You're looting so thoroughly, you won't even spare the soldiers' Soul Tool Rings!

Mingdu, on the outskirts of South City!

The blazing sun hung high, dispelling the torrential rain that had shrouded Mingdu the night before.

Dazzling sunlight poured down over an enormous building in a secluded corner of the city's south.

This was one of the Sun Moon Empire's most important Strategic Materials Warehouses.

Towering metal walls stood like sheer cliffs cast from iron, completely separating the interior from the outside world.

A pungent smell of blood filled the air.

Mixed with the rank odor of mud dried by the sun, it was enough to turn the stomach.

Dozens of heavily armored imperial soldiers stood with guns in hand before the warehouse gates, their expressions grim and murderous.

Dark red bloodstains that had yet to be completely washed away covered the ground.

They silently told of the brutal fighting that had spread here from last night's palace coup.

Several logistics soldiers dragged cold corpses along, their expressions numb.

They tossed them onto a nearby Soul Tool Corpse Transport Cart.

Its bed was already slick with blood.

"Hurry up, all of you!"

On a shaded platform beside the gates.

A middle-aged man clad in luxurious Silver Dragon Armor sat squarely in a refined steel chair, his bearing bold and imposing.

His eyes were hawklike, his cold gaze sweeping over every movement around him.

A suffocating pressure of soul power faintly radiated from him:

"His lordship will be here to inspect the place personally in another hour.

"Before then, clean up all the blood on the ground and every last corpse.

"If any of this displeases him, I'll hold you responsible!"

At those words, the squad leader assigned to attend him hurriedly bowed and said fawningly:

"Please rest assured, my lord. There are only a few corpses left. We'll have it done in ten minutes at most."

"Mm!"

The middle-aged man nodded and glanced at the bleary-eyed soldiers in the distance.

He instructed, "Tell your men to stay sharp. Stop hanging their heads all the time.

"You should understand how important this place is.

"His lordship entrusted us with guarding it because he trusts us.

"If anything goes wrong, even ten heads apiece wouldn't be enough for us to lose."

"I understand! It's just... they've only just been through a battle and have been on edge ever since. They really are a little tired."

The squad leader gave an awkward smile. "Besides, with you overseeing things, my lord, surely no blind fool would dare come near."

Hearing this, the middle-aged man merely gave him a cold glance and said in a low voice:

"Soldiers must act like soldiers. This is a critical moment. We cannot lower our guard."

The squad leader immediately wiped the smile from his face and straightened up:

"Yes! I'll see to it right away!"

Meanwhile, in a forest two li away!

"This man is named Wang Xiao. He's composed and bloodthirsty.

"A level 89 Soul Douluo from a collateral branch of the Sun Moon Empire's royal family.

"He's also one of Xu Tianlong's most trusted confidants. He went over to his side very early on."

Holding a Telescopic Soul Tool, Xu Yan peered through a gap in the trees ahead.

His bright eyes fixed on Wang Xiao atop the platform, and he recognized him at once.

Many people might not have heard of Wang Xiao.

His son, however, was quite famous.

Wang Shaojie!

He was the young master who, during the exchange-student period, had a crush on Ju Zi, only to wet his pants after Huo Yuhao frightened him with a single Sovereign's Descent.

Later, his troublemaking had forced Huo Yuhao to head out with Ju Zi into the forest to research the All-Terrain Detection Soul Tool.

That had allowed Huo Yuhao to capture Ju Zi's heart with a serving of Rule-Type Grilled Fish that tasted like her father's cooking.

One could say that, without Wang Shaojie, Huo Yuhao and Ju Zi might never have gotten together.

Nor would there have been that bizarre Species-Swapping Plan afterward.

Yet father and son had completely different personalities and ways of doing things.

Who knew whether the mother had cheated or the father had strayed?

"Tch, looks like Xu Tianlong doesn't think much of this place either. He only sent a Soul Douluo to oversee it?"

Du Busi poked his head out and looked at Wang Xiao in the distance, his lips spreading into a savage grin of bloodlust and excitement:

"I thought this would take some effort, but apparently there's no need!

"I can wipe out these ants with a single slap."

As he spoke, the vast pressure of a level 98 Super Douluo seemed poised to erupt.

"Master, wait!"

