Dai Yutian's Unwillingness

The battle on the Lima Plain was exceptionally fierce. Both sides had fought from dawn until noon; corpses littered the battlefield, and blood flowed like rivers, yet the melee showed no sign of ending.

Xue Ye had deployed every force at his disposal apart from the Royal Knights and that Soul Saint. Dai Yutian was much the same; only the Fierce Tiger Legion, numbering fewer than ten thousand men, and a Soul Saint-level soul master remained at his side.

The two sides remained locked in a stalemate on the battlefield, neither army giving an inch.

Di Hong leaped into the air, and a pair of crimson wings wreathed in flames unfurled from his back.

Looking down over the entire battlefield, he kept feeling that something was wrong, as though something was missing.

After returning to the raised platform, he leaned close to Di Yang's ear and whispered something.

Di Yang's brows drew together slightly after hearing it.

"What is it?" Xue Ye asked.

Di Yang clasped his fists. "His Highness the Crown Prince, my fourth brother says he keeps feeling that something is off."

"Something is off?"

"Explain."

Xue Ye looked at Di Hong.

Shaking his head, Di Hong said helplessly, "I can't tell what exactly is wrong either. The Star Luo Empire has deployed nearly all its forces, but it feels like Dai Yutian is plotting something."

At his reminder, Xue Ye fell into thought.

"It does seem a little strange."

Dai Yutian had committed nearly all his troops, yet he could not figure out what was wrong.

He swept his gaze around the area, then looked at the Soul Saint beside him—and suddenly understood.

"Soul masters!"

"It's the soul masters."

Although the central battlefield was deadlocked, they held the advantage in the clashes between soul masters on the flanks. The Star Luo Empire had fewer soul masters than they did, and their Soul Power Levels were also lower.

Yet according to their intelligence, the Star Luo Empire had deployed no fewer than ten Soul Emperor-level soul masters. However, only five had appeared on the two flanks.

Suddenly, a massive boulder fell from the sky and smashed directly into the knights' formation, sending dozens of Royal Knights flying.

"Protect His Highness the Crown Prince!"

Caught under sudden attack, the Royal Knights immediately reacted.

However, just as they formed up, a giant man-eating flower burst from the ground and swallowed dozens more soldiers.

Di Hong and the others were startled. No wonder something had felt wrong—this was aimed at them.

Dai Yutian wanted to behead the leadership directly.

Dozens of Star Luo Empire soul masters appeared, including the five Soul Emperors.

"Defend!"

The general commanded the knights to form a shield formation, intending to withstand the attacks of those dozens of soul masters.

Most of these soul masters had Soul Power Levels around thirty. Very few had exceeded level forty.

"Capture the Heaven Dou Crown Prince!"

The leading Star Luo soul master pointed at Xue Ye on the platform, released his martial soul, and charged forward. The other soul masters also activated their martial souls and unleashed spirit skills to attack. In mere moments, the knights' formation was shattered.

Countless Royal Knights were killed or wounded.

When Dai Yutian, far away, saw fierce fighting erupt behind the Heaven Dou army, he knew his plan had succeeded.

The frontal battlefield had only been a feint. His true target was Xue Ye.

Defeating an army of hundreds of thousands was nowhere near as worthwhile as capturing a single crown prince.

"Excellent. The Heaven Dou rear has fallen into chaos."

He leaped down from the platform, and a soldier led over a warhorse.

Swinging onto its back, Dai Yutian pointed his sword forward. "Everyone, follow me and charge straight for Xue Ye! Capture the Heaven Dou Crown Prince, Xue Ye!"

With that, he spurred his horse forward. The remaining soldiers charged after him, and even the Star Luo Empire's Soul Saint followed. With the crown prince personally leading the charge, the Star Luo Empire's morale soared. For a time, they even showed signs of suppressing the Heaven Dou Empire's forces.

Faced with the attacks of dozens of soul masters, the Heaven Dou Royal Knights retreated again and again. Although the Royal Knights' soul masters had already stepped in, they had no Support System Soul Masters now—all of them had been sent to the battlefield.

Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, Di Yang said, "His Highness the Crown Prince, you should withdraw first."

Xue Ye shook his head. "I can't retreat. If I run, the army's morale will collapse."

At this point, both sides were fighting on sheer momentum. He absolutely could not retreat. If he fled, they would certainly lose this battle.

After hesitating for a moment, he sent out the Soul Saint at his side. This was the last force he could deploy. If he sent anyone else, he would have to send Di Hong.

Making a thirteen-year-old child go out and fight was simply too absurd.

With that Soul Saint joining the battle, the situation improved greatly. After all, he was a level seventy-six Soul Saint.

That Soul Saint's martial soul was the Barbarian Bear, making him a power-type soul master. After activating his Martial Soul Avatar, he rampaged through the Star Luo soul masters. Soul masters with low Soul Power Levels did not even dare approach him.

"Fourth Spirit Skill: Earth Shatter!"

The Soul Saint roared, and the Purple Spirit Ring around him lit up. Then, he stomped his right foot fiercely into the ground.

In an instant, the ground shook violently. Sharp earthen spikes erupted one after another, piercing several Star Luo Soul Grandmasters and killing them on the spot.

Seeing this, the two Soul Emperors simultaneously unleashed their spirit skills and attacked him.

Just as Xue Ye thought the situation had stabilized, an arrow shot toward him.

When the arrow was less than half a meter away from him, it was suddenly engulfed in flames and burned to ashes.

Di Hong stood in front of Xue Ye and looked ahead.

"Dai Yutian has come personally."

Not far away, Dai Yutian led his soldiers charging toward them. Not a single soldier along the way tried to stop them.

When he was less than fifty meters from Xue Ye, Dai Yutian stepped on his horse's back and leaped into the air. A tiger's roar rang out, followed by a layer of white light shining from his body. His muscles swelled all over, while two yellow and two purple spirit rings lit up around him. He was somewhat younger than Xue Ye.

Dai Yutian was only in his twenties.

After releasing his martial spirit, Dai Yutian looked imposing and extraordinary, like the king of the jungle.

After locking onto Xue Ye atop the platform, he pounced toward him like a tiger descending the mountain.

"First Spirit Skill: Li Fire Bodyguard!"

Di Hong immediately unleashed his First Spirit Skill. A flaming shield enveloped him, and Dai Yutian's palms struck the shield, only for Di Hong to send him flying with a surge of soul power.

After landing on the ground, Dai Yutian stared at his hands in disbelief. If he had not circulated soul power to protect them, his hands would likely have been scorched black by now. Though they had not been charred, they were still burned. The instant he touched that flaming shield, he could clearly feel its searing heat.

He glanced unwillingly at the high platform. He had not expected Xue Ye to have such a powerful protector at his side.

Di Hong stood before Xue Ye, six spirit rings—two yellow, one purple, and three black—circulating around him. Over the past year, his Soul Power Level had reached level sixty-six. Though he had only advanced three levels, that was already enough for him now.

Besides, he had not spent all his time cultivating over the past year.

"A Soul Emperor, with three Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings!"

A Soul Emperor alone was not enough to shock him, but three Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings were another matter entirely. Other Soul Emperors only had two Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings, while he had three. Starting from his fourth spirit ring, they were already Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings.

Dai Yutian was extremely unwilling to accept this. As long as he captured Xue Ye, he would have succeeded, yet a Soul Emperor had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

He was only a Soul Ancestor. There was no way he could be Di Hong's match.