Thanks to Huo Yuhao, the entire Inner Court now seemed to be steeped in a sour, almost cloying atmosphere of romance.
It wasn't just the bold fangirls from the Huo Alliance expressing their affections—many of the outstanding female students in the Inner Court had started looking at Huo Yuhao with... peculiar eyes.
Take Zhang Lexuan, Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen—
And even Xiao Xiao.
Xiao Xiao was nearly coughing up blood. She had thought that with Huo Yuhao's memory loss, she might finally have a chance—at worst, she'd only have to compete with Wang Dong'er. And honestly, she wouldn't mind a three-person relationship.
After all, Wang Dong'er was Xiao Xiao's first love, her unreachable moonlight.
One husband, two wives? That wouldn't be so bad.
But what was going on with the Inner Court lately?
Why did Huo Yuhao still have so many girls around him?
Forget the Huo Alliance's starry-eyed fans—why were those senior girls, the ones who supposedly lost their memories, suddenly showing up around Huo Yuhao so frequently again?
Weren't those memories supposed to be erased by the power of the Love God? Weren't they never supposed to return?
Love God, are you even doing your job!?
Fortunately for Xiao Xiao, who had a unique destiny as a special "furnace" vessel, Huo Yuhao hadn't neglected her. On the contrary, he gave her special attention.
He often guided her cultivation, even personally taught her the fundamentals of Tang Sect techniques.
And Xiao Xiao wasn't the only one—Huo Yuhao had made decent progress with other girls too.
It was as if he were playing a dating sim, navigating different character routes.
Take Meng Hongchen, for example.
Due to her different upbringing, she struggled to understand some of Shrek Academy's ideologies, and her cultivation in Tang Sect arts was slower than the others.
So Huo Yuhao became her personal study buddy—helping her adjust, making sure she didn't fall behind.
They spent a lot of time together discussing their shared ice and poison attributes, and through this communication, Meng Hongchen made significant progress.
Sparks were flying between them.
And that wasn't all.
While he was busy "pollinating" the flowers within the Academy, Huo Yuhao occasionally ventured to Shrek City to enjoy its "wild blossoms" as well.
After all, unless something truly urgent happened, he didn't have much work to do. No power meant no responsibility.
Romance and cultivation were just life's seasoning. Huo Yuhao never stopped forging ahead.
He deeply understood that the end of his path wasn't this tiny Shrek Academy.
To breathe freely, he needed a power strong enough to pierce the heavens.
At Shrek, there was only one thing left that could still help him grow:
The Golden Ancient Tree.
From the day he moved in, he began exploring every corner of it.
Except for the Elders' quarters, he left no room unexplored—not the simulation training chambers, not the communal areas.
Nobody found this suspicious. On the contrary, the Elders just smiled knowingly.
They had all done the same thing when they first arrived—just not as boldly.
Who wouldn't be curious about the Sea God Pavilion?
And why shouldn't its Master wander freely inside?
The Pavilion had many high-end simulation training chambers, ones rare even in the outside world. However, there were no rooms aligned with evil or darkness attributes.
Still, Huo Yuhao uncovered numerous hidden treasures—legacy opportunities left by predecessors for future generations. If someone activated them, they'd gain immense benefits.
And now, all those opportunities belonged to Huo Yuhao.
After this tour, he improved his affinity with several attributes—especially his wind and earth attributes, which finally underwent a complete transformation. He condensed his Origin Wind and Origin Earth.
Wind and earth were common elements, and many powerful predecessors had cultivated them at Shrek Academy over the centuries, leaving behind plenty of valuable gifts.
With this, Huo Yuhao had now completed transformations for six elements:
Water, fire, earth, wind, light, and darkness.
As for the remaining rare elements, while there were no direct opportunities left, he still made decent progress by drawing analogies and indirect insights.
According to the account of the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent, its previous incarnation also gained insights into those rare elements via related lesser elements.
For example, the Destruction element had sub-elements like Annihilation, Oblivion, and even Poison.
So, as long as Huo Yuhao stayed and cultivated in the Sea God Pavilion, using every opportunity wisely, his understanding of all elements would rapidly accelerate—
Even faster than cultivating with "furnaces."
Especially the Life element—he could directly draw on the power of the Golden Ancient Tree, making it the next element to undergo transformation.
But more importantly—
He discovered that aside from the divine power traces left by Elder Tang, the Golden Ancient Tree held no other traps or hidden dangers.
In other words, for now, it was clean.
"Heh heh, boy~~~" Huo Yuhao gave a wicked grin, rubbing his hands like a scheming fly.
"Then Big Brother Hao won't be polite anymore. Jie Jie Jie…"
It was time to dye the Golden Ancient Tree in his colors.
And so, Huo Yuhao's daily schedule became:
Cultivating in the Golden Ancient Tree, gradually eroding it while drawing strength from its resources.
