Unfortunately, before Zhang Tian could even formulate a diplomatic solution to safely extract the guardians of Jin Xi, the atmosphere above Spirit City froze like a lake trapped in the dead of winter. The very air ceased to flow, caught in the grip of a force that defied the natural laws of the mortal realm.
VWOOM!
A holy, blinding golden light pierced the afternoon sky like a spear thrown by a celestial giant. It cast an oppressive, radiant glow over the ruined market square, washing away the shadows of the alleyways. Simultaneously, a heavy, suffocating dark purple aura descended like a collapsing mountain of iron, pressing a physical weight upon the cracked cobblestones and shattered wooden stalls.
Qian Daoliu, the Grand Enshrinement of the Elder Hall, and Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong arrived simultaneously from the highest peaks of the Spirit Hall. They had clearly sensed the massive commotion disrupting the peace of their capital, their divine senses acting like beacons drawn to the chaotic clashes of Super Douluos.
Qian Daoliu floated gracefully downward, descending like a falling star. His six golden seraphim wings stretched wide, radiating an absolute, divine pressure that forced the ambient spirit power in the area to a complete standstill. The dust swirling in the air froze in place, suspended by the sheer density of his domain. He appeared as an entity untouched by mortal concerns, a guardian of light whose very presence demanded submission.
Bibi Dong landed atop the peaked roof of a nearby building. Her ornate papal robes fluttered around her form like the wings of a dark moth. Her pink eyes swept over the devastation of the market square with a cold, unforgiving glare that carried the chill of a frozen wasteland. She stood like a sovereign surveying a den of trespassing thieves, her aura promising nothing but a swift, agonizing execution.
The moment the two Limit Douluos arrived, the violent clashes between the humans and the beasts ground to an abrupt, tense halt. The sheer pressure radiating from the sky acted as an invisible wall, separating the combatants.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong immediately recalled their martial spirits, the massive skeletal dragon and the colossal sword projection fading into wisps of spirit light. They respectfully nodded their heads toward the Supreme Pontiff and the Grand Enshrinement, acknowledging the arrival of the absolute pinnacle of human cultivation, though they kept their guard raised like coiled springs.
Yao Ling, Zi Ji, and Chi Wang regrouped in the center of the cratered street, standing shoulder to shoulder amidst the smoking ruins. Despite facing the absolute pinnacle of human strength, the three Ferocious Beasts didn't show a single ounce of fear. Their postures were rigid, their expressions reflecting the untamed pride of creatures who had ruled the forest depths since the dawn of the current era.
"What is the meaning of this?" Qian Daoliu asked. His voice was perfectly calm, yet it echoed with the force of a thunderclap striking the ear drums of everyone present. "Why is this fighting happening within the walls of Spirit City?"
Bibi Dong's gaze locked instantly onto the three intruders. Her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as she felt the strange, wild fluctuations of their constrained auras. The energy they emitted did not feel like the refined, cultivated spirit power of human experts; it felt like a raw, untamed storm brewing over an ocean.
Qian Daoliu's golden eyes pierced straight through the fragile human disguises of the trio. He was the one who sensed the profound truth hidden beneath their skin, his connection to the angelic divinity granting him a vision beyond mortal deception.
"You are no ordinary Spirit Masters," Qian Daoliu stated, his serene expression hardening into a mask of solemn judgment. "You seem to be transformed spirit beasts. Beasts possessing more than a hundred thousand years of age, perhaps even more than two hundred thousand years old."
Bibi Dong was genuinely surprised to hear that revelation. Her pink eyes flashed with a sudden, predatory greed that mirrored a starving wolf spotting a wounded deer. The icy composure of the Supreme Pontiff melted away internally, replaced by the ravenous desires of a woman deeply infatuated.
'Three beasts exceeding a hundred thousand years?' Bibi Dong thought, her heart racing like a galloping steed against her ribs.
