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"No!"
Cassius's anguished scream echoed throughout the headquarters of the Holy Spirit Sect for a long time.
His body was completely obliterated by the Asura Devil Sword, vanishing into nothingness.
In his final moments, he attempted to split off a wisp of divine consciousness to escape, hoping to find a suitable host in the future to reincarnate and exact revenge for today's defeat.
Unfortunately, this space had been completely sealed off by the Killing God Domain, leaving his divine consciousness no way to escape.
The moment the Asura Devil Sword descended, both his divine consciousness and physical form were utterly destroyed.
With the root of evil eliminated, the power emanating from the Asura Devil Sword immediately receded, returning to its original state.
Ning Tianchen's divine power had been mostly depleted and wouldn't recover in the short term, meaning he wouldn't be able to rely on divine energy for battle for some time.
Having experienced the might of "Asura Judgment," Ning Tianchen couldn't help but marvel at the overwhelming capabilities of the God King.
Considering that his physical body could only handle limited amounts of divine power, this divine skill hadn't even unleashed its full potential, yet it effortlessly killed a Level 100 powerhouse. What kind of terrifying existence was this?
In the original timeline, Tang San had just ascended to the position of Asura God and could easily defeat both the Angel God and the Rakshasa God—this wasn't without reason.
Even though he had just inherited the godhood, his strength was far from reaching the limit of the god position. In terms of raw power, Tang San wasn't stronger than Bibi Dong or Qian Renxue. In fact, his control over the godhood couldn't compare to Bibi Dong, who had undergone the Rakshasa trials for over twenty years.
But the divine skills possessed by the Asura God were simply irresistible to any deity below the level of a God King.
Neither the Rakshasa God nor the Angel God in the original timeline had any chance to resist; they were powerless before the Asura God.
Ning Tianchen understood that even if Tang San inherited the Sea God position—or even gained another Tier-1 god position—as long as it wasn't the position of a God King, he could still be effortlessly slain with no chance to fight back.
This battle had been highly beneficial for him, with eighty percent affinity to divine power. After the battle ended, he would need some time to fully digest the experience.
Taking a deep breath, he sheathed the Asura Devil Sword back into its mark and walked toward the entrance of the grand hall.
It was time to deal with the remaining riffraff!
…
The rest of the battle didn't require Ning Tianchen's intervention.
With the death of the evil god Cassius, the members of the Holy Spirit Sect lost their leader and all will to resist.
Under the combined efforts of Feng Xiaotian and the others, these remnants were quickly wiped out without much effort.
Before leaving the church, Ning Tianchen and his group leveled the entire headquarters of the Holy Spirit Sect, including the statue of Cassius, reducing everything to ruins.
Once they completed this, Ning Tianchen and his group began their journey home.
Following the route provided by the Holy Spirit Sect, it didn't take long for them to leave the Evil Demon Forest and arrive near a city in the Crescent Empire.
However, Ning Tianchen and his group didn't rush to leave. Instead, they deliberately headed toward the Evil Demon Town.
In the future, Lone Wolf would serve as the guide for the Yu Die sisters on this continent, so it was necessary to bring him under their wing. Whether he would accompany the sisters to the Douluo Continent later was entirely up to his personal choice.
What surprised Ning Tianchen was the presence of many members of the Cang family in the Evil Demon Town.
These individuals wore the emblem of the Cang family on their chests and conducted themselves very discreetly, seemingly searching for someone.
As for whether Cang Jinghong was among them, Ning Tianchen neither knew nor cared about their situation.
Lone Wolf, pursued by his enemies, had taken refuge in the Evil Demon Town.
Feng Xiaotian, with his heightened sensitivity to Lone Wolf's aura, quickly located where he was staying.
Lone Wolf lived in a basement, seemingly fond of such dim environments.
When he saw Ning Tianchen and the others appear, he exclaimed in surprise, "You've returned?"
Ning Tianchen and the others entered his room and closed the door behind them.
"There are some things you might have already guessed. I hope you don't speak carelessly about them—it's for your own good as well as ours."
Lone Wolf naturally didn't want to offend Ning Tianchen and his group. Upon hearing his words, he nodded seriously.
Then he noticed the absence of the twin sisters from Ning Tianchen's group and couldn't help but ask about their whereabouts.
"You don't need to worry about where they've gone. Coincidentally, I have something I need your help with," Ning Tianchen said.
After pondering for a moment, Lone Wolf countered, "Is it related to them?"
Ning Tianchen nodded and continued, "I'm considering recruiting you. What do you think?"
Lone Wolf didn't answer immediately but instead asked, "If you want to recruit me, you should at least tell me which faction you belong to."
