"Your god is nothing but trash."
Ning Tianchen paid no mind to the other's impotent rage and stepped forward to confront Grand Priest Hurhan.
Meanwhile, his clone engaged Porter.
Earlier, their group had already assigned each person's tasks.
Feng Xiaotian's target was Priest Bertley.
Ning Rongrong and the others quickly moved to block the church's exits, cutting off any hope of escape for this group of evil soul masters!
Today, they were determined to ensure these evil soul masters would never leave this place alive!
Hurhan's face darkened with fury. "Lord Cassius held you in such high regard—this is how you repay my lord?"
Ning Tianchen raised a finger and lightly tapped the mark between his brows. "Our beliefs differ. There's no need for further words. If you wish to fight, then let's fight!"
Hurhan laughed bitterly in anger. "Fine, very well."
"Seventh Soul Skill: Bloodfiend True Body."
Hurhan's martial soul was also a sword, known as the Bloodfiend Sword.
The moment he activated his martial soul True Body, his soul power surged without restraint. Ning Tianchen could directly sense his soul power level.
Hurhan possessed a strength of Level 96. Based on Ning Tianchen's understanding of the Sun and Moon Continent, this was undoubtedly among the strongest forces on the surface.
Unfortunately, Hurhan had chosen the wrong path.
Such strength, if placed in any faction on the continent, would undoubtedly be revered and nurtured.
Of course, without resorting to the methods of evil soul masters, he might not have reached this level of strength.
As for the individual hidden within the Radiant Sun Imperial Palace, since that person hadn't appeared and there were no rumors about them on the continent, it was impossible to judge their strength.
"Come. Let it be a duel of swords."
Though Ning Tianchen's soul power level was weaker, he was confident that his mastery of the sword far surpassed Hurhan's.
The Seven Kill Sword swept through the air, its momentum unbroken and relentless.
Hurhan had never encountered swordsmanship teachings before. Faced with such overwhelming sword pressure, he didn't know how to defend himself. He could only activate high-level soul skills, relying on their sheer power to break through.
There was a gap in swordsmanship, a significant disparity in their martial souls, and even the difference in soul power could be nullified.
Hurhan felt that his opponent was terrifyingly formidable. The oppressive force of the sword left him struggling to breathe.
Meanwhile, Ning Tianchen's clone battled Porter.
Maintaining the existence of the clone continuously drained soul power. This battlefield had to be resolved quickly.
Porter possessed the strength of a level 88 Soul Douluo. On the Sun and Moon Continent, he was already considered a peak powerhouse.
However, under Ning Tianchen's overwhelming suppression, he had no room to counterattack and could only endure the blows.
Still, his martial soul was defensive in nature, so Ning Tianchen couldn't inflict further injuries or kill him in the short term!
Feng Xiaotian had just broken through to become a Soul Sage. Facing the high-level Soul Douluo Bertley, he didn't fall behind and steadily suppressed his opponent, preventing interference in the other battlefields.
But in the short term, he couldn't kill his opponent either and thus couldn't provide support to the other battlefields.
On another front, Ning Rongrong and the others faced fierce resistance.
By blocking the entrance to the church headquarters, these evil soul masters had no way to escape and naturally fought with their lives on the line.
Zhu Zhuqing and the others all possessed Soul Sage-level strength. With Ning Rongrong's amplification, they barely managed to hold their ground against the encirclement of numerous evil soul masters. However, to completely annihilate this group, they needed Feng Xiaotian or Ning Tianchen's support.
…
Through his soul power perception, Ning Tianchen had a general understanding of the battlefield situation and made up his mind.
"Then let me take the initiative to break the deadlock."
He could indeed suppress Hurhan, but killing him in a short time was impossible. On the other hand, eliminating Porter would be relatively easier.
Of course, this was the headquarters of the evil soul masters, so he still needed to keep an eye on the movements of the evil god Cassius.
He didn't know whether the evil god's true body would appear, and for now, he didn't dare to bring out the Asura Devil Sword.
"Boy, if you sincerely pledge allegiance to Lord Cassius, everything you've done can be forgiven by my lord!" Seeing the unfavorable situation, Hurhan immediately changed his tone.
If they could subdue Ning Tianchen and his group, given their strength and talent, the loss of a few subordinates would be acceptable for the Holy Spirit Sect.
The sect needed fresh blood. With the talent of Ning Tianchen's group, they were destined to grow into peerless powerhouses in the future.
The Holy Spirit Sect's status on the continent might change because of them.
Ning Tianchen snorted, his attitude speaking volumes.
However, he saw an opportunity to exploit the situation.
Rejected, Hurhan would inevitably be enraged and lose his judgment temporarily.
This was the perfect chance!
"Eighth Soul Skill: Shattered Shadow Sword Song."
