If things continued to develop smoothly, then the fall of the Heaven Dou Empire would become inevitable! Unfortunately, fate was fickle. The successive upheavals of more than sixty years ago not only completely derailed the Star Luo Empire's grand ambitions; they even brought it to the brink of destruction!
Although the Star Luo Empire had eventually pulled through and restored its national strength, surpassing the Heaven Dou Empire once more, the disaster's real-world effects and psychological scars still lingered to this day! Even now, the old people of the Star Luo Empire who had lived through that disaster refused to speak of it!
Of course, Xu Mochen only knew the broad outlines of the events. It seemed that this war had not only rewritten the fates of the two great empires, but also that of another sect: the Clear Sky Sect! Even today, many people on the Douluo Continent believed that the upheaval of more than sixty years ago had been the beginning of the Clear Sky Sect's rise to fame, its ascent to the title of the continent's number-one sect, and its earning the right to stand on equal footing with Spirit Hall! It had also sown the seeds of the Clear Sky Sect's later troubles, culminating in the great catastrophe six years ago!
But it was too early to dwell on all that. In response to Dai Weisi's question, Xu Mochen answered modestly, "To be honest, Brother Dai, I'm only a twenty-fourth-level Soul Grandmaster right now. You know that people from the Sun Moon Empire rely more on external tools for their combat strength. On top of that, the overall quality of our Martial Souls is nothing to write home about. My Martial Soul is decent compared to those of other people from the Sun Moon Empire, but I've hardly been in any serious fights."
Xu Mochen had no reason to hide his cultivation level. He had trained diligently these past few days and had finally advanced from level twenty-three to level twenty-four. It still wasn't very high, and he was honestly bringing shame on all the transmigrators.
At these words, Dai Weisi seemed to have finally found an opening. He hurriedly said, "External tools may be powerful, but we are Soul Masters. How can we let their power make us give up improving our own combat ability and will?"
"After all, a Soul Master's cultivation must be rooted in their Martial Soul! I'm no great talent myself. I'm only level thirty-nine, but I've trained under powerful members of the imperial family for years, so I've picked up a few skills. How about the two of us sparring? Perhaps I can give younger brother Xu a few pointers. Don't worry, I won't use my third Soul Skill."
Clearly, Dai Weisi wanted to show off his strength to help the Star Luo Empire win back some face, while also getting a look at the abilities of the Sun Moon Empire's younger royal generation.
Xu Mochen could only clasp his hands and smile wryly. "Very well, very well. Since Brother Dai is in such high spirits, I hope you'll kindly give me some pointers and go easy on me." The two then said no more and headed to an open area.
Dai Weisi was the first to release his Martial Soul. A resounding tiger's roar rang out as the iron-hard muscles all over his body began to swell. Black markings appeared on his face, and even his hands transformed into sharp tiger claws! Three Soul Rings—two yellow and one purple—appeared around him.
"Dai Weisi, Martial Soul: White Tiger, thirty-ninth-level Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder! Please, instruct me!" Dai Weisi bowed slightly to Xu Mochen, then immediately entered his battle stance. Xu Mochen smiled and summoned his disguised Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King Martial Soul!
A high, clear dragon's cry rang out. Purple-tinged Chaos Qi filled Xu Mochen's eyes, and fine, dense dragon scales began covering his entire body! Even his hands gradually turned into dragon claws wreathed in purple-red light! Two yellow Soul Rings appeared around him.
"Xu Mochen, Martial Soul: Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon, twenty-fourth-level Power Attack System Battle Soul Grandmaster! Please, instruct me!" Xu Mochen returned the bow respectfully, and the battle officially began!
"After you, younger brother Xu," said Dai Weisi, showing the courtesy of letting his opponent take the first move. Xu Mochen naturally didn't refuse. "Then forgive me for my rudeness!" His First Soul Skill, Chaos Dragon Claw, sprang into action. He made a grabbing motion toward Dai Weisi with his right hand, and one of the Chaos Dragon Claw's variations, Purple Sun Dragon Claw, shot forth. A sharp purple claw-shadow, trailing a dragon's cry, rushed toward Dai Weisi!
At the same time, while everyone's attention was fixed on Purple Sun Dragon Claw, Xu Mochen quietly flipped his left hand. A faint claw-shadow shot toward Dai Weisi at a tricky angle. This was the other variation of Chaos Dragon Claw: Purple Yin Dragon Claw!
The two forms of Chaos Dragon Claw had different effects. When Purple Sun Dragon Claw was unleashed, its claw-shadow shone bright purple. Its unstoppable force could tear through an enemy's defenses, while the Chaos Dragon Qi contained in the claw immediately suppressed anyone with a weaker Martial Soul bloodline. This caused the defense and speed of anyone targeted by Purple Sun Dragon Claw to plummet, leaving them unable to block or evade it!
When Purple Yin Dragon Claw was unleashed, its claw-shadow was dark purple. It was fast and stealthy. Though it dealt less direct damage than Purple Sun Dragon Claw, a hit would throw the target's Soul Power into disarray, making it difficult to control their Martial Soul, Soul Power, and Soul Skills. The Chaos Dragon Qi driven into their body would also continue to injure them!
