DD Black White [431-432] (Patreon)

Chapter 431: Gods Descend to the Mortal World

Someone had to go to the Douluo Continent at once, grasp the situation in the lower realm, and find Xiao Wu. As for Tang San himself, there was absolutely no way he could leave.

As one of the original core members of the God Realm Committee, holding at the same time the divine thrones of the Sea God and the Asura God, he was without question one of the most watched figures in this chaotic battle. Any abnormal movement from him would immediately draw countless gazes.

But his parents were there…

Tang San's divine sense quietly fixed on the edge of the battlefield. Two figures, because their strength was comparatively weaker, did not approach directly, but instead watched the battle from a distance with anxious expressions—his father Tang Hao and his mother Ah Yin.

At the same time, he also noticed Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar, Ning Rongrong and the others watching the battle from the periphery.

Those were them.

Like invisible silk threads, a secret divine thought pierced through the chaotic turbulence of energy and landed precisely in Tang Hao and Ah Yin's minds.

"Father, Mother, the God Realm is no longer stable. No one knows how long this war will last. The lower realm has changed. It's related to Xiao Wu and the foundations of my divine thrones. Hurry and take Mu Bai and the others with you. Use the chaos in the lower realm to uncover the truth and search for Xiao Wu's traces."

Receiving the message, Tang Hao and Ah Yin were both shocked. They exchanged a look, and astonishment flashed in each other's eyes before their gazes immediately grew firm.

They understood the immense pressure their son was currently facing, and how dangerous it was to transmit such a message amidst this chaos.

Gods interfering with the mortal world was strictly forbidden in the God Realm. Even second-rank gods weren't qualified to convey information to the lower realm, let alone descend in person. This was a grave violation of the God Realm's iron laws—if the God of Destruction discovered it, whoever it was would be severely punished.

And yet…

Staring at the apocalyptic battlefield before them, thinking of the Xiao Wu and the foundations of the divine thrones Tang San had mentioned, those so-called iron laws suddenly seemed laughably absurd.

Rules are dead; people are alive.

They had already ascended from the lower world. They no longer felt awe toward those rules that bound their hands and feet.

If Tang San had obediently abided by the rules, he would never have reached where he stood today.

A fierce determination flashed across Ah Yin's eyes. She lightly nodded at Tang Hao.

Tang Hao took a deep breath. A fleeting hardness crossed his time-worn face. Then he calmly began moving in Dai Mubai's direction, sending him a brief voice transmission along the way, passing on Tang San's secret message.

Dai Mubai had been watching the battle. When he received Tang Hao's transmission, his eyes froze for a moment and a flicker of shock crossed them, but his expression quickly turned clear and resolute.

He trusted Tang Hao, and Tang Hao clearly trusted him.

He immediately relayed the message to Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar, and Ning Rongrong.

The partners who had lived and died together fell silent for only a brief moment of doubt before arriving at a tacit understanding.

They quietly withdrew, gradually moving away from the battlefield. Their retreat was silent, and on the vast battlefield of the God Realm, where second-rank and third-rank gods surged like waves in a stormy sea, their movements were far too insignificant to draw the attention of the battling God Kings.

The Golden Dragon King roared. Ma Hongjun burned. The Ligh God purified. The Immortal God raged…

Who would care about the movements of a few low gods?

On the battlefield, Tang San forced Ma Hongjun back with desperate swings of his sword. The Asura Demon Sword swept away the raging tides and cleaved toward the attacking Mad God Lei Xiang.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his parents and his partners safely disappearing at the edge of the battlefield, and his heart relaxed just a little.

…

Deep within the Douluo Star, the Inner Star Sea—the core of the planetary supercomputer—trembled slightly, a massive sphere of light composed of pure energy and information currents pulsing faintly.

The next moment, Hatsune Miku transformed into a beautiful girl with long green twin ponytails, and projected a top-priority alarm onto the main screen of the Hertha & Ruan Mei Research Institute.

