Douluo Continent: The Eternal Order of the Azure Sky.

She was dressed in white, her long hair cascading down to her waist. She looked like a goddess who had emerged from a millennia-old glacier. Her icy blue eyes looked down at the battlefield below, as if watching a group of ants struggling in their death throes.

At this moment, even Wang Qiu'er could only barely hold on by the support of the Golden Dragon Spear. Her golden dragon eyes were fixed on the white figure in the sky, her eyes filled with resentment and awe.

In the utter silence, a footstep, neither too loud nor too soft, rang out.

Kong Tianxu walked slowly from the direction of the North Gate, his steps unhurried. In his left hand, he carried a pair of fine steel soul-guided handcuffs, the other end of which was fastened to Huo Yuhao's limp body, who was being dragged along like a dead dog.

"Clean him up." Kong Tianxu casually tossed Huo Yuhao to the servant behind him, who caught him and skillfully hoisted him onto his shoulder and carried him away.

Cain retracted the faintly visible crimson bat wings on his back, leaped off the roof, and landed lightly behind Kong Tianxu. Xue Di also quietly landed on the other side at some unknown time.

More people emerged from the shadows: deacons of the Holy Spirit Cult, officers of the Sun Moon Empire, protectors in black robes, and soul masters in white robes. The once deserted street was now teeming with people, all orderly merging into the ranks behind Kong Tianxu, like streams flowing into a great river.

More disciples from the three upper sects were brought in from outside the city.

Ningguta chuckled self-deprecatingly. Gazing up at the fully brightened sky, he suddenly felt that it all seemed like an absurd dream.

He had lived for nearly two hundred years and witnessed countless storms, but he had never felt so utterly powerless as he did today.

He was so strong—so strong that it made him feel that his years of cultivation had been a joke.

The unification of the Sun and Moon Empire is probably unstoppable.

For my own sake and for the sake of my family, I'm afraid... being pragmatic is the only way out.

Throughout his life, he has witnessed the rise and fall of countless sects and the changes of empires. He knows better than anyone that in the face of the torrent of history, trying to stop a chariot with one's bare hands will only lead to utter destruction.

Those who go with the flow are often able to find their place in the new era.

If I were to be the first to defect, I might be able to find a good way out in the future landscape of the mainland.

After figuring all this out, Ningguta was actually quite pleased with his own cleverness.

His ability to calmly analyze the pros and cons and make the best choice in such a desperate situation is what makes him superior to those reckless brutes like Haotian and Landian.

He was confident that, with his rich experience spanning a century and the foresight to have the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School stand for tens of thousands of years, no one could recognize the situation or make the right judgment more quickly than him.

Ningguta stood up and began to walk, his steps seemingly slow but actually extremely fast. No one could see how he crossed the devastated ruins; his figure floated lightly among the frost and rubble, his clothes fluttering like crane wings.

By the time the two sides realized what was happening, he had already appeared a foot away from Kong Tianxu, standing quietly and curtsying.

The curve of that bow was just right, expressing sufficient respect without appearing overly obsequious. He even subtly dusted off the corner of his robe and tucked his disheveled hair behind his ear, striving to maintain the elegance and nobility of the Grand Ancestor.

Ningguta lowered his head, about to speak in the purest, most elegant language of the Heavenly Dou Empire.

Out of the corner of my eye, I suddenly caught a glimpse of a magnificent figure.

"Nine--"

"Tang Yunyue of the Haotian Sect, having spent half his life wandering, has never encountered a wise ruler. If Prince Tianxu, Holy Emperor, and His Highness the Supreme Dragon of the Sun and Moon can spare my life, I will lead all the members of the Haotian Sect to serve me faithfully, even unto death—!!!"

Tang Yunyue's voice boomed like a bell, finally breaking at the last word. He knelt on the ground, his force seemingly unstoppable, and almost instantly slid from the very edge of the ruins to the very front of the crowd, his knees carving deep furrows into the solid ground, ending only at Kong Tianxu's feet. His towering frame knelt almost buried in the earth, his forehead pressed against the ground, his voice filled with an almost pious earnestness.

The entire northern district of Sunrise City was plunged into an even more eerie silence than when the Snow Emperor descended.