She was immediately thinking of slaughtering these beasts to harvest their priceless Spirit Bones. In her mind, she saw the gleaming, blood-red rings and the glowing, ancient bones not as artifacts of nature, but as the ultimate gifts for her dear lover, Zhang Tian. She envisioned presenting these peerless treasures to him, kneeling before him and watching his strength eclipse the heavens themselves. She wanted to strengthen him, to offer him the very foundation of the world as proof of her eternal devotion.
'I will tear the bones from their corpses and fashion a crown of power for my Husband,' Bibi Dong schemed internally, her hands curling into tight fists beneath her robes. 'He will be so pleased with me. He will reward me with his touch for hunting such magnificent prey.'
The tension in the ruined plaza spiked to astronomical levels. The human experts subtly shifted their stances, surrounding the three beasts like a tightening noose, preparing to execute a hunt of legendary proportions.
Yao Ling, recognizing that their human disguises were entirely useless against a Limit Douluo at the calibre of Qian Daoliu, stepped forward. His frail human form seemed to expand, radiating the ancient, unyielding pride of the Myriad Demon King. He shed the posture of a weak old man, standing tall like an ancient oak tree weathering a hurricane.
Yao Ling was the one who spoke directly to Qian Daoliu, his voice sounding like dry, grinding bark rubbing against stone. "We have no interest in your human city, nor your petty conflicts. Your stone dens and your political squabbles are meaningless dust to the true lords of nature."
"We are here because one of the most important, sacred members of our race has been abducted from her home," Yao Ling declared. His cloudy gaze swept over the assembled humans, dismissing the Titled Douluos as mere annoyances until his eyes landed upon the shadowed alleyway.
"We only want to free her and bring her back to the sanctuary of the forest," he stated firmly, projecting an aura of unwavering resolve. "As long as you humans can let her go, we will leave this place immediately without further bloodshed. We seek no war with your kind today."
He raised his wrinkled hand, pointing a withered finger directly at Jin Xi, who was standing quietly beside Zhang Tian in the shadows.
"Return her to us," Yao Ling demanded, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "If not... we can only fight until the bitter end. We will burn this city to ash before we allow her to remain a captive in a human cage."
Jin Xi's crimson eyes widened like saucers. Her heart hammered with a frantic rhythm. She wanted to step forward, to explain herself to her guardians. She needed to tell them that she was not a captive bound in chains, that she had willingly followed the golden threads of destiny to Zhang Tian's side.
"Wait, I am not—" Jin Xi started to speak, raising her delicate hands in a gesture of peace. "Grumpy old man, you do not understand! Yin and Rongrong and Zhuqing are not my enemies! Zhang Tian is..."
But it was Bibi Dong who interrupted like a falling guillotine, her cold voice slicing through the air and silencing the golden-haired girl instantly.
From her elevated vantage point, the Supreme Pontiff saw the tableau hidden within the alleyway. She saw that Jin Xi was standing intimately close to Zhang Tian. More importantly, she saw Zhang Tian's large, protective hand resting firmly on the girl's thin waist, shielding her from the oppressive auras of the battlefield.
Bibi Dong instantly understood that this golden-haired girl must be someone deeply important and close to Zhang Tian's heart. A fierce, possessive loyalty flared to life within the Supreme Pontiff's chest like a roaring furnace.
'Anyone who belongs to my Husband will be under the absolute protection of the Spirit Hall,' Bibi Dong thought, her pink eyes flashing with a dangerous, lethal light. 'He holds her close. She is part of his domain. I will not allow filthy beasts from the forest to dictate terms regarding his property.'
Bibi Dong immediately rejected the demands of this unknown beast transformed into a human. She glared down at Yao Ling with absolute, unadulterated disdain, her expression a mask of aristocratic superiority.
"You trespass in our capital, destroy our streets, and then dare to make demands?" Bibi Dong sneered, her Supreme Pontiff aura flaring with lethal intent. Her dark purple energy spiraled into the sky like a twisting serpent.
