Your Highness's Killing Intent Is Truly Heavy! Eighth Soul Skill, Nether Blade!

Heaven Dou Empire, Wu Ping City.

The ink-black clouds pressed lower and lower, as if they were about to crash down to the earth, shrouding everything in a terrifying gloom.

The rain was still pouring. Before the gates of Wu Ping City, the standing water had already risen past the ankles, giving off an eerie blood-red hue.

At that moment, the Heaven Dou Empire army's formation was in complete disarray, utterly torn open by the Star Luo Empire's troops.

Though they still far outnumbered the soldiers of the Star Luo Empire, every Star Luo soldier was fierce as a wolf or tiger, brave and skilled in battle.

Even an ordinary Star Luo soldier, long saber in hand—

With a flash of blade light, two or even more Heaven Dou Empire soldiers would scream and fall.

Such a vast gap in combat strength was like an invisible mountain, crushing the Heaven Dou Empire soldiers until they could hardly breathe. Their hearts had long since been filled with fear, and the hands gripping their weapons trembled uncontrollably.

Only, bound by military orders, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and keep fighting.

And just then, a resounding shout of "All troops, retreat! Target, Golden Citadel Pass!" rang out like a pardon, cutting through the oppressive battlefield.

Hearing the order from their City Lord, General Li Jinglong, the Heaven Dou Empire soldiers could not help but show a flicker of relief in their eyes.

Then they turned one after another and fled desperately in the direction of Golden Citadel Pass.

For a time, blood splashed everywhere. Some soldiers, too panicked, even tripped over corpses or debris on the ground, letting out pained muffled groans.

But how could they care about the pain now? They scrambled up and kept running, terrified that if they were one step too slow, the soldiers of the Star Luo Empire would catch up to them.

And Li Jinglong, as commander-in-chief, sat astride his tall warhorse at that moment, watching the soldiers flee...

He raised his head to the sky and let out a long sigh, a trace of desolation appearing on his face as he let the rain strike it.

"This crushing defeat is my fault... It is all because I failed to see through Dai Chengfeng's scheme in advance!"

Watching this scene, Dai Chengfeng narrowed his eyes slightly. "Zhu Yan, hear my command!"

"Your Highness."

Soon, Zhu Yan rode over and came to Dai Chengfeng's side.

"I order you to lead the army in pursuit of the Heaven Dou Empire's remnants, until you are thirty li from Golden Citadel Pass."

Wu Ping City was only a small city, while Golden Citadel Pass was entirely different. It was a great pass city between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire, with over two hundred thousand troops stationed there alone.

His ten thousand men, no matter how brave and battle-hardened, could never be a match for them.

Therefore, pursuing them to within thirty li of Golden Citadel Pass was already the limit.

"Yes."

Zhu Yan cupped his fists, then said with some hesitation, "Only, Your Highness, what if someone surrenders?"

"Surrenders?"

The corner of Dai Chengfeng's mouth lifted slightly, murderous intent filling his golden eyes. "Those who surrender won't be killed, but..."

"I don't want to hear... that! anyone! surrendered!"

As he spoke, Dai Chengfeng patted Zhu Yan's arm. "Zhu Yan, I trust you should understand what I mean!"

"Yes, this subordinate understands!"

Zhu Yan instantly gave a military salute, then reined his horse around.

"Before, Zhu Fan told me that His Highness had an extremely heavy killing nature, and I didn't believe it."

"After all, His Highness treats us subordinates so well. All the widows of the fallen soldiers in Wu'an City received extra care."

"How could a prince like that have a heavy killing nature?"

"But now, I damn well believe it completely!" Zhu Yan could not help swallowing, while a trace of relief rose in his heart. "Good thing I, Zhu Yan, am utterly loyal to His Highness and don't have to be his enemy..."

Then Zhu Yan roared, "All troops, assemble! Follow me to hunt down the Heaven Dou Empire's remnant army... blood for blood! Leave not one alive!"

"Hyah!!!"

Zhu Yan had already led the army far away.

At that moment, inside Wu'an City, only Dai Chengfeng and Zhu Fan remained, along with Dai Chengfeng's Imperial Guards... the Vanguard Death Soldiers who had once numbered one thousand, but now had fewer than eight hundred left.

