"Attack!"
Seeing the bandits enter the trap they had prepared, Su Changge gave the guards beside him a small signal.
In an instant, a signal arrow shot into the sky, illuminating the entire night.
"It's the signal from the young lady and Lord Changge!"
"All units, obey orders! Mount up and charge!!!"
Almost at once, dozens of knights from the Murong Earldom swung onto their horses.
Among them, the knights carrying ten black cases opened the cases on their backs and pulled out gleaming matchlock muskets.
That's right!
The so-called secret weapon Su Changge had mentioned was the matchlock musket he had spent a great deal of effort and gone through dozens of failed attempts to imitate.
The industry of this world was backward, almost comparable to ancient times in his previous life.
But for some unknown reason, perhaps because its technological tree had been crookedly developed, this world's steelmaking technology was extraordinarily advanced.
Various large-scale steelmaking methods, even special-steel forging techniques, were not difficult to obtain.
The earldom simply lacked high-rank fire-type Soul Masters. Otherwise... if they could improve the efficiency of casting, forging, and shaping, the knights before them would be carrying far more than a mere ten matchlock muskets.
Of course.
In the Douluo World, a world where Soul Power granted extraordinary abilities,
the lowest-grade matchlock musket posed little threat to Soul Masters who could wield Soul Power and Soul Skills.
But Su Changge didn't expect too much at this stage. If they could mow down some ordinary foot soldiers, that was enough.
Later, once the earldom had more strength and resources, they might even develop mass-produced gun-type Soul Tools. By then... they would be the nightmare of every low-rank Soul Master.
"Kill!!!"
Dozens of heavily armored cavalrymen charged through the sea of fire and thundered down the four-meter-wide road, reaching the bandits in the blink of an eye.
"Damn it!!! The earldom's cavalry!"
"They knew we were coming and set an ambush here!"
The bandits turned pale with terror. Instinctively, they tried to flee into the villagers' houses on either side, only to realize too late... that thick planks and beams had sealed the buildings shut.
Boom!!!
The heavy cavalry crashed into the first wave of bandits, then kept charging. In a dozen breaths, they had torn through the bandits' formation and killed most of them.
One black-robed Soul Grandmaster was even caught up in the fleeing soldiers and had no time to release a Soul Skill. His legs were trampled and snapped beneath the horses.
"Turn around! Musket Cavalry, cover them! Charge again, and don't stop!"
"Kill every last bandit!!!"
Led by the knight captain, ten musket cavalrymen aimed at the bandits and pulled their triggers one after another.
The specially made steel bullets pierced the bandits' leather armor with ease, reaping life after life like merciless harvesters.
"Charge!"
As the charge horn sounded again, the bandit group's Soul Elder and two Soul Grandmasters paled. They didn't even spare a thought for their companion with broken legs. Releasing their Soul Skills, they forced their way out of the battlefield.
Clop! Clop...
Under the trampling hooves of dozens of warhorses, the surviving bandits and the injured Soul Master were crushed to death.
On the rooftops lining the street, the three escaped Soul Masters stared down at the carnage, furious and humiliated.
They had actually been driven to this by a bunch of ants who weren't even Soul Scholars?
If word of this got out, how could the three of them ever show their faces in Melan Territory again?
"You worthless scum from the Murong Earldom, you... are asking for death!!!"
Three surges of powerful Soul Power erupted, and one yellow Soul Ring after another lit up the night sky.
Watching the battle from afar, Su Changge finally relaxed.
Two Soul Grandmasters and one Soul Elder, with all three Soul Rings being Hundred-Year Soul Rings. What a bunch of trash... no, ordinary Soul Elders.
This battle could be won.
"Ruyan, the ordinary bandits are all dead. Our cavalry has no advantage against the three Soul Masters left. Their limited mobility would only make them easy targets for the enemy to slaughter."
"It's time for us to step in!"
"You only recently advanced to Soul Elder and lack combat experience. Just hold that Soul Elder at bay. Don't take unnecessary risks."
"Once I've dealt with the other two Soul Grandmasters, I'll come help you!"
Su Changge straightened, fierce battle intent blazing in his eyes.
"Spread out! Don't give them a chance to focus their attacks. Musket Cavalry, pair up and aim at the enemy. The other four, fire in turns and don't let them release their Soul Skills easily!"
