Knights descend upon Douluo Continent; death awaits if they do not fight.

silence.

A long silence.

The entire Douluo Continent seemed to have been put on pause.

Everyone looked up at the sky, which had returned to normal, and at the place where those gray names had disappeared.

Seven people.

They're all dead.

None of them survived.

That border general, who was at level 68, the man who laughed and said during the live broadcast, "I'm going in to have a go at him," is dead.

That disciple from a collateral branch, the young man who used his incomplete martial spirit to fight the Horned Demon, is dead.

That level 56 support-type old lady, the one who charged towards the giant beast with the Clear Sky Hammer, is dead.

All dead.

In the tavern, no one boasted anymore about "what if I were chosen."

Those drunkards who had laughed heartily after the live broadcast were now as silent as the dead in their graves.

Some people were trembling while holding their wine glasses, some were squatting in the corner without saying a word, and some were kneeling on the ground, kowtowing to the sky.

They finally understood.

That world is not a place they can laugh at.

The person sitting on the throne is not someone they can underestimate.

[Spirit Hall - Pope's Palace]

Bibi Dong sat on the throne, motionless.

Her fingers were deeply embedded in the jade of the armrest, her knuckles turning white.

Below, all the elders were present, but none of them dared to speak.

A sense of oppressive tension, almost as if frozen, filled the air.

After a long silence, Ghost Leopard Douluo spoke, his voice hoarse: "Your Holiness, that level 68 general... he didn't even last a day."

"I know."

"And that Haotian Sect disciple who reached level seventy-one..."

"I said I know."

Bibi Dong's voice was eerily calm.

She looked up at the huge angel mural on the ceiling, as if she were talking to the mural, or as if she were talking to herself.

We were all wrong.

She stood up and walked to the window.

"That world isn't as simple as we think. Those knights aren't weak. That Huang Fei—"

She paused for a moment.

"He killed more than three thousand people. More than three thousand strong people who could survive to the end in that world. We used to think that was because that world was too weak. But today, those seven people included a Soul Saint, a Soul Emperor, and a general who had fought for fifteen years—they didn't even last a day."

She turned around, her gaze sweeping over everyone present.

"Redefine".

"What?"

"Redefine the combat power of that world." Bibi Dong's voice was icy. "From now on, regard low-level monsters of that world as Soul Douluo level. Mid-level monsters as Title Douluo level. As for that Huang Fei—"

She didn't continue.

But everyone understood.

That Huang Fei is someone they cannot measure.

"Issue the order," Bibi Dong said, sitting back on her throne, "to recall all those currently on missions. This includes Xie Yue, Hu Liena, Yan, and the two elders, Ju Gui."

"Your Holiness, over in the Starry Sky Forest—"

"Recall them," Bibi Dong interrupted him. "We'll talk about that 100,000-year-old soul beast later. Right now, we have more important things to do."

What she didn't say was that if the seven-headed horned demons descended, if they appeared on the Spirit Hall's territory, she would need all her manpower.

It takes Contra-level combat power to deal with a single Horned Demon.

The seven-horned demon is likely to release infectious energy.

There will be more and more people then.

The Spirit Hall leader must set an example and lead the team to eliminate them.

Otherwise, morale will be low and the team will be difficult to manage.

As for Xiao Wu, who has lived for 100,000 years, we can talk about that later.

【Starry Sky Forest - Outer Zone】

Xie Yue's communication device rang.

He answered the phone, listened for a few seconds, and his expression changed drastically.

"The Pope has ordered a full withdrawal."

Hu Liena turned her head sharply: "What? But that 100,000-year-old soul beast is right there—"

"This is an order," Xie Yue's voice was low and deep. "Those seven people are all dead. The Seven-Headed Horned Demon will descend tomorrow. We need to go back and prepare for battle."

Hu Liena's face turned pale.

She remembered that live stream.

That level 68 general, that level 71 Soul Saint, that—

"Where's Tang Yin?" she suddenly asked. "He's still in the forest."

"We can't control him anymore." Xie Yue put away his soul tool. "The Pope's order is for everyone to withdraw. Immediately."

He glanced into the depths of the forest, where their prey, which they had been hunting for so long, lay.

But at this moment, that 100,000-year-old soul beast is no longer important.

Because that knight world is more terrifying than any soul beast.

The troops began to retreat.

Hu Liena walked at the very back, frequently turning back to look.

She wanted to go find Tang San.

She wanted to tell him that there was danger and he should leave quickly.

But she can't.

Because an order is an order.

She turned around, caught up with the group, and disappeared into the night.

【Starry Sky Forest - Lake of Life】

Xiao Wu stood by the lake, watching the direction in which the Spirit Hall people had retreated.

Erming crouched behind her and said in a muffled voice, "Sister Xiaowu, they're gone."

"I know."

"Why? Aren't they trying to arrest you?"

Xiao Wu remained silent for a while.

"Because of that world."

She looked up at the sky.

"They were scared."

She didn't know what she was saying.

All she knew was that the man sitting atop the mountain of corpses, the knight who had slaughtered everyone, the man named Huang Fei—

He changed everything.

Without him, the Spirit Hall people would not have retreated.

They will find her, capture her, kill her, and take her spirit ring.

But now, they're gone.

Because she is no longer important.

Because that world is more important than a 100,000-year-old soul ring.

"Brother..." Xiao Wu murmured, "Where are you? Are you safe?"

On the other side of the forest, Tang San stood on a large tree, watching the direction in which the Spirit Hall people had retreated.

He didn't know what had happened.

He only saw those people leave in a hurry, as if they had been frightened by something.

Then, he saw the sky.

Those gray names.

Those who died.

His heart sank.

Seven people.

They're all dead.

If he goes to that world—can he survive?

he does not know.

All he knew was that the world was different from this day forward.

However, this is also a good thing, at least because of the Knight World, the Spirit Hall has given up on hunting down Xiao Wu.

He jumped down from the tree and ran into the depths of the forest.

Xiao Wu, wait for me.

I must find you first.

[Heavenly Dou Empire - Imperial Palace]

Emperor Xueye stood in the main hall, before whom was a huge map.

All the generals were present, and all the ministers were present.

No one spoke; everyone stared at the seven red dots on the map—the locations where the seven-headed horned demon might descend.

"Your Majesty," an old general spoke, "according to information released by the Knights World, the Seven-Headed Horned Demon will descend tomorrow at noon. The location of its descent is random, and we cannot predict it."

"Then we'll make all predictions." Emperor Xueye's voice was hoarse. "All cities in the Heaven Dou Empire are to be placed on the highest alert. All troops are to cancel leave and stand by. All Soul Masters, whether from sects or independent cultivators, are to be conscripted."

"Your Majesty, conscripting rogue cultivators might cause—"

"What will this cause?" Emperor Xueye interrupted him. "It will cause resentment? It will cause rebellion? Tell them that if those horned demons descend upon their village, their families will die. If they don't come, no one can save them."

He paused.

"Tell them, this is not war. This is survival."

......