"Master, is this the Human Emperor Banner?" Huo Yuhao leaned closer, eyeing it curiously.
"Mm."
Zhao Ze gently rubbed the black banner pole, his fingertips gliding over the ghostly runes of the dead that shimmered with a faint light.
His voice held a hint of anticipation:
"Tonight, we'll take a walk around Mingdu's old district and test its power."
"Test its power? How?"
Huo Yuhao took the Human Emperor Banner. He felt a cool force spread from his arm throughout his body, perfectly attuned to his spiritual power.
"As the capital of the Sun Moon Empire, Mingdu is prosperous on the surface, but plenty of Evil Soul Masters lurk in the shadows."
Zhao Ze spoke calmly.
"Their hands are stained with blood, and they deserve to die. We can use their souls to consecrate the Human Emperor Banner. It'll also give you a chance to relax after half a year of hard cultivation."
At night, Mingdu shone even brighter than it did by day.
Soul Guidance streetlamps lit the roads as bright as day. Soul Guidance airships streaked through the sky, trailing colorful plumes of fire, while the shops lining the streets bustled with people. Hawkers' cries and laughter rose and fell all around them.
Huo Yuhao walked through the crowd with Zhao Ze. Taking in the lively scene, he couldn't help but marvel:
"Mingdu is so prosperous. It's much livelier than Shrek City."
"Yeah, it really is prosperous."
A voice chimed in from beside them.
They turned to see a man in a patrol uniform seated at the next table.
The middle-aged man had a rugged face, weathered lines at the corners of his eyes, and a patrol regiment commander's badge pinned to his chest.
"You two are from out of town, right?"
The middle-aged man smiled and took a sip from his cup.
"Mingdu looks lively, but things aren't peaceful beneath the surface. Especially around the old district. People have been going missing a lot lately. It's probably the work of Evil Soul Masters.
Don't go over there at night. You might get into trouble."
Just then, a short boy ran in and saluted them.
"Commander, the carriage is ready. It's time to patrol the next checkpoint."
"Good, let's go." The middle-aged man rose and nodded to Zhao Ze and Huo Yuhao. "Take care, you two."
The pair left the restaurant. The night breeze carried a hint of chill.
The short boy excitedly looked around and said:
"The streets are so quiet. There isn't even a single Evil Soul Master around."
"You're in a pretty good mood."
The middle-aged man chuckled and shook his head.
"That just shows everyone's efforts haven't been in vain!"
The boy clenched his fists, his eyes shining.
"The patrol team brothers patrol every day, and so many Soul Masters are fighting Evil Soul Masters. One day, we'll wipe them all out!
I have to work harder, too, and become a powerful Soul Master as soon as I can. Then I can protect everyone!"
The middle-aged man gazed at the boy's enthusiasm, his expression softening.
He looked up at the bright moon in the night sky and said quietly:
"Yeah. Everything we've built up over the years hasn't been for nothing. And from now on, too, as long as we keep moving forward, the road will keep stretching on."
As soon as the words left his mouth—
Just then, a deafening rumble suddenly erupted from the end of the street!
They spun around. Towering flames shot into the sky, staining half the night crimson.
Chunks of brick and stone flew everywhere. The once-bustling street instantly turned into a living hell, filled with screams and cries.
More than a dozen figures in black cloaks charged out of the flames. Their eyes glowed blood-red, and they swung bloodstained bone blades, hacking at anyone they saw and smashing every shop in their path.
"They're Evil Soul Masters from the Holy Spirit Cult!"
Zhao Ze's gaze turned cold as he pulled Huo Yuhao to his feet.
"I didn't think they'd dare to attack in Mingdu's central district."
They hurried out of the restaurant. The battle outside had already become horrifying.
The patrol regiment commander shielded the short boy with his body, his back to the Evil Soul Masters as he fired his Soul Guidance Ray Gun over his shoulder again and again.
"Ugh, aaah!!!"
The commander crashed heavily to the ground, blood instantly staining the earth beneath him.
"What? My aim's actually pretty good."
"Commander! Commander, wake up!"
The boy threw himself over the commander and cried out in despair, tears falling like beads from a snapped string.
With the last of his strength, the commander raised his head and lay on the ground in a strange posture. His trembling finger still pointed firmly toward the Evil Soul Masters ahead.
His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out. His head lolled to the side, and he passed out.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
The leading Evil Soul Master burst into wild laughter.
"Today, our Holy Spirit Cult will hold a blood sacrifice right here! We'll use the souls of you ordinary people to strengthen our Martial Souls! No one is getting away!"
Zhao Ze glanced at the commander lying on the ground, his expression utterly unchanged. He simply patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder.
"Yuhao, those scum are yours. This is the perfect chance to see how much you've improved over the past six months."
Huo Yuhao nodded and stepped forward, standing in front of the boy.
He looked at the Evil Soul Masters slaughtering people without restraint. Anger blazed in his eyes as he shouted:
"Stop! You heartless Evil Soul Masters!"
"Oh? Where'd this brat come from? How dare you block the Holy Spirit Cult's way?"
The leading Evil Soul Master sized Huo Yuhao up and sneered disdainfully.
"Kid, you must be tired of living! Brothers, cut him down first. We'll use his soul to open the sacrifice!"
The dozen or so Evil Soul Masters roared in unison and charged at Huo Yuhao, swinging their bone blades.
Black Soul Power churned around them, and the air reeked of blood.
Huo Yuhao's gaze sharpened. He slowly raised his right hand.
"Domain Expansion!"
Hum!
Spiritual power as vast as a sea of stars erupted in an instant. Centered on Huo Yuhao, it enveloped everything within fifty meters.
The next second, countless transparent spiritual slashes appeared out of thin air, sweeping toward the Evil Soul Masters like a violent storm.
"Ah!"
Screams rang out one after another.
The Evil Soul Masters had no time to react before the countless slashes cut them to pieces. Blood and chunks of flesh splattered across the ground.
Just as Huo Yuhao thought it was all over, a red figure suddenly dropped from the sky and slammed into the ground, smashing a crater into it.
He wore a red robe embroidered with skulls and a hideous mask. Seeing his subordinates in pieces on the ground, his eyes blazed with fury.
"Damn you! How dare you kill people from the Holy Spirit Cult! I'll tear you limb from limb!"
One Evil Soul Master who was still breathing struggled to lift his head and spoke weakly:
"Priest... be careful... this guy... is strong... we'll lose..."
"Hmph, we'll win!"
The red-robed priest kicked him aside and sneered disdainfully.
Before the words had even left his mouth, the red-robed priest lunged at Huo Yuhao. A huge black bone scythe formed in his hand, and he brought it down on Huo Yuhao with an earth-shattering force.
Huo Yuhao's expression didn't change. He simply waved a hand.
A spiritual slash, honed to the utmost, shot through the air as fast as lightning.
"Pfft!"
The red-robed priest froze in place.
He looked down in disbelief at the neat cut across his chest. His body slowly slid apart down the middle, split in two, and fell to the ground.
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