Xu Yan reacted swiftly, reaching out to hold Du Busi's arm.

Du Busi paused and turned toward his treasured disciple. "What is it?"

Xu Yan's gaze was calm as he analyzed the situation in a low voice:

"This is a strategic site of the Empire. Those soldiers and that Soul Douluo must be wearing top-of-the-line Heart Rate and Life-Sign Sensor Soul Tools.

"If they're seriously injured and knocked unconscious, or killed on the spot, the sensors will transmit an alarm straight to the Imperial City within one second!"

"And this place isn't far from the Imperial City. Kong Deming and the others would only need a dozen or so breaths to get here.

"Not to mention the various Soul Power Detection Soul Tools high overhead. They can provide precise targeting for Soul Cannons.

"They also serve as an early warning system.

"Once we enter a certain range, we'll definitely be detected."

As soul tools developed, certain special locations no longer needed large numbers of guards.

If Kong Deming and the other consecrated experts hadn't been concerned about the civilians in the city earlier, they would have used Remote Fixed Soul Guidance Cannons long ago.

But this was the outskirts. As long as they didn't directly detonate the Soul Guidance Cannon Shells inside the warehouse, they could fire Level 9 Fixed Soul Guidance Cannons at will.

Hearing this, Du Busi, who had been about to show his prowess, faltered slightly.

Xu Yan continued, "Besides, forcing our way through the gates would take time and effort. This warehouse covers a huge area.

"We couldn't possibly loot it all in a short time.

"Rather than killing them outright, controlling every one of them and slipping inside without anyone being the wiser is the best course.

"Of course, we first need to screen ourselves from the soul detection tools overhead."

Screening themselves from the soul detection tools was simple.

There had been a Level 8 Soul Power Concealer in Xu Tianyuan's Storage Soul Tool Ring.

It was more than sufficient to handle the detection overhead.

Understanding dawned on Du Busi. He nodded and said:

"In that case, let's go! Mo Yuan can use mental control to subdue them."

Elder Mo Yuan nodded slightly. "Rest assured, Sect Master. Leave it to me."

With the plan settled, Xu Yan took out the concealer and handed it to Du Busi:

"Master, this thing can conceal our soul power. You only need to channel your soul power into it."

Its grade was too high for him to activate with his own soul power.

Du Busi examined the little device in his hand, then poured soul power into it.

The next instant, a transparent film of light enveloped all seven of them.

"Go!"

They advanced swiftly and soon drew close to Wang Xiao.

The distance between them was less than a thousand meters.

"Mo Yuan, you're up!" Jin Peng said in a low voice.

"Understood!" Mo Yuan nodded.

The next moment, nine dazzling, majestic soul rings surged up from beneath his feet.

Two yellow, two purple, and five black!

He instantly reined in his Titled Douluo aura to the utmost, letting not the slightest sound escape.

An eerie, dark green glow suddenly erupted from Mo Yuan's left eye!

"Sixth Soul Skill—[Illusion Weaving]!"

Boom!

An invisible, formless mental shock swept across the entire warehouse gate area like a silent, raging ocean tide!

Wang Xiao, the Soul Douluo seated atop the platform, and all the soldiers standing guard or moving corpses before the gates swayed slightly in unison.

A fleeting trace of confusion and dizziness flashed through their eyes.

But within half a breath, their eyes regained their "clarity," and they continued mechanically standing guard and carrying corpses.

It was as though that brief pause had merely been a weary hallucination brought on by a night of fighting.

To their senses, everything around them remained calm and peaceful, with no sign of an enemy.

"Oh, right, Elder Mo. Don't forget to make them take off all their Storage Soul Tool Rings."

Xu Yan suddenly reminded him.

Mo Yuan understood at once, looking at Xu Yan with a hint of gratification.

This future young sect master truly has the bearing of a sect master!

He'll surely lead the sect to even greater heights!

With a single thought from Mo Yuan.

The wooden-faced soldiers, Wang Xiao included, all took off their rings and handed them to him.

There were at least thirty.

This place was nothing like the Douluo Three Kingdoms.

In the Sun Moon Empire, practically everyone had a Storage Soul Tool Ring.

They were as common as dirt.

Although most had very little space, only two to five cubic meters.