Chapter 389

Third Elder pulled out the soul‑guide communicator and shouted:

"Lord Sect Leader, come quickly to assist; the Taotie has gone mad!"

The situation was not as they had thought; originally they assumed that after Xuanzi fell and became an Evil Soul Master, he should have immediately become a talent of the Holy Spirit Sect.

But when Feng Ling was devoured, they suddenly realized that the Xuanzi who had just fallen and become an Evil Soul Master was actually a neutral entity!

This could be fatal; if they don't ask Zhong Li Wu for rescue, this group from Shilake might still possibly escape by relying on Song Lao's power, but these Evil Soul Masters, most of whom don't even have a Super Douluo, shouldn't even think of fleeing.

Tang Wulin also shouted to Song Lao, "Song Lao, let's run quickly!"

"But there is Xuan Lao..."

Seeing Song Lao still hesitating, Tang Wulin roared.

"Song Lao, we can discuss Xuan Lao later; the Holy Spirit Sect is about to send at least a Level‑98 Super Douluo, and if we also fall here, the continent will be doomed!"

"!"

Hearing his words, Song Lao suddenly snapped back to his senses.

The information that Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong had uncovered had long been reported to the high‑level officials of the three great empires and all members of the Sea God Pavilion, so the facts that their Sect Leader Zhong Li Wu is a Level‑98 Super Douluo and that the Holy Spirit Sect possesses two Limit Douluos were not secrets at all.

Since those Evil Soul Masters knew that Xuanzi had gone mad, the people sent to resolve the matter would certainly not be below Level‑98.

Just a single Xuanzi already made it hard for everyone present to cope; if another Level‑98 Super Douluo or even a Limit Douluo appeared, they would truly all be doomed here.

Four Super Douluos— even the Sea God Pavilion would find it hard to field an equally ranked formation; if they all fell here, the damage to Shilake Academy would be immense.

More importantly, Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong, two unparalleled geniuses, are here; if either of them meets a tragic end, Shilake would truly be finished, and she would have no face to meet Mu En underground.

Thinking of this, although his heart was still very unwilling, Song Lao nevertheless made up his mind.

"Shilake, withdraw!"

Hearing her command, the Shilake members instantly halted their battle with the Holy Spirit Sect Evil Soul Masters and flew westward.

The Holy Spirit Sect Evil Soul Masters did not pursue; for them, dealing with the current Xuanzi crisis was far more important than chasing the Shilake.

Soon, Tang Wulin and his companions rendezvoused with the Shilake students who had left early, and sped toward Shilake Academy.

The competing team members keenly noticed that Tang Wulin and the others had not brought Xuanzi back, but they all chose to stay silent; even Wu Feng, who never showed deference, fell silent at this moment.

They all heard Xuanzi's two roars just now, and judging from the expressions of the Senior Elders, it was easy to guess what had happened.

All the way, everyone's hearts were heavy.

The Holy Spirit Sect already possessed a strength that could be called unrivaled on the continent; now, although they have lost Feng Ling, they have gained Xuanzi, which further widens the already large power gap between the two sides.

After this, the Ri Yue Di Guo will certainly launch a war; at that time, how will they confront the Evil Soul Masters on the battlefield? They could not find an answer in their hearts.

……

In the palace of the Ri Yue Di Guo, Zhong Li Wu set down his soul‑guide communicator and bowed his hand to Xu Tianran.

"Your Highness, some problems have arisen; I need to leave for a while."

Xu Tianran asked concernedly:

"What's wrong, State Master? Shall I send someone to go with you?"

Zhong Li Wu shook his head. "No need. It's just that the enemy's strength exceeded expectations, resulting in Little Feng's sacrifice; my going alone is enough, sending others often leads to accidents."

"I see..." A faint, barely perceptible delight flashed in Xu Tianran's eyes. "That's truly a pity."

He was also full of reservations about the Holy Spirit Sect; hearing that a Super Douluo on the other side had died gave him a slight sense of joy.

Zhong Li Wu let out a cold snort in his heart, feeling irritated by Xu Tianran's pretentiousness.

The reason he did not tell Xu Tianran the purpose of this trip was that he feared once Xu Tianran learned the Holy Spirit Sect would soon gain another Level‑98 aide, he would secretly act to sabotage.

That young man would definitely do such a thing; the two sides were never completely aligned from the start.

He was now irritable; although Feng Ling had mainly been a useful puppet to him, after living together for so long, he still harbored some feelings, and learning of her death left him with a bitter taste.

He was about to leave Xu Tianran's room when an attendant suddenly burst in.

"Your Highness, something's wrong!"

Xu Tianran hurriedly asked with concern:

"What's happened?"

The attendant stammered, "His Majesty… has passed away!"

Hearing this, Zhong Li Wu abruptly turned his head and looked at Xu Tianran.

Their gazes met, each seeing surprise in the other's eyes.

For the two of them, this was probably the best news they had received today.

Although the Holy Spirit Sect had cooperated with the Ri Yue Di Guo for many years, different emperors treated the Sect differently; for example, the previous emperor was highly antagonistic toward the Holy Spirit Sect and strongly opposed war.

The emperor who just passed away, however, treated the Holy Spirit Sect cautiously; although he regarded them as allies and harbored ambitions to unify the world, he dared not truly launch a war that would allow the Sect to develop.

As for Xu Tianran, who is about to ascend the throne, he is unquestionably a supporter of the Holy Spirit Sect, and it is under his vigorous promotion that the Sect has become the state religion of the Ri Yue Di Guo.

Now that the current emperor has passed, it means Xu Tianran will soon take the throne; the Holy Spirit Sect's influence will gain another boost, and the war need no longer be delayed as before—it will soon be launched, which naturally makes the two of them delighted.

But they could not directly express their joy; Xu Tianran immediately threw his head back and wept bitterly.

"Father Emperor, why did you have to go..."

Zhong Li Wu leaned against his side, feigning concern as he comforted:

"Your Highness, don't be sad; His Majesty certainly would not want to see you like this. You must quickly take up his mantle and lead the empire toward true greatness."

That day, the leaders of the two top powers on the continent both experienced major upheavals.

One was Shilake Academy, the other the Ri Yue Di Guo.

The Ri Yue Di Guo emperor's passing signified the rise of the ambitious Xu Tianran, and the war was about to be launched.

And the Sea God Pavilion Master Xuanzi's fall signified the birth of a new Sea God Pavilion Master, who, during his tenure, will lead Shilake Academy and the entire Douluo Continent into a new era.

His name is Tang Wulin.

Side note: Chapter ten is finished; go get some sleep, brothers.

(End of chapter)