Douluo Continent: The Eternal Order of the Azure Sky

Chapter 257 The Return of the Holy Emperor and the First Anti-Rightist Campaign

After closing the door, Tang Ya greeted several newly joined members of the Holy Spirit Cult with a warm smile. But when she returned to her simple room alone, the forced calm on her face instantly crumbled, replaced by deep pain and exhaustion.

She slumped into the chair, gripping the armrests tightly with both hands, the rosy glow on her face fading at an alarming rate, turning into an unhealthy paleness.

The evil devouring power within the Dark Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul was far more domineering than she had imagined. In just a few years, the divine purification power that Kong Tianxu had left in Tang Ya's body had already been almost entirely depleted.

Her frequent and proactive assistance to other evil spirit masters in suppressing or removing evil energy further accelerated this process.

At this rate, it won't be long before that wisp of divine power completely dissipates.

At that time, the Blue Silver Grass, which has long been deeply intertwined with darkness, will be free from all constraints, and she will inevitably slide into the abyss of evil soul masters once again, perhaps even more thoroughly twisted than before.

"Xiaoya! Wake up, we're going to a meeting!"

A sweet and lively voice broke the silence in the room. The door creaked open, and Nan Qiuqiu, dressed in a pink outfit that perfectly captured her youthful spirit, strode in.

The two women had very compatible personalities, and their relationship had become quite close over the years. Seeing Tang Ya's pale face, Nan Qiuqiu immediately knew what was wrong, and sat down beside her with heartache, holding her cold hand.

"Xiaoya, how are you?"

"Qiuqiu, it seems my time is running out." Tang Ya leaned softly against Nan Qiuqiu's tight belly and sighed, "Like my father and mother, although I want to do something, my power is far from enough. I can't even save my own future. In the end, I will inevitably fall into becoming a true evil soul master."

Nan Qiuqiu's small nose twitched. She wanted to say something comforting, but found that the words she could think of were pale and powerless, and she couldn't even convince herself.

In the end, all she could manage to say was, "Xiaoya, don't be too sad, there will definitely be a way."

After thinking for a moment, she turned indignant and said, "It's all Lu Genggeng's fault! That fat pig! Just because his grandfather is a Title Douluo, he knows how to stir up trouble, form cliques, and cause chaos! I really don't know what they're thinking. Aren't they afraid of being punished by the higher-ups?"

Since news of Kong Tianxu's death began to spread a year ago, the existing contradictions within the Holy Spirit Church have intensified, and undercurrents have been surging.

While the upper echelons of Contra and above can maintain a semblance of calm, cracks among the younger generation are gradually emerging and even becoming public.

The Holy Emperor Faction, centered around Tang Ya, Nan Qiuqiu, Ye Guyi (who possesses the Angelic Martial Soul), and Yu Mengdi, is engaged in a fierce battle with the Evil Soul Faction, led by Lu Genggeng (grandson of the Hateful Douluo) and Tang Dai (a direct disciple of Zhang Peng, the Scorpion Tiger Douluo).

Although the latter group is smaller in number, most of them are elite soul masters who act extremely arrogantly and have openly clashed with the Holy Emperor's faction on multiple occasions. The two sides can be described as irreconcilable enemies.

Finally, a group led by Yan Feng, the direct disciple of the sect leader Zhongli Wu, maintained a neutral attitude, remaining silent and observing the struggle between the two factions with an ambiguous stance.

"Qiuqiu, is it possible that Lu Genggeng and his group's arrogance was tacitly approved by those who worship them? Or perhaps, Lu Genggeng and his group were originally completely corrupted evil spirit masters?"

Before anyone knew it, Nan Shuishui appeared at the door, her face extremely grave. She glanced at her daughter, then looked at Tang Ya, and sighed deeply.

Nan Qiuqiu's face paled: "Mom, you mean—but how could that be? Haven't we been doing good deeds all along?"

Tang Ya remained silent, and the last glimmer of light in her eyes seemed to dim.

Nan Shuishui's face showed deep regret: "The Holy Spirit Cult has changed. Today's annual gathering will probably announce a clear turning point. Back then, Mom made a hasty judgment, thinking this was a way out—fortunately, Kong Tianxu didn't take back the resources sent to Dragon City, and the Earth Dragon Gate's foundation is still intact. Qiuqiu, you should go back. I can't leave."

"I'm not leaving!" Nan Qiuqiu retorted, her eyes red-rimmed. "If we're going, we'll go together! Mom, let's go find the Supreme Master, let's find His Majesty the Dragon Emperor!"

"Silly child, things aren't that simple."

Nan Shuishui wanted to persuade her again, but Nan Qiuqiu wiped away her tears, suddenly opened the door, and ran straight to the central hall.

Outside in the corridor, a series of unusual commotions and faint gasps came from the corridor, which made Nan Qiuqiu even more annoyed. She suddenly turned around and then "bang".

