"Chen Ming, Dugu Bo, Yue Guan, Ye Renxin…"
Yu Yuanzhen, the clan leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family, stared at the four names printed on the booklet. Then his gaze shifted to Chen Ming—the boy who looked no older than twelve—and something indescribable flickered in his eyes.
By now, everyone understood.
The true core of this new cultivation method came from that child. The others had only helped refine and complete his idea.
Were their contributions important? Of course they were.
But if it had been anyone else present—any other clan or sect—they could have offered nearly the same kind of assistance.
Not because they possessed equal expertise in medicine or theory, but because after so many years of accumulation, everyone had already reached their own limits. They were all standing before the same bottleneck.
Even if they approached it differently, given enough data and refinement, the final conclusion would inevitably converge.
And yet—
"I don't believe it! There's no way a child could have written something like this. This must be a conspiracy!"
The furious shout rang out, laced with panic and disbelief.
In an instant, whether from the Seven Great Sects or the two empires, every single person turned toward the source of the voice. The few Spirit Masters closest to him scrambled away in fear, practically crawling as they fled.
Even Bibi Dong, whose emotions had already been in turmoil, froze for a brief moment. A rare flicker of shock crossed her mind.
Who on earth has the audacity for this?
To be blunt, even she wouldn't dare speak recklessly in a setting like this. So who exactly was bold enough to openly challenge them here?
The speaker was a towering, broad-shouldered old man. His arms were thick as iron pillars, his entire frame like a steel tower—clearly a powerful assault-type Spirit Master.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, someone recognized him.
"Tai Tan! Spirit Hall has set aside past grudges and allowed your Strength Clan to attend this grand assembly, yet instead of showing gratitude, you dare cause trouble here? Have you grown tired of living?!"
A Spirit Master from the Heaven Dou Empire pointed at him and shouted angrily.
Titan?
At the mention of that name, Qian Daoliu instinctively thought of Titan Giants or the Titan Giant Ape. For a split second, he even wondered if some hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast in human form—or a hidden supreme expert—had appeared.
But after a closer look, he realized the truth.
Just an overgrown, foolish Spirit Douluo.
"Hmph! My Strength Clan has nothing to be ashamed of!" Tai Tan snorted, his expression full of stubborn confidence. "But your Spirit Hall? How could a mere child possibly create something like this? I say you're lying—fabricating all this just to elevate this brat!"
His finger shot out, pointing straight at Chen Ming.
"This kid doesn't look very old, does he? Do you all remember what year the previous Pope died?" He let out a cold laugh. "Others might believe he's some nobody with no background—but I, Tai Tan, don't! Even without the Angel Martial Soul, that doesn't mean he has no connection to Qian Xunji!"
His voice grew louder, more certain, as if he had uncovered some grand truth.
"I say this is the former Pope's illegitimate or posthumous son! Spirit Hall is using this entire spectacle to build momentum for him! And as for this so-called new cultivation method—who knows what hidden tricks they've buried inside it? Don't be fooled!"
Everyone looked at Tai Tan as if he were a complete fool.
Did he really think the Strength Clan had survived all this time because of their own strength?
No—it was because Spirit Hall had shown mercy and spared them. Otherwise, any single Titled Douluo could have wiped out the entire clan with ease. And yet, instead of keeping their heads down and behaving, he dared to stir up trouble at a moment like this?
Did he not understand that the very fact he was still alive, that he was even able to stand on this stage today, was already a gift from Spirit Hall?
Under the cold, contemptuous gazes of the crowd—some even tinged with killing intent—Tai Tan felt his throat tighten. Then a voice, icy and cutting, reached his ears.
"Finished talking?"
The voice was like a blade of steel, like a volcano on the verge of eruption. Though its owner had yet to release any aura, the sheer weight of his will alone pressed down so heavily that Tai Tan's heart nearly stopped beating.
A burly middle-aged man stepped out from behind Qian Daoliu. Golden light surged around him, his immense vitality scorching the air itself into distortion. His vast Spirit Power shot skyward, forming the phantom of a colossal golden crocodile.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black… red!
The moment that ninth red Spirit Ring ignited, every spectator's heart seemed to skip a beat. The terrifying pressure of a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast radiated outward, making it clear to all what the pinnacle of a Spirit Master truly meant.
Golden Crocodile Douluo clenched his fist slightly—then threw a single punch.
In an instant, Tai Tan's massive body—so heavily built that it could rival a Titled Douluo through sheer physical strength—exploded into a cloud of blood mist. Before it could even settle, it was completely vaporized by the surging Spirit Power.
Not even a trace remained.
"Hmph!"
Golden Crocodile Douluo let out a cold snort. With his current cultivation and overwhelming dominance, countless Spirit Masters were forced to retreat a step or more. Even the assembled Titled Douluo showed shock on their faces.
"The Strength Clan… truly ungrateful. Tired of living, it seems. Out of respect for heaven's mercy, Spirit Hall did not exterminate the remnants of the Clear Sky Sect. But it seems we were too lenient."
His gaze turned cold, killing intent overflowing.
"From this day forward, the Strength Clan will be wiped out completely. I do not wish to see another Spirit Master with the Strength Ape Martial Soul anywhere on this continent."
No one dared to object.
"Senior is righteous!"
"Tai Tan brought this upon himself!"
"That's right! He must have taken benefits from the Clear Sky Sect to cause trouble!"
After witnessing Golden Crocodile Douluo obliterate a powerful high-level Spirit Douluo with a single punch—leaving not even bones behind—everyone present unanimously condemned Tai Tan.
It wasn't just because of Golden Crocodile Douluo's overwhelming strength, but also because Tai Tan's actions were so utterly brainless that they provoked disgust rather than sympathy.
As for Chen Ming, one of the central figures of the event, he merely shook his head as he looked at the spot where Tai Tan had vanished.
Some believed Tai Tan had been bribed by the Clear Sky Sect to sabotage the event.
But Chen Ming didn't think so.
He understood clearly—this was simply blind loyalty at work. Tai Tan's servility ran so deep that anything even remotely connected to his master, Tang Hao, would make him instinctively bow and scrape. No reward was needed, and it had nothing to do with the Clear Sky Sect.
People who debase themselves like that were often more repulsive than those who caused trouble for money.
It was just unfortunate for Tai Tan that he had run into someone like Golden Crocodile Douluo—someone with a violent temper who didn't bother explaining anything before erasing him in front of everyone.
"May I… may I ask for Senior's name?"
Chen Xin spoke, his voice steady but his heart anything but.
Feeling the near-tangible, overwhelmingly tyrannical aura emanating from Golden Crocodile Douluo—one that seemed even more oppressive than Qian Daoliu's—his Seven Kill Sword Martial Soul trembled uncontrollably.
Recalling the golden crocodile phantom and the terrifying Spirit Ring configuration he had just witnessed, Chen Xin—who had been a Title Douluo for decades—felt like a fresh recruit again, swallowing hard as a bold guess formed in his mind.
"I am the second worship of Spirit Hall—Golden Crocodile Douluo. Over two hundred years old this year."
Golden Crocodile Douluo narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the Seven Kill Sword in Chen Xin's hand.
"A descendant of the Seven Kill Sword, hm? Compared to your grandfather… you're not bad."
His simple introduction hit the crowd like a depth charge.
Every person present wore expressions of undisguised shock—and a trace of fear.
...
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