Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

Amidst the turbulent winds and clouds, two figures appeared in the sky. The white figure on the left immediately evoked a powerful sense of awe.

A layer of shimmering white scales covered her entire body, and two large wings spread out behind her. A white mask adorned her face, revealing only a pair of piercingly bright eyes. The mask shimmered with light and shadow, giving it an ethereal appearance.

She had unusual long blue hair that cascaded down her back, with two protrusions on the top of her head, and the armor on her shoulders extended out in sharp triangular shapes to the sides.

White scales continued to extend, forming a short battle skirt only eight inches long at her waist, and thick scales resembling armor appeared on her upper body.

At the very center of her perfect, curvaceous figure, a milky-white dragon ball the size of a ping-pong ball continuously emitted waves of white light.

Hai Ruyue's dragon eyes shone brightly, shifting from blue to red, like two rubies, contrasting sharply with the white scales covering her body. Her arms stretched out to her sides, and the three-inch-long sharp claws on her fingers gleamed with a chilling light.

The patriarchs of the four major families felt a chill run down their spines. The zodiac guardians of the past were all recorded in detail in the four major families, including the situation after the zodiac warriors' original forms were transformed.

The dragon warriors in the sky are quite different from what they expected. Their zodiac sign has changed to a very high degree, making them a very difficult opponent to deal with.

On the other side of the dragon warrior, the tiger warrior, whose body was radiating a white halo and whose body had faint black stripes, also had a pair of strange wings on his back.

The tiger, already the king of land beasts, now possessed wings, truly embodying the saying "a tiger with wings." Although its aura wasn't as strong or domineering as a dragon's, the tiger's innate regal presence still exuded a powerful and majestic aura.

The sudden appearance of the dragon and the tiger immediately shocked the four major families.

Shen Zhuo stepped forward and said loudly, "Now that you two have arrived, why not come down and have a chat?"

A cold voice rang out from Hai Ruyue's mouth, "The four great families have all sent out their elite forces. Do they intend to repeat what happened back then?"

As she spoke, she and Xu Dong descended upon Incense Burner Peak at the same time. The two white figures fell like meteors in the center of the four major families, instantly overwhelming these guys whose ambitions did not match their strength.

Luo Changxin, the head of the Luo family, snorted coldly and said, "The four great families have never denied the mistakes of the past. At this exchange meeting, we hope to have a sincere exchange with the Zodiac Guardian God and strive to cooperate with each other to accomplish what we, the guardians of the East, should do."

Hai Ruyue gave Luo Changxin a cold look. "Do you mean to put the cart before the horse? From ancient times to the present, the Zodiac Guardian Warriors have always been the leaders of the Eastern Guardians. Whether in the past or now, the four major families can never have an equal status with us."

Luo Changxin's words were merely a test, but none of the members of the four major families, including him, expected that the Dragon would so directly reject their hopes.

The light emanating from the members of the four major families, which had just begun to dim, suddenly intensified, creating a stark contrast with the white light emanating from the dragon and tiger in the center, instantly making the atmosphere tense.

Luo Changxin was about to say something more when Shen Zhuo stopped him. Shen Zhuo smiled slightly and said, "Perhaps our communication will be affected by our different ideas."

However, esteemed Dragon warrior, I believe the most fitting guardian deity of the twelve zodiac animals should be the Qilin, the king of the zodiac.

"Qilin, that good-for-nothing you mentioned is not qualified to be in charge. I am the one in charge now. And my opinion is that you have no choice but to submit to me."

The voice that had been in the darkness before rang out again, its lazy tone carrying an undeniable authority.

Everyone from the four major families understood that this person was threatening them in the shadows, but how dare he? The Zodiac Guardian God had only been around for a short time.

Based on past experience, the current Zodiac Guardians are far from being a match for the four major families. What gives them the right to pose such a threat?