Ning Tianchen shook his head. "It's not time yet."
He then explained his intentions.
Lone Wolf's task going forward would be to stay in the Evil Demon Town and await the return of the two sisters. Afterward, he would guide them through their trials on the Sun and Moon Continent.
"Following them will greatly aid your cultivation. You might even break through the barrier of Level 90. But you should understand—don't ask what shouldn't be asked, and avoid doing what shouldn't be seen or heard."
"I don't know when they'll return or how long their trials will take. If you follow them with genuine intentions to join my faction, they will bring you along when the time comes."
"Of course, if you don't wish to join us, we won't force you. You can consider this a commission—to act as their guide."
After some thought, Lone Wolf replied, "Your strength surpasses anyone I've ever met or heard of. Joining your faction is a wise choice, and I can agree to your request. However, within ten years, you must tell me more about your group."
Ten years should be enough for the sisters to nearly complete their divine trials.
Moreover, within this decade, Ning Tianchen would have likely already finished the Asura God trial. At that point, whether the existence of the Douluo Continent was exposed or not wouldn't matter.
With this in mind, he readily agreed to Lone Wolf's condition.
Before leaving, Ning Tianchen left a substantial amount of gold coins as payment for Lone Wolf.
"By the way, the Cang family is looking for you. I heard that your people ran into trouble in Binhai City. With the combined efforts of the Cang family and the city lord's residence, they managed to barely protect them. But they can't hold out for much longer. For specifics, you'll need to ask them yourself."
The Manta Ray ran into trouble?
Ning Tianchen and the others exchanged glances.
Without the Manta Ray, they would be stranded on this continent. Even if they bought a large ship, it might take a year or more to return to the Douluo Continent.
"Thank you for informing us. Until next time."
With that, Ning Tianchen and the others immediately headed to the town to meet with the Cang family members.
Cang Jinghong and Zhang Heng had originally planned to wait for their return in the town, but after waiting for a long time without seeing any trace of them, they ultimately departed three months ago.
A month ago, Captain Chen Haobai and the others ran into trouble. After learning that they were friends of Ning Tianchen's group, the Cang family and the city lord's residence worked together to protect them.
Currently, they were hiding in the city lord's residence to avoid being targeted by their enemies.
Neither the Cang family nor the city lord's residence had any obligation to protect Chen Haobai and the others. They did so to curry favor with Ning Tianchen.
Under Cang Jinghong's arrangements, the Cang family sent a small team to wait for Ning Tianchen's group in the Evil Demon Town.
After meeting with the group, the leader of the Cang family team brought Ning Tianchen and the others to a restaurant in the town and thoroughly informed them about Chen Haobai and the others' situation.
The trouble wasn't caused by Chen Haobai and his group.
They had followed Ning Tianchen's suggestion to sell the gold and jewelry they found on the island at pawnshops and auction houses in the city to exchange for money.
At first, everything went smoothly. They lived normal lives in the city, occasionally fishing at sea, and life was relatively easy and comfortable.
Who would have expected that, over a month ago, a noble from the capital of the Crescent Empire arrived, claiming that the style of the gold and jewelry they sold belonged to his ancestors. He suspected that Chen Haobai's group had desecrated his family's graves and attacked them.
The city guards quickly arrived at the scene. Seeing that the situation couldn't be resolved peacefully, Chen Haobai decisively mentioned Ning Tianchen's name.
Without evidence, of course, no one believed him.
But coincidentally, one of the city guards who had accepted bribes when Ning Tianchen's group first landed happened to recognize Chen Haobai and his group's identity.
Upon realizing the situation, Zhang Chenghuan immediately took them into custody under the city lord's name, but in reality, placed them in a secret room in the city lord's residence, indirectly protecting their safety.
However, the nobleman had far-reaching influence and quickly learned about Chen Haobai's group. He continuously pressured the city lord's residence.
Moreover, the nobleman presented portraits of his ancestors wearing jewelry of the same style, making it even harder to explain.
Fortunately, New Moon City was quite far from Binhai City, and the back-and-forth exchange of letters wasted a lot of time; otherwise, the city lord's residence would have buckled under the pressure long ago.
After the incident, Zhang Chenghuan and Cang Tianyou naturally hoped that Ning Tianchen would personally intervene. With his overwhelming strength, he could intimidate the nobleman and protect Chen Haobai's group.
This was why they arranged for someone to wait in the Evil Demon Town.
Upon hearing the situation, Ning Rongrong found it hard to believe.
The gold and jewelry they had obtained on the island near the Douluo Continent—how could they possibly come from the Sun and Moon Continent? It was simply absurd.
