"Clean job," Chen Junting murmured.
The moment he and Gu Tianchen stepped out of the black-walled courtyard, it meant every evil soul master inside was already dead.
Moreover, Chen Junting had also taken the Holy Emperor statue.
To prevent detection, Electrolux himself had sealed it away. Then, the two of them meticulously destroyed everything beneath the courtyard—leaving not a single trace behind.
The building above hadn't collapsed yet only because Gu Tianchen had propped it up with bone spikes infused with soul power. In time, those spikes would dissolve—and the entire structure would vanish without a sound.
But the moment they returned to the Nine Treasures Pavilion—
BOOM—!
A thunderous explosion erupted nearby!
The noise instantly roused the surrounding residents.
Mingdu, once again cloaked in darkness, blazed with light as households lit their lamps in alarm.
"What happened over there?" Gu Tianchen asked reflexively.
Chen Junting, however, pressed both hands against the windowsill, his eyes locked onto the direction of the blast.
He thought he'd sensed… a faint trace of Ultimate Ice.
"Quick! Go get Uncle Zhang! Let's go check it out!"
"No need."
The words had barely left his mouth when a shadow materialized outside the window.
Zhang Ming stood atop the void itself, hovering just beyond the Nine Treasures Pavilion. His gaze fixed on the distant explosion, he declared firmly:
"You two stay here. I'll handle this myself."
In an instant, he dissolved into a wisp of black smoke—
and shot toward the blast site at blinding speed.
…
Ten thousand miles away, deep within the Tianhun Empire…
A towering peak pierced the clouds, surrounded by jagged, desolate mountains. The place was so remote, so barren, that neither birds nor beasts dared dwell there.
Yet atop this forbidding summit stood a colossal fortress.
Emblazoned in bold, iron-brushed calligraphy above its gate were three imposing characters: "Hao Tian Castle."
Ancient, majestic, and radiating an aura of supreme dominance—as if standing above all beneath heaven.
Inside the grand hall sat two towering, awe-inspiring middle-aged men.
The one in the central seat had long, flowing cyan hair cascading over his broad shoulders. His cyan eyes, seemingly plain at first glance, shimmered with an indescribable depth—as if barely containing the tempest of power within.
To his right sat another man—equally imposing, though slightly more rugged in bearing. His short, steel-like hair bristled like needles, and his chiseled face, though fierce, held a quiet intelligence in his amber-gold eyes.
These were the two Sect Masters of Haotian Castle:
Chief Sect Master—Niu Tian
Second Sect Master—Tai Tan (Er Ming's human form, not from the Strength Clan)
Though their massive goblets overflowed with amber-hued wine, neither tasted its flavor. To them, it was as bland as water.
"Brother, how come Xiao Dong already has a man?" Tai Tan grumbled, lifting his wine jug with a sigh.
Niu Tian rolled his eyes. "What do you mean 'a man'? He's her boyfriend! And since Xiao Dong's female identity's been revealed, isn't it perfectly normal for her to have one?"
Even as he spoke, his grip tightened on his cup—betraying his inner turmoil. After all, they'd raised Xiao Dong as their own daughter over the past decade. Now, their precious "little cotton-padded jacket" was about to be taken away. Of course they weren't happy.
"Tch!" Tai Tan took a huge swig. "I just wonder… is that kid even worthy of her?"
"Xiao Dong's judgment won't be wrong," Niu Tian said, tracing the rim of his cup meaningfully. "And even if she misjudges… do you think her father would misjudge? Still—he was right about one thing: if that boy wants to marry Xiao Dong, his character must first be tested."
"Hmph…" Tai Tan grunted, clearly dissatisfied—though he said nothing more.
"Oh, and he also mentioned… the Rakshasa God inheritor," Tai Tan added.
At the name Rakshasa God, his eyes darkened with killing intent.
It was Bibi Dong—the very woman who'd destroyed their home, slaughtered their kin. Even if she'd been resurrected and elevated to godhood…
"We'll keep an eye out," Niu Tian said firmly. "But don't make things difficult for her."
Though he, too, carried old wounds, he clearly distinguished between Bibi Dong and this new inheritor. Besides…
"This inheritor is from the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. His martial soul is the Seven Kill Sword—the same young one Xiao Dong mentioned."
"So… she's one of ours?" Tai Tan mused.
He wasn't deeply familiar with the Seven Kill Sword—but he vaguely recalled that, ten thousand years ago, a Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect sword soul master and a Bone Dragon soul master had both died at the hands of the divine Bibi Dong… all in a failed attempt to save someone.
Unlike him and Niu Tian, they'd never been resurrected.
Thinking of this, Tai Tan's impression of the unseen "Rakshasa inheritor" improved considerably.
(Though truthfully, Huo Yuhao was still the one drawing most of their ire.)
