Dust was flying and shattered rocks were rolling.
Everyone who witnessed the scene was shaken to their core.
The two Titled Douluo who had just boasted, "Not even gods or ghosts can stop us"—
were now buried deep beneath the ruins.
Who dared strike against Spirit Hall's Titled Douluo?!
And who possessed such power?!
In an instant,
every disbelieving gaze turned toward Li Zhexian and Xue Qinghe.
These two unfathomable powerhouses…
were they summoned here by one of them?!
"Impossible?!"
Dai Mubai's eyes nearly split apart, his teeth grinding hard.
He had believed that with two Titled Douluo attacking,
Li Zhexian was already doomed.
Who could have expected—
not only did Li Zhexian's friends not abandon him,
but two even stronger Titled Douluo had appeared to rescue him!
Oscar and Bai Chenxiang pressed their lips tight, remaining silent.
To be fair, they had no ill feelings toward Li Zhexian. It was nothing more than their stances were different, and each was walking their own path.
In fact, from one event after another, they had seen a sincere youthful spirit in Li Zhexian.
If not for that, how could he have so many close friends who would follow him through life and death?!
"What a pity…"Tang San felt a twinge of regret.
But then, another thought: would it not be far sweeter to ruin Li Zhexian by his own hand?
"Brother Zhexian..." Ning Rongrong's slender hands clenched tight.
She wasn't doing nothing. In her palm she grasped a jade token suffused with sword intent.
It was a protective gift from Sword Douluo Chen Xin himself.
He had promised her: should danger strike,
all she need do was hold the token, and he would sense it.
Ten years ago—
when Spirit Hall tried to crush the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan,
she, still a child, had gripped this very jade.
And Sword Douluo, in seclusion far away,
had suddenly appeared to save her.
"Grandpa Sword… why have you not appeared this time?
Isn't Brotiher Zhexian the very sword disciple you placed your hopes upon?"
Meanwhile, in the forests flanking the ridge—
atop a great tree lush with leaves—
Dugu Bo's misty form peered at the two black-robed figures in astonishment.
With his Spirit Power level of ninety-two, he actually felt a sensation of a pounding heart and throbbing nerves from them.
"Level ninety-five or higher." He stroked his beard and muttered in a low voice, "Without doubt, Super Douluo of ninety-five and above."
"Just where has Zhexian found such mighty allies…"
Crack! A bolt of lightning suddenly landed beside Dugu Bo. When the lightning scattered, Yu Yuanzhen stepped out from within.
"Not just them!"
Dugu Bo frowned, baffled.
Yu Yuanzhen's thunder-bright eyes swept across the vast forest.
"In this region…
counting you and me, there are six Titled Douluo.
But from what I sensed,
there may be three more."
Dugu Bo stiffened.
"What did you say?!"
Yu Yuanzhen's weathered yet resolute face grew grave.
"I thought that on this trip to Spirit City,
guarding young friend Zhexian,
I'd need to act only once or twice.
But now…
I fear there will be serious trouble."
Dugu Bo's wrinkled face twitched twice.
He knew Yu Yuanzhen was a rank ninety-five Super Douluo,
a peak even among peers—
his judgment could not be wrong.
So then…
there were nine Titled Douluo present here?!
What in the world was this?!
Was this to be some Heavenly Ridge Martial Tournament?!
For the first time, Dugu Bo felt utterly unsafe.
Drawing a deep breath, he said solemnly:
"Old Dragon, tell me the truth.
Among all the Titled Douluo here—
where do I, Dugu Bo, rank?"
Yu Yuanzhen glanced around, frowning.
"Last."
Dugu Bo: "..."
Yu Yuanzhen continued, "I can't sense them anymore. The reason I could sense them earlier... was because when Chrysanthemum and Old Ghost appeared, those three leaked a wisp of their aura."
"One of them might not have an aura stronger than yours, but it's ethereal and unpredictable."
"If it really comes to a fight, you, old poison, might not be his opponent."
Rumble—
Rumble—
The ridge shook violently.
Two battered figures burst from the rubble, soaring skyward.
It was Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo.
They stared at the mysterious powerhouses wrapped in black robes, both shocked and angry.
"What is the meaning of this?!
You dare strike us?!"
One black-robed figure let out a cold laugh.
"After the way you two were strutting just now—
hitting you was already merciful. What, not convinced?"
As the words fell—
The other black-robed man swept his wide sleeve.
At once the air condensed, compressed into a giant pillar a hundred meters tall.
He gripped the narrow end in one hand.
Then, with a whistling shriek that shattered the air,
the mountain-sized end swung down toward Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo.
"Get lost!"
The giant pillar swept horizontally, stirring up a monstrous storm. The space seemed unable to bear the weight, letting out a groan of an impending collapse.
"Damn it!" Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo's faces paled.
"You... don't think that we're scared!"
TEven as they spoke harsh words, their figures flashed quickly and they instantly fled far away.
Boom—!
The pillar shattered midair with a thunderous crash.
A maelstrom of wind and destruction surged forth.
In an instant, trees toppled, earth split, the crowd below thrown into chaos.
If even Titled Douluo had fled—
How could a mere thousand Spirit Masters dare remain?
Within seconds, they scattered like startled birds.
And so, disaster was averted.
Whoosh—
Whoosh—
The dust had not yet settled. The two mysterious powerhouses in the sky suddenly disappeared.
When they reappeared, they were already standing one meter in front of Li Zhexian.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling instinctively wanted to rush forward. But Li Zhexian got there first, raising a hand to stop them. He cupped his hands and bowed.
"My deepest thanks, seniors, for your aid."
"Mm." One black-robed man gave a short reply.
Under everyone's shocked and suspicious gazes, he extended a hand. As if a senior was treating a close junior, he patted Li Zhexian on the shoulder twice.
"Good… boy…"
The slightly hoarse voice only uttered these three simple words. Immediately, the two figures swayed, disappearing without a trace like smoke and mist.
All eyes turned to Li Zhexian.
Such familiarity!
These two unfathomably powerful experts came specifically for Li Zhexian?!!
"Qinghe..." At this moment, Xue Qinghe, who was closest to Li Zhexian, heard his voice, which was sucking in a cold breath.
"Quick... quickly help me..."
"He... he made my arm go numb..."
This was no show of affection!
It was a disguised lesson!
Even those three words, "Good boy,"
were gritted out through clenched teeth!
...
After that harrowing day—
the party advanced with greater caution,
their pace quickening.
And after sharing such danger together,
aside from Shrek Academy who still kept their distance,
the other teams drew much closer to Li Zhexian's group.
Even the young women of Skywater Academy sometimes carried their bowls over to his campfire,
squatting down to share the simple yet lively meals.
Only—
Xue Qinghe seemed heavy with unspoken thoughts,
her brows shadowed with worry.
One day, inside the Crown Prince's carriage—
Li Zhexian held a piece of fruit to her lips.
She bit down absentmindedly.
Then she heard him say:
"When we reach Spirit City,
tell Qian Renxue this for me—
that I miss her."
The crystal flesh of the fruit warmed in her mouth.
She stared at him in daze,
only after a long pause nodding hastily.
"O… okay…"
Several days later—
the Heaven Dou Empire's contingent finally reached the outskirts of Spirit City.
Standing on the official road,
Li Zhexian and the others looked into the distance.
And there—
a majestic, sacred city revealed itself.
Like a flawless pearl set amid the embrace of verdant mountains.
Spirit City.
At last, they had arrived!