"Old Xu!"
The Rank-9 Soul Engineer, who was being pinned down by the Mad King and the Snow Empress, saw this scene, and his eyes nearly split apart from sheer shock!
He never imagined that his old comrade-in-arms would be slain by a Soul Douluo in just a few short minutes!
But what immediately followed was sheer terror. His strength wasn't much different from Old Xu's. With Old Xu dead, he knew he would be next.
The drop in morale and spirit caused this Rank-9 Soul Engineer's condition to plummet rapidly. This momentary lapse in judgment instantly gave the combat-experienced Snow Empress the perfect opening.
The Snow Empress's pristine white dress fluttered in the wind as large patches of snowflakes scattered forth, concealing her figure within them.
Empress' Cold Sky: Snow Dance Blazing Sun!
Huo Yuhao, who was controlling the overall situation, suddenly had a brainwave. Absolute Freeze was activated with a single thought. Once the domains were stacked... Snowy Dance of Ultimate Ice!
The temperature in the sky was already low. Although water elements weren't abundant, the moment Snowy Dance of Ultimate Ice was deployed, the surrounding temperature plummeted. The Rank-9 Soul Engineer's body couldn't help but stiffen for a moment, and he immediately activated his soul tool barrier to resist the cold.
Cold! Cold to the bone!
Just as this feeling emerged, her figure vanished from the vast expanse of snowflakes before him. What appeared next was an ice-blue palm reaching out right in front of the Rank-9 Soul Engineer.
Empress' Palm: Snowless Glacier
Crack!
The Snow Empress's ultimate technique—how could a hastily raised defense block it? The barrier shattered, but the momentum of the Emperor's Palm remained entirely undiminished.
The Rank-9 Soul Engineer hurriedly raised his left arm; that half-piece Rank-9 Arm Armor soul tool instantly blocked the Emperor's Palm. A violent shockwave violently rolled out, but it could hardly withstand the invasion of the extreme chill. A punch struck out!
Fist and palm clashed!
Boom—
The Snow Empress was forced back a stumbling step. However, that ultimate chill, mixed with the cold of the Snowy Dance of Ultimate Ice, stacked twofold and invaded the Rank-9 Soul Engineer, freezing his left arm solid. Even that half-piece of Rank-9 Arm Armor was sealed within the ice.
Right at this moment, the Mad King seized the perfect timing. His giant claws swung!
Across the sky! Tearing! The explosive power generated in that instant... even a defense-type Titled Douluo getting close would feel their hearts weaken, let alone a soul engineer.
A soul tool shield automatically triggered to block in front of him.
Clang—Crack!
With a single metallic ring, that shield shattered upon impact.
This Rank-9 Soul Engineer was sent flying backward like a torn sack. As a mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips, dragging the left arm that the Snow Empress had frozen solid, he fled in an incredibly miserable state.
Right at this moment, Huo Yuhang suddenly clenched his fist.
Ice Jade Scorpion Soul Bone Skill: Ice Explosion, activated!
Boom—
Almost simultaneously, the Rank-9 Soul Engineer's left arm instantly exploded, giving him absolutely no time to react. Even with his automatically triggered soul tool barrier activating, it simply couldn't withstand an arm that had been frozen solid before detonating. It could only protect the rest of his body.
In less than a single breath, a Rank-9 Soul Engineer was crippled.
"Even the younger generation is achieving such abundant results; we old fellows need to put in more effort too!" Hammer Douluo let out a long howl. The aura of the giant mallet in his hand surged as he swung it out once more.
Seeing this scene, Xu Tianyuan's pupils constricted sharply. Having blocked Hammer Douluo's strike, he looked at a Vice Commander of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion who was similarly being held back, and instantly made up his mind.
"Full retreat! I will stay behind!"
With a single order, led by the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion, the Sun Moon Empire's aerial forces swiftly disentangled themselves.
However, the Star Luo Empire's people were still relentlessly pursuing them.
Right at this moment, Xu Tianyuan raised his right hand.
A jade-green soul guidance shell appeared in his hand.
As the number one Beast King-tier Soul Engineer Legion, the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion possessed the most Rank-9 Fixed Soul Guidance Shells among all the Guardian Arms of the Sun Moon Empire.
