Golden Crocodile had broken through.
Although Qian Jun and Jiang Mo had expected this outcome, when it truly happened, the two of them were still struck by a deep sense of awe.
Within the realm of Titled Douluo, cultivation was further divided into three major thresholds:
Before level ninety-five.
Before level ninety-nine.
And level ninety-nine itself.
Golden Crocodile had crossed the final barrier, stepping into the realm of a Limit Douluo. With this, the strength of the Hall of Worship rose sharply once more.
At the same time, his lifespan was greatly extended.
Golden Crocodile was already the oldest Spirit Master on the Douluo Continent. No one could say exactly how many years he had left, but after this breakthrough, his remaining lifespan had increased by another considerable margin. For a long time to come, the Hall of Worship would possess two Limit Douluo.
Moreover, as long as Qian Daoliu did not rely on divine power to enhance himself, Golden Crocodile would be virtually impossible to defeat.
In practical terms, he had become the third strongest Spirit Master on the Douluo Continent.
As for Tang Chen, that man was already finished. Even if he were to regain consciousness, having been parasitized by the Nine-Headed Bat King for decades had left him utterly corrupted. If he somehow broke free from the Bat King's control, he would still die within days, unable to withstand the backlash of such overwhelming power.
Golden Crocodile slowly opened his eyes, joy evident on his face.
"Decades have passed like a single day. I've finally crossed this hurdle."
He did not restrain the aura of a Limit Douluo, and the terrifying pressure swept outward, blasting apart the furniture in the room. Golden Crocodile paid it no mind—none of it was particularly valuable, and he could easily compensate the City Lord with some gold coins later.
If anything, the City Lord would likely boast in the future that three Titled Douluo had stayed in his residence, and that one of them had even achieved a breakthrough there.
Golden Crocodile stepped out of the room.
By then, the courtyard outside was already crowded with people.
Yin Zhang hurried forward, smiling as he clasped his hands in greeting.
"Congratulations, Teacher, on breaking through to level ninety-nine and entering the realm of a Limit Douluo—standing among the peak experts of the Douluo Continent, invincible beneath a Deity!"
Yin Zhang knew the last part was not entirely accurate, but as congratulatory words, there was no need to be overly precise.
Golden Crocodile smiled, clearly pleased.
"Xiao Zhang, this time I truly must thank you. That celestial herb—the marvelous velvet sky-reaching chrysanthemum—has left me feeling better than I have in decades."
"Congratulations to the Second Consecrator on breaking through to level ninety-nine, becoming a Limit Douluo!"
Voices of congratulations echoed throughout the courtyard.
Only Little Dragon appeared increasingly uneasy around Golden Crocodile. Fortunately, Golden Crocodile bore no ill intent, so Little Dragon merely hid far away, often squeezing itself behind Yin Zhang, its cautious behavior looking rather amusing.
The next day, the group departed for Spirit City.
Golden Crocodile, Qian Jun, and Jiang Mo returned ahead of the others to handle various matters—chief among them the commotion caused by the news of Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying's disappearance reaching Spirit City.
Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying traveled together with Qian Gu Lifan and Qiangu Yuan.
Three members of the Qiangu family, and only one Yin—Zhang.
Little Dragon followed along as well.
"Little Sister, how about letting me test your strength?" Qian Gu Lifan raised an eyebrow as he spoke to Qiangu Yunying.
Qiangu Yunying did not refuse. She chuckled softly and replied, "Brother, you want to test my strength? I'm afraid you might not even be able to beat me. If anything, it should be me testing you."
Beneath Qiangu Yunying, one yellow, three purple, and three black spirit rings slowly rose. The colors differed from the seven spirit rings beneath Qian Gu Lifan, and the unusual combination of one yellow, three purple, and three black naturally drew attention. The weapons in their hands were also different.
Qiangu Yunying wielded the Flame-Plundering Spear.
Qian Gu Lifan held the Coiling Dragon Rod.
A clash between spear and rod—both Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yuan felt it was a match well worth watching.
The two weapons collided head-on, both sides exerting their full strength. Brilliant sparks burst forth, flashing with dazzling light.
Qian Gu Lifan gripped the Coiling Dragon Rod tightly, his spirit rings flaring as he shouted:
"First Spirit Ability—Coiling Dragon—"
…
Spirit City.
Golden Crocodile, Qian Jun, and Jiang Mo returned to the Hall of Worship.
They made no effort to conceal their auras along the way.
Supreme Pontiff Palace.
Bibi Dong felt three immensely powerful waves of spirit power sweep across the sky above the palace, heading straight for the Hall of Worship. Her expression instantly changed.
"A level ninety-nine Limit Douluo?"
"Golden Crocodile… has broken through?"
In truth, she had already known about Qian Jun and Jiang Mo reaching level ninety-seven, as well as Qiangu Yuan's surge in strength. The Hall of Worship had not bothered to conceal these developments—after all, they were matters worth celebrating.
Even then, Bibi Dong had felt deeply helpless.
Now, learning that Golden Crocodile had also broken through, an even stronger sense of powerlessness welled up in her heart.
She still held the scepter symbolizing the authority of the Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall, yet she slumped back into her seat, staring blankly at the ceiling, unsure of what to do next.
A fierce glint flashed through her eyes.
"If that's the case, then we can only accelerate everything. The unification of the Douluo Continent must proceed faster, and the Soul Hunting Operation must begin as well."
During the years she had served as Supreme Pontiff, Bibi Dong had not been idle. She had placed great emphasis on cultivating her own forces.
In the original timeline, once the Soul Hunting Operation began, Spirit Hall had not escaped losses among its Titled Douluo—but those were individuals personally nurtured by Bibi Dong. If they had truly belonged to the Hall of Worship faction, how could they have willingly thrown their lives away for her cause?
Hall of Worship.
Qian Daoliu sensed the auras of Golden Crocodile, Qian Jun, and Jiang Mo, and joy filled his expression.
He stood up at once.
"The Second has finally broken through to level ninety-nine!"
Hearing this, Lion Douluo and Azure Luan Douluo, who had been cultivating cross-legged nearby, were both startled and quickly rose to their feet.
"High Priest, are you certain? Second Brother, he…" Lion Douluo asked in shock.
Before he could finish, Golden Crocodile's unconcealed aura washed over him, and he could not help but gasp.
Three streaks of light descended onto the flat ground atop the high mountain where the Hall of Worship stood. The massive doors slowly opened, sunlight pouring in as Qian Daoliu stepped forward with Lion Douluo and Azure Luan Douluo at his sides.
"Second, congratulations on breaking through to level ninety-nine. The strength of our Hall of Worship has grown once again," Qian Daoliu said, deeply gratified.
Golden Crocodile was equally moved and let out a sigh.
"Yes. I've been stuck at this barrier for decades. Thanks to Xiao Zhang, I was finally able to break through."
"Xiao Zhang?" Qian Daoliu asked. "Are he and Little Yunying safe?"
Golden Crocodile nodded. "They're fine. They had a fortunate encounter in the Xuanwu Forest and were delayed for about a month. When we arrived at Xuanwu City, they had just emerged from the forest. After that, Xiao Zhang gave me a marvelous velvet sky-reaching chrysanthemum, allowing me to shatter my bottleneck."
Azure Luan Douluo raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.
If Yue Guan were to learn that such a celestial herb existed—one so closely aligned with his own martial spirit—he would probably leap up on the spot. There was no need to guess how much such a treasure could elevate his strength.