In the Pope's Hall, Spirit City.
The grand hall was filled with a heavy atmosphere. Bibi Dong sat high on the papal throne, draped in a luxurious papal robe, wearing a purple-gold crown, and holding the gem-studded scepter that symbolized supreme power.
Her exquisite face was as cold as ice, and deep within her amethyst eyes simmered anger and a trace of barely perceptible apprehension.
In the center of the hall, several elders dressed in ornate bishop robes, exuding powerful auras, stood respectfully, each with a grim expression.
"Worthless!"
Bibi Dong's icy voice echoed through the hall, carrying an intimidating pressure. "Two whole years! Two years, and you still haven't figured out whether this so-called 'Du'an' is human or spirit! Have you let the dignity of the Spirit Hall be trampled underfoot?"
A red-robed bishop mustered the courage to step forward, his voice trembling with fear. "Your Holiness, please calm your wrath! That 'Du'an'... Du'an's whereabouts are inscrutable, appearing only at fixed times at the 'Temple of Wisdom.'"
"Our people can't get close at all. Any soul master who attempts to forcefully approach or track him... mysteriously falls unconscious, awakens with no memory, their souls seemingly frozen! And..."
He swallowed hard. "Among the common folk... the public support is too strong. The reputation of this 'Professor Oak'... now it already... already..."
"Already what?" Bibi Dong's voice grew colder. She slammed the bottom of her scepter, producing a dull sound that caused the entire hall to tremble slightly.
"Already... there is a faint trend surpassing the two empires and... and our Spirit Hall!" The bishop's voice dropped, sweat dripping from his forehead.
"Surpassing?" A cold glint flashed in Bibi Dong's eyes, and a suffocating wave of terrifying killing intent instantly spread. This dark aura of the Rakshasa Goddess made all the bishops feel their souls shiver as if they had fallen into an endless hell.
"Good one surpassing, good one pretending to be divine, this 'Professor Oak!'"
She abruptly stood up, her papal robe fluttering without wind, making a loud noise.
"What about the Worships' attitude?" She suppressed her surging killing intent and asked coldly. That old thing, Qian Daoliu, would never tolerate an unknown entity shaking the foundation of angelic faith.
"The Grand Worship... the Grand Worship has personally issued a challenge to Du'an." Another bishop quickly responded. "At this moment, Du'an... should already be outside Spirit City."
Bibi Dong snorted coldly and resumed her seat, her purple eyes flickering uncertainly. She wanted to see how that ominous figure, radiating death energy, would pretend to be divine under the holy sword of that old man, Qian Daoliu!
If that old thing could directly purify him... it would save her trouble.
Worship Hall, located at the highest point of Spirit City, bathed in eternal-like sacred brilliance.
A colossal angel statue stood in the square before the hall, emanating warm and majestic light. However, at this moment, this sacred radiance was being invaded and twisted by another force.
Du'an stood silently in the center of the square, at the edge of the shadow cast by the massive angel statue.
He still wore his pure black somber robe, his hood covering his face. Behind him, a pyramid composed entirely of pure death energy and faith power slowly rose.
This pyramid wasn't tangible, yet it emitted a heavier presence than any physical entity. Its body gleamed a chaotic dark gold, and its walls weren't smooth but instead displayed countless twisted, agonizing, wailing soul faces!
They struggled and screamed soundlessly, forming living depictions of hellish scenes. The tip of the pyramid didn't point skyward but tilted slightly, like a cold eye of judgment, locking onto the entire Worship Hall.
"You invited me here, yet you don't show yourself." His icy words resounded across the square.
An icy, lifeless, end-all gray domain centered around the pyramid rapidly expanded outward.
Wherever it passed, the warm and holy light of the angels dispersed and vanished as if meeting its nemesis.
On the ground, golden tiles turned gray, as if weathered for millions of years in an instant. The air was filled with chilling coldness and a sense of decay that froze the soul and withered all things.
This was the "Death Judgment Domain"! Formed by the fusion of the death rule of the Death Scythe and the eternal suppression power of the Sun Pyramid, infused with vast amounts of faith power, it created a terrifying domain.
Though not divine-level, it contained the essence of death leading to divinity.
"Evil spirit! Desecrating the holy land! You deserve to die!"
From the depths of the Worship Hall, a hoarse but infinitely authoritative and indignant shout thundered like a sudden explosion.
A column of golden light, more brilliant and scorching than the sun, burst through the roof of the hall, shooting straight into the sky. In the core of that supremely pure divine light, a figure stepped out amidst the light.
