Demon Bear Douluo sneered, his voice booming like rolling thunder.
"Girl… show me the herb you carry. Do that, and perhaps I might spare your life."
Wu Meng stood silent, her chest rising and falling. Sweat dripped from her brow, her soul power dangerously low. She made no move to answer him, her eyes instead flicking past his hulking frame—towards the darkness behind him.
Because she felt it. A presence even more terrifying than Demon Bear Douluo.
The shadows parted, and under the moonlight, a colossal figure stepped forward removing his cloak. His hair was golden, his beard like the mane of a lion, his shoulders broad enough to blot out the starlight. His aura surged like a tidal wave, primal and wild, making every soul master in the clearing feel as though they had been cast into the jaws of a predator.
Demon Bear Douluo stiffened. His head turned sharply, and his expression twisted in disbelief.
"Fourth Worshiper?! You—what are you doing here?"
The Fourth Worshiper—Mighty Lion Douluo, Xiongshi Douluo, a Level 97 Super Douluo ,a pillar of the Elder Hall, whose strength and authority stood far above ordinary Titled Douluo. Another supposed strong man's appearance was like a hammer crashing down upon the fragile balance of power in the clearing.
But Xiongshi Douluo's eyes were not calm.
They were burning with fury.
Mighty Lion Douluo had come here half skeptical of the report he'd found in the wooden box. But the moment he spoke to the civilians, the truth became undeniable. Bishop Meyers and his branch were abusing Spirit Hall's name, oppressing the commoners, lining their pockets under the shadow of Demon Bear Douluo's protection.
And now, he had heard it with his own ears, this so-called Demon Bear Douluo, coveting an immortal herb meant for his grandson.
His killing intent flared.
"You want the herb, Bear?" his voice was low, like the growl of a predator about to strike.
Demon Bear Douluo's throat bobbed. His instincts screamed danger, but he still forced out a strained chuckle. "I… merely wish to confirm if it is genuine. Surely there is no harm in that—"
"Umm."
Mighty Lion Douluo didn't let him finish. His massive frame surged with golden soul power, and in an instant, all nine of his soul rings burst forth—two yellow, two purple, five black,. The golden shadow of a lion king roared into existence behind him, its mane blazing like fire, its fangs dripping with killing intent.
The pressure that fell upon the clearing was suffocating. Compared to the Bear's dark, brutish power, the Lion's aura was regal, feral, absolute. Every soul master present felt their knees buckle as though the very heavens were pressing down on them. This was the aura of Level 97 Super Douluo.
Before Demon Bear Douluo could react, a shadow loomed over him.
A hand larger than his head gripped his skull. The overwhelming force crashed down, and his entire body was smashed into the earth with a resounding boom. The ground split, cracks spiderwebbing across the clearing as soil and stone erupted outward.
Gasps filled the air.
Wu Meng, even as a Soul King, staggered backward, her breath shallow. "So… this is the true power of a top predator among Titled Douluo…" she whispered.
The mighty Demon Bear Douluo—pinned, helpless, beneath one hand.
Mighty Lion Douluo's beard flared in the moonlight, his voice like a lion's roar that shook the forest.
"Bear, you dare covet what does not belong to you? You dare soil the name of Spirit Hall with your filth?!"
His killing intent intensified, so sharp it seemed to cut the very night.
The surrounding soul masters of Spirit Hall Branch dared not move a muscle. Their faces drained of color, their backs drenched in cold sweat.
Wu Meng clutched her chest, her heart pounding. Relief and awe flooded her at the same time. She had been seconds from falling into despair, but now—the situation had reversed completely.
---
Back to the present time
The carriage entered Spirit City without any hitch. Its iron wheels clattered softly on the paved road as the grand walls of the Holy City loomed ever higher. Soon, the carriage slowed to a halt in front of the Elder's Hall, its towering gates casting long shadows in the late afternoon light.
Stepping down from the carriage, Qian Renxue raised her gaze toward the hall's imposing doors. A faint smile tugged at her lips as she whispered, almost to herself,
"I'm back."
Behind her, Ghost Douluo slipped soundlessly from the carriage, like a phantom. He handed a few coins to the coachman before falling into step behind Qian Renxue, his presence quiet yet oppressive.
As she strode along the vast corridor leading toward the main chamber, her mind churned with thoughts, sharp and calculating.
'Fourth Grandfather beating Demon Bear Douluo in front of a crowd…'
'To outsiders, this will look like Spirit Hall is tearing itself apart from within.'
'For Demon Bear, the humiliation is worse than the wounds. To be struck in public is to lose all face. He will fester with resentment… and yet, that incident also laid bare the corruption and rot that gnaws at Spirit Hall's foundations.'
Her eyes glimmered coldly as she walked.
'Grandfather Qian Daoliu now has to take matters into his own hands after such an event. Those otaku grandfathers will now have no choice but to move, whether they like it or not.'
Before she realized it, Qian Renxue had arrived at the massive bronze-plated doors of the main hall of Elder's Hall. She reached out, fingers brushing against the cool surface, preparing to push them open.
But just then, a thunderous roar split through the silence within.
"YOU USELESS PIG! HOW DARE THIS HAPPEN UNDER YOUR WATCH?!"
The voice of Qian Daoliu shook the air, filled with a fury that could shatter mountains.