The three were powerhouses of the same level. If Ye Xishui was bent on death, how could Mu En and Long Xiaoyao possibly stop her?
Violent Spirit Power burst from within her body, tearing her apart piece by piece as it consumed her flesh and bones.
The self-destruction of a Limit Douluo was powerful enough to annihilate nearly everyone present.
Horror froze on every face; no one had expected Ye Xishui to be so resolute.
Just as that destructive energy was about to sweep across the lands, Li Zhixian swallowed the wine in his mouth and let out a breath.
A long breeze manifested out of thin air, as gentle as spring water brushing over a surface, silently smoothing away the Spirit Power that was about to explode.
He could have naturally prevented Ye Xishui's self-detonation, but he simply didn't want to. Ye Xishui was neither kin nor friend to him, and she had died as she lived.
The light faded.
Dust settled softly.
The woman who once stirred storms across the continent—the supreme leader of the evil Spirit Masters—vanished as if she had never existed.
Mu En and Long Xiaoyao stood there, stunned.
Yan Shaozhe closed his eyes in pain.
He knew Ye Xishui deserved death.
But blood was still blood.
Watching one's own kin perish before their eyes—no matter how righteous the cause—was not something the heart could ignore.
"Xishui…"
Long Xiaoyao slowly lifted his head.
A faint thread of light-infused Spirit Power tinged with crimson drifted down and brushed gently across his face.
Memories surged through his mind.
The heroic girl in red he had first met in his youth…
The ruthless yet beautiful figure who had walked beside him during their years within the Holy Spirit Cult…
In the end, they all faded into a quiet warmth of light.
"The mountains are bright and the waters pure here; it is well that you sleep here eternally." His voice was raspy, and two lines of muddy tears slid from the corners of his closed eyes.
"Xishui… thank you for telling me the truth at the end."
"So it turns out that I, Long Xiaoyao… still have blood left in this world."
"Forgive me for not following you in death. That child likely wouldn't acknowledge me anyway."
"I've already failed in my duty as a parent in this life."
"From this day forward…"
"There will be no more Darkness Holy Dragon in this world."
"Only a man named Long Xiaoyao… who walks the lands doing good deeds to atone."
"I'll spend every step of the rest of my life… washing away even half a measure of your sins."
And with that—
Long Xiaoyao left.
No one spoke.
No one stopped him.
First, as Ye Xishui herself had said, although Long Xiaoyao had been bound to the Holy Spirit Cult, he had always maintained the pride of the Darkness Holy Dragon and never slaughtered the innocent.
Second—
even if someone had wanted to stop him, they wouldn't have dared.
Because at this moment, within the crowd—
aside from that transcendent immortal in white, only Mu En and Huo Yuhao had the strength to stop him.
And both of them shared a relationship with Long Xiaoyao that was neither fully friend nor enemy.
The lonely, aged figure walked farther and farther away.
Just as he was about to disappear into the misty forest, he suddenly turned back for one last glance.
That single glance stirred countless emotions in Yan Shaozhe's heart.
In the end—he silently turned away and quietly left.
With that, the matter was settled.
One by one, the gathered powerhouses cupped their hands respectfully toward the white-robed youth.
None dared step forward to disturb him.
Instead, they quietly took their leave.
Your Excellency Divine-Eyed Douluo…"
Jing Hongchen stepped forward with his grandson and bowed respectfully to Huo Yuhao.
His voice carried a hint of nervousness.
"In the past, I offended you. I offer my sincere apologies."
"If you have any interest in soul tools, I am willing to copy all the soul tool manuals of the Sun Moon Empire and present them to you personally."
"What do you think?"
Huo Yuhao had no interest in playing political games with Jing Hongchen.
But the complete collection of the Sun Moon Empire's soul tool manuals was essentially the crystallization of the world's soul tool technology.
It just so happened to fulfill the task Li Zhexian had previously assigned him.
Huo Yuhao nodded.
"Then please prepare them as soon as possible, Hall Master Jing."
Jing Hongchen was overjoyed. "Of course! Of course!"
...
Before Du Busi left, he gave Huo Yuhao a deep look.
With Huo Yuhao's current cultivation, trying to recruit him into the Body Sect would be nothing more than a foolish dream.
What a pity.