Building romantic ties with girls like Xiao Xiao and Meng Hongchen.
Dual cultivating with furnaces like Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er.
Occasionally strolling through Shrek City or the Academy, offering help to boost his heroic reputation while collecting karmic energy as a reward.
Periodically meeting with Sea God Pavilion Elders and Shrek Academy's leadership to discuss the continent's political climate and Shrek's response strategies.
Life was unusually peaceful.
Until—
A sudden catastrophe shattered that peace.
Two of the Sun Moon Empire's Five Beast King Regiments—the Terrorclaw Soul Engineer Legion and the Evil Sovereign Soul Engineer Legion—had landed on the eastern coast of the Douling Empire, launching a full-scale invasion.
In just three days, they had taken ten cities, and were already approaching the capital—Lingdou City!
It wasn't just the Sea God Pavilion that was shaken—every power on the continent was shocked and in disbelief.
How did the Sun Moon Empire circle around that far just to attack the Douling Empire?
And how could only two of their Beast King Regiments advance all the way to the capital?
Was there really such a massive power gap?
But regardless of the doubts, the intel was clear—this was happening.
A Sea God Pavilion emergency meeting was convened.
Xuan Zi was absent—he had gone to the Ice Sea with Di Tian and hadn't yet returned.
"The Sun Moon Empire has invaded the Douling Empire. What are your thoughts?" Huo Yuhao, seated at the head, asked.
"The Sun Moon Empire is despicable!" Elder Zhuang fumed.
"They're shattering the peace of the continent!" Elder Song added angrily.
Huo Yuhao nodded. Then asked:
"So, should we step in and help?"
But the Elders responded—
"Now is not the time." Elder Lin shook his head with a heavy expression.
"Shrek has always avoided interfering in imperial affairs. And since the Douling Empire hasn't requested our aid, we cannot act without cause."
"Besides, the other three Beast King Regiments haven't shown up yet. This could be a feint. Right now, our best strategy is to remain unchanged in the face of change. If the other empires fall, Shrek Academy will become the continent's final hope," Yan Shaozhe said grimly.
His view represented the consensus. Most Pavilion members had no imperial allegiance.
Huo Yuhao chose to silently nod.
Huo Yuhao: "Ah yes yes, whatever makes you all happy!"
The Douling Empire never requested help from Shrek Academy, so the academy had no justification to intervene directly. Claiming they needed to guard against the other three Beast King Legions, Shrek chose to sit on the sidelines.
Before the Sun Moon Empire launched its attack, Shrek had communicated extensively with the three great empires. Yet, when war finally broke out, none of the three sent anyone to Shrek Academy.
Likewise, Shrek showed no intention of taking action.
Even when the Douling Empire was nearly pushed back to its capital city, Shrek remained still.
Was this a distortion of human nature? Or a collapse of morality?
But really, what did any of that have to do with Huo Yuhao?
In fact, no one understood the situation in the Douling Empire better than Huo Yuhao—because he was the one orchestrating the entire war from behind the scenes.
The Claw of Terror Soul Engineer Legion and the Evil Lord Soul Engineer Legion—two of the Beast King Legions—had taken a long detour through the southern seas. Traveling from the western side of the Sun Moon Empire, they arrived at the eastern coast of the Douluo Continent, crossing nearly two entire continents in the process.
They landed on the eastern seaboard of the Douling Empire and immediately launched an invasion.
Of course, they had the aid of soul masters and soul engineers. But to break ten cities in three days, and have two legions pressuring an entire nation and reaching its capital—that level of success couldn't have come from martial might alone.
There had to be other factors involved.
Namely: external aid and internal collusion.
And wouldn't you know it—they had both!
The two Beast King Legions were able to sail across the seas thanks to help from Sea Soul Masters.
Using the Douling Hai Clan's intelligence network, the Sun Moon Empire had recruited a group of disgruntled Sea Soul Masters and secretly formed a new naval force: the New Sun Moon Navy.
While their combat ability couldn't match the Ten-Direction Legion—or even the original Sun Moon Navy—their all-Sea-Soul-Master composition made them excellent at ocean escort duties.
Of course, the Douling Hai Clan only provided intel and did not directly participate.
To recruit the Sea Soul Masters and build this navy, the Sun Moon Empire also used some... special tactics.
Once the two Beast King Legions made landfall, things became even easier—they stumbled upon wild supplies and detailed maps of marching routes.
It was like playing a cracked version of Empire at War.
There were tons of resources, full map visibility… it was practically cheating.
And behind all of this was Ning Tian, along with the Shanxin Families, who jointly provided and facilitated it.
All the cities attacked belonged to clans and sects that were rivals of the Shanxin faction.
So, this war against the Douling Empire was less of a clash between empires, and more like a purge—a targeted cleansing led by Ning Tian and her allies against rival families and sects within the Douling Empire.
The goal was simple:
After the war, only one voice would remain in the Douling Empire—Huo Yuhao's!
