"Uncle Jian, come with me to the coast."
After thinking for a long time, Ning Fengzhi finally made up his mind. This time, he would still get involved.
"Huh?"
Chen Xin froze. "Sect Master, didn't you say you didn't want to make an enemy of the Northern Underworld Empire? Why would you still go?"
Gu Rong chimed in from the side. "That's right, Sect Master. Didn't you want to learn the Northern Underworld Empire's soul tool technology?"
"If we go to the Seaside Fortress and join the battle now, we'll undoubtedly be standing against the Northern Underworld Empire. Won't that send our plans down the drain?"
"No, going there doesn't mean making enemies of them. I'm sure plenty of Soul Masters from the Douluo Continent will go to watch."
Ning Fengzhi shook his head. "In fact, if we don't go, we may well throw away a chance to make contact with them."
With his hands behind his back, Ning Fengzhi paced slowly. "Think about it. If the Northern Underworld Empire truly goes to war with the Douluo Continent one day, we'll be caught in that position, and communication really will become impossible."
"I think I understand."
Chen Xin and Gu Rong exchanged a glance and nodded, understanding Ning Fengzhi's intentions.
"All right, Uncle Gu. Sorry for the trouble, but I'll have to ask you to stay and guard the sect this time."
"Leave it to this old man."
Gu Rong smiled and nodded. "Rongrong has been so absorbed in the Sky Screen lately that she hasn't been cultivating properly."
"It's good to let her study the Sky Screen. It's a remarkable thing, and it will surely have more uses in the future."
Ning Fengzhi nodded, then made a few quick preparations before leaving the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect with Sword Douluo Chen Xin.
Meanwhile, on the Heaven Dou Coast, the squad led by Xi Zhao and dispatched by the Northern Underworld Empire had already approached the Seaside Fortress.
Outside the fortress, Xi Zhao placed the golden crystal stone into the Snow Mastiff Summoner and slowly raised his hand.
"Snow Mastiff Armor, fuse."
[Armor Fusion!]
The next moment, a silver-white belt bearing a yin-yang symbol appeared around Xi Zhao's waist. Armor then extended from the belt, covering his body and transforming him into the Snow Mastiff Hero.
After moving a little to loosen up, Xi Zhao slowly walked toward the fortress.
"Follow him."
Behind him, Zhou Tan waved a hand. The dozen or so members of the squad immediately followed Xi Zhao, summoning their martial souls and soul rings.
Martial souls and soul rings of every color rose, and an invisible aura instantly swept outward. Though there were only a few dozen of them, they advanced with the imposing might of a thousand troops and ten thousand horses.
Inside the Heaven Dou fortress, the soldiers sensed trouble the instant they spotted Xi Zhao and the others.
"Quick! Sound the alarm! Something's happening!"
A piercing alarm rang out, and the soldiers and generals in the fortress hurried up onto its walls.
The Soul Douluo general in command immediately channeled his soul power and shouted, "Listen, you up ahead! You have trespassed into the territory of the Heaven Dou Empire. Leave at once! Leave at once!"
When Xi Zhao and the others failed to respond, the general snorted. "In that case, don't blame us!"
He immediately drew his longsword. "On my command, loose!"
The Soul Douluo stationed there raised his sword and gave the order. The archers around him immediately drew their bows and nocked their arrows, sending an unending rain of arrows toward Xi Zhao and the others.
Looking at the arrows filling the sky, the group showed no fear. Instead, they gazed upward with interest.
"These are ordinary iron arrows. I've only ever seen actual ones in museums."
Qiu Ling'er blinked curiously. "Bows these days are all soul tools. They use soul power to generate arrows."
"Even physical arrows are fixed soul tools. No one uses primitive things like these anymore."
Facing thousands upon thousands of arrows, Xi Zhao stood utterly unmoved, while Bei Ming Feng volunteered and stepped out from behind him.
"Heh, the perfect chance to test my new martial soul."
Looking at the arrows overhead, Bei Ming Feng sneered. He summoned the Windchaser Bird and loaded a deep-blue sphere into it.
"Let me show you my specially made Fixed Soul Cannon Shell."
These pellets were also recorded in the blueprints as ammunition exclusive to the Windchaser Bird. They ranged from Class One to Class Thirteen, each suited to different situations.
"Windchaser Bird!"
Bei Ming Feng gripped the control handles with both hands and aimed at the sky. "First Soul Skill, Windchaser Break!"
The next instant, the pellet fired, transforming in a flash into a powerful tornado that sucked in the arrows overhead and shredded them.
"Paltry tricks!"
Bei Ming Feng gently blew across the Windchaser Bird's muzzle. He didn't know why, but it just felt cool.
"Let's finish this quickly."
Xi Zhao glanced up at the Sky Screen, then turned the dial on his right.
"Thunderclap Staff!"
Gripping the twin hammers, Xi Zhao gave them a light swing, then slowly lowered his body.
"Twin Thunder Chain, blast!"
White lightning immediately surged across the Thunderclap Staff. Xi Zhao vanished in an instant, and a moment later, the twin hammers, wreathed in white lightning, slammed heavily into the fortress barrier.
Boom!
Thunder rang out without end. Under the lightning's tremendous destructive force, the fortress's defenses were shattered before they could hold out for even a second.
"Surrender."
Xi Zhao's slightly icy voice spread outward. "You have ten seconds. If you don't open the gates and surrender, I'll smash them!"
"Ten!"
"Nine!"
"Eight!"
As the numbers dwindled one by one, the soldiers defending the walls, having witnessed Xi Zhao's power, began laying down their weapons to surrender. They were not afraid of death, but they did not want to throw their lives away for nothing.
"Damn it! Pass on my orders! Anyone who surrenders will be punished under military law!"
The Soul Douluo general summoned his martial soul, a large black blade, then leaped down from the wall.
He understood that to quell the soldiers' fear, he had to take down the Armored Man before him.
I refuse to believe the Northern Underworld Continent has so many experts. I'm a Soul Douluo, damn it!
He thought viciously. Although he knew of the Northern Underworld Continent, he had never looked into it in depth. He guarded the coastal waters and had little time to learn about such things.
"Seventh Soul Skill, Demonic Blade True Form!"
The curved blade in his hand immediately released waves of black vapor, letting out mournful wails as he swung it.
Watching the great blade slash toward him, Xi Zhao neither dodged nor flinched. The black blade struck him squarely in the chest.
Sparks flew everywhere. The soldiers on the walls watched the battle, every one of them tense.
"It seems you're not as strong as I imagined!"
Ignoring the great blade striking his body, Xi Zhao simply raised his hand and threw a vicious punch.
Seeing the iron fist hurtling toward him, the general immediately raised his blade to defend himself. He had never expected such a seemingly light blow to contain such tremendous power.
Boom!
White lightning flashed. The Soul Douluo's black blade instantly shattered, and he was sent flying, embedded in the fortress wall.
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
As the countdown ended, Xi Zhao stopped holding back and slowly turned the dial.
[Thunderclap Axe.]
Before you continue