Shen Zhuo smiled and said, "This gentleman may have some misunderstanding about our four major families. He may not know which of the four zodiac guardian deities you are."

"I know you're not convinced, so I'll give you a chance."

A figure suddenly appeared on the stone tablet atop Ghost Sorrow Peak, his calm voice carrying a peculiar aura: "You can all attack together. As long as you let me leave this place, you will have won. This is your only chance. If you don't submit, you are worthless."

Yan's words carried an unshakable will, and the members of the four major families all felt humiliated, but the four strongest patriarchs all showed expressions of horror at this moment.

The four of them secretly probed Yan after he appeared, but the mental pressure emanating from the four super-powered individuals was like a mud ox sinking into the sea, failing to cause the slightest ripple. This was truly astonishing.

Yan's voice rang out again, "I don't have that much patience. If you don't make a move in three breaths, don't blame me for not giving you a chance."

"Let's attack together."

"Zhou Tianlu, the head of the Zhou family, said in a deep voice, his eyes shining brightly. He leaned forward, and metal armor covered his entire body.

He took a step forward, which immediately produced a clanging sound and left a deep footprint in the ground. Pale golden energy swirled around his body.

A cyan light condensed in front of Shen Zhuo, forming a ball of light only the size of a fist, with various vines dancing around him.

Xu Zhiyuan, the head of the Xu family, gathered pure flame power on his body. The fiery red light condensed into the shape of a firebird. The firebird was about two meters long, and its fiery wings gently flapped as it gently flapped its wings above Xu Zhiyuan's head.

Luo Changxin crossed his arms in front of his chest, and a blue halo trembled slightly in front of him. With each fluctuation, the blue halo grew stronger, rising continuously like overlapping waves.

The continuous rise and compression of the four energies of metal, wood, fire, and water distorted the air. The immense pressure would have caused an ordinary person to collapse long ago, but it was nothing in front of Yan.

"You're only capable of this much, yet you dare to think about betrayal? You brainless idiots."

Yan's words were full of contempt, which made the members of the four great families, who were very proud of themselves, indignant. If the four patriarchs had not told them not to interfere before they made their move, they probably would have attacked together long ago.

Kneel down!

With a casual remark from Yan, Xu Zhiyuan was the first to collapse to the ground, his face contorted in shock. The firebird above his head suddenly swelled countless times, becoming incredibly sentient and seemingly a true divine firebird. The surging flames swept in all directions, and in an instant, the other three also fell to the ground.

"What is your choice? Surrender, or death."

Yan gently waved his hand, and the firebird flew towards his palm, shrinking continuously until it finally transformed into a small firebird that kept hopping around.

This scene terrified everyone present. They could all sense the hidden energy within that tiny firebird, yet it was so docile in Yan's palm—it was simply terrifying.

"We admit defeat."

Zhou Tianlu, the eldest of the four clan leaders, closed his eyes and spoke. The other three also understood that the situation was beyond their control; the person before them was too powerful, and they had absolutely no chance.

"We cannot give up like this."

The speaker was Shen Zhuo's son, Shen Yue. He strode out from among the Shen family members, his eyes flashing with excitement and anger.

"Father, three clan leaders, we have the advantage today. They only have a few people. As long as the elites of our four clans attack with all their might, they cannot withstand it."

As a member of the Shen family's older generation, Shen Yue was used to controlling the Eastern Lands and its protective realms, so how could he be willing to have a group of overlords above him? Besides, he also had his own ambitions. Shen Zhuo, standing to the side, frowned, his eyes flickering slightly, but he said nothing.

"Looks like there are still people who are not convinced. The Shen family in the capital, they seem to be over there, right? Should we wipe them out?"

As Yan chuckled, the firebird that had been flying around him drifted out of Ghost's Sorrow and came to the edge of the cliff. The bright flames spread rapidly, and the firebird's body suddenly grew a million times larger. The terrifying heat turned the cliff face of Ghost's Sorrow red.

