Strategic retreat

Three days later, news of Spirit Hall's new policy on the Soul Hunting Forest set the entire continent boiling. Just as Qian Chongling had anticipated, the Two Great Empires took the lead, with support from the Upper Three Sects, and dispatched eight Titled Douluo to Spirit Hall to demand an explanation from its pope, Qian Bufan.

Among them, Dai Changkong, who held the Star Luo Empire's hereditary title of White Tiger Douluo, and Yu Batian, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Thunder Douluo, were both level 96 Super Douluo.

Along with two level 92 Titled Douluo elders from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, three level 93 Titled Douluo from the Clear Sky Sect, and the Heaven Dou Empire's level 94 Swan Douluo, Xue Wuya, this formidable lineup gave them boundless confidence.

Half a month later, in the Papal Palace's library.

Qian Chongling reclined leisurely in a wicker chair, reading a book and basking in the sunlight. He looked utterly at ease, without the slightest urgency of someone about to have people arrive at his door to force his hand.

Suddenly, a pitch-black figure appeared behind him and dropped to one knee. "My lord, the people from Star Luo, Heaven Dou, and the Upper Three Sects will arrive outside Spirit City in about half an hour."

"Ah, Shadow Slasher. I understand. Go attend to your duties," Qian Chongling said calmly.

"As you command!" With those words, Shadow Slasher's figure gradually vanished, as though he had never appeared.

After Shadow Slasher left, Qian Chongling slowly rose. First, he returned his book to its place and tidied the somewhat disordered library. Only then did he amble outside Spirit City, his indifferent eyes fixed on the horizon ahead.

"They're here."

Ten minutes later, Qian Chongling watched impassively as several black dots appeared on the distant horizon. In just a few steps, as though shrinking the earth beneath their feet to mere inches, they appeared before him in an instant and met his gaze.

"Who are you? Where is Qian Bufan?" asked Yu Batian, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's leader at the head of the group. He frowned at the unmistakable aura of decay emanating from Qian Chongling's body.

"There's no need for him. I can make the decisions," Qian Chongling replied without even raising his head.

"Your Spirit Hall has some nerve! The Soul Hunting Forest is the common property of all Soul Masters under heaven, yet you openly claim it for yourselves? What justification do you have?"

At that moment, White Tiger Douluo Dai Changkong suddenly stepped forward and bellowed at Qian Chongling.

"Heh!"

Qian Chongling chuckled. Just as he had expected, these so-called sects would never dare act without a pretext. Unless he forced their hand, they would keep hiding like rats in the gutters.

"What are you laughing at?"

Yu Batian spoke up. He felt that Qian Chongling's behavior was strange, different from what he had imagined. From his expression, it seemed as though he had anticipated this scene long ago.

But so what? Eight Titled Douluo stood here. What waves could Qian Chongling possibly stir up alone?

"Nothing. I merely find this a little boring," Qian Chongling said calmly.

"Hmph! Let's see where you get the confidence to face eight Titled Douluo!"

As those words fell, terrifying power surged through all eight of them, every ripple proclaiming their strength.

"Dai Changkong, White Tiger Douluo of the Star Luo Empire, level 96 Super Douluo!"

"Yu Batian, Thunder Douluo and patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, level 96 Super Douluo!"

"Xue Wuya, Swan Douluo of the Heaven Dou Empire, level 94 Titled Douluo!"

"Attack together. Don't say I never gave you a chance!" Qian Chongling said.

Yu Batian heard Qian Chongling's words. Was he truly so arrogant that he would give them the chance to attack together?

Did he not know that those present possessed the Clear Sky Hammer, the Douluo Continent's foremost tool martial soul, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, its foremost beast martial soul? Apart from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the strongest support-type martial soul, whose limitations prevented its wielders from becoming Titled Douluo, practically all the continent's finest martial souls were here.

But since he wanted to die, they would grant his wish!

Rumble!

Yu Batian and Dai Changkong struck first. Amid a tiger's roar and a dragon's cry, an enormous lightning dragon and a white tiger materialized in the air, making the surrounding space tremble.

