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*****
"Since you've reached Rank 98 at such a young age, I will spare your life. But I will not hold back."
Bibi Dong burned with fury, but she also felt a deep sense of helplessness. If she used her Death Domain, she would remain suppressed. If she used her Asura God Domain, she would be countered even more severely.
To make matters worse, because of the Rakshasa God's inheritance, her powerful Rank 99 soul power was being forcibly suppressed to Rank 98. She dared not use her second martial soul. In her current state, she was simply not Tang Chen's match.
Tang Chen's sudden reappearance had thrown everything into disarray. Two Titled Douluo had already fallen, and if she were to be defeated as well, her authority within the Spirit Empire would crumble beyond repair.
At that moment, Bibi Dong's hatred for Tang Chen reached its peak. She vowed that once she survived this ordeal, she would immediately complete the soul ring attachment for her second martial soul and proceed with the Rakshasa God's divine trial.
Right now, it seemed that only by truly ascending to godhood could she reverse the dire situation she faced.
Bibi Dong let out a cold breath. Her arms suddenly swelled, transforming into two massive black scythes—the soul bones of a hundred-thousand-year-old Death Spider Emperor.
It was a rare occurrence for a single soul beast to drop two soul bones at once, and using them together greatly amplified their power.
Fixing her gaze on Tang Chen, she spoke in an icy voice:
Bibi Dong spoke with conviction:
"Your Excellency, Tang Hao's death was well deserved. He colluded with soul beasts to kill my teacher, and later, he sought revenge and slaughtered the innocent. The Spirit Hall has lost over a thousand innocent soul masters at his hands. You can ask anyone about it. He even killed two of our Titled Elders. If I don't seek justice for them today, how can I continue to lead the Spirit Empire as its Empress?"
Bibi Dong had no choice but to step forward. If she didn't, her subordinates would lose faith, and without their loyalty, her command would crumble.
Tang Chen remained silent for a moment but eventually responded:
"I've been away for decades and wasn't aware of what Hao'er had done. All I know is that he was my proud grandson, and now that he's dead at your hands, I've come to seek justice for him."
With those words, Tang Chen launched himself forward once more, swinging his Clear Sky Hammer with deadly force. Bibi Dong raised her twin black sickles to block, but the impact was overwhelming. The sickles trembled as though they were about to shatter. The force was not immediately destructive, but it carried an endless, relentless pressure.
Tang Chen had perfected the Clear Sky Divine Art to its pinnacle. No one in the entire Clear Sky Clan could compare to him. Consider Posey and Qian Daoliu, both revered servants of the gods; even they could not defeat Tang Chen on land, proving his immense strength.
The battle between the two escalated quickly. Bibi Dong's steps faltered as she was pushed back. The shockwaves from Tang Chen's strikes rattled her internal energy, and the surface of her arm bones, transformed into black sickles, began to crack. These were soul bones from a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast, yet they were buckling under the pressure.
Even more alarming was the fact that Tang Chen's Clear Sky Hammer seemed to have a kind of tenacity, forcing Bibi Dong to stay on the defensive. If this continued, her black sickles would break completely.
Bibi Dong steeled herself, activating the second skill of her arm bones. She shattered the sickles with a violent explosion of power, sending shockwaves through the air. The blast sent both combatants flying apart.
Tang Chen was unharmed, but Bibi Dong's arms were bloodied, leaving her temporarily crippled. She had witnessed firsthand Tang Chen's strength and realized that, in her current state, she was no match for him.
Reluctantly, she spoke, despite the blow to her pride:
"Please, great protector, step forward and bring justice for the two fallen elders!"
As soon as she spoke, an overwhelming golden light erupted from the Angel Statue in the direction of the Douluo Palace. Amidst the glow, Qian Daoliu, with six wings spread behind him and nine soul rings swirling around him—eight black and one red—appeared. His presence was as radiant as the sun, in stark contrast to the blood-red aura surrounding Tang Chen. The soul masters in Spirit City, trembling in fear, found solace and renewed confidence upon seeing him.
Upon seeing Tang Chen, particularly the dark red magic sword mark on his forehead, Qian Daoliu's emotions grew complex. He spoke:
"Tang Chen, it's been a long time. It seems you've found the divine inheritance during these decades. In fact, Posey had already made her choice long ago."
Ignoring Bibi Dong, Tang Chen faced Qian Daoliu and replied:
"Back then, I didn't understand. But when I found the Asura inheritance and learned the rules of the divine path, I realized that people like you and her can never truly ascend to godhood."
"I made a promise—if I don't ascend to godhood, I won't return. What's the point of living out these decades in regret if I don't achieve my goal? But I am close to my wish."
"Now that I've returned, I didn't seek her out. I came straight for you because I want justice. The Spirit Hall has gone too far."
Qian Daoliu frowned. If Tang Chen ascended to godhood, the Spirit Hall would certainly become his enemy. However, his granddaughter was also on the path to godhood, though it would take some time.
He then spoke in a low voice:
"It was your good grandson, Tang Hao. He got entangled with a hundred-thousand-year-old shape-shifting soul beast. A soul beast is still a soul beast, and that's a complete violation of morality."
"In the end, he severely wounded my son, leading to his death. Though I pursued him, I spared his life multiple times, allowing him to escape. As for your Clear Sky Sect, I didn't eradicate it entirely. I kept my promise from back then."
"However, Bibi Dong is right. Your grandson, Tang Hao, killed over a thousand innocent soul masters—men, women, children—people who had worked tirelessly to help the common folk awaken their souls. Your grandson didn't spare even them. He got what he deserved."
"He killed my son, and my granddaughter killed him. What's wrong with that? You come here seeking justice? I'll accept that."
"Your grandson also harmed the rising star of the continent, Wang Li. He's only twenty-one or twenty-two, yet he's already a Titled Douluo. Your grandson tried to capture him but was severely injured in the process. He has no shame, no self-awareness. It's a disgrace to the Clear Sky Douluo name."
This string of accusations left Tang Chen stunned. His grandson was this worthless? Still, he was his grandson, and he had to defend him.
Tang Chen remembered Wang Li's name but didn't give it much thought. A Titled Douluo wasn't worth worrying about. If Wang Li truly had extraordinary talent, Tang Chen could wait for him to mature.
Tang Chen had more important matters to attend to, such as completing the ninth trial of the Asura God and finding someone with divine power, though not a god. His visit to the Spirit Hall wasn't just about seeking justice—it was about uncovering deeper secrets. The transformation from the Spirit Hall to the Spirit Empire seemed to hide something sinister. Could someone behind the Spirit Empire be trying to ascend to godhood through faith? Perhaps it was connected to his own divine trial.
Coldly, Tang Chen spoke:
"Your grandson is my responsibility. I will discipline him myself. No one else has the right to kill him. Qian Daoliu, come, let's settle this. Just like we did decades ago."
(End of Chapter)