Nuoding City, fifth underground level.
The air was thick with ozone and a faint scorched smell.
This was the core zone of the [Umbrella Corporation · High-Energy Bio-Battery Array].
Rows of massive transparent life-support pods stood like a forest. Inside each pod floated a powerhouse who had once dominated the Douluo Continent.
Tang Hao, Yu Yuanzhen, Golden Crocodile Douluo, and Dai Tianfeng, the Star Luo Emperor who had just been "inflated" back to his original form.
Thick energy conduits were plugged all over their bodies, continuously extracting pure Soul Power and feeding it into the central energy matrix, powering the industrial behemoth that was Nuoding City.
With his hands behind his back, Qin Feng slowly walked past the rows of "batteries" like a farmer inspecting his own fields.
"Red Queen, report the energy output in Zone A."
[Report, Boss. Zone A (exclusive to the Clear Sky Sect) has an energy output of 300,000 kilowatts, down 0.8% from yesterday. The primary cause is soul depletion in the "Tang Hao" brand battery. Maintenance or replacement is recommended.]
"Maintenance?" Qin Feng raised a brow.
[Life-support Pod-01 has detected that Tang Hao's soul flame is weakening. Prolonged high-intensity energy extraction has caused systematic degradation of his existence. Simply put, he is nearly drained dry.]
Qin Feng looked at Tang Hao in the life-support pod, his eyes shut and his face ashen, without the slightest trace of pity in his gaze.
"Useless. How long has it been, and he's already wearing out?"
Just then, a sinister voice came from behind him.
"Hehehe... Qin Feng-kun, I told you long ago. Mortal souls are ultimately inferior fuel."
Orochimaru had appeared behind Qin Feng at some point. His pale face bore a sickly fervor, his golden snake pupils fixed intently upon the life-support pods.
"These Titled Douluo may