Almost at the same time, space rippled, and Lu Jingming's figure had already appeared inside the institute.

His gaze was immediately drawn to the ultra-clear real-time image on the screen—a beam of sacred power tore through the sky, ignoring planar barriers, boldly piercing the clouds as if to bombard some remote wilderness on the Douluo Continent.

As the pillar of light dispersed, several figures releasing powerful auras emerged from within. They were Tang Hao, Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar, Ning Rongrong, and Ah Yin.

"They're here. See for yourself. Your trouble has arrived."

Hertha folded her arms in front of her chest. On her delicate face, it looked as if the ones appearing on the screen weren't six gods, but six flying insects that had accidentally wandered into the institute.

Compared to them, unresolved mathematical conjectures and exotic cosmic constants were far more interesting in her eyes.

Lu Jingwei gazed at the six figures on the screen, the corner of his mouth lifting as expected.

"Looks like Tang San has finally reacted. Of course—he's from the generation of God Kings. Even driven by hatred, after his daughter's fall, the seizing of the Golden Tree, and so many changes on the Douluo Continent tied to the new Sea God, it would be impossible for him to do nothing."

He spoke in a flat tone.

"If he remained indifferent even now, I'd have to suspect he'd turned mentally disabled from losing Xiao Wu."

He paused for a moment, then let out a mocking, sarcastic chuckle.

"Gods descending to the mortal world… Indeed, so-called rules are used to restrain the weak. For the truly powerful, the laws of the God Realm are nothing more than scraps of paper that can be ripped apart at any time."

He saw through it all.

In essence, the God Realm was a world where the strong were revered. The so-called iron law that gods must not interfere in the lower realms existed to restrict ordinary gods that had ascended from dependent planes, to maintain distance and stability for the God Realm itself.

But for God Kings with real power, the restraints of this so-called iron law were extremely limited.

In the original development, if not for the suppressive balance of the rule-abiding and death-fearing God of Destruction, why would Sea God Tang San have needed to act so cautiously, secretly arranging everything?

He could have openly issued divine decrees and directly intervened in the affairs of the continent. How many would have dared to object?

Strength is the ultimate right to speak.

"Dear, what are you planning to do?"

A gentle, affectionate voice sounded by Lu Jingwei's ear. At some point, Ruan Mei had walked up to him. Her slender jade hand reached out and gently caressed his cheek. A light very much like that of a researcher examining some rare specimen flickered in her beautiful eyes.

"We're still missing a few… god-level test subjects. Their life structures are sure to be fascinating."

Her tone was naturally indifferent, as if she were asking him to acquire a few ordinary experimental instruments, not several living second-rank gods.

"Tch."

Off to the side, Hertha couldn't help curling her lips, unconcealed displeasure flashing across her face.

This sense of unhappiness came not just from Ruan Mei's intimate gesture, but from the effortless affection Ruan Mei showed toward Lu Jingwei—something Hertha herself had never fully understood.

Seeing those two talk as if no one else existed right in front of her made Hertha distinctly unhappy.

Lu Jingming was not surprised by Ruan Mei's request. He reached back to take her hand and said casually:

"Those simple second-rank god-level lab rats are indeed precious materials, and not so easy to come by. I'll have Hysilens and Cerydra assist with the research. They can help bring one back. If necessary, we can contact Gu Yuena and get her to move openly against the gods of the God Realm. She'd be interested as well."

His words radiated absolute confidence.

To the forces native to the Douluo Continent, second-rank gods were untouchable, invincible peak existences.

But before Haiyuan City, god-level combat power was anything but lacking.

Jingliu's sword that could cleave stars. Gu Yuena, the Silver Dragon King who controlled the origin of elements.

The Asura God Cerydra. The Sea God Hysilens.