The Douling Empire had always been structured around noble clans and sects propping up the royal family. These groups were its foundation.
Naturally, since this was still a military campaign, the two Beast King Legions couldn't be expected to go out of their way to hunt down factions not on the path of their march.
But that didn't matter.
In times of war, it's perfectly reasonable for violent mobs to spring up and loot towns, right?
In wartime, the rise of Evil Soul Masters unleashing zombie hordes and committing sect-wide massacres makes perfect sense, doesn't it?
With the chaos of war, a powerless royal family being reduced to puppets sounds totally plausible, right?
In short, the two legions not only picked up supplies—they also received a kill list. Everyone on that list had to die.
Not even the Sea God could save them—Brother Hao's orders!
The Claw of Terror Legion specialized in direct sieges and breaching fortresses. The Evil Lord Legion excelled at pursuit and coordination. Together, they were the perfect combo.
Even in the original story, these two legions were capable of storming cities with ease.
Now? Both legions had been expanded. Their commanders and deputies had undergone special training. All their soul engineers practiced new techniques and cultivation methods issued by Xu Tianchen.
Their combat strength had more than doubled compared to the original timeline.
So, when it came to urban sieges, clan exterminations, and sect annihilation—they were in their element, fighting with brutal efficiency.
With supply and intel support, the two legions were practically unstoppable, achieving the impossible: two armies threatening an entire empire.
Even the legion commanders and their deputies started to wonder—wasn't this going too smoothly? Had they fallen into some kind of trap?
But if it was a trap, the Douling Empire was paying a steep price for it.
Version imbalance, folks—the Douling Empire's clans and sects were getting absolutely steamrolled.
Still, the legions stayed the course. They fought ruthlessly, with maximum speed and efficiency.
Anyone who stood against them would be eliminated—no exceptions. Not children, not fools, not a single soul.
"If it's taller than a wheel, it dies."
Why let them live, only for them to come back and kill you later?
Finally, on the fifth day, Lingdou City, the Douling capital, came into view.
But the two legions halted their advance.
Everyone was eager. They all looked forward to breaking Lingdou City.
But the commanders knew better. As the capital, Lingdou was not an easy target. It housed the Douling Empire's strongest soul masters—including Super Douluo.
Up until now, most enemy sects and clans had at most one or two Title Douluo, and some had none at all.
Taking them out was a breeze.
But facing Super Douluo? That was another story.
While normal Title Douluo could be overwhelmed by numbers, Super Douluo could decisively alter the outcome of a war.
If they were going to attack the city, they were in for a brutal fight.
Still, no one wanted to leave without at least giving it a try.
While the four commanding officers (main and deputy) and squad leaders were holding a strategy meeting in the command tent, a lone figure suddenly entered—yet no one stopped him.
He was robed in white, hood drawn low over his face, dressed like a priest.
Most notably, there was a gold-trimmed white lotus embroidered on his chest.
His identity was clear:
A White Lotus Cult Priest.
After the White Lotus Cult's King Envoy and Saintess had gone missing, a new leadership emerged—three individuals, disciples of the former Death God Envoy.
This visitor was one of the new male White Lotus Priests.
The Beast King Legions didn't attack him because by now, they knew—the White Lotus Cult was on their side.
In fact, the New Sun Moon Navy had been secretly assembled by the White Lotus Cult.
Only after its appearance did the legions realize the cult was their ally.
There was shock and realization. The smarter ones finally pieced together the truth behind the other princes' deaths back then.
But aside from marveling at the emperor's foresight, they had nothing more to say.
Because the emperor had given them everything.
To the legions, all that mattered was knowing who the enemy was. Loyalty didn't need to go deeper.
The White Lotus Cult had been instrumental in the war.
After the new navy escorted the legions to the Douling Empire, the cult's priests and followers handled logistics and cleanup.
Any town or clan crushed by the legions was turned over to the White Lotus Priests for management and resource collection.
They were clean in their work—not a single body left behind.
Rumor had it, they even offered spiritual funerary services.
Of course, before the cleanup, the legions had first pick of all resources—except for people.
As for the rest, Huo Yuhao didn't mind. There weren't many resources left on the continent he still needed, and he had already swept through all the valuable stuff in the Douling Empire.
But talent? Talent was priceless. Huo Yuhao wanted as much of that as he could get.
Even so, the legions had gained tremendously. Their troops were deeply moved, and morale surged.
Three shots per second from a soul ray cannon might be the limit of their tech—but not the limit of their loyalty.
If the commanders hadn't stayed calm, they'd have already stormed Lingdou City.
At this moment, the priest stepped forward to solve their biggest concern.
He didn't waste words—he got straight to the point:
"For the battle against Lingdou City, I'll intervene in disguise. I'll handle the Super Douluo. The rest—Title Douluo and resistance forces—you deal with."
