Chapter 487: 487: Evil Dragon, Hunt the Head!
Although the Holy Knights are also members of the Spirit Hall, they are only responsible for one thing: cleansing evil and fallen beings.
They are also human. When facing powerful fallen beings, they can get injured and even die, but their faith never wavers.
In the original timeline, because Tang San released a large number of fallen beings, the Holy Knights never joined the battle until the Spirit Hall was defeated. They needed to cleanse these fallen beings released by Tang San.
"If we can awaken more people..."
The words of this Holy Knight reminded Diluc of the ancestors of Mondstadt, who, in endless blood and fire, overthrew the Lone King of the Tower... overthrew the rule of the nobility, thus establishing a free nation.
The fallen beings slaughtered wantonly, completely devoid of humanity. The nobility only cared about pleasure, never treating commoners as people... These were all things Diluc witnessed with his own eyes!
Only the new laws of the Heaven Dou Empire and the Spirit Hall have been helping these commoners, giving them some breathing room.
"Human, I admit you are strong, but this is not a reason for you to question me."
Di Tian, the emperor of the Star Dou Great Forest, spoke with an overwhelming aura.
Although he couldn't quite "see through" Diluc, in his eyes, Diluc was still just a "human."
As long as he is human, is it possible to defeat him, an 800, 000-year-old beast god?
Obviously, it is impossible!
Seeing this, Xiong Jun stepped forward, somewhat displeased, and said, "What human territory?"
"In the past, the entire Douluo Continent was the territory of our beast clan. You humans were just food!"
"What, now that you have some strength, you want to rise and become the masters?"
The sky cleared, the rain stopped, and Xiong Jun thought he was back in the game!
Hearing this, all the humans present changed their expressions. Even Ning Fengzhi couldn't help but turn pale.
He clenched his fists tightly, his gaze cold. If there was any other way, why would he cooperate with the spirit beast clan?
For the sake of the sect, he betrayed humanity. He is a sinner!
This is disrespectful to the deceased ancestors...
Diluc gripped his greatsword with both hands, and flames began to surge on the blade.
The terrifying temperature made everyone present change their expressions.
"I can't be bothered to reason with you spirit beasts. You don't deserve to hear it!"
"Judgment... Rua..."
A flame resembling a phoenix illuminated the entire night sky, spreading its wings and pouncing towards Xiong Jun.
"Human, you dare!!"
"Di Tian..."
Before Xiong Jun could finish speaking, the flame phoenix appeared in front of him. In an instant, the fur on his body turned to ash, and this was without even touching the flames.
"It's too late..."
Who would have thought that this human kid would be so unprincipled, not even bothering to reason with them and just attacking directly, leaving Xiong Jun no time to react.
No choice, he could only take it head-on!
Xiong Jun was quite confident in his own defense...
"Ah~"
The moment he came into contact with the flame phoenix, Xiong Jun let out a scream. All the fur on his body instantly turned to ash, and his entire body was continuously impacted by the flame phoenix. His once formidable defense seemed insignificant in the face of this blazing fire, shattering in an instant!
"Wow... it's really a roasted bear!"
Paimon widened her eyes, staring dumbfounded in Xiong Jun's direction, muttering to herself.
Thinking about it, this is normal. After all, Master Diluc is no weakling among all the Genshin.
(Numbers are numbers, background stories are background stories.)
Diluc is the one who faced all the Harbingers alone and came out unscathed. Even though there was a lot of seawater involved, his strength cannot be denied.
The Abyss Mages couldn't last more than a few rounds against him, which also speaks to Diluc's strength.
"Hiss~"
Everyone gasped, somewhat bewildered!
Although Xiong Jun was defeated by Qian Daoliu, he was no ordinary figure and had real strength.
Yet such a powerful bear was instantly defeated by this young man in just one round!
At this moment, even Di Tian couldn't help but narrow his pupils, his golden eyes filled with a strange light.
This...
This is not a power that humans on the Douluo Continent should possess!
But the person before them is indeed human. How is this possible?
After all, although Xiong Jun is a bit dense, his strength is not weak. Even Di Tian would need some effort to deal with him.
Yet this human instantly defeated Xiong Jun...
After defeating Xiong Jun, Diluc didn't hesitate for a moment. He charged straight towards Di Tian, and as he did, the flame greatsword in his hand continued to surge, as if gathering some terrifying power.
Seeing this, Di Tian's expression became extremely serious. In an instant, he transformed into his true form, and his right claw began to gather layers of black light.
When dealing with Qian Daoliu, he didn't transform into his true form, but against this human, he had to bring out his full strength!
