At the mouth of the alley,
a figure in a gray robe stepped lightly upon the wind.
His face was lean and refined, his eyes bound with black silk.
At his waist hung an ancient longsword, swaying gently with his stride—
each time the scabbard brushed against the bluestone street,
a clear metallic clang rang out.
It was the very image of a solitary swordsman of the Jianghu.
Li Zhexian's handsome face brightened with joy as he clasped his hands and bowed.
"Zhexian greets Senior Feng Bailong!"
For Feng Bailong —
whether it was his mastery of the sword, or the grace of his protection in years past —
Li Zhexian held genuine reverence.
"Not only me."
Before Feng Bailong's laugh had faded,
three more silhouettes emerged slowly from the shadowed alley behind him.
"Little friend Zhexian, have you forgotten this old man?"
"Zhexian, that battle you fought last time — it was truly magnificent!"
Seeing the three figures, Li Zhexian's heart trembled.
He immediately bowed again.
"This junior greets Seniors Yu Yuanzhen, Dugu Bo, and Chen Xin!"
He had known —
that during his bloody duel with Salas that night,
elders were likely watching in secret.
But never had he expected that all four Titled Douluo would be there together.
"Seeing you happily reunited with your friends these days,
we thought it best not to disturb you."
Feng Bailong casually lifted a hand.
At once, the drifting night breeze gathered at his palm as if obeying a command,
condensing into a sealed jar of fine wine wrapped in red cloth.
"Little friend Zhexian —
after so many banquets, is your appetite weary of drink?"
"Would you join a few old men for a quiet cup tonight?"
Li Zhexian's smile brightened.
"It would be my honor."
And so, four of the world's most renowned Titled Douluo followed Li Zhexian
into his small courtyard.
Aside from Chen Xin and Dugu Bo,
this was Feng Bailong and Yu Yuanzhen's first visit here.
They watched the misty drizzle of plum rain tapping upon the stone table and bamboo chairs,
and a look of appreciation rose in their eyes.
"Little Friend Zhexian's courtyard is indeed clean, elegant, and refined."
Feng Bailong brought the wine,
Dugu Bo offered several exquisite dishes,
and the five of them sat together around the stone table.
With the plum rain as their curtain,
they raised their cups and drank.
During the feast,
Chen Xin remained as taciturn as ever,
while Li Zhexian, Feng Bailong, Yu Yuanzhen, and Dugu Bo
often burst into hearty laughter over tales of the jianghu world,
their voices shaking the plum blossoms overhead.
A single petal fell quietly into Dugu Bo's cup.
He gazed at the faint pink floating in the wine,
then suddenly tilted his head back and drank it all.
As the warmth of wine spread across his aged face,
a shadow of melancholy clouded his eyes.
"A night as peaceful as this…"
"I wonder if we'll ever have another chance to gather again."
At those words,
the laughter around the table faded.
Everyone present was perceptive —
how could they not understand the meaning behind Dugu Bo's sigh?
"You three have sects standing behind you;
Spirit Hall may hesitate to provoke you openly."
"But I, Dugu Bo, was born and raised in Heaven Dou!"
"I've no care for royal favor or wealth.
My loyalty belongs to this land beneath my feet —
to every blade of grass and tree within this city…"
"If war breaks out one day,
I will gladly lay my bones in Heaven Dou's soil!"
Perhaps the wine had loosened his tongue —
for Dugu Bo spoke far more tonight than usual.
In truth,
the four of them had already discussed this matter in the past few days.
With Pope Bibi Dong's ambition to swallow the world whole,
the two great empires — Heaven Dou and Star Luo —
were destined to be her first targets.
"Old Poison," Chen Xin said calmly, tapping the table with a finger,
"the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan stands with Heaven Dou —
there's no need for further words."
"The fate of the lips and the teeth are bound together.
Our Sect Master knows this well."
"Lips perish, and the teeth grow cold—our Sect Master knows that truth well."
"If Spirit Hall dares to invade Heaven Dou's borders,
the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan will not stand idle."
Yu Yuanzhen remained silent for a long time.
The wine in his cup seemed to weigh a thousand catties.
At last, he sighed and drank it down.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had always maintained neutrality;
in past conflicts between Spirit Hall and Heaven Dou,
they kept themselves apart.
But their ancestral roots were buried deep within Heaven Dou territory…
"In this turbulent world, how could anyone hope to stay untouched by the storm?"
"The Blue Lightning Clan will also stand guard and defend our homeland."
