Just as Mask Douluo silently infiltrated the Wang Family's estate, preparing to unleash slaughter—
Wang Chen stood at the highest point of the Wang residence, his gaze icy and locked in the direction of Mask Douluo.
Back during the clan meeting, he had already discovered the strange blue-black maggots inside the Tenth Elder's body. He hadn't exposed it on the spot, however. Instead, he decided to turn the tables.
He allowed the Evil Soul Master to continue controlling the Tenth Elder and carry out his setup, while Wang Chen observed from the shadows, laying down his own careful arrangements. When the Evil Soul Master finally entered the Wang estate and stepped into his trap, Wang Chen would strike and kill him at his leisure.
Over the past few days, Wang Chen had used the Origin of Spirit to completely transform the Wang estate—everything within it had been imbued with spirituality.
It could be said that the Wang Family's entire territory had become Wang Chen's domain. Before the Origin of Spirit dispersed, Wang Chen was the absolute ruler here; no movement could escape his perception.
Mask Douluo's infiltration might have been stealthy, but within the domain, he was as conspicuous as a torch in the night.
"So he's finally here." Wang Chen sensed a surge of soul power entering the Wang estate—far stronger and far more sinister than that of a Soul Douluo. He murmured to himself, the corner of his mouth curling into a cold smile.
Though the Evil Soul Master's soul power had reached the level of a Titled Douluo, his strength still felt inferior to Jing Hongchen's, and his danger level was far below (Jing Hongchen being Rank 93, with combat power reaching the Super Douluo level).
This level of strength was actually perfect for testing just how powerful Wang Chen had become.
If the intruder had been a Super Douluo, Wang Chen's goal would not have been to kill, but to stall for time.
A Super Douluo's overwhelming soul power was like a blazing sun—if it erupted, it would instantly trigger all of Mingdu's soul power detectors.
At that point, not only would the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion be alerted, but even experts from the Royal Enshrined Hall would rush over. As long as Wang Chen could hold out for a short while, the Super Douluo would have to flee.
Feeling the evil aura moving within his Spirit Domain, Wang Chen's mood was excellent. "Let me see for myself just how strong a Titled Douluo—standing at the very peak of the soul master world—really is."
"I hope he isn't too weak, or my days of careful preparation would have been wasted."
Behind Wang Chen, Wang Yan and Great Elder Wang Lu instantly tensed when they heard him say "he's here." Their eyes grew sharp, filled with killing intent.
After the clan meeting a few days prior, the two of them had held a private discussion with Wang Chen. After hearing Wang Chen's explanation, they learned that a powerful Evil Soul Master was targeting the Wang Family—
—and that even the Tenth Elder's body had been planted with strange blue-black maggots, leaving him unable to control his own life and death, entirely at the mercy of the Evil Soul Master.
When they first learned this, both Wang Yan and the Great Elder had been extremely grave and fearful.
Their first thought was that they couldn't fight such an enemy head-on. Their second was to report directly to the Emperor, forcing the Evil Soul Master to hesitate. Otherwise, the Wang Family might not withstand the attack.
Within the upper echelons of the Sun and Moon Empire, the existence of Evil Soul Masters was no secret.
Everyone knew their evil, insanity, and strange powers. Their combat strength far exceeded that of Soul Masters or Soul Engineers of the same level—they could even fight across ranks.
But after hearing Wang Chen's plan, both men changed their minds—because Wang Chen told them that his strength was already comparable to a Rank 9 Soul Engineer or Titled Douluo.
He would no longer hide in the shadows—he would step into the light, trample the Evil Soul Master beneath his feet, and shake the entire Sun and Moon Empire.
Both Wang Yan and the Great Elder knew exactly how terrifying Wang Chen's talent and strength were.
Once revealed, every high-ranking figure in the Empire would be stunned—perhaps even Emperor Xu Jing himself would be unable to stay calm.
In that instant, both of them became utterly thrilled—their bodies trembling with excitement.
