The Mysterious Shuo Organization! Eighth Place, the Peerless Fierce General Lu Bu!

She forced those two unfamiliar names through clenched teeth, her voice terrifyingly low.

"Level 98... a God-tier Martial Soul... they hid themselves well!"

An unprecedented sense of danger, mixed with the humiliation of being utterly underestimated, churned madly within her.

The waters of the continent ran far deeper and murkier than she had imagined!

"Accelerate... I must accelerate at all costs..."

Her inner murmur nearly solidified into an obsession. The alluring and bloody path of the Rakshasa Trial became even clearer and more urgent in her eyes.

Meanwhile, in the Great Wilderness of the Far West, within a vast and boundless desolate desert.

The scorching heat waves of day had long faded, replaced by night as cold as water.

There were no clouds in the sky, and a bright full moon, almost bewitchingly so, hung high above.

It dyed the entire silver-white sea of sand into a hazy, tranquil world of silvery blue, like the legendary Sea of Moonlight.

Atop a sand dune, a slender figure stood quietly, gazing toward the phantom of the Golden Ranking in the sky that resonated with her.

She wore a silver-white gown that nearly blended into the moonlight.

Its hem flowed like water, and her long hair cascaded down like a waterfall, gleaming with a faint pearly luster beneath the moonlight.

Her back alone revealed an ethereal aloofness, untouched by the mortal world.

"Have you ever seen the moon?"

She suddenly spoke, her voice cold and clear like jade chimes, carrying a trace of boundless contemplation. It was as though she were asking the person behind her, yet also speaking to herself.

Soft footsteps sounded across the loose sand. At some point, a tall figure draped in a dark hood had arrived nearby.

"I can see it every day."

A low male voice came from beneath the hood, calm in tone.

"I mean..."

Hai Yue slowly turned around. At that exact moment, the moonlight fully fell upon her face, illuminating a beauty that stole one's breath away.

Her skin was fairer than snow, her features as picturesque as a painting. Most captivating of all were her eyes.

Deep within her pupils seemed to be reflected vortices of moonlight and starlight. They were pure, yet so profound that no bottom could be seen, containing endless dreams and faint sorrow.

"The first moon."

The hooded man fell silent for a moment before slowly saying,

"It won't be long before we can see it."

The corners of Hai Yue's lips seemed to lift ever so slightly. Her smile was as faint as a lunar halo, vanishing in an instant.

She looked eastward, toward the center of the continent and the direction of the King's Hall. Her gaze became complex and unfathomable.

"Yes, it won't be long now..."

She softly repeated the words. Moonlight gently caressed her hair, while also illuminating the fleeting resolve and sorrow deep in her eyes.

"All Karma, all obsessions, will reach their final chapter."

The illusory light of the Cloud Butterfly faintly flowed around her, reflecting one another with the moonlight above and the sea of sand below.

Just as the entire continent was still immersed in the shock brought by Hai Yue of the Shuo Organization,

the ranking abruptly changed again. A new placement, bearing even more astonishing information, exploded in the heart of every Soul Master like thunder from the Nine Heavens—

[Soul Master Strongest Ranking, Eighth Place: Lu Bu!]

[Affiliated Faction: King's Hall]

[Level 98 Peak Douluo, possessing the Top-Tier Weapon Martial Soul, the Sky-Piercing Halberd! His halberd techniques have reached the divine level, and he possesses the valor to stand against ten thousand!]

[His halberd weighs eight thousand jin. With every swing, it can split mountains and cleave peaks. He has never known defeat on the battlefield, an unrivaled fierce general of this age!]

[Worthy of eighth place on the Powerhouse Ranking!]

[Reward received: All Soul Ring ages increased by four thousand years!]

"F-Four thousand years?!"

"My heavens! That's a thousand years more than Hai Yue's three thousand!"

"The King's Hall again! Even eighth place belongs to someone from the King's Hall!"

"Level 98... a Top-Tier Weapon Martial Soul, the Sky-Piercing Halberd... where did this monster come from?!"

The entire canyon erupted into an uproar, cries of shock sweeping through every corner like a tsunami!

Everyone stared fixedly at the words "Eighth Place," as well as the heart-stopping reward of "four thousand years" that followed!

Deep within the King's Hall, at the martial training grounds.

Clang—!!!

A deafening clash of metal rang through the heavens as two figures collided fiercely amid a sky full of halberd shadows and blade light.

Every collision unleashed visible ripples of air, shattering the solid bluestone slabs of the ground inch by inch!

One of them wore Beast-Faced Swallowing-Head Linked Armor and a three-pronged Purple Gold Crown of Hair Binding. His towering physique made him seem like a war god descending into the world!

The Sky-Piercing Halberd in his hand was dark red from end to end, cold light flowing along its blade.

With every swing, it trailed blood-red afterimages, as though countless vengeful souls wailed and howled upon its edge!

It was none other than Lu Bu!

"Hahaha! Wonderful! Yun Chang, your blade techniques have improved again!"

Lu Bu's wild laughter rolled like thunder. His Sky-Piercing Halberd swept horizontally with immense force.

The air shrieked miserably wherever the halberd blade passed!

"However—with the Heavenly Ranking's four-thousand-year enhancement, I'm afraid you'll lose today!"

Before his words had faded, Soul Power erupted from Lu Bu's body!

Nine Soul Rings appeared beneath his feet in sequence—purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black, black, red!

Immediately afterward, vast golden light that had crossed space abruptly descended, enveloping his entire body!

Under countless horrified gazes, Lu Bu's Soul Rings seemed to be reforged by an invisible giant hand.

As the light flowed, their quality underwent a frenzied transformation at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Purple, black, black, black, black, black, black, black, red!

Boom—!

An aura even more berserk and tyrannical than before surged skyward from Lu Bu's body!

The Sky-Piercing Halberd in his hand seemed to come alive, its shaft trembling as it let out an excited hum.

Dark-red murderous aura rose in billowing waves like smoke signals, making him resemble an unparalleled fiendish god walking out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

"Take another strike from me!"

Lu Bu let out a long howl. The blood-red dragon patterns coiling around the halberd shaft seemed to come alive, their dragon eyes scarlet as they radiated a savage aura that made souls tremble!

With one slash of his halberd, it seemed as though he would split the entire training ground in two!

"Good!"

Opposite him, a majestic figure standing nine chi tall with a beard two chi long let out a thunderous roar.

His face was like a ripe date, his lips like painted vermilion, with phoenix eyes and reclining silkworm brows. His appearance was dignified, his bearing imposing!

It was none other than Guan Yu!

The Green Dragon Crescent Blade in his hand released a clear dragon's cry as azure dragon patterns slithered across its blade.

Facing Lu Bu's world-destroying strike, he advanced rather than retreating.

Blade light surged upward like a reversed azure river, crashing fiercely against the enormous blood-red halberd!

Clang—!!!!!

This collision was ten times more terrifying than any before it!

A visible shockwave spread madly outward in concentric circles.

The defensive barrier surrounding the training grounds flickered violently, letting out strained creaks!

"Second Brother! I'll help you!"

A furious roar like exploding thunder rang out. A dark-faced burly man with a swallow jaw, tiger beard, leopard head, and round eyes leaped into the air.

The Eighteen-Foot Snake Lance in his hand shot forth like a venomous dragon emerging from its lair, thrusting straight at Lu Bu's flank!

It was none other than Zhang Fei!

"Round-Eyed Bandit! Don't bully me with numbers!"