His figure split into ten, transforming into ten sword shadows.
Hurhan, unaware of Ning Tianchen's thoughts, assumed that the latter wanted to end the battle quickly.
"Ninth Soul Skill: Bloodfiend—"
Before he could complete his soul skill, one of the sword shadows arrived instantly.
Hurhan's pupils shrank. He abandoned activating his ninth soul skill and retreated to defend himself instead.
But Ning Tianchen's target wasn't him. The other nine sword shadows attacked from behind Porter.
By the time Hurhan realized this, Porter had no way to evade.
Trapped between Ning Tianchen's clone in front and the swift attack from behind, even if Porter reacted, he couldn't change his fate of certain death.
Under the dual assault, Porter's body was sliced into countless fragments by the sword qi—he was dead beyond doubt.
"You!"
Hurhan was enraged, no longer as calm as before.
The balance of the battle had been shattered by Ning Tianchen, and the subsequent fight became overwhelmingly one-sided.
Ning Tianchen's clone cooperated with Feng Xiaotian to slay Bertley. Afterward, he quickly recalled the clone while Feng Xiaotian went to assist Ning Rongrong and the others.
With Feng Xiaotian's Soul Douluo-level strength, the priests' subordinates stood no chance of resisting.
As their effective fighting force gradually dwindled, even if Ning Tianchen's group withdrew now, the Holy Spirit Sect would still suffer a devastating blow. For a long time to come, they wouldn't be able to conduct any operations on the continent.
All of this, Hurhan saw clearly, but being restrained by Ning Tianchen, he was powerless to change it.
"If you're willing to surrender, I can grant you a quick death."
Having recalled his clone, Ning Tianchen no longer worried about soul power consumption and fought without hesitation.
Seeing that the battle was almost decided, he didn't want to waste time. If the opponent was willing to surrender, it would be exactly what he hoped for.
Hurhan's expression turned grim, his tone heavier. "Boy, I admit you're strong, but you should never have offended my lord Cassius."
As soon as the words left his mouth, waves of blood mist erupted from Hurhan's body. The secret inscriptions on his Bloodfiend Sword martial soul emitted a crimson glow.
The next moment, the blood mist gradually condensed into a human figure, filling the entire hall with a chilling, malevolent aura.
Ning Tianchen took a step back, raising his head with a furrowed brow. "I didn't expect you to be hiding within your own follower."
Cassius's true body wasn't in the statue—it had been hiding inside Hurhan.
If he hadn't revealed himself, Ning Tianchen would have assumed he wasn't on the Douluo Continent or was hiding within the statue.
Seeing the Holy Spirit Sect, which he had painstakingly built, on the verge of destruction, Cassius could no longer contain his hatred and revealed himself!
"Do you intend to destroy the sect I built with my own hands!"
Cassius angrily demanded.
Allowing Ning Tianchen's group to join the sect, he had thought he could climb higher by associating with powerful gods. Never did he imagine it would be inviting wolves into the fold.
But the deity behind Ning Tianchen was someone he couldn't afford to offend. Thus, despite his burning hatred and desire to torture Ning Tianchen to death, he still restrained himself.
He didn't know whether destroying the Holy Spirit Sect was Ning Tianchen's idea or the will of the deity behind them.
If it was the latter, he wouldn't even have time to escape now.
But he was confident that Ning Tianchen's group wasn't his match, and the deity behind them would take some time to descend onto the continent.
If these gods truly intended to destroy the Holy Spirit Sect and even eliminate him, no matter where he fled, it would be futile. He might as well prepare for a counterattack.
Of course, understanding the crux of the issue was also crucial.
Ning Tianchen sneered. "Using such inhumane methods to increase strength—I believe this sect has no right to exist."
Cassius's appearance undoubtedly gave Hurhan immense confidence. He opened his mouth to speak but seeing that Ning Tianchen remained silent, he reluctantly closed it again.
After a brief silence, the blood mist surrounding Cassius gradually dissipated, showing respect to Ning Tianchen.
His expression turned terrifyingly dark as he asked in a low voice, "Is this your decision, or the will of those greater beings? If the higher powers do not wish for the Holy Spirit Sect to exist, I can leave immediately. I only hope they will grant me a way out."
Just as Ning Tianchen was about to respond, an authoritative voice echoed in his mind: "I grant you temporary enforcement authority. Cassius is not a local deity, yet he commits atrocities against morality—he must be executed according to Divine Law."
Killing a God!
Ning Tianchen was inwardly shocked.
Though confident in his own strength, Cassius had already broken through to over Level 100. Facing him directly, Ning Tianchen wasn't sure if he could prevail.
However, recalling his previous experience of slaying an evil god, Ning Tianchen's entire body surged with excitement.
To ordinary soul masters, gods were unreachable beings.
