Inside the brightly lit camp, even in the middle of the night, the atmosphere was still very noisy, with teams of soldiers constantly coming and going.
Zhongli Wu, the black-clad leader of the Holy Spirit Cult, stood before a large tent in the Sun Moon Empire's military camp. A dense, gloomy aura emanated from the tent behind him; even an ordinary person without cultivation would feel an uncomfortable sensation upon passing by.
A moment later, several Evil Soul Masters gathered. If Wang Nan were here, he would recognize them as the ones who had just cleared the battlefield.
"Cult Leader!" Several Disciples of the Holy Spirit Cult stood in a row, bowing in unison.
"Hmm." Zhongli Wu nodded in satisfaction. "How was the harvest this time?"
"Reporting to the Cult Leader, it's similar to the past few days. Not many complete Souls remain. Although the quantity is considerable, the quality is not high." One Disciple spoke, respectfully handing over a Soul Guidance Device.
Zhongli Wu frowned. "The Souls collected this way are indeed not as good as those we concoct ourselves, but this quantity is sufficient. How are the blood sacrifices coming along?"
"The blood sacrifices are somewhat lacking. Since Titled Douluo-level combatants entered the fray, not many Spirit Masters have left behind bodies under such attacks. However, the Spirit Masters have avoided ordinary people, so there are more ordinary blood sacrifices."
Zhongli Wu's frown deepened. In fact, at first, before his mother, Ye Xishui, made her move, Titled Douluo-level combatants had not fully joined the battlefield; both sides were merely probing and wearing each other down. But ever since the Death God's Light appeared from the Mingdou Mountain Range, everything had changed.
After a moment of silence, Zhongli Wu waved his hand. "Forget it. Go summon the Second Elder."
"Yes!"
Watching the Disciples leave, Zhongli Wu glanced at the commander's tent not far away. Although he had been appointed as the Imperial Advisor of the Sun Moon Empire, he could sense that the Empire was not truly aligned with the Holy Spirit Cult.
The Sun Moon Empire's goal was to unify the Douluo Continent, but for their Holy Spirit Cult, constant war was the best state of affairs.
"Cult Leader."
Just as Zhongli Wu was deep in thought, another figure arrived beside him. This was an old man, who looked somewhat fierce and menacing. It was Nangong Wan, the Scorpion Douluo and Second Elder of the Holy Spirit Cult.
"The sacrifices for this time have been almost completely collected. Take these things and make a trip to Dongyang City."
"So many?" Nangong Wan took the storage Soul Guidance Device, and his mental force swept over it, saying with some surprise.
"You don't need to be envious. These are all incomplete Souls of ordinary people, and they won't have much effect on your and my cultivation. It's better to send them to Dongyang City. Once you complete this task, the Cult will reward you."
"Wan Soul and Hatred are much more relaxed, saying they are guarding Dongyang City. Who knows how many benefits they've reaped from there?"
Zhongli Wu's expression changed upon hearing this. He quickly glanced left and right, and only after seeing that no one was around did he retract his gaze, glaring fiercely at Nangong Wan. "What nonsense are you spouting? Wan Soul and Hatred are guarding the border for the Empire, fending off Sea Soul Beasts."
"Yes, yes." Nangong Wan, seeing this, repeatedly said, "I misspoke."
"Now hurry up and go!"
"I'm going now."
Nangong Wan bowed in salute, then took two steps back before turning and heading out of the military camp.
Watching Nangong Wan's figure disappear, Zhongli Wu looked around again before returning to his tent.
...
With the Sun Moon Empire pushing the front lines all the way to Tianling City, the arrangements in the rear were much more relaxed. Even some newly occupied cities and villages did not have many defensive measures in place.
Furthermore, after the Sun Moon Empire occupied the towns of the Tianhun Empire, it vigorously promoted Soul Guidance Devices. So much so, that even at night, sporadic points of light could still be seen within the former Tianhun Empire territory.
The light of a flying Soul Guidance Device glowed behind Nangong Wan. Even though a Titled Douluo possessed the ability to fly independently, using a flying Soul Guidance Device for travel could still greatly increase speed and conserve spirit power.
Looking at the villages he passed by from time to time on the ground, Nangong Wan clicked his tongue, secretly lamenting. He had thought that after occupying the Tianhun Empire's territory, he could take advantage of the opportunity to gain something, but he hadn't expected the Sun Moon Empire to prohibit attacking civilians.
Similar orders had been issued within the Holy Spirit Cult, so he had no choice but to endure.
Flying northwest, Nangong Wan suddenly felt a chill throughout his body. He surveyed his surroundings, and a hint of doubt arose in his heart. He wasn't flying particularly high, so why would the temperature drop?
But he quickly realized that the "cold" wasn't something his body was feeling.
It seemed as if something had suddenly appeared ahead, causing him to involuntarily shiver.
He had once met the Grand Elder and Chief Enshriner of the Holy Spirit Cult, and even when facing a Limit Douluo at that time, he had never felt this way. It wasn't just about strength; it was more a sense of fear, a feeling that he couldn't lift his head in front of the other party.
The speed of a Titled Douluo flying with a flying Soul Guidance Device was naturally extremely fast. A distance of a thousand meters was covered in the blink of an eye. Nangong Wan only had two thoughts flash through his mind, and before he could fully understand what had happened, his figure had already crossed a long distance.
He finally saw the person in front of him.
There was no moon tonight, only sparse starlight that allowed Nangong Wan to vaguely make out a figure ahead. A tall, upright figure stood in mid-air, with no spirit rings visible around him. Someone capable of flying freely in the air was undoubtedly a Titled Douluo.
"May I ask, Your Excellency…"
Before he could finish speaking, a dazzling golden light suddenly flared up in front of him.
Even a Titled Douluo, suddenly seeing such a bright light in the dark night sky, would feel somewhat uncomfortable. Although with his cultivation, Nangong Wan quickly reacted, the opponent was equally strong.
Forcing his eyes open, Nangong Wan saw a slender golden rod land on his back, and the Level 9 flying Soul Guidance Device behind him shattered under the attack.
Even though the Soul Guidance Device blocked some of the damage, the remaining force still landed solidly on him, and a powerful force surged into his body, wreaking havoc through his meridians.
Nangong Wan forcibly circulated his spirit power, wanting to neutralize the power that had surged into his body. However, the moment his mental force and spirit power came into contact with this power, a dragon's roar seemed to echo in his ears, and his spirit power completely dissolved, leaving his mind blank.
"Coiling Dragon Staff …"
Nangong Wan opened his mouth, uttering a few words, and then lost control of his body, plummeting from mid-air.
The wind howled in his ears, and the ground grew closer. Nangong Wan felt as if time had been infinitely stretched, but his body was unable to make any movements.