Amid the heaven-shaking tornado of battle, a purple figure shot out violently, smashing toward the distant ranks of the spirit master army.
That was the formation of the Elephant Armored Sect, whose current Sect Master, Huyan Zhen, had—with the support of Spirit Hall—already advanced to Rank 89.
Though still a Contra, his raw defensive power was such that even among Title Douluo, few could compare.
"Your Majesty, rest assured—I'll catch you!"
Huyan Zhen's towering frame, two and a half meters tall, swelled even larger as he activated his martial soul. His fifth and seventh spirit rings lit up simultaneously, his body becoming a bulwark as he intercepted Bibi Dong, preventing her from crashing directly into the formation.
Behind him stood the future of his sect—nearly the entire core of the Elephant Armored Sect. He could not allow the devastating shockwaves of two peak powerhouses' clash to annihilate them.
"Buzz!"
Even without physical contact, the moment Huyan Zhen bore Bibi Dong's momentum, he could feel how delicate her body seemed.
The terrifying force he had braced for never arrived—because Bibi Dong had been deflecting and dispersing her momentum all along.
But would Chen Feng grant her the luxury of recovery?
The answer was obvious.
A piercing sonic boom cut through the battlefield. Before Huyan Zhen could even react, a crimson blade had already descended.
He gave a cold snort, his eighth spirit ring bursting into light.
"Eighth Spirit Ability—Infinite Diamond!"
From behind came Bibi Dong's urgent cry: "Don't take it head-on!"
But Huyan Zhen did not move. A trace of grim determination flickered in his eyes.
Behind him were not only Bibi Dong but three hundred direct disciples of the Elephant Armored Sect. If he retreated, what would become of them?
He could not retreat.
He would not retreat!
His eighth ring blazed, his body erupting with an earthy-yellow radiance as his entire form became encased in a thick layer of diamond.
Titan Huyan Zhen, defense at full power!
At that moment, even the attack-specialized Sword Douluo would not easily have cut him down in a single stroke.
But it was already too late.
Before Bibi Dong's warning could reach him, the Shura Seven Kill Sword had already pierced through his throat!
Boom—
In an instant, the entire blade was drenched in blood-red light, its ghastly radiance becoming the focal point of the battlefield.
Huyan Zhen's massive head flew skyward, soaring more than ten meters high.
His headless body toppled like a collapsing mountain.
"Those who block me—die!"
A scarlet afterimage streaked past. Chen Feng's figure advanced, his words both a warning and a decree.
The Shura Seven Kill Sword tore through Huyan Zhen's body, shattering the Elephant Armored Sect's proudest defense line. After a dazzling arc in the air, it returned to Chen Feng's grip—only to be thrust forward once more.
Bibi Dong was far from yielding. With a sweep of her Rakshasa Demon Scythe, the two divine weapons clashed again, the backlash forcing her to spit blood and stagger away.
"Retreat!"
Her cold command echoed across the battlefield. She knew that with Chen Feng here, capturing Jialing Pass was impossible.
She had never imagined that the youth who had only been a Soul Emperor a few years prior would grow so rapidly.
Surely, he was not far from completing his divine inheritance.
A sense of crisis welled in her chest. She must accelerate the Rakshasa God inheritance—she could not allow another to seize the divine seat before her. Otherwise, decades of struggle would all be for nothing.
"Rumble—"
Under the heralds' cries, the army of the Spirit Empire began to withdraw.
Today's battle had largely been limited to peak powerhouses and vanguard spirit master legions. Both sides had their scruples, and thus the Heaven Dou Empire did not pursue too aggressively.
But this applied only to the ordinary troops. Among the spirit master legions, combat remained fierce.
Though the arrival of the Clear Sky Twin Stars still left Heaven Dou with fewer Title Douluo, they had an overwhelming edge in quality—most of their Titled Douluo were Rank 95 and above Super Douluo.
With the amplifications of Ning Fengzhi and Ning Rongrong, their side was destined to triumph. How could they possibly allow Spirit Hall's executioners to withdraw freely?
Chen Feng himself pressed the pursuit, chasing Bibi Dong deep into the Spirit Empire's formations.
Yet he showed no fear. Bibi Dong was not his equal, and the ordinary spirit masters were like ants before him, incapable of posing any threat.
On the battlefield, red and purple light clashed violently as Chen Feng drove Bibi Dong back again and again, blood spilling from her lips.
"How hateful! If only I had completed the final trial of the Rakshasa God and my spirit power wasn't suppressed—how could you possibly oppress me so?"
Her eyes blazed with venom. Her suppressed cultivation prevented her from fighting at full strength.
In a true, even match, she and Chen Feng both possessed the might of a Peerless Douluo. Who could say which would stand superior?
Chen Feng advanced, blood-red light flooding from his body, his spirit, essence, and energy all soaring to their absolute peak.
This battlefield, steeped in blood and killing intent, and his clash with Bibi Dong, had even triggered faint signs of him breaking through to Rank 98.
"Bibi Dong, there is no personal grudge between us. Your mistake was inheriting the Rakshasa God. Its power is incompatible with the Shura God's inheritance. And since the Rakshasa God interfered in Slaughter City to disrupt my trial, how could I possibly spare you?"
His gaze bore down from above, cold and commanding.
In truth, it was not only Bibi Dong. Any who sought divine inheritance in this era were Chen Feng's rivals.
Tang San was one. Qian Renxue was another.
Only Oscar and Ning Rongrong were exceptions—their inheritances were of auxiliary deities, lacking ambition to dominate the Douluo Continent, and thus no threat.
The rest—each and every one—were both competitors and whetstones for his blade.
At that moment, a distant roar shook the battlefield. Several towering auras erupted simultaneously, merging into one overwhelming tide.
"For the Spirit Empire—long live!"
Several mighty voices rang out at once.
The cries rolled across the battlefield like thunder, drowning the clash of millions.
Hearing this, Bibi Dong's eyes lit up. With a sudden side-step, she disengaged from Chen Feng, widening the gap.
Chen Feng's brows furrowed slightly as he sighed.
"The Worship Hall… has finally arrived."