The Herta with her myriad methods. Acheron, who walked the void and severed concepts with his blade. And Istaroth, the ruler of time…

Any one of them could contend head-on with, or even defeat, a second-rank god.

Zhang Lexuan, who was on the verge of ascending to godhood as the new Moon God. And Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong of parallel worlds…

All of these were powers Haiyuan City could mobilize.

As for Tang Hao and the others, whose strongest members were only second-rank gods—even if they possessed the combat strength of first-rank gods, in Lu Jingwei's eyes they were nothing more than high-quality experimental materials, entirely incapable of shaking Haiyuan City, not even enough to make him feel the slightest tension.

…

Six streams of divine radiance, dazzling as falling meteors, crashed down onto a remote wilderness of the Douluo Continent. Dust surged into the sky, and the violent fluctuations of godly power made all creatures within dozens of miles tremble, shudder, and prostrate themselves instinctively.

As the light slowly faded, six figures whose auras were completely different from those of mere mortals appeared clearly.

At the head stood a middle-aged man, tall and powerfully built, with a resolute face and a short beard. In his hand was a massive Clear Sky Hammer, and his aura was fierce—it was Tang Hao.

Beside him was a woman in a long blue dress. She was gentle and feminine, her eyes filled with curiosity. This was Ah Yin.

A little behind them was a pair of man and woman, both with outstanding bearing.

The man had golden hair cascading down, double-lidded eyes gleaming with an intimidating fiendish spirit, and a faint white tiger phantom looming over his body. This was the God of War, Dai Mubai.

The woman at his side was dressed in black. Her figure was sultry and alluring, her features beautiful, but her cold aura would freeze any stranger at arm's length. Laziness and sharpness mingled in her enchanting eyes. This was Zhu Zhuqing, the God of Speed.

On the other side was a slightly eccentric, intelligent-looking handsome young man, looking all around with obvious curiosity. This was Oscar, the God of Food.

Holding onto his arm was a woman in a pink dress, as beautiful as an elf, brimming with grace and nobility. Her eyes were filled with excitement and nostalgia. She was the Nine-Colored Goddess, Ning Rongrong.

Setting foot on this land that was both familiar and profoundly unfamiliar, they could all sense the power of heaven and earth. It was much thinner than in the God Realm, yet possessed a unique worldly aura. The six gods each showed different degrees of emotion and absent-mindedness on their faces.

"It's really… been a long time."

Tang Hao's voice was low, bearing the rise and fall of the years.

He stomped lightly on the solid earth beneath his feet. The Clear Sky Hammer vanished from his palm. His gaze swept all around, complex emotions flickering in his eyes. Though the landscape was somewhat desolate, the outlines of terrain that had endured for ten thousand years could still be faintly discerned.

To him, this continent carried far too much hatred and resentment—from the glory and humiliation of the Clear Sky Sect, to his meeting and parting with Ah Yin, to the life-and-death struggle with Spirit Hall…

In the end, they had ascended to the God Realm, and he had believed they would never return to this world.

"Indeed. More than twenty years have passed in the God Realm, but down here, it's already been ten thousand years."

Ah Yin sighed softly. As the Blue Silver Emperor, she was most sensitive to the breath of life.

She could feel that the lifelines of this continent were still the same, but the essence flowing within them was completely different from ten thousand years ago. There were countless traces of cold, efficient, and unnatural creations—marks she could not quite comprehend.

"Wow. So this is the air of the Douluo Continent ten thousand years later? I can feel… the heavens and earth are much stronger than in our era."

Ning Rongrong took a deep breath, sensing that the qi of heaven and earth was significantly more active than in their time.

But driven by the excitement of returning home, she ignored the subtleties. Instead, she looked all around the wilderness, as if searching for familiar silhouettes hidden within it.

"It's really nostalgic. We haven't been back in so many years. I wonder how our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is doing now… Ah, no—by now it should be the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Does it still exist? How has it developed?"

