The first target, Yu Yuanzhen!

The two trembled all over with fright, their voices quavering as they spoke.

"Yes! Yes!"

Then the two gave a rough account of the distribution of power across the entire Douluo Continent.

After listening, the others understood.

Lingxiao counted on her fingers.

"Yu Xiaogang, a teacher at Shrek Academy; Yu Yuanzhen, the leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan; Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong, members of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"Tang Xiao and Tang Hao belong to the Clear Sky Sect, and Bibi Dong is the Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall."

"Is that right?"

Xue Ye nodded repeatedly.

"Everything you said is correct, great Deity! Not a single mistake!"

He raised his eyes to steal a look at their expressions, his thoughts racing.

Here's our chance!

"If there's anything you need our two empires for, please command us as you wish!"

The Star Luo Emperor caught on as well and hurriedly chimed in.

"We're willing to pledge our entire nations' allegiance to the Holy Spirit Continent and become a subordinate continent!"

Their eagerness to cling to powerful backers was plain to see.

After all, if they really could attach themselves to the Holy Spirit Continent...

Even if the other side casually rewarded them with a little something-a few Immortal Herbs, half a secret manual, a Soul Tool...

To the Douluo Continent, any of those would be a heaven-drenching blessing!

However.

Soronson merely scoffed.

"Give me a map."

"Then you can get lost."

He glanced at the two emperors still kneeling on the ground, his single eye indifferent.

"As for pledging allegiance to the Holy Spirit Continent?"

"Where did you get the nerve?"

"We're not a garbage dump. We don't take trash."

The two froze, then began knocking their heads against the ground even louder.

"Yes, yes, yes! We're trash! We're not worthy of pledging allegiance to you!!"

"Having you accept our map is already a blessing we spent eight lifetimes earning!!"

"You're magnanimous, my lord! My lord, my lord, here's the map!"

Then, trembling, Xue Ye presented a map with both hands.

Lingxiao stepped forward, took the map, and handed it to Soronson.

Soronson glanced at it and casually waved his hand.

Boom!

The map, drawn by the imperial court and marked with the distribution of powers across the entire continent, turned into a ball of flame and burned to nothing.

"You little bastards."

"I'm coming for you. You'd better hide well!"

As those chilling words fell, several figures tore through space, turned, and departed.

The rift closed, and the sky returned to normal.

Only the army of hundreds of thousands remained prostrate where they were, not daring to rise for a long time.

After they left.

The Star Luo Emperor and Xue Ye both breathed sighs of relief.

Thud, thud!

Both collapsed to the ground, the backs of their clothes long since soaked through with cold sweat.

After taking a long while to recover, the two exchanged a glance, each seeing a trace of relief in the other's eyes.

They had... gotten what they wanted, in a way.

Though they hadn't managed to attach themselves to the Holy Spirit Continent, at least they hadn't truly offended them.

Judging by their manner, they had no intention of cutting the grass and pulling out the roots, either.

Preserving their lives and fortunes intact was already an enormous stroke of luck.

After all, that had been their original purpose in coming.

They had brought an army of hundreds of thousands to put on the spectacle of an entire nation welcoming them!

The purpose had been to let the other side see their sincerity and their reverence.

They had shown all the deference they could.

Their lives had been spared, too.

That was enough...

As for anything else?

They absolutely dared not entertain such extravagant hopes!

Meanwhile, among those watching this scene on the Heavenly Screen in the Holy Spirit Continent section, mockery broke out.

[Meng Jiu: Hahahaha! The rulers of two great empires were scared that badly?]

[Old Wang: Tsk, tsk. They mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops, and I thought we were in for a fight to the death. Turns out they were lining up to kneel and beg for mercy!]

[Xiao Tian: This really goes well with a meal! Anyway, who do you think the lords will pick to die first?]

[Zhou Yueban: Who knows? Bibi Dong? Chen Xin? Gu Rong? Or Yu Xiaogang, the one who made the biggest fuss?]

[Wei Lai: Who cares who dies first? The lords have the list anyway. Not one of them can escape. Pull up a stool and wait for the winning draw!]

[Zhou Yueban: Great! When some of them are being tortured, we can even offer suggestions through the Heavenly Screen! Hahahaha! Especially Yu Xiaogang!]

Somewhere, on a wilderness trail.

Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong were galloping on two swift horses.

Yu Xiaogang watched the Heavenly Screen and saw everything that had just happened.

The two empires kneeling and begging for mercy, Soronson's chilling killing intent, and the others' overbearing arrogance.

His entire body was soaked in cold sweat, and he couldn't stop trembling.

They were coming!

They were coming!!

Yu Xiaogang swallowed.

With every step they drew closer, he felt himself one step closer to death.

This felt fucking awful!

Liu Erlong looked back at her distraught husband and couldn't help speaking.

"Where are we going to run?"

Yu Xiaogang snapped out of it and spoke through gritted teeth.

"The farther, the better!"

"The Douluo Continent is so big that finding one person is incredibly difficult. Even if they're gods, maybe they'll leave if they can't find us?!"

"But where could we find a place like that?"

A ruthless glint flashed through Yu Xiaogang's eyes.

"The Far North!!!"

And his reason for bringing Liu Erlong along was, plainly put, very simple.

He needed a bodyguard.

After all, the Far North was too chaotic, too dangerous. If he went alone, he was guaranteed to die...

At that thought, he turned and glared fiercely at the Heavenly Screen, summoning his courage to shout.

"Come on! Come find me!"

"Find me, and my life is yours!!"

After shouting, he spurred his horse to run even faster.

And Yu Xiaogang wasn't the only one who had seen the Heavenly Screen.

The same was true of all the major sects and powers.

No matter how untroubled and composed they had once been, and no matter whether they had already come to terms with it and steeled themselves with the resolve that "death is the worst that can happen."

When they saw the Jingming arrive at the Douluo Continent, and watched those figures take a map and tear through the void, appearing and vanishing like ghosts, with no knowing whom they would strike first...

They couldn't stop their hearts from trembling with fear.

No one could remain truly untroubled in the face of death.

Especially when they might be tortured to death.

Especially with the Sea God's fate still so vivid before their eyes!

His tongue severed, both hands crippled...

They wouldn't fare much better!

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

Everyone in the clan had already left.

The disciples had scattered, and the halls stood empty. Only Yu Yuanzhen and a few elders remained in the deserted main hall.

The elders wanted to leave, too.

But Yu Yuanzhen wouldn't let them.

The reason was simple!

He resented being left here alone to wait for death!

Even in death, he wanted company!

Besides...

He might not necessarily die.

If he offered compensation and apologized with a little more sincerity, perhaps there would still be a way out?

Yu Yuanzhen sat in the seat of honor, comforting himself while steadying his breathing!

Yes, exactly. That was it.

A sincere attitude... sincere...

As long as he was sincere, there would still be a way out!

Perhaps if he played the clown and humored them a little, they might just go back?

Just then!

A voice drifted in from all around.

"Not bad."

"You cleaned out your own clan so thoroughly?"

"It seems we're not welcome here!"