The mountains and rivers looked like a painting, while the setting sun resembled blood.
A streak of roiling red clouds shot from the distance like lightning, covering a thousand li in the blink of an eye. Wherever the clouds passed, every beast prostrated itself, trembling in terror and sweating like rain.
The red clouds halted above a city. When they stopped, they turned out to be a white-haired young man wearing a blood-red robe!
The white-haired young man looked down at Spirit City, casting a contemptuous gaze over the entire world as though a god had descended into the mortal realm!
A majestic aura spread wildly, dominating all of Spirit City. It resembled a bloody sun hanging horizontally in the sky, like the heavens themselves were collapsing!
Inside Spirit City, all the Spirit Masters trembled in unison. The knees of the low-level Spirit Masters shook, and even some Titled Douluo felt unable to raise their heads.
Spirit City's alarm rang out at once!
Papal Palace.
Bibi Dong's heart shook violently. Feeling short of breath and oppressed, her expression changed drastically; she had never experienced such terrifying power, not even when facing Qian Daoliu.
Bibi Dong struggled to suppress her trembling and did everything she could to make her voice sound normal. "Chrysanthemum Douluo, go see what happened!"
The corners of Chrysanthemum Douluo's mouth tasted bitter. He leaned against the wall as he walked out of the Papal Palace and looked toward the source of the pressure, just in time to see a blood-red robe fluttering wildly without any wind, crackling loudly.
That streak of blood-red, together with his iconic white hair, pierced the darkness like a bolt of lightning, and Chrysanthemum Douluo immediately remembered the owner of that blood-red robe!
Seven Kill Douluo!
Supreme Elder!
Yang Lin!
Yang Lin, who had disappeared for seventy years—the Seven Kill Douluo Yang Lin—had returned!
As though making a pilgrimage, Chrysanthemum Douluo clasped his hands above his head, admiration shining in his eyes, before quickly lowering them again!
Back in the Papal Palace.
Seeing Chrysanthemum Douluo return with an excited look, Bibi Dong hurriedly asked, "Elder Ju, what's the situation? Could someone be showing off their strength and throwing their weight around in Spirit Hall?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo said reverently, his voice filled with admiration, "Your Holiness, it isn't an outside enemy showing off its strength in Spirit Hall. It's a Spirit Hall Elder. He's returned!"
"An Elder?" Bibi Dong furrowed her brows. The Hall of Elders was led by Qian Daoliu and had only seven members; she couldn't remember anyone possessing such overwhelming influence.
Ghost Douluo's eyes widened as he said excitedly, "Could it be that person?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo nodded.
Bibi Dong studied the two of them, her brows drawing together even more. Where had this Supreme Elder come from?
Seeing the crease on Bibi Dong's forehead, Chrysanthemum Douluo smiled and explained, "Your Holiness may not know this, but the Hall of Elders originally had eight Elders!"
"Besides the seven Elders in the Hall of Elders, there was also a Supreme Elder. The Supreme Elder's Martial Soul was the Seven Kill Sword, and his name was Yang Lin, titled Seven Kill. Seven Kill Douluo used slaughter to prove the Dao, hated evil as though it were his mortal enemy, and slaughtered evil Spirit Masters until their heads rolled and they vanished completely!"
"Later, when there was nothing left to slaughter, he lived in seclusion in the Hall of Elders. He left seventy years ago and has been unheard from ever since. Only afterward did Your Holiness ascend to the position of Supreme Pontiff, which is why you don't know about this Seven Kill Douluo!"
Bibi Dong asked, "Seven Kill Douluo... is he really that powerful?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo clasped his hands toward the heavens and said solemnly, "He's far more than merely powerful—he's terrifying. Seven Kill Douluo was from the same era as the High Priest, and it's said that his strength was no weaker than the High Priest's!"
Ghost Douluo's body trembled with fear. "Seven Kill Douluo's strength is no weaker than the High Priest's, but his killing intent is unmatched!"
Bibi Dong's heart pounded as she vaguely recalled Qian Xunji mentioning his name.
Hall of Elders.
Qian Daoliu sensed a familiar fluctuation of spiritual power and suddenly opened his eyes. The angelic spiritual power within his body was ready to erupt, alert and waiting.
The moment Qian Daoliu opened his eyes, the six Elders in the small room—Gold Crocodile Douluo, Green Phoenix Douluo, Lion Douluo, Light Feather Douluo, Qianjun Douluo, and Demon-Subduing Douluo—had already arrived beside him.
