Halfway up the mountain, outside the Pope Palace,
Qian Daoliu stared at the illusory figure in the sky, his expression shifting between shock and uncertainty.
Beside him, Golden Crocodile Douluo, Demon Bear Douluo, Ghost Leopard Douluo, and the other Titled Douluo elders were all somewhat dumbfounded.
None of them had ever seen anything like this floating projection, and for the moment, they dared not make any rash moves.
How strange... He isn't giving off the slightest pressure, yet I feel as though he's already seen right through me...
Qian Daoliu was inwardly shaken.
The next moment, the projection of Li Xiaoyao smiled and said,
"Our Sun Moon Sect has always loved peace and excelled at winning people over with virtue!"
"Our sect has no interest in fighting over the continent. We only want to refine tools. But if anyone gets in the way of our tool refinement, we'll have no choice but to refine them into tools!"
The projected Li Xiaoyao's voice boomed across all of Spirit City.
"My God! What is that?!"
"What a huge figure! Holy crap, has the Sun Moon Sect gotten into a fight with Spirit Hall?!"
"No! My milk tea, internet cafés, and game consoles! We can vouch that the Sun Moon Sect is absolutely a sect of upstanding citizens!"
Qian Daoliu considered this, then narrowed his eyes.
"So, according to you, after your Sun Moon Sect injured our Spirit Hall's Pope so badly, you're just going to brush it aside with a few words?!"
The next moment,
Li Xiaoyao smiled from the sky.
"Angel Douluo, I took you for an honorable, forthright man. I never imagined you would be so ridiculous. Your Spirit Hall's Pope, Bibi Dong, led her people into my sect without permission, only to get herself injured and her subordinates, Chrysanthemum and Ghost, captured."
"The fact that our Sun Moon Sect didn't kill all three of them was already a courtesy to you!"
"How else should we settle this? What, do you expect me to give your Spirit Hall's Bibi Dong an award?!"
Li Xiaoyao's tone was uncompromising.
As his words fell,
Li Chen and Kong Deming flew over, with Chrysanthemum and Ghost following behind them.
Bombs had already been implanted inside both men. They kept their heads lowered, seemingly too ashamed of their defeat to look at Qian Daoliu.
"Bastard!"
Hearing those words and then seeing the captured Chrysanthemum and Ghost, Golden Crocodile Douluo immediately cursed in fury.
Behind him, Ghost Leopard, Demon Bear, Qian Jun, Jiang Mo, and the other Douluo were all outraged.
Damn it, Spirit Hall had always been the one bullying others! Since when had anyone dared bully Spirit Hall like this?!
Qian Daoliu raised a hand, holding Golden Crocodile Douluo and the others back.
He repeatedly examined the illusory figure in the sky, but still could not discern anything. He sensed no danger at all.
Yet the more this was so, the less certain Qian Daoliu became.
After all, what appeared harmless was often the most deadly.
Especially since,
Li Chen and Kong Deming, a Soul King and a level-95 Super Douluo, had dared to come straight to Spirit Hall's doorstep. Qian Daoliu did not believe they would dare do so without something backing them up.
"Great Enshrined, our Sun Moon Sect has never killed prisoners!"
"In this matter, Bibi Dong first insisted on plundering our sect's property and struck first. We only fought back!"
"We've also brought Chrysanthemum and Ghost back to you."
With that, Li Chen gave Chrysanthemum and Ghost a push. The ropes binding them came undone, and they flew back to Spirit Hall.
Qian Daoliu glanced at them. "How are you?"
"Reporting to the Great Enshrined, we're all right."
Qian Daoliu asked, "Is what they said true?"
Yue Guan froze for a moment, then gave a bitter smile.
"It is. Her Holiness failed to crack the Sun Moon Sect's technology, so she took me and Old Ghost to force our way through their gates and rob them. But... we couldn't beat them."
"Useless!"
Qian Daoliu cursed furiously.
Damn it, they couldn't even win when they went to rob someone. They had utterly disgraced him!
Elder Golden Crocodile, however, wore an odd expression.
He remembered that Qian Daoliu had once attacked Sea God Island-and hadn't won either, had he?
Back then, he had even gone around calling in help.
And he had ended up an old lovesick lapdog, nursing an unrequited crush on Bo Saixi, Sea God Island's High Priestess!