A truly unfortunate pity.
Huo Yuhao noticed Du Busi's gaze but said nothing.
In truth—
he had long since mastered the Body Sect's method of second Martial Soul awakening.
In his previous life, his Spirit Eyes had reached the stage known as Golden Awakening.
But in this life…
his ambition went far beyond that.
When he broke through the realm of Titled Douluo, or even ascended to godhood—he intended to use that earth-shattering leap to push the second awakening of his Martial Soul toward the legendary level: Emerald Awakening.
"Brother Zhexian." Huo Yuhao turned to Li Zhexian with a smile.
"Now that the turmoil has settled, the remnants of the Holy Spirit Cult will be handled by the various factions."
"If you're not in a hurry to leave, perhaps you could stay here for a few days."
"I'd like to at least play host… and ask you for some guidance in cultivation."
Skydream Ice Silkworm grabbed a strand of Li Zhexian's hair and swung back and forth.
"Exactly!"
"Brother Zhexian, this projection of yours staying here won't affect your real body at all."
"And those guys in the Star Dou Forest haven't even met you yet."
"Who knows? You might even run into some wine that suits your taste!"
Li Zhexian looked at the two of them with an amused smile before nodding.
"Very well."
"Yuhao, the next step for you is to cultivate quietly."
"When you break through to Titled Douluo—or even step into the realm of gods—"
"If you wish to bring your family and friends to the Divine Star…"
"There will still be one final trial you must pass."
Huo Yuhao froze.
With his current combat power, it could be said that no opponent remained in the mortal world.
What kind of obstacle could still be called a "trial"?
Then a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
Invincible in the mortal realm, but an enemy from the Divine Realm! God King Tang San!
"Brother Zhexian, I will cultivate with everything I have!"
...
The battle between Huo Yuhao and Long Xiaoyao drew the attention of the entire continent.
Three shocking pieces of news spread like a hurricane:
— Huo Yuhao defeated Long Xiaoyao in three moves and slew Zhongli Wu.
— There is a god standing behind Huo Yuhao.
— Shrek Academy's dean Yan Shaozhe is the descendant of Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao, and Ye Xishui ended her own life.
The revelations shook the world.
From that day onward—
Huo Yuhao's position as the number one powerhouse on the Douluo Continent was firmly established.
And the world also knew... there was a "transcendent Immortal" in the mortal realm!
...
In a remote corner of the continent—far from human presence—spiritual energy gathered like mist, and deep within the forest lay a hidden realm where countless spirit herbs were cultivated.
Tang Wutong had long since lost count of how many spirit herbs she had consumed.
Normally, the more spirit herbs one consumed, the weaker their effects became.
But when the supply was virtually endless…
that limitation hardly mattered.
Ignoring the damage to her own foundation, she devoured them one after another, seeking only one thing—a rapid surge in Spirit Power.
Boom!
A vast surge of Spirit Power erupted from her body.
Tang Wutong suddenly opened her eyes and let out a long breath of turbid air.
"It's been a year since Huo Yuhao fought Long Xiaoyao…"
"My Spirit Power has finally reached Level 90."
"I'm almost able to summon Father into the mortal world."
She murmured to herself.
A trace of hesitation crossed her face.
"But breaking through like this… without regard for the consequences…"
"My foundation…"
Spirit Rings rose one by one beneath her feet.
Purple.
Purple.
Black.
Black.
Black.
Black.
Black.
Black.
Black.
If an outsider saw such a configuration, they would be utterly stunned.
But Tang Wutong was far from satisfied.
She was the daughter of a God King.
She possessed twin Martial Souls—the Clear Sky Hammer and the Radiant Dragon God Butterfly.
Every one of these rings had been divinely bestowed rings prepared by her father, capable of reaching the maximum age her body could endure.
If she had cultivated normally—
her Spirit Rings should have been six black and three red at the very least.
But now…
her talent had clearly been damaged.
Tang Wutong's eyes dimmed.
"The gap between Huo Yuhao and me… is only growing larger."
Just then—
the sound of roaring ocean waves suddenly echoed through the forest.
A tall figure slowly condensed into form before her.
"Wutong."
Tang San's voice was calm and steady, carrying a distant, divine resonance.
"Are you… blaming your father?"