Assassins! We're under attack!
"Protect the Crown Prince!"
The guards were caught off guard by the sudden ambush. But as the Crown Prince's personal escort, they were no ordinary soldiers—their strength was formidable, their training disciplined.
In moments, they formed a tight defensive perimeter, activating layers of soul tool barriers to shield the carriage at the center where Xu Tiannan sat.
On a one-to-one basis, soul engineers were not necessarily stronger than soul masters, but in coordinated combat, their combined power far outstripped most soul masters.
Especially in defense, soul engineers held a unique advantage.
Some defensive barriers, though not of the highest grade, still offered astonishing resilience.
Take the Invincible Barrier, for instance—a mere fifth-rank version could withstand the attacks of a Soul Douluo-level powerhouse for three seconds. Breaking through was no easy feat.
Fortunately, the rare metals required to produce them were scarce. Even the Crown Prince's guard only carried a limited supply.
…
The five assassins were all clad in loose black robes and wore soul tool masks that concealed both face and aura. Each possessed the strength of a Soul Douluo.
They were:
Wang Yan, Patriarch of the Wang Clan.
Song Zhan, Xu Tiannan's maternal grandfather.
Song Peng, his maternal uncle.
Zhao Yuhang, Wang Yan's closest friend.
Li Fei, Song Zhan's sworn brother.
Among them, Wang Yan, Song Zhan, and Song Peng were the strongest, each boasting Soul Douluo cultivation—Song Peng, the weakest, was still level 85. These three launched the frontal assault.
Li Fei, an agility-type Soul Douluo, was the fastest of them all—his speed rivaled even some Titled Douluo. He was tasked with exploiting chaos to pierce the defenses and strike Xu Tiannan directly, as well as ensuring their retreat afterward.
Zhao Yuhang, adept at concealment, supported Li Fei. He also served as the "clean-up," laying groundwork to cover their tracks after the mission.
…
Wang Yan's black robe concealed a full suit of soul tool battle armor. In one hand, he wielded a soul tool longsword, in the other an eighth-rank soul cannon, radiating lethal intent.
Song Zhan brandished an eighth-rank soul halberd, its sharp blade gleaming as though it could tear space itself.
Song Peng specialized in long-range bombardment. With a deafening clatter, his body transformed into a terrifying metal fortress, a hundred cannon barrels aimed mercilessly at the Crown Prince's guards.
Li Fei's silhouette flickered like a phantom, weaving through the battlefield, constantly probing for weaknesses.
Zhao Yuhang remained calm, planting metal pillars around the perimeter. When infused with soul power, they connected into a linked formation, trapping the entire convoy within a cage of steel—ensuring none could escape.
The five assassins worked seamlessly, their combined strength instantly overwhelming the defenders.
The soul tool barriers raised by Xu Tiannan's escort began to dim under the relentless assault.
Inside one of the barriers, two Soul Douluo-level protectors and dozens of guards strained to maintain the defense.
The two Soul Douluo—one tall and thin, the other short and stout—wore grim expressions.
The stout one growled,
"Five Soul Douluo-level eighth-rank soul engineers… what madness is this?! Do they not fear the punishment of exterminating nine clans for daring to strike at the Crown Prince?"
The tall one spat,
"Save your speeches! Think about survival! Our barriers won't hold long. Once they're down, we're finished. Aside from us two, the others are mere Soul Kings at best. Even counting His Highness and that female Soul Sage, we can't match five Soul Douluo. I'm saying this now—if we can't hold, I'm not throwing my life away!"
The stout Douluo countered,
"Don't panic. We only need to buy time. This is the outskirts of Mingdu. Such a massive surge of soul power will surely be detected. Reinforcements will arrive soon—whether it's the Empire's Soul Engineer Legion or a Rank Nine from the Worship Hall, once they come, these assassins will die without burial."
Their hearts steadied slightly. If they could just last a little longer, salvation was certain.
…
At the convoy's center, inside a grand carriage like a mobile palace, Xu Tiannan lay entwined with the beautiful Soul Sage he had taken in half a month prior. Several maids stood respectfully nearby, heads lowered.
The sounds of battle outside jolted Xu Tiannan upright. He shoved the woman aside, his expression dark and murderous.
"An assassination? Was it Second Brother—or Third?"
His soul power flared. Martial Soul Possession—seven soul rings rose around him as a majestic purple dragon manifested behind his back.
It was the Purple Desolation Extinguishing Heaven Dragon. Though only a Soul Sage, Xu Tiannan's martial soul granted him power enough to fight a Soul Douluo head-on.
Thus, even now, he remained confident. The Sun and Moon Empire's Rank Nines wouldn't dare to do such an act; his enemies could at most field Soul Douluo assassins.
Xu Tiannan strode out of the carriage, glaring coldly through the shimmering barriers at the five black-robed figures. Their masks concealed all trace of aura, making recognition impossible.
His heart sank.
"Five Soul Douluo—and all eighth-rank soul engineers. Two of them are among the strongest of their grade. Truly vicious.
Heh. My dear brothers must truly want me dead."
Hatred boiled in his chest. He didn't bother to ask who sent them—there was no need. The answer was obvious: either his Second or Third Brother.
He swore silently: once he survived, he would slaughter them both and annihilate every faction behind them.
But first, survival came.
Raising his voice, he declared to his guards:
"Today, my life rests in your hands! Your loyalty and bravery shall be remembered!
If I survive this ambush, those who live shall be promoted three ranks, rewarded with a high-grade pill, and fifty thousand gold soul coins each!
Those who fall shall be granted noble titles, hereditary and unbroken! Their families—I shall personally provide for them!"
The promise of such heavy rewards burned like fire in the guards' veins. The barriers shone brighter as they poured their all into defense.
Xu Tiannan's anger eased slightly, replaced with a cold sneer.
Just five minutes. Reinforcements will come in five minutes.
He calculated the rate of barrier depletion against their defense. Five minutes was survivable.
Turning to the assassins, he drew a finger across his neck in a mocking gesture.
"You dare raise arms against me? Every last one of you will die for this!"
The assassins' eyes blazed with murderous intent. Their attacks grew fiercer, the barriers shattering faster with each strike.
Without those barriers, Xu Tiannan and his guards would already be corpses.
Three minutes later, their defenses were nearly depleted.
Wang Yan's voice sounded through a soul transmission:
"Their barriers are nearly exhausted. Brother Song—it's time."
At once, Wang Yan and Song Zhan each drew from their storage soul tools a weapon exuding a terrifying, destructive aura:
Fixed-Mounted Soul Cannons.
Specifically—eighth-rank fixed-mounted cannons.
These were the deadliest, hardest-to-forge weapons of the Sun and Moon Empire. A ninth-rank cannon could level a city and even slay a Titled Douluo outright, wounding even a Super Douluo.
Though slightly weaker, an eighth-rank blast could still cripple a Titled Douluo.
Seeing the two glowing cannons, the tall and stout Soul Douluo protectors blanched in terror.
Without hesitation, they abandoned their posts and fled.
Yes, they served Xu Tiannan—but not at the cost of their own lives. Riches and honors meant nothing before certain death.
Xu Tiannan's face twisted in rage, ready to curse them—
But before he could speak, two mushroom clouds bloomed into the sky…