Once the little princess of one of the three great sects, the sect had always been one of Ning Rongrong's greatest concerns.

She might possess a higher divine position and eternal life in the God Realm, but the sect forever occupied a place in her heart.

Dai Mubai was also stirred. He gazed into the distance, as if seeing the splendid imperial capital of the Star Luo Empire in his mind's eye.

"Ten thousand years of upheaval—who knows how much the world has changed. I don't even know if the Star Luo Empire still exists on this continent. Does our Dai clan's bloodline… still flourish?"

As a direct descendant of the Star Luo imperial family and one of the first-generation Seven Monsters of Shrek, his feelings for his homeland were extremely deep.

The rules of the God Realm were strict. Without a special reason, it was almost impossible for second-rank gods to descend to the lower realm. He had never imagined that he would get the chance to set foot again on the land of his birth.

Compared to Dai Mubai and Ning Rongrong's excitement, Zhu Zhuqing's reaction was much more indifferent. She yawned lazily, a faintly interested look on her beautiful face.

"So what? Most of it has nothing to do with us anymore."

She and Dai Mubai had spent all their years together in the God Realm and had left no descendants.

Even if the White Tiger bloodline still existed, at most it would be a distant collateral branch, not her direct line.

She cared little for power or clans. If not for the sudden changes in the God Realm that Tang San had entrusted her to help investigate, she would have preferred to stay in her divine domain, quietly studying those interesting creations brought from other dimensions called video games, rather than get dragged into this storm.

Oscar slung an arm around Ning Rongrong's shoulders, smiling as he tried to round things off.

"Don't say that, Zhuqing. In the end, this is where we were born, where we grew up, where we fought so hard. After ten thousand years, stepping back on this land… anyone would feel at least a bit moved."

He hadn't worried about anything in the Douluo Continent for a very long time. All his relatives and friends had long turned to dust in the river of history. He hadn't left behind any sect inheritance either. To him, revisiting this old land was more of a curious surprise.

"No matter how it's changed, now that we're back, I really want to know how the food here has evolved. Are there any new delicacies…?"

As the God of Food, he was exceedingly curious as to whether any new kinds of cuisine had emerged on the Douluo Continent after all these years.

…

Chapter 432: Ning Rongrong Is Shocked

"That's enough. Quiet down."

Tang Hao's deep voice cut through the chatter and emotions of the group. His expression was solemn as his gaze swept over each of them.

"We can reminisce later. Don't forget the purpose of this trip."

In terms of pure strength, he wasn't the strongest among them, and Dai Mubai and the others were only second-rank gods without divine thrones. However, he was the father of the God King Tang San and the elder of Dai Mubai and the others. That identity naturally put him in a position of authority.

Dai Mubai and the rest quickly calmed their expressions and turned their gazes to Tang Hao, clearly prepared to follow his lead.

After all, this trip had been fully orchestrated by Tang San, and they were even taking the risk of violating the rules of the God Realm. They had to proceed with extreme caution.

Tang Hao continued, "The difference in time flow between the God Realm and the lower realm is enormous. Ten thousand years have passed here, and the Douluo Continent has already been turned upside down. Xiao San has sensed signs… changes in the Golden Tree, the appearance of a new Sea God, the turmoil in the source of faith—these are all extremely unusual. We must uncover the truth as quickly as possible."

He pondered for a few moments, then began assigning tasks.

"Ah Yin and I will return to the Clear Sky Sect first. There might be information we need there."

The Clear Sky Sect was extremely important to him, and he desperately wanted to know what had become of it after ten thousand years.

"Mu Bai, you're of the Star Luo royal family and understand the Empire's situation the best. You and Zhuqing will go to Star Luo City and investigate the current state of the Star Luo Empire."

His gaze landed on Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing.

Dai Mubai nodded heavily, sharp light flickering in his eyes.

"Rongrong, you and Oscar will go to your sect, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and inquire about the major changes that have happened on the continent recently—especially in recent years… and whether there's any sign of Xiao Wu."