Even the three Limit Douluos on the Douluo Continent would show utmost respect when facing a deity.
Yet Ning Tianchen had already slain one god.
It was important to remember—gods were not invincible. They could bleed like mortals.
With the authorization from the Asura God, Ning Tianchen clearly felt an invisible power surging within him.
With eighty percent affinity with the Asura God, he fully understood that this was divine power bestowed upon him by the Asura God.
If so, what was there to fear?
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Ning Tianchen's lips. He raised his head and said, "Since you are willing to shut down the Holy Spirit Sect, then prove your resolve. I believe the Asura God will deliver a fair judgment."
A flicker of conflict passed through Cassius's eyes.
According to Ning Tianchen's words, the Asura God was displeased with the actions of the Holy Spirit Sect. Though Cassius was the deity worshiped by the sect, he could easily distance himself from it.
After all, he had never participated in nor explicitly supported the practice of killing to increase strength—it was entirely the doing of the evil soul masters within the sect, influenced by priests like Hurhan. At most, he bore the sin of lax governance.
Since the Asura God showed no intention of harming him, offering a timely apology might leave a good impression. In the future, there might even be an opportunity to join the Asura God's faction.
With this in mind, Cassius made up his mind. His gaze hardened, and an invisible force severed Hurhan's body in half.
Black blood splattered onto the ground. Hurhan's pupils trembled, unwilling to believe that he was killed by the god he worshipped.
Cassius didn't even spare him a glance. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Ning Tianchen. "The Holy Spirit Sect is destroyed, and your mission is complete. From now on, let us part ways without further conflict. How does that sound?"
"As for my mistakes, well, if Lord Asura is willing to meet with me, I will explain my negligence to him personally."
As he spoke, he noticed the crimson Asura mark between Ning Tianchen's brows, his heart filled with wariness.
How could he, who dwelled in the Douluo God Realm, not know of the Asura God's existence?
If things had gone smoothly, this could be considered a fortuitous meeting. If he could gain the Asura God's recognition and establish roots in the Douluo God Realm, it would greatly aid his power.
In fact, he should thank Ning Tianchen. Without him, he wouldn't have known how to catch the Asura God's attention.
Ning Tianchen smiled first, praising the wisdom of Cassius's actions.
Then his tone shifted. "Unfortunately, you are the root of all evil."
"Wildfires may burn out, but spring breezes bring new growth."
As long as Cassius lived, the future would inevitably remain turbulent.
He might abandon the Holy Spirit Sect or even forsake his plans on the Sun and Moon Continent, but as long as he remained alive, organizations of evil soul masters would inevitably rise again—perhaps under a different name or on another continent.
After all, the peripheral members of the Holy Spirit Sect scattered across the continent would be nearly impossible for Ning Tianchen and his group to locate, let alone eradicate.
As he spoke, Ning Tianchen lightly tapped the mark on his forehead, and the Asura Devil Sword appeared in his hand.
"You!" Cassius glared furiously.
He had thought the matter was settled, but he hadn't expected Ning Tianchen to show no intention of sparing him.
Ning Tianchen sneered. "I've already said—the Asura God will judge this matter. And you—you are the source of calamity. I must kill you."
Cassius's face twisted into a ferocious snarl as he dispelled his human form and returned to his true body.
At this moment, he resembled a monstrous creature from hell, with elongated arms and a fanged maw.
His voice grew sharp and terrifying. "Even if the Asura God wishes to descend upon the mortal realm, it will take several minutes. But you—are merely a mortal. Daring to anger a god means you will become nothing more than a sacrifice!"
The terror of the Asura God wasn't limited to his reputation.
Knowing he was doomed, Cassius refused to surrender quietly. Before his death, he decided to drag Ning Tianchen and the others down with him.
For a god to lose their inheritor and find another suitable candidate wouldn't be easy.
This was the desperate outcome of mutual destruction!
Facing the onslaught of the blood mist, Ning Tianchen remained calm and composed.
Gripping the Asura Devil Sword firmly, the divine power within him surged.
With a single slash, the Asura Devil Sword effortlessly shattered Cassius's attack.
"Killing God Domain."
The environment within the grand hall suddenly transformed, as if they were now in a scene straight out of hell.
And Ning Tianchen was the sole Asura in this "hell."
Raising the Asura Devil Sword high above his head, Ning Tianchen's eyes turned crimson, and his divine energy erupted completely.
"No, this is impossible! How can you wield the power of the Asura God so easily?!"
Cassius lost his composure, his panic and helplessness evident on his face.
Ning Tianchen's gaze sharpened as he silently chanted, "Asura Judgment!"
At this moment, the figure of the Asura God merged with his body. The blade of the Asura Devil Sword gleamed brightly, ready to cut down everything before it.
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