Chapter 182: Xiao Hong and Bibi Dong’s First Meeting

Xiao Wu walked cautiously along the road, trembling with fear. Everywhere she looked, she saw countless of her kin being skinned and deboned. Some were even being roasted over an open fire, their entire bodies emitting a tantalizing aroma that made them look absolutely delicious.

No! How could she even think that way?

"Damn it! Whose idea was this? You better pray that Sister Xiao Wu never finds out who you are, or you'll be in deep trouble!" Xiao Wu gritted her teeth in anger.

The air was thick with the scent of barbecue, and Xiao Wu felt utterly nauseated. She had completely lost her appetite, even for breakfast.

At that moment, Tang San approached. He understood exactly how Xiao Wu was feeling—how could she possibly be in a good mood after witnessing her own kind being slaughtered before her very eyes?

"Xiao San, Xiao Wu, you guys should grab some food too. I have to say, the Royal Knights are pretty good at grilling. This Soft Bone Rabbit is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside—I'm already on my second one." Flender walked over, his mouth glistening with oil, holding a golden-brown roasted Soft Bone Rabbit in his right hand.

Seeing this scene, Xiao Wu turned pale, her wide rabbit eyes filled with horror.

"You two aren't eating?"

Liu Erlong arrived next, also holding a roasted Soft Bone Rabbit in her hands.

"Why aren't you eating…?"

As the entire Shrek Academy group gathered, it turned out that everyone—except for Tang San and Xiao Wu—was feasting on Soft Bone Rabbit. They were all enthusiastically praising its delicious flavor, saying they would definitely eat it again next time.

Each of their words was like a knife stabbing into Xiao Wu's fragile heart. She remained silent, her face dark, before quietly walking away. Who could possibly understand what she was going through at that moment?

The others, oblivious to her distress, continued eating heartily. Filling their stomachs was the priority—after all, today's competition was about to begin.

"Wuwuwu…"

Xiao Wu ran off, sobbing.

"Why do you all have to eat Soft Bone Rabbits? They're so cute! Why are you eating them?!"

She cried harder as she spoke, unable to hold back her grief any longer.

Hearing her cries, Tang San rushed over, his emotions tangled. He had no idea how to comfort her.

"This Soft Bone Rabbit meat really is delicious."

Just then, Ye Hao walked past them, holding an entire roasted Soft Bone Rabbit.

Xiao Wu could no longer hold back her anger. She jumped up and glared furiously at Ye Hao.

"Ye Hao! Was this your idea?!" she demanded.

Ye Hao simply shrugged.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Soft Bone Rabbit meat is delicious—aren't you guys going to eat?"

Xiao Wu's eyes widened in shock. Clutching her chest, she trembled violently. The next moment, a mouthful of old blood—accumulated over ten thousand years—spewed from her lips.

Seeing this, Tang San rushed forward to catch her, his eyes filled with worry.

"What kind of mentality is this? She has a rabbit Martial Soul, and she's spitting blood just from watching people eat? That's rare." Ye Hao smirked before taking another big bite of the juicy rabbit meat and strolling away without a care.

"Xiao Wu! Xiao Wu!" Tang San called out anxiously.

"…Brother…"

Xiao Wu weakly opened her eyes and whispered, "Brother, promise me… never eat rabbit meat…"

Tang San immediately nodded. "Okay. I won't eat it. From now on, I won't eat rabbit meat ever again."

With Tang San's firm promise, Xiao Wu finally felt at ease. As long as the person she cared about the most refrained from eating it, she could accept that she had no control over anyone else.

"Ye Hao, you're too cruel! Dai Mubai, Fatty, you're all terrible people!" Tang San clenched his teeth in frustration. He deeply resented those who had eaten Soft Bone Rabbit. If it weren't for them, Xiao Wu wouldn't have suffered such a severe shock.

This was psychological torment at its worst!

After enjoying their full-course rabbit feast, the group made their way to the battle arena, ready for today's match.

Meanwhile in Spirit City. A towering city wall stood imposingly. In front of it, a man and a dog arrived.

"So, this is Spirit City? Though not as grand as Heaven Dou City, I can sense dozens of Titled Douluo inside… and two of them have even reached Rank 99," Xiao Hong remarked from where he lay sprawled atop Xie Hu's shoulder.

Xie Hu replied, "Xiao Hong, isn't using the Death God's Heart to travel a bit too fast? It's only been one night!"

Xiao Hong grinned. "Of course! I forgot to tell Haozi last time—remember, don't ever mention this to him. I don't want him to get depressed over it."

Xie Hu obediently nodded. Then, the man and dog strode into the city.

"Xiao Hong, where to next?" Xie Hu asked as he observed the unfamiliar surroundings.

"Straight to the Spirit Hall! The current Pope is Haozi's mom, so we'll just walk in and announce ourselves. I refuse to believe they'd actually kick us out," Xiao Hong declared.

With that, Xie Hu took confident strides forward, pushing through the bustling crowds until they finally arrived at the Pope's Palace.