Tang Hao looked to Ning Rongrong and Oscar.

Once the wealthiest sect among the major forces, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's information network must have developed greatly. It was an important channel through which they could obtain news.

Ning Rongrong immediately replied, "Don't worry, Uncle Hao, leave it to us."

Once the tasks had been assigned, Tang Hao took a deep breath, and a grave look flashed through his eyes.

"Remember—this trip is not for sightseeing. The situation in the lower realm is unknown, and many drastic changes may have occurred. There must be powerful forces or existences involved. Treat everything with caution. If you encounter a situation you cannot handle, contact us immediately through the sealed divine sense. Do not act rashly."

"Yes!"

Dai Mubai and the others voiced no objection to Tang Hao's orders.

This was a mission personally entrusted by the God King Tang San. Deep down, each of them wanted to contribute to finding Xiao Wu and uncovering the truth.

And Tang Hao was Tang San's father and their elder; the respect they held for him had long been branded into their code of conduct.

The six exchanged glances and nodded to each other. Then their figures turned into six streams of divine light of different colors, streaking across the sky in different directions like meteors, vanishing in a flash into the vast horizon above the Douluo Continent.

The Nine-Colored Goddess Ning Rongrong and the God of Food Oscar transformed into two invisible streaks and flew toward the northern skies of the Douluo Continent.

The deeper they penetrated into the territory of the Heaven Dou Empire, the more clearly the scars of war appeared in the perception of their divine senses.

Charred land, abandoned villages, the shattered remains of soul tools, and the faint scent of smoke and blood hanging in the air all spoke silently of the suffering this land had endured.

They even witnessed a small-scale engagement—the troops of the Heaven Dou Empire's soul master army almost had no power to fight back when faced with a covert unit of soul engineers from the Sun Moon Empire.

Soul tool beams as dense as torrential rain, new-model soul tool mechas whose pilots showed no fear of death, and the distant silhouettes of floating battleships standing high in the sky and raining down fire support—all of it left the two gods somewhat stunned.

"Xiao Ao, did you see that?"

Ning Rongrong transmitted her voice through divine sense, a faint solemnity in her tone.

"Those soul tools… Their power means nothing to us, but their popularity and cooperative potential… If, in our time, an army like that could easily rout an Empire's elite corps, it would have been terrifying."

Oscar's handsome face had shed its usual levity. He nodded.

"Indeed. After ten thousand years of development, the form of warfare in the lower realm has completely changed. The Sun Moon Empire's soul tool technology has reached an unimaginable level. No wonder the Heaven Dou Empire is at such a disadvantage."

Along the way, through fragments of conversations among refugees and low-level soul masters captured by their divine senses, they gradually pieced together some information.

The Sun Moon Empire had launched a full-scale war. The defensive line at Mingdou Mountain Range of the Star Luo Empire had collapsed; the White Tiger Duke had fallen in battle. The Heaven Dou Empire had suffered a disastrous defeat on the Emerald Plains, taking enormous losses; the front line of the enemy army now pointed directly at the Empire's heartland.

All of this left Ning Rongrong and Oscar with an almost disorienting sense of time and space.

In ten thousand years, the pattern of the continent had been completely overturned.

Even standing on their sacred pedestals, they could not underestimate a civilization-level war that engulfed the entire continent, nor the possible entities hiding behind it all—such as the nascent new Sea God.

"Let's go to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect first," Ning Rongrong decided.

"There, we can definitely find the most important news. We can also see how the juniors are doing now."

Her voice carried a slight tremor. Ten thousand years was enough to turn all familiar bloodlines into dust. The thought of facing a group of completely unfamiliar descendants filled her heart with complicated feelings.

Guided by the directions in her memory, the ley lines, and their perception of the energy flows along the way, the two finally arrived at a valley brimming with spiritual energy, surrounded by mountains.

