Long Xiaoyao's face remained expressionless. He simply extended a hand from behind Xu Nian'an, coldly unleashing his overwhelming pressure directly at Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo beside him.
Ning Fengzhi was only a Soul Saint with a Soul Power level above 70. Naturally, he couldn't withstand Long Xiaoyao's pressure. The instant Long Xiaoyao released it, Ning Fengzhi dropped to his knees.
It was exactly like last time.
Ning Fengzhi: I...
"This feeling..."
Sword Douluo Chen Xin's eyes flew wide the moment he sensed Long Xiaoyao's aura.
A scene from a distant memory suddenly surfaced in his mind.
It was the sight of his father challenging the Spirit Hall's then-Pontiff... Qian Daoliu, only to suffer a crushing defeat.
He had never forgotten that aura.
After all these years, having broken through to Titled Douluo, he was feeling that same aura again.
A profound sense of powerlessness welled up inside Sword Douluo.
"I command you... to kneel!!!"
The instant Xu Nian'an's words fell, Long Xiaoyao's eyes narrowed.
An invincible pressure unlike any he had ever released surged from him, and the earth began to tremble.
Crack~!!!
A series of cracking sounds suddenly rang out. Looking closely, the ground beneath Sword Douluo's feet had shattered inch by inch, like a spiderweb of cracks.
Pfft~!!!!
The next moment, Sword Douluo Chen Xin spat out a mouthful of blood. His face turned pale, and his Martial Soul and Soul Rings abruptly withdrew into his body. His knees buckled, and he fell to the ground.
Whoosh~!!!
Ning Fengzhi whipped around and stared at Sword Douluo, his eyes wide.
Sword Douluo had a higher Soul Power level than Bone Douluo. Ning Fengzhi couldn't believe that even he couldn't withstand the newcomer's pressure. He hardly dared imagine just how high this person's Soul Power was.
Sword Douluo's lips trembled twice before he struggled to utter a single sentence.
"Beyond level 95 Super Douluo... a level 99 Peerless Douluo!!!"
"Chen Xin of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect pays his respects to senior!"
"Greetings, Your Majesty, Emperor of the Great Ming!"
"Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect pays his respects to Your Majesty, Emperor of the Great Ming, and to the Peerless senior!"
The instant Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo spoke, they suddenly felt the weight lift from their bodies.
When they looked up again, the tall, black-clad elder behind Xu Nian'an had already vanished.
Only Xu Nian'an remained, sitting quietly on the Dragon Throne as he watched them.
Truthfully, Xu Nian'an hadn't insisted that they kneel for its own sake.
He had done it simply to establish his standing.
At the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Tournament, all the Spirit Masters would kneel before the Spirit Hall's Pontiff.
But among the common people, the lords, kings, and emperors... there was no such reverence in their hearts.
It was like the contempt cultivators in ancient times held for mortal emperors.
And now, Xu Nian'an was going to set a rule.
He, Xu Nian'an, stood above lords and kings—even emperors and the Pontiff. He would be known as the Human Emperor.
If you were human and weaker than him, you'd better pay your respects properly. Don't wait until the Great Ming Iron Cavalry trampled your face into the dirt before you started begging for mercy!
So what if the Douluo Continent's factions included the Spirit Hall of the Spirit Masters, the Upper Three Sects, and the Lower Four Sects?
Xu Nian'an's Great Ming Empire had swept through both empires and brought them to heel. Who did they think they were?
Xu Nian'an acted this way because he wanted to rule not only the world of ordinary people, but the world of Spirit Masters as well.
After all, in the future, Xu Nian'an planned to launch Martial Soul Awakening for every citizen of Great Ming.
"Rise."
After glancing at the two kneeling figures, Xu Nian'an replied without expression.
"Fengzhi!"
At Xu Nian'an's words, the stunning young woman beside Ning Fengzhi hurried to help him up.
"I'm fine."
Once he was on his feet, Ning Fengzhi took a moment to recover. When he looked toward the boy on the Dragon Throne again, a trace of fear had crept into his eyes.
Ning Fengzhi had only recently taken over the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. He wasn't yet the wily old fox he would later become, skilled at keeping his composure and concealing his feelings.
"Your Majesty, Emperor of the Great Ming, please forgive my earlier discourtesy."
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has come with the utmost sincerity."
"I've heard the reason the Great Ming Army has been invincible on the battlefields against Star Luo and Tiandou is that you possess a special weapon—one more powerful than cannons, capable of covering a wide area, and devastatingly effective."
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect needs this weapon to defend our sect. Would Your Majesty be willing to sell us a few?"
Worried that another mishap might occur, Ning Fengzhi promptly explained why he had come to see Xu Nian'an.
"You mean... this?"
As he spoke, Xu Nian'an's right-hand Storage Ring flashed, and a small cannon appeared before him.
Xu Nian'an slapped the cannon's barrel. As he channeled Soul Power into it, light began to gather. The next instant, it shot toward Ning Fengzhi.
Bang~!!!
Just as the Soul Cannon was about to hit Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo sprang into action.
With a casual wave of his hand, a streak of sword light flashed past.
The next instant, the Soul Cannon shell, condensed from Soul Power, burst apart, and a surge of Soul Power swept out.
"This is..."
"With just a little Soul Power, it can unleash the full-force attack of a level 40 Soul Ancestor!"
Ning Fengzhi was astonished.
He looked at Xu Nian'an again.
"May I ask whether Your Majesty has any weapons that even ordinary people can use? The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is willing to buy them in large quantities!"
Xu Nian'an smiled and shook his head.
He didn't have any weapons like that?
What a joke. How could he not? AKs had been so rugged and durable in his previous life.
But why would Xu Nian'an sell something so easy to copy?
If he was going to sell anything, it had to be something no one else could imitate—like Soul Tools. A single Soul Tool involved countless steps, and at present, they were practically ancient artifacts.
There wasn't a single faction on the Douluo Continent capable of copying Soul Tools.
Wasn't this the perfect chance to build a monopoly?
"Weapons ordinary people can use?"
"Heh. The future belongs to Soul Tools—to Spirit Masters and Soul Engineers."
Xu Nian'an said something Ning Fengzhi couldn't understand.
Though he didn't understand the words, he got the message: there were no weapons ordinary people could use—or else they simply weren't for sale.
Ning Fengzhi frowned and had no choice but to lower his expectations.
"Then may I ask how much these weapons cost, Your Majesty? Can any Spirit Master use them?"
At this, Xu Nian'an nodded.
"The price depends on what level you're buying. The higher the level, the stronger the attack, and naturally, the more expensive it is."
As he spoke, Xu Nian'an clapped his hands.
A Dragon Guard slowly stepped forward.
"Take him to the Soul Master Legion and show him the power of Soul Tools."
After that, Ning Fengzhi was led out of the hall in a daze. The moment they stepped outside, they saw a group of black-robed figures. Sword Douluo's pupils contracted at the sight.
The black-haired woman in a black dress at their head especially set off every alarm inside him.
"What a powerful aura of death. With killing intent this intense, how many people has she killed?"