Xue Wuya's snow swan danced high overhead, shaking off snow-white flight feathers that drifted down like floating catkins. The sight was beautiful, yet concealed deadly intent.

The Clear Sky Hammer martial souls shone with nine-colored radiance and rapidly expanded in the sky, looming like mountains until they shrouded the entire heavens.

Qian Chongling, by contrast, watched everything unfolding overhead with complete indifference from beginning to end, as still as an ancient well, as though he did not consider them worth his notice.

Just as those terrifying energy fluctuations were about to strike Qian Chongling, a whip crackling with blue lightning appeared, along with a sixteen-winged chaos angel martial soul bearing nine soul rings-four black and five red.

Sixteen-winged chaos angel martial soul: a martial soul mutated from the six-winged angel, possessing four ultimate attributes-ultimate darkness, ultimate light, ultimate fire, and ultimate ice.

He used no soul skills. Only a sky full of whip afterimages lashed out, seeming to traverse space. Though unleashed later, they struck first, landing on all eight Titled Douluo.

Every soul skill was extinguished beneath the whip's afterimages!

In that instant, the swan's wings broke, the white tiger's arm was severed, and the Clear Sky Hammers shattered.

Outside Spirit City, only several pools of bloody pulp remained, along with two grievously wounded Titled Douluo: White Tiger Douluo and Swan Douluo.

Qian Chongling "involuntarily" coughed up a mouthful of dark-red blood and regarded White Tiger Douluo and Swan Douluo coldly. "Do you two know why I spared you?"

White Tiger Douluo and Swan Douluo exchanged a glance, then both shook their heads. They truly did not know why Qian Chongling had spared them.

Qian Chongling said calmly, "Life is difficult for the continent's low-ranking Soul Masters. I would like your countries to contribute and provide them with some benefits, such as a stipend they can collect every month."

"Discuss the details yourselves. Otherwise, this dying man may pay a visit to your Heaven Dou Imperial City and Star Luo Imperial City." With that, Qian Chongling turned and leisurely walked away.

White Tiger Douluo and Swan Douluo failed to understand at first. Only after a long while did it dawn on them: he was making them pay to buy their own lives!

The Clear Sky Sect.

Tang Yu, the current sect master, was beside himself with fury. He smashed things throughout the hall, cursing, "How dare Spirit Hall do this? How dare they kill several Titled Douluo of our Clear Sky Sect?"

"Pass down my order as sect master! Assemble every Titled Douluo in the Clear Sky Sect. Even if we die, we'll tear a chunk of flesh from Spirit Hall!"

Just then, the second elder, who had been standing behind Tang Yu and watching him vent his anger, suddenly remarked, "If I remember correctly, Qian Chongling is the Blood Pope from back then!"

Tang Yu said, "Blood Pope? Even a Black Pope wouldn't make any difference! I'm attacking Spirit Hall, and that's final!"

The second elder said, "Four hundred years ago, that man beat Yu Aotian of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and Tang Jie, our Clear Sky Sect's sect master at the time, to death!"

"After Yu Aotian died in his fully dragon-transformed state, he even extracted his spine and refined it into a Thunder Dragon Whip! That man was the Blood Pope, Qian Chongling!"

The second elder spoke leisurely. His voice was calm, but the content was enough to make one's hair stand on end.

Tang Yu said, "(=ω), that old bastard is still alive?"

The second elder said, "He's almost dead. Someone witnessed the earlier battle. That old fellow coughed up blood with every lash of his whip, and the blood was dark red."

Tang Yu said, "Where was I just now?"

The second elder said, "Going to Spirit Hall for revenge!"

Tang Yu said, "As members of the younger generation, we must respect the old and cherish the young. Revenge can wait until another day!"

Naturally, there was a reason Tang Yu backed down so quickly. Tang Jie and Yu Aotian had both been level 98 Douluo, while he was only level 97. Even setting aside whether he could win, he would likely end up half-crippled if he did. Throwing his life away alongside an old fellow who was already at death's door? Tang Yu was no fool.