On the battlefield, Ning Rongrong's body had already disappeared. In its place stood a pagoda seven meters tall, divided into nine tiers, radiating resplendent light.
At the sight of this, Ning Fengzhi in the Tian Dou Empire's Soul Master formation couldn't help but light up with excitement, clenching both fists as elation overflowed from every feature.
This was it. This was the eighth Soul Ring that no one in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had ever achieved. While boosting the first six Soul Skills' enhancement effect to ninety percent, this eighth Soul Skill had also become the ultimate life-saving technique of Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Douluo Ning Rongrong.
This eighth Soul Skill was called the Nine Treasure Sacred Light Body Protection. Though not an absolute defense like the Invincible Golden Body, the Nine Treasure Sacred Light Body Protection could neutralize any attack below the ninth Soul Skill level, absorbing its offensive Soul Power and converting it into defensive force. And when facing ninth Soul Skill attacks, it could withstand nine strikes without being destroyed.
Once activated, the Nine Treasure Sacred Light Body Protection separated from the Soul Master's body entirely, no longer draining Ning Rongrong's Soul Power and not interfering with her other enhancements. After all, even a Titled Douluo-level powerhouse going all out could only manage three or four ninth Soul Skill attacks at most. This was a major reason why Ning Rongrong had told her companions not to worry about her.
That agility-attack-type Titled Douluo's strike was formidable, but in his haste to finish off Ning Rongrong quickly, he had devoted more of his Soul Power to speed. In his estimation, with his attack power, even without using a Soul Skill, he could easily take Ning Rongrong's life. Who could have guessed that he would crash headfirst into her Nine Treasure Sacred Light Body Protection?
Amid a tremendous boom, the poor Black-Striped Ghost Leopard Soul Master was sent flying backward. All the Soul Power accompanying his attack had been absorbed by the Nine Treasure Sacred Light Body Protection. Not only had he failed to injure Ning Rongrong, he had been hurt by the rebounding force himself.
The battlefield had grown somewhat chaotic. The nine led by Tang San were facing Spirit Hall's nine Titled Douluo. Tang San and his group, who had previously been inflicting heavy casualties, were now being completely suppressed.
Among the nine on Tang San's side, only Tang San and Dugu Bo truly possessed Titled Douluo-level strength. Moreover, Dugu Bo was completely countered, and Tang San himself was facing Bibi Dong, empress of the Spirit Empire, whose Soul Power had reached the ninety-ninth rank. Though Bibi Dong couldn't unleash her full strength, the absolute suppression of her Soul Power still made it extremely difficult for Tang San to hold his ground. Even with Ning Rongrong's enhancements, his Soul Power still fell considerably short of Bibi Dong's.
The one in the best situation on Tang San's side was actually Yang Wudi, the Hall Master of the Tang Sect's Medicine Hall and a full-offense-type War Soul Douluo. Although Yang Wudi's Soul Power hadn't yet reached the ninetieth rank, it was still somewhat more robust than the rest of the Shrek Seven Devils. Combined with Ning Rongrong's assistance, his Soul Power was in no way inferior to that of the Snake Lance Douluo. The two fought to a standstill, and Yang Wudi's fearless Soul-Extinguishing Spear caused the Snake Lance Douluo no end of trouble. In particular, certain mutually destructive killing moves forced She Long to take a few hits.
At the same time, though the Holy Dragon Legion had lost its commander and vice-commander, it now demonstrated the elite prowess of the Spirit Empire. Over ten thousand Soul Masters swept across the central battlefield, hurtling toward the Tian Dou Empire's main army and on the verge of entering Soul Skill striking range.
Marshal Ge Long cast an anxious glance at the Great Master. "Imperial Advisor, shouldn't our Soul Masters also release their Martial Souls and join the fight?"
The Great Master shook his head. "Not yet. Marshal, please be patient."
As he spoke, the Great Master's gaze drifted toward the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's position within their formation. Ning Fengzhi happened to be looking in his direction at the same moment. Their eyes met, and the Great Master gave Ning Fengzhi a firm nod. Understanding immediately, Ning Fengzhi raised his right thumb.
With a piercing, resonant cry, Sword Douluo Chen Xin soared into the air. His Seven Kill Sword blazed with sudden brilliance, expanding in the wind mid-flight. Simultaneously, six streams of enhancement light shot from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in Ning Fengzhi's hand, pouring into the Sword Douluo's body all at once. In that instant, the Seven Kill Sword generated a colossal sword shadow a hundred meters long and thirty meters wide that swept outward.
This strike was not aimed at the enemy—it carved across the ground before the charging Soul Masters of the Holy Dragon Legion.
The ninety-seventh rank Sword Douluo, boosted by Ning Fengzhi's eighty percent enhancement, had his Soul Power elevated to the ninety-eighth rank level almost instantaneously. At this moment, he was comparable even to Bibi Dong, whose power was restricted. That heaven-shaking sword descended in a flash of light, landing before the Holy Dragon Legion.
