Tang San said coolly, "I don't know what the outcome of the Clear Sky School will be in the future, but I can be certain that this day next year will be your death anniversary."
The Blood Soul Axe Soul Saint roared, "You can talk big after you've beaten me first! Hear my orders — everyone, leave immediately and report the Clear Sky School's resurgence to the City Master! Go!"
Even as he bellowed, he lunged straight toward Tang San. The Blood Soul Axe in his hand blazed with light as the black seventh Soul Ring instantly dissolved into a massive surge of black energy that sank into the axe's body. In the blink of an eye, the Blood Soul Axe swelled to enormous proportions, becoming as large as a wagon wheel, and swung down at Tang San wreathed in a fierce aura of blood, like a bolt of red lightning materializing out of thin air.
Upon receiving their leader's command, the lower-ranked Soul Masters turned and fled. These people were at least sharp — they didn't all run in the same direction but scattered in different directions, with the agility-type Soul Masters sprinting out in front. The manor was not small, but with their speed it would take only a few breaths to escape. If several dozen Soul Masters made it out at once into the winding streets beyond, even someone of Tang San's caliber would have to go to considerable trouble to cut them all down.
The Blood Soul Axe in its Martial Soul True Body state was undeniably powerful. This Soul Saint of the Spirit Empire had gone all out from the very start — partly to give his subordinates a chance to escape, and partly because he personally wanted to taste what it was like to fight a powerhouse of the Clear Sky School. He firmly believed that as long as his opponent wasn't overwhelmingly stronger, even if he couldn't win, escaping would still be possible. After all, once one reached the Soul Saint level, if one was dead set on fleeing, it was exceedingly difficult to intercept them.
Facing the Blood Soul Axe descending from the sky like a bolt of red lightning, Tang San deflected the full-force strike with a single simple motion. He raised his right hand and swept the pitch-black Sea God's Trident upward in a motion like raising a torch to the heavens. He hadn't even channeled much Soul Power into the movement.
With a deafening clang, the red light shattered instantly. The Sea God's Trident didn't vibrate even slightly — only the arcane patterns embedded within it rippled with a faint dark-gold glow. Meanwhile, the Blood Soul Axe in its Martial Soul True Body state was blown apart into fragments on the spot.
With his Martial Soul shattered, the Soul Master who owned it naturally fared no better. The Blood Soul Axe Soul Saint spewed mouthfuls of blood and was sent hurtling dozens of meters into the air. But even when the Clear Sky Hammer smashed into his spine, shattering every bone in his body, he never managed to understand why he had lost so catastrophically. He hadn't even seen a single one of his opponent's Soul Rings. A strike delivered in Martial Soul True Body state had met a casually swept trident — and the result was utter destruction.
He wasn't the only one shocked. This was the first time Tang San had used the Sea God's Trident, and even he was momentarily stunned — so much so that the fastest among those Spirit Empire Soul Masters had already reached the manor wall.
Tang San had originally intended to simply use the Sea God's Trident to deflect the opponent's attack and then finish the fight with the Clear Sky Hammer. With the trident's terrifying weight of one hundred and eight thousand jin, even a Martial Soul True Body couldn't possibly harm him. But who could have guessed that against the Sea God's Trident, the Blood Soul Axe would simply disintegrate into fragments? In that moment, Tang San hadn't even felt the slightest tremor through the trident.
So this was the true power of a divine artifact? Truly worthy of being the weapon once wielded by the Sea God! Its raw destructive force alone had already reached such a terrifying level. With it, the siege capability Tang San had previously lacked was now fully compensated for, and the savings in Soul Power were beyond estimation.
The exchange had been decided the instant they clashed. If even a powerful existence like the Blood Soul Axe Soul Saint couldn't slow Tang San down for a single moment, how could he possibly give those other Spirit Hall Soul Masters any chance to escape?
With a soft puff, a flash of blue light flickered across Tang San's forehead and vanished. Correspondingly, a streak of blue light swept across the transparent diamond-shaped gemstone set in the Sea God's Trident.
In that instant, every fleeing Soul Master felt their bodies grow sluggish, as though they were caught in the midst of towering waves. A massive energy crushed down upon their spiritual world, and starting from the weakest, they collapsed one after another. They were not dead — their souls had been shattered, reducing them to idiots.
Tang San's control over spiritual power could be described as absolute perfection. He hadn't killed them — but turning them into idiots was no different from killing them. The Soul Masters of Spirit Hall had been complicit in tyranny for years, especially those stationed in various cities. They had grown arrogant and domineering, having harmed untold numbers of ordinary people. Such a fate was nothing less than what they deserved.
