Peerless Douluo!

In a valley somewhere on the Douluo Continent.

Tang Hao stood at the edge of a cliff.

The mountain wind stirred his tattered black robe, and his disheveled hair covered half his face.

His gaze remained fixed on the images of Slaughter City.

"Grandfather has been in Slaughter City all along."

"He's even the King of Slaughter."

Tang Hao had once entered Slaughter City.

There, he had achieved a hundred victories, made his way through Hell Road, and ultimately obtained the Divine Slaughter's Domain.

Yet throughout that time, he had never connected the King of Slaughter with Tang Chen.

By then, the King of Slaughter had long since lost Tang Chen's original appearance.

Blood-colored bat wings.

Scarlet eyes.

His body had brimmed with a dense aura of slaughter.

Tang Hao had regarded him only as the ruler of Slaughter City.

Who could have imagined that his grandfather was trapped inside that body?

The hand beneath his black robe slowly clenched.

Tang Hao looked into the distance.

He knew the location of Slaughter City better than most.

"Once the ranking review is over, I'll go to Slaughter City."

"Grandfather, I will find you."

Tang Hao turned around.

As his foot came down, the black-robed figure had already vanished from the cliff's edge.

The Clear Sky Sect.

Before the mountain gates.

Tang Xiao and several elders stared at the Rakshasa Divine Power in the images.

The seventh elder's face was livid.

"Damn that Rakshasa God!"

"A god, yet they actually left a treacherous trap in the Asura God's land of inheritance!"

The second elder said gravely:

"Lord Tang Chen had already passed the eighth trial."

"Without the Rakshasa God's interference, Lord Tang Chen would have inherited the Asura God's position long ago."

"Then our Clear Sky Sect would have had a God King's successor!"

Several other elders spoke up in turn.

"Lord Tang Chen cultivated diligently for years, only to fall to a god's treachery in the end!"

"The Nine-Headed Bat King even took advantage of his vulnerability to occupy Lord Tang Chen's divine body!"

"Once Lord Tang Chen regains consciousness, we must not let him get away with it!"

Tang Xiao did not join their discussion.

He stared at the King of Slaughter on the Sky Screen, worry in his eyes.

Tang Chen's consciousness had not yet disappeared completely.

After the Heavenly Dao ranking appeared, he had even briefly regained his clarity.

That meant there was still a chance for things to turn around.

"Grandfather."

"The Heavenly Dao has already revealed your experiences."

"This time, you will surely return."

High in the sky.

Streams of scrolling comments swept past both sides of the images.

[Tang Chen was just one step away from becoming a god, only to encounter Rakshasa Divine Power in the final trial!]

[The Asura God's ninth trial, the Rakshasa God's treachery, the Nine-Headed Bat King's possession-isn't this all far too coincidental?]

[If even one of those problems hadn't happened, Tang Chen wouldn't have become the King of Slaughter!]

[It wasn't that he lacked strength. He ran into three unexpected disasters in succession!]

[Tang Chen was so unlucky!]

[One god left a trap in another god's land of inheritance. How could a mortal guard against that?]

[The Powerhouse Ranking placed Tang Chen ninth because of his current condition, just as expected!]

[If Tang Chen were ranked at his peak, he would definitely be higher than ninth!]

[Can the Heavenly Dao's rewards help Tang Chen recover?]

[As long as Tang Chen regains control of his divine body, the Clear Sky Douluo can return!]

Outside Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Ning Xian stood at the end of the mountain path.

He did not venture farther into the academy.

The thing left deep within the academy was still there.

Its familiar aura passed through the mountains and entered his perception.

Ning Xian raised his head to look at the Sky Screen.

The scrolling comments were still discussing the string of unexpected disasters that had befallen Tang Chen.

"Coincidences?"

Ning Xian's expression was calm.

"They were simply things that were bound to happen."

Tang Chen possessed astonishing talent.

Without a God Level martial soul or the status of a god's priest, he had nevertheless reached level ninety-nine through his own efforts.

He had even passed the Asura God's eighth trial and forged a divine body ahead of time.

In terms of cultivation talent alone, Tang Chen truly surpassed the vast majority of Soul Masters of his era.