The incomparably sharp sword energy caused the entire ten-thousand-strong Holy Dragon Legion to falter. Then, amid a series of tremendous detonations, the very earth seemed to tear itself apart.
The Elephant Armor Sect and Holy Dragon Sect Soul Masters at the forefront of the Holy Dragon Legion were blasted into the air by the force of this single strike, soaring dozens of meters high. The razor-sharp sword qi sliced through their bodies—though the sheer area of the attack prevented it from killing them, it tore their fur and scales free in great sprays of crimson blood.
It was then that the Great Master swept his right hand downward. "Tang Army—fire."
Hum—
With a deafening metallic chorus, a massive wave of buzzing erupted in unison. Over ten thousand Tang Army soldiers activated the Zhuge Divine Crossbow's lethal bolts for the first time on this battlefield.
Black crossbow bolts formed dense phantom clouds in the air. The Tang Army soldiers, both mounted and on foot, painted a picture of death with the Zhuge Divine Crossbows in their hands.
The Elephant Armor Sect and Holy Dragon Sect Soul Masters at the very front, with their sturdy physiques, could no longer shield the Soul Masters behind them. The agility-attack-type Soul Masters who had flanked to the sides were now also exposed before the crossbows wielded by the one thousand Tang Army soldiers led by the Tang Sect's Strength Hall Master, Titan, and the Defense Hall Master, Niu Gao.
Over twelve thousand Tang Army soldiers, each Zhuge Divine Crossbow spewing sixteen bolts tipped with iron-essence heads—what a sight it was. Nearly two hundred thousand crossbow bolts spread across the ground like a black cloud, sweeping toward the Holy Dragon Legion in an instant.
To maximize the effectiveness of their charge and allow Soul Masters to deploy their power immediately, the Holy Dragon Legion's formation had been spread wide. It was precisely because of this that they absorbed even more of the Zhuge Divine Crossbow barrage head-on.
Deep within the Tian Dou Empire's main formation, Emperor Xue Beng had already clenched his fists. He had waited far too long for this moment. As the supreme ruler of the Tian Dou Empire, he understood better than anyone just how significant the Zhuge Divine Crossbow's effect would be in this decisive battle.
Even at a distance of several dozen li from the main battlefield, the thunderous roar of over ten thousand Zhuge Divine Crossbows was still enough to chill the heart. And when that black cloud swept into the ranks of the Holy Dragon Legion, Xue Beng could see the great plumes of blood mist rising into the air with perfect clarity—along with the heart-rending screams that accompanied them.
Wherever the black cloud of Zhuge Divine Crossbow bolts passed, the Holy Dragon Corps Soul Masters fell like wheat being mown down. These were nearly two hundred thousand bolts capable of piercing fourth-ring defensive Soul Skills! The frontal Holy Dragon Legion fared slightly better, since they were predominantly assault-type Soul Masters with support-type Soul Masters positioned further back. But the agility-attack-type Soul Masters on the flanks were far less fortunate.
No matter how fast an agility-attack Soul Master was, they couldn't outrun crossbow bolts fired at point-blank range. In nearly an instant, the relatively lightly defended agility-attack Soul Masters on both flanks lost close to a third of their number. Only those of higher rank or with extremely sharp reflexes escaped the carnage.
The Holy Dragon Legion Soul Masters at the front, though mostly assault-types, found it absolutely terrifying to endure such a dense barrage with their bodies alone. Every Soul Master at the vanguard was forced to absorb the impact of roughly a hundred bolts. Sixteen bolts could only break through a fourth-ring defense, but a hundred striking simultaneously could overwhelm even a fifth-ring defensive skill. And how many Holy Dragon Corps Soul Masters had actually managed to activate their defensive Soul Skills when the Zhuge Divine Crossbows fired?
Two full rows—fully a thousand Holy Dragon Legion Soul Masters—erupted in fountains of blinding blood mist, collapsing into pools of blood amid heart-rending screams. Combined with the losses among the flanking agility-attack Soul Masters, a single volley had reduced the Holy Dragon Legion's Soul Master count by nearly one-sixth.
Xue Beng swept his fist through the air in excitement. The Tang Army's first strike had already exceeded his wildest expectations. Though the distance was too great to see the exact enemy losses, the plumes of blood mist rising from their ranks told the story of the devastation clearly enough. And this was only the beginning.
"Reload. Mount up." The Great Master was as calm as a block of ice. Under his orders, the Tang Army soldiers swiftly reloaded their crossbows. The Holy Dragon Legion's Soul Masters, meanwhile, had been left somewhat stunned by the barrage.
At the same time, Sword Douluo Chen Xin struck without hesitation. He flipped midair, Soul Power erupting from beneath his feet as he shot toward the central battlefield like a meteor chasing the moon. The Seven Kill Sword pointed ahead, its target the Black-Striped Ghost Leopard Douluo.
