The presence of one peerless existence and six Super Title Douluo descended like the collapse of the heavens, crushing the entire field.
As their gazes fell upon the Angel Sword, its blade still stained with blood—
Tang Xiao's expression subtly changed.
The three elders, upon seeing the six Worship Elders, instinctively retreated several steps.
Only Tang Hao remained silent as ever, his rough palm slowly rubbing along the hammer's grip.
In an instant, heaven and earth grew solemn.
"Heh…"
Dugu Bo's sneer cut through the dead silence like a venomous serpent flicking its tongue:
"Where's that Clear Sky Clan swagger from just now?"
"Weren't you loudly proclaiming that you'd protect Heaven Dou?"
"So why do you tremble the moment you see the Worship Elders of the Spirit Empire?"
Chen Xin, Gu Rong, Yu Yuanzhen, and the First Marquis all wore undisguised looks of mockery.
Feng Bailong's soft words drifted in the wind.
"As expected of the Clear Sky Clan—always the same. If young friend Zhexian were to appear right now, I wonder how spectacular your expressions would be."
"Hmph!"
Tang Xiao snorted coldly, narrowing his eyes as he stared straight at Qian Renxue and the six Worship Elders.
"Is the Spirit Empire also determined to meddle in this affair?"
In the southern sky, the surging tide of Spirit Power quietly retreated several hundred meters.
Dai Mubai appeared arrogant, but his body was taut like a drawn bow. His voice rang out from afar:
"Don't think the Spirit Empire is invincible!"
"Didn't you also retreat in defeat when you tried to annex Sea God Island back then?"
Beside him, Seahorse Douluo frowned.
Dai Mubai's words were far too boastful.
Back then, the Spirit Empire's withdrawal had more to do with their fear of the High Priestess Bo Saixi.
If one truly compared the strength of Worship Elders and Sea God Pillars—
even with the home-ground advantage,
Sea God Island still fell slightly short.
Qian Renxue ignored Dai Mubai's provocation entirely.
With a casual gesture, the Angel Sword that pierced through the void responded and returned to her grasp.
Golden hair fluttered.
Light flowed across the Angel Sacred Armor.
Deep within her radiant golden eyes, a tide of crimson surged and churned.
"If you disrupt his return today..."
"The Clear Sky Clan shall not have a single tile remaining; Sea God Island will meet the same fate."
As her words fell, the six Worship Elders' auras erupted in unison.
Chen Xin, Dugu Bo, and the others also surged with renewed momentum.
Tang Xiao and Tang Hao's Clear Sky Hammers expanded violently in the wind, stretching thousands of meters long. The dark hammer bodies shimmered with flowing inscriptions, like mountains collapsing from the heavens.
Crack—crack—
Crack—crack—
Of the nine Spirit Rings beneath their feet, seven were riddled with fine fractures.
Vast torrents of energy spilled from those cracks, pouring madly into the Clear Sky Hammers.
This was the ultimate secret technique of the Great Sumeru Hammer—
Ring Detonation!
Back then, when Tang Hao had just become a Titled Douluo, he had used this very technique to consecutively slay two Spirit Hall Titled Douluo, severely wounding the previous Pope Qian Xunji and leading to his death.
And this—
was the reason the Clear Sky Clan dared to challenge everyone today.
Under the pressure of external enemies, combined with Tang Hao's guidance, Tang Xiao had now mastered Ring Detonation as well.
The terrifying pressure emanating from the two Clear Sky Hammers faintly rivaled even peerless might.
"I said it before…"
Tang Xiao's deep voice rolled across the sky like thunder, stirring the clouds in all directions, his dominance unmatched.
"Today, Li Zhexian's statue—I will destroy it."
Boom—boom—boom—boom!
Boom—boom—boom—boom!
The opposing auras collided head-on, plunging heaven and earth into chaos as winds reversed and clouds tore apart.
The entire Heaven Dou City trembled violently.
However—
Just as the great battle was about to erupt—
Those surging winds and waves, that overwhelming Spirit Power pressure, inexplicably froze for an instant.
A presence beyond the comprehension of everyone present swept past like the descent of a god.
Even Qian Renxue, who had completed the Angel Eight Trials, and Tang Xiao and Tang Hao, who were prepared to detonate their rings and gamble with their lives, felt their minds quake violently at that moment.