The commanders and squad leaders were stunned by the priest's confidence. They weren't sure if he could back it up, but they trusted their emperor—he wouldn't send an amateur.
If the White Lotus Priest said he could handle it, then he could.
That's what loyalty meant.
A new siege plan was drawn up.
With no Super Douluo to worry about, taking Lingdou City would be far easier.
At most, the difficulty would be a few levels higher than previous towns—but still well within manageable limits.
The Next Day
The two legions launched their assault, drawing close to Lingdou City—and sending waves of panic through its inhabitants.
"How dare they? Just two legions attacking my Lingdou City? Do they think we're as weak as those clan-controlled towns?"
The Douling Emperor was both stunned and utterly humiliated.
In his eyes—and those of many nobles and officials—those other cities had fallen because they were controlled by clans and sects with no real army.
If anything, once reclaimed, those territories would come under full imperial control, expanding royal authority. Not a bad outcome.
But now, the legions dared to attack Lingdou City?
That meant the Sun Moon Empire saw the royal family as irrelevant!
Sitting high on the throne, the emperor roared:
"Prepare for war! I'll make the Sun Moon Empire pay with their lives!!!"
The two great Beast King legions are preparing to attack Lingdou City!
Lingdou City, already well-prepared, immediately initiated its defenses. Numerous powerful cultivators stationed within the city climbed atop the city walls to defend.
Though somewhat primitive, their method of defense involved physically mounting the wall, activating their martial souls, and preparing for battle.
The city did have a large-scale soul tool barrier to protect it, but it was outdated and consumed a tremendous amount of energy.
Most of the defenders atop the walls came from various sects and families offering support, led by the most powerful sect within the Douling Empire — the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Among them were even Titled Douluo-level experts.
A count revealed a shocking number — more than ten Titled Douluo had gathered!
This wasn't the Douling Empire's own heritage, but rather the combined heritage of the sects and noble families within its borders.
The earlier actions of the two Beast King legions against other sects and families had enraged these powers. They were determined to restore the dignity of their class.
The remaining sects and families had clearly seen the writing on the wall: if the Sun Moon Empire broke through the Douling Empire, they might not even have the chance to become enslaved survivors. The Beast King legions weren't just conquerors — they were exterminators.
This directly threatened the interests of the sect-and-family coalition.
Thus, the sects and families became fully invested in resisting the two Beast King legions.
The sects and noble families within the Douling Empire were no different from aristocratic clans of ancient times. They didn't care much about who sat on the imperial throne — but thre aten their interests, and even an emperor would find death knocking.
Now, the two Beast King legions were trampling the very bottom line of these sects and families.
Since these sects and families controlled large territories, they were immensely wealthy. Many high-ranking families could afford to cultivate Titled Douluo-level experts.
In fact, the Douling Empire actually had no shortage of ordinary Titled Douluo. Sometimes, their numbers even exceeded those in the Heaven Soul and Star Luo Empires.
But the imperial court struggled to unify them.
Because resources were split among various sects and families, they could raise Titled Douluo, but rarely cultivate them further into Super Douluo.
As a result, the Douling Empire had the fewest Super Douluo among the three great empires.
Even the prestigious Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had only produced one Super Douluo in this generation.
On the other hand, the imperial Douling Offering Hall had Titled Douluo who could stably reach Super Douluo levels. For example, the Douling Empire's current guardian deity — the 97th-level Sky Sun Douluo — was the undisputed top expert in the empire.
The imperial court lacked talent and naturally poured its limited resources into those both loyal and gifted.
In truth, the imperial family was not weak in terms of high-end combat power. But while a Super Douluo could shift the tide of battle, they couldn't easily change political dynamics — unless they were a figure like Xu Tiancheng, whose strength and reputation were unmatched.
Immense power can easily destroy a person — but it can't make everyone admire you.
If the court tried to coerce the sects and families with power, it would only plunge the empire into chaos. At most, a Super Douluo could guarantee the imperial family's interests.
Ultimately, it was the sects and families that held real authority in the Douling Empire.
Didn't Tu Xijun promise to enter the palace as the crown prince's concubine, only to later decline? The royal family didn't punish her — they even offered her a high-ranking position to win her over.
Did anyone really think it was just because of her talent?
Thus, the defense of the city this time was largely guided by the sects and families.
Sky Sun Douluo stood atop the wall as well. He wasn't bothered, since the sects and families were truly committing this time — sending many elite soul masters, to the point that even the Heaven Soul royal court was feeling uneasy.
Fortunately, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had not overstepped. They still emphasized harmony and cooperation, keeping appearances civil. Their troop deployment was even coordinated with the imperial general's suggestions.
While the sects and families of the Douling Empire waited confidently for the Beast King legions to storm the city and prepared to fight with all their might...
Twenty long streaks of flame tore across the sky, falling toward Lingdou City.