Bibi Dong and Tang San were locked in fierce combat. Just as her Death Spider Emperor's sixth Soul Skill, the Blood-Leeching Spider Sting, was about to pierce Tang San's body, the Zhuge Divine Crossbows detonated. Before Tang San could dodge, Bibi Dong's own movements faltered for a split second, her eyes filling with disbelief.
How could Tang San let such an opportunity slip? He stamped his right foot on the ground, and the Hell King's Domain erupted in full force. Red and white light swept across the battlefield in an instant, forcibly pushing back Bibi Dong's Death Domain and keeping its lethal poison at bay. At the same time, a beam of golden light surged into the Sea God's Trident, restoring the divine weapon's radiance.
In the preceding battle, Tang San had successively instant-killed two powerhouses and expended his Soul Skills too quickly. Bibi Dong's sudden assault had left him no time to channel the Sea God's Trident, forcing him to hold on desperately under her suppression. Now he could finally catch his breath. The Golden Trident swept in a circle before him, and through the Unfixed Storm's defensive posture, it generated a ring of golden halos that neutralized her Blood-Leeching Spider Sting.
Having deflected Bibi Dong's attack, Tang San retreated rather than advanced, stepping through Ghost Shadow Phantom Trail as he rapidly withdrew. Intense blue-gold light rekindled across his body as he activated the Blue Silver Avatar.
He was a Control Type Soul Master, not an assault type. In a team battle like this, his greater role should be in control, not a direct duel to the death with Bibi Dong. Their side was clearly outmatched overall. The longer the battle dragged on, the worse their situation—but right now, stalling was exactly the plan, buying enough time for the Great Master's Tian Dou Soul Master Corps and the Tang Army.
Sensing the shift in qi, Bibi Dong chased after Tang San at full speed. Her hatred for him had reached its peak. Though the Holy Dragon Legion was in serious trouble, she was even more eager to eliminate the young man before her. Leaving such a formidable opponent alive would only bring her more trouble down the road.
Amid a thunderous boom, a fierce divine light blazed across Tang San's face. With the Sea God's Trident in its true form, resisting Bibi Dong was far less difficult. The trident trailed rings of golden halos as they arced toward Bibi Dong's body.
Seeing those golden halos, Bibi Dong's expression changed. She vividly remembered the last time, in the Star Dou Great Forest, when she had been caught by these golden rings and forced to unleash her ninth Soul Skill—Undying Body. Even then, she had sustained serious injuries.
Therefore, seeing Tang San activate the Sea God's Trident's Unfixed Storm, Bibi Dong naturally paused midair. She swept both hands forward as blinding purple-black light coalesced before her, enveloping her body in a protective barrier.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Tang San's mouth. Back then, the power that had trapped Bibi Dong wasn't his own—it was the Sea God's power. His Soul Power was vastly inferior to Bibi Dong's, and while the Unfixed Storm technically had a chance of success, that chance was undoubtedly slim. He would never do something so reckless. The rings of golden halos that had forced Bibi Dong back suddenly spread apart, sweeping toward the Titled Douluo facing Xiao Wu on one side and the Porcupinefish Douluo Ci Xue facing Dugu Bo on the other.
Simultaneously, Tang San's fourth Soul Ring blazed to life. Nine golden beams erupted from the ground beneath them, and a golden cage materialized under each of the nine opponents, trapping them inside. Though these cages were merely capable of briefly stalling Titled Douluo-level Soul Masters before being shattered by their powerful attacks, the difference between life and death among true masters often hinged on a single instant. In this moment, Tang San finally demonstrated his true strength as a Control Type Titled Douluo.
With the opponents momentarily frozen, the Soul Masters on Tang San's side seized the opportunity without hesitation. Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing had been positioned close together, and in that brief window, they simultaneously charged toward each other. Intense light condensed in midair as they prepared to combine their powers.
Yang Wudi's Soul-Extinguishing Spear blazed with brilliant light. The Blue Silver Cages surrounding the Snake Lance Douluo had just been shattered when the spear arrived before him with unstoppable momentum. This strike concentrated every last drop of Yang Wudi's Soul Power, leaving absolutely nothing held back for defense.
The Snake Lance Douluo could clearly feel that he could no longer dodge this thrust. Being suppressed by Yang Wudi for so long, he could endure no more. Forced to shift his body three inches sideways while still locked within Yang Wudi's targeting, he wielded his snake lance like a saber and cleaved straight down at Yang Wudi. The move looked as though he intended to die together with his enemy.
Yang Wudi would never retreat—if he did, he would not be the patriarch of the Break clan. With a soft thud, the Soul-Extinguishing Spear pierced clean through the Snake Lance Douluo's chest. At the same time, Yang Wudi lunged forward, dodging the lance's pointed tip, though the shaft slammed heavily into his shoulder.