The grand Pope's Palace loomed high above them. Not far away, a Titan Giant Ape was chained up, seemingly deep in contemplation.

"That's a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast?" Xie Hu was taken aback. Haozi's family was unbelievably strong—keeping a hundred-thousand-year-old beast locked up here.

Xiao Hong laughed. "That was captured by Haozi. A hundred-thousand-year-old Titan Giant Ape. If I remember correctly, it probably won't live much longer."

"Hiss—"

Xie Hu sucked in several breaths of cold air. His master was truly terrifying. He had heard that the Death Spider Emperor and the Soul Devouring Spider Emperor had met the same fate. Even Xie Hu himself, the Evil Demon Orca King, had been captured.

Now, looking at it, his master really was terrifying beyond words.

(Ye Hao: Call me the Soul Beast Slayer!)

"Stop right there!"

"This is the sacred Pope's Palace. Unauthorized persons are not allowed entry."

Hearing this, Xiao Hong's dog face immediately fell.

"We're friends of your young master. Go inform the Pope immediately. If you delay important matters, can you bear the consequences?"

The two guards exchanged bewildered glances.

How strange—since when could dogs talk? This was a first.

"We don't have a young master. No unauthorized persons are allowed in the Spirit Hall's sacred grounds."

Ye Hao's true identity was only known to the high-ranking elders of the Spirit Hall. The ordinary guards had no idea who he was.

Qian Renxue had also concealed her identity for the sake of her infiltration mission in Heaven Dou Empire.

"Xiao Hong, are you sure you're not mistaken?" Xie Hu asked with a puzzled look in his eyes.

"I don't think so. These two guards are obviously just gatekeepers—it makes sense that they don't know Haozi's true identity."

"Xie Hu, release your aura. Let the senior elders of Spirit Hall sense it and draw them out," Xiao Hong suggested.

Without hesitation, Xie Hu's eyes turned crimson, and a thick, bloody scent spread through the air in an instant. The two guards were so terrified that their legs trembled violently as they stared at the towering man before them, overwhelmed by fear.

Almost immediately, two beams of light—one black, one gold—shot out from the Pope's Hall, and as they landed, two figures appeared before Xie Hu and Xiao Hong.

It was Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo.

Both Titled Douluo stood ready, their nine soul rings rising from beneath their feet, cautiously eyeing the unexpected intruders.

"What terrifying killing intent…" Chrysanthemum Douluo murmured, sweating slightly.

"Who are you?" Ghost Douluo asked coldly.

Xie Hu responded, "We are here on our master's orders to visit Spirit Hall."

"Master?" The two Douluo exchanged glances. Who could possibly make a Titled Douluo willingly serve them?

Xiao Hong wasted no time.

"It was Ye Hao who sent us."

Hearing this, the two were momentarily stunned. A talking dog?!

"You claim to be sent by the Young Master—do you have any proof?" Ghost Douluo withdrew his martial soul but remained wary.

Without a word, Xiao Hong tugged at his collar, revealing the Death God's Heart tied around his neck.

At a glance, Chrysanthemum Douluo recognized it—it was the very same artifact used to capture the Titan Giant Ape.

"It is as I suspected. Please, come this way."

The two Titled Douluo stepped aside, making way for them.

Following the long staircase, the man and the dog followed Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo into the Pope's Hall.

The Pope's Hall was vast, grand, and decorated in a luxurious manner befitting its stature.

Seated on the throne of power was a beautiful woman wearing a golden crown and holding a purple-gold scepter.

The Supreme Pontiff—Bibi Dong.

"Your Holiness." Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo respectfully bowed.

Bibi Dong slowly opened her eyes, her gaze shifting from the two Douluo to the unfamiliar figures behind them—Xie Hu and Xiao Hong.

"Who are they?" she asked indifferently.

Before Chrysanthemum Douluo could respond, Xiao Hong had already trotted up to Bibi Dong, eagerly inspecting her up close.

His sudden approach made Bibi Dong narrow her eyes in displeasure, locking her gaze onto the bold little dog.

"Wow! No way!"

Xiao Hong gasped in astonishment.

"You really do look just like Haozi! As expected, you're mother and son! Twin martial souls—Death Spider Emperor and Soul Devouring Spider Emperor—and even…"

Before he could utter another sensitive word, Bibi Dong interrupted sharply, "Even what? Who are you?"

What puzzled her the most was that she couldn't sense any aura from this dog. It wasn't a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast, but… what was it?

"Me?" Xiao Hong stood upright, balancing on his hind legs, walking in an oddly human-like manner.

"I was sent here by your dear son."

Dear son?

Bibi Dong's eyes lit up slightly.

"So, Ye Hao sent you. Where is he? Has my son arrived?"

She looked expectantly past them, but saw no one else.

"Master is still in Heaven Dou City, participating in the ranking tournament. He'll come after it's over," Xie Hu answered.

"Oh." Bibi Dong nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on her lips. "So, what business do you have at Spirit Hall?"

Xiao Hong grinned. "We're the advance party. Ye Hao had us come here first, and once the tournament is over, he'll join us. Shouldn't take more than a month."