This was a fact that even the current Sun Moon Emperor, Xu Tianran, wasn't aware of.
This was because the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion had a long history. Every generation's commander was a member of the imperial royal clan. These royals were loyal to the imperial family, but that didn't necessarily mean they were loyal to the reigning emperor. Therefore, once they obtained Rank-9 Fixed Soul Guidance Shells, they would choose to secretly hide them away.
Even though Rank-9 Fixed Soul Guidance Shells were massive weapons of destruction, and only a portion of all Rank-9 Soul Engineers would forge them, the Imperial Dragon Legion still hoarded an astonishing number of these "hard goods." Coupled with the vast wealth and various rare metals controlled by the imperial royals, the depths of their arsenal were truly terrifying!
Through various benefit-exchanges, their continuous accumulation allowed the Imperial Dragon Legion's hidden military power and wealth to grow stronger and stronger. Only the successive commanders of the Imperial Dragon Legion knew that if they were to fight regardless of the cost, even the Sun Moon Empire's most powerful Royal Soul Engineer Legion might not necessarily be their opponent.
Therefore, in the minds of these imperial royals, controlling the Imperial Dragon Legion meant that, to a certain extent, they held the power to decide the fate of the Sun Moon Empire.
So, as the current master of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion—and given his own intensely strong desire for power—those treasures that could change the empire's fate, although he wouldn't bring all of them on his person, he definitely brought more than half!
Perhaps he had even more than the current main army.
At this moment, Xu Tianyuan said no more. Only after the Vice Commanders helped him pull away from Hammer Douluo did the light in his hands flash again. A giant cannon appeared on his shoulder, and he loaded it into the chamber.
The next second, Xu Tianyan aimed at the Star Luo crowd.
In an instant, the Star Luo Empire's people were fiercely startled!
Rank-9 Fixed Soul Guidance Shells were no joke!
Without paying attention to the aerial soldiers who hadn't fully disentangled themselves, the moment he saw that all the Imperial Dragon Legion members had completely withdrawn, he didn't bother to aim. With a flash of cyan light, that Fixed Soul Guidance Shell was fired.
The moment his forward defensive barrier lit up, the next instant, a terrifying cyan light illuminated the sky. A massive energy tide frantically surged forth, as if the entire world had turned cyan.
"Defend!"
Gu Tianchen didn't hesitate. Invincible Barriers and Coiling Dragon Shield were instantly deployed. Along with him, Chen Junting, Huo Yuhao, and the three Titled Douluo also raised their defenses.
Boom—
After the explosion resounded, before the shockwaves could even dissipate, Huo Yuhao, whose spiritual power was scanning the battlefield, suddenly felt a sense of suppression in his heart. He vaguely felt something was wrong, carrying a faint sense of foreboding.
The same reaction came from Chen Junting.
He could feel the Power of Destiny frantically sounding the alarm!
At the same time, on the battlefield below. The Star Luo Empire's Soul Masters began to press forward once more, and this time, the Sun Moon Empire's resistance had noticeably weakened.
However, the pessimistic Chen Junting didn't hesitate. The moment he stopped the pursuit, he shouted loudly, "Old Gu!"
The speed was astonishing, taking less than a single breath. Before they could wonder or feel displeased, Gu Tianchen had already seen through the trace of anxiety on Chen Junting's face.
Suddenly, an indescribable feeling instantly spread through Chen Junting's entire body. It wasn't fear, but the threat of death!
Right at this moment, "Hmph—" Huo Yuhao suddenly let out a muffled groan, his face twisting in pain.
Because he couldn't help but feel that terror, his outward spiritual detection instantly shattered, as if the entire world had been instantly annihilated. This immediately made everyone realize something was wrong.
The shattering of the Spiritual Detection Sharing made everyone feel as if they had experienced it themselves.
But what was the reason? Thoughts flew wildly, taking less than a second.
The sky above the Mingdou Mountain Range seemed to be torn apart. Dark clouds surged like pouring ink, and lightning flashed faintly within the clouds, like a crouching ferocious beast baring its fangs. At this moment, a terrifying aura wildly swept across the high skies. Abruptly, a beam of light shot out from the peak of a mountain in the Mingdou Mountain Range without the slightest warning.
Chen Junting's eyes widened, his heart no longer at peace!
That was the Death God Soul Tool!
