On a vast plain outside Tiandou City, a massive army had already begun to assemble.
Golong was the strongest among the four marshals, and also the most powerful figure within the legion. In truth, he had been threatened by Qian Renxue just a few days earlier. However, driven by his own ambitions, Golong could not resist discussing matters with the other three marshals, secretly contacting the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and initiating a rebellion.
All four legion marshals were Contras, with Golong standing at the peak among them.
"Golong, what banner are we raising?" one of the marshals asked hesitantly. "We don't even know whether His Majesty has passed away. If he's still alive, then this rebellion would lack legitimacy, and our knights might be thrown into chaos."
Golong pondered for a moment before replying calmly,
"We'll declare that His Majesty is gravely ill and has been placed under house arrest by Crown Prince Xue Qinghe. He sent a secret letter to us marshals, ordering us to gather our forces, defeat Xue Qinghe, and elect a new emperor of the Tiandou Empire—one who is closest to His Majesty by blood."
After he finished speaking, the other three marshals fell silent, quietly watching him.
Golong naturally understood their doubts and continued,
"Don't worry. I won't forget our earlier agreement. Once we seize Tiandou City and temporarily install a puppet emperor to stabilize the situation, when the time is right, I'll divide the Tiandou Empire into four parts. The four of us brothers will each rule as emperor. What do you think?"
In truth, Golong felt somewhat constrained. If possible, he would have preferred to seize the entire Tiandou Empire for himself. But as the saying went, if you wanted the horse to run, you had to feed it. To keep the other three marshals fighting alongside him, he had no choice but to offer promises and empty assurances.
"Alright!" said one of the burliest and most straightforward-looking men. "We've been brothers for decades—let's trust you one more time! If we succeed this time, our four kingdoms will be bound as sworn brothers. And if possible, we can even march south to attack the Star Luo Empire and conquer it completely. Our territory would be far greater then!"
Golong and the others exchanged glances, but no one spoke further.
"Good. Keep an eye on the time. We'll launch the attack just before dawn," Golong said. "Sect Master Ning and Bone Douluo from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School should arrive soon. Make sure nothing goes wrong. As long as Sect Master Ning and the two Title Douluos support us, we can't fail. Once the overall situation is settled, even if Ning Fengzhi realizes he's been used, he'll be powerless to stop us from dividing the Tiandou Empire into four parts. After installing a puppet emperor to stabilize things, we'll proceed step by step until the division is complete. By the time he notices, it'll be far too late."
By the end of his words, Golong was visibly excited.
At the same time, Yin Zhang's group took to the skies.
They all summoned their martial spirits, brilliant light blooming in the darkness. Although Qian Renxue was only at the Soul King level, her Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul granted her wings, allowing her to fly with ease.
The others either used their martial spirits to carry themselves through the air, or, like Dugu Bo, summoned their martial spirits externally, lifting themselves aloft as if separated from their bodies.
Among them all, Yin Zhang was the most dazzling young figure.
He summoned his second martial soul—the Golden Sacred Dragon. Standing atop the dragon's head, he flew at the very front of the formation, radiating majesty and overwhelming presence.
Dugu Bo was completely stunned when he saw the golden dragon beneath Yin Zhang's feet. He exclaimed in shock,
"Xiao Zhang, what's that dragon under you? Do you possess twin martial souls?"
Yin Zhang smiled faintly.
"This is one of my secrets," he said. "But everyone here is either an elder of the Spirit Hall or someone I trust, so it's fine to reveal it."
Qian Renxue and the others, who knew how Yin Zhang had entered the Spirit Hall, were equally confused.
Could it be that back then, none of the three Title Douluos—Bibi Dong, Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, and the others—had discovered that Yin Zhang possessed twin martial souls?
If Bibi Dong had known, she would never have allowed Yin Zhang to be handed over to the Hall of Worship. She would have either suppressed the information or taken him as her own disciple. Even if she didn't do so personally, she could have arranged for one of her subordinates to mentor him. In that case, the Hall of Worship would have had no legitimate reason to take Yin Zhang away.
Noticing the puzzled expressions of those flying beside him, Yin Zhang casually fabricated an explanation:
"In truth, I originally had only a single martial soul. But a few months ago, I consumed a rare and precious herb rich in dragon attributes. It activated the dragon bloodline within me, and I awakened a second martial soul—the Golden Sacred Dragon."
Of course, there was a clear flaw in his story: awakening a new martial soul after consuming an herb was unheard of among Soul Masters.
But since Yin Zhang stated it so confidently, it became a passable explanation. If one didn't dwell on it too deeply, it almost seemed plausible. After all, just because it had never happened before didn't mean it was impossible.
Qian Renxue and the others exchanged disbelieving looks, but given the circumstances, this was the only explanation that made any sense.
Otherwise, what could they do—capture Yin Zhang and interrogate him?
The group was about to leave the city.
The armies stationed near Tiandou City were not directly garrisoned within the city itself. First, the sheer scale made it impractical. Second, it was to prevent a sudden rebellion that could seize the emperor before the army had time to react.
However, just as the group approached the city gate, they noticed someone standing there.
Yin Zhang focused his gaze—and realized it was an ancient banyan tree.
He burst into laughter. He knew that Gu Rong possessed spatial abilities, making him exceptionally adept at preserving his own life.
Most likely, Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin had sent him ahead to scout the situation and report back.
"Senior Bone Douluo, do you still remember me?" Yin Zhang called out cheerfully. "I'm Yin Zhang. I once stayed in your sect for no longer than the time it takes an incense stick to burn. It's been several years—do you still recognize me, Senior?"
Gu Rong's expression was grim. He had never imagined that in just two or three years, Yin Zhang's aura would become so terrifying—so oppressive—that it felt as though he were facing a formidable enemy.
More importantly, Yin Zhang's side now had a full five Title Douluos!
Gu Rong recognized Dugu Bo, but he had never expected Dugu Bo to align himself with the Spirit Hall as well.
And that woman's martial soul… a Six-Winged Angel.
It was clear—she was from the Qian family of the Spirit Hall.