In the darkness, everything fell quiet once more. What Tang San had used was one of the four abilities originally bestowed by the Vast Sea Cosmic Cover — the Vast Sea Storm, imprinted on his head soul bone. It was an area-of-effect spiritual attack. Though its individual power couldn't compare to the Purple Extreme Demon Eye, its advantage lay in its wide coverage. these Soul Masters, mostly below rank sixty, had no way of withstanding it.
Wrapping the Sea God's Trident in cloth strips once more, Tang San strolled out of the City Defense Soul Master Garrison. It would take some time before anyone discovered what had happened here — those unconscious soldiers wouldn't be waking up for a while.
Tang San first found a bathhouse that operated around the clock and took a soak. Though no blood had stained his body, that invisible aura of carnage was something Xiao Wu detested most. After washing up and changing into fresh clothes, he rose into the air while invisible and left the city. By the time dawn broke, he had already arrived with Xiao Wu at the next city in the Spirit Empire's Hagendass Province.
Xilu City. Early morning, before dawn. The entire city's upper echelons and nobility had already descended into chaos. At the City Defense Soul Master Garrison, all eighty-odd Soul Masters had met with catastrophe — forty-six killed, thirty-seven reduced to idiots. Among the dead was the Spirit Empire's Soul Master commander stationed in Xilu City, the Blood Soul Axe Soul Saint himself. In an instant, Xilu City was gripped by terror. The City Master immediately ordered the city sealed and dispatched messengers to report to the Spirit Empire's capital, Spirit City.
Of course, the City Master of Xilu understood perfectly well that a citywide lockdown was futile. If someone could slaughter over eighty Soul Masters, how could his soldiers and generals possibly stop them? He could only pray that whoever had killed the Spirit Empire's Soul Masters wouldn't come for him.
The Spirit Empire had its own special methods of communication. Within a single day, the news had reached Spirit City, the imperial capital.
Hu Liena sat upright in the Papal Hall's council chamber, with Yan and Xie Yue seated to her left and right respectively. Frowning deeply, she studied the urgent dispatch before her.
Xie Yue spoke in a low voice, "Judging from the report, the men we sent to Xilu City appear to have been ambushed, resulting in total annihilation. And the attackers must have been experts. Most of the killed were bludgeoned to death. The Blood Soul Axe Soul Saint, Stanford — I know him. Rank seventy-four, a tool-type Soul Saint. Quite formidable. In a one-on-one fight, I couldn't beat him. Yet he died with every bone in his body shattered, which means he must have been struck by a powerful Soul Skill attack. Those who were turned into idiots seem to have been hit by some kind of spiritual-type Soul Skill."
Yan slammed his palm on the table and snarled, "It has to be the Tian Dou Empire! They've got some nerve, daring to ambush us. Over eighty Soul Masters lost — that's no small number."
Xie Yue shook his head. "It's hard to say for certain right now. Although all those provinces have submitted to the empire, they were previously kingdoms and duchies. It's entirely possible they acted on their own. Every nation has its share of experts. Of course, that possibility is lower. To have killed so many of our people without raising any alarm — even a Titled Douluo would find that difficult. The enemy numbers couldn't have been small. Only a simultaneous attack from multiple directions could have produced this kind of result."
Hu Liena's brow furrowed tightly. "With just this one dispatch, it's hard to understand the specifics of what happened. It seems I'll have to make a trip myself. With His Majesty away, if something of this magnitude isn't handled properly, we won't be able to answer for it when he returns."
Yan immediately said, "Nana, let me go. I'll take a squad of elites — I'm sure I can track them down through whatever clues they left behind. If it was the Tian Dou Empire, then when His Majesty returns, we'll have even more justification to wage war against them."
Hu Liena shook her head. "No. I won't feel at ease if you go alone. If the enemy dared to do this, they must have some plan. I'll go in person. Big brother, you and Yan stay here and hold the fort."
Xie Yue said, "Sister, before His Majesty left, he entrusted the empire's affairs to you. How can you just up and leave?"
Yan quickly chimed in, "Exactly, Nana, you can't go. Let me handle it instead."
Hu Liena shook her head, her beautiful eyes gleaming with resolve. "Listen to me. The empire is already on track and developing rapidly. Our Spirit City is not something the enemy would dare attack lightly, and there are no pressing matters here. What happened in Xilu City is reminiscent of the destruction of the Gengxin City branch over four years ago. It's hard to say who was responsible. His Majesty entrusted me with this matter, and I must see it with my own eyes to put my mind at ease."
Since Spirit Hall had established its empire, Hu Liena's status had risen accordingly. Her title of Saintess remained unchanged, but she was now the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Empire, second only to Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong in authority. She had the power to mobilize the empire's armies and Soul Masters apart from the Elder Hall. Over time, her strength had also far surpassed that of Xie Yue and Yan — she was the most likely of the Golden Generation to break through to rank seventy before the age of thirty. Yan had been pursuing her all along, but Hu Liena had never given him any encouragement, devoting herself entirely to helping Bibi Dong build and develop the empire. She had won Bibi Dong's deep trust. Now that she had made her decision, even Xie Yue couldn't very well oppose her.