A black dragon about a thousand meters long appeared, like a dark cloud pressing down on the city. Whether they were still fighting or not, all the spirit masters couldn't help but shudder.
In the face of Di Tian's true form, Diluc seemed like a tiny insect, insignificant.
But Di Tian dared not be the slightest bit careless. Battles are never determined by size.
"I must move forward, no matter who stands in my way!"
"Flames, burn it all!"
The flame phoenix appeared once again, this time targeting the most powerful Di Tian.
Facing this attack, Di Tian didn't dare to be careless. He raised his right claw, and endless dark energy gathered.
"Boom~"
At this moment, flame and darkness collided. The crimson phoenix seemed to tear through the chaos, heralding the dawn.
At this moment, the beast kings were dumbfounded, and the humans' pale faces showed a hint of joy!
The dawn will eventually come, and that flame phoenix is the light of dawn!
"Go, big brother with the greatsword!"
"Go, hero of the night!"
The surviving disciples of the Spirit Hall began to pray, hoping that Diluc's attack could truly break the darkness and bring forth the light.
"Evil dragon, hunt the head!"
Diluc leaped lightly, raising the flame greatsword and slashing towards Di Tian, his gaze firm, without a hint of hesitation.
Di Tian's pupils contracted. Facing this tiny sword and this tiny human, he vaguely sensed the aura of death.
"Am I going to die?"
Subconsciously, he didn't resist but instead looked towards Bi Ji and Zi Ji's direction.
The reason he didn't resist was mainly because he couldn't...
This human's power had surpassed what a quasi-god should possess, reaching the level of a god.
In the past, he wouldn't have paid attention to such a character, but now this character could take his life.
At this moment, a silver light descended from the sky, landing on Di Tian.
The surging flame greatsword collided with it, only creating ripples...
The recoil sent Diluc flying backward. A hint of confusion appeared on his face, but it quickly disappeared. Just before landing, he adjusted his posture and landed smoothly on the ground.
"Di Tian..."
####
Chapter 488: The Soul Beasts Retreat, The Higher-ups Flee
"Di Tian, come back. Do not involve yourself further in the conflicts of humans."
The voice was like the sound of a kingfisher skimming water, the song of an oriole, yet it carried an air of majesty and ethereality.
When a strong being speaks, it naturally carries an echo, a sense of ethereality.
Hearing this, not only was Di Tian stunned, but the humans were equally taken aback.
Another expert?
After regaining his composure, Di Tian did not hesitate and nodded.
"Yes, my lord!"
If Gu Yuena did not intervene, he would have no way to kill that human and would even face the risk of falling in battle.
This already signified the defeat of the soul beast faction. Staying any longer would only bring further humiliation.
Di Tian was an extremely loyal subordinate. If not for this, Gu Yuena would not have risked exposure to save him.
Diluc, gripping his greatsword, stared intently at Di Tian and the other beasts, but he did not stop them from leaving.
From that single strike earlier, he understood one thing: he was no match for the being behind them.
Who would have thought the beast race still had such a terrifying existence?
In a matter of moments, Di Tian led the fierce beasts away. Even Xiong Jun, who was severely injured and on the verge of death, was not abandoned by the beast race.
If they could save him, that would be best. If not, Xiong Jun's corpse still held great value and should not be left for the humans to claim.
Not to mention the soul power contained within his flesh, just his soul ring and soul bone alone would drive humans to madness.
After the fierce beasts left, Diluc scanned the surroundings and soon spotted "Charm Demon." His expression changed.
As if recalling something, he sheathed his weapon and pointed at Charm Demon, saying, "If this fallen one is not dealt with after the battle, I will personally take action!"
With that, Diluc's figure vanished.
He would not involve himself in human conflicts, but he could not remain indifferent to an invasion by an external race.
At this moment, the faces of the Spirit Hall faction were filled with joy. Without the help of the fierce beasts, they were certain they could defeat the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect; it was only a matter of time.
Whether it was the higher-ups or the disciples of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, their faces were now filled with sorrow and desolation.
The tide had turned; the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had lost!
Without the support of the soul beast experts, they had no chance of victory.
"Sect Master, let's leave."
Gu Rong, standing beside Ning Fengzhi, spoke with a grave expression.
There was no longer any chance of winning. Staying here would only mean death.
"Uncle Gu, I cannot leave. I must live and die with the sect!"
Ning Fengzhi shook his head, his desolate face filled with despair. He had never expected such a turn of events, plunging the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect into an abyss.