"As for our purpose… yes, there is one. Xie Hu!"

"Hmm."

Xie Hu nodded and spoke seriously, "Your Holiness, as the mother of my master, I have a request. That large empty area behind Spirit City—do you still need it?"

"???" Bibi Dong.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, confused.

Xiao Hong quickly explained, "Xie Hu's true form is the Evil Demon Orca King. Not long ago, Haozi and I went to the ocean and subdued him. However, he is deeply concerned that if he stays away for too long, his clan will be wiped out by Demon Soul Great White Sharks and other sea soul beasts."

"So, he came here hoping to request a plot of land—specifically that open area behind Spirit City—to construct an artificial ocean where his kin can reside. That's all."

After learning the details of the request, Bibi Dong nodded in understanding.

"Constructing an artificial ocean is no small feat. Moreover, the ocean is too far from here. Even with Spirit Hall's power, I fear it would be beyond our capabilities," she said, shaking her head. The sheer difficulty of such a project was overwhelming.

However, Xiao Hong simply grinned.

"Mother of Haozi, don't worry. Haozi has already planned for this."

With that, Xiao Hong removed the Heart of the Reaper from around his neck.

Bibi Dong's eyes narrowed. She recognized this object—it was the same one used to capture the Titan Giant Ape.

"This is the Heart of the Reaper! All the Evil Demon Orcas are stored within it. You don't have to worry about the water supply. Before Haozi left the ocean, he had already collected a massive amount of seawater. To put it simply, there's enough water in here to flood the entire Spirit Hall!"

Flood Spirit Hall?!

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo gasped in horror.

The ocean covered far more area than land. Just how much seawater would it take to submerge Spirit Hall completely? The mere thought was staggering.

Xiao Hong continued, "There are 278 Evil Demon Orcas stored within—half of them are 50,000-year soul beasts, and the rest range from thousand-year to ten-thousand-year beasts."

"Mother of Haozi, now can you rest assured?"

Bibi Dong snapped out of her shock and replied, "Even so, do you realize how difficult the excavation process would be? While Spirit Hall has many soul masters, digging out an entire ocean is no small task. The sheer depth and width required would take years to accomplish."

"Unless… my son has already solved this problem too?"

The more she learned about this son she had never met, the more curiosity grew in her heart.

Death Spider Emperor.

Soul Devouring Spider Emperor.

Evil Demon Orca King.

Now, even the Titan Giant Ape locked up in Spirit Hall was his doing.

And now, he had sent an entire army of Evil Demon Orcas, with a majority being ten-thousand-year soul beasts, and many even reaching fifty-thousand years.

What kind of concept was this?

But Xiao Hong, full of confidence, simply jumped off Xie Hu's shoulder.

"Just follow me. Leave the hard labor to me."

With that, Xiao Hong took the lead and walked out the door.

Though confused, the others followed. Soon, they arrived at the barren land behind Spirit City.

At a glance, the area was desolate, in stark contrast to the bustling city. Winding paths crisscrossed through the land, with scattered trees on both sides. It was an abandoned, uninhabited space.

"This land is even bigger than Spirit Hall itself. Mother of Haozi, why haven't you developed it yet?" Xiao Hong asked.

Bibi Dong shrugged and chuckled.

"It's not that we don't want to. Development requires manpower, resources, and funding. While Spirit Hall has the money, what we lack right now is soul master power. That's why this land remains untouched."

"You said you could turn this into an artificial ocean? I'm curious to see how you'll accomplish that."

Xiao Hong stretched his limbs.

"Step back—far back. I'm about to get started."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Hong let out a long howl.

Then, under everyone's shocked gazes, his body began to expand, growing larger and larger until he reached a terrifying height of one kilometer—his form towering into the sky.

The sudden emergence of such a colossal being sent waves of panic through Spirit Hall.

A thousand-meter-tall flesh-and-blood creature, its entire body engulfed in black-red flames, exuded a pressure so immense that it made everyone's scalps tingle.

"What monstrous power…"

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo shuddered in awe.

"Hahaha, you'll get used to it," Xiao Hong grinned, unfazed by the shock he had caused.

He then opened his mouth, gathering scorching flames of destruction, while his massive legs lifted off the ground.

The next second—

Boom!

The earth trembled violently. Deep, bottomless fissures spread like a massive spider web, stretching far into the distance.

While Spirit Hall itself remained untouched, the land before Xiao Hong began to shake uncontrollably.

The ground collapsed, and molten flames spewed from Xiao Hong's mouth, melting even the hardest rocks in an instant. The scene resembled the arrival of an apocalypse.

Meanwhile, Outside Heaven Dou City—Royal Hunting Grounds

The battle was in full swing.

Today, Team Two of Heaven Dou Royal Academy was facing off against Blazing Academy, one of the Four Elemental Academies.

Knowing the sheer strength of Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team Two, Blazing Academy had no room for carelessness. Their team was in full combat mode, determined to give it their all.

After all, the memory of Ye Hao's previous battle was still fresh in everyone's minds.