"Haha! Bring it on!" Because Dai Weisi had underestimated his opponent, he clearly hadn't realized how serious things were. Rather than retreat, he charged straight at the bright purple claw-shadow! At the same time, his First Soul Ring lit up. White Tiger Protection Shield!
Dai Weisi was obviously planning to take Xu Mochen's claw head-on, then rush up and slap him flying with one claw to end the match! A muffled thump rang out as Purple Sun Dragon Claw slammed into White Tiger Protection Shield!
Dai Weisi was immediately shocked to discover that, as he faced the claw, the blood in his body seemed to slow. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and a terrifying pressure weighed down on him. Even the light of White Tiger Protection Shield dimmed under the force of that dreadful aura!
Then came two sharp cracks, one after the other. Purple Sun Dragon Claw tore through White Tiger Protection Shield and shot straight for Dai Weisi's chest!
"Not good!" Dai Weisi sensed danger at once. But years of practical combat experience made him quickly cross his claws in front of his chest, ready to take the blow!
He didn't know why Xu Mochen's attack could break through his defense when Xu Mochen's Soul Power was clearly inferior. But by his estimate, the claw's force must have been nearly spent. With his abundant Soul Power and strong physique, he could surely withstand it, then counterattack immediately!
But in the next instant, Dai Weisi suddenly felt a shadow strike his right side with lightning speed! Then pain shot through him!
"Where did that attack come from?!" Dai Weisi gritted his teeth through the pain, looking bewildered as he tried to gather Soul Power to protect himself. To his horror, he found it extremely difficult to muster his Soul Power! Even his arms, crossed in front of his chest, had gone somewhat numb and loosened a little. Before Dai Weisi could react, the Purple Sun Dragon Claw shadow that followed slammed into his arms and chest!
Another burst of pain tore through him. Several bloody gashes appeared across Dai Weisi's chest and the sides of his arms! Two different kinds of pain spread through his entire body. But he had no time to worry about that pain, because he was horrified to discover that Xu Mochen had already used the opening to rush right up to him. Purple Soul Power gathered solidly around the dragon claw of Xu Mochen's right hand as he viciously swiped it toward Dai Weisi's head!
"Damn! He's not trying to kill me, is he?!" Dai Weisi was suddenly terrified, but he still reacted at once. He gathered every last bit of Soul Power he could and let out a roar. His Second Soul Skill, White Tiger Intense Light Wave, activated! A fierce wave of white light shot toward Xu Mochen! At the same time, Dai Weisi kicked off with his right foot and retreated at top speed, trying to put distance between them!
Facing the incoming White Tiger Intense Light Wave, Xu Mochen's lips curled slightly as the light of his Second Soul Ring flared! A terrifying purple Chaos Dragon Qi enveloped his body, and even the dark purple scales on his arm burst with a deep violet sheen. Xu Mochen continued his attack with his right hand, neither dodging nor evading, and grabbed straight at White Tiger Intense Light Wave!
His audacious move made the onlookers gasp! But then they saw the fierce-looking wave of light crushed to pieces by a single swipe of Xu Mochen's claw! Its once-brilliant attack light vanished in an instant amid a cloud of purple smoke!
This was the Second Soul Skill Xu Mochen had received after passing the first trial of the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King: Chaos Dragon Body, a defensive Soul Skill. But defense was far from its only use! It could devour the energy released by attacks that struck him with the power of Chaos, weakening them drastically—or even making them dissipate completely—by depriving the attacking Soul Skills of energy!
Xu Mochen could then convert the energy devoured by his Chaos Qi into his own Soul Power! With his twenty-fourth-level cultivation and divine-grade Martial Soul, along with a Soul Skill from a Soul Ring more than a thousand years old, he could fully neutralize and devour even an ordinary thousand-year Soul Skill attack from a Soul Elder!
Xu Mochen continued to charge toward the retreating Dai Weisi at tremendous speed! Dai Weisi was already wounded and had just barely managed to use two Soul Skills. His Soul Power was still abundant, but for some reason, he found it extremely difficult to gather it all.
His condition was already terrible. The strange power Xu Mochen had driven into his body was constantly throwing his Martial Soul and Soul Power into disarray, as if it were gnawing at him from within! Just as Dai Weisi managed to gather a little Soul Power, he hadn't expected Xu Mochen to have been held up by his attack for only a single breath before rushing toward him again!
"No choice!" Dai Weisi could no longer worry about their earlier agreement. His Third Soul Ring immediately blazed. His already powerful body swelled again from White Tiger Possession, his muscles bulging grotesquely until his upper clothes burst apart, revealing his fearsome physique.
Most bizarre of all, black horizontal stripes appeared across his skin. Without the hair, he looked almost exactly like a tiger. His tiger paws grew even larger, and the blades that sprang from them turned bright silver.
Most striking of all, his whole body was wreathed in brilliant golden light, as if he had been gilded. Bloodlust gleamed in his red eyes, and his entire body radiated the domineering aura of the king of beasts.
Before you continue