Ningguta's hair, which she had just tucked behind her ears, was once again blown into disarray by the strong wind brought up by Tang Yunyue. Her mouth was still pouting as if she was about to utter the first "nine," like a child whose candy had been snatched away.

Chapter 367 Tuo Tong

Ningguta stared in disbelief. The five words "Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect" that he hadn't finished saying turned into a series of unconscious hoarse sounds squeezed out from deep in his throat, like an old goose being choked.

He felt that his 180 years of self-respect was as thin as a sheet of paper in front of Tang Yunyue's knees.

What a shameless scoundrel! He thought he was an honest man!

Gan!

But Ningguta, being worldly-wise, quickly recovered from his brief shock and instead of continuing to bow, simply and decisively knelt down.

"Like Sect Master Tang, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is also willing to surrender. All their wealth is at your disposal. The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has been engaged in commerce for ten thousand years and has trade relations with thirty-two merchant guilds and hundreds of sects on the continent. We still have some influence over some forces that originally belonged to the Three Kingdoms, especially the hidden sects."

Ningguta subtly increased the stakes for himself, and then glared fiercely at Tang Yunyue.

Kong Tianxu hadn't yet expressed his opinion. He stood on the steps, looking down at the scene with an expression that was more amusement than satisfaction, as if he were watching a predictable yet quite entertaining monkey show.

At the same moment that the two men knelt on the ground vying to show their loyalty, Wang Qiu'er knelt there, her fingers gripping the Golden Dragon Spear icy cold.

Faced with this amusing scene, even though she had lived in the human world for quite some time, she still felt a wave of inexplicable absurdity.

She couldn't understand why her allies, who had just fought side by side, could change their attitude so quickly, even though they were considered to be among the strongest beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest!

Even ferocious beasts, such as Xiong Jun, never easily bow their heads, even in front of Di Tian.

Is this what humans are like?

She felt as if her hand holding the Golden Dragon Spear was losing strength, and her fighting spirit, which had never wavered, had vanished. Looking at that flawless figure in white, she felt a surge of complex emotions.

Why does Yuhao always have to run into him?

He's a man who can even sever fate; how terrifying!

But he seems to have gotten stronger, and... even more handsome.

The thought, like a bubble suddenly rising to the surface of water, burst open in her consciousness without warning, shattering into countless tiny bubbles that spread outwards.

Something she had deliberately forgotten stirred within her heart, accompanied by subtle emotional shifts.

Wang Qiu'er herself didn't even notice that, ever since Kong Tianxu appeared, except for a brief moment when she confirmed that Huo Yuhao was not in danger, her gaze had been fixed on a certain person the whole time, as steadfast as a rock.

Tang Yunyue and Ningguta's voices seemed to still echo in the air, but the reef moved, parting the crowd as it approached.

He's coming. He's here to see me.

For no apparent reason, Wang Qiu'er's heart skipped a beat, and she had a strong premonition.

Closer, closer, that face that I've barely seen yet is so familiar with every angle is getting closer.

It was as if the snow had fallen again amidst the fireworks of a year ago, and the surrounding figures were fading into the distance, leaving only the newcomer and himself.

Wang Qiu'er felt her palms sweating, a mix of heat and cold rising up. She thought she might say "long time no see" later, "let Yuhao go," or "I'm so beautiful, why do you always look at me like I'm a plant, animal, stone, or food, without any of the emotions you would show when you look at the girl behind you?"

Huo Yuhao isn't as good as you, but he's not bad either. Besides, Huo Yuhao is my destiny, at least he gives me a glimmer of hope!

These chaotic and confusing thoughts raced through her mind. Wang Qiu'er's body trembled slightly, but she still gritted her teeth and stared intently at Kong Tianxu.

An inexplicable surge of emotions filled her like a volcano, causing her chest to heave more and more violently, lava churning within her chest cavity, ready to erupt from her throat at any moment.

The Haotian Sect disciple, his face bruised and swollen, gave Wang Qiu'er a strange look, then seemed to be bewitched and couldn't look away.

The sunlight slanted across her face, her golden dragon eyes burning with fire and moistness, a beauty that was passionate, radiant, sacred, and stubborn.

