"General!!!"
"Retrieve the General's body!!!"
"Fight the Sun-Moon Empire traitors to the death! No retreat, no surrender!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The death of the Douling Empire's Grand General shocked many and enraged even more—especially the soul masters in the military, many of whom erupted with power beyond their limits.
The battlefield became a stark contrast of extremes: some lost their will and fled, while others, their eyes red with fury, charged directly at the two Beast King Legions.
Those who fled to preserve strength were mostly from sects and noble families.
Those who charged were mostly the Grand General's loyalists within the army.
The result of this chaos was total collapse of the defensive line.
This is the risk when a Grand General personally enters the battlefield!
Victory would've been acceptable, but with defeat, it meant utter collapse.
Yet if the Grand General hadn't entered the fray, the outcome might not have been much better—without him, the morale-devastating charge of the Beast King Legions would've gone unopposed.
It was only a matter of time either way.
Even earlier, it had taken more than ten Titled Douluo to barely hold back the two Beast King Legions enhanced by their military formations.
Now, with several Titled Douluo severely injured and forced to retreat, the balance tilted completely in the Beast Kings' favor—the last thing the Douling Empire wanted to see.
Though some Titled Douluo continued to fight together against the Beast Kings, they could only delay defeat, not prevent it.
Any soul master or soldier below the rank of Titled Douluo, when facing the Beast King Legions, met only one end: slaughter.
The Sun-Moon Empire's might, as described in the original novel, was enough to sweep across the entire Douluo Continent, nearly exterminating the Douling royal family. The current battle was a miniature reflection of that tale.
High above, though the Sky Sun Douluo and Tortoise Douluo wished to intervene, they were forced to deal with the deadly threat posed by Bourne.
Eventually, the Beast King Legions breached the city walls.
But instead of wanton slaughter, they headed straight for the royal palace.
The palace was thrown into chaos.
But the Douling Emperor, though cornered, remained resolute. He refused the eunuchs' advice to flee, instead sending away the young princes and princesses while rallying palace forces for a final stand.
Though his political power was limited, the emperor himself was a rare support-type Titled Douluo, inheritor of the royal family's Swan Martial Soul.
The palace guards, concubines, and even some eunuchs had fighting ability—many were advanced soul masters. With the emperor's support, they formed a formidable force.
But before the emperor could finish organizing his defense, an uninvited guest arrived.
The palace guards had regrouped, leaving gaps in the palace defense, and someone seized the opportunity.
As the emperor stood before his newly formed ranks, attempting to rouse morale, his shadow began to stir—but he was completely unaware.
Before anyone could warn him, a figure burst out of his shadow, dagger in hand, and stabbed him directly in the back.
The Douling Emperor felt a sharp pain, his eyes widened, and as he tried to react, poison from the dagger quickly spread through his body, paralyzing him.
He could only feel his life rapidly slipping away.
Before losing consciousness, he heard the cries of concubines, the shouts of the palace guards, and a raspy voice whisper in his ear:
"Remember, the one who killed you is Xue Chen, Title: Shadow.
By seniority, you should have called me 'Royal Uncle.'"
With those words, the dagger was pulled out. The assassin known as Shadow Douluo melted back into the shadows and vanished before anyone could react.
As the emperor collapsed in rigid silence, his fading consciousness recalled the name "Xue Chen."
He was the brother of the previous emperor—his royal uncle. He had awakened a shadow martial soul from his mother's lineage. During the royal succession battle, his father had persecuted Xue Chen, killed his concubine, and forced him to flee. He had not been seen for decades.
Who would've thought that the grudges of the royal family from decades ago would return as a dagger to the heart of the present emperor?
The emperor did not regret—he only hated that his father had not eliminated Xue Chen thoroughly enough.
And with that final thought, the Douling Emperor's consciousness slipped into darkness.
"No!"
"Your Majesty!!"
"Where are the imperial doctors? Hurry!"
"Stop the assassin!"
But the healing came too late. The guards struck nothing but air. The concubines who witnessed the scene sobbed uncontrollably.
Just then, the two Beast King Legions approaching the royal palace abruptly halted and retreated.
They didn't flee blatantly but acted fatigued, as if their soul power was depleted. They even released their Martial Soul Avatars and maintained formation as they withdrew from the city.
But no one chased them.
Most sighed in relief, hoping the terrifying Beast Kings would vanish from their sight.