Qian Daoliu said,
"You two may withdraw. Go tend to your injuries!"
"Yes."
Yue Guan and Gui Mei exchanged a glance, then left.
The two flew back into the Elder Hall. Qian Daoliu had not even noticed that each now wore a ring on his finger.
These were Storage Rings provided by the Sun Moon Sect, complete with eavesdropping and tracking functions.
Inside were several Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones provided by the Sun Moon Sect, along with the Whale Glue Body Tempering Method, the Soul Core Cultivation Method, and even a few Soul Tools and Soul Tool Exoskeleton Armor!
"Whew! We fooled him."
Gui Mei let out a soft breath.
"Mm. Let's absorb the Soul Bones first, then use recuperation as an excuse to try condensing Soul Cores. According to the Sun Moon Sect's people, successfully condensing one can greatly improve our endurance and burst power."
Yue Guan was eager to try.
Gui Mei nodded, and the two returned to their own quarters.
According to Li Chen, as long as they successfully condensed Soul Cores, their Soul Power would rise by at least another level or two.
Then, by consuming top-grade hundred-thousand-year whale glue to improve their physiques, combined with the boost from their Soul Bones, even a conservative estimate gave them a very real chance of becoming level-98 Peak Douluo!
After that,
The two could even attempt to condense a second Soul Core. Once they succeeded, they would become Peerless Douluo!
At that thought,
Even Chrysanthemum and Ghost could not help breathing more heavily.
After all,
They had followed Bibi Dong for so many years, yet not only had they received not a single Soul Bone, their strength had also stagnated.
Now that they were following the Sun Moon Sect, they suddenly had hope of reaching Peerless Douluo.
The difference spoke for itself!
At the Pope Palace,
Qian Daoliu's expression softened slightly.
Whatever else had happened, the Sun Moon Sect had shown him courtesy by sparing Chrysanthemum and Ghost.
"Sect Master Li Xiaoyao, I am Qian Daoliu. Since that is the case, let today's matter end here. I hope we can exchange pointers someday!"
Li Xiaoyao's projection laughed heartily.
"Heh, I haven't fought anyone in many years. If you wish to challenge me, go defeat Di Tian first."
"Di Tian?"
Qian Daoliu frowned. "Who is Di Tian? Why have I never heard of this person?!"
"He isn't human. He is the true ruler of your Star Dou Great Forest, Beast God Di Tian!"
"What?!"
Qian Daoliu and the others were shaken once more.
What the hell?
Beast God? A god of Soul Beasts?
Qian Daoliu was baffled. Why had he never seen him?
Qian Daoliu said, "Are you making sport of me? Since when has the Star Dou Great Forest had a Beast God?!"
Li Xiaoyao's projection chuckled.
"Hmm, it seems you really don't know. Very well, I'll tell you a little about him."
"I visited your continent during my travels in my early years. Your Spirit Hall didn't seem to exist back then, though there were plenty of powerful Soul Beasts."
"Back then, seeking stronger opponents, I fought my way into the depths of Star Dou and encountered Di Tian. He is a Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, with nearly nine hundred thousand years of cultivation and strength surpassing that of an ordinary Peerless Douluo."
Qian Daoliu's gaze grew grave.
Li Xiaoyao's tone did not sound as though he was lying.
Beside him,
Elder Golden Crocodile and the others were stunned speechless.
"A nine-hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast?! What kind of joke is that?!"
Golden Crocodile Douluo really wanted to curse this fellow for spouting such bullshit!
It wasn't as though they had never seen a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast.
Hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts were already exceedingly rare and difficult to hunt.
And now he was talking about a nine-hundred-thousand-year one!
What the hell kind of existence was that?
Qian Daoliu asked, "Then, sir, you defeated that Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King?"
"Heh, merely a lucky victory!"
Li Xiaoyao yawned. "I've fought more opponents over the years than I can count, including million-year Soul Beasts in the sea."
"So, Qian Daoliu, if you want to challenge me, go defeat Di Tian first!"
"All right. As long as your Spirit Hall and my Sun Moon Sect keep to our own waters and you don't interfere with our tool-refining business, our Sun Moon Sect has no intention of involving itself in your continent's internal affairs."
With that, Li Xiaoyao's illusory figure slowly dissipated.
Qian Daoliu narrowed his eyes, his gaze flickering as a thoughtful look crossed his aged face.
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