Staggering back half a step, Nan Qiuqiu looked up—

The first thing that catches the eye is a perfectly fitted, deep black brocade robe, as dark as the night sky. The fabric is of luxurious quality, shimmering with a dim sheen under the corridor lamps. Most striking is the majestic eight-clawed dragon embroidered in gold thread on the chest. The dragon's body is in motion, its scales and claws outstretched, making the wearer's already tall and upright figure appear even more slender and imposing, without making him appear thin in the slightest.

Especially since Nan Qiuqiu had just had "intimate contact" with that solid chest and her forehead was still throbbing, she was all too aware of the formidable, iron-like power contained within that body.

The gaze followed the intricate and magnificent dragon pattern upwards. The moonstone inlaid in the ceiling emitted a soft, clear light, illuminating the visitor's silver hair, which resembled the finest silk, interspersed with a few faint strands of gold, dazzlingly bright.

With a defined jawline, handsome and sculpted features, and beneath his dark, sword-like eyebrows, a pair of deep, purple-gold eyes as vast as the starry sky.

All of these combined to create the only truly handsome man Nan Qiuqiu had ever seen in her life.

"Kong—Tianxu?"

"Hmm? Nan Qiuqiu?" Kong Tianxu lowered his eyes slightly, looking at the pink-haired girl who had bumped into him and was now covering her forehead in a daze. His face was expressionless. He simply stretched out two fingers and gently brushed away her hand that was unconsciously about to touch his cheek. "Remember to watch where you're going."

He's not dead?! Nan Qiuqiu's eyes widened instantly, her mouth slightly agape, and she stood there dumbfounded.

All the grievances and worries, mixed with immense joy, surged up like a tide at this moment. Nan Qiuqiu's lips trembled, her nose stung, and tears almost welled up again.

In the end, she couldn't say anything. She just took a step forward, opened her arms, and hugged Kong Tianxu's waist with all her might, burying her burning cheeks deep into his firm chest.

Well—this development really isn't his fault.

Kong Tianxu turned his head away with a helpless look and gave Xu Tianzhen, whose eyebrows were raised in anger, a look that said, "I'm a victim too."

"Qiuqiu! You...you're not dead?"

Nan Shuishui followed closely behind, and the moment she saw Kong Tianxu, she was struck dumb, her face filled with shock.

Kong Tianxu gently patted Nan Qiuqiu's back, then looked at Nan Shuishui and greeted her in a calm tone, "Sect Leader Nan, long time no see. Take good care of Qiuqiu."

Looking at her daughter tightly hugging Kong Tianxu, and then meeting Kong Tianxu's calm yet seemingly all-seeing eyes, Nan Shuishui felt a mix of emotions. Some scenes from the past uncontrollably flashed through her mind, making her cheeks inexplicably hot. She quickly stepped forward and pulled her daughter away.

Nan Qiuqiu was pulled away by her mother, still somewhat unwilling, and muttered as she tried to get behind Kong Tianxu again, but was grabbed by Nan Shuishui.

"Qiuqiu, don't cause trouble for Tianxu or the Holy Emperor."

Nan Qiuqiu was taken aback at first, then looked at Nan Shuishui's submissive actions, and then noticed the rare blush on her face and her evasive eyes. A thought flashed through her mind, and she revealed a strange expression of shock and mischief: "No way, Mom? You, you—"

"Shut up! What nonsense are you talking about! I, I did it all for you!" Nan Shuishui was both ashamed and anxious.

"The Holy Emperor?"

A slightly hesitant voice came from the back of the corridor. Tang Ya, holding onto the door frame, stepped out of the shadows.

Years have passed, and the boy who saved her from the brink of darkness has grown into a tall and composed young man.

Perhaps even Tang Ya herself did not realize that the initial source and support for her choice to embark on this path of helping other evil soul masters fight against their evil nature was the light that the person in front of her had planted in her heart.

Kong Tianxu turned around at the sound and looked at her.

The corner light was dim, casting its glow on the girl. Compared to a few years ago, her appearance hadn't changed much; she still had that pure and exquisite face, only her figure seemed to have grown taller, making her appear more slender.

However, at this moment, her face was sickly pale, her lips pale, and in the contrast of light and shadow, she appeared exceptionally fragile and pitiful. The lingering dark blue in her large, bright eyes seemed to have deepened, and she stood there still, as if trying to blend into the surrounding shadows.

What surprised Kong Tianxu even more was that although Tang Ya's soul power was extremely strong, reaching the level of a Soul Saint, it was mainly filled with evil energy, while her own spiritual and life essence was not particularly powerful. It could be said that although she was the user of this soul power, the evil power she mobilized had firmly overwhelmed the Blue Silver Grass itself and taken the dominant position.

Because the Blue Silver Grass itself was too weak to fully bear the power of the evil aura, this evil aura had begun to combine with her body, devouring her own life force.

Through the innate ability of her physical spirit, Kong Tianxu could clearly see that Tang Ya's ribs below her chest were faintly tinged with an ominous dark blue, and even most of her body was pale, which contrasted sharply with the healthy pink and white bodies of Nan Qiuqiu and Nan Shuishui.

"It really is you!" Tang Ya's face lit up with a dreamlike surprise after a careful look, but it was immediately overwhelmed by a huge sense of unease.