"You do not have the conditions to demand anything right now," she told him coldly, her voice echoing with the promise of execution. "You are entirely surrounded like rats in a trap. The girl stays exactly where she is, and you will leave your spirit bones behind as compensation for the damage you have caused."
Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong subtly shifted their stances upon hearing the Supreme Pontiff's decree. The crystal-blue Seven Kill Sword hummed with a sharper, more eager vibration, while the spatial rifts around Gu Rong expanded like hungry maws. They prepared to assist the Spirit Hall in securing these priceless, ancient treasures, recognizing that the opportunity to harvest beasts of this magnitude was an event that occurred perhaps once in a millennium.
Yao Ling gritted his teeth, the sound resembling splintering timber. He felt the suffocating, combined pressure of multiple Super Douluos and two Rank 99 Limit Douluos bearing down upon them like a collapsing sky. His vast, ancient mind ran through a thousand tactical scenarios in a fraction of a second, realizing their escape was mathematically impossible.
Even if Chi Wang sacrificed his life to buy them a single second, and even if Zi Ji utilized her absolute strongest devouring techniques, the sheer speed and power of the human experts arrayed against them would turn their retreat into a slaughter. They were trapped in the belly of the beast.
At this time, Yao Ling was feeling quite pressured. The survival of the Auspicious Beast, the very anchor of the forest's destiny, and their own ancient lives hung by a microscopic thread over a roaring abyss. The humans possessed a greed that knew no bounds, and their eyes were already stripping the flesh from their bones.
Knowing there was no other viable option remaining on the board, he did the only thing he could think of to prevent a total massacre of his generals. He reached his withered hand deep into the folds of his brown robes.
Yao Ling pulled out a single, shimmering silver scale.
The scale was not large, fitting comfortably within the palm of his hand, but it pulsed with an impossibly dense, tyrannical aura. The moment it was exposed to the air, the ambient spirit power in the ruined market square began to shudder and retreat, repelled by a presence that felt older than the earth itself. It was the reverse scale of the Golden Eyed Black Dragon Emperor.
Without a single second thought, Yao Ling infused his profound spirit power directly into the artifact.
HUMMM!
He activated the reversed scale in his palm, triggering the emergency beacon that connected his soul directly to the deepest, darkest core of the Star Dou Great Forest.
RIP!
The very fabric of reality tore open with a deafening screech that sounded like tearing metal. The sky above Spirit City, previously illuminated by the bright afternoon sun, turned entirely pitch black in broad daylight. The sudden darkness fell like a heavy shroud, plunging the capital into an unnatural, terrifying twilight.
CRACKLE! BOOM!
A massive, terrifying spatial portal opened up directly above the ruined market square. It swirled with abyssal darkness, functioning like a tear in the canvas of the world, illuminated from within by violent arcs of golden lightning that danced like chaotic serpents. The portal radiated a pressure that made the surrounding buildings groan and crack under the strain.
From the depths of the spatial tear, a figure slowly descended.
None other than Di Tian, the Beast God, arrived upon the human continent.
He appeared in his human form, eschewing his massive draconic bulk for a shape that consolidated his overwhelming power. He was a tall, imposing man who stood like a monolith of dark stone. He was dressed in flowing black robes adorned with intricate golden trimmings that seemed to capture the ambient lightning. His facial features were sharp, aristocratic, and entirely devoid of human empathy. His golden eyes radiated an aura of absolute, unparalleled slaughter, a gaze that viewed the gathered human experts as nothing more than annoying insects daring to block his path.
BOOM!
The moment his heavy boots touched the air, descending past the swirling edges of the portal, a physical wave of pure, dark energy washed over the entire city. The shockwave rolled outward like a tsunami of shadows, instantly shattering the remaining glass windows for miles around. The sound of breaking glass chimed like a chaotic symphony accompanying the descent of a dark deity.
Even Qian Daoliu and Bibi Dong were visibly shocked. Their eyes widened as they felt their own formidable auras being forcefully pushed back, their domains buckling under the sheer, unadulterated weight of the new arrival.