Gold Crocodile Douluo said firmly, "Big Brother, an expert has arrived at Spirit Hall. Should we take this opportunity to drain some of Bibi Dong's strength and weaken her power?"
The corners of Qian Daoliu's lips curved slightly upward as he shook his head.
Gold Crocodile Douluo eagerly tried to persuade him. "Big Brother, all these years, Bibi Dong has controlled Spirit Hall and nearly emptied our Hall of Elders. Bibi Dong clearly dislikes Xue'er; when Xue'er returns in the future, how will she control Spirit Hall?"
Green Phoenix Douluo chimed in, "Indeed. If Bibi Dong had the ability to manage Spirit Hall properly and lead it to prosperity, we wouldn't say much. But what has Bibi Dong done all these years?"
"She took Spirit Hall's resources and gave them to a useless fifty-year-old man who couldn't even break through level thirty, among other things. Needless to say, we can't let Spirit Hall fall into Bibi Dong's hands."
Light Feather Douluo nodded. "Big Brother, we know you don't like handling affairs and devote yourself wholeheartedly to cultivation, but we can't just stand by helplessly while Bibi Dong leads Spirit Hall toward decline and even destruction."
Nearly all the Elders could see that while Bibi Dong had served as Supreme Pontiff, she had indeed led Spirit Hall toward ruin. Saying she had brought Spirit Hall to ruin was admittedly an exaggeration; after all, Spirit Hall possessed vast territory and a solid foundation, and with several of them watching over it, it was impossible for Spirit Hall to truly fall into ruin.
Several of these Elders had come from commoner backgrounds and relied on the subsidies issued by Spirit Hall to overcome the hardships of their early years. They didn't want to see Spirit Hall decline. Instead, they hoped Spirit Hall could continue developing and bring hope to more commoners.
Gold Crocodile Douluo concluded, "Big Brother, we don't need you to manage everything. Just give the order, and we'll handle what happens next. We certainly won't let Bibi Dong interfere with Spirit Hall's legacy."
"This invasion by an outside enemy gives us the perfect reason to hold Bibi Dong accountable."
Qian Daoliu raised his head and looked at the six Elders' expectant gazes, a faint smile at the corners of his mouth. "I know your intentions. You want to continue Spirit Hall's development, but punishing Bibi Dong doesn't require me."
Thinking Qian Daoliu still didn't want to deal with the matter, Gold Crocodile Douluo anxiously said, "Big Brother..."
Before Gold Crocodile Douluo could finish, Qian Daoliu raised a hand to stop him. "Gold Crocodile, there's no need to say more. I am devoted to cultivation and dislike political power, but Bibi Dong truly can't continue managing Spirit Hall!"
Expressions of surprise appeared on Gold Crocodile Douluo and the other Elders' faces. Big Brother was finally going to reenter the jianghu.
Qian Daoliu stood and laughed heartily. "Since all of you brothers share the same intentions, I'll take you to welcome the person who will change the balance of power in Spirit Hall."
Gold Crocodile Douluo was startled. "Big Brother, you're coming out of seclusion? Who could lead us in taking a stand?"
"Follow me!"
Under the astonished gazes of the various Elders, Qian Daoliu rose into the air and transformed into a streak of light as he shot toward the red figure in the sky. Qian Daoliu stopped three meters in front of Yang Lin.
Gold Crocodile Douluo, Lion Douluo, and Green Phoenix Douluo followed behind Qian Daoliu, staring at the red figure standing in the wind before them and feeling an immense pressure.
When they raised their eyes to look, it was as though a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood stretched out before them, shaking their minds.
This opponent wasn't someone they could defeat. I'm afraid Big Brother will have to act.
Qian Daoliu placed his hands behind his back, his voice carrying the joy of reuniting with an old friend. "Yang Lin, you've finally returned."
The two words "Yang Lin" echoed through the minds of the numerous Elders like thunder on a clear day.
A hundred years ago, Yang Lin, Spirit Hall's Supreme Elder, had suddenly appeared, reached the Titled Douluo realm at the age of twenty, and suppressed an entire era. He slaughtered the evil Spirit Masters of the Douluo Continent until they didn't dare show their faces, and massacred various sects until they fell silent in fear. At the time, they hadn't yet reached the Titled Douluo realm, but they had already heard Yang Lin's name like thunder ringing in their ears.
Gold Crocodile Douluo said in a trembling voice, "Big Brother, is that Spirit Hall's supreme Slaughter God, Seven Kill Douluo Yang Lin?"