He never expected it would actually be here! Early on, when the news of Du Busi being heavily injured reached his ears, he had deduced that only the Death God Soul Tool possessed this level of stealth, and the power to severely injure an Ultimate Douluo like Du Busi.
Glancing down, it was too far away to see clearly. But on the surface battlefield, everyone could see it clearly.
The Sun Moon Empire's Death God Soul Tool stood atop the mountain peak, condensing a dark-red beam of light. That light carried the countless shrieks of wronged spirits, and even the air distorted into spiral-shaped ripples due to the extreme energy overload as it blasted toward the high sky.
The moment it appeared, time seemed to freeze. Wherever it passed, the entire space seemed to sliced apart. However, it didn't produce the massive suction force usually seen when the air was torn apart, as if the space of another world had been completely cowed by it. Its speed was so fast, absolutely no one had time to react.
Except...
...Gu Tianchen, who had been warned in advance and prepared for a single breath of time.
Silver light flashed in his eyes: "Still not enough."
"Roar—"
The soul rings under his feet lit up layer by layer. The moment the seventh soul ring flared, Gu Tianchen's figure vanished. A hundred-meter Bone Dragon roared, and layers of silver ripples swept out in all directions!
Great Void Domain!
Spatial ability, strengthened twofold.
Then, another black soul ring flashed in succession.
"Buzz—"
Two Void Gates, ten meters in diameter, abruptly tore open.
Under the enhancement of the Great Void Domain, the left door rippled with an obscure blue light, like a bottomless whirlpool, swallowing all the surrounding light. The right door flowed with magma-like golden-red patterns, where one could vaguely see the folded spatial fragments behind it.
"Roar—"
The Bone Dragon let out a violent roar. That tearing spatial blood-red light barreled straight into the left Void Gate. Inside the gate, a muffled, thunderous roar echoed as a frantic swallowing force wildly tore at the bloody energy. But in an instant, spider-web-like cracks began to spread across the Void Gate.
If not for the enhancement of the Great Void Domain, it would have likely collapsed long ago.
Seeing this, the Bone Dragon True Body flapped its bone wings. The right Void Gate erupted with a blinding golden light—the attacks that were supposed to redirected actually spewed forth from inside the gate, charging straight for the middle of the blood-red light pillar!
"Heh—, turning my own methods against me?" The person controlling the Death God Soul Tool on the mountain peak let out a cold laugh. "It's a pity your ability is still too weak."
As the words fell, he vanished from the spot.
As for Gu Tianchen's side, the void groaned in sorrow.
The void was like shattered glass, radiating thousands of cracks from its center. The left Void Gate took the brunt of the impact; its frame instantly disintegrated into powder amidst the spatial shockwaves. As for the right Void Gate, it was torn to shreds by the violent chaotic currents.
The Bone Dragon True Body trembled slightly, its soul rings instantly dimmed. The soul skill backlash caused the Bone Dragon True Body to continuously dim.
Right at this moment, Gu Tianchen felt as if the void had been sealed. But at this moment, he had no time to think further.
"Coiling Dragon Shield!"
The sixth soul skill lit up. A bone dragon soared into the sky, spiraling into a circular shield, dense and impenetrable as bone.
At the same time, the Golden Armored Mystic Turtle soul power hung above his head.
Golden light flashed, projecting down the "Invincible Barrier."
However, the Death God Soul Tool's light beam was no longer something he could withstand.
When the chaotic spatial currents smashed into the Bone Shield, the light on the shield dimmed; the second wave, mixed with spatial fragments and shockwaves, swept past, and cracks appeared on the Bone Shield. When the third wave of the dark-red light pillar arrived in person, the Coiling Dragon Shield violently detonated, and the Invincible Barrier only managed to hold for three seconds before shattering into a sky full of golden rain, seemingly spraying out a bloody mist.
The Bone Dragon True Body reverted to Gu Tianchen. At this moment, his back was already soaked in cold sweat, and blood seeped from all seven apertures. He casually wiped his face, and the blood he smeared across his face left glaring red streaks on his bone-like skin.
"Fortunately I have not disgraced myself, I held the line."
This last "Golden Turtle Shedding Shell," he kept.
Not for any other reason, but to leave a trump card. After all, this battlefield was simply too dangerous.
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)