"The sect has lost. Death is the only outcome..."
"Fengzhi, as long as the green hills remain, there will be no shortage of firewood!"
Seeing Ning Fengzhi determined to live and die with the sect, Gu Rong persuaded him, "You are a god's inheritor. As long as you live, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will not perish. There is still hope."
"Let's go!"
"If they realize it, we may not be able to leave."
Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi trembled. Upon careful consideration, it seemed to make sense.
As long as he lived, there was still a chance to turn the tables, and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would not be truly destroyed.
Ning Fengzhi was not a foolish man. After weighing the pros and cons, he nodded.
"Let's go..."
Once the decision was made, Gu Rong quickly informed Chen Xin. The three exchanged glances, quietly retreated to the back of the crowd, and then disappeared.
As for Ning Rongrong and Oscar, they had not participated in the sect-destroying battle and were, in a sense, the last hope of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Oscar, as a food system soul master, could prepare supplies in advance and distribute them to everyone. His presence on the battlefield was irrelevant.
Ning Rongrong was merely a four-ringed soul master. Whether she was there or not made no difference.
Thus, the two were not on the battlefield. They had left the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect before the battle began and gone to the safest place in the world!
Next to Zhongli's residence...
"Not good, Ning Fengzhi has escaped!"
Golden Crocodile Douluo exclaimed in alarm and shouted, "Chase him!"
With Ning Fengzhi gone, the radiance of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda naturally dissipated, making it easy to notice his absence.
"Don't chase yet. With Gu Rong and Chen Xin by his side, plus Ning Fengzhi's enhancements, unless all seven of us act together..."
Qian Daoliu shook his head and said.
Once a titled Douluo decided to flee, even he would find it difficult to kill them.
Keep in mind, with Ning Fengzhi's enhancements, Chen Xin's strength could reach the level of a 98th-ranked Douluo.
To hunt down such a powerful individual, one must be fully prepared to have any chance of success.
Hearing this, Golden Crocodile Douluo, who had been about to pursue Chen Xin and the others, halted in his tracks. He too understood the reasoning.
If Qian Daoliu did not act, even if all the elders of the Hall of Worship joined forces, they would not be able to kill Chen Xin, Gu Rong, and the others.
Unless the others were foolish enough to stay and fight to the death.
"I thought Ning Fengzhi was a hero, but it turns out he..."
Golden Crocodile Douluo spoke disdainfully, but before he could finish, Qian Daoliu interrupted him.
"Second Elder, that young man is indeed a remarkable figure."
"???"
Not only was Golden Crocodile filled with questions, but the others were equally puzzled.
"Grand Elder, he..."
At this point, Golden Crocodile Douluo and Qian Daoliu exchanged glances. Seeing the firmness in Qian Daoliu's eyes, Golden Crocodile Douluo ultimately did not continue.
"He is a god's inheritor. As long as he lives, he will inevitably become a god. Now, bearing the infamy, yet not choosing to live and die with his sect, already shows he is a remarkable figure."
As if recalling something, Qian Daoliu continued, "If it were you, would you flee?"
Hearing this, Golden Crocodile fell silent, as did the others.
If it were him, he would certainly not flee. Even in death, he would stand with the Spirit Hall.
But in that case, the Spirit Hall would have no chance at all!
Ning Fengzhi was willing to bear the infamy of the ages, to flee and bide his time, showing his true character!
"As expected of the Grand Elder, your insight is precise. I am not your equal..."
"But if we let Ning Fengzhi escape, what if he becomes a god and turns against the Spirit Hall? What then?"
This was also a concern for Golden Crocodile, and the other elders shared his worry.
Qian Daoliu did not speak, only glancing in Bibi Dong's direction.
After a long while, he finally said, "Don't worry. Even if he becomes a god, there will be someone who can deal with him."
Since Qian Daoliu had spoken thus, the others said no more.
Suddenly, Golden Crocodile seemed to recall something and turned his gaze to the still frenzied Charm Demon, asking, "What should we do about the Charm Demon?"
"She is Bibi Dong's disciple. If she cannot regain her sanity after the battle, let Bibi Dong handle it."
"What if Bibi Dong cannot bring herself to do it?"
"Then let that person take action!"
"Understood, Grand Elder."
"Alas, our Spirit Hall purges all fallen ones from the world, yet..."
Qian Daoliu sighed but did not continue.
He was severely injured and would not participate in the upcoming battles.
With the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect losing Ning Fengzhi's enhancements and the two elders, Chen Xin and Gu Rong, the battle quickly became one-sided.