Flender glanced at Liu Erlong.
Liu Erlong's eyes reddened, but she did not press him further.
Zhao Wuji's death could not simply be left at that.
She took a step back.
Crimson Soul Power rose from within her.
Her Fire Dragon Martial Soul manifested with it.
"Let's avenge Old Zhao first."
"I'll ask you about the rest afterward."
Yu Xiaogang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as today's incident ended, he would have a way to explain things again.
As for Qian Daoliu.
Once the Golden Sacred Dragon appeared, he would never have another chance to speak.
Yu Xiaogang raised both hands.
"Great Sun Golden Turn!"
Brilliant golden light rose from his palms.
Luo Sanpao appeared in the center of the three.
Its plump body landed on the ground, its two ears standing upright.
Flender and Liu Erlong moved simultaneously.
The three formed a triangular formation once more.
Flender stood at the top.
Liu Erlong and Yu Xiaogang stood on either side.
Their Soul Power rapidly linked together.
"Golden Iron Triangle!"
"Martial Soul Fusion Skill!"
Two Yellow Soul Rings rose beneath Yu Xiaogang's feet.
Flender's and Liu Erlong's Soul Rings also appeared in succession.
Soul Ring after Soul Ring left their bodies, spinning rapidly around Luo Sanpao.
A pillar of golden light shot into the sky from the center of the street.
The surrounding buildings shook continuously under the impact of the Soul Power.
The pedestrians on both sides of the street hurried to retreat into the distance.
Tang San stood beside the carriage.
Seeing the Golden Iron Triangle successfully complete their fusion, his tense expression eased slightly.
Dai Mubai looked up at the golden pillar of light.
"Is this the Golden Sacred Dragon Grandmaster mentioned?"
Tang San nodded lightly.
"Teacher's, Dean Flender's, and Senior Liu Erlong's Martial Souls are compatible with one another."
"When the three join forces, Luo Sanpao can temporarily evolve into the Golden Sacred Dragon."
"The Golden Sacred Dragon possesses the purest dragon bloodline."
"Even against a Titled Douluo, it has the strength to put up a fight."
Within the golden pillar of light.
Luo Sanpao's body rapidly expanded.
Its originally short limbs kept lengthening.
Large golden scales covered its entire body.
Two dragon horns grew from the top of its head.
An enormous pair of dragon wings also spread from its back.
In just a few breaths.
The plump Luo Sanpao had vanished completely.
In its place was a giant golden dragon over twenty meters long.
The Golden Sacred Dragon raised its head.
A ring of golden ripples spread outward.
The street's surface cracked apart in succession.
An immense draconic pressure enveloped the entire Hotel.
Yu Xiaogang stood in the center of the golden triangular formation.
Confidence reappeared on his face.
"It's too late to surrender now."
"The Golden Sacred Dragon possesses the bloodline of a divine giant dragon."
"Its power is enough to rival a Titled Douluo."
"Even if your cultivation isn't weak, you absolutely cannot withstand it head-on."
Qian Daoliu stood before the Hotel entrance.
His white hair drifted gently in the golden waves of air.
From beginning to end, he had not released his Martial Soul.
Even the Golden Sacred Dragon looming above the street did not change his expression.
Liu Erlong raised both hands.
Crimson Soul Power poured continuously into the fusion formation.
Flender spread his wings.
All the flight power of his Cat Owl Martial Soul gathered within the Golden Sacred Dragon.
Yu Xiaogang raised his hand and pointed at Qian Daoliu.
"Golden Sacred Dragon!"
"Attack!"
The Golden Sacred Dragon spread its wings.
Boom!
Its enormous body soared into the sky.
Golden Soul Power gathered around it, forming a dragon-shaped silhouette of light that covered the street.
The next moment.
The Golden Sacred Dragon turned and dove from high above.
Both dragon claws reached forward.
Overwhelming power forced aside all the air along its path.
The stone steps outside the Hotel shattered on the spot.
The windows on both sides of the street also broke one after another.
Qian Daoliu still did not retreat.
Seeing this, the confidence in Yu Xiaogang's eyes grew even stronger.
"He still won't dodge."
"Even a Titled Douluo would pay a price for taking a blow from the Golden Sacred Dragon head-on."
The Golden Sacred Dragon drew ever closer.
One hundred feet.
Fifty feet.
Thirty feet.
The enormous dragon claws were already above Qian Daoliu's head.
The divine draconic pressure swept his golden robes backward.
Qian Daoliu finally raised his right hand.
He did not draw the Angel Space-Rending Sword.
Nor did he summon his Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul.
Qian Daoliu merely extended one finger.
He curled it and flicked.
A streak of golden holy light shot from his fingertip.
The holy light was only about a foot long.
Compared to the Golden Sacred Dragon's enormous body, it looked especially tiny.
The next instant.
The golden holy light struck the Golden Sacred Dragon between the brows.
Bang!
The Golden Sacred Dragon's body abruptly stopped.
Cracks appeared simultaneously in the golden scales covering its entire body.
Its two outstretched dragon claws shattered first.