Qian Daoliu!
His hair and beard flared, his simple hemp clothing billowed in the violent divine light.
Behind him, the towering phantom of a six-winged angel emitted a vast divine might that purified everything. He held no physical sword, but his presence had condensed into the sharpest holy sword in the world.
That torrential divine power had surpassed mortal limits, touching the threshold of becoming a god at Level 100.
Qian Daoliu's golden eyes burned with rage destined to consume everything, tightly locking onto the black figure exuding foul death energy on the square and the sinister pyramid.
This defiling breath of death, this heresy shaking the foundation of angelic faith, must be thoroughly purified!
He spoke no more words, raised his right hand with fingers like a sword, and fiercely pointed at Du'an and the pyramid below.
"Angel's Holy Judgement!"
With this command imbued with divine authority, all the light elements on the square were instantly drained, compressed, and condensed!
A colossal light sword appeared out of nowhere, beyond description in its brilliance and destructiveness! The blade, composed of pure divine light, shimmered with gold, carrying the absolute will to judge all and purify everything.
Space groaned under the unbearable strain as soon as this light sword appeared, tearing apart with dark cracks.
This was the enraged strike of an ultimate Douluo, the final judgment of angelic power against the deathly heresy!
Du'an raised his head; beneath the shadow of his hood, those lifeless eyes showed no emotion.
Facing this terrifying light sword capable of destroying a city, the Sun Pyramid behind him erupted with even deeper dark gold light. The struggling soul faces on the pyramid walls emitted silent shrieks, and a more immense, purer will of death surged upward, like the awakening of a dormant death god opening its cold eyes.
The gray vortex around him spun wildly, and he similarly raised a hand wrapped in his black robe, facing the judgmental holy sword of light!
The two terrifying forces representing the extremes of Life and Death collided violently atop Spirit City!
Du'an, though not an ultimate Douluo, concentrated his faith. With the empowerment of faith power, he exuded a cold, indifferent aura, resembling a vast, indescribable flood of willpower descending!
This will was intangible yet heavier and more authoritative than Qian Daoliu's condensed holy sword.
It penetrated the Angel Sword, ignored the radiance of the Angel Statue, and precisely, like a mountain, suppressed the raging core of Qian Daoliu's soul power.
Boom—!
Qian Daoliu's body shook violently. The holy sword of light, condensed to its peak and about to be unleashed, froze like an insect trapped in amber.
The roaring angelic divine power within him was as if gripped by an invisible giant hand, instantly becoming sluggish and chaotic.
A profound fear and sense of insignificance from the level of life overwhelmed all his senses like a cold tide.
He abruptly looked up, his golden eyes filled with incredulous horror, staring fixedly at Du'an.
Just one move, and this ninety-nine-level peak ultimate Douluo felt the suffocation and helplessness of an ant gazing upon a dragon?
Could it really be... a god?
"From now on, the Spirit Hall will spread the glory of the God of Wisdom."
As the words fell, the vast will suppressing Qian Daoliu's divine core suddenly solidified. A pure, soul-shattering terror force erupted.
Puff—!
Qian Daoliu was struck as if by a heavy hammer, his face turning as pale as a gold leaf, unable to suppress himself any longer. He spewed a mouthful of warm blood.
The holy light sword he had condensed disintegrated with a roar, dissipating into countless points of light. The phantom of the six-winged angel behind him emitted a mournful cry, flickering erratically.
His towering figure swayed violently, staggering backward several steps. Each step left deep cracks in the extremely hard diamond rock floor. Finally, he knelt on one knee, barely stabilizing his form. His golden eyes were filled with boundless shock and terror.
Before the Worship Hall, silence reigned.
Du'an slowly lowered his raised hand, and the judgment pyramid behind him, exuding a terrifying death presence, dissipated soundlessly.
He remained standing quietly there, his pure black robe gently swaying in the dissipating energy waves. The shadow beneath his hood was unfathomable.
Inside the Pope's Hall, Bibi Dong, sitting high on her throne, clenched her scepter tightly, her knuckles white from the force.
Her exquisite face no longer bore a trace of coldness, replaced by extreme gravity and a hint of... indescribable apprehension.
Her amethyst eyes stared fixedly toward the direction of the Worship Hall, as if trying to pierce through layers of obstacles to see the existence that had gravely injured Qian Daoliu with just a domain and martial soul.
"Du'an..." she murmured, her voice carrying unprecedented hoarseness and weight. Who exactly was this Du'an, shrouded in death energy?
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