Huo Yuhao, Sun Moon Emperor: The Kings Rise Against the Usurper?

Huo Yuhao stood at the top of the God Ascension Platform.

His disheveled white hair stirred in the wind, and his blood-red Eyes of Asura gazed quietly at the vast sea of people below.

He wore the deep black ceremonial robes of an emperor, with dark gold patterns embroidered on the cuffs and collar, and the Asura Demon Sword hung at his waist.

On Huo Yuhao's shoulder, a tiny silver-gray evil eye lay obediently, its tentacles curled into a ball as though it were dozing.

All around the God Ascension Platform, the people shouted in unison.

"Emperor! Emperor! Emperor!"

The roar of their voices came in waves like the tide.

All the people knew that their new emperor, Huo Yuhao, was the man who had transformed the entire Soul Tool system of the Sun Moon Empire!

Countless strands of the power of faith gathered from every direction, becoming specks of golden light that swarmed toward Huo Yuhao like a sky full of fireflies.

The power of faith converged into golden streams that flowed into Huo Yuhao's body, his Martial Soul, and his soul.

Huo Yuhao's cultivation did not change as he absorbed the power of faith.

But each strand that entered his body was like a handful of water poured into a parched riverbed.

His bearing changed rapidly, as though an invisible force were linking him to all of Mingdu, and even the entire Sun Moon Empire.

The power of providence!

"Today, I ascend the throne as..."

Yet before the golden light on the God Ascension Platform had faded, before Huo Yuhao had finished speaking,

the earth all around Mingdu suddenly began to tremble.

Deep rumbles came from every direction.

On the horizon, vast, dark armies poured forth like the tide, their banners blotting out the sun.

The rumble of soul guidance chariots mingled with the charging hum of Soul Cannons.

The kings enfeoffed by the Sun Moon Empire had finally arrived!

The army at the forefront came from the direction of the Ming Dou Mountain Range. A purple dragon baring its fangs and claws was embroidered on its commander's banner.

Beneath the banner, a middle-aged man in purple soul guidance heavy armor rode an earth dragon clad in equally heavy armor, followed by more than a dozen entirely purple soul guidance mechas.

King Zisheng, Xu Qian!

Xu Tianran's imperial uncle and a cousin of Xu Yutian, the previous Sun Moon Emperor!

He was also an old adversary of the White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao. He was responsible for guarding the Ming Dou Mountain Range and had fought many battles with the Star Luo Empire.

At that moment, a subordinate brought Xu Qian a soul guidance megaphone and placed it in his hand.

Amplified by the megaphone, his voice rolled over the clamor of the people like thunder.

"Huo Yuhao! You're nothing but a Soul Engineer from the Illustrious Virtue Hall, yet you dared to proclaim yourself emperor and usurp the Xu family's empire. Today is the day you die!"

Xu Qian leaned halfway out from the earth dragon beneath him, his face full of savage menace.

"Did you think you could sleep soundly just because you took control of Mingdu's Soul Tools?"

"Within three days, I replaced the Core Arrays in every soul guidance weapon under my command!"

"Your underhanded tricks aren't worth a fart against the legions I command in the Ming Dou Mountain Range!"

A stir rose among the people of the Sun Moon Empire below the God Ascension Platform, and a measure of panic spread among the defenders on the walls.

The power of faith flowing into Huo Yuhao also dwindled sharply, and he slowly opened his eyes atop the platform.

Huo Yuhao looked at the vast, dark military formation in the distance, then at Xu Qian's face, so certain of victory. The corners of his mouth rose in a faint smile.

"Xu Qian, you came at just the right time."

Huo Yuhao's voice was not loud, but the soul guidance amplification array on the God Ascension Platform carried his every word clearly to every corner of Mingdu.

"I knew long ago that you would replace the Core Arrays and think you had escaped my control."

"Three days was enough for you to take apart every Soul Tool in your army and put it back together."

His gaze swept over the formation behind Xu Qian, over the Soul Cannons and mechas fitted with new Core Arrays. His tone was flat, almost pitying.

"Did you really think the backdoor I left was only in the Core Arrays?"

Xu Qian's expression changed slightly.

"What do you mean?"

Huo Yuhao did not answer. Instead, he slowly raised his left hand.

A blood-red light shone at his fingertips.

Immediately afterward, the cannon muzzles on Mingdu's walls that belonged to the City Defense Soul Guidance Array Formation all swung outward, taking aim at Xu Qian's army.

Xu Qian froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Huo Yuhao, who are you trying to scare? So what if you have the City Defense Soul Guidance Array Formation? I have the same means at my disposal!"

"Even if our Soul Guidance Array Formations bombard each other, do you think I'm afraid of you?"

"I already asked you: who told you the backdoor was only in the Core Arrays?"

Huo Yuhao cut off Xu Qian's wild laughter.

The next instant, the blood-red light at his fingertips flared.

Outside Mingdu, the dozen-odd purple soul guidance mechas behind Xu Qian all let out a piercing screech of twisting metal.

The armor on their chests sprang open, exposing a dense tangle of soul guidance circuits inside, along with their panic-stricken pilots.

At the same time, the metal shells covering the soul guidance mechas flashed with blood-red light.

"A Soul Tool has never consisted of just a Core Array."

Huo Yuhao spoke calmly.

"The rare metals used to make the mechas were specially made. That's why you couldn't imitate my work."

"And when I designed these Soul Tools, I left a hidden trick in every piece of metal."

"You could replace the Core Arrays, but could you replace the entire mechas?"

The blood drained completely from Xu Qian's face in an instant.

"Explode!"

Huo Yuhao uttered the single word as though it were nothing.

The dozen-odd soul guidance mechas exploded at once, filling the sky with metal fragments.

The blast waves swept rows of nearby soldiers off their feet. Screams, cries of alarm, and the clatter of metal fragments striking the ground mingled as the formation plunged into chaos.

But Huo Yuhao had not finished speaking.

"Oh, and one more thing."

He raised his head, light flickering in his blood-red Eyes of Asura.

"It's not just the soul guidance mechas. All your Fixed Soul Cannon Shells and Soul Guidance Batteries were produced by my Illustrious Virtue Hall."

"And the metal shells around them were also specially made by me, with soul guidance arrays left inside."

Xu Qian spun around.

On the positions behind him, countless Fixed Soul Cannon Shells lit up with blood-red light at the same time.

"No!!!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

An unbroken series of explosions erupted from the rear of the army.

Ammunition depots, supply wagons, and Soul Guidance Array Formations blew sky-high one after another.

Thick smoke billowed and flames soared into the sky. Before Xu Qian's army had even reached Mingdu's walls, the explosions had already reduced it to a chaotic mess.

On the God Ascension Platform, Huo Yuhao lowered his left hand, the faint smile still on his face.

"Xu Qian, what you brought amounts to fireworks at best."

The Asura Demon Sword pointed down at an angle toward the chaotic army below the walls.

"Now, let me show you what a real Soul Tool is!"