Its wings, tail, and enormous body followed.
Crack after crack rapidly spread across the Golden Sacred Dragon's entire body.
Golden light shone through the cracks.
Boom!
The Golden Sacred Dragon exploded on the spot.
The enormous Martial Soul turned into countless golden fragments, dissipating above the street.
The Trinity Fusion Formation shattered with it.
Yu Xiaogang, Flender, and Liu Erlong were all sent flying backward.
Flender slammed into the Hotel's outer wall.
Liu Erlong landed in the middle of the street and rolled several times.
Yu Xiaogang's body smashed through a carriage before finally falling amid the wood splinters scattered across the ground.
Pfft!
All three spat out blood simultaneously.
Yu Xiaogang lay sprawled on the shattered carriage boards.
His two Soul Rings had already become incredibly dim.
Luo Sanpao reappeared beside him.
Its body curled into a ball, without even the strength to stand.
Flender raised his head.
As he looked at Qian Daoliu, who still stood before the Hotel entrance, not a trace of fighting spirit remained on his face.
"One finger..."
"He only used one finger..."
Liu Erlong pressed a hand to her chest.
Their Martial Soul Fusion Skill had been crushed head-on, and the backlash had already injured her meridians.
She paid no attention to her injuries.
Her reddened eyes only watched the golden fragments that had yet to fully dissipate in the air.
The Golden Sacred Dragon.
A Martial Soul Fusion Skill powerful enough to rival a Titled Douluo.
Yet it could not even withstand a streak of holy light Qian Daoliu had casually flicked out.
Yu Xiaogang struggled to prop himself up.
As he looked at Qian Daoliu, all color drained from his face.
"Impossible..."
"The Golden Sacred Dragon possesses the purest dragon bloodline."
"It clearly could contend with a Titled Douluo."
"How could it shatter in a single blow..."
No one answered him.
Only the continually dissipating motes of golden light remained in the street.
Qian Daoliu slowly lowered his right hand.
From beginning to end, his feet had not moved even a fraction.
The golden motes from the Golden Sacred Dragon's explosion gradually dispersed.
Shattered paving stones littered the street.
Yu Xiaogang lay beside the broken carriage, both hands braced against the ground, his chest heaving continuously.
Luo Sanpao curled up at his side.
Its once-plump body had now become illusory, and even its two ears drooped.
The Soul Power within Yu Xiaogang was in complete turmoil.
His Martial Soul Fusion Skill had been forcibly crushed, and the backlash had already spread throughout his meridians.
He raised his head to look at Qian Daoliu.
The White-Haired Man stood before the Hotel entrance, his golden robes untouched by even a speck of dust.
From beginning to end, Qian Daoliu had not moved a single step.
With just one finger.
He had shattered the Golden Sacred Dragon, which was powerful enough to contend with a Titled Douluo.
Flender pushed himself up against the wall.
His face was pale, and traces of blood still lingered at the corner of his mouth.
Liu Erlong raised a hand to wipe the blood from her lips, her gaze settling on Yu Xiaogang.
The three of them had fought together for years.
The Golden Sacred Dragon was their greatest reliance.
Yet before Qian Daoliu, the strength they took such pride in could not withstand even a single blow.
Qian Daoliu walked forward.
With every step, the surrounding air grew heavier.
Flender's body stiffened.
The Soul Power within Liu Erlong stalled once again.
Yu Xiaogang's palms, braced against the ground, gradually turned white as an invisible pressure forced his body lower.
"You just said the Golden Sacred Dragon could contend with a Titled Douluo."
Qian Daoliu stopped before Yu Xiaogang.
"What about now?"
Yu Xiaogang's face pressed against the shattered carriage boards.
He wanted to rise, but could not.
The remaining Soul Power within him had barely begun to circulate before Qian Daoliu's oppressive aura forced it all back.
"Senior."
Flender clasped his hands.
"We were indeed rash over the matter of Zhao Wuji."
"Please show mercy, Senior."
Qian Daoliu looked at Flender.
"You weren't the one who made the Golden Sacred Dragon attack just now."
Flender lowered his head.
"But the three of us are all headmasters or teachers at Shrek Academy."
"We cannot stand idly by after Zhao Wuji's death."
"Cannot stand idly by?"
Qian Daoliu withdrew his gaze.
"Zhao Wuji trespassed into the hotel and destroyed the restriction I had laid down."
"He attacked first, and only then did I put him to death."
"Without asking why, you brought people here to demand an explanation from me."
"Is this your so-called justice?"
Flender opened his mouth, but did not answer.
Liu Erlong looked toward the end of the street.
Golden traces left by the shattered Golden Sacred Dragon still lingered there.
Zhao Wuji's corpse had already been placed on the city wall.
Ning Rongrong had indeed been confined in the hotel.
Yet from beginning to end, Qian Daoliu had never gone out of his way to provoke Shrek Academy.
Instead, they had come knocking on his door.
"Old Zhao died trying to save Rongrong."
Liu Erlong raised her eyes.
"Rongrong is only a child. Even if she did something wrong, she shouldn't have been treated like this."