In the skies, Bourne also chose to retreat. With his speed, the Sky Sun Douluo and Tortoise Douluo couldn't stop him.
Thus, the siege ended—not with a climactic conclusion, but with an eerie, unfinished silence.
Yet, the ground was littered only with the bodies of Douling soldiers. The Beast King Legions, protected by military formation, had taken zero casualties.
Before anyone could even celebrate survival, news spread from the palace: the Douling Emperor was dead.
The mood sank instantly.
Scouts soon reported that the Beast King Legions had not left the empire. They remained near Lingdou City, watching like hungry wolves.
In the wake of these events, various factions met with the Douling Crown Prince, and a decision was made:
Seek help from Shrek Academy to resist the Beast Kings.
Meanwhile...
Far away from Lingdou City, two figures stood watching from a distance.
One of them was Shadow Douluo, standing a half step behind the other.
The second figure had been watching Lingdou since before Shadow Douluo arrived—as if overseeing the entire conflict.
Then Bourne returned.
He knelt and bowed to the leading figure:
"Disciple Bourne greets Master."
This was the Strongest Soul King In History Death God Envoy.
The Death God Envoy said,
"Rise. This battle should have taught you much. Reflect on it well. Once you've absorbed it fully, I will help you reach the next level."
"Thank you, Master! Thank you!" Bourne said, bowing repeatedly with joy.
Shadow Douluo seemed like he wanted to speak but hesitated.
The Death God Envoy turned and said,
"Xue Chen, if you have a question, ask."
Shadow Douluo had already joined the Sun-Moon Empire. Once his background was known, the plan for this assassination was devised.
The Douling Emperor could've died many ways, but this method earned Shadow Douluo's loyalty—and his revenge.
He asked,
"My Lord, why didn't we finish the job? Why not wipe out the Douling royal family entirely?"
Clearly, his hatred ran deep.
The royal family not only persecuted him but hunted him relentlessly until he found sanctuary in the Sun-Moon Empire.
His mother had been driven to her death.
He wanted the royal family exterminated.
But the Death God Envoy smiled.
"No need to rush. The Douling royals still have their uses.
Besides, war isn't about destruction—it's about creating a new order. Breaking the old is just a method."
Shadow Douluo: "?"
The Death God Envoy added,
"Don't worry. The corpse poison I gave you on that dagger—it'll finish your revenge for you.
The Douling Emperor will act again… in due time."
Shadow Douluo: "???"
.................
Huo Yuhao arrived in Lingdou City—his loyal Lingdou City.
Cough cough, alright, to be fair, Lingdou City hadn't pledged any loyalty yet.
After the great battle, the Douling Empire immediately sent a request for aid to Shrek Academy, with no mind for anything else.
And so, Huo Yuhao led a team to Lingdou City.
But it was merely a delegation.
The group consisted of Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, Hua Yao, Wu Ming, and Xiao Xiao—five women in total.
Though all five were strong, their power wasn't enough to change the tide of a war. The key was Huo Yuhao himself. At his current level of strength, he could indeed alter the outcome of a battle.
Officially, their purpose was not to support Lingdou City, but to mourn the Douling Emperor, so as not to violate Shrek Academy's long-held policy of not intervening in imperial affairs.
However, if the two Beast King Legions attacked Lingdou City again, Huo Yuhao would inevitably find a reason to act. After all, compared to the other three empires, the Sun Moon Empire was considered an outsider.
Back when the Sea God's Pavilion was founded, its main purpose was to counter the Sun Moon Empire's invasions.
In short, under the guise of mourning, Huo Yuhao led a team to Lingdou City—while preparing for war against the Beast King Legions.
This plan was decided upon after discussion among the Pavilion Elders.
When news broke that Lingdou City had fallen and the Douling Emperor had been assassinated, the entire continent was shaken. All factions were stunned by the outcome.
Had the Sun Moon Empire really grown this powerful?
Even the Sea God's Pavilion could hardly believe it, and thus sent Huo Yuhao to investigate.
In fact, the original choice to lead this team wasn't Huo Yuhao, but Zhang Lexuan.
It was Huo Yuhao who volunteered and proposed taking the lead himself.
He gave two reasons: first, he wanted the experience; second, facing the Beast King Legions would require enough raw power as a guarantee.
