Another thing Chen Qianqiu was rather concerned about was whether Qian Daoliu could suppress the Asura Demon Sword in its current state.
After thinking it over carefully, he figured he probably could.
After all, even if the Asura Demon Sword could truly disregard everything and forcibly take action on the continent, it would definitely be an ultra-weakened version of itself.
First, without its master wielding it, the strength it could unleash on its own was limited. Second, this was no ordinary descent to the lower realm-it had even crossed space and time. Even its master, Tang San, had lost all his divine power because of that, so its condition certainly could not be much better.
With all those factors piled together, if Qian Daoliu was willing to pay a certain price, suppressing the Asura Demon Sword might not be impossible.
After all, Qian Daoliu was no random stray cat or dog by the roadside. A rank ninety-nine Peerless Douluo, a supreme powerhouse touched by divinity, he could already be called the pinnacle of the mortal realm's blades, spears, and cannons.
Even in the later era of Xuan Zi, Mu En, Ye Xishui, and Di Tian, he would still be a regional overlord whose words carried weight.
"The problem is, even if the Asura Demon Sword can hardly pose a major threat to Qian Daoliu right now..."
Chen Qianqiu's gaze grew grave.
"Launching an all-out assault on the Clear Sky Sect now would still cost more than it's worth."
After all, Qian Daoliu might indeed be able to suppress the Asura Demon Sword, but he would inevitably pay a price. No matter what, the Asura Demon Sword was still a divine artifact, and who knew whether it had an ability like self-destruction? Trading one life for it would clearly be madness.
What if they paid an enormous price to destroy the Asura Demon Sword, a Super Divine Artifact, only for the Sea God's Eight Wings and the Sea God Trident to emerge afterward?
Who could say for certain whether those two had followed it here?
Then Spirit Hall would truly be finished.
"So we still can't rush things when dealing with the Clear Sky Sect."
Chen Qianqiu sighed.
"In the end, you need to be strong yourself to forge iron."
There was a trace of helplessness in Chen Qianqiu. When all was said and done, he still had to rely on himself.
Relying on others meant spending every day in fear and apprehension. Right now, Tang San had yet to fully mature, and Qian Daoliu could temporarily hold off the threat of the divine artifacts. There was still time. He had to seize this window to grow stronger as quickly as possible.
"Besides the resources Spirit Hall provides, I need to find some channels that can supply nourishment steadily."
Countless thoughts flashed through Chen Qianqiu's mind.
"Once I get back, I'll have to plan this out properly."
After pondering for a long while, Chen Qianqiu finally felt somewhat tired and closed his eyes. The Asura Baleful Aura inside him had already transformed into pure energy that nourished him in return. Warmth spread throughout his body, making him feel as though he had returned to his eggshell, and he soon fell asleep.
The wheels rolled over the ground with dull rumbles as the carriage slowly made its way back to Spirit Hall. Much had happened that night, and everyone harbored different thoughts.
Meanwhile, deep in the dense forest.
"Brother Hao, did you feel that?"
Ah Yin leaned weakly against Tang Hao's chest, carefully stroking her belly.
"Yes."
Although they had escaped, Tang Hao's expression was far from relaxed.
That black-and-red presence just now had put enormous pressure on him as well. Even though he had broken through to Titled Douluo, he had still been forced to feel the despair of being on the brink of death.
What concerned him even more was that the presence seemed to have been protecting the child in Ah Yin's belly.
Could there be something strange about his child?
Tang Hao's expression shifted uncertainly.
Although he never said it aloud, there had actually always been a knot in his heart.
Ah Yin was a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor. If the child in her belly awakened not the Clear Sky Hammer, but Blue Silver Grass...
Then he could even consider giving up on the child. This had nothing to do with whether he loved Ah Yin. It was simply that the future heir of the Clear Sky Sect could never be a piece of trash.
Of course, he could not reveal these private thoughts outright. At worst, they could have another child. He and Ah Yin were both young, after all.
"Brother Hao?"
Ah Yin looked at Tang Hao in puzzlement, sensing that something was off about his expression.
"It's nothing."
Tang Hao reined in the gloom on his face and forced a smile.
"Heaven is watching over us. Just now, Heaven must have taken a dislike to those people from Spirit Hall and sent down divine punishment."
He brushed the matter aside, held Ah Yin tightly, and sped toward the Clear Sky Sect, his figure flickering as he went.
Within a hidden pocket of space somewhere in the sky.
A black-and-red longsword slowly rose and fell.
Ancient, intricate divine markings were engraved across its blade, their lines giving off a bloody radiance in the darkness, as though forged from endless slaughter and bloodshed.
Most eerie of all, a scarlet demonic eye was embedded in the center of the blade.
That eye seemed alive, turning from time to time as it surveyed the surrounding void.
The hilt had a bizarre, hornlike shape, as though it had been stripped from some ancient Ferocious Beast, hideous and twisted.
It was the Super Divine Artifact exclusive to Tang San's Asura God position, though something seemed somewhat wrong with its condition.
Just as Chen Qianqiu had surmised, the light of the divine markings on the demonic sword was growing dimmer and dimmer, bereft of its former glory.
What was that thing just now? To think this mortal realm actually has a power capable of opposing me.
The Asura Demon Sword's thoughts came in broken fragments, unable to quite make sense of it. The power it had retained this time was already pitifully scant. It had originally intended to intimidate the people of Spirit Hall, only for Chen Qianqiu to absorb a considerable amount of it, leaving it shocked and furious, yet unable to retaliate.
Master, take care...
The price of crossing space and time was far too heavy. It needed time to slowly recover its strength.
Before long, the demonic sword in the void lost all color, as though it had fallen into an eternal slumber.
Three days passed in a flash.
Spirit Hall.
Chen Qianqiu lay on the windowsill in Qian Renxue's room, lazily basking in the sun, his dark-gold slit pupils half-closed in comfort.
These past few days had simply been bliss.
It was every bit as good as scooping out watermelon in an air-conditioned room in summer, drinking ice-cold Guojiao liquor after a long run, or being told school was canceled on a winter morning.
In short, one word: bliss!!!
First, he had completely absorbed the energy brought by the Asura Baleful Aura, and he had even fleeced Spirit Hall of a hefty haul along the way!
Qian Xunji seemed to have learned something. Chen Qianqiu did not even need to ask before heavenly treasures were delivered to his door every day, and not one at a time-they were piled before him by the crate.
Chen Qianqiu stood on no ceremony, accepting everything that came and swallowing it all.
He could clearly feel his strength growing at a terrifying speed!
The dragon scales on his body had grown even darker, gleaming with a deep, shadowy luster beneath the sunlight that sent a chill through anyone who saw them.
The wings on his back had also undergone a tremendous change.
That tiny pair of fleshy wings had now fully unfurled, taking on an almost perfectly streamlined shape.
Dark-gold patterns crisscrossed and dotted the wing membranes, like molten gold flowing through the dark night, possessing a peculiar, eerie beauty.
Another thing that pleased Chen Qianqiu was that he could now fly all over Spirit Hall without anyone questioning him.
Everyone who saw him nodded and smiled, including the consecrators. Even Light Feather Douluo, who normally paid no attention to worldly affairs, had once narrowed his eyes and called him "little fellow" when they met.
Clearly, although he had not stepped forward to claim credit, the events of that night had still affected Spirit Hall's upper echelon, and they had chosen to grant him the freedom to act as he pleased.