A Terrified Xue Ye, a Time of Calm!

"A misunderstanding?"

Qian Daoliu gave a cold laugh. "Tang Hao colluded with a Shapeshifting Soul Beast, married her, and even had a child with her. Anyone who betrays humanity like that deserves death."

"My son Xunji went to hunt a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. What was wrong with that?"

"Bo Saixi, Tang Chen has so blinded you that you've lost even your most basic judgment. You're no longer the high priestess of Sea God Island I once knew."

Bo Saixi fell silent. Tang Hao had been with a Shapeshifting Soul Beast and even had a Human-Beast Hybrid child.

For a moment, she did not know what to make of it.

Granted, because of Poseidon, Sea God Island got along fairly well with some Sea Soul Beasts.

But only fairly well.

Those who needed to hunt Soul Beasts still hunted them. They could not give up growing stronger because of that relationship.

If someone told her that a person from Sea God Island had fallen in love with a Soul Beast and had a child with one,

her first reaction would probably be to expel that person from Sea God Island.

"Nothing to say now, have you?"

Seeing that Bo Saixi could not refute him, Qian Daoliu gave a cold snort.

"I won't leave unless the Heaven Dou Empire agrees to my terms. Unless you stop me."

Bo Saixi did not want to discuss the matter any further. After making her position clear, she turned and walked toward Heaven Dou City.

"As long as I'm here, you can forget about getting your way."

Boom!

Pillars of golden and blue light shot into the sky, shaking all of Heaven Dou City.

Lin Hao had long since retreated far away. A battle between Limit Douluo was not something he could take part in yet.

The moment Qian Daoliu appeared, he knew things would not go as smoothly with the Heaven Dou Empire as they had with the Star Luo Empire.

Still, the outcome would probably be much the same. Qian Daoliu belonged to Spirit Hall, after all, not the Heaven Dou Empire.

"Angel Descent!"

At the sight of the enormous Angel Martial Soul behind Qian Daoliu, a trace of nostalgia crossed Bo Saixi's face.

Then she brought her hands together before her face, and a red Trident Imprint emerged on her forehead.

An aura of incomparable majesty radiated from Bo Saixi. Amid the vast blue glow, a gigantic golden apparition slowly appeared behind her.

Its aura matched the angel's. It was Poseidon, the Sea God, holding a trident, his features impossible to make out.

Dark red light gathered between her palms, then burst forth like a blade of light slashing toward Qian Daoliu.

Qian Daoliu's gaze remained calm. Refusing to yield, he summoned the Angel God Sword and swung it fiercely.

A golden sword beam hundreds of meters long, curved like a crescent moon, hurtled toward Bo Saixi, sweeping all before it like rotten wood.

Bang!

The vast red and golden lights collided in the sky. Terrifying waves of energy dyed the heavens above Heaven Dou City red and gold.

Countless people looked up in shock at a sky that seemed to have split open.

"An unrivaled powerhouse!"

"That power is far beyond this old man. Sword Guy, can you tell what level they're at?"

"...Qian Daoliu! Spirit Hall's Great Enshrined, a Level 99 Limit Douluo!"

"Qian Daoliu, the Previous-Previous Pope?! He's still alive?!"

Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, and the hidden Snake Lance and Porcupinefish Douluo watched the terrifying ripples of energy high above with their hearts pounding.

Were they even the same kind of beings?

How could human strength reach such heights?

"Who's fighting him?"

"In this age, Bo Saixi, the Sea God Douluo, is probably the only one who can stand on the same stage as Qian Daoliu."

"Bo Saixi is here, and so is Qian Daoliu. What will become of the Heaven Dou Empire?"

The two fell silent. Before seeing a Limit Douluo in action, they had lacked certainty, but they had held some hope that, with Ning Fengzhi's support, they could at least hold their own for a while.

After witnessing the terrifying shockwaves from that clash, even that sliver of confidence was shattered.

"Sect Master, His Majesty requests your presence!"

"He has also asked both elders to come."

While Ning Fengzhi and the others stood in silence, Xue Ye was already so frightened he could not sit still. He had immediately sent someone to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to summon them.

"...Let's go. This battle is already over. There's no point in watching any longer."

Ning Fengzhi's expression shifted several times before he finally spoke, his face unreadable.

"Angel Descent!"

"Sea God's Descent!"

A colossal trident and the Angel God Sword collided violently a thousand meters in the air, each wielded by a giant figure.

In an instant, heaven and earth lost their color, and the sun and moon their light. The violent waves of energy made many onlookers squeeze their eyes shut and turn their heads away.

High in the sky, great masses of seawater evaporated. Still more turned into a rain of energy that scattered over Heaven Dou City.

Lin Hao and the other spectators could clearly feel the air grow much more humid.

When they opened their eyes again, blue and golden light filled the sky, neither side giving ground.

"They won't settle this anytime soon. It's a shame the fight never reached Heaven Dou City, but the final result will be the same."

Lin Hao looked toward Heaven Dou City, his tone difficult to read.

Several figures were already streaking across the sky above the city, racing toward him.

At their head was a grim-faced Xue Qinghe. Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong flew beside him, along with several experts from the Heaven Dou Empire.

As soon as they landed beside Lin Hao, before anyone else could speak, he cut straight to the point.

"Spare me the nonsense. Spirit Hall can't protect you forever, unless you submit to it."

"If you've lost, act like it. The Star Luo Empire next door did."

"Cede territory and pay reparations!"

Xue Qinghe and the others stared at Lin Hao in silence. They had not expected him to be so direct.

They exchanged glances. Finally, Xue Qinghe spoke gravely. "Very well. The Heaven Dou Empire agrees..."

Two years later.

Two years had passed since the war between the three great empires swept across the continent.

With Spirit Hall's mediation, the Heaven Dou and Star Luo empires had ceded vast tracts of land. The Sea God Empire had put down roots on the continent.

Over those two years, the Sea God Empire had quickly replaced the old systems.

Lin Hao wanted nothing like the enfeoffment practiced by Heaven Dou and Star Luo. He wanted absolute central authority.

Within the Sea God Empire, there would be no Country Within a Country. Nor would Spirit Hall be needed to awaken the people's Martial Souls. The empire would take responsibility for its own citizens.

From then on, the Sea God Hall took over Spirit Hall's work in the villages.

The power to awaken Martial Souls and distribute subsidies passed into the hands of the Sea God Empire.

Naturally, this drew Spirit Hall's displeasure. Qian Daoliu might not care whether others lived or died, but he could not ignore the faith devoted to the Angel God.

The Worship Hall thus returned to the continent's attention and began an open and covert struggle with the Sea God Empire's Seven Sacred Pillar Douluo.

On the surface, the continent entered a time of calm. But everyone knew that beneath it, waves were already surging. It was a powder keg that could explode at any moment.