"Anyone good with a bow, get it off your back! Aim for their balls and shoot the bastards dead!"
A Soul Master's physical abilities had long since evolved beyond those of an ordinary person.
Until the enemy Soul Masters ran out of Soul Power, bows and crossbows from the old era could achieve very little.
Even against low-rank Soul Masters!
More than a dozen volleys of arrows rained down, but they accomplished nothing.
"That's enough, Commander Mo. Tell them to stop."
"Leave the Musket Cavalry here. Everyone else, fall back. Form groups of three and block every exit from the village!"
"When facing Soul Masters, naturally, Soul Masters should be the ones to settle things."
"The earldom may have fallen into decline, but it hasn't sunk so low that you have to throw your lives away."
Commander Mo had reservations about Su Changge's orders, but he didn't dare contradict him.
As one of the few senior officials in the Murong Earldom, he knew far better than anyone just how important this man was to the young lady.
He also knew that Su Changge wasn't nearly as mild-mannered as he appeared.
"Understood! Lord Changge, young lady... please be careful."
As the knights withdrew, the noisy battlefield fell silent in an instant.
Yet the aura of slaughter hanging in the air was now more than ten times as thick as before.
"You three, take on the other Soul Grandmaster. Leave the last one to me. I'll use him for a little practice."
The moment Murong Ruyan moved to hold off the Soul Elder, Su Changge sent the earldom's three elderly, low-rank Soul Masters to engage one of the Soul Grandmasters.
As for Su Changge, he took a metal alloy rod etched with strange patterns from his Storage Soul Tool.
"Pretty boy, are you really planning to challenge a mighty Soul Grandmaster like me with that ridiculous metal rod?"
Seeing what Su Changge was doing, the other Soul Grandmaster seemed amused and laughed without restraint.
"Heh... can't be helped! You've got to take a chance, right?"
"Good! Good!!! Pretty boy, since you're so handsome, I'll spare your life. Maybe I can sell you for a handsome price in Tiandou Imperial City someday."
"After all, those elderly noble ladies love your type."
"Remember this: my name is Chu Zhao!!! When you're living the good life someday, don't forget your great benefactor."
Buzz!
His Soul Rings trembled.
Two yellow Soul Rings floated into the air as Chu Zhao leaped from the rooftop and charged straight at Su Changge.
"First Soul Skill: Thorn Bind."
Thorny vines as thick as bowls burst through the ground. Like slithering pythons, they instantly bound Su Changge and pinned him in place.
"Lord Changge!!!"
Seeing Su Changge bound by a single move, the Musket Cavalry panicked and raised their guns to fire at Chu Zhao.
But before they could come within three centimeters of Chu Zhao, the specially made steel bullets seemed to be pulled by some strange force. Spinning at high speed, they lost all momentum and fell to the ground like raindrops.
"Pretty boy, feel the despair I bring you... Second Soul Skill: Wolf Transformation!"
Awoo...
Beneath the moonlight, Chu Zhao's body swelled to three meters tall. Thick fur sprouted all over him, and a pair of fearsome fangs slowly took shape.
"I thought you had some kind of trump card, or a special Soul Skill! Seems I was overthinking it."
"Then again, how could a flower of hope bloom in such barren soil?"
"I can't tell whether your Martial Soul is plant-type or a Beast Martial Soul, but your Soul Ring combination is awful."
Su Changge looked up at the transformed Chu Zhao, seemingly no longer interested.
"Pretty boy!!! What did you say?"
"How dare you insult the great Chu Zhao?"
"I've had enough! I'm going to kill you... break your limbs one by one and let you die in despair, writhing in agony!"
Chu Zhao's face twisted with rage as he swung his enormous wolf claws down at Su Changge's head.
Just as the claws were a finger's breadth from Su Changge, he moved.
A cold whisper boomed through the air as surging Soul Power poured out like a tide. "First Soul Skill: Titan Ape Demon Transformation."
A deep-purple Soul Ring appeared beneath Su Changge's feet!
Purple-gold Soul Power enveloped his body.
The steel rod in Su Changge's hand seemed to transform into the Needle That Anchors the Sea. With ease, he shattered the thorns binding him and drove the rod through Chu Zhao's brow.
Soul Grandmaster Chu Zhao: Dead!