"That's... No! Those are Rank 9 Fixed Soul Cannon Shells! A full twenty of them!!"
A Titled Douluo with sharp eyesight immediately recognized the threat and shouted in shock, his face filled with terror.
In that instant, all the experts on the city wall were gripped by fear.
The Beast King legions had actually launched twenty Rank 9 Fixed Soul Cannon Shells right from the start. How could they dare?!
Beast King Legions: You backwater Douling bumpkins — the times have changed!
But this also represented the last of the Sun Moon Empire's Rank 9 soul cannon shells. Without supply from Mingde Hall, these powerful weapons had become scarce.
To assemble this batch of twenty, the Sun Moon Empire's Rank 9 soul engineers had poured their hearts into the effort. Some were even donated as a "favor" by Ye Xeshui.
Ye Xeshui had bled a bit for this — all to help Tang Ya climb onto Xu Tiancheng's dragon bed.
The Beast King legions could only fire this barrage once.
"Don't run! Block them — block them now!!"
Sky Sun Douluo roared.
The other Titled Douluo quickly reacted.
If the Beast King legions succeeded in breaking Lingdou City and those twenty precious shells landed inside, it wouldn't just be about casualties — the Douling Empire's dignity and the sects' reputations would be utterly destroyed.
"Everyone — join forces!"
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Super Douluo, the 96th-level Sacred Turtle Douluo, also called out.
No one could block them alone. Even a Super Douluo would be injured.
Only by working together could they hope to resist!
His words were more effective than Sky Sun Douluo's. The remaining Titled Douluo all rallied, channeling their power into the city's defensive soul tool barrier in an attempt to stop the falling Rank 9 shells.
The Sacred Turtle Douluo activated his Martial Soul True Body — transforming into the form of the Aqua-Flame Sacred Turtle.
His martial soul bore dual opposing attributes of water and fire, granting exceptional defense and immense retaliatory power against nearby enemies.
Some said the Sacred Turtle Douluo carried the bloodline of the Xuanming Sect. Others claimed he descended from the Sea Turtle Elder who once stood against the Nether White Tiger during the era of the Spirit Hall. Now, he served as the Great Consecrated Elder of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Despite his age, he was very much alive and strong. Once a peer of Mu En, he spent most of his days cultivating in seclusion and rarely appeared. If not for this crisis, he wouldn't have shown himself.
But though old, his strength hadn't waned. In fact, there was a return-to-simplicity aura about him.
The massive red-and-blue Icefire Sacred Turtle covered the skies over Lingdou City, emanating an overwhelming sense of weight and calm. His aura resonated with the city's soul tool barrier and the power of other Titled Douluo, reinforcing the joint defense.
Only someone with his experience and mastery could create such synergy — harmonizing with the world, moving as one with heaven and earth!
Everyone stared tensely skyward, watching the twenty soul cannon shells plummet like shooting stars. Time itself seemed to slow.
Then, a sharp bird cry pierced everyone's hearts.
With it came a shadowy figure and a cold, mocking voice:
"Old turtle, you won't block them!"
"Ninth Soul Skill: Midnight Demon Break!"
The defense of the Icefire Sacred Tortoise crumbled as a single, extraordinarily sharp attack pierced straight through, opening a breach—and with it, a fatal gap in Spiritfight City's defenses.
Twenty ninth-level fixed soul-guided shells fell in succession, exploding nearly simultaneously. Their destructive force couldn't be completely blocked from entering the city.
It was as if the earth beneath Spiritfight City had flipped over. Entire districts caved in, massive buildings collapsed, and in an instant, countless cries and screams filled the air.
This once-thriving capital now resembled a wasteland.
Fortunately, as the capital of the Douling Empire, the city's soul master population was high. Many civilians had already awakened their martial souls. As a result, although much of the city lay in ruins, the death toll was surprisingly low.
However, this round of bombing crushed most of the civilians' will to resist. Where once the people had stood united in fury against the invaders of their homeland, now some only wished to flee—anywhere, just away from the war.
Even members of sects and noble clans were no exception.
Within the imperial palace, the Douling Emperor was nearly thrown from his throne. He shot to his feet in shock, peering tensely toward the outskirts of the city.
"What happened?! Send someone to investigate, now!"
The soul-guided defense barrier atop the city walls had overloaded and collapsed.
The Title Douluo who had jointly maintained it were all forced backward. Some even coughed blood—clear signs of internal injuries. They had helped the Sacred Tortoise Douluo share the brunt of the explosive force.
But the army, under the command of the Grand General, had their fighting spirit ignited.
The Grand General shouted his orders:
"The enemy's desire to destroy us is clear! Soldiers, raise your weapons! If you don't want to die, then fight!"
"Victory belongs to the Douling Empire! Glory belongs to you all!"
"Defense Corps, release soul skills! Reinforce the walls and hold the line!"
In the face of fear, some fled, some froze, but others rose in furious defiance—fighting back against the enemy!