Right then and there, Wang Yan and Wang Lu both knelt in full salute before Wang Chen, completely submitting to him.
They had never imagined that Wang Chen had already broken through again in such a short time, stepping into the ranks of the top powerhouses.
As they knelt, both men thought with reverence that, if not for the threat of this Evil Soul Master, they might still be in the dark about just how terrifying their Patriarch truly was.
They even began to suspect that the strength Wang Chen revealed might not be his full power—that he might have hidden cards even deeper still.
Now, in their eyes, Wang Chen was shrouded in thick mist—peel away one layer and another remained beneath. Mysterious, unfathomable, awe-inspiring.
Both Wang Yan and the Great Elder believed that although the Evil Soul Master was powerful, he would die miserably the moment he set foot into the Wang estate—becoming the stepping stone for their Patriarch, Wang Chen, to rise to fame!
Wang Chen turned and asked calmly, "Is everything ready?"
The Great Elder replied, "Patriarch, all soul tool defense formations are prepared. The clan members are positioned as planned. Aside from the Tenth Elder, every other elder is in place, just waiting for this Evil Soul Master to step into the net."
Wang Yan added, "Against such a powerful Evil Soul Master, the other elders can't really participate in the fight—but they can operate the soul tools from the perimeter to provide support.
It's just a pity we don't have the linked soul tools used by the military Soul Engineer Legions. With that, the Wang Family's combined firepower could even resist a Titled Douluo."
...
Meanwhile, Mask Douluo silently advanced deeper into the Wang estate, heading straight for the central region—toward Wang Yan's palace.
Clearly, his first target was the Wang Family's strongest known member: Wang Yan, whose cultivation was at the peak of Soul Douluo.
In the eyes of outsiders, Wang Chen was just a young junior—no one paid him any attention.
Mask Douluo licked his lips. The countless blue-black maggots crawling across his face glowed faintly with sinister light.
"The soul of a peak Soul Douluo… that'll be a real treat."
Just as his greedy thoughts surged and drool trickled from his mouth—
Twelve beams of light suddenly shot up around him, connecting to form a massive energy net that trapped him in the center!
Mask Douluo's expression changed instantly. "Not good—an ambush!"
A flurry of thoughts flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed them.
He couldn't fathom how he'd been exposed. In his mind, the Wang Family were mere ants, incapable of detecting him. Those waiting here had to be from the upper ranks of the Sun and Moon Empire!
Clack, clack, clack—footsteps echoed.
Fully armed, Wang Chen led Wang Yan and Wang Lu—both Soul Douluo powerhouses—into view, eyes cold as they fixed on Mask Douluo.
Wang Chen wore Level 8 Soul Tool armor, a Level 8 flight soul device on his back. His killing intent surged as he said coldly, "Since you've come, you can stay."
Then, from his storage soul tool, Wang Chen drew an Level 8 peak close-combat Soul Tool spear. The armor and flight gear he wore were treasures of the Wang Family, while this spear had been forged by Wang Yan and Wang Lu together according to Wang Chen's specifications.
Ordinarily, Wang Chen couldn't wield a Level 8 soul tool—but by using his secret art, which temporarily boosted his cultivation, he could.
This spear, crafted from nearly all of the Wang Family's top-grade rare metals, was incomparably tough.
Though its core array wasn't yet complete, its durability rivaled that of a Level 9 soul tool.
Once Wang Chen's cultivation advanced further, he could personally engrave a new core array, allowing the weapon to advance to Level 9.
Unlike his previous fight with Wang Yan, this spear would not shatter under his immense power.
Mask Douluo had initially been nervous—after all, whoever laid this ambush clearly knew his strength and might have sent a Rank 9 Soul Engineer.
But seeing only Wang Chen, Wang Yan, and Wang Lu, he burst into mocking laughter. The fluctuations of their soul power told him all he needed to know.
"I thought a Titled Douluo expert had come. Turns out it's just three ants. I don't know how you insects found me—but two Soul Douluo and one mere Soul Emperor dare to speak so arrogantly?"
