The Heaven Dou Emperor's Utter Terror and the Nobles. [Third Update]

Clatter.

Following Zhao Tieyi's renewed command.

The sound of armor scraping against armor rang out once more.

Hundreds of guards who had rushed in behind them raised their shields and formed a phalanx, blocking the path between the Heaven Dou Emperor and the nobles.

The shield-bearers' archers drew their bows and nocked arrows, keeping Yan Lingji and the others at bay.

The front row of shields stood like a wall, while the rear ranks of arrows resembled a forest.

Blades, spears, and halberds shimmered with a cold, lethal light.

"Loose arrows!"

Zhao Tieyi gave the order.

Twang, twang, twang—!

Bowstrings vibrated, and arrows poured down like a torrential rainstorm.

Thousands of arrows tore through the air, blanketing Yan Lingji, her two clones, and Xiaomeng.

Several nobles in the hall watched those three graceful figures, a flicker of regret flashing in their eyes.

"What a pity... three peerless beauties..."

"If only one could be captured alive..."

"Alas, they are rebels and traitors; they can only be shot down."

The rain of arrows was nearly upon them.

Xiaomeng stepped forward, swinging the Qiuli Sword while it was still in its scabbard.

"Colorless World."

Black and white colors erupted from her, spreading rapidly.

In an instant, the entire hall lost its color.

The air solidified, and everything seemed to have been pressed with a pause button.

The arrows hung suspended in mid-air, frozen in place as if gripped by an invisible force.

The guards stood rigid, the archers' movements stalled, and even their breathing slowed to a crawl.

Yan Lingji chuckled softly, raising her hand as a ball of ghostly blue flame coalesced in her palm.

"Burn."

The flame exploded, transforming into a ring of fire that rippled outward.

Those arrows frozen in the air were touched by the flames and instantly melted into molten iron, dripping onto the floor with a sizzling sound.

Shields, swords, and blades—anything touched by the fire twisted and deformed under the intense heat.

The Colorless World dissipated.

"Drip, drip, drip..."

The sound of molten iron hitting the floor echoed through the hall.

Everyone stared at the scene in shock.

"Ho... how is this possible?!"

"The arrows... the arrows were melted?!"

"What kind of flame is that? It can melt iron in an instant!"

Yan Lingji turned back and winked at Xiaomeng. "Thanks, Sister Xiaomeng."

Xiaomeng remained expressionless, merely nodding slightly.

Yan Lingji turned back around, and the Venom sword in her hand began to soften.

The blade extended like flowing water, lengthening and thinning.

Within a few breaths, it transformed into a pitch-black whip over ten meters long.

The body of the whip was covered in fine, dense barbs.

"Now..."

Yan Lingji flicked her wrist.

The long whip whistled through the air, the sound of its passage like a thunderclap.

Crack!

The first lash struck, and the shields of the three guards in the front row instantly buckled.

They were sent flying, slamming into the pillars behind them with shattered armor and mouths full of blood.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Yan Lingji flicked her wrist repeatedly, the long whip striking like a venomous dragon emerging from its lair, sweeping wildly through the crowd.

Every lash was accompanied by a thunderous sonic boom.

Shields shattered.

Armor buckled.

Men were flung away like rags.

Iron-clad soldiers weighing dozens of catties were struck by the long whip and sent flying like meteors in every direction.

They knocked over nobles, smashed tables and chairs, and slammed into pillars.

One guard was struck in the chest; his armor exploded, and he flew backward over ten meters, slamming into the wall and leaving a human-shaped indentation.

Another guard raised his shield to block, but as the whip descended, the shield buckled and twisted instantly, his arm bones shattered, and he was sent flying with a shrill scream.

The nobles in the hall shrieked in terror, scattering in every direction.

"Block her! Block her!"

"Retreat! Quickly, retreat!"

But the range of the long whip was far too vast.

The dozen-meter-long whip moved like an extension of Yan Lingji's own arm, each swing covering a massive area.

Soldiers poured in from outside the hall in an endless stream, only to be whipped away just as continuously.

The shield formations were nothing but a facade.

Defensive Soul Skills, in the face of Yan Lingji's 1450% amplification, were like paper.

In less than half a cup of tea.

A large open space had been cleared in the center of the grand hall.

Hundreds of severely injured guards lay on the ground, while the rest huddled in the corners, trembling, no longer daring to step forward.

Zhao Tieyi was drenched in blood, kneeling on one knee, his massive shield covered in cracks.

His eyes were filled with terror.

He had lived for over fifty years and had never seen such a monster.

Xue Jianfeng's dragon spear was broken into several pieces, and he leaned against a pillar, gasping for air.

The three venerated elders struggled to their feet, supporting one another, blood still hanging from the corners of their mouths.