Just then—both men jolted simultaneously!
Shock flashed in their eyes.
Swish—!
They shot upright—
and in that instant, the entire hall crackled with energy! Cyan and amber auras erupted so violently that the palace-like chamber groaned under the pressure, its beams creaking in protest.
"It's Xiao Dong! What's happening?!" Tai Tan growled, eyes blazing with fury.
His right hand shot up—
and a torrent of golden light exploded from his palm!
Black! Black! Black! Black…!
Nine soul rings—each radiating power far beyond 100,000 years—rose from beneath his feet in an instant. His overwhelming might left no doubt: this was a Limit Douluo.
As his sixth ring flared—
"Wait."
Niu Tian raised a hand, pressing down on Tai Tan's shoulder—suppressing his explosive aura and halting his movement.
"Brother, Xiao Dong might be in danger!" Tai Tan snapped, frustration clear in his voice.
Niu Tian shook his head. "She's likely unharmed. If we interfere too much, we'll only hinder her growth. After all—"
But his words were cut short—his tone suddenly sharpening.
Tai Tan, however, didn't notice. Like a protective tiger guarding its cub, he insisted, "No! I can't rest easy. If something does happen… I might not make it in time."
Then—
"Go! Go now!" Niu Tian suddenly changed his mind.
His abrupt reversal left Tai Tan stunned—but since his elder brother had spoken, and he'd wanted to go anyway, refusal was out of the question.
Understanding his brother's temperament, Niu Tian quickly added: "Just ensure Xiao Dong's safety. Don't overstep—no unnecessary interference."
Tai Tan heard the unspoken meaning clearly.
Without another word, he began drawing golden runes in midair—
which coalesced into the shape of a trident.
In a flash of light—Tai Tan vanished.
Only Niu Tian remained, seated alone in the grand hall.
He'd relented because he'd just learned:
The one who hurt Wang Dong'er was in the Sun Moon Empire—and was an evil soul master.
That changed everything. The danger had just escalated dramatically.
…
Meanwhile, in the infirmary of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy…
The room was crowded with visitors—
Fan Yu, He Caitou, and others had all come to check on Wang Dong'er.
After the physician left, Chen Junting turned to Huo Yuhao.
"What exactly happened?"
Thankfully, the doctor had confirmed: Wang Dong'er had only suffered spiritual trauma. With rest and some calming medicine, she'd fully recover.
"Brother Junting, I…" Huo Yuhao's voice cracked with guilt.
He then recounted everything.
While strolling through Mingdu at night, they'd spotted someone being abducted—seemingly by human traffickers. Driven by justice, they followed… only to discover the "traffickers" were evil soul masters, and their destination was a Holy Spirit Cult branch.
What followed was inevitable: a battle erupted.
With their spiritual perception blocked, Huo Yuhao had no choice but to activate his Ice Empress Scorpion martial soul. Together with Wang Dong'er, they unleashed their Soul Fusion Skill—"Goddess of Light"—a technique so overwhelming it nearly crushed the sect's evil soul master.
But in the final moment, the spirit-blocking soul-engineered device was sabotaged from within. A Soul Douluo–level spirit-type evil soul master ambushed the "Goddess of Light."
Huo Yuhao barely held on—but Wang Dong'er's spiritual sea was severely wounded, causing the fusion to collapse.
Fortunately, Zhang Ming arrived just in time to rescue them.
"I see," Chen Junting nodded, placing a reassuring hand on Huo Yuhao's shoulder. "This isn't your fault."
But just then—
"XIAO DONG!"
A roar thundered from outside the door.
Before anyone could react—
CRASH—!
The infirmary door exploded inward, and a hulking figure stormed in!
Fan Yu stepped forward to intercept.
"This is—"
"Get out of my way!"
The man backhanded the air casually.
Fan Yu's face went pale—
because that offhand strike carried pressure comparable to Elder Mu himself!
Instinctively, Fan Yu tried to block—
BANG—!
The sheer force nearly made him vomit blood.
And that was with the man holding back.
"Who are you?!" Fan Yu demanded.
"WHO AM I?!" the giant bellowed. "I'M XIAO DONG'S SECOND DAD!"
The deafening voice only reached those who were conscious—
but it was enough to make Fan Yu and the others pale again… though this time, with relief.
Only Huo Yuhao stood frozen, utterly terrified.
"Greetings, Second Sect Master of Haotian Sect!" ×5
The room erupted in respectful bows.
But Tai Tan ignored them all. He strode straight to Wang Dong'er's bedside—and without waiting for explanations, instantly recognized the nature of her injury.
He produced a pill and gently helped her swallow it.
Within half a cup of tea's time—
"Mmm…!"
Wang Dong'er groaned, clutching her head as she slowly regained consciousness.
But when she saw who stood before her—
"Second Dad!?"
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