Heaven Dou Emperor's face darkened.
For years, no one had dared to act so brazenly in front of him.
A young woman had insulted him to his face, calling him an "old man."
And she was even trying to stage a coup, change the dynasty, and force him to abdicate.
She was outrageously arrogant.
"Outrageous!"
A furious shout exploded from outside the hall.
Three figures swept into the great hall, wrapped in surging Soul Power—
Sky Vulture Elder Xue Tianjiu, Lionheart Elder Leon, and Silver Spear Elder Lin Shuang.
All three were Soul Douluo above level eighty. Their eight Soul Rings blazed open, swirling around them in a riot of colors.
Right behind them came the clatter of armor.
The palace guard commander, Zhao Tieyi, charged in with a massive shield in hand, followed by over a hundred palace guards.
Swords and blades left their scabbards, shields formed ranks, and they surrounded the entrance to the great hall in layer upon layer.
Royal Knight Commander Xue Jianfeng held his spear angled toward the ground and led dozens of knights in a flanking maneuver.
Inside the hall, the nobles hurriedly retreated, taking cover on either side of the throne.
The court officials were deathly pale and at a loss.
Yan Lingji stood at the center of the great hall, with two identical clones behind her.
Xiaomeng's ink-wash robes swayed gently. Her Qiuli Sword remained sheathed as she stood quietly to one side.
"How dare you stir up trouble in Heaven Dou Imperial City? You're asking for death!"
Zhao Tieyi bellowed and slammed his enormous shield into the ground. The stone tiles shattered with a boom.
"Seize them!"
He swept his sword forward. Over a hundred guards shouted in unison, pressing in on Yan Lingji from all directions with blades and spears.
Yan Lingji didn't move.
The corners of her lips curved up, her smile radiant.
Then—
She released her Martial Soul.
Six Soul Rings rose from beneath her feet, pulsing up and down.
Black. Black. Black. Black. Black. Black.
All six Soul Rings were black.
The entire great hall fell deathly silent.
"A... a Six-Ring Soul Emperor?"
A noble stared wide-eyed, his lips trembling.
"The first four... are all Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings?!"
"What kind of joke is this?!"
"For tens of thousands of years, the mainland has followed an ironclad rule: the first ring is a hundred-year yellow ring, the second is a hundred-year yellow ring, the third and fourth are thousand-year purple rings, and only the fifth can be a ten-thousand-year black ring—"
"Her first ring is black! Even her sixth ring is black!"
"That's impossible!"
The hall erupted in an uproar.
Even the three elders, experienced as they were, couldn't help their pupils from shrinking.
Xue Tianjiu's white hair and beard shuddered. "Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings? A Six-Ring Soul Emperor? This rebel's setup is even more outrageous than a Titled Douluo's!"
Leon said gravely, "Forget her setup. Just take her down!"
Yan Lingji paid no heed to their shock.
She raised her hand, a flicker of blue flame dancing at her fingertips, and fully activated her Martial Soul.
In an instant,
a gigantic, snow-white, nine-tailed fox appeared above her head.
Her base stats were fully enhanced.
"First Soul Skill—Flame Spirit Possession."
All attributes increased by 200%, with an additional 100% fire damage. Soul Power consumption decreased by 20%.
"Second Soul Skill—Phantom Dream Eye."
All attributes increased by 100%, and mental attacks increased by 150%.
"Third Soul Skill—Force Field Suppression."
All attributes increased by 100%. Soul Power consumption decreased by 30%.
An invisible force field spread out from her. Force Field Suppression: enemies within dozens of meters of her had their speed, attack power, and reaction time reduced by 50%.
"Fourth Soul Skill—Heaven-Burning Layers."
All attributes increased by 150%, and mental damage taken decreased by 80%.
The passive effect of Heaven-Burning Layers took effect without a sound. Every attack layered fire poison onto the enemy, building up until it detonated.
"Fifth Soul Skill—Fire Qilin Fox Cry."
All attributes increased by 150%, and the Soul Power cost of mental attacks decreased by 50%.
Golden light flashed.
Dominator Body: Immovable Wisdom King—immune to all control effects and damage reduced.
"Sixth Soul Skill—Celestial Fox Nine Thoughts."
Her aura surged once more.
All attributes increased by 250%, and mental power increased by 300%..
