'Douluo Dalu, an energy surpassing soul power in quality.'
'Could it be… divine power?'
The thought startled Damien. 'How is that possible? Someone in the Far North during this era with divine power…'
His knowledge of Douluo Dalu wasn't deep enough to pinpoint the old man's identity.
"A transformed soul beast?"
Meanwhile, the old man scrutinized Damien and the three girls beside him.
To him, Damien seemed human, with no distinguishing traits.
But the horns on Ogerpon, Shuna, and Shion were clearly non-human.
"When did the Far North gain hundred-thousand-year soul beasts like you?"
The golden-blue glow in the old man's eyes intensified, his unease growing at their sudden appearance, as if his plans were slipping out of control.
"Fine, I'll subdue you first, then interrogate you."
"Huh?!"
The old man's words stunned Damien.
What the heck?
After a brief exchange, they were labeled as transformed soul beasts?
In Douluo Continent, soul beasts over 200,000 years could take human form.
This wasn't like reborn soul beasts abandoning cultivation but a superficial change, living as humans.
The old man clearly mistook them for such.
"Tch."
Shion bristled at his tone. "My lord, can I take him out?"
"…"
This time, Damien didn't stop her.
Even he was annoyed by the old man's attitude.
That smug, superior demeanor was grating.
"Insolent!"
Enraged by Shion's words, the old man fumed. A mere soul beast daring to speak to him like that was audacious!
Boom!
In a flash, he appeared before Shion.
A massive hammer crackling with blue lightning swung with overwhelming force, aiming to crush her.
Clang!
But Shion's counter was no less fierce.
Drawing the greatsword from her back, she blocked the furious strike with ease.
"What?"
Not only did the blow fail to kill Shion, the old man felt an unstoppable force surge back, forcing him to retreat.
"Hah!"
Shion's eyes narrowed. Charging with her sword, she clashed with the old man.
Neither used special techniques, relying purely on physical strength, shattering glaciers and carving ravines into the earth.
The commotion echoed far, alarming countless powerful soul beasts in the Far North.
"Such immense power."
"Who is it?!"
Beneath a distant glacier, a jade-green, emerald-like giant scorpion turned its head.
It was the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, second of the Far North's three great ferocious beasts... Ice Empress!
"Not a soul beast's aura…"
"Damn it! Humans!"
If not a soul beast, it was a soul master.
The thought of soul masters invading the Far North's core, causing such a ruckus, was unbearable. Ice Empress rushed from its lair toward the battle.
To soul beasts, humans were mortal enemies.
Now, fighting brazenly in its territory wasn't just provocation... it was a declaration of war.
Even to defend its domain and dignity, Ice Empress had to bury these reckless intruders.
"A hammer with lightning?"
"Could it be the Clear Sky Hammer?"
"Someone from the Clear Sky Clan?"
The old man's strength surpassed ordinary Titled Douluo Continent.
Damien estimated that Shion, bound by this world's rules, could unleash nuclear-level destruction.
That exceeded a Limit Douluo Continent, reaching demi-god status in this world.
And that was with her power sealed.
If Shion ignored the world's rejection and unleashed her full strength, even a Rank 1 God would fall to her blade.
"To fight Shion to this degree, he's at least a demi-god soul master."
"But does the Clear Sky Clan have such a powerhouse?"
"Tang Chen from Douluo Continent 1? Or Da Ming and Er Ming from Douluo Continent 2?"
Damien speculated but decided Appraisal was the best approach.
He'd held off earlier out of courtesy.
Appraisal wasn't subtle; if detected, it could be seen as provocation, sparking conflict.
But with the old man fighting Shion, Damien had no reservations.
"Appraisal!"
[Appraisal Failed]
[Reason: Interference by special mental energy]
'Interference?'
The feedback surprised Damien. He activated the stronger Dragon's Eye for another scan.
[Detection Initiated]
[Interference broken, true name acquired: 'Tang San']
"Tang San?!"
Damien's pupils shrank, his mind reeling. "No way, Tang San looks like this? Are you sure this is Douluo Dalu?"
"No!"
"Something's off!"
Using Dragon's Eye again, Damien spotted the anomaly.
"Not Tang San himself!"
The old man was strong but only a Level 99 Limit Douluo Continent, not a demi-god.
He seemed more like a controlled puppet.
A stronger consciousness manipulated him, the source of the divine power.
"Dragon's Eye!"
Damien appraised the soul tool in the old man's left hand.
[Level 9 Soul Tool: God-Sealing Platform]
[Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast Embryo (Snow Empress)]
"Well, damn!"
The pieces clicked for Damien. "This is Douluo Dalu 2, the Unrivaled Tang Sect era. Snow Empress transformed but was discovered by human soul masters, captured with a Level 9 God-Sealing Platform."
This matched the auction plot where Huo Yuhao encountered the Snow Empress.
"So Tang San's behind this?"
Reading the novel, Damien found this plot illogical.
Snow Empress transformed in the Far North's core, a safe zone she'd chosen.
Yet a soul master just happened to be nearby, with a God-Sealing Platform capable of capturing a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
Level 9 soul tools like the God-Sealing Platform were crafted only by the Sun Moon Empire's top soul engineers.
A powerful soul master, perfectly timed at Snow Empress's transformation, in her safe zone, with a Level 9 soul tool?
Even more absurd, he didn't use it himself but sold the Snow Empress's embryo.
A hundred-thousand-year embryo could grant a second martial soul.
Or at least a hundred-thousand-year soul bone.
Who would sell such a treasure?
And conveniently, it was offered to the Sun Moon Empire's Mingde Hall, practically screaming there was a traitor.
Though it sparked conflict between the Ontology Sect and Mingde Hall, the cost for a mere fight seemed excessive.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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