This was the stronghold of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect ten thousand years later.

Unlike the flashy, luxurious Seven Treasure City of her memories, the current residence of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect looked like a gigantic fortress, tightly fortified yet cleverly integrated with the natural environment.

The soaring glazed towers were still landmark buildings, but they were far fewer in number. Countless complex soul tool runes were inlaid on the towers' surfaces, emitting a cold, crystalline glow.

The entire sect was shrouded under a semi-transparent energy shield. Through it, one could faintly see various soul tool batteries and detection arrays slowly revolving within. The patrolling disciples wore light armor imbued with detection and defense soul tools and maintained high vigilance.

"So it really is… The sect has changed greatly too."

Ning Rongrong gazed down at the mix of familiar and unfamiliar sights below, her heart surging with emotion.

It seemed the sect had undergone dramatic transformation in response to the war and the challenges of a new era.

But just as they were about to suppress their auras, play the part of hidden experts from afar, and knock on the mountain gate, Ning Rongrong's divine sense accidentally swept past the central council hall of the sect.

In the next instant, her delicate body suddenly trembled violently, as if struck by heavenly thunder. She froze in mid-air, her hand flying up to cover her mouth as her beautiful eyes flew wide open, filled with disbelief and a tide of overwhelming grief.

"How… How is this possible…"

Her voice shook uncontrollably, and her eyes reddened in an instant.

"Rongrong, what's wrong?"

Noticing her abnormality, Oscar immediately followed her gaze.

The expression on his face turned to stone in an instant, a look of disbelief and horror rapidly spreading.

In front of the council hall doors, three people were standing and conversing.

In the center was a man in a moon-white robe, gentle, elegant, and handsome, though fatigue and worry lingered faintly between his brows. Yet his outline and bearing were uncannily similar to the familiar silhouette of the wisdom in their memories…

There was no mistaking it. It was the man they had long assumed to have turned to dust over the course of ten thousand years—Ning Fengzhi.

To his left stood an elder, with white hair and beard, his body as straight as a pine tree, plain-featured but with eyes like blades—a sword aura lingering around him. This was Sword Douluo Chen Xin.

To his right stood another elder, slightly stooped, with an unhealthy pale complexion, yet eyes as deep as an ancient well. His entire person exuded the aura of an unmoving mountain. This was Bone Douluo Gu Rong.

This…

This was impossible.

Ning Rongrong's mind went completely blank.

Father…

Grandpa Sword…

Grandpa Bone…

How could they still be alive?

Even for an Ultimate Douluo, a lifespan spanned only several hundred years. Ten thousand years should have been far beyond any limit. What's more, she had seen with her own eyes, during the final battle at Jialing Pass, how Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo had fought to their last breath to retrieve Tang San's body and fallen heroically. That sacrifice had become an eternal pain in her heart.

The scene before her overturned all of her understanding and shook her soul.

"Who's there?!"

The moment Ning Rongrong, shaken to the core, accidentally let a fluctuation of divine power leak out, Sword Douluo Chen Xin suddenly raised his head. His gaze shot up like twin sword-lights, cleaving through the hidden void.

His sword heart had been honed through countless life-and-death battles and was extremely sensitive to any strange or powerful aura.

As his shout rang out, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect instantly entered its highest state of alert.

"Buzz—!"

A piercing alarm blared. The energy shield shrouding the sect flared brightly and grew denser.

On the ground, countless hidden soul tool batteries rose like the quills of an awakened hedgehog. Their muzzles began to charge rapidly, locking onto a certain point in the sky.

Dozens of oddly-shaped floating soul tools lifted into the air, intertwining detection and interference fields across the sky.

With a series of precise mechanical transformations, the sect instantly shifted from a peaceful cultivation haven into a terrifying soul tool killing field bristling with death.

Several of the thickest muzzles were releasing energy fluctuations that had already reached the level of ninth-rank soul tools.