The sweltering heat made everyone on the cliff top sweat profusely, but all the members of the four major families felt extremely cold all over, especially the members of the Shen family, who were so terrified that they collapsed to the ground.

Shen Zhuo, the head of the Shen family, knelt down readily, kowtowing repeatedly, "I surrender, my Shen family is willing to surrender. I beg Your Excellency, no, Your Majesty, to show mercy. My son, Shen Yue, was merely speaking nonsense earlier; he did not truly mean it..."

"Why keep him around if he's talking nonsense..."

Yan's words plunged Shen Zhuo and Shen Yue into an icy abyss. Was Shen Zhuo being forced to personally clean house? Shen Yue was his own son, after all. But the crucial point was that the Shen family members around them, including Shen Yue's own brothers, were all looking at Shen Yue with resentment.

"It doesn't seem like a big deal for me to force you to kill him yourself. Let's cripple him and make sure he never leaves the Shen family again. That would be better for everyone."

Yan's calm words relieved Shen Zhuo. Although crippling Shen Yue still pained him, being able to save his life under such circumstances was already a stroke of luck.

"Yue'er".

Shen Zhuo called out, and Shen Yue seemed to wake from a dream. Looking at his father's solemn eyes, he shook his head repeatedly. Shen Zhuo, however, had already raised his right hand. He looked at Yan, then at Shen Yue, and said, "From now on, stay at home!"

"what……"

Countless vines instantly wrapped around Shen Yue's body. With a series of crackling sounds, the green light inside his body dissipated, his limbs twisted, and he was essentially crippled. Even if his injuries healed, he would still be weak in his limbs and basically unable to do any heavy work.

"This is a one-time exception. I don't always have this kind of patience. The Shen family was lucky this time. I don't want it to happen again. Although it was just a small thing for me, wiping out too many people at once and cleaning up the mess is always a troublesome thing."

Yan's words sent chills down the spines of the four major families. In this modern society, it's not the sudden appearance of someone who is willing to slaughter entire families that's frightening; what's frightening is that he actually has the ability to do so, and his words are never meant to be threats.

The reason why these four families dare to oppose the Zodiac Guardian God is because the weaknesses of each generation of Zodiac Qilin are too obvious. They have almost no resistance to women, are easily swayed by righteousness, and will not carry out a massacre against them.

But the one before us bluntly stated that the current Qilin is useless, and now that he is in charge, this is unprecedented, indicating that he usurped the throne.

Such a person is bound to act unconventionally, yet he possesses absolute power. It can only be said that the four great families were unlucky to have encountered such a ruthless figure.

"Let's leave this matter alone. Ruyue will discuss the follow-up matters with you. Next, you need to mobilize all your forces to gather information. I need to know how many ancient beasts are left in the Eastern Lands."

When Yan finished speaking, he pointed at Hai Ruyue, and then looked at the four major families. "This is the first task I'm giving you. Although I haven't set any standards or requirements, if you don't gain anything, don't blame me for being ruthless. Do you understand?"

"Please rest assured, my lord, we will find out as soon as possible about the ancient beasts and report to the Dragon Warriors to pass on to you."

The four major families changed their tune quite quickly. Such flexibility is a characteristic of aristocratic families. In any case, since ancient times, the most degenerate people have been these selfish, ambitious, and predatory individuals.

Side Story: Zodiac Guardian (Nine) - Deep Sea Serpent

Two hundred miles outside the capital, on a beach in a scenic area near the sea, Yan lay quietly resting facing the sea, surrounded by a row of beautiful women in swimsuits.

Hai Ruyue sat next to Yan, and seemed a little surprised to see a group of young men and women arrive. She turned to Ji Mingming next to her and asked, "Qi Yue is here too, and there are so many people. Mingming, did you choose this place for your spring outing to Tsinghua and Peking University this year?"

"Ah! That must be it. I hadn't noticed it before."