They looked at Yan Lingji, their eyes filled with wariness.

"Your Majesty... flee!"

A noble shouted out in a broken voice.

"Run, Your Majesty!"

"This woman... this woman is a devil!"

The other nobles cried out as well, their voices thick with fear.

Heaven Dou Emperor sat upon his throne, his face ashen.

Flee?

Where could he possibly flee to?

This was his palace, his court, his empire.

If he fled here, what kind of emperor would he be?

"Shut up!"

Heaven Dou Emperor roared, the pressure of an eight-ring Soul Douluo erupting instantly.

He slowly rose from his throne, his gaze locked onto Yan Lingji.

"Imperial We... shall not flee."

He took a deep breath, and all eight of his Soul Rings lit up simultaneously.

"Seventh Soul Skill—Swan Avatar!"

Suddenly, a giant swan phantom with a wingspan exceeding eight meters emerged behind him, its entire body snow-white like ice crystals, its neck slender, wings spread wide, as a biting chill radiated from its form.

The aura of the Soul Douluo climbed steadily.

The Swan Avatar merged with Xue Lan, and his entire body was enveloped in ice-crystal light, wings unfurling behind his back, his feet lifting off the ground as he hovered in mid-air.

The eighth Soul Ring lit up.

"Eighth Soul Skill—Swan Ice-Seal Slash!"

The massive crystal wings slammed shut, then suddenly snapped open.

Countless ice blades shot forth from his body.

They coalesced in mid-air into a giant X-shaped frost shockwave, hurtling toward Yan Lingji.

The temperature in the hall plummeted, and a thin layer of ice crystallized across the floor.

Yan Lingji looked up, watching the incoming frost shockwave.

The long whip in her hand condensed back into a sword.

Crimson flames reignited along the blade.

"Sun-Eroding Sword Technique—Seventh Form."

She pointed her sword toward the heavens, and a scorching sun rose once more.

"Light of the Setting Sun."

She slashed out.

The sword intent felt like a setting sun sinking behind the mountains, so heavy it made one gasp for air.

Blazing flames and frost collided in mid-air.

In an instant.

The frost was swallowed by the flames, and water vapor billowed like mist.

That X-shaped frost shockwave, like paper before the raging fire, shattered with a deafening roar.

The sword momentum remained undiminished, surging straight toward Xuelan.

Xuelan's pupils constricted, and he pulled his swan wings tight to shield his front.

His eighth soul ring lit up again in a desperate attempt to defend.

But it was too late.

BOOM—!

The entire hall trembled.

Xuelan, along with his Swan Avatar, was sent flying like a stone launched from a trebuchet, crashing violently into the golden relief behind the imperial throne.

The relief exploded into fragments.

Xuelan slid down from the wall and collapsed to his knees, the bones in his chest shattered completely.

A mouthful of blood sprayed out, mixed with fragments of his internal organs.

It stained the fine robes on his chest bright red.

His Swan Avatar disintegrated with a roar, dissolving into specks of light.

He braced himself with one hand, his entire body trembling, his eyes filled with terror.

One strike.

A single strike.

His eighth soul skill, his Swan Avatar, his eighty-plus years of accumulated soul power—

before this flash of sword light, they were nothing.

A deathly silence filled the hall.

The three venerated elders struggled to support one another, watching Xuelan collapse, their faces etched with despair.

Even His Majesty was...

Yan Lingji sheathed her sword, lifted her gaze, and looked at the kneeling Xuelan.

"Old thing, can you still hold on?"

She smiled, her tone light and airy.

"Don't be in a rush. This is only the beginning."

Xuelan trembled all over, looking up at that woman.

She stood there, her black and red dress fluttering without a breeze, her peach-blossom eyes slightly arched, as if she were looking at a dying ant.

In the hall, the nobles had already collapsed to the floor in terror, shivering uncontrollably.

The three venerated elders leaned on each other, struggling to stand in front of Xuelan, though they could barely keep their footing.

Zhao Tieyi braced his shattered great shield, kneeling on one knee, the surface of the shield covered in dense cracks.

Xue Jianfeng leaned on his broken spear, gasping for breath with great difficulty.

They were still there.

But how much longer could they hold on?

No one knew.

Outside the hall, the shouts and killing cries of the Imperial Guards drew ever closer.

Yet at this moment, within this very hall, the scales of victory had already tipped completely.

"Now, you shall all become my puppets!"

Just then, a pair of fox ears sprouted from Yan Lingji's head, and nine fox tails surged out from behind her.

Before anyone could even marvel at the sight, the blue, gem-like eyes of Yan Lingji suddenly flared with a brilliant azure light.

"Innate Divine Ability: Heavenly Illusion."

[Zi Nu guards the tower.]