The chilling black rain poured down into the mountain valleys, hitting people and settling in their hearts, dissipating the mysterious, thick mist that had clung to the Body Sect's mountain gate for a thousand years.
The Titled Douluo of the Body Sect exchanged glances, their Soul Power surging around them, but they didn't make a move.
Firstly, they had their pride and didn't want to interfere in a one-on-one duel. Secondly, the scene was incredibly spectacular, a rare visual feast for them.
Thirdly, the newcomer's strength was simply too formidable. Since he wasn't an enemy, it was best to keep this within the realm of a "spar."
Those below Limit Douluo and Super Douluo were practically different species. If a Limit Douluo fought without holding back, their Body Sect would surely pay a huge price.
The Heavenly Soul Empire royal family had just finalized some cooperation details with them recently. The Body Sect was about to transform from a reclusive sect with a less-than-stellar reputation into the Nation Protecting Sect of the Heavenly Soul Empire. They were just waiting for an opportunity to announce it to the world, and now was not the time for any battle losses.
In the Soul Duel Stage area, the young disciples of the Body Sect were mesmerized, starting to voice their opinions and creating a lively atmosphere.
Wang Yanfeng, a Soul Ancestorgenius whose Martial Soul was his palms, said, "I never imagined that even a powerful sect like ours, the Body Sect, would face such a severe test. There truly are many strong individuals in this world."
Chen Lü, a Soul Elder genius whose Martial Soul was a pair of calves, said:
"Don't be disheartened. The strength of our Body Sect is undeniable, and Body Martial Souls are miraculous. Haven't you seen Elder Jin Peng gradually turning the tide after using his Silver Grade Second Awakening?"
"The Silver Grade Second Awakening boosted Elder Jin Peng's combat power by a full twofold. Even against a level 97 Super Douluo, it would be difficult to suppress Elder Jin Peng in this state."
Gu Tong, who possessed an Eye Martial Soul, said with some concern, "But I see that Ice Phoenix Soul Master is very fast. Elder Jin Peng might not be able to catch him…"
As the various geniuses expressed their opinions, one of them exclaimed, "But no matter what, our Body Martial Souls are inherently powerful. These two foreign powerhouses both possess the strongest Super Beast Martial Souls. To be able to fight to this extent truly proves how strong our sect is."
"Our elders are second to none, and we young geniuses might also have a chance to show our skills in a few years. We must work even harder."
Long Aotian nodded slightly upon hearing this, his expression cold and stern. "That Ice Phoenix Titled Douluo has a very strong Soul Ring configuration. I will strive to catch up to him, and none of you can slack off either."
From childhood, he had no rivals among his peers. His Soul Ring configuration surpassed ordinary people, and even some of his senior brothers and sisters were no match for him.
As early as when he completed his Body Martial Soul's Silver Grade Second Awakening, Poison Undying had instructed him that from then on, his goal would no longer be just his peers. He needed to set his sights further and have the courage to pursue his predecessors.
Moreover, Poison Undying had also told him that he needed at least a 100,000-year eighth Soul Ring to have the foundation to attempt a Golden Grade Awakening at the ninth ring and inherit the glory of the Body Sect.
Just then, Lang Ya, the referee of the Soul Duel Stage and an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo with a Head Martial Soul, spoke up in approval: "Aotian is right, this is the spirit our Body Sect needs. Well done!"
"However, the top Soul Master forces in this world are indeed not as simple as they seem. The Clear Sky Sect, which recently reappeared on the continent, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, which was as famous as the Clear Sky Sect ten thousand years ago, and even this Xuanming Sect—each has remarkable powerhouses."
Lang Ya sighed, "Mu En, the current head of the Shrek Sea God Pavilion, hails from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family. The Upper Three Sects of ten thousand years ago truly live up to their reputation."
"Elder, what about the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, which was ranked second among the Upper Three Sects ten thousand years ago? How are they? Do they also have hidden powerhouses?" Long Aotian asked.
Lang Ya was stumped by Long Aotian's question. After a moment of contemplation, he shook his head with extreme decisiveness:
"I forgot to mention just now, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect is an exception. It's no longer the second strongest sect in the world, and it doesn't live up to its name. There's no need to pay them any mind."
