Bo Saixi gently raised her hand and quietly activated the first Soul Skill of her Second Martial Soul, Breath of Life. A soft, pale-green glow spread over everyone, blending their auras with the surrounding plants and rubble. Their figures vanished completely as they slipped into Heaven Dou City without a sound.
Ruins stretched as far as the eye could see. Streets and alleys lay in disarray, strewn with debris and bloodstains.
Large groups of Heaven Dou Empire remnants roamed the streets, kicking in the doors of ordinary people's homes and wantonly seizing unarmed elders, women, and children.
Cries and desperate pleas rose one after another. Innocent people were roughly dragged and shoved away, with no one spared.
The soldiers wore cold, vicious expressions as they herded the civilians toward the vast plaza at the city center.
Qian Daoliu's gaze turned steely, a chill flashing through his eyes. He motioned for everyone to stay silent, then quietly followed the marching troops toward the plaza.
The soldiers wore cold, vicious expressions as they herded the civilians toward the vast plaza at the city center. Qian Daoliu keenly sensed the aura of Evil Soul Masters emanating from them.
Ye Guyi sensed it too. She turned to Qian Daoliu and asked, "Great Ancestor, these soldiers carry an evil aura that makes my skin crawl!"
Qian Daoliu nodded to confirm it. At that, Ye Guyi could no longer suppress her fury and was about to charge out and kill the Evil Soul Masters slaughtering the people.
Only Qian Daoliu's Soul Power, which restrained her movements and muffled her voice, kept them from alerting the enemy.
Qian Daoliu wanted to watch a little longer and find out why this loathsome band of Evil Soul Masters was slaughtering so many civilians.
At last, Qian Daoliu and the others followed the Evil Soul Masters to the plaza.
Black, sinister altars stood across the plaza, cold and forbidding.
The soldiers shoved the civilians forward, forcing them into the scarlet Blood Pool at the center of the altars.
The people fell into the pool. They had time for only one piercing scream before their voices were silenced forever.
Dense deathly energy billowed from the Blood Pool and gathered at the grandest altar in the plaza. A massive, bizarre Soul Tool hovered above its peak, radiating a chilling aura that made the heart tremble.
Qian Daoliu and Bo Saixi's pupils contracted. Their expressions grave, they murmured in unison, "The Death God Soul Guidance Device?"
The altar towered into the clouds and could reach across all of Heaven Dou City. Clearly, the Holy Spirit Cult intended to hold the city to the last and unleash the Death God Soul Guidance Device at a crucial moment to deal the Sun Moon Empire a fatal blow.
On closer inspection, the Soul Tool was assembled entirely from blackened bones and shadowy Soul Guidance crystals. Countless pale ghosts were trapped within the hollow patterns carved into its body, struggling frantically and wailing in agony. Boundless resentment and baleful energy seeped from it, terrifying to behold.
Nearby, Guang Yao, Jin Lin, Qiangu Zhenyue, and Qiangu Zhenxie could no longer hold back their revulsion and wanted to vomit.
Even Fire Phoenix Douluo Luan Feng swallowed hard, clearly shaken by the hellscape before her.
The baby stirred in Bo Saixi's womb. Seeing a woman with an infant in her arms shoved into the Blood Pool, mother and child vanishing in an instant, fury surged through her. Her jade hands clenched tight, and a chill gathered in her sea-green eyes.
The softness of heart that came with pregnancy could not withstand the sight before her. The Sea God's Soul Power stirred around her, nearly breaking through her concealment.
Qian Daoliu quickly turned and rested a hand on her shoulder, soothing her through a whispered transmission. He steadied the Soul Power that had nearly slipped out of control and waited for the right moment to act.
After calming Bo Saixi, Qian Daoliu used his Soul Power to screen everyone off, preventing them from being exposed too soon.
Once that was done, Qian Daoliu began observing the Holy Spirit Cult powerhouses atop the altar.
He realized the Holy Spirit Cult had truly committed everything this time. They had sent seven Titled Douluo alone, including a level-98 Super Douluo.
There were also no fewer than a thousand Evil Soul Masters across the plaza, along with a Soul Master army from the former Heaven Dou Empire stationed there.
It seemed impossible for Qian Daoliu to save the civilians of Heaven Dou City unharmed while also killing the Holy Spirit Cult's Evil Soul Masters.
What was more, Qian Daoliu still did not know what hidden strength the Heaven Dou Empire possessed.
Qian Daoliu made his decision and told the others, "Let's take a look at the Tianhun Imperial Palace!"
"Good!"
Suppressing her anger, Bo Saixi followed Qian Daoliu toward the Heaven Dou Empire's palace, led by Fire Phoenix Douluo Luan Feng.
The moment Qian Daoliu flew above the palace,
he sensed the Heaven Dou Empire's reserves of power.
Nearly ten thousand members of the Soul Master Legion were stationed around the imperial palace.
And deep within the palace, there were seven Titled Douluo.
The strongest among the seven was also a level-98 Super Douluo.
Moreover, Qian Daoliu recognized that aura.
It seemed to belong to Du Busi of the Body Sect, whom he had encountered a year ago.
"This is going to be trouble!"
Qian Daoliu muttered to himself.
He began calculating the combined strength of the Heaven Dou Empire and the Holy Spirit Cult.
He no longer believed that the Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Legion and the Soul Hall Soul Engineer Legion could easily take Heaven Dou City.
"What's wrong, Angel Douluo?"
Hearing Qian Daoliu mutter about trouble, Fire Phoenix Douluo asked curiously what was happening inside the palace.
Qian Daoliu told everyone about the powerhouses within the Tianhun Imperial Palace.
Fire Phoenix Douluo drew in a sharp breath.
"Angel Douluo! Given the situation, it's impossible for our two Soul Engineer Legions to take Heaven Dou City!"
"Why don't we retreat for now and send word to His Majesty? He can dispatch more Soul Engineer Legions to deal with this situation!"
Fire Phoenix Douluo had not finished speaking.
Qian Daoliu had not yet replied.
But Ye Guyi cut in. "No!"
Bo Saixi and the others all felt Fire Phoenix Douluo had a point.
Qian Daoliu, however, had a different idea from the others. Now that he heard Ye Guyi object, he asked her with keen interest, "Guyi, the balance of power is against us. Since you don't agree with retreating, what do you propose?"
As he spoke, Qian Daoliu looked at Ye Guyi with curiosity.
Ye Guyi heard him and, suppressing her anger toward the Evil Soul Masters, respectfully said to Qian Daoliu, "Great Ancestor, I heard my teacher say that the Death God Soul Guidance Device can only fire in a fixed direction!"
"Perhaps we can turn the Death God Soul Guidance Device to our advantage!"
At this, Qian Daoliu's eyes lit up. He encouraged Ye Guyi, "Guyi, can you be more specific?"
In truth, her idea was much like his own.
"Great Ancestor, what I'm thinking is, could the two of you..."
Ye Guyi lowered her voice until only Qian Daoliu and Bo Saixi could hear.
Qian Daoliu thoughtfully shielded the people around them from hearing.
As he listened, he praised her. By the end, even Bo Saixi could not help complimenting Ye Guyi. "Guyi, you're a genius!"
Ye Guyi lowered her head shyly.
Qian Daoliu felt deeply gratified.
In the end, Qian Daoliu accepted Ye Guyi's suggestion and told the others, "The army will take up its positions according to plan and wait for orders!"
"Luan Feng, Ye Guyi, Bo Saixi, contact your respective Soul Engineer Legions. We'll launch our full assault late tonight!"
"Yes!"
Everyone answered in unison.
Before you continue