This was the light of courage.
The one most gravely injured in this bombardment, however, was none other than the Sacred Tortoise Douluo. His martial soul avatar had been shattered and he was bombarded directly by the soul-guided shells, forcing him to cancel his martial soul true body transformation.
Fortunately, much of the damage had been absorbed by the other Title Douluo and the wall-mounted soul-guided weapons, allowing him to remain combat-capable.
Now, the Sacred Tortoise Douluo was being supported midair by the Sunlight Douluo. Together, they hovered in the sky, gazing grimly at the deep, dark figure before them.
This figure was the one who had shattered the Sacred Tortoise Douluo's martial soul avatar.
Clad in a black robe embroidered with the emblem of the Holy Spirit Cult, the man's face was hidden. Most striking of all was the soul ring configuration surrounding him: two yellow, two purple, two black, and three red—a total of nine rings, with three at the Hundred-thousand-year level.
His power rivaled even Super Douluo. In fact, he was one.
This soul ring configuration immediately put the two Douluo on high alert.
After all, neither the Sunlight Douluo nor the Sacred Tortoise Douluo had a single one-hundred-thousand-year soul ring.
Seeing the Holy Spirit Cult emblem, they instantly assumed the man was one of their elite.
Sunlight Douluo: "A Super Douluo from the Holy Spirit Cult?!"
Sacred Tortoise Douluo: "Is it their leader, Zhongli Wu?"
Sunlight Douluo: "Doesn't seem like it. Intelligence says Zhongli Wu uses a tool-type martial soul and commands bone dragons. This guy's a beast-type bird soul master."
Sacred Tortoise Douluo: "Whoever he is, if he's the enemy—we leave him here!"
Three Hundred-thousand-year soul rings? So what?
True strength is proven through battle!
Neither Douluo wasted time speaking further. They attacked together, charging at the black-robed man.
Meanwhile, on the ground, two Beast King Corps rapidly approached Spiritfight City. The siege had officially begun!
The man was none other than White Lotus Priest, disguising himself as a Holy Spirit Cult member.
His true identity was Bourn, one of the three core disciples once trained by the Death God Envoy—Nana's senior martial brother. Martial Soul: Butcher. Soul power: Level 96.
Bourn's accomplishments were due not only to the resources provided by Huo Yuhao, but also to his own ruthless sacrifice—he had literally burned his life away.
Now, he had less than five years to live.
But in exchange, he had attained immense power.
He had also become the most devout follower of the White Lotus Sect. Knowing death was near brought him no sadness—only determination. For he believed death wasn't the end. He would ascend to Elysium, achieving eternal life as a soul.
Flesh was but a shackle. By trading life and flesh for power, he would transcend and eternally dwell in bliss.
This was the ideology of the White Lotus fanatics.
Facing the combined assault of the two Douluo, Bourn showed no fear. Instead, he advanced with a killing strike.
"Piercing Might: Nothing Can Withstand!"
Bourn's voice was cold as a blade. A sharply cutting aura radiated from his body. Before any actual clash occurred, both Douluo could already feel their skin prickling.
But it was too late to dodge or defend.
Their collision was devastating.
With just one clash, both Sunlight and Sacred Tortoise Douluo were stunned—they felt their protective soul power get ripped apart, and gashes appeared on their bodies.
Bourn merely flicked the bloodied flesh from his claws.
The Death God Envoy had imparted unique techniques to his three core disciples. Nana specialized in soul control and soul probing. Bourn's specialty was sharpening his soul power to break through defenses with ease.
This technique was called Piercing Might.
It was what he had just used, combined with his ninth soul skill, to shatter the Sacred Tortoise Douluo's martial soul avatar.
"Don't engage in close combat!"
"Use soul skills—ranged attacks only!"
The two Douluo quickly switched tactics, launching long-range soul skill barrages in hopes of overwhelming Bourn from afar.
But Bourn remained fearless.
He didn't just rely on his technique. His martial soul was also extraordinary—a top-tier agility-type beast soul, evolved from a shrike, a bird known for impaling its prey on thorns, symbolic of cruelty.
His martial soul had mutated with dark attributes, which had once drawn the Holy Spirit Cult's attention.
Now, it had fully evolved into the Butcher.
With top-level agility and speed, strong offensive power, and Piercing Might's armor-shattering capability, Bourn had become a premier assassin.
So what if they were the Guardian Gods of the Douling Empire?
So what if they were elders of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?
Against someone who plays by different rules, talent and hard work are nothing but jokes.
Bourn fought two against one—and still held the upper hand. Beads of sweat formed on both Douluo's brows.
Bourn could afford to make mistakes. But for them, one mistake could mean death.
Down on the ground—
The two Beast King Corps bombarded Spiritfight City using advanced soul-guided weapons. Even a dozen Title Douluo, fighting together, couldn't gain an advantage.