Ji Mingming looked in the direction she pointed and nodded. She recognized several familiar classmates and friends, including her roommate, who seemed to have a good relationship with Qi Yue.

Tsinghua and Peking Universities are considered the most prestigious universities in China, and it's extremely difficult for ordinary people to get in. It's a tragedy that Qi Yue, a dropout and troublemaker, was able to get in.

"Mingming, you little rascal, how long has it been since you came to school? Don't you want your graduation certificate?!"

Two beautiful women with great figures arrived at Yan's location together and greeted Ji Mingming. One of them glanced at Yan for a moment without making it obvious, while the other teased Ji Mingming, "By the way, is this handsome guy your boyfriend? Aren't you going to introduce him to us?"

"Qingqing, don't talk nonsense."

Ji Mingming's cheeks flushed red but quickly returned to normal. She then joked around with the girl for a while before introducing her to Yan, Hai Ruyue, Shuiyue, and others: "These are my roommates, Shen Yun and Xu Qing."

This is Sister Hai Ruyue, Sister Shuiyue, and Yan Xiaoyi. Yan Xiaoyi is also from our school, but he's in the Computer Science department.

"A computer science department has such a handsome guy?"

Xu Qing scrutinized Yan, her gaze full of inquiry. She seemed like a lovesick girl, but in reality, she was always leaning against Shen Yun. Their relationship in private was somewhat taboo and intimate.

Hello, Yan.

Shen Yun approached Yan and extended his hand confidently. Yan, wearing sunglasses, lay there without responding. Ji Mingming couldn't help but nudge him with her foot to get his attention.

"Shen Yun? Or should I call you Yu Yun? I can't be bothered with your petty affairs. Go away, don't bother me."

Yan's voice was deep, and his words froze the smile on Shen Yun's face. Through her sunglasses, she couldn't see what Yan's expression was like, and in the end, she could only awkwardly withdraw her hand and quickly leave Yan's side with the dissatisfied Xu Qing.

Hai Ruyue asked from the side, "Is there a problem with Shen Yun? I remember she's from the Shen family, and that Shen Yue was her father back then."

Yan said meaningfully, "It's true that she has problems, but under normal circumstances she can't scheme against us. However, if some idiot gets involved in things because of a woman, then that's his own problem."

"You mean Qi Yue?"

Upon hearing Yan's words, Hai Ruyue immediately looked at Qi Yue and Tian Shu, who were huddled together with shifty eyes, pointing and discussing the swimsuit beauties around them.

That's right, Qi Yue's little brother, Tian Shu, also got into Tsinghua and Peking Universities. This guy is also one of the zodiac animals, the Rat, but for now, he doesn't have much fighting power.

"Mingming, keep an eye on your classmates. They might have something going on tonight. Don't let some 'wild lovers' be swimming in the sea while we're doing our business."

Yan seemed to have rested enough and stood up directly from the beach chair. Ji Mingming was a little confused after hearing his words and just stood there blankly and let out a sound.

The seaside was particularly hot and humid in autumn, and it got dark very early. A gentle breeze blew by the beach, carrying away a few dark clouds overhead, and the round moon revealed its shy face, instantly bringing a touch of light to the dark earth.

The full moon hung in the sky like a jade plate, with twinkling stars, like pearls adorning the plate, shimmering with a brilliant yet faint light. The seawater murmured, reflecting the moon and starlight, creating a hazy, enchanting beauty.

This rare night view is known as "the moon rising over the sea." Just as Yan appeared on the beach with Ji Mingming and Hai Ruyue, a series of long howls suddenly rang out from the side.

"This guy..."

Hai Ruyue and Ji Mingming turned their gazes to Qi Yue, who was standing by the sea and howling. Their eyes were filled with speechlessness. Everyone would find it annoying to use one's abilities recklessly just to show off in front of girls. Moreover, Qi Yue didn't seem to have realized that Shen Yun was also an ability user.