Ning Tianchen also didn't know the origins of these treasures.
Perhaps, as the nobleman claimed, these items truly belonged to his ancestors. Later, one of the nobleman's ancestors might have drifted across the sea and accidentally landed on the same small island where Ning Tianchen's group had once set foot.
Of course, it was also possible that the styles merely coincided and the items weren't from the nobleman's family at all.
Regardless of which scenario was true, Chen Haobai and his group couldn't be allowed to suffer any harm. Otherwise, their journey home would be fraught with endless trouble.
Under the guidance of the Cang family team, Ning Tianchen and his group wasted no time. They mounted swift horses and galloped toward Binhai City without pause.
…
Basement of the City Lord's Residence in Binhai City.
Chen Haobai's group had been living there during this time.
Although they hadn't left the city lord's residence, Chen Haobai had some understanding of the outside situation.
"Captain, will those noble benefactors come to save us?" A crew member asked despairingly, his face filled with fear.
Previously, the nobleman had attacked them without mercy. If the city guards hadn't arrived in time and if they hadn't possessed soul master cultivation, they would have surely perished at the hands of their attackers.
Chen Haobai sighed deeply and helplessly replied, "This trouble was caused by us; it has nothing to do with those noble guests. They still have matters to attend to on the continent and may not even know about our plight."
"Listen to me, everyone. The city lord has already protected us while bearing immense pressure. We can't involve others anymore. As the captain, I hold myself responsible. Tomorrow, I'll leave the city lord's residence and voluntarily confess my crimes to that nobleman."
Hearing this, the crew members were shocked and immediately tried to stop him. "No! Without anyone else, we absolutely cannot lose the captain!"
They knew that among the crew, only Chen Haobai knew the way back.
If something happened to him, not only would they be stranded on this continent, but they might also face the wrath of Ning Tianchen and his group.
After a brief pause, the eldest crew member stepped forward and said, "Before we departed, those noble benefactors gave us so much money. My son even used it to propose to his girlfriend—I have no regrets in life."
"Everyone, please take care of them when we return. I'm useless and couldn't provide my son with a good life. But as long as I'm alive, I'll confess to that nobleman tomorrow. At least that way, everyone else won't be implicated."
Another young crew member immediately countered, "No, Old Zhang, if anyone goes, it should be me. My life is worthless. Without the money given by those noble benefactors, my mother's chronic illness wouldn't have been cured."
"When I was young, I made mistakes and dragged my mother into trouble. Now, sacrificing myself for everyone will make her proud of me."
None of the sailors backed down; they all volunteered to take responsibility individually.
Chen Haobai's gaze was distant, and he remained silent for a long time.
Before he could speak, Zhang Chenghuan, who had overheard the commotion outside, walked into the room and loudly interrupted, "None of you will die. Screw that so-called Duke's son—in Binhai City, I call the shots!"
"Without my permission, no one can touch you."
Every city lord was like a local emperor within their domain.
Initially, Zhang Chenghuan might have protected Chen Haobai's group because of Ning Tianchen's reputation. But later, the actions of the Duke's son had thoroughly enraged him.
Even though he didn't hold a noble title, so what? The Duke's son had no authority over him!
Furthermore, the New Moon Empire had suffered continuous defeats in its border wars. Instead of contributing to the nation's defense, the Duke's son abused his father's power to oppress commoners within the empire.
Such a Duke wasn't worth his respect.
"City Lord, we—"
Chen Haobai wanted to say something, but Zhang Chenghuan cut him off. "Don't worry about it. Even if I can't withstand the pressure, Elder Cang is still here. That brat wouldn't dare act recklessly."
"You don't need to worry. The Cang family has already sent people to contact a few friends. We'll hear news soon."
…
On the other side, Ning Tianchen's group raced toward Binhai City on horseback.
Their speed surpassed that of the messengers.
Ten days later, at dusk, Ning Tianchen reined in his horse before a broken wall. From afar, the outline of Binhai City came into full view.
Ning Tianchen's eyes were cold, slightly narrowed, and his killing intent radiated unrestrainedly.
"Anyone who tries to prevent us from returning will have their entire family wiped out."
Before leaving, he had agreed with Bai He to return within two years.
The situation on the Douluo Continent was already unclear. After being away for such a long time, who knew what reckless actions Bibi Dong might take?
If they failed to return to their sect within the agreed timeframe, the Tianjian Sect would likely fall into chaos.
Without anyone else, Chen Haobai was indispensable. Anyone who dared lay a hand on him would become their enemy.
Chen Huayu laughed heartily. "I've been itching for a big fight. Let's see who's so capable that they dare to harm our people."
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