Cries of disbelief arose:
"Are soul engineers really this strong?"
The answer lay in more than just their weapons—it was the formation tactics used by the corps.
Under formation synergy, each soul engineer's power linked together. This amplified attack output, enabled rotational recovery of soul power, and greatly enhanced long-term combat ability.
Without a Super Douluo, they were simply unstoppable.
And in all of Spiritfight City, there were only three Super Douluo. Two were already engaged—Sunlight and Sacred Tortoise Douluo. The last was the Grand General.
But the Grand General had to command the army—he couldn't abandon his post or recklessly charge ahead.
Eventually, a few Title Douluo, unwilling to just take the beating, broke out of the city in an attempt to assault the enemy's front lines and inflict major damage.
But what awaited them were the commanders of the Beast King Corps, empowered by formation boosts—and a crushing counterattack.
"Have they always been this brave?"
Corps Commander of the Evil Lord Soul Engineer Corps, Duanmu Wanma, lowered his ninth-level soul cannon, pointing at a wounded Title Douluo blasted into the distance, and asked his vice-commander, Ximen Baiwan.
"Gotta respect the courage," Ximen replied, laughing heartily.
On the other front, Corps Commander of the Terrorclaw Soul Engineer Corps, Murong Qianjun, had already led his men to the city's edge.
He stared at the unrefined, jagged city wall before him and grinned.
"Vice-Commander, cover me!"
"Seventh Soul Skill: Violent Bear True Form!"
Vice-Commander Gongsun Xiongbing led the troops to protect Murong's transformation.
Amid countless stares, the Violent Bear True Form rose high into the air and smashed its paw down on Spiritfight City's thick wall.
BOOM—
The impact was deafening.
Murong's martial soul—Swamp Violent Bear—possessed immense strength, defense, and control over earth elements.
With the strike, earth energy surged. The ground trembled, and the city walls shuddered violently.
Under the pressure of this seismic assault, Spiritfight City's walls began to collapse—
The city has fallen!
The moment the city fell, the defenders' expressions changed drastically.
In contrast, the Soul Engineers of the two Beast King Regiments were filled with excitement.
Gongsun Xiongbing raised his ninth-grade soul cannon high and shouted,
"Cannon in hand, follow me! Destroy Douling, strengthen Sun-Moon!"
"Destroy Douling, strengthen Sun-Moon!"
"Destroy Douling, strengthen Sun-Moon!"
"Destroy Douling, strengthen Sun-Moon!"
The Soul Engineers shouted in unison—the voices of several hundred men overpowering the cries from the Douling Empire's side.
Then, led by their corps commander and the true form of Violent Bear, the Claw Terror Soul Engineer Regiment stormed into Lingdou City.
Due to the military formation, the Beast King Regiments moved as one. This not only unleashed greater combat power and resistance to damage but also ensured highly organized movement.
To kill even a single Soul Engineer, one would first have to break through the defensive aura generated by the entire regiment's combined soul power.
"Stop them!"
A Title Douluo let out a desperate scream.
Several Title Douluo, along with defending Soul Masters and soldiers, charged toward the Claw Terror Regiment.
"Hold them back at all costs! They must not be allowed to penetrate deeper into Lingdou City!"
The Grand General roared, casting aside his status and summoning his Martial Soul as he charged at the Claw Terror Regiment.
The Grand General's Martial Soul was a Tool Soul: Sky Azure Divine Spear.
With a soul power level of 95, he was an Assault-Type Super Douluo.
The moment the Grand General entered the battlefield, Murong Qianjun—the true form of the Violent Bear—immediately sensed him.
But rather than fear, Murong Qianjun's bear-faced soul true form grinned fiercely. He stepped forward boldly to meet the Grand General head-on.
Murong Qianjun:
"Good! Come and take my palm!"
If they had to face three Super Douluo along with numerous Title Douluo, Soul Master regiments, and regular troops, even two Beast King Regiments combined would find it difficult, with heavy casualties inevitable.
But to face just one Super Douluo?
Any single Beast King Regiment could handle that.
While the regiment leaders were merely ordinary Title Douluo, under the military formation's enhancement, their combat power rivaled Super Douluo.
Elsewhere, seeing their allies breach the city defenses and now confronting the enemy Grand General, the Evil Monarch Soul Engineer Regiment immediately moved to assist.
Regiment Commander Duanmu Wanma led the charge, also activating his Martial Soul True Form.
"Seventh Soul Skill — Shadowless True Form!"
The Shadowless Falcon True Form descended, and under the formation's power, unleashed a terrifying combat ability. Like an arrow, he pierced into the encircling Douling Soul Masters.
A fierce wind tore through, and several Title Douluo attempting to flank the Violent Bear True Form were struck in the chest before they even saw the shadow of the Shadowless Form, sent flying.
