The luxurious decorations surrounding the hall only made the atmosphere feel more disgusting.
Ever since Xue Qinghe had ascended the throne and pinned Emperor Xue Ye's death upon him, Xue Xing had immediately realized the danger. His instincts were sharp enough to let him escape together with Xue Beng before the imperial army could surround him.
However, both of them had instantly been branded as terrorists and traitors throughout the Heaven Dou Empire along with Tang Sect.
With nowhere else to go, they eventually joined forces with Dai Mubai and the remaining anti-Spirit Hall factions. To them, resisting Spirit Hall was no longer a matter of ambition but survival.
Only by overturning the current situation could they regain everything they had lost.
---
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Applause echoed throughout the underground hall.
The alliance meeting between the remaining noble forces, the remnants of Tang Sect, and several scattered resistance groups had just concluded.
Although the people gathered here appeared united on the surface, everyone understood that this alliance was merely a temporary arrangement formed under pressure from Spirit Hall's overwhelming dominance.
Many of the nobles present had once despised one another. Yet now they stood together.
Fear was truly the greatest force capable of uniting people.
Xue Xing, acting as the host, moved through the crowd with a smiling face like an experienced socialite. He continuously raised wine glasses, exchanged pleasantries, and attempted to stabilize the confidence of the various factions.
However, hidden beneath that smile was deep nervousness.
He knew very clearly that if this resistance failed, he might not have another chance to escape.
At the center of the hall stood Tang San. Blue robes fluttered lightly around him while the golden Seagod Trident rested in his hand.
The moment everyone looked toward the trident, their uneasy hearts calmed slightly.
Because Tang San as a God Inheritor himself represented capability of contending against the now nearly invincible Spirit Hall.
Tang San calmly surveyed the crowd beneath the stage.
For the past year, the pressure brought by Bibi Dong had weighed heavily upon his heart like a mountain. But now, after completing the dual inheritances of Sea God and Asura God, he finally possessed enough confidence once more.
Even if Bibi Dong had become stronger than in his memories, so what?
He was no longer the Tang San of the past either. The current him possessed powers that surpassed the limits of mortals.
Tang San slowly raised the Seagod Trident. Immediately, the entire hall became silent.
A faint divine aura spread outward from the trident, causing many soul masters present to reveal expressions of awe instinctively.
Tang San spoke calmly,
"Everyone, Spirit Hall may appear unstoppable now, but no empire lasts forever."
"Bibi Dong relies upon fear and force to suppress the continent. Such rule can never truly unite people."
His gaze swept across the crowd.
"Moreover, we are not without hope."
As he spoke, faint golden light emerged around his body.
The expressions of the people below instantly became more fervent.
Tang San continued in a deep voice,
"The Spirit Hall possesses a God."
"But we also possess one."
The atmosphere in the underground hall immediately heated up.
Suddenly, it was as if an invisible hand had slammed a brake upon the entire hall. The noisy underground mansion instantly fell silent.
Everyone stared toward Tang San with widened eyes.
"Hmm?"
Feeling the gazes gathering upon him, Tang San instinctively wanted to raise the Seagod Trident in his hand.
However— The trident did not move at all.
Tang San's pupils contracted violently.
He immediately turned around and saw that a golden-haired woman was standing beside him silently.
One of her fair hands was lightly gripping the Seagod Trident together with him.
She stood there quietly, wearing a golden-white dress. Her beauty was almost unreal, to the point that it seemed detached from mortal existence itself. Yet what truly made Tang San feel dread was not her appearance—
But the fact that he had not sensed her arrival at all. It was as if she had always been standing there.
Tang San shouted in shock,
"QIAN RENXUE!"
The moment those words were uttered, the atmosphere exploded into chaos.
It was like pouring boiling oil into cold water. The expressions of everyone present changed drastically.
Some people directly stumbled backward in fear. Others no longer cared about maintaining appearances and scrambled toward the exits desperately.
"Run!"
"She's here!"
"That monster actually came personally?!"
Fear spread faster than fire. Even the noble representatives who had been acting calmly moments ago now looked utterly terrified.
Over the past few years, the name Qian Renxue had gradually transformed into something almost mythical.
A shadow hidden behind countless disasters and impossible events. Nobody truly knew where she was or how powerful she was only some fragmented ghost stories of her circulated the continent which was enough to make every noble feel fear.
Tang San's instincts screamed danger.
Without hesitation, his hands moved skillfully. Several hidden daggers appeared between his fingers before he instantly hurled them toward Qian Renxue's throat, heart, and forehead.
The attacks were ruthless and precise.
However— The daggers merely passed through her body soundlessly.
It was as though the figure standing before them was nothing more than a reflection within water.
The hidden weapons continued flying before embedding themselves into the distant wall.
( Hint: 3rd Divine Skill: Illusion)
Seeing his hidden weapon attack fail completely, Tang San instantly released his grip over the Seagod Trident and retreated several dozen meters in one leap.
At the same time, blue-gold spirit power surged around his body as he entered full alertness.
'Either way, the trident recognizes only the inheritor of Sea God. She cannot truly take it away.'