Long suddenly shouted in a low voice, instantly suppressing the clamor in the hall.

"Marshal Ge Long, what do you think of this matter?"

As if he had spotted a savior, Xue Ye asked anxiously.

The Sky Screen was far too mysterious, leaving him nowhere to begin.

But Bibi Dong was a genuine threat. She commanded all of Spirit Hall, was herself a Level 99 Peerless Douluo, and was the Rakshasa God's inheritor. This was simply not something the Heaven Dou Empire could handle.

Xue Ye asked himself: if they faced Bibi Dong alone, how many soldiers would the empire have to sacrifice to bring her down?

Tens of thousands?

Hundreds of thousands?

Or millions?

They would have to pay such an enormous price merely to deal with one Bibi Dong. Then what about contending with the entire Spirit Hall?

How many soldiers would have to die to bridge the gap in strength between the Heaven Dou Empire and Spirit Hall?

Just thinking about it made Xue Ye shudder as a chill shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

They could not win. They truly could not win. Bibi Dong alone could grind the entire Heaven Dou Empire to death.

"Your Majesty, I believe this is a good thing!"

The moment Ge Long said that, everyone was stunned.

The civil and military officials froze. Every discussion ceased abruptly, and baffled, suspicious, even mocking gazes fell upon Ge Long in unison.

Brother, are you serious?

You are merely a Soul Douluo, yet you dare spout such nonsense in front of Bibi Dong?

Although Bibi Dong could only rank tenth, she was not someone just any random nobody could challenge.

Even if you, Ge Long, could rely on a million iron cavalrymen to contend with Bibi Dong, do not forget that Spirit Hall still had many Titled Douluo...

And was Bibi Dong, the Pope, truly Spirit Hall's strongest person?

No one dared to think about these questions, yet they could not help thinking about them.

"Hmm?"

"Marshal Ge Long, what do you mean by that?"

Xue Ye looked utterly confused.

Only Ge Long would dare say such a thing. Had it been any other civil or military official, Xue Ye would have had him dragged out and beheaded long ago.

"Your Majesty, I admit that Bibi Dong is indeed powerful. She stands nearly at the pinnacle of humanity. Even if I led a million iron cavalrymen, I would have no confidence in taking her down..."

"But the issue is that Bibi Dong can only rank tenth on the Human Powerhouse Rankings. That means there are still nine powerhouses who stand above her."

"Once the Sky Screen reveals the remaining powerhouses, we can take the initiative to send people to seek them out and attempt to recruit or befriend these peak experts."

Ge Long's gaze was resolute as he continued in a deep voice, "As long as we can recruit the powerhouses on the rankings, the empire's strength will soar. With that power, we will be able to check Spirit Hall."

"Furthermore, those powerhouses are far stronger than Bibi Dong. They may not be willing to see Spirit Hall dominate the entire continent. As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is a potential ally. This is also an opportunity for the empire to rise."

In an instant, the great hall fell silent, and many civil and military officials sank into thought.

That was right!

Even that Old Poison, Dugu Bo, could become a guest elder of the empire. Why could those on the rankings not do the same?

Xue Ye nodded. "Ge Long, then I will leave this matter to you!"

Snow Empress turned her gaze toward "Xue Qinghe" and ordered, "Qinghe, personally make a trip to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and invite Sect Master Ning to the palace. I have important matters to discuss with him..."

Recruiting the powerhouses on the Sky Screen's rankings would take time, but the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's combat strength was readily available. Naturally, Xue Ye would not let it go to waste.

Facing a formidable enemy like Bibi Dong, even if Chen Xin and Gu Rong were merely roadside trash, Emperor Xue Ye still chose to drag Ning Fengzhi into the mess.

If the Heaven Dou Empire could not have an easy time, then neither could the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"Yes! This son obeys Your Majesty's decree!"

"Xue Qinghe" bowed, turned, and left. A faint, imperceptible trace of mockery flashed through his eyes, while his face remained gentle and composed.

After "Xue Qinghe" departed, the Sky Screen changed once more.

[Ranking the ten strongest humans on Douluo Star.]

[TOP9: Qian Daoliu.]

Everyone: "Hmm?"

"Qian Daoliu?"

"Who is this guy?"

"Never heard of him?"

The instant Qian Daoliu was revealed, Soul Masters of the younger generation throughout the continent looked at one another in bewilderment. Not a single one recognized him.

"So it's that butcher, Qian Daoliu..."

The younger generation of Soul Masters did not know him, but that did not mean the older generation did not recognize Qian Daoliu.

When they had first awakened their Martial Souls, Qian Daoliu had been Spirit Hall's Pope.

Spirit Hall's Pope from two generations ago.

The Angel Douluo, invincible in the skies.

One of the two great mountains of the Soul Master world.

Butcher...

Executioner...

These were all illustrious titles Qian Daoliu had carved out with his sword alone.