Facing Jing Hongchen's chilling, murderous words, the Star Luo Empire's Titled Douluo fell into shock and deep suspicion.
"Elder Xuan? That's impossible!" one of them shouted, his voice shrill under the harsh glare of the searchlights.
Yet as the initial disbelief faded, they were forced to re-examine everything through the lens Jing Hongchen had just provided.
The raid on Mingdu's armory—and the entire plan of disguising themselves as Evil Soul Masters to draw attention—had indeed been forcefully pushed forward by Xuan Zi from the very beginning.
Moreover, as the leader of Shrek Academy's team, Xuan Zi's behavior had always seemed difficult to fathom, bordering on paranoid.
If he had sold out the forces of the Three Great Empires to the Sun Moon Empire in order to protect Shrek Academy—or to secure some secret political exchange—then, viewed from this angle, it suddenly made a terrifying amount of sense.
"Could it be… that Xuan Zi really betrayed us? That he deliberately sent us to our deaths in Mingdu so Shrek could reap the benefits?" someone muttered.
The expressions of the Star Luo experts twisted with rage.
The fury of being stabbed in the back by an ally instantly overwhelmed their fear of the surrounding soul tool formations.
In their eyes, Jing Hongchen being able to call out Xuan Zi by name and prepare such a flawless ambush could only mean one thing—there had been a leak from the highest level.
"Damn you, Shrek hypocrites!"
One of the Titled Douluo still retained a sliver of reason. Letting out a thunderous roar, his spirit power surged violently, forcibly shattering several infrared locking beams around him.
"There's no point arguing now! Whether it's true or not, we have to break out first! If we die here, we'll truly become Xuan Zi's scapegoats! As long as we survive, we can settle accounts with that old bastard later!"
With that shout, the Star Luo Empire's Titled Douluo unleashed their full strength.
When experts at the peak of the Spirit Master world fought desperately, the destructive force they released was terrifying.
Spirit True Bodies activated one after another. The armory plaza, once orderly, was instantly flooded with dazzling, chaotic spirit power.
One transformed into a colossal Flaming Mad Lion, charging head-on in an attempt to tear through the Death Light Formation by brute force.
Others unleashed wide-area control-type Spirit Abilities, trying to disrupt the vision and targeting systems of the high-ranking Soul Engineers.
Explosions roared endlessly as spirit abilities clashed, violent shockwaves rippling through the eastern district of Mingdu.
Opposite them, Jing Hongchen's expression turned solemn.
Though he had received Liu Yuan's warning and laid this ambush in advance, the situation was far from easy.
First, he was facing multiple Titled Douluo fighting together. Once such powerhouses risked everything, it was nearly impossible to wipe them out instantly.
Second—and more importantly—this was the core armory of the Sun Moon Empire.
It housed vast quantities of fixed soul tool shells, including some of Rank Nine power. If indiscriminate fire was ordered and the unstable energy inside the warehouses detonated, half of Mingdu could be obliterated in a single explosion.
Because of this concern, Jing Hongchen could not go all out. He was forced to rely on the Death Light Formation for precise suppression, attempting to divide and isolate the battlefield.
That hesitation gave the Star Luo experts their chance.
At the cost of severe losses, the leading Titled Douluo burned his essence blood and unleashed a suicidal charge with his Martial Soul True Body, forcibly blasting open a gap.
Amid the chaotic storm of energy, Jing Hongchen and the Soul Engineer Legion intercepted with everything they had. In the end, however, they only managed to kill one Star Luo Titled Douluo and several Spirit Douluo who were shaken to death by the backlash.
The remaining Titled Douluo, bloodied and battered, used the explosion's shockwaves to finally break free, shooting into the night sky.
Before leaving, the leading Titled Douluo turned back toward the palace, his eyes bloodshot and his voice filled with boundless hatred.
"Xuan Zi, you treacherous piece of trash! Just you wait! Once I return to Star Luo, I'll make Shrek Academy pay for this!"
—
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Mingdu.
Poison Undying led the Body Sect elites, using the chaos created by the "Evil Soul Masters" to slip through the outer defenses of the Imperial Palace.
His massive figure moved with astonishing speed, like a jade-green specter gliding through the darkness.
Relying on his keen perception of spirit power fluctuations, he avoided several patrols and finally reached the deep Inner Court where the Sun Moon Emperor resided.
When Poison Undying pushed open the heavy doors of the bedchamber, he was stunned.
The vast hall was completely empty of guards.
Under the silent, radiant lights, the Sun Moon Emperor sat alone upon the throne of supreme authority, draped in a fur cloak, an official document held in his hands. His expression appeared calm—almost lonely.
"Just one person?"
Poison Undying froze for an instant, then burst into wild laughter.
To him, it was as if the heavens themselves were assisting him. If he struck now, he could kill this old ruler in a single move.
Once the Emperor died, the Sun Moon Empire would inevitably plunge into internal chaos. The Body Sect would then gain unparalleled merit.
"Foolish ruler—prepare to die!"
Poison Undying roared, his right arm transforming into a massive jade-green claw that carried the power to tear space itself apart, lunging straight toward the figure on the throne.
But just as his claw came within three meters—
The floor and ceiling suddenly erupted with blinding golden light.
Buzz!
An ear-piercing spatial vibration rang out.
Several energy cages, driven by Rank Nine stationary cores, dropped down instantly from above.
These were no ordinary cages, but specialized soul tools forged from extremely condensed light-attribute spirit power, designed specifically to restrain evil and physically dominant spirits.
Poison Undying and the Body Sect experts behind him had no time to react before they were completely sealed inside the descending cages.
His claw slammed into the light barrier, barely stirring a ripple before a violent backlash sent shockwaves through his body.
Staring at the Sun Moon Emperor—so close yet utterly unreachable—Poison Undying's mind collapsed.
"How is this possible?! Why is there a trap here? There was clearly no warning!"
He smashed frantically against the cage, but how could a Rank Nine sealing soul tool personally arranged be broken so easily?
At that moment, the "Emperor" on the throne slowly raised his head.
It was not the real Sun Moon Emperor at all, but an astonishingly lifelike soul tool puppet.
From its eyes, a projection appeared, revealing a cold, indifferent face.
"Your actions were well hidden," the voice said calmly. "But unfortunately for you, we had an insider."
A sharp laugh echoed through the hall.
"Elder Xuan—your warning was truly invaluable."