"Stop."
The noise was giving Ming Yue a headache, so he had no choice but to rap his knuckles hard against the table.
The room fell silent at once, with an efficiency that brooked no disobedience. The meeting room, which had been in an uproar moments before, was suddenly quiet.
"On the surface, Cao Dezhi is the only one we have to deal with, but he and his little husband, Zang Xin, really are a troublesome pair."
"Still, since we're preparing to strike at the Tang Sect, this Tower Master naturally has a few other 'things' prepared."
As he spoke, he raised a hand and snapped his fingers. The Void Archives appeared in a flash, and a pile of strange-looking yet distinctly mechanical devices appeared in neat rows on the round table.
"What are these...?" the group asked.
"These are specially made, wide-area, concealed barrier Soul Tools."
"As the name suggests, they're powered by the Soul Power of Titled Douluo-level Soul Masters, and the barriers they link together cover a wide area."
"As long as the supply of Soul Power isn't interrupted, the barrier will remain completely unshaken, even under a Limit Douluo's full-strength attack."
Giving up on expecting these fellows to come up with clever plans, Ming Yue sighed as he explained.
"Hiss! With these at our disposal, I, this old man, am willing to lead the charge for the Destroy Tang Plan, Tower Master!"
"I share Lord Snake Emperor's opinion!"
"Same here!"
"..."
Ming Yue nodded and rapped the table again to call for quiet. Then he began making more detailed arrangements for the Destroy Tang Plan.
Once every arrangement had been finalized, the Douluos returned one after another to prepare for battle and await the order to march.
A towering mountain rose from the earth, its slopes covered in lush trees and alive with birdsong. A veil of clouds and mist clung to it year-round.
It was quite the picture of a secluded paradise.
But today, the tranquil scene was shattered by the arrival of dozens of powerful figures, each at least a Titled Douluo!
"This is the place. Follow the Tower Master's arrangements and take up your positions. Once everyone is in place, report back through the Communication Soul Tools. Understood?"
At the front of the roughly fifty-person group, a burly man with a thick head of hair barked out the question.
At once, the group responded with a crisp, synchronized gesture.
"Good. Take your positions now. Move out!"
Nodding in satisfaction, the burly man gave the signal as well.
In an instant, the more than fifty Titled Douluos scattered in every direction.
The burly man closed his eyes and waited. Before long, the Communication Soul Tool began relaying reports that everyone had reached their assigned positions.
"Good." Just as he was about to say more, Ming Yue and his party arrived from the sky. There were more than ten of them, including Super Douluos, Peak Douluos, and two Limit Douluos.
"Tower Master! All the positions are manned!" The instant he saw Ming Yue, the burly man strode over, his face full of admiration.
"Very good. Five minutes after we enter the mountain range, you can activate the barrier."
"Just remember not to interrupt the flow of Soul Power."
Ming Yue nodded with a warm smile, then calmly gave his instructions.
"Yes, Tower Master!"
Ming Yue glanced at the burly man and nodded, then he and his party flew into the heart of the mountain range.
"The Tower Master really is someone to look up to!"
Watching Ming Yue and the others gradually disappear from sight, the burly man sighed and began counting the minutes.
A few minutes after flying into the mountain range, Ming Yue's party reached the edge of a maze-like formation that resembled a barrier.
"Tsk— They really do take after each other. Everyone loves pulling this sort of stunt."
Looking at the formation before him, which was much like the maze on the Sea God Clan's island they had smashed through earlier, Ming Yue couldn't help making a wry remark.
"Let this old man handle it."
The Coiling Dragon Staff appeared in his hand, and Qiangu Dieting stepped forward.
"Elder Qiangu, wait a moment. You were the one who broke the last maze. As a newly ascended Limit Douluo of the Spirit Pagoda, I should be the one to handle this one."
"By any measure, this formation ought to be broken by me. Besides, this one is much more interesting than the one on the Sea God Clan's island."
Before Qiangu Dieting could make a move, the newly ascended Limit Douluo Snake Emperor Douluo interrupted him with a chuckle.
With the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor as his Martial Soul, he could clearly sense the traces of heat mixed with Soul Power within the formation.
"Very well."
Seeing how eager Snake Emperor Douluo was, Qiangu Dieting promptly put away his Martial Soul and stepped back.
Snake Emperor Douluo licked the corner of his mouth, excitement flickering in his eyes.
He went straight to the formation. As his Soul Rings lit up, his Martial Soul possessed his body in an instant!
He opened his mouth and spewed out a cloud of dark violet poison mist!
"...Aah!!!" the group cried out.
In a matter of moments, heart-rending screams rang out from the formation ahead, now eaten away by the poison.
"Ke ke ke! It's been so long since I've enjoyed the thrill of killing with poison mist. You prey are truly fortunate to experience my poison firsthand!"
Listening with relish to the screams rising and falling ahead, Snake Emperor Douluo cackled and used his Soul Power to disperse the poison mist.
Before long, the screams faded. As Snake Emperor Douluo withdrew the poison mist, thoroughly satisfied, Ming Yue received word from Xiao Ya that the barrier Soul Tools had all been activated.
"Tower Master, I've cleared away the little obstacle ahead. Please, lead the way!"
Returning to Ming Yue's side, Snake Emperor Douluo bowed slightly. He had once again become a smiling, ancient old man.
"Nicely done. Let's go, everyone."
Ming Yue gave a slight nod, then flew toward the formation they had just cleared.
They could still see plenty of residue left behind by the poison. After flying across a gorge, an expansive complex of buildings suddenly came into view.
"You've barged in uninvited, destroyed the Tang Sect's protective formation, and killed our disciples. What do you want with us, you people from the Spirit Pagoda?!"
As soon as Ming Yue's group landed before the Tang Sect's signboard, more than ten figures with auras at least at the Titled Douluo level confronted them. Among them were one Limit Douluo and several Peak and Super Douluos. Led by two handsome, mature-looking men, they shouted at Ming Yue's party.
"Ah, of course, it's because all the things Amorous Douluo just mentioned were standing in this Tower Master's way."
Ming Yue smiled placidly at Zang Xin, then continued with a light laugh:
"Still, Lord Amorous Douluo, as the sect's nominal vice-master, you've been rather lax in disciplining your disciples."
"When we senior members of the Spirit Pagoda came to visit, you didn't come out to greet us respectfully. Instead, you hid inside the maze to watch us. What was the meaning of that?"
Ming Yue's attempt to turn the tables made Zang Xin's fair face flush red with anger. He had always been the one getting inside other people's heads.
Now that he was experiencing it for the first time himself, he was at a loss for what to do. Fortunately, his husband, Cao Dezhi, quickly took his hand.
The warmth of Cao Dezhi's hand calmed his flustered mind. He glanced tenderly at Cao Dezhi.
Then he turned a cold gaze on Ming Yue.
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