Feng Bailong tilted his head back and took a deep swig of strong wine.
Beneath the black silk covering his eyes,
a faint gleam seemed to pierce through the night.
"The Wind Sword Sect's mountain gate lies outside Heaven Dou's borders."
"Were it not for little friend Zhexian helping me break through and earn my title,
and had I not already forged enmity with Spirit Hall…"
"Then, in this coming conflict between Spirit Hall and Heaven Dou,
my sect could have remained a mere bystander."
"But now, I fear Spirit Hall has already marked the Wind Sword Sect as an enemy."
"So be it — the Wind Sword Sect shall lend Heaven Dou its strength."
Watching the three men, slightly drunk and flushed from the wine,
Dugu Bo finally showed a faint, relieved smile.
A few days ago, in their secret discussion,
aside from Chen Xin,
neither Yu Yuanzhen nor Feng Bailong had clearly declared their stance.
But tonight — perhaps emboldened by wine,
perhaps swayed by the calm white-clad youth mediating among them —
both Yu Yuanzhen and Feng Bailong finally made their positions known.
"Ha! This wine was worth every drop!"
"I, Dugu Bo, drink to the three of you on behalf of Heaven Dou!"
Chen Xin said evenly:
"Alliances are built on mutual benefit."
Yu Yuanzhen and Feng Bailong both nodded, smiling.
"True enough," said Yu Yuanzhen. "But since it's the old poison's toast, we'll drink it all the same."
As the four great powers subtly began forming an alliance,
Li Zhexian, who had been silently observing from the side,
furrowed his brows tightly.
Judging by what these four seniors said…
Their secret talks had concluded that Spirit Hall would strike Heaven Dou first?
That — was completely different from the original course of history!
In the original story,
to intimidate the world and eliminate future threats,
before declaring war on Heaven Dou and Star Luo,
Pope Bibi Dong launched a bloody massacre against the Three Upper Sects —
the infamous "Spirit Hunting Operation."
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was nearly annihilated —
most of its disciples were slaughtered;
Sword Douluo Chen Xin lost an arm,
and together with Bone Douluo Gu Rong and Ning Fengzhi,
they fled in desperate defeat.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan suffered an even more tragic fate —
the entire clan was wiped out,
not a single blade of grass left standing.
The mighty old dragon Yu Yuanzhen fell in a fierce final battle,
and his three Spirit Bones were ripped from his corpse.
Of the Upper Three Sects,
only the reclusive and strongest — the Clear Sky Clan— escaped calamity.
In truth,
even if these four had not come tonight,
Li Zhexian would have sought them out about this matter.
"Honored seniors…"
Li Zhexian's usually calm, handsome face now bore rare solemnity.
"According to what this junior knows…"
"When Spirit Hall raises its blade — the first to suffer will not be the Heaven Dou Empire!"
"What?!"
Four pairs of eyes instantly fixed upon him —
sharp, sober, and utterly without a trace of drunkenness or disdain.
By sharing drinks with this white-clad youth tonight,
they had already acknowledged him as an equal in spirit.
Though his strength had not yet fully matured,
his potential was destined to stand tall like a pillar of heaven.
Meeting their grave and piercing gazes,
Li Zhexian drew a deep breath and spoke slowly, word by word:
"Pope Bibi Dong seeks to found her own empire,
to devour the lands of Heaven Dou and Star Luo —
such a war is indeed inevitable."
"But Spirit Hall has long regarded itself as a holy order.
Though it is revered by Spirit Masters,
it has little experience in true warfare or bloodshed —
thus, it lacks the awe of thunderous might."
"So before she marches on the two great empires,
she will surely make an example —
kill the chicken to warn the monkeys,
forging her authority through blood and terror."
This matter was far too grave!
Fearing even the slightest complacency from the four,
Li Zhexian could only bolster his warning with a carefully crafted lie:
"That golden-haired girl —
I believe the four of you have already guessed her identity."
"From her, I learned…"
"The first targets that Spirit Hall is sharpening its blades for…"
"Are the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!"
"What?!"
Sword qi surged from Chen Xin's sleeve.
Lightning burst from Yu Yuanzhen's fingertips.
Both men shot to their feet in shock.
At the same time —
Inside the Pope's Palace,
Bibi Dong, clad in her radiant golden robe,
sat high upon her throne of authority.
Her breathtaking face was half veiled in shadow,
the darkness lending her an even more commanding air.
She spoke slowly:
"Has there been any word from Salas?"
"What is Li Zhexian's current strength?"