This was the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect after ten thousand years. Though no longer the ancient pillar power it once was and suppressed by newcomers like the Tang Sect, its deep heritage and enormous wealth allowed its investment into soul tool research to reach astonishing heights.

This sect-wide defense formation was enough to deter any Super Douluo or even Ultimate Douluo.

Yet before the two true gods, all of this appeared…

Fragile.

Facing the dense barrage of soul tool beams lancing up into the sky and the condensed, unparalleled sword qi slashing down from Sword Douluo, Ning Rongrong didn't even use a soul skill.

Still dazed and not yet fully recovered from her shock, she simply lifted a slender finger and gently tapped the oncoming sword aura.

Pop—

A soft sound, like a bubble bursting, echoed in the air.

The terrifying sword qi that could split mountains and shatter boulders shattered inch by inch upon touching Ning Rongrong's fingertip, dispersing into pure points of light that faded away in mid-air.

Ning Rongrong's finger didn't show even the faintest trace of red.

The toughness of a divine body far surpassed any metal in the mortal world.

Having had his sword stroke so easily dispelled, Sword Douluo's pupils tightened sharply. A look of unprecedented solemnity appeared on his face.

He could sense that the power of this visitor was unfathomable, far beyond his understanding.

He was about to unleash the true form of his martial soul and launch an even stronger attack, when—

The moment Ning Rongrong and Oscar fully revealed themselves in the air—

Time seemed to stop.

Sword Douluo Chen Xin's sharp gaze locked onto Ning Rongrong's face. That face was devastatingly beautiful, and eight or nine-tenths identical to the little witch in his memories, though now more sacred and elegant.

The Seven Kill Sword in his hand trembled slightly, and his sword heart, tempered by countless battles, rippled violently.

"Rong… Rongrong?!"

He cried out, his voice hoarse and full of disbelief.

Below, Bone Douluo Gu Rong, who had also been readying his attack, stared wide-eyed at the figures of Oscar and Ning Rongrong in the air—especially Ning Rongrong.

"Rongrong?! And… Oscar?!"

In front of them, Ning Fengzhi was even more stunned. The scepter in his hand fell to the ground with a thud.

He raised his head to look at the goddess-like Ning Rongrong in the sky, his lips trembling, yet no words coming out.

Just then, a girl in a pink dress, whose features bore seven or eight points of resemblance to Ning Rongrong, floated out timidly from behind Bone Douluo. Even suspended in mid-air, she still looked immature and youthful.

She had rushed out upon hearing the alarm, driven by a mix of curiosity and fear. But the moment her eyes met those of the unparalleled goddess surrounded by multicolored divine light in the air, she felt as if struck by lightning. Her little mouth opened into an "O" of shock, her entire being left dumbstruck.

"Eh?????"

Two Ning Rongrongs. One in the sky, radiating divine light. One on the ground, young and bewildered.

Separated by ten thousand years, they now faced each other across space in this impossible manner.

In that instant, the air seemed to completely solidify.

Only the blaring sirens continued to howl in vain, and the countless soul tool cannons pointed up into the heavens still glinted with cold light.

Within this frozen atmosphere, several sharp whistling sounds of air being torn apart echoed from afar, quickly drawing nearer.

A woman appeared, dressed in resplendent sect master robes, exuding a composed and capable aura. Her brows bore a clear resemblance to Ning Tian's. She rushed to the scene with several elderly experts, their presences immense.

This was Ning Hongyue, the current sect master of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, accompanied by several powerful elders. Among them was an old man with a particularly fierce aura—Wu Yun, the Crimson Dragon Douluo, in charge of sect discipline and grandfather of Wu Feng.

Ning Tian and Wu Feng followed right behind them, faces tense and curious.

"What happened? Are we under attack? Who are they?!"

Even before Ning Hongyue arrived fully at the scene, her cold and authoritative voice rang out.