The purple-black maggots on his face squirmed with his grin, making him look even more monstrous. Seeing Wang Yan and Wang Lu—the two main targets named by Zhongli Wu—he sneered inwardly.
Perfect. Saves me the trouble of hunting you down. I'll kill you all at once and complete the mission.
Mask Douluo gave a chilling laugh. "Arrogant insects—die for me!"
Before his words even finished, his soul power erupted—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black—nine soul rings rose up!
The overwhelming, sinister pressure of a Titled Douluo filled the area.
Behind him, a horrifying face-shaped shadow emerged, slowly expanding to cover Wang Chen and the others.
His second, third, and fourth soul rings shone one after another. A piercing shriek echoed in the air, soul-rending and terrifying.
Wang Chen felt a dreadful force tugging at his spiritual sea, as though trying to tear his soul apart. A chilling coldness pressed in from all sides.
But Wang Chen's spiritual sea—tempered by his cultivation method and the Spirit Gold of Living Beings—was incredibly resilient. His spiritual power had long reached the Soul Douluo level. Though uncomfortable, the attack could not harm him.
With a low snort, Wang Chen merged his spirit, soul power, and will into one, forming a psychic shield that blocked Mask Douluo's attack.
After all, those three soul skills were merely hundred- and thousand-year abilities—their power limited.
Wang Chen was unharmed, but the Great Elder Wang Lu's expression paled.
Wang Yan, being close to the Titled Douluo level himself, was fine—though his spiritual strength was lower than Mask Douluo's, the gap wasn't huge.
But Wang Lu, with weaker cultivation and spiritual power, was badly affected. His face turned white.
Seeing this, Wang Chen sent a voice transmission: "Fall back. Use long-range soul tools for support."
Wang Yan and the Great Elder obeyed immediately, retreating swiftly and drawing their long-range soul tools to bombard Mask Douluo from afar.
Mask Douluo snorted, raising one hand casually. Twisting shadows shimmered around his body—their attacks vanished into nothingness, leaving him unharmed.
Clearly, the gap was immense. Even if they attacked him freely, they couldn't break his defenses.
Cold sweat streamed down both men's backs. Just one exchange had told them the truth: they could not win. This Evil Soul Master was too terrifying.
The Great Elder swallowed hard. "Can the Patriarch handle this…?"
Wang Yan replied firmly, "Don't worry. The Patriarch hasn't even used the secret art he used against me last time."
Mask Douluo looked at the two retreating Soul Douluo, then at Wang Chen, sneering, "A mere little Soul Emperor commanding two Soul Douluo—how amusing. Come then, let me have a look at you!"
With that, a twisted shadow lunged toward Wang Chen—its speed so fast even Soul Douluo experts could barely react.
Facing an attack from a Titled Douluo–level Evil Soul Master, Wang Chen didn't dare underestimate it. He unleashed his full power instantly.
Using his Ring Detonation Secret Art, he detonated his first and second soul rings.
Terrifying energy flooded his body, rapidly boosting his strength.
Previously, by relying on this very technique and his combat skills, he had easily defeated peak Soul Douluo Wang Yan.
Now, his mastery of the technique was perfect—its side effects drastically reduced, with only a one-day cooldown, and it no longer interfered with soul skill usage.
Behind him, three black soul rings lit up simultaneously. He activated all his enhancement-type soul skills except his sixth one, which burned blood essence, channeling their power into his spear.
Under the Ring Detonation's amplification, Wang Chen's combat power surged. He thrust his spear forward—one blinding strike that pierced straight through the distorted shadow Mask Douluo had unleashed!
The twisted image screamed in agony before dissolving into a disgusting maggot that quickly vanished.
Mask Douluo let out a muffled grunt, staring at Wang Chen in disbelief. "Impossible! How can a mere Soul Emperor ant destroy my Demonic Maggot?!"
Before he could recover from his shock, a white radiance enveloped Wang Chen's body—his black eyes turned pure white.
Spirit Domain—Activate!