And Li Jinglong!

"Old General Li, you're not fleeing?"

Dai Chengfeng looked at Li Jinglong sitting on his warhorse opposite him, somewhat dejected yet showing no intention of running, and spoke curiously.

At those words—

Looking at the youthful, brilliant Dai Chengfeng across from him, Li Jinglong's eyes were filled with bitterness.

"A defeated commander, a homeless dog—unworthy of being called general."

"As for fleeing?"

Li Jinglong took one last look at Wu Ping City and sighed softly. "No more running. No more running..."

"Wu Ping City is my home, the place that gave me life and raised me... and now it has been lost because of my stupidity."

"I, Li Jinglong, have failed the people in the city who trusted me, failed the soldiers who trusted me. I no longer have the face to meet them."

As he spoke.

Li Jinglong took off his helmet and threw it to Dai Chengfeng. "But kid, you're good! Truly very good!"

"Although you are my enemy, I admire your strategy!"

"Losing to you, this old man does not find it shameful!"

At the end, Li Jinglong roared at Zhu Fan at the top of his lungs, "Come then, former Imperial Guard Commander of the Star Luo Empire, Zhu Fan!"

"You are only a Soul King. You are not my Opponent," Zhu Fan said, shaking his head slightly.

"I! General of the Heaven Dou Empire, City Lord of Wu Ping City, Li Jinglong, am willing to delay you for the soldiers of Heaven Dou, even if it is only one minute, even if it is only one second!"

"I have no regrets!"

Looking at Li Jinglong across from him, resolved to die, even as an enemy, Dai Chengfeng could not help but feel solemn respect.

He took off his own helmet and gave a military salute.

Then he looked at Zhu Fan. "Uncle, give it your all!"

"Mm!"

Zhu Fan nodded heavily and likewise gave Li Jinglong a military salute. Then eight Soul Rings lit up beneath his feet. "Old General Li, I, Zhu Fan, will remember you!"

The words fell.

"Eighth Soul Skill, Nether Blade!"

Zhu Fan seemed to slash through space, vanishing from where he stood in an instant.

By the time he appeared again, he was behind Li Jinglong...

In his hand, a pitch-black dagger that seemed capable of devouring all light had already pierced through Li Jinglong's chest.

Pfft!

Li Jinglong spat out a mouthful of blood and lowered his head to look at the Nether Blade piercing through his chest.

There was no fear. Instead, a trace of release appeared on his face.

"So this is... a Soul Douluo? So strong!"

Thud~

He fell from his horse and crashed heavily into the rain, blood continuously gushing from his mouth as his eyes gazed up at the sky.

"I'm sorry. I, Li Jinglong... did my best..."

At this moment.

Dai Chengfeng walked up to Li Jinglong, crouched down, and put his helmet back on for him. "General Li!"

"This defeat was not because you lost to me, Dai Chengfeng, alone..."

"You lost to War Immortal, lost to a strategy that no one had ever seen before."

"You have not been wronged!"

"And I promise you, as long as the people in the city do not resist, I will not slaughter them!"

"That's good, that's good..."

Li Jinglong smiled and closed his eyes.

Dai Chengfeng took a deep breath and stood up. "Uncle, give Old General Li a proper burial!"

"Yes!"

"At the same time, write a letter to inform Father, and have him relay it to Heaven Dou..."

"Wu Ping City belongs to my Star Luo Empire from now on!"

After Dai Chengfeng finished speaking, he looked at Wu Ping City, silent except for the sound of rain. "My vengeance has been taken."

"Next, I should also leave for the time being and head to Heaven Dou... the Immortal Herb!"

Although his Martial Soul was the White Tiger, after cultivating the Innate Skill, Dai Chengfeng understood more and more clearly the huge gap between his White Tiger and the legendary Holy Spirit of Heaven. This was an insufficiency in Origin.

Only evolution could make up for that Origin...

"I am the White Emperor, the Holy Spirit of Heaven! The Fierce God among the years! I shall wield all killing and conquest beneath the heavens, and I am also the Lord of Innate Geng Metal! I shall surely stand above the Peak of All Gods!"

Dai Chengfeng raised his head and looked at the gloomy sky, his eyes resolute, without the slightest trace of confusion.

"It must be so!"