Besides, rumors said the Douling Emperor had died from poisoning—so Huo Yuhao wanted to find out what kind of toxin could kill a Titled Douluo.
With the vitality and resistance of a Titled Douluo, they shouldn't die from poison without a fight. Even if stabbed through the heart with a dagger, a Titled Douluo should still be able to resist briefly—possibly surviving with timely treatment.
Yet in reality, the Douling Emperor had died on the spot, without any sign of struggle.
This raised many alarms.
As a poison-type soul master, Huo Yuhao was the most likely to uncover the truth. He had to go to Lingdou City personally.
Upon arriving in Lingdou City—
The first thing they saw was the broken city wall, followed by vast ruins within the city. Buildings reduced to rubble, bloodstains still visible on the ground—leading deep into the city. The blood had already turned black.
Many craftsmen were working overtime to repair the walls and construct shelters.
Civilians—along with small sects and families—were in dire straits. Many of the common folk were no better off than refugees, without even a place to shelter from the wind.
Survival depended on the empire's gruel kitchens.
Many faces were marked by numbness and despair.
And with the entire city wearing white mourning garments, an air of bleak sorrow lingered.
Sensitive Xiao Xiao's eyes immediately turned red.
Hot-tempered Ma Xiaotao and Wu Ming were gritting their teeth.
"Damn the Sun Moon Empire! Damn the Beast King Legions!"
Judging by their expressions, if the Beast King Legions showed up, Ma Xiaotao and Wu Ming would charge straight at them.
Ling Luochen's aura turned ice-cold. "Why target ordinary civilians?"
"Once war breaks out, it's always the civilians who suffer most. I heard that in the towns captured by the enemy, the casualties among the populace were catastrophic," Hua Yao sighed.
Huo Yuhao remained silent, pushing forward.
He had a clearer understanding of the situation in Lingdou City.
The city was like a powder keg, ready to explode at any moment.
Sects and families with the power to leave were now trapped within the city, essentially waiting to die.
They had become a source of unrest.
To avoid chaos and preserve military strength, the Douling Crown Prince and several major sects and families had sealed off the city.
This move naturally created risks—and wasn't a sustainable solution—but was a necessary evil for Lingdou City's survival.
Some minor factions that attempted to flee had already been executed.
It's worth noting that those responsible for the lockdown—such as the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—weren't even based in Lingdou City. But when it came to defending the city, they did their part: providing both manpower and resources, including soul tools.
Otherwise, the Douling Crown Prince—barely capable of holding power—would have been unable to sustain the city. After all, he wasn't even a Titled Douluo.
For the real powerhouses and great sects who essentially controlled the Douling Empire, gathering their forces at Lingdou City to stop the Beast King Legions was their best bet. Better to stop the legions here than have them march on their own territories.
Huo Yuhao's group made no attempt to conceal themselves. Many people saw them enter the city.
Soon, the Douling imperial court received them. The Crown Prince did not appear, but one of the royal princes and the Prime Minister came in person to greet them.
As publicly stated, they first went to mourn the late Douling Emperor. In the palace's mourning hall, the emperor's body rested in a golden coffin. His consorts, princes, and princesses were all present, keeping vigil.
Among them was the Douling Crown Prince, Xue Bo.
Everyone wore white mourning garments and traditional mourning sashes.
It had to be said—these mourning robes made some people look like they'd gain an attack speed bonus.
But Huo Yuhao kept his gaze straight.
"We thank the delegation from Shrek. Did the Gluttonous Douluo come along? We beg Shrek Academy to help our Douling Empire through this calamity—your kindness will be remembered."
With that, Crown Prince Xue Bo bowed deeply to Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao subtly stepped aside and gently helped him up, responding calmly, "Elder Xuan did not come. We are only here to mourn His Majesty. This time, it's just the few of us."
A flicker of disappointment appeared in Xue Bo's eyes. Even though Huo Yuhao was the Sea God Pavilion Master, his youth made it hard for others to rely on him.
What Douling truly wanted was Elder Xuan to descend in person and turn the tide with overwhelming strength.
After entering Lingdou City, Huo Yuhao had noticed that whether it was princes, ministers, or the representatives of various factions—they didn't show him much deference or trust.
His age was likely their biggest concern.
But Huo Yuhao paid it no mind.
Though disappointed, Crown Prince Xue Bo forced a smile. "If my father knew in the afterlife, he would surely be grateful for your presence."