"Claw Terror, take down that Super Douluo quickly! Leave the rest to us!"
shouted Ximen Baiwan, the vice-commander of the Evil Monarch Regiment, toward the Claw Terror side.
In response, Ximen Baiwan from Claw Terror signaled back with a received tactical hand sign.
Under formation boost, the True Forms of Violent Bear and Shadowless Falcon had both grown over fifty meters tall, resembling actual beasts, terrifying all who saw them.
The two Martial Soul True Forms rampaged within the city walls, temporarily suppressing the powerful forces of the Douling Empire.
All four leaders of the two Beast King Regiments had been personally promoted by Xu Tiancheng—they were the former elders of the Ao Capital Trade Guild.
They originally hailed from the empire's five elite Soul Engineer regiments.
Murong Qianjun and Ximen Baiwan were the commander and vice-commander of the Claw Terror Regiment.
Duanmu Wanma and Gongsun Xiongbing led the Evil Monarch Regiment.
They were, in essence, an army of thousands and a million soldiers.
As for Guildmaster An Litong, he served as the commander of the Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Regiment.
The previous commander and vice-commander had been transferred to the newly created Imperial Reverse Scale Special Forces Soul Engineer Regiment, personally trained by Xu Tiancheng.
All five from the Ao Capital Guild had broken through to Title Douluo level with support from Huo Yuhao. The cultivation techniques they used were also from the White Lotus Sect.
Their loyalty was assured—
But their potential was largely exhausted.
Unless they burned their life force, they would remain average Title Douluo for life.
Their soul engineering skills were also considered mediocre.
But leading two Beast King Regiments was well within their abilities.
After all, what mattered in modern Soul Engineer warfare wasn't individual combat, but group tactics under formation boosts.
The Violent Bear roared. Using the Swamp Violent Bear's earth-element manipulation talent, the ground surged—masses of soil rose around them, forming walls and eventually enclosing the Claw Terror Regiment and the Douling Grand General inside a massive arena.
The Grand General, spear in hand and face deadly serious, activated his eighth soul skill.
"Eighth Soul Skill — Sky Azure Rainbow!"
His Azure Divine Spear thrust forward, carrying an overwhelming power, transforming into a rainbow beam aimed to pierce the Violent Bear True Form.
But the attack was shattered by a single raised palm from the Violent Bear.
"Grand General of the Douling Empire, this boring probing attack is pointless. If you don't activate your Martial Soul True Form now, the next strike will kill you!"
Murong Qianjun's amused voice echoed from within the Violent Bear True Form.
Watching the Violent Bear dominate, Gongsun Xiongbing's eyes were full of envy.
If only the formation could boost two at once—he'd love to go wild too.
"Let him enjoy it for now. Next time, it's my turn," he muttered to himself.
Commander or vice-commander was only a title; there was no real hierarchy between them.
The Violent Bear True Form's ninth soul ring began to glow. Though not a 100,000-year ring, under the formation's boost, its power surpassed even a century-old ring.
"Ninth Soul Skill — Heart of the Swamp!"
This technique was the ultimate earth-element burst of the Swamp Violent Bear—gathering all earth elements and world energy within a region and detonating it in one attack.
Earth elements gathered rapidly in the bear's mouth. As more accumulated, the Grand General's pupils shrank.
Finally, he stopped hesitating.
"Seventh Soul Skill — Divine Spear True Form!"
"Ninth Soul Skill — Sky Azure Vastness!"
One attack cleansed the skies to pristine clarity.
The other summoned overwhelming earth power to bury all.
Their strikes collided in the dirt-walled arena.
A beam of blue and yellow energy blasted into the sky, the aftershock of their clash reverberating across the heavens.
The arena walls shattered under the collision.
If those nearby hadn't dodged in time, they would have been caught in the shockwave.
The battlefield fell silent.
Everyone turned toward the site of the clash.
When the soul power surge faded, only the Violent Bear True Form remained standing, letting out a victorious roar.
The Grand General of the Douling Empire lay half-buried in the soil—his exposed face still twisted in shock and disbelief.
Gongsun Xiongbing quietly exhaled and rubbed his temples, trying to soothe the throbbing in his head from the aftereffects of his attack.
It hadn't been the Violent Bear's soul skill that killed the Grand General,
—but the divine-sense strike Gongsun Xiongbing unleashed in that moment, bypassing both Martial Soul True Form and physical body, directly destroying the general's consciousness.
As insurance, Huo Yuhao had given each key participant in the plan one piece of his divine sense as a trump card.
Gongsun Xiongbing, as the conduit for the divine sense attack, had not come out unscathed either.
But trading that for the life of the Grand General?
Well worth it.
To ensure zero chance of survival, Gongsun Xiongbing launched the divine strike in secret, giving the enemy no chance to react.
The Violent Bear then picked up the general's corpse and tossed it to Gongsun Xiongbing to store.
A Super Douluo's body—especially that of the Grand General—was an invaluable asset.