"A child?"
Qian Daoliu looked at her.
"She tried to seize my belongings in public, then slandered me by claiming I had violated her innocence."
"After Zhao Wuji arrived, he attacked me outright."
"If I had only been a Soul Saint, would you be standing here talking reason now?"
Liu Erlong fell silent.
She recalled Ning Rongrong's disposition at Shrek Academy.
Spoiled and willful.
She never considered the consequences of her actions.
Back at the restaurant, Ning Rongrong had indeed been the first to clash with Qian Renxue.
Everything Qian Daoliu had said matched the facts.
Yu Xiaogang, however, propped himself up and forced his head high.
"Rongrong is the heir to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
"She is of noble standing. You cannot imprison her over a trivial matter."
Qian Daoliu looked down at him.
"Her noble standing means she can slander others?"
"Her noble standing means she can order Soul Masters to kill?"
"Yu Xiaogang, the principles you speak of only work against the weak."
Yu Xiaogang's expression grew even uglier.
Qian Daoliu continued:
"Just now, you stood outside the hotel and declared that you represented Shrek Academy."
"You didn't ask what Zhao Wuji had actually done."
"You didn't ask why Ning Rongrong had been imprisoned."
"You didn't even confirm whether Zhao Wuji had truly died at my hands."
"You merely wanted to bring your so-called Golden Iron Triangle here and use revenge as a pretext to prove your worth to me."
Yu Xiaogang's fingers dug into the shattered boards.
"Nonsense!"
Qian Daoliu raised a hand.
A surge of sacred power pressed down.
Yu Xiaogang's body immediately crumpled, his knees slamming into the ground.
The paving stones cracked.
His forehead struck the ground hard, and blood ran down along his brow.
"You know better than anyone whether I'm talking nonsense."
Qian Daoliu's gaze settled on him.
"You dress yourself up as a master of theory."
"Yet you cannot even break through Level 30."
"You say there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters."
"But your own Luo Sanpao is the best proof."
Luo Sanpao lay on the ground.
Its body kept convulsing, and even maintaining its Martial Soul form had become extremely difficult.
At the sight, Yu Xiaogang's face grew paler still.
"A flaw in my Martial Soul doesn't mean my theories are wrong."
"Theories?"
Qian Daoliu said evenly:
"You copied material from Spirit Hall's texts, then passed it off as your own work."
"You packaged common knowledge about Soul Master cultivation as your so-called Ten Core Competencies."
"Whenever you encountered something you couldn't explain, you filled the gaps with guesses."
"And in the end, you demanded that everyone believe you."
Yu Xiaogang's body went rigid.
Flender raised his head and looked at Yu Xiaogang.
Liu Erlong stood nearby as well.
She had already heard the things Qian Daoliu had exposed earlier.
Now, Yu Xiaogang's reaction extinguished the last shred of hope she had clung to.
"You've been inside Spirit Hall's Library?"
Liu Erlong asked.
Yu Xiaogang did not answer.
"Your so-called theories all came from Spirit Hall's texts?"
Liu Erlong pressed on.
Yu Xiaogang kept his head lowered, blood dripping from his forehead onto the ground.
He did not dare look at Liu Erlong.
Nor did he dare look at Flender.
Qian Daoliu watched him.
"Back then, you used Bibi Dong's standing to enter Spirit Hall's Library."
"Those materials never belonged to you."
"After leaving Spirit Hall, you compiled their contents into a book and used it to make your name."
"But you never told anyone the true source of those theories."
Liu Erlong swayed slightly.
"Bibi Dong..."
At last, she had heard that name.
Yu Xiaogang jerked his head up.
"Erlong, don't listen to his nonsense!"
"Then explain."
Liu Erlong came up to Yu Xiaogang.
"Why won't you answer?"
Yu Xiaogang opened his mouth.
Qian Daoliu had already laid the truth before everyone.
He wanted to refute it, but could not find a single complete sentence.
"I..."
"You said just now that we couldn't let him stall for time."
Liu Erlong looked at him.
"Did you not want me to know, or did you not dare let me know?"
The color drained from Yu Xiaogang's face.
"Erlong, I left back then because we're related by blood."
"I couldn't marry you."
"Then what about Bibi Dong?"
Liu Erlong asked.
Yu Xiaogang lowered his head.
"What is she to you?"
"Have you never been able to forget her?"
The oppressive aura pinned Yu Xiaogang's body to the ground.
He could neither rise nor escape Liu Erlong's gaze.
His silence was the answer.
Liu Erlong looked at the man before her, who had been by her side for so many years.
She had once waited for him.
Defended him.
Even blamed everything on their family's blood ties.
But only now did she understand.
Yu Xiaogang had never truly chosen her.
He had treated her as a substitute after failing to have Bibi Dong.
"So you've been lying to me all along."
Liu Erlong took a step back.
Yu Xiaogang reached out, trying to catch her sleeve.
Qian Daoliu merely glanced at him.
The golden pressure descended once more.
Yu Xiaogang's arm was forced back to the ground.
Before you continue