Afterward, Huo Yuhao's group proceeded with the mourning as if they were truly there just for that. They respectfully paid their respects before the golden coffin.
All of them had changed into somber black formalwear beforehand.
Their etiquette was flawless.
Once the mourning was done, the group temporarily left the palace, accompanied by Prime Minister Tu Wenbin.
This Tu Wenbin was Tu Xijun's father.
Later, many representatives of other powers—including sect masters and clan leaders—came to pay their respects to Huo Yuhao.
Even if they didn't trust his strength, they couldn't ignore his title as the Sea God Pavilion Master.
Among them, Huo Yuhao saw several familiar faces—people he had encountered during his years of training. Some were even his believers.
For example, the Nanmen Clan's matriarch, Nanmen Yuzhi. In this war, she had concealed her true power, only revealing that of a Soul Douluo.
Her gaze toward Huo Yuhao flickered with something hidden, though her expression was perfectly normal.
The Douling Hai Clan also sent a representative—just a Soul Douluo elder, not particularly useful in the conflict.
Huo Yuhao also met the head of the Douling Xie Clan: Xie Jun, a handsome middle-aged man and an eight-ringed Soul Douluo. The Xie Clan was based in Lingdou City, with no way to escape, so they had no choice but to defend the city.
Xie Jun's attitude toward Huo Yuhao was rather neutral—like most of the other representatives.
Socializing was a tiresome business.
It wasn't until the master of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect appeared that Huo Yuhao was finally freed from this sea of tedious pleasantries.
The Sect Master of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Tian's father, is named Ning Yutang, a Level 79 Auxiliary-type Soul Sage, whose Martial Soul is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
He appears as a refined and elegant middle-aged man, more like a noble patriarch than a typical sect leader. He exudes nobility rather than the rough aura common among sect disciples.
This is easy to understand. The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is not one that survives by constant battle. Its wealth and status rival that of royal families, granting it considerable prestige.
As everyone knows, the sect master of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is always accompanied by at least one Titled Douluo when traveling.
Currently accompanying Ning Yutang is a familiar face — Mad Blade Douluo, Xue Kuang, who had appeared during the beast tide in the Star Dou Forest.
Xue Kuang is now also Wu Feng's mentor.
During the Star Dou Forest beast tide, Xue Kuang did contribute, but some of his actions displeased the elders of Sea God's Pavilion, causing a brief rift between Sea God's Pavilion and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Later, Xue Kuang was recalled to the sect, and their operations in Shrek City were handed over to a more diplomatic representative, gradually mending relations.
Huo Yuhao also played a key role in this reconciliation.
This stemmed from his relationship with Ning Tian before his journey to the Sun-Moon Empire.
Back then, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect even went so far as to detain Ma Xiaotao and others over the issue. Looking back, perhaps their actions weren't so extreme after all.
What surprised Huo Yuhao and his group was that Ning Yutang would come to Lingdou City personally. Even if he had some backing, just having the courage to show up in person spoke volumes.
Clearly, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has its reasons for enduring prosperity.
When facing Huo Yuhao, Ning Yutang appeared rather amicable, though his gaze held deep meaning.
From a formal standpoint, Huo Yuhao was his son-in-law. But Huo Yuhao had lost memories related to Ning Tian, making them "familiar strangers."
It was unclear if their previous relationship could still be acknowledged.
Still, even if not, the sect didn't lose out — thanks to Huo Yuhao's unique constitution, they had acquired two Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial souls and a Red Dragon King martial soul.
As long as even one of those martial souls was inherited, the sect would thrive for centuries.
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had already noticed Huo Yuhao's unusual constitution but had not publicized it.
To avoid awkwardness, both Ning Tian and Wu Feng had stayed behind in Nine Treasure City, under heavy protection as the sect's future hopes.
But this wasn't the time to focus on those things.
"Pavilion Master Huo, truly a hero among youth. Meeting you today proves the praise wasn't exaggerated."
"Sect Master Ning, the admiration is mutual. Your name precedes you."
After exchanging a few polite compliments, they got to the point.
"Please follow me, Pavilion Master Huo."
"After you, Sect Master Ning."
Thus, Ning Yutang and Xue Kuang led Huo Yuhao and Chancellor Tu Wenbin away from the side hall, heading toward the usually restricted rear palace.