"Nana, then should you invite the two elders to accompany you? The enemy is not weak — you mustn't put yourself in any danger," Xie Yue said with some concern.
Hu Liena shook her head. "There's no need. His Majesty already took six elders with him. The remaining elders in Spirit City are needed to hold the defense. Although it's unlikely the enemy would attack here, the capital is the bedrock of the empire and cannot afford even the slightest instability. Handle the daily affairs, and if a powerful enemy comes calling, ask the elders to step in. As for me, don't worry — I'll be taking an Annihilation Squad with me. We'll be able to handle whatever comes up."
Xie Yue smiled. "Good. But be careful on the road. Before you reach Xilu City, don't let the provincial officials learn of your identity. If it turns out they're the ones scheming, you could still be in danger."
Hu Liena nodded. "I'll leave the capital's affairs in your hands. I'm setting off immediately. With good speed, I should reach Xilu City in about four or five days." With that, she stood and strode out.
Watching Hu Liena's retreating figure, Yan couldn't help but sigh. "Nana has more and more the bearing of a ruler. It's just that…"
Xie Yue glanced at him. "Just what? Just that she still won't give you the time of day?"
Yan smiled bitterly. "Xie Yue, we all grew up together. Why doesn't Nana like me? I remember when we were kids, she was quite nice to me! Could it be because of that Tang San?"
Xie Yue replied helplessly, "Don't ask me — I don't know either. But I do often see Nana looking weighed down with worries. Don't overthink it. If it doesn't work out, just let it go. Speaking of which, you're nearly thirty. It's time you found a partner. Don't let Nana hold you back."
Yan said through gritted teeth, "It's definitely because of that Tang San. That bastard pretended to be called Tang Yin and deceived Nana's feelings. If I ever see him again, I'll tear him to shreds."
A cold light flickered in Xie Yue's eyes. "Tang San is genuinely formidable. You and I may be confident in ourselves, but if you really ran into him one-on-one — could you win? Don't forget, back then he killed a whole bunch of you even while being chased and cornered by all of you together. Every single one of those people was far stronger than he was. That guy is too terrifying. And on top of that, his Soul Beast lover sacrificed herself to save him. He must hate us to the bone. The strange thing is, over these past few years we've expended enormous manpower searching for him, yet we haven't found a single trace. It's as if the man vanished into thin air."
The memory of Tang San's power in the Star Dou Great Forest made Yan's spirits sink. "I really don't know how that guy trains. He's younger than us, yet his Soul Power is no lower than ours. The most terrifying thing is the endless variety of tricks he has up his sleeve. Forget it — let's not talk about him. Xie Yue, will Nana be in any danger this time?"
Xie Yue chuckled. "She's taking an Annihilation Squad — what danger could there be? Those are elites personally trained by His Majesty. They represent decades of accumulated strength from Spirit Hall. There are only five Annihilation Squads in total, each led by five Soul Douluo-level powerhouses and backed by twenty Soul Saint-level experts. As long as they don't run into three or more Titled Douluo, they'll be fine. And they've trained together for years with excellent coordination. With those experts escorting her, who could possibly touch Nana?"
Yan conceded, "True, I was worrying over nothing. But concern makes one anxious, doesn't it? Honestly, besides Nana, there's no room in my heart for any other woman. I believe that one day, I'll move her heart."
But Xie Yue and Yan's confidence in the Annihilation Squad wavered two days later. In the span of just two days, they received five urgent reports in succession — five more cities' garrison Soul Master corps had been devastated. Not a single conscious survivor remained. Combined with the earlier attack on Xilu City, over five hundred Soul Masters across six major cities had either been killed or reduced to idiots. And the manner of death varied — the most horrific garrison had been left in pieces, their bodies torn apart. A loss of over five hundred Soul Masters was something even the Spirit Empire, which boasted the majority of the continent's Soul Masters, could not afford to bear.
Yet Xie Yue and Yan found themselves completely powerless. The Annihilation Squad was not under their authority to mobilize. Left with no other option, they could only issue a flurry of orders, commanding all Soul Masters stationed in cities and military camps throughout the Spirit Empire to heighten their vigilance and be prepared to respond to enemy attacks at any moment. After doing what they could, all they could do was wait for news from Hu Liena or for Bibi Dong's return.
…
Seated cross-legged atop a small hill, Tang San drew in and breathed out the purple energy at the horizon's edge. Although his Purple Extreme Demon Eye had already been cultivated to the Vast Sea realm, the habit of training forged over so many years was not one he had abandoned.