Celestial Fox Nine Thoughts conjured a clone, which then quickly merged into Yan Lingji's body. She spent no Soul Power and simply gained the skill's enhancement.
All six Soul Ring skills, activated.
Her base increase to all attributes was 950%.
Then came Jiang Ce's fivefold enhancement—for a total increase of 1,450%.
Yan Lingji's aura erupted like a volcano.
The temperature in the entire hall soared. The air warped, and the edges of the red carpet began to char.
Even the phantom of the nine-tailed fox above Yan Lingji's head grew more than ten times larger.
Its deep blue eyes fixed on the entire hall.
A terrifying pressure poured from it.
Everyone's expression changed.
No one could have imagined that a mere Six-Ring Soul Emperor,
after activating every Soul Skill enhancement, would give off such a terrifying aura.
Even Soul Douluo couldn't compare.
"Quick! Don't let her continue!"
Xue Tianjiu was completely dumbfounded.
Who could possibly have their aura surge like that?
He roared, the eight Soul Rings behind him spinning wildly as his Seventh Soul Ring suddenly lit up.
"Seventh Soul Skill—Sky Vulture True Form!"
A gigantic sky vulture with a wingspan of over ten meters appeared in an instant.
Its dark golden wings beat, whipping up fierce winds as it swooped toward Yan Lingji.
"Seventh Soul Skill—Thunder Lion True Form!"
Leon roared. A gigantic thunder lion, five meters long, charged from the side, electricity crackling through its golden mane.
"Seventh Soul Skill—Silver Spear True Form!"
The Silver Spear Martial Soul in Lin Shuang's hand grew larger, transforming into a streak of silver light. The phantom of a dragon's head gathered at the spear tip as it thrust toward Yan Lingji's back.
"Seventh Soul Skill—Iron Wall True Form!"
Zhao Tieyi wielded a massive shield, becoming a three-meter-tall mobile fortress. His right arm fused with the shield as he charged straight at Yan Lingji.
"Seventh Soul Skill—Dragon Spear True Form!"
Xue Jianfeng charged with his spear. A dragon's head roared at its tip as he thrust toward Yan Lingji's flank.
Five attacks struck at once from five different directions.
The sky vulture's talons, the thunder lion's lightning, the silver spear's thrust, the Iron Wall's charge, and the Dragon Spear's formation-breaking strike.
Each was a full-power attack from a Soul Saint or even a Soul Douluo.
The nobles covered their eyes in terror.
And yet—
A cold smile touched Yan Lingji's lips.
"What... fragile attacks."
She raised her hand, and a long, pitch-black Venom sword condensed in her palm.
Blue flames suddenly blazed along its blade.
Sun-Eroding Sword Technique—Seventh Form.
Light of the Setting Sun.
Yan Lingji pointed her sword skyward, and the phantom of a blazing sun appeared at its tip.
The sun burned fiercely, its radiance stretching in every direction.
In an instant,
the sun transformed into a terrifying sword intent.
The air froze.
It was as if this one sword were all that remained between heaven and earth.
A world-shaking sword intent tore through the air.
Flames surged like a tidal wave and collided head-on with the five attacks.
Boom—!
The entire great hall shuddered violently.
The shockwave cracked the massive pillars supporting the ceiling, sending rubble pattering down.
The red carpet caught fire, flames spreading across it.
Amid the deafening blast, five figures flew backward like kites with their strings cut.
They crashed into things with a thunderous rumble, their armor and weapons shattering!
Blood sprayed from their mouths!
One strike.
Three Soul Douluo and two high-ranked Soul Saints.
All of them were knocked to the ground.
They had suffered severe injuries!
They coughed up great mouthfuls of blood.
The great hall fell silent.
All the nobles, court officials, and guards stood frozen in place, staring at Yan Lingji, who had dealt with them so effortlessly. They could hardly believe what they'd seen.
"H-How is this possible..."
"One strike... she defeated three elders with one strike?"
"What... what kind of monster is she?"
Heaven Dou Emperor's face turned ashen.
Those three elders were his final trump card.
Three Soul Douluo above level eighty had joined forces, yet they couldn't even withstand a single sword strike from her.
This woman—
was terrifying.
"Don't panic! Everyone fall back! Form ranks! Form ranks!"
Zhao Tieyi struggled to his feet and shouted orders to the guards.
Clatter—!
Before you continue