Then—
A clear, gentle voice—
Drifted leisurely from atop the statue surrounded by countless flowers.
It rang clearly in the ears of every person in the city.
"Zhexian has come to fulfill the one-year promise."
"Fellow townsfolk of Heaven Dou, dear friends and seniors…"
"It's been a long time."
—
—
In an instant, the entire city fell silent.
Then—
the people of Heaven Dou hurriedly turned their eyes toward the statue.
Yu Tianheng, Feng Buyu, Oscar, Huo Wushuang and the others burst with uncontrollable excitement in their eyes.
Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and Huo Wu wept like rain, their vision blurred by tears.
Qian Renxue and Zhu Zhuqing stiffened, tears shimmering in their beautiful eyes—yet smiles curved at their lips.
They knew it.
They had known Li Zhexian would never break his promise.
Everyone held their breath, gazes burning and trembling…
Eager to confirm what they saw, yet terrified that believing too hard would shatter the illusion.
Within their sight—
upon the statue wreathed in curling incense smoke, a figure in white stood quietly.
The youth's bearing was unchanged.
If anything, his features were even more refined and otherworldly than a year before.
The gentle smile at the corner of his lips was exactly the same as in memory—not a trace different.
At that moment—
all sounds vanished.
Even heartbeats seemed to stop.
"Zhexian!"
Chen Xin, Dugu Bo, and the others immediately abandoned their standoff with the Clear Sky Clan, flashing forward to the youth's side.
At the same time—
the people of Heaven Dou surged toward the statue.
"Lord Sword Wine has returned!"
"Lord Sword Wine really came to keep the promise!"
Seeing this scene, even Li Zhexian, tempered by the trials of the mortal world, felt his eyes grow warm.
He bowed deeply to the people of Heaven Dou, then solemnly bowed again to Chen Xin, Dugu Bo, and the others.
A fragrant breeze suddenly brushed past him.
Two soft, warm figures crashed into his embrace.
"Li… Li Zhexian…"
Qian Renxue and Zhu Zhuqing finally broke down, unable to hold back their sobs.
A year's worth of fear, uncertainty, and the joy of this moment poured out as hot tears, soaking his robes.
Held tightly by the two women, Li Zhexian could scarcely breathe.
He looked at the angel who should have been pure and immaculate, now stained with blood for his sake, and at Zhu Zhuqing's slender, willow-like figure grown thin.
His gaze trembled as he spoke softly:
"Xue'er… Zhuqing… I'm sorry…"
"It's… it's good that you're back…"
After speaking, they finally realized the setting and gently withdrew from his embrace, pale yet lovely faces flushing with a captivating blush.
Li Zhexian then turned to Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, Yu Tianheng, and the others, lips lifting into a smile.
"Let's go drinking later!"
"No need to say! The drinks and food are all ready!"
"Brother Zhexian, you came back late. You'll have to punish yourself with three jars!"
The earth-shaking confrontation from moments ago
quietly dissolved with Li Zhexian's return.
Yet as everyone rejoiced—especially at the sight of the white-robed youth as he once was—the members of the Clear Sky Clan felt their limbs turn ice-cold.
"This… this is impossible!"
Tang Cang clenched his fists, blood seeping between his teeth from the force of his bite.
"That day, blood rained down for ten thousand miles—clearly the sign of a peerless existence falling!"
"Tens of thousands of people saw Li Zhexian reduced to nothing but scattered remains! How could he possibly return?!"
In an instant,
the Clear Sky Clan's fighting spirit collapsed by more than half.
The name Sword Wine Douluo Li Zhexian had been forged through world-shaking battles—one that had etched fear into their very bones.
Tang Xiao's face darkened. His hand on the hammer loosened, then tightened again, the domineering presence he'd shown moments ago completely gone.
"Damn it!"
"Li Zhexian actually came back!"
Dai Mubai hurriedly shouted in a low voice to Seashorse Douluo: "Retreat! Now!"
"Hahaha, I should indeed be punished with wine." Li Zhexian laughed.
"But before that, there is still one matter that must be settled first."
Li Zhexian's gaze swept toward Tang Xiao and the others. Their hearts jolted, and they hastily avoided his eyes.
"I just heard that you intended to destroy my statue?"
"Come."
"I'm right here."
"Go on—try it."