Long Aotian asked in confusion, "Why are you so certain?"
Lang Ya said with a matter-of-fact expression, "The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect is near Heaven Dou City. If they had sufficient strength, the Heavenly Soul Empire wouldn't be discussing cooperation with us, nor would they propose a marriage alliance between you and the princess, making you Prince Consort."
"After all, the Heavenly Soul imperial family has been good neighbors with them for many years, and they probably know each other quite well. If the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect were capable, why would they seek our cooperation?"
"In the history of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, besides the legendary Nine Treasures Douluo, no one else has ever possessed the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda. Nowadays, there are probably only a few Titled Douluo left; as for Super Douluo, I don't know."
Long Aotian nodded in understanding, mentally removing the "Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect" from the list of powerful forces. Such a sect couldn't possibly produce a genius capable of rivaling him.
Then he thought of Princess Vina, his fiancée, whom he had met once and whose marriage alliance was then decided. Her delicate and gentle demeanor, combined with her exquisite beauty, made Long Aotian feel a surge of anticipation.
He wasn't being humble; how did he, the chief genius of the Body Sect who had only known diligent cultivation since childhood, become the Heavenly Soul Empire's prospective Prince Consort?
But his teacher and the envoy from the Heavenly Soul Empire's royal family said that they had already decided that he, Long Aotian, would marry Princess Vina, who possessed Twin Martial Souls, one of which was a brain.
At that moment, a deep sense of responsibility welled up within him. He had to become the most outstanding Soul Master genius of the younger generation, protect the Heavenly Soul Empire, and in the future, deliver a painful blow to the Sun Moon Empire, repelling enemies from beyond their borders!
Oh, right, the Sun Moon Empire!
Long Aotian's eyes flickered, and he continued to ask, "Elder Lang Ya, you often travel outside and are responsible for the sect's external intelligence. Has the Sun Moon Empire produced any geniuses worth fighting?"
Lang Ya, with his large head, replied without hesitation, "Yes! The top family in the Sun Moon Empire, the Hongchen family, produced a pair of geniuses who were once jointly hailed as the Millennial First Genius of the Sun Moon Empire."
"What does 'once' mean?" Gu Tong asked in confusion.
"It means someone even more formidable has appeared now, taking their place."
Lang Ya waved his hand and continued, "That new Millennial First Genius broke the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Engineer records. In just over a year since enrolling in the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, he consecutively broke five barriers and advanced to a fifth-level Soul Engineer."
"His surname is Kong, and his given name is Tianxi. His origins are mysterious, rumored to be connected to the Sun Moon Empire's royal family. He possesses the royal family's Moon Martial Soul and is highly skilled at creating Fixed Soul Tools."
The witnesses to Xu Tianxi's crossing of the Ming Dou Mountain Range were either Sun Moon Empire soldiers or academy students. Commander Xu Sheng, at Jing Hongchen's request, had sealed off the information, and Jing Hongchen had placed gag orders on all the students.
Nine months ago, after Xu Tianxi was nominally accepted as Kong Deming's disciple, he used Xuan Ziwen as an intermediary to ask Kong Deming to help conceal the information. Subsequently, rumors began to circulate in the Sun Moon Empire's common folk that Xu Tianxi originated from the Sun Moon imperial family—
In Kong Deming's view, Xu Tianxi had half of the Kong surname bloodline and was originally from a minor branch of the imperial family, so saying he originated from the imperial family was not an issue.
Upon learning the news, the Clan Affairs Office of the Sun Moon imperial family frantically searched through their genealogy records. When they found that Xu Tianxi was not listed, they initially planned to refute the rumors. However, they then received an indescribable warning—don't investigate what shouldn't be investigated, don't say what shouldn't be said, or heads will roll.
The Clan Affairs Office immediately fell silent in the face of Kong Deming's token. Important figures knew that the Sun Moon Empire's imperial palace was merely a facade; the Hall of Worship, teeming with ninth-level Soul Engineers, was the true power. Kong Deming was the one in charge; even the emperor had to bow and greet him.