They sensed this power immediately. The energy rolling off the black-robed man was a cultivation base that was as incredibly strong as that of their own, which meant they were facing a beast standing at the absolute peak of a Limit Douluo.
'This pressure... it is suffocating,' Qian Daoliu thought, his brow furrowing deeply. His golden seraphim wings trembled slightly against the sheer density of the dark element pressing against his holy light. 'This is no ordinary beast. This is a calamity wearing human skin. The Angel God's legacy warns of such entities hiding in the deep woods.'
In some aspects, the sheer, foundational vitality and raw power of this ancient dragon seemed to be even surpassing a human Limit Douluo. While humans borrowed the power of heaven and earth to reach the pinnacle, this entity felt as though he was the power of heaven and earth. His vitality was an endless ocean, his physical durability a mountain range.
It felt as though this dark entity possessed the undisputed, number one power under the Gods themselves. He was a true sovereign of the mortal realm, a king who had walked the earth for hundreds of thousands of years, accumulating a strength that mocked the short lifespans of human geniuses.
The ultimate standoff had reached a catastrophic, terrifying boiling point. The air crackled with lethal tension. The fate of Spirit City, and perhaps the entire human continent, hung precariously between the arrogant pride of the human pinnacle and the wrath of the Beast God.
Di Tian's golden eyes swept over the battlefield, assessing the situation in a fraction of a second. He saw the ruined market, the aggressive stances of the human Titled Douluos, and the defensive posture of his three generals. Finally, his gaze locked onto Jin Xi, who was standing in the shadows of the alleyway, tucked safely behind the tall, red-haired human male.
The Beast God did not shout. He did not issue a booming declaration of war. He spoke with a quiet, resonant authority that carried the weight of an avalanche.
"You humans test my patience," Di Tian stated, his voice a low, rumbling vibration that shook the dust from the surrounding rooftops. "You harbor the heart of my forest, and you dare to bare your fangs at my emissaries. Your arrogance is a disease that requires a swift cure."
Bibi Dong bristled at the insult. The Supreme Pontiff refused to bow her head in her own capital. Her dark purple aura flared, challenging the descending darkness.
"You bring an invasion to my doorstep and speak of arrogance?" Bibi Dong countered, her voice sharp like a poisoned blade. "This city is the heart of human cultivation. You are a beast straying far from your den. The girl stays. Your subordinates will forfeit their bones for their crimes. And if you interfere, we will add a dragon's skull to our vaults today."
Qian Daoliu remained silent, his golden eyes locked onto Di Tian. He drew his holy sword, the radiant blade humming as it prepared to cut through the oppressive dark element. He did not agree with Bibi Dong's greedy demands, but he would not allow a beast of this magnitude to threaten the foundations of humanity without facing the judgment of the Angel God.
Di Tian let out a dark, humorless chuckle. It was a sound devoid of any warmth, reflecting the cold, calculating nature of a predator observing a particularly stubborn prey.
"A dragon's skull?" Di Tian mused, raising a hand covered in black scales. "You speak with the bravado of children playing with wooden swords. You have never experienced the true wrath of the abyss. I will give you one final opportunity to hand over the Auspicious Beast. Refuse, and I will reduce this city to a graveyard of ash and bone."
The three Ferocious Beasts—Yao Ling, Zi Ji, and Chi Wang—stood taller, their confidence returning like a surging tide now that their supreme leader had taken the field. Chi Wang's fists ignited with fresh, dark red flames, eager to burn the humans to cinders under the protective shadow of the Beast God.
Jin Xi, watching the escalation from the alleyway, felt her heart twist in agonizing conflict. She stepped forward, pulling away from Zhang Tian's protective grip.
"Wait!" Jin Xi yelled, her voice cutting through the heavy tension like a silver bell. She stepped out of the shadows, her golden hair catching the flashes of lightning illuminating the dark sky.
