Qian Daoliu Is Here!

Spirit City.

Qian Daoliu sat cross-legged beneath the Angel God Statue when an urgent voice suddenly startled him awake.

"Great Enshrined, bad news! Bad news!"

"What is it?"

Qian Daoliu frowned at Azure Luan Douluo before him.

The Sea God Empire's moves had caught Spirit Hall completely off guard. Now everyone in Spirit Hall was discussing how to deal with this suddenly ascendant empire.

Send troops to crush it?

On what grounds? The Sea God Empire was attacking the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire, not Spirit Hall.

Spirit Hall could not justify marching under that banner.

But if they did not put the Sea God Empire down, years of planning would come to nothing.

If the kingdoms and duchies saw Spirit Hall, their leader, refusing to stand against the Sea God Empire, who would still follow its lead?

And then there was the matter of faith.

The Sea God Empire was unlike the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires. It had a god.

The Sea God and the Angel God were both deities. One had been at sea and the other on land, so their faiths had never clashed. Now that the Sea God had come ashore, the Angel God's faithful stood to be taken from her.

How could they tolerate that?

Qian Daoliu was cautious, though. Remembering how a deity had appeared on Sea God Island, he decided to commune with the Angel God first, hoping she would issue a Divine Edict.

Unfortunately, more than a month had passed without a word from the Angel God.

As Qian Daoliu watched the Sea God Empire expand step by step, anxiety gnawed at him.

"Great Enshrined, the Star Luo Empire surrendered just now."

"Impossible!"

Qian Daoliu rose to his feet and stared at Azure Luan Douluo in disbelief.

"The Star Luo Empire has hundreds of thousands of troops. Even if the Sea God Empire caught them one by one, it would take months. How could it suddenly surrender?"

"Bo Saixi fought her way into Star Luo City. No one there could withstand her. To stay alive, Dai Tianfeng had no choice but to cede territory and pay reparations," Azure Luan Douluo said gravely.

"Bo Saixi actually made a move!"

Qian Daoliu froze, staring ahead in disbelief.

"This is bad. With the Star Luo Empire surrendered, the Sea God Empire will target the Heaven Dou Empire next."

"Xiao Xue is still in the Heaven Dou Empire! If Bo Saixi goes there, Xiao Xue might not be able to hide her identity from her."

"And if the Heaven Dou Empire cedes territory and pays reparations too, it'll be so badly weakened that it won't be much use to Spirit Hall."

After their brief shock, the other Enshrined came to their senses and analyzed the situation with grim faces.

"Xiao Xue!"

Qian Daoliu's expression changed. In an instant, he activated Martial Soul Possession, and three pairs of dazzling golden wings unfurled behind him.

The vast Soul Power of a Level 99 Limit Douluo poured into his wings. He became a streak of golden light that seemed to pierce heaven and earth, shooting straight into the clouds.

That streak raced toward Heaven Dou City.

His speed defied belief. Thunderous sound rolled on and on in his wake.

Even Azure Luan Douluo, who prided himself on being the fastest under heaven, was left eating his dust.

"Bo Saixi is stronger than the Great Enshrined at sea, but this is land."

"The Great Enshrined should be able to hold her off."

"Our most urgent task now is to gather Spirit Hall's strongest fighters. We can't let the Sea God Empire keep running rampant."

In the Papal Hall.

Bibi Dong stood by the window, watching the dazzling streak race toward Heaven Dou City at the edge of the sky.

"Even Qian Daoliu has taken action. He must be getting anxious."

"The Angel God. The Sea God!"

"Hah! Who will claim victory remains to be seen. Just wait. I'll complete my inheritance soon."

Purple light shone in Bibi Dong's eyes, and a heart-stopping power surfaced behind her.

It was the Rakshasa God's inheritance.

"Your Holiness, several Enshrined have come to see you."

Bibi Dong composed herself, glanced calmly toward the door, and said evenly,

"Let them in."

Heaven Dou City.

Lin Hao and Bo Saixi arrived at the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire.

Much like Star Luo City, Heaven Dou City was under far tighter guard than when Lin Hao had last visited.

"The Heaven Dou Empire is actually stronger than the Star Luo Empire? I sensed several Titled Douluo inside. Wasn't the Heaven Dou Empire always getting pushed around by Star Luo?"

After landing and sweeping the city with her spiritual power, Bo Saixi looked at Lin Hao in surprise.

"The Heaven Dou Empire is home to the Upper Three Sects of the Seven Great Sects. All three have Titled Douluo stationed near Heaven Dou City."

"Spirit Hall also has designs on the Heaven Dou Empire, so a few Titled Douluo here aren't surprising," Lin Hao explained softly.

"The Upper Three Sects..."

Bo Saixi gazed at Heaven Dou City with a complicated expression. She thought of Tang Chen.

He belonged to one of those sects too. Could one of the presences inside be from the Clear Sky Sect?

"There may be more Titled Douluo, but it changes nothing."

"Great Enshrined, let's go!"

Bo Saixi nodded and was about to take Lin Hao into Heaven Dou City by force when she turned toward the horizon.

A streak of light was flying swiftly toward them.

"Qian Daoliu!"

Lin Hao looked at the figure about to land in surprise.

Instead of lying low in the Worship Hall, Qian Daoliu had actually come to Heaven Dou City.

Lin Hao had never met him, but his aura and Martial Soul made his identity unmistakable.

On the Douluo Continent, a Martial Soul was a more reliable form of identification than an identity card.

Qian Daoliu landed across from Lin Hao and Bo Saixi in the blink of an eye. He looked at Bo Saixi with complicated emotions.

"Qian Daoliu. It's been a long time."

Bo Saixi stepped in front of Lin Hao and went on guard. At this distance, if Qian Daoliu suddenly attacked, she could not be certain she could keep Lin Hao unharmed.

"Bo Saixi!" Qian Daoliu's gaze was conflicted. At last, he drew a deep breath and said, "The Sea God Empire has gained plenty already. Stop here."

"Spirit Hall's duty is not only to eliminate Evil Soul Masters, but also to preserve peace across the continent."

"If the Sea God Empire continues, I will stop you."

"Preserve peace across the continent?"

Bo Saixi's eyes turned cold. She stared straight at Qian Daoliu. "Was destroying the Clear Sky Sect and starting a war among Soul Masters also for the sake of peace?"

For a moment, Qian Daoliu was at a loss for words. He opened his mouth, then finally spoke with a conflicted expression.

"You don't understand!"

"I don't understand?"

"Tell me, Qian Daoliu. Is Spirit Hall preserving the continent's peace, or its own rule?"

Bo Saixi gave a cold laugh. Lin Hao knew what had happened on the continent, and so did she.

That included Spirit Hall's assault on the Clear Sky Sect.

"Tang Hao killed my son. Was I wrong to avenge him?"

Qian Daoliu snapped his head up and stared straight at Bo Saixi, his voice icy as he challenged her.

"Why would Tang Hao kill your son? They had no grudge against each other. I met that boy. He wasn't someone capable of great evil. There must have been some misunderstanding."