With the launch of the two eighth-rank stationary soul-guided shells, a blinding light burst forth. Two dazzling orbs of energy expanded at an astonishing speed.
In the blink of an eye, they swelled to dozens of meters in size, still rapidly expanding outward.
Faint black spatial cracks flickered at the explosion's center, evoking sheer terror. The destructive energy shockwave swept through everything in its path like an unstoppable force.
The first to bear the brunt were the protective soul tool defense barriers deployed by the guards.
But under the overwhelming might of the eighth-rank stationary soul-guided shells, the few remaining defense barriers shattered like fragile paper.
Immediately after came the guards behind those barriers, desperate to flee—yet they were obliterated on the spot, reduced to nothing but scattered remains.
Facing the onrushing torrent of destructive energy, Xu Tiannan hastily activated his life-saving trump card—his ninth-rank defensive soul tool, Heavenly Dragon's Aegis.
This Heavenly Dragon's Aegis was a ninth-rank defensive soul tool capable of charging with soul power (similar to the Red Dust Shield). Its defensive power was astonishing, strong enough to withstand the full-force strike of a Titled Douluo-level expert.
The Heavenly Dragon's Aegis had two modes of use:
It could be activated directly by infusing soul power. However, the soul power consumption was enormous—only a Titled Douluo or stronger could afford it.
Alternatively, soul power could be pre-stored in its reserve chamber, and when triggered, that stored energy would activate the shield. But the reserve only contained enough energy for one use—afterward, it had to be recharged.
The Heavenly Dragon's Aegis appeared outwardly as a dragon-shaped seal. Once Xu Tiannan triggered it, the seal instantly transformed into a five-meter-long violet dragon, which swallowed him whole, enclosing him in its protection.
Under the terrifying energy impact of the two stationary soul-guided shells, the violet dragon emitted a pained howl.
The dragon's body dimmed from violet to pale lavender, then cracked with fissures, shattering apart into fragments.
Meanwhile, the two Soul Douluo bodyguards—one tall and thin, the other short and stout—had tried to flee only a dozen meters before the blast radius engulfed them.
Despite desperately activating their eighth-rank defensive soul tools, they still could not withstand it.
Their soul tools held for only an instant before splintering into countless shards like shattered glass.
Without their defenses, their bodies were flung violently, twisting grotesquely in midair. Blood spurted wildly as they fell like discarded dolls—dead on the spot.
The two eighth-rank stationary soul-guided shells devoured everything like ravenous beasts, eager to consume all life within their reach.
Meanwhile, thirty kilometers away in the skies—
The Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Regiment, one of the Sun Moon Empire's Five Hands of National Protection, hovered in formation.
Regiment leader Xu Tianyuan held a soul power detector. As its readings spiked to terrifying levels, his face changed dramatically.
"Such astronomical soul power fluctuations… could it be a battle involving a ninth-rank Soul Engineer?"
As leader of the Imperial Dragon Regiment, Xu Tianyuan held immense standing among the imperial clan. By bloodline, he was a cousin to Xu Tiannan, though far older.
The Imperial Dragon Regiment was charged with the defense of Mingdu. Thus, when massive energy fluctuations erupted on the outskirts, they immediately deployed.
Xu Tianyuan turned toward the detector's precise coordinates, then unfurled his ninth-rank flying soul tool. Like lightning, he raced toward the explosion site.
With a ninth-rank flight, the thirty-kilometer distance could be crossed in moments.
The regiment members likewise ignited their flying soul tools, trailing close behind their commander.
Elsewhere—
Wang Yan, Song Zhan, and the others quickly retreated, fearful of being caught in the catastrophic blast.
After all, an eighth-rank stationary soul-guided shell spared no one—not even its users.
Song Zhan glanced worriedly toward Mingdu. "This much commotion… surely a ninth-rank Soul Engineer will be sent to investigate soon. We must retreat—if we delay, it will be too late."
Song Peng nodded in agreement. "Two eighth-rank shells… even an ordinary ninth-rank Soul Engineer might not survive. Xu Tiannan is barely over twenty years old. No matter how gifted, how strong could he possibly be? He's definitely dead!"
Wang Yan cautioned, "We can't be careless. Once the blast subsides, we'll check the site ourselves. If he's somehow alive, we finish him."
Zhao Yuhang added, "I'll handle the cleanup—so imperial investigators won't trace us afterward."
The agile Soul Douluo Li Fei nodded. "Brother Zhao, the cleanup's yours. Once we confirm Xu Tiannan's death, I'll carry us away at full speed."
Moments later, the blast ended. A massive crater, hundreds of meters wide, scarred the ground.
At its center, Xu Tiannan lay covered in blood. His legs were gone, blasted to pieces, leaving mangled stumps at his thighs—gruesome and raw.
Though he had survived thanks to the Heavenly Dragon's Aegis, the damage was devastating.
Staring at his empty lower half, Xu Tiannan lost all the princely pride he once carried.
His eyes were hollow, his body wracked by agony. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the mental torment.
He was crippled. He had no legs.
Worse—he felt, with chilling clarity, that something even more vital between his legs had been destroyed.
That explosion had ruined the very organ meant to carry on his bloodline!
He was no longer a whole man. How could he possibly ascend the throne now?
Xu Tiannan's eyes turned blood-red. The psychological blow nearly drove him insane. He glared at the five assassins with unbridled hatred, wishing he could devour them alive—then slaughter their families and clans until none remained.
Not far from the crater, the once-grand palanquin lay shattered.
From its wreckage, several maids and the female Soul Sage Xu Tiannan had crawled out.
Shielded by the distance from the blast's core, Xu Tiannan, his guards, and the two Soul Douluo had taken the brunt of the explosion, sparing the women's lives.
Though injured, they had survived.