"Grumpy old man, Zi Ji, Yao Ling... Di Tian!" she called out, using the names she knew them by in the forest. "You must stop this! They are not my captors!"
Di Tian's golden eyes softened slightly as he looked down at the golden-haired girl, but his expression remained stern. "You are confused, little one. The human world is a web of deceit. They have poisoned your mind with false kindness to harness your destiny. Come to my side. We will return to the sanctuary of the lake."
"I am not confused!" Jin Xi argued, stamping her foot against the cracked cobblestones. "I followed the threads of fate! I chose to come here! Zhang Tian, Yin, Rongrong, and Zhuqing... they are my friends. They have offered me a home. You cannot destroy their city!"
Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes, observing the interaction. She noted the desperate pleading in the girl's voice and the slight hesitation it caused in the towering dragon. The girl was undeniably valuable, an entity of immense significance to the beast hierarchy. This only solidified her determination to keep the golden-haired prize securely within the grasp of her Husband.
"You hear her," Bibi Dong taunted, pointing her scepter toward the Beast God. "She has chosen the light of human civilization over the darkness of your miserable woods. Your authority holds no weight here."
Di Tian's gaze shifted from Jin Xi to the red-haired man standing silently behind her. Zhang Tian had not spoken a single word since the confrontation began, his deep blue eyes calculating the intricate variables of the standoff.
"You are the one holding her strings," Di Tian addressed Zhang Tian directly, recognizing the subtle, anchoring presence the young man provided to the Auspicious Beast. "You mask your intentions behind a calm facade, human. But I smell the ambition rotting in your core. Release her from your influence, or I will sever your head from your shoulders."
Zhang Tian finally stepped forward, moving to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Jin Xi. He placed his hand gently upon her shoulder, a gesture of absolute possession and protective reassurance. He looked up at the floating Beast God, his expression completely devoid of fear.
"She is not a puppet, and I hold no strings," Zhang Tian spoke. His voice was calm, carrying the arrogant nonchalance of a man entirely in control of his domain. "She is a guest in my home. And I do not allow trespassers to dictate the movements of my guests, regardless of how many hundreds of thousands of years they have spent hiding in a swamp."
The blatant disrespect caused Chi Wang to roar in outrage, but Di Tian merely raised a hand, silencing his fiery general.
"Bold words from a creature possessing a fleeting lifespan," Di Tian noted, his golden eyes narrowing. "You rely on the protection of the two Limit Douluos flanking you. But they cannot shield you from the apocalypse."
"I rely on no one but myself," Zhang Tian corrected smoothly, a dark, confident smirk touching his lips. "If you wish to test the boundaries of my hospitality, Beast God, you are welcome to try. But I assure you, the cost of breaching my walls will be far greater than you are prepared to pay."
The air in the ruined market square grew so thick with killing intent that it became difficult to breathe. The ambient spirit power crystallized into visible sparks of friction, the colliding domains of light, darkness, and primal beast energy threatening to tear the very fabric of reality apart.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin raised his Seven Kill Sword, the crystal-blue blade humming a high-pitched note of lethal anticipation. Bone Douluo Gu Rong's skeletal grin widened, the spatial rifts around him expanding to swallow the incoming pressure.
Qian Daoliu's six golden seraphim wings flared with brilliant intensity, projecting a dome of holy light over the human combatants to push back the encroaching darkness of the Beast God's descent. Bibi Dong's dark purple aura spiraled like a viper ready to strike, her eyes locked onto the supreme prize hovering above her.
The Beast God, Di Tian, slowly lowered his hands. Dark, golden lightning crackled around his fingers, the raw power of the abyss gathering in his palms. He prepared to unleash a devastation that would flatten Spirit City and turn the human champions into memories.
"Then let the heavens fall," Di Tian decreed, his voice a harbinger of absolute destruction.
The ultimate standoff broke. The fragile thread of negotiation snapped, plunging the absolute pinnacle of the mortal realm into a battle that would shake the foundations of the Douluo Continent.