Xu Zihuang coldly stepped past Yin Ziyue's corpse, sweeping his gaze over the others without a word.
This was the first time he had truly killed someone, yet everything felt strangely calm. It wasn't that he was born without emotions or that he disregarded life—it was simply that he had been mentally prepared from the start.
His ambition was vast. He not only wanted Xu Tiannan and his son to pay in blood, but he also coveted the throne of the Sun Moon Empire itself.
If only his father had been a little more ruthless back then, Xu Tiannan and his son would never have had the chance to rise.
After three years of imprisonment, he had come to deeply understand the importance of strength and power.
Whether human or soul beast, he would make all beings submit and become the sole ruler of the continent. That was the endlessly magnified desire within his heart.
The road ahead would inevitably be filled with thorns, and his hands could not avoid being stained with blood.
Killing Yin Ziyue was merely the first step in establishing his authority. These remnants of the Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Regiment, who would form the foundation of his rise, had to be firmly under his control.
With the awakened memories of his past life, knowing the story's trajectory, he had already begun constructing a general plan in his mind. Shrek Academy was the most critical stepping stone within it. His first martial soul, the Golden Eyes, had never been exposed. If he made the Golden Eyes his primary martial soul, changed his name, and entered Shrek Academy to study, who would possibly suspect his true identity? Moreover, his second martial soul was not exactly the same as the Sun Moon royal family's Zihuang Annihilation Dragon.
With his talent, gaining the attention of Shrek Academy's high-levels would not be difficult. That would be like obtaining an invisible shield of protection. At the same time, he could also expand his network within Shrek Academy and even meet Xu He—also known as He Caitou—his cousin who had suffered the same fate.
He firmly believed that with He Caitou's hatred toward Xu Tiannan and his son, he would surely stand by his side. And He Caitou's identity was even more special than his own, making him highly useful.
Of course, everything was under the premise of shared revenge against Xu Tiannan and his son. If it truly came to seizing the throne, by then he would have grown strong enough that He Caitou would no longer pose any threat.
"Zihuang." Yao Yang's gentle voice brought Xu Zihuang back to his senses.
Turning his head, Xu Zihuang saw that a pair of slim, dark-red, translucent wings had appeared behind Yao Yang at some point. At the back of the folded wings were no less than ten jet nozzles.
"A level-seven flying soul tool?" Xu Zihuang wasn't overly surprised. Given his status back then, he had seen no shortage of level-nine soul tools with his own eyes. Knowing Yao Yang was preparing to follow the plan and take him into the air, Xu Zihuang quickly adjusted his state.
"Get ready!"
Yao Yang grabbed Xu Zihuang under his arm, and with a low shout, the ten jet nozzles on his folded wings simultaneously spewed blazing white light. Instantly, Xu Zihuang felt a tremendous force rise from his waist. Relying on the powerful eyesight of his Golden Eyes martial soul, he could barely make out the scenery whipping past.
The piercing whistle assaulted his senses, making his body feel overwhelmed in just a few seconds. But soon, a gentle aura of soul power enveloped him, and the discomfort vanished. To his shock, he realized he was already five hundred meters above the island.
At that moment, Yao Yang also noticed Xu Zihuang, who had released his Golden Eyes martial soul, his body radiating strange spiritual fluctuations. When he saw Xu Zihuang's golden eyes—especially the intricate, obscure golden patterns surrounding the pupils—an expression of rare astonishment crossed his face. He gave Xu Zihuang a deep look, but forcefully suppressed his urge to ask questions.
Now was clearly not the time.
The level-seven flying soul tool on Yao Yang's back trailed a dazzling tail flame, impossible to overlook in the night sky.
The soldiers of the Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Regiment, locked in battle with the West Sea Soul Engineer Regiment's main force in the island's center, saw the brilliant streak of light cutting across the sky and fought with renewed ferocity, forcing back their opponents.
"Everyone, take to the skies!"
One by one, flying soul tools appeared on the backs of the Royal Dragon Regiment soldiers. The multicolored tail flames lit up the entire island like daylight.
Seeing this, Qiu Ying, deputy commander of the West Sea Soul Engineer Regiment, wore an expression so dark it seemed ink might drip from it.
So they had come prepared after all!
Every soldier of the Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Regiment was equipped with flying soul tools of at least level six. The West Sea Regiment also had flying soul tools, but the gap in both number and quality was enormous.
"Use long-range soul skills and soul tools—don't let a single one escape! Bring out every flying soul tool we have!" Qiu Ying shouted, channeling his soul power.
Their losses in this battle were already far too great. If these enemies escaped now, given the Crown Prince's ruthless nature, apart from Hai Xiao—his trusted aide—the rest of them likely wouldn't survive.
But his order was answered instead by a deafening roar.
Without warning, a massive orange-red mushroom cloud surged up behind him, radiating intense heat that made even his martial soul-attached body sting painfully.
Screams and the sound of falling rocks filled the air. Many West Sea Regiment soldiers near the mushroom cloud were instantly vaporized, leaving only black shadows scorched into the ground.
"A level-seven high-explosive stationary soul-guided cannon?!" Despair filled Qiu Ying's eyes—for after the first, more than twenty more mushroom clouds erupted across the battlefield.
"It's over… all over…"
Over twenty level-seven stationary soul-guided cannons could annihilate a small city. There was no way this island could survive. Abandoning resistance, Qiu Ying's arms hung powerless at his sides. After this, the West Sea Soul Engineer Regiment would be wiped from existence.
The surging, scorching shockwave cracked the sturdy five-story castle, opening massive fissures as if it might collapse at any moment.
On the rooftop terrace, Elder Yu retracted his soul cannon barrel, barely managing to keep his balance. Activating his flying soul tool, he shouted urgently to those around him: "If you don't want to die, get airborne now! Hurry! Hurry!"
"Yes, Elder Yu!"
They too used flying soul tools to ascend—but compared to the twenty-odd soldiers still fighting the West Sea Regiment's main force earlier, they had already lost the initiative. What's more, their cultivations were only around the fiftieth rank, and their flying soul tools were only level five. Fear flickered in many eyes, yet none panicked.
For they had known from the start that firing stationary soul-guided cannons here carried the risk of being caught in the blast. The power and range of a level-seven cannon was immense—let alone more than twenty fired together.
In an instant, searing heat engulfed the entire castle, swallowing at least seven or eight Royal Dragon soldiers.
Elder Yu clenched his fists, casting one last glance back before quickly turning away. He poured all his soul power into the flying soul tool at his back, forcing himself onward.
Though he had long anticipated such an outcome, seeing it with his own eyes still pierced his heart with pain.