She lowered her head, flustered, and said in a voice barely audible, "H-Hello. Do you—do you remember me? My name is Tang Ya."

Kong Tianxu's gaze lingered on her for a moment, and he had already made up his mind. But thinking about what he was about to do, he did not respond, but simply looked away.

Then, he took Xu Tianzhen's hand and continued walking towards the main hall of the sanctuary, leaving the three people with different expressions behind him.

Tang Ya stood there, clearly disappointed, but then she smiled to herself. It was normal for the other person not to recognize her since they had only met by chance.

Thinking of the miracles Kong Tianxu had once performed, the faint hope that had been born from the depths of her despair flickered slightly again because of Kong Tianxu's reappearance.

Today is the Holy Spirit Church's annual grand gathering, and believers have gathered from all over. The corridors, halls, and squares are filled with people, a mix of black and white robes.

As Kong Tianxu continued his journey, more and more people noticed him. Whispers of surprise, shock, and ecstatic awe exploded like bombs.

"The Holy Emperor—it's His Majesty the Holy Emperor?!"

"The Holy Emperor has arrived?"

"He's the Holy Emperor? How could it be him?"

"Please save us, Your Majesty!"

"The Holy Emperor is eternal! The Holy Emperor is eternal!"

At first, there were only sporadic exclamations and whispers, but as more and more people recognized him and saw his appearance and demeanor, the calls began to slowly gather and gradually form a suppressed yet excited wave of sound.

More and more people stopped in their tracks, bowed involuntarily, and even knelt down.

Kong Tianxu remained unmoved, his steps steady, ignoring all the calls and worship from those around him. He simply led Xu Tianzhen through the automatically parting crowd, heading towards the most brightly lit core of the sanctuary.

Xu Tianzhen followed closely beside him, watching as more and more Soul Masters, each with a different aura but none of them being powerful, appeared along the way, and she was filled with shock.

You should know that the total number of Soul Masters in the entire Douluo Continent is only fifty or sixty thousand, but just from what she has seen along the way, there are probably several thousand Soul Masters gathered here!

Moreover, many of them possessed powerful auras and astonishing soul power fluctuations.

What kind of huge and secretive organization is this?

They proceeded to the main hall of the sanctuary. The atmosphere within the magnificent hall, where light and darkness intertwined eerily, was solemn and tense.

The moment Kong Tianxu stepped into the hall, all eyes were instantly drawn to him. Behind him, the surging crowd naturally parted, vaguely revealing different formations and postures.

He walked straight to the high golden throne at the far end of the hall. On either side, Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui, both dressed in white, were already waiting quietly, while Cain stood silently in the shadows behind the throne.

Both are hidden in the shadows, but Tang Ya is integrated with the darkness, while Cain seems to be the shadow itself.

Below the steps of the throne, led by the sect leader Zhongli Wu and the vice sect leader Feng Ling, more than a dozen evil soul masters titled Douluo stood solemnly, each with a different expression.

Zhongli Wu stared intently at Long Ye and the other man, who were resting with their eyes closed, as if he were pondering something.

Following closely behind these evil spirit titled Douluo were a group of Soul Masters led by Elder Yin, whose auras were relatively peaceful, even carrying connotations of light or holiness. Among them, Ye Guyi and Yu Mengdi, two Soul Masters with Angelic Martial Souls, stood out particularly.

You can tell the current atmosphere within the Holy Spirit Cult just by looking at their expressions. In just a few short years, Elder Yin's face has grown dozens of deep wrinkles, while Yu Mengdi and Ye Guyi also have worried expressions.

But as Kong Tianxu passed by, both Zhongli Wu and Yu Mengdi's expressions gradually changed, turning into the same kind of astonishment, extreme astonishment.

Ye Guyi's gaze towards Kong Tianxu at this moment was filled with an indescribable complexity.

Kong Tianxu did not stop walking. He walked straight up to the high platform and sat down peacefully on the newly cast Holy Emperor's Throne, which symbolized the supreme authority of the Holy Spirit Church.

Xu Tianzhen didn't speak, but stood quietly beside him.

The moment Kong Tianxu sat down, Ye Xishui bowed first, her clear voice resounding throughout the hall: "Welcome back, Holy Emperor!"

Immediately afterward, Long Xiaoyao nodded slightly, and Cain knelt on one knee. Below the stage, led by the titled Douluo of Ye Xishui's lineage, vast numbers of people knelt down like waves of wheat blown by the wind, and a thunderous roar erupted: "Welcome back, Holy Emperor—!!!"

The roar was deafening, causing the soul-guiding lamps on the dome to sway slightly. Amidst this frenzied clamor, a sharp glint flashed in Zhongli Wu's eyes, but his face quickly hardened with almost devout respect. After gesturing to the people behind him, he too bowed slowly and knelt down with the others.

Kong Tianxu leaned back on the throne, his gaze calmly sweeping over the dark mass of kneeling people below.

He did not immediately tell everyone to stand up, but let the thunderous shouts of worship echo and subside in the hall.

Today marks the first purge by the Holy Spirit Church.

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