Even Ma Xiaotao and the others weren't brought along — the secrecy clearly indicated something serious.
Some details had already been relayed during their communications.
Huo Yuhao naturally understood the implication of Ning Yutang and Tu Wenbin's invitation.
The four entered an unremarkable palace in the rear court. Even before stepping in, Huo Yuhao sensed two concealed powerful auras inside.
Once the doors were closed, the two powerhouses inside revealed themselves — Sun Douluo an Tortoise Douluo. They were healing and guarding something important.
After a brief exchange of greetings, Huo Yuhao's gaze fell upon a figure covered in white cloth, lying on the palace bed.
When he lifted the cloth, it was revealed to be…
The corpse of the Dou Ling Emperor!
Yes — this was the real body of the Dou Ling Emperor. The one in the golden coffin earlier was a decoy.
"Pavilion Master Huo, we request your expertise in identifying the poison that afflicted His Majesty," Sun Yang Douluo said solemnly.
The secrecy was all to allow Huo Yuhao a private chance to examine the Emperor's body and decode the poison used.
Right after the Emperor's death, Sun Yang and Sacred Tortoise Douluo had noticed something abnormal about his corpse.
Now, three days had passed, and the anomalies had only grown more apparent.
They had already secured royal permission for Huo Yuhao to inspect the corpse.
Sun Yang Douluo began describing what they had discovered:
"Please observe, Pavilion Master Huo. His Majesty's corpse shows several strange signs: fingernails and canine teeth are growing, along with his hair. These can happen postmortem, but not this quickly — it's like he's still alive."
"Also, his pupils have shrunk to pinpoints while the whites of his eyes have expanded. The toxins remain active in his body. A eunuch once got scratched by the Emperor's nails and turned to pus in seconds. Unfortunately, court physicians found nothing useful."
"Yet His Majesty's corpse hasn't decayed from the poison. In fact, his skin has become tougher, though his joints are immobile. These external signs resemble the zombie-like monsters recently appearing in the empire."
"If you must examine him, please wear beast-hide gloves for safety."
While zombie-like Martial Souls existed in the Douluo Continent, there had never been true zombie-type powerhouses. This, coupled with the complex corpse poison engineered by the Death God Envoy, created an unprecedented situation.
The poison had been enhanced using the skin-glove on the left hand, achieving a level comparable to that which could kill Titled Douluo.
So far, even with outbreaks of undead creatures, the empire's top figures hadn't uncovered the full truth, assuming it was merely an evil spirit master's trick.
This poison was deadly even to Spirit Douluo, let alone normal people like that unfortunate eunuch.
The empire lacked powerful poison-type Soul Masters, so they turned to Huo Yuhao for help.
Both Ning Yutang and Tu Wenbin also wanted to learn the secrets behind this toxin, in case they became targets later.
Upon hearing the report, Huo Yuhao began his inspection — without gloves.
Everyone was startled, but nothing bad happened.
In truth, what they saw as Huo Yuhao "carefully examining" the corpse… was actually him accelerating the corpse's transformation.
A corpse imbued with dragon qi and formerly a Titled Douluo-level powerhouse… once transformed, it would be unimaginably dangerous.
Although the usual decay time hadn't passed, Huo Yuhao used two luck blessings to rapidly evolve the corpse.
To his surprise, fate energy, previously absent, began converging on the body again. The dragon qi was also rapidly growing stronger.
Even Huo Yuhao was taken aback.
Normally, a zombie — as a creature abandoned by heaven — would never possess fate energy.
"Is it… gaining sentience?"
"Fate, dragon qi, a Titled Douluo's corpse… I've really fused something terrifying."
"Not bad at all — typical of me!"
Huo Yuhao: "Watch me create a supreme treasure, then enjoy the chaos it unleashes!"
"Oh no, this is bad."
After inspecting the corpse of the Douling Emperor, Huo Yuhao immediately frowned and voiced his concern.
At once, the pressure shifted to the others present. Ning Yutang, Tu Wenbin, Sun Douluo, and Saint Turtle Douluo all turned to look at Huo Yuhao.
"Pavilion Master Huo, what do you mean?" Tu Wenbin asked in confusion.
Before Tu Wenbin could finish, Huo Yuhao interrupted, "I understand, I understand. Let me explain directly."
