Xu Mingxi sat at the bow of the Swordfish, leaning against the railing behind her, gazing at the endless sea in front of her. She took out the black crystal ball given by the God of Sun and Moon and examined it carefully.
She had tried everything she could, but was unable to make any change to the crystal ball. Perhaps she had to prepare for the worst.
If one failed to pass the trial of the God of Sun and Moon, they would not be able to inherit their throne. In the end, perhaps she would have to return to worshiping God. The two could coexist without contradiction.
Since Tang San was born, Xu Mingxi had left the Douluo Continent. Now, nearly nine years had passed, and she was finally beginning her journey home.
The swordfish was faster than the sharp-toothed shark. If everything went smoothly, they would return to the Douluo Continent in about a year, so everything would still be on time.
That was what Xu Mingxi imagined, but at this moment, the changes taking place on the Douluo Continent were far beyond her expectations.
Inside the Star Crown Sect, the Sect Master threw the information in his hand onto the table, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.
"I'm too old to keep up with the ideas of the younger generation. What's going on? When will Mingxi return? I can't bear this burden anymore."
It was no wonder the sect master complained. The changes that had occurred in the Douluo Continent in recent years had indeed overwhelmed him, a 97-year-old Super Douluo.
Since the Spirit Hall destroyed the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, everyone in the major sects felt unsafe. Powerful sects like the Star Crown Sect and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were still struggling to protect themselves, while sects without a Titled Douluo had already begun to move closer to the Spirit Hall for their own survival.
After such a long time, Spirit Hall's ambition had become clear to the great powers, but the veil had not yet been torn.
Currently, Pope Bibi Dong was reorganizing the seven major sects in Spirit City. The Clear Sky Sect, Star Crown Sect, and Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were all absent, losing their status as the top three sects.
Among the new top three sects, the first was the Elephant Armor Sect, where Huyan Zhen, who had broken through to Titled Douluo with the help of the Spirit Hall, belonged. He was also the only Titled Douluo among the new top three sects.
The other two leading sects were the Holy Dragon Sect and the Wind Sword Sect, which had outperformed the others.
The lower four sects were also major sects whose Soul Douluos had joined the Spirit Hall: the Fire Leopard Sect, the Rock Antelope Sect, the Sparrow Blade Sect, and the White Tiger Sect.
The reshuffling of the old and new seven sects also signified a change in the continent's structure. While this had little effect on the semi-hidden Star Crown Sect, Ning Fengzhi's letters were becoming more frequent.
The actions of Spirit Hall also triggered changes in the two empires. Emperor Xue Ye of the Heaven Dou Empire, who had been in poor health from the beginning, was inexplicably getting worse.
Several princes of Heaven Dou had died for various reasons, leaving only Crown Prince Xue Qinghe and the fourth prince, Xue Beng. Comparatively, calls for Xue Qinghe to ascend the throne were growing louder among the people.
The kingdoms and principalities under the Heaven Dou Empire were also preparing to act, but Emperor Xue Ye's prestige still held, and Grand Marshal Ge Long guarded the four borders, so no one dared to move openly.
The Star Luo Empire was also preparing internally. Due to the pressure from Spirit Hall, they now maintained a fragile balance with Heaven Dou and were gathering strength.
In the palace, the Star Luo Emperor sat on his throne reading information sent by spies. The queen walked in slowly with a bowl of soup and placed it on the table in front of him.
"Your Majesty, please eat something first. The Xingluo Empire still needs you."
"How can I eat? The situation on the continent is chaotic, and the ambition of the Spirit Hall is obvious. I truly don't know what to do."
"Your Majesty, don't worry too much. Our Star Luo Empire is strong, and Spirit Hall wouldn't dare risk the entire world turning against them. Besides, everything you ordered is already underway."
Attacking the Star Luo Empire was different from attacking the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. If Spirit Hall took action against the two great empires, all forces unwilling to be ruled by them would unite and resist.
Emperor Dai Feng of Star Luo looked at his wife in surprise. He hadn't expected things to have progressed so far. It seemed the opposing side was under considerable pressure.
"Queen, I heard our brother's wife is from the Star Crown Sect."
"Yes, her martial spirit is Star Crown, and she has become a Soul Saint. I believe her status in the Star Crown Sect is not low."
"Very well, maintain good relations with them. The Star Crown Sect in our Star Luo Empire is not a simple sect."
Actually, these changes could not affect the Star Crown Sect for the time being. What concerned the sect master most was a letter he had received from the Spirit City's Elder Hall, signed by none other than the true head of Spirit Hall, Qian Daoliu.
Now, he had recalled nearly all the disciples of the Star Crown Sect, and even Dugu Bo had moved with his family. The area around Xingluo Mountain was filled with poison arrays, making it hard for Spirit Hall to invade.
But Qian Daoliu was different. Known as the strongest Level 99 Extreme Douluo in the sky, the sect master had grown up hearing his legends. In his heart, this was someone neither he nor the Star Crown Sect could afford to offend.
"Forget it, let the idle elders handle this together. If we don't manage this well, it could become a major problem."
The man feared by the sect master was sitting in the Elder Hall, drinking tea. Opposite him sat the Golden Crocodile Douluo, whose arm was broken.
Since Spirit Hall had been handed over to Bibi Dong, they had completely retreated to the background. Every day they drank tea, enjoyed leisure, or worshiped at the Angel statue. They were quite content.
Golden Crocodile Douluo put down his tea and looked at Qian Daoliu. If he hadn't had something to do, he wouldn't have come here to sit and drink tea with him.
"Great Priest, why did you write that letter yourself and send someone to the Star Crown Sect? Even though they have Titled Douluos, we have many Titled Douluos in Spirit Hall."
"They are not simple. Although the Star Crown Sect has never had an Ultimate Douluo in its history, they have had several Level 98 Super Douluos.
The current sect master, if I'm not mistaken, has reached Level 97. Besides you and me, even Qingluan and Xiongshi wouldn't dare say they could definitely defeat him.
Moreover, they are not a sect like Clear Sky that rose because of one Tang Chen. They have passed down stably for thousands of years, and there is definitely more than one Titled Douluo among them.
Furthermore, Dugu Bo has defected to them. Once they align with the two great empires, the loss we suffer will be too great."
Qian Daoliu picked up his teacup and sipped. There were basically no polite words in the letter he sent to the sect master. There was only one request—or rather, a threat:
Do not interfere in the affairs of the Douluo Continent, or I will come to your home myself.