Kong Tianxu walked straight through the crowd without glancing to the side or saying a word.

The white robes brushed past Wang Qiu'er, stirring up a very light breeze. There was a familiar scent, but the breeze didn't linger, not even a slight change in its curve for her sake.

He didn't even glance at her.

As the crowd passed by, a seemingly endless tide surged in, drenching the boiling emotions within.

Wang Qiu'er suddenly realized that Kong Tianxu was just manipulating the other party.

Tang Yunyue's ability to quickly recognize the situation and humble himself to beg for mercy suggests that he must have something to rely on, rather than just offering empty words of loyalty.

Tang Yunyue, kneeling on the ground, was also racking his brains.

From Xue Di's attitude towards Kong Tianxu, he could clearly see that this young man, whose reputation resounded throughout the continent, was the one with the most say in this matter. Without a doubt, only by moving the other party could he fight for a way out.

For someone like Kong Tianxu, ordinary loyalty is probably as insignificant as a roadside vendor's hawking. The Haotian Sect's military strength isn't essential to him, so…

Tang Yunyue knelt on the ground and crawled a few steps before tentatively speaking:

“Your Highness, Prince Tianxu. I dare to ask, has Your Highness ever seen a girl whose martial soul is the Clear Sky Hammer, but whose abilities are very special? She is about the same age as Your Highness.”

Kong Tianxu raised an eyebrow: "So what if it is?"

Tang Yunyue looked around hesitantly, clearly quite apprehensive.

Kong Tianxu smiled slightly, casually waved his hand, signaling the prisoners to be taken away, and then turned and walked towards the school that had been affected by the battle but was miraculously preserved.

Tang Yunyue quickly got up from the ground and followed Kong Tianxu with his back bent.

So it turns out... it had nothing to do with me.

A sudden surge of inexplicable and almost irrational anger welled up in Wang Qiu'er's chest. The intense and unreasonable rage flowed through her body with her blood, but she was unable to stand up.

A sense of emptiness and weakness was gnawing at my very bones.

Why? What is the cause of my anger?

Until she saw Huo Yuhao being dragged ahead, passing over a pebble, and rolling solidly.

Yes, that's exactly right!

That anger finally found an outlet, a reason that could be accepted without question. Kong Tianxu had insulted those whose fates were intertwined with hers, so her anger was perfectly justified.

It has nothing to do with him!

Wang Qiu'er suddenly rose up in triumph!

A pale white hand suddenly slapped the back of her neck.

Even with her powerful body like the Seven-Ring Golden Dragon, Wang Qiu'er felt a dizzying sensation for a moment, along with a faint sense of intoxication and an extremely strong feeling of weakness. Suddenly, Wang Qiu'er felt as if she had been completely immersed in it.

The next moment, even her mind became somewhat confused.

"A dose of 'Ten Thousand People Drunk' combined with 'Soul-Destroying Powder'—remember, you are now a prisoner."

Cain's voice came from behind, and the sea of ​​consciousness was cut off, making it impossible to even communicate with fate. Wang Qiu'er's will gradually faded away, and she only had time to grip the golden dragon spear in her hand.

Just as Wang Qiu'er and the others were being led down to the dungeon, Tang Yunyue also caught up with Kong Tianxu while bending over.

He walked through the sunlit, spotless main hall, and ascended the steps of the school just as Kong Tianxu took his seat in the main seat. His voice was even more respectful:

"This woman is named Tang Wutong. She is the legitimate daughter of Tang San, the Sea God from ten thousand years ago, and is also the inheritor of the Sea God's position."

Upon hearing this, several high-ranking members of the Holy Spirit Cult present gasped in shock.

The Sea God. Although most of the people present were not formal Soul Masters and their faith in the Sea God was not particularly devout, the name itself was a legend on the Douluo Continent.

Kong Tianxu glanced in the direction Wang Qiu'er was taken away and said indifferently:

"anything else?"

Tang Yunyue lowered his eyes, but his heart was secretly shaken.

He gambled correctly. Only one other Divine Examiner could defeat the inheritor of the Divine Examiner's legacy. The world today has witnessed a resurgence of the continent's glory from ten thousand years ago!