"Based on my findings, the toxin afflicting His Majesty the Emperor is no ordinary poison—or rather, it's not just poison. It's a method used by evil soul masters. The toxin is currently transforming the emperor's corpse. I can't say exactly what will happen next, but it certainly won't be good."
To support his claim, Huo Yuhao released a beam of light-attributed soul power over the emperor's body.
When the light soul power touched the corpse, it reacted like butter in a hot pan—sizzling and crackling at the point of contact. A sinister black mist oozed from the body.
Then something even more eerie occurred—the light soul power was visibly corroded, eventually dissolving entirely.
The Douling Emperor's corpse, however, remained untouched, seemingly unharmed.
But none of the witnesses were blind. Everything had happened right in front of their eyes.
This meant that such powerful light soul power couldn't harm the emperor's corpse.
"How could this be? It really is the power of an evil soul master!" Tu Wenbin was horrified. "Does this mean His Majesty's body will be turned into a puppet of an evil soul master?"
Ning Yutang looked extremely grim and asked Huo Yuhao, "Pavilion Master Huo, is it possible to purge the toxin from His Majesty's body?"
The toxin in the corpse made Ning Yutang deeply uneasy. If the emperor could fall victim to it, then so could any other Titled Douluo.
However, Huo Yuhao shook his head. "The poison has fully merged with the corpse and cannot be removed by any known method—not even purification soul skills from support-type soul masters."
Ning Yutang nodded in agreement, trusting Huo Yuhao's judgment.
They had already tried purification soul skills before Huo Yuhao arrived, with Ning Yutang himself performing the attempt.
It had no effect whatsoever.
Extreme poisons like this corpse toxin could never be cleansed by simple purification soul skills from Soul Sages.
It would take a Super Douluo-level expert to even have a chance.
But on the entire continent, there might not be a single Super Douluo capable of using purification skills.
Huo Yuhao continued, "My recommendation is to burn it. Destroy the emperor's corpse completely. No matter how strange the poison is, it will become useless once the body is gone."
"Uh…"
Ning Yutang and the others exchanged glances but didn't respond.
Destroying the emperor's body was unheard of—deeply taboo.
In the imperial rule of the Douluo Continent, royal authority was supreme. Even in death, an emperor's body had to be treated with utmost respect and formality.
Even the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, which feared no royal power, would not dare to openly suggest destroying the emperor's corpse.
Only Huo Yuhao would dare speak so bluntly.
Even studying the body's toxins in secret was already bordering on sacrilege and had to be done discreetly.
Though they knew Huo Yuhao's suggestion was correct, Ning Yutang and the others couldn't bring themselves to decide.
"This must be reported to the royal family, especially the crown prince," Ning Yutang finally said, passing the responsibility upward.
Unsurprisingly, the royal family disagreed—especially Crown Prince Xue Bo.
"No. Absolutely not. It cannot be burned!"
It wasn't because Xue Bo was especially filial, but rather because it was a critical moment for his succession. If he agreed to destroy the former emperor's body, it would jeopardize his claim to the throne.
Did people really think there was no competition for the Douling Empire's throne?
Were it not for the looming external threat, the royal princes would already be at each other's throats.
Though the Crown Prince's succession was legally legitimate, the other princes weren't willing to accept it. Xue Bo lacked the overwhelming strength and prestige to silence opposition.
The families and factions backing the other princes wouldn't sit back and let him ascend so easily.
In the end, after much deliberation among the high-ranking officials, they decided to continue concealing the emperor's body but seal it thoroughly.
The Douluo Continent didn't have particularly advanced sealing techniques; "sealing" simply meant suppressing with overwhelming power.
Xue Bo even requested Huo Yuhao to apply his Ultimate Ice to freeze the coffin after the body had been sealed by others.
"This should ensure absolute security," Ning Yutang said with a sigh, sounding relieved.
Multiple Titled Douluo combining their power to suppress the corpse—including the strength of a Super Douluo—and Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice? Even if something went wrong, the corpse would never escape.
But Huo Yuhao's expression remained unreadable.
He finally said, "If the root of the problem isn't solved, it's only a matter of time before it explodes. Since this is your choice, whatever consequences arise will be yours to bear. Don't say I didn't warn you."
Ning Yutang's smile faded. He replied solemnly, "Thank you for the warning, Pavilion Master Huo. We'll keep a close watch on His Majesty's body."