Yet he was destined never to become the Asura God.

The person the Asura God had truly chosen had never been Tang Chen.

It was Tang San.

Tang Chen entered Slaughter City and began the Asura God Trial.

Bibi Dong accepted the Rakshasa God's inheritance.

Tang San would inherit the Asura God's position in the future.

All these things seemed unrelated, yet the Divine Realm had long since arranged them along the same path.

Ning Xian did not care whom the Divine Realm had chosen.

He simply felt that this ranking was becoming increasingly interesting.

Tang Chen's identity had been exposed.

The entire continent had also learned of the relationship between the King of Slaughter and the Clear Sky Sect.

Next, all the major powers would turn their attention to Slaughter City.

Ning Xian withdrew his gaze.

It was already time for the ranking in the sky to distribute its rewards.

Ning Xian wanted to see what Tang Chen would receive first.

Slaughter City.

Inside the dark palace.

Tang Chen sat on the blood-colored throne.

His scarlet cloak spread behind him, and his pale hands rested on the throne's armrests.

The golden light of the Sky Screen passed through Slaughter City and shone upon his face.

Tang Chen's eyes kept changing.

Clear one moment.

Scarlet the next.

Within the Sea of Consciousness.

The Nine-Headed Bat King spread his enormous bat wings.

All nine heads opened their mouths at once, and blood-colored energy turned into chains that coiled around Tang Chen's consciousness.

"This divine body belongs to me!"

"You've already failed!"

"After all these years, you still think you can reclaim your body?"

Tang Chen's consciousness stood in the center of the blood-colored space.

Very little Asura Divine Power remained.

Rakshasa Divine Power was still corroding his Sea of Consciousness.

Yet the golden light shining down from the Sky Screen made his consciousness clearer than it had ever been before.

Tang Chen raised his hand.

A Clear Sky Hammer condensed in his palm.

"You've occupied my body for so many years."

"Do you really think you've already won?"

The Nine-Headed Bat King's nine heads lunged down together.

The blood-colored chains rapidly tightened.

The Clear Sky Hammer in Tang Chen's hand came crashing down.

Boom!

The Sea of Consciousness shook violently.

The Nine-Headed Bat King retreated.

Tang Chen's consciousness also grew a little dimmer.

Neither side yielded.

Upon the throne.

Tang Chen slowly raised his fingers.

A smile appeared on his lips.

"The gears of fate have begun to turn."

"Nine-Headed Bat King."

"Your days of occupying this body are over."

On the Sky Screen.

The images of the Asura God Temple gradually faded.

The scene of Tang Chen being possessed by the Nine-Headed Bat King also dissolved into golden motes that filled the sky.

A final line of text appeared in the center of the sky.

[Tang Chen obtained the Asura God's inheritance.]

[Passed the Asura God's eighth trial and forged a divine body.]

[Suffered interference from Rakshasa Divine Power during the ninth trial and failed the divine trial.]

[The Nine-Headed Bat King seized the opportunity to possess him. Tang Chen lost most of his control over his body.]

[Now lives as the King of Slaughter, guarding Slaughter City.]

[Ninth on the Powerhouse Ranking: Tang Chen.]

[Ranking criteria: current cultivation realm, martial soul quality, combat ability, physical condition.]

[Ranking evaluation complete.]

The golden text lingered for a moment.

Then all the images disappeared together.

The sky once again became an enormous golden ranking.

Tang Chen's name settled above Bibi Dong's.

Throughout the Douluo Continent.

Countless Soul Masters held their breath.

Scrolling comments filled the sky once more.

[The review is over!]

[Time to hand out the rewards!]

[Bibi Dong received a Million-Year Soul Ring, the Rakshasa Demon Halberd, and a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone!]

[Tang Chen ranked ninth. His rewards will definitely be better!]

[Will the Heavenly Dao's rewards directly help him drive out the Nine-Headed Bat King?]

[As long as Tang Chen regains consciousness, the Clear Sky Sect can immediately welcome back a Peerless Douluo!]

[Tang Chen already has a divine body. If he receives a divine artifact too, just how powerful will he become?]

[Announce the rewards already!]