Although they couldn't understand why that esteemed individual hadn't simply had them add a few strokes under the name of a certain prince, the Clan Affairs Office was naturally not foolish. They remained extremely tight-lipped externally, giving vague answers to inquiries from Xu Tianran and several other princes.
Xu Tianran and the other princes all revealed knowing smiles after receiving the report from the Clan Affairs Office, secretly breathing a sigh of relief. It seemed that "Kong Tianxi" was the illegitimate child of an unspeakable important figure, without succession rights...
Xu Tianxi himself couldn't help but smile wryly upon hearing this rumor. Fortunately, he had changed his surname to Kong. If his surname were Xu and he also had the "Tian" character in his name, Xu Tianran and the others probably would have come to pay their respects to this suddenly appearing "imperial genius" long ago.
However, although his publicly declared origins were noble and his ability to innovate records was unparalleled, in the eyes of Long Aotian, a pure Soul Master genius, this held little significance. He even felt it was a waste of time.
He raised an eyebrow, his gaze cooling slightly, then asked Lang Ya, "Elder, are you saying this Kong Tianxi is a genius at making Soul Guided Devices? Has he ever displayed Soul Master abilities?"
Long Aotian, like Poison Undying, was a staunch supporter of the idea that "Martial Souls are superior to Soul Guided Devices." He disdained using any Soul Guided Devices and looked down on so-called powerful Soul Engineers.
In his eyes, those Soul Engineers were all frail, like lambs to the slaughter without their Soul Guided Devices. How could they compare to the strength of Soul Masters?
Take the four powerhouses currently battling high in the sky; each possessed immense combat strength. His own teacher and the Xuanming Old Ancestor, in particular, had the power to move mountains and fill seas. With a single thought, the Xuanming Old Ancestor could alter celestial phenomena. What Soul Guided Device could possess such incredibly powerful creative force?
Lang Ya pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his his head. "Reportedly, he once displayed an invisibility ability in a Soul Duel battle, but it's unclear if it was a Soul Master ability or a Soul Engineer ability. Nothing else. From the information I have, he's skilled at using a Soul Guided Ray Gun and is known for never missing a shot."
Over a year, Xu Tianxi had participated in some battles at the academy, but he only ever used his Second Soul Skill. There was no other reason—he didn't need anything else. He could win simply by activating invisibility and shooting at targets.
As for Xu Tianxi's battles with Ji Juechen, they were always secretive. Ji Juechen was so disliked that even gossipmongers were afraid of encountering that jinx.
"Is that so? Then there's no need to pay attention to him."
Upon hearing that "Kong Tianxi" only had one suspected Soul Master ability, Long Aotian completely lost interest in him. The moon was a top-tier astral Martial Soul; it was truly a waste to not properly develop such a Martial Soul but instead research Soul Guided Devices.
It seemed the current generation of the Sun Moon Empire wouldn't pose a threat to their Body Sect. His opponents were still here in the Douluo Three Kingdoms, and perhaps not even here...
Long Aotian thought, looking down on the world.
Just then, the sky changed. The enormous Black Tortoise phantom suddenly lifted its front claw. With a grasp and a dispersal, the black-gold water that had obscured the sky and sun began to rapidly dissipate like a tide.
The black-gold orb of water that had stretched across the sky shattered with a boom. A few breaths later, two figures emerged, their bodies distorted by space. It was none other than Xu Xiaoyun and Poison Undying.
"Sect Master!"
Many cried out in surprise. Poison Undying's clothes were completely torn, and many bloody gashes marred his muscular body. His breathing was heavy, and his dark green Soul Power was scattered, lacking its previous overwhelming power.
Xu Xiaoyun's right sleeve was torn, but he had no other injuries, only a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead and slightly heavier breathing.
"How about it, old poison? Are you willing to reconsider this old man's suggestion now?" Xu Xiaoyun gently wiped away his sweat, smiling.
"Hmph, you're strong, I'll agree then." Poison Undying, with a wary look in his eyes, finally gave in. He turned his face away and channeled his power to heal.