Behind Ning Yutang, Mad Blade Douluo seemed to want to speak, but remembering Ning Yutang's instructions, he simply grunted twice and shut his mouth.
Mad Blade Douluo hadn't said a word during the entire meeting with Huo Yuhao, because Ning Yutang had warned him: Huo Yuhao might not be an enemy, but he was not to be provoked.
Knowing his own temper, Mad Blade Douluo had chosen to stay silent to avoid any accidents.
Despite his restraint, he felt deeply unsettled by the royal family's decision to leave the emperor's body as-is.
Night soon fell.
Huo Yuhao and the rest of the Shrek Academy group were assigned to a palace within the royal compound. Given the tense situation in Lingdou City, most esteemed guests were being housed in the palace.
This also made the royal family feel more secure.
They believed it would help prevent further assassination attempts on the royal family.
If Xue Bo were also assassinated, the Douling Empire's army might completely lose its will to fight.
However, the enemy had already infiltrated the palace long ago and left behind certain items.
Shadow Douluo had long since placed the items given by the Death God Envoy in designated locations and departed without a trace.
Huo Yuhao sat alone in his room, organizing the spoils of war.
This time, the two Beast King Legions had reaped much from their assault on the Douling Empire—resources, talents, and more.
But not much was of personal value to Huo Yuhao.
Only two things remained useful: souls and bloodlines.
The souls went into the Hao Sovereign Banner; the bloodlines were refined by Huo Yuhao himself.
The bloodlines were refined into red pills.
These bloodline pills were created by the Death God Envoy—refined from the bloodline of soul masters, compressed into condensed pills.
To create a bloodline treasure like the one used on Dai Haoyao, capable of supplying bloodline power continuously, one needed powerful targets and massive resources.
So far, no suitable candidates had been found aside from "furnaces."
As for bloodline users unfit to be used as furnaces, their bloodlines were extracted and consumed directly.
The remaining resources were left to the White Lotus Cult to cultivate followers.
Huo Yuhao: "With me here, you can rest assured."
Huo Yuhao sorted through his gains, then stood by the window, gazing into the pitch-black night sky.
"Tomorrow… will be a cloudy day," he murmured, the corners of his lips curling up faintly.
Outside the window, a faint ghostly wind blew, whistling like someone weeping.
The Next Day
Morning arrived.
Yesterday had been clear skies, but now the heavens were shrouded in dark clouds. The gray, gloomy sky cast a heavy, oppressive mood over the city.
The already struggling citizens of Lingdou City were even more reluctant to leave their homes today. A sorrowful, desolate atmosphere spread throughout the city.
Scouts from the two Beast King Legions observing from afar noticed something strange and immediately reported it.
When the legion commanders came to inspect, they found that the dark clouds covered only the area above Lingdou City—a bizarre and unnatural sight.
"This isn't right. That's not cloud—it's black mist!" Murong Qianjun cried out in alarm.
"Could it be some dark soul master's trick?" guessed Duanmu Wanma.
Ximen Baiwan and Gongsun Xiongbing exchanged glances, understanding each other's thoughts. They spoke one after the other:
"For now, let's wait and see."
"Maybe we should ask Priest Bourne."
The four went to seek Priest Bourn to inquire whether Bourn had any insights.
But Bourn simply replied, "Be prepared—the city will fall with the chill of night."
The four: "???"
Inside the Imperial Palace
The Douling Empire Emperor's spirit hall still stood, with a golden coffin containing the fake corpse.
Princes and concubines continued to mourn the fake emperor corpse, showing no sign of deception.
Most other nobles, ministers, sect representatives, and family heads remained in the dark, stationed behind the spirit hall.
The real emperor's corpse was sealed in extreme ice and placed in the harem, guarded personally by Sun Douluo and Tortoise Douluo. It was to be buried only after repelling the Beast King Legions.
Despite the mourning, defensive preparations for Lingdou City were not neglected.
Currently, Xue Bo was acting as regent, handling affairs in a side hall of the spirit hall.
Family forces, sects, and city troops guarded the recently repaired city walls, led by a titled Douluo veteran general of the Spirit Empire.
The city's soul masters had been summoned and formed a united army within Lingdou, under the command of Ning Yutang.
Finally, the palace guards and imperial forces were stationed near the palace, serving as the final line of defense, under Xuebo's direct command.
