Chapter 146: Run

Bibi Dong possessed twin spirits. Compared to the Death Spider Emperor, which focused on control and defense-type abilities, her Soul Devouring Spider Emperor was geared toward offense. Although the spirit rings for it weren't yet fully complete, the abilities she had already acquired were each exceptionally powerful—especially her sixth soul skill, Eternal Wound, one of her most fearsome single-target offensive skills.

It ignored physical defense, halved energy-based defense, and once it struck, the wound would continue to fester endlessly. The only way to hold it back was through soul power. Once that was exhausted, death would follow inevitably.

Moreover, Bibi Dong had kept the existence of her Soul Devouring Spider Emperor and its abilities well-hidden; few knew of them.

But Xu Yang wasn't one of them.

As a transmigrator, he was well aware of many of Bibi Dong's hidden skills and knew exactly how terrifying the Soul Devouring Spider Emperor could be.

"Time to peace out!"

Just moments ago, he had taken a seemingly desperate stance, ready to go all out. But in the next breath, he turned and bolted without a second thought. Activating Cloud Steps, the ground beneath him—already scorched into magma by the heat—burst upward with waves of molten rock with each step as he shot skyward.

Swoosh!

A pair of golden wings unfurled from his back, and without hesitation, Xu Yang turned into a golden streak of light and darted away. He wasn't stupid—charging head-on into a battle he couldn't win was the behavior of a fool.

Bibi Dong froze. Just a moment ago, he had looked ready to fight to the death. Why was he fleeing now?

Then she snapped back to reality and cursed inwardly:

"Despicable!"

Six thin, purple, cicada-wing-like blades sprouted behind her. She turned into a purple flash and gave chase. With the support of a Titled Douluo's soul power, she was far faster than Xu Yang.

But that brief moment of hesitation had allowed Xu Yang to widen the gap to nearly a hundred meters. It would take her a moment to close in again.

"Your Majesty, allow me to assist you!"

Yue Guan, having seen the two streaks of light shoot out of the Supreme Pontiff Palace, immediately stepped onto a floating petal and took off after them. But his speed paled in comparison. He hadn't even flown far when he was already falling behind.

That's when his gaze swept the battlefield—and landed on Dugu Bo, currently guarding Dugu Yan and Ning Rongrong. Yue Guan immediately changed direction and shot straight toward them.

Meanwhile, Bibi Dong kept slashing with both her hands and the six spider legs behind her. Her first soul skill glowed beneath her as she launched one crescent-shaped arc after another—each a toxic green slash—toward Xu Yang.

The distance between them was rapidly closing.

Xu Yang's eyes remained calm. As he dodged each slash mid-air, his body twisted and weaved, constantly shifting position to try and widen the gap.

"Looks like relying on soul power alone won't outpace Bibi Dong."

He had tried evading for a few rounds now, but not only had the gap failed to widen—it had closed. She was just two body lengths away from catching him.

Realizing he couldn't keep holding back, he suddenly stomped hard with both legs. The air beneath him rippled, and his speed abruptly surged. In the blink of an eye, the two-body-length gap stretched into several dozen meters.

This was Xu Yang's true trump card—the explosive physical strength forged from the Great Sun Manual, Sun Soul Power, and countless body tempering sessions. Combined with his micro-level control, it let him run through the air as if it were solid ground.

This was fundamentally different from traditional Douluo Continent soul masters, who flew by channeling soul power and mental energy. Douluo soul masters rarely trained their bodies; most of their physical conditioning ended after basic training like running and push-ups in their early years.

Because of that, soul masters generally had weak physical strength. Once drained of soul power, they were only marginally stronger than ordinary people.

But Xu Yang was different. He understood deeply that essence, energy, and spirit had to be cultivated together. He never slacked on physical training. Especially after acquiring the Mysterious Jade Hand technique, he modified it into a full-body refining method suited to himself.

With microscopic control over his body, his progress was nothing short of miraculous. In just under three years, he had forged his physique into something terrifying—even he didn't fully know how strong he'd become.

He had tested it once: a casual punch had shattered a hundred-meter-tall hill.

As for the Sea God Trident of a certain future protagonist—said to weigh 108,000 jin? Xu Yang saw that as no more than a glorified toothpick. Though his soul power still trailed behind Bibi Dong's by a wide margin, his sheer physical might let him stand his ground—this was why he dared to face her in the Supreme Pontiff Palace alone.

"That's Xu Yang?! He's fighting Her Majesty the Supreme Pontiff?! Is that even possible?!"

"It really is him! I knew he was strong, but I didn't think he'd be this strong! He's actually escaping from a Titled Douluo!"

…

The moment the battle spilled into the sky above the palace, representatives from various academies and factions—whose matches had already been interrupted—instantly took notice. Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing were the first to recognize the fleeing golden figure and cried out in shock. They couldn't believe Xu Yang was capable of such a feat.

"Xu Yang!"

Dugu Yan's face was filled with worry. She wanted to go help, but froze. Deep down, she knew that with her current strength, she'd only be a burden. Never had she so desperately craved more power.

Ning Rongrong felt the same way.

Dugu Bo and Ning Haiyan had already completed their martial soul attachments, standing guard beside the two girls. Their gazes were locked on Yue Guan and the Spirit Hall elders approaching from all directions, ready to intercept any reckless moves.

The royal factions of Heaven Dou and Star Luo also quickly caught on. Though they didn't know exactly what had happened, judging by the sides in conflict, it wasn't hard to guess.

Both royal courts promptly mobilized their soul masters to be on guard against Spirit Hall. The Heaven Dou side, in particular, looked ready to act at any moment.

Neither empire had any love for Spirit Hall, and seeing Bibi Dong herself hunting Xu Yang told them much of what they needed to know.

Bibi Dong, naturally, had noticed the unrest among the visiting imperial factions. Her expression darkened.

She had originally intended to act swiftly while Ning Fengzhi and the others were being stalled by Spirit Hall's elders. Whether she recruited Xu Yang or killed him, she assumed any retaliation from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan would be muted—since their clan housed six thousand soul masters and over ten thousand civilians, Ning Fengzhi would be forced to weigh the consequences of open conflict.

So long as there wasn't a direct clash, Spirit Hall's massive influence would eventually suppress the scandal.

But everything had gone off the rails.

Xu Yang's strength had exceeded all expectations. And even more unexpectedly, Ning Fengzhi's reaction was fearless and fierce, throwing caution to the wind to fight Spirit Hall head-on.

"Slaughter God's Blade — One Slash!"

Mid-sprint, Xu Yang noticed Bibi Dong momentarily stunned and didn't hesitate. He turned and slashed—his killing intent, killing aura, and soul power fused together, forming a glowing red-gold arc nearly ten meters long that cut straight toward Bibi Dong.

Then he turned right back around and kept running.