Beyond these internal forces, Xuebo had sent out urgent calls for aid to regional armies and royal dukes to bring their troops in defense of the nation.
Although no full armies had arrived yet, scattered soul master experts had begun to trickle in.
Many civilian soul masters, loyal to the Spirit Empire or desperate for a shot at glory, came voluntarily to defend the capital and joined the united forces.
Huo Yuhao and his group, like other faction representatives, remained within the imperial palace.
The sky grew darker still—
As if heavy rain were imminent.
Yet no rain fell.
The sky's oppressive stillness weighed heavily on everyone.
Time passed slowly, from morning to noon, then into the afternoon.
But within Lingdou City, nothing seemed to change.
Once a bustling imperial capital, it had become eerily quiet—like a city drained of all life.
Finally, Night Fell Again
Rumble—
As the last rays of the sun vanished, thunder rumbled across the sky. The muffled, booming peals stirred anxiety in the hearts of listeners. Yet still, no rain.
The air began to grow humid.
And the dampness carried a strange, earthy, bloody scent.
Huo Yuhao kept his gaze on the direction of the harem.
There was no denying it—placing the corpse of the Emperor, infected with corpse poison and on the verge of transformation, in the harem was a masterstroke.
The harem was the darkest, most yin-infused place in the entire palace.
Countless grievances of imprisoned concubines, the resentment of repressed palace maids and eunuchs, the deep yin aura from generations of women—all lingered in that place, festering into a miasma of ill fortune.
And ill fortune was the favorite nourishment for a zombie.
Without specific means to block such miasma, there was no way to stop the emperor's corpse from absorbing it.
Moreover, the corpse had been placed in the harem for several days—even before Huo Yuhao arrived.
And then, there was the infusion of Huo Yuhao's karmic fortune.
Now, the corpse was no longer passively absorbing miasma—it was actively influencing the world around it. The black mist gathering in the sky was proof.
The corpse was now absorbing both miasma and the earth-fiend energy buried deep underground.
This energy was a powerful catalyst for zombie evolution—many ancient zombies buried deep underground grew stronger by devouring earth-fiend energy.
Don't assume there's no earth-fiend energy beneath a palace. Douluo Continent doesn't have feng shui beliefs, but the earth's energies still flow through underground channels. If those channels are blocked, earth-fiend energy accumulates, turning a place into a cursed land.
A perfect environment for raising corpses.
"Truly a convergence of heaven, earth, and man… Is this the configuration a karmically empowered special zombie is supposed to have?" Huo Yuhao couldn't help but marvel.
"The corpse transformation is happening even faster than I anticipated. It will happen—tonight."
As his voice fell, as if to prove him right, a torrential rain began to pour from the sky.
Crashhh—
The rain came with incredible force, accompanied by fierce winds that knocked people around inside the palace. The gales were so intense that even low-level soul masters struggled to withstand them.
Strangely, those outside the palace remained mostly unaffected. It was as if the storm was confined to the palace grounds.
But the people inside had no time to dwell on this.
"Quick! Shut the palace gates! Don't let this disturb His Majesty's rest!" the empress shouted.
Several eunuchs hurried to close the doors.
But the true problem was never in plain sight.
Sun Douluo and Tortoise Douluo continued guarding the coffin, not alarmed by the rain—it wasn't uncommon for a gloomy day to end in a sudden storm.
Until the thunder cracked—and a lightning bolt fell from the sky, like a descending thunder dragon, piercing the palace roof and striking the frozen coffin directly.
The ice shattering on contact.
Both Douluos stared in shock.
As the blinding light faded, they saw the coffin glowing with electricity—it had not broken, but instead absorbed the lightning into itself.
A deeply unsettling scene.
They immediately knew something was wrong—but it was already too late.
"ROAR—!"
A bestial roar erupted from within the coffin, which then exploded from the inside out into countless fragments. All the seals placed on it were shattered, their soul energy pulled toward a vortex—
No, not a vortex—a gaping mouth full of fangs.
The source: the once-dead Emperor's corpse!
The corpse stood upright, opening glowing blue eyes that crackled with lightning.
No longer the Spirit Empire Emperor.
Now it must be called—
Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie!
Huo Yuhao: "Zombie, Earth-Fiend Energy, Dragon Qi, Fate